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van Zoelen JD, Camens AB, Worthy TH, Prideaux GJ. Description of the Pliocene marsupial Ambulator keanei gen. nov. (Marsupialia: Diprotodontidae) from inland Australia and its locomotory adaptations. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2023; 10:230211. [PMID: 37266037 PMCID: PMC10230189 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.230211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 04/28/2023] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Diprotodontids were the largest marsupials to exist and an integral part of Australian terrestrial ecosystems until the last members of the group became extinct approximately 40 000 years ago. Despite the frequency with which diprotodontid remains are encountered, key aspects of their morphology, systematics, ecology and evolutionary history remain poorly understood. Here we describe new skeletal remains of the Pliocene taxon Zygomaturus keanei from northern South Australia. This is only the third partial skeleton of a late Cenozoic diprotodontid described in the last century, and the first displaying soft tissue structures associated with footpad impressions. Whereas it is difficult to distinguish Z. keanei and the type species of the genus, Z. trilobus, on dental grounds, the marked cranial and postcranial differences suggest that Z. keanei warrants genus-level distinction. Accordingly, we place it in the monotypic Ambulator gen. nov. We, also recognize the late Miocene Z. gilli as a nomen dubium. Features of the forelimb, manus and pes reveal that Ambulator keanei was more graviportal with greater adaptation to quadrupedal walking than earlier diprotodontids. These adaptations may have been driven by a need to travel longer distances to obtain resources as open habitats expanded in the late Pliocene of inland Australia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob D. van Zoelen
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA 5042, Australia
| | - Aaron B. Camens
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA 5042, Australia
| | - Trevor H. Worthy
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA 5042, Australia
| | - Gavin J. Prideaux
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA 5042, Australia
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Inferring the palaeobiology of palorchestid marsupials through analysis of mammalian humeral and femoral shape. J MAMM EVOL 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s10914-022-09640-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
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3
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Phylogenetic, Allometric, and Ecological Factors Affecting Morphological Variation in the Scapula and Humerus of Spiny Rats (Rodentia: Echimyidae). J MAMM EVOL 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s10914-022-09617-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/15/2022]
Abstract
AbstractLocomotion, as a fundamental function in mammals directly associated with the use of ecological resources, is expected to have anatomical structures functionally committed that evolved under intense selective pressure, possibly carrying specializations for different locomotor habits. Among caviomorph rodents, the family Echimyidae stands out for having the greatest species richness, with relatively well-resolved phylogenetic relationships, wide variation in body mass, and remarkable diversity of locomotor habits, including arboreal, scansorial, semi-aquatic, semifossorial, and terrestrial forms. Thus, Echimyidae constitutes a promising model for understanding how phylogenetic, allometric, and ecological factors affect the evolution of postcranial structures directly linked to locomotor function. We investigated the influence of these three factors on scapular and humeral morphological variation in 38 echimyid species using two-dimensional geometric morphometry and phylogenetically informed comparative methods. Scapular and humeral shape variation had a low correlation with body mass and structure size, conveying a small or negligible allometric effect. Conversely, a significant moderate to strong phylogenetic signal was detected in both structures, suggesting that an important part of their morphometric variation results from shared evolutionary history. Notably, morphological variation of the scapula was extensively structured by phylogeny, without the marked influence of locomotor habits, suggesting that its shape may be a suitable taxonomic marker. Finally, locomotor habits were important in structuring the morphological variation of the humerus. Our results suggest that the morphologies of the scapula and humerus, despite being anatomically and functionally interconnected, were differentially shaped by ecological factors associated with locomotor habits.
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Wagstaffe AY, O'Driscoll AM, Kunz CJ, Rayfield EJ, Janis CM. Divergent locomotor evolution in "giant" kangaroos: Evidence from foot bone bending resistances and microanatomy. J Morphol 2022; 283:313-332. [PMID: 34997777 PMCID: PMC9303454 DOI: 10.1002/jmor.21445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2021] [Revised: 12/06/2021] [Accepted: 01/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
The extinct sthenurine (giant, short-faced) kangaroos have been proposed to have a different type of locomotor behavior to extant (macropodine) kangaroos, based both on physical limitations (the size of many exceeds the proposed limit for hopping) and anatomical features (features of the hind limb anatomy suggestive of weight-bearing on one leg at a time). Here, we use micro computerised tomography (micro-CT) scans of the pedal bones of six kangaroos, three sthenurine, and three macropodine, ranging from ~50 to 150 kg, to investigate possible differences in bone resistances to bending and cortical bone distribution that might relate to differences in locomotion. Using second moment of area analysis, we show differences in resistance to bending between the two subfamilies. Distribution of cortical bone shows that sthenurines had less resistant calcaneal tubers, implying a different foot posture during locomotion, and the long foot bones were more resistant to the medial bending stresses. These differences were the most pronounced between Pleistocene monodactyl sthenurines (Sthenurus stirlingi and Procoptodon browneorum) and the two species of Macropus (the extant M. giganteus and the extinct M. cf. M. titan) and support the hypothesis that these derived sthenurines employed bipedal striding. The Miocene sthenurine Hadronomas retains some more macropodine-like features of bone resistance to bending, perhaps reflecting its retention of the fifth pedal digit. The Pleistocene macropodine Protemnodon has a number of unique features, possibly indicative of a type of locomotion unlike the other kangaroos.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amber Y Wagstaffe
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.,Energy and Environment Institute, University of Hull, Hull, UK
| | - Adrian M O'Driscoll
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.,Center for Anatomical and Human Studies, Hull York Medical School, University of York, York, UK
| | - Callum J Kunz
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Emily J Rayfield
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Christine M Janis
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.,Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
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Jones B, Martín-Serra A, Rayfield EJ, Janis CM. Distal Humeral Morphology Indicates Locomotory Divergence in Extinct Giant Kangaroos. J MAMM EVOL 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10914-021-09576-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
AbstractPrevious studies of the morphology of the humerus in kangaroos showed that the shape of the proximal humerus could distinguish between arboreal and terrestrial taxa among living mammals, and that the extinct “giant” kangaroos (members of the extinct subfamily Sthenurinae and the extinct macropodine genus Protemnodon) had divergent humeral anatomies from extant kangaroos. Here, we use 2D geometric morphometrics to capture the shape of the distal humerus in a range of extant and extinct marsupials and obtain similar results: sthenurines have humeral morphologies more similar to arboreal mammals, while large Protemnodon species (P. brehus and P. anak) have humeral morphologies more similar to terrestrial quadrupedal mammals. Our results provide further evidence for prior hypotheses: that sthenurines did not employ a locomotor mode that involved loading the forelimbs (likely employing bipedal striding as an alternative to quadrupedal or pentapedal locomotion at slow gaits), and that large Protemnodon species were more reliant on quadrupedal locomotion than their extant relatives. This greater diversity of locomotor modes among large Pleistocene kangaroos echoes studies that show a greater diversity in other aspects of ecology, such as diet and habitat occupancy.
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Bradshaw CJ, Johnson CN, Llewelyn J, Weisbecker V, Strona G, Saltré F. Relative demographic susceptibility does not explain the extinction chronology of Sahul's megafauna. eLife 2021; 10:63870. [PMID: 33783356 PMCID: PMC8043753 DOI: 10.7554/elife.63870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2020] [Accepted: 03/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The causes of Sahul’s megafauna extinctions remain uncertain, although several interacting factors were likely responsible. To examine the relative support for hypotheses regarding plausible ecological mechanisms underlying these extinctions, we constructed the first stochastic, age-structured models for 13 extinct megafauna species from five functional/taxonomic groups, as well as 8 extant species within these groups for comparison. Perturbing specific demographic rates individually, we tested which species were more demographically susceptible to extinction, and then compared these relative sensitivities to the fossil-derived extinction chronology. Our models show that the macropodiformes were the least demographically susceptible to extinction, followed by carnivores, monotremes, vombatiform herbivores, and large birds. Five of the eight extant species were as or more susceptible than the extinct species. There was no clear relationship between extinction susceptibility and the extinction chronology for any perturbation scenario, while body mass and generation length explained much of the variation in relative risk. Our results reveal that the actual mechanisms leading to the observed extinction chronology were unlikely related to variation in demographic susceptibility per se, but were possibly driven instead by finer-scale variation in climate change and/or human prey choice and relative hunting success.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corey Ja Bradshaw
- Global Ecology Partuyarta Ngadluku Wardli Kuu, College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Tarndanya (Adelaide), Australia.,ARC Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage, Wollongong, Australia
| | - Christopher N Johnson
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage, Wollongong, Australia.,Dynamics of Eco-Evolutionary Pattern, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia
| | - John Llewelyn
- Global Ecology Partuyarta Ngadluku Wardli Kuu, College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Tarndanya (Adelaide), Australia.,ARC Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage, Wollongong, Australia
| | - Vera Weisbecker
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage, Wollongong, Australia.,College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Giovanni Strona
- Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Frédérik Saltré
- Global Ecology Partuyarta Ngadluku Wardli Kuu, College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Tarndanya (Adelaide), Australia.,ARC Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage, Wollongong, Australia
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Sphenotemporal and Fronto-Orbital Dysmorphology in Unilateral Coronal Synostosis Using Geometric Morphometric Curve-Based Analysis. J Craniofac Surg 2021; 32:2449-2451. [PMID: 33606436 DOI: 10.1097/scs.0000000000007564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Geometric morphometric analysis with Procrustes superimposition is a commonly used method to characterize and study complex dysmorphology. The present study employs an advanced Procrustes-based approach to studying craniofacial dysmorphology in unilateral coronal synostosis and quantitatively describe bony patterns in this disorder, in order to better understand the associated fronto-orbital and sphenotemporal deformities. METHODS Forty-one unilateral coronal synostosis (UCS) patients and 41 age- and sex-matched controls underwent high-resolution computed tomography imaging. Thirty-one anatomical landmarks were labeled on each imaging set. Landmarks were used to calculate angle, lengths, and define fronto-orbital and sphenotemporal anatomical curves. A validated geometric morphometric workflow was used to perform a Procrustes superimposition to register landmarks into a common space and perform a principal components analysis. RESULTS Supraorbital bar curvature was significantly increased ipsilateral to the fused suture and decreased contralateral, P < 0.0001 for both sides. The sagittal sphenotemporal curve also showed ipsilateral increase in curvature (P < 0.0001) but there was no effect on the contralateral side (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Geometric morphometric analysis revealed significant dysmorphology between UCS patients and controls. These results suggest bilateral changes in fronto-orbital curvature and ipsilateral changes in sagittal sphenotemporal curvature, which may be useful in further characterizing the dynamic craniofacial changes in UCS.
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Lundgren EJ, Schowanek SD, Rowan J, Middleton O, Pedersen RØ, Wallach AD, Ramp D, Davis M, Sandom CJ, Svenning JC. Functional traits of the world's late Quaternary large-bodied avian and mammalian herbivores. Sci Data 2021; 8:17. [PMID: 33473149 PMCID: PMC7817692 DOI: 10.1038/s41597-020-00788-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2020] [Accepted: 11/30/2020] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Prehistoric and recent extinctions of large-bodied terrestrial herbivores had significant and lasting impacts on Earth's ecosystems due to the loss of their distinct trait combinations. The world's surviving large-bodied avian and mammalian herbivores remain among the most threatened taxa. As such, a greater understanding of the ecological impacts of large herbivore losses is increasingly important. However, comprehensive and ecologically-relevant trait datasets for extinct and extant herbivores are lacking. Here, we present HerbiTraits, a comprehensive functional trait dataset for all late Quaternary terrestrial avian and mammalian herbivores ≥10 kg (545 species). HerbiTraits includes key traits that influence how herbivores interact with ecosystems, namely body mass, diet, fermentation type, habitat use, and limb morphology. Trait data were compiled from 557 sources and comprise the best available knowledge on late Quaternary large-bodied herbivores. HerbiTraits provides a tool for the analysis of herbivore functional diversity both past and present and its effects on Earth's ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erick J Lundgren
- Centre for Compassionate Conservation, School of Life Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, Australia.
- Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE), Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.
- Section for Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.
| | - Simon D Schowanek
- Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE), Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.
- Section for Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.
| | - John Rowan
- Department of Anthropology, University at Albany, Albany, NY, 12222, USA
| | - Owen Middleton
- School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Sussex, UK
| | - Rasmus Ø Pedersen
- Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE), Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Section for Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Arian D Wallach
- Centre for Compassionate Conservation, School of Life Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, Australia
| | - Daniel Ramp
- Centre for Compassionate Conservation, School of Life Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, Australia
| | - Matt Davis
- Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE), Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Section for Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Los Angeles, CA, 90007, USA
| | | | - Jens-Christian Svenning
- Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE), Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Section for Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
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López-Aguirre C, Hand SJ, Koyabu D, Tu VT, Wilson LAB. Phylogeny and foraging behaviour shape modular morphological variation in bat humeri. J Anat 2020; 238:1312-1329. [PMID: 33372711 DOI: 10.1111/joa.13380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2020] [Revised: 11/19/2020] [Accepted: 11/20/2020] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Bats show a remarkable ecological diversity that is reflected both in dietary and foraging guilds (FGs). Cranial ecomorphological adaptations linked to diet have been widely studied in bats, using a variety of anatomical, computational and mathematical approaches. However, foraging-related ecomorphological adaptations and the concordance between cranial and postcranial morphological adaptations remain unexamined in bats and limited to the interpretation of traditional aerodynamic properties of the wing (e.g. wing loading [WL] and aspect ratio [AR]). For this reason, the postcranial ecomorphological diversity in bats and its drivers remain understudied. Using 3D virtual modelling and geometric morphometrics (GMM), we explored the phylogenetic, ecological and biological drivers of humeral morphology in bats, evaluating the presence and magnitude of modularity and integration. To explore decoupled patterns of variation across the bone, we analysed whole-bone shape, diaphyseal and epiphyseal shape. We also tested whether traditional aerodynamic wing traits correlate with humeral shape. By studying 37 species from 20 families (covering all FGs and 85% of dietary guilds), we found similar patterns of variation in whole-bone and diaphyseal shape and unique variation patterns in epiphyseal shape. Phylogeny, diet and FG significantly correlated with shape variation at all levels, whereas size only had a significant effect on epiphyseal morphology. We found a significant phylogenetic signal in all levels of humeral shape. Epiphyseal shape significantly correlated with wing AR. Statistical support for a diaphyseal-epiphyseal modular partition of the humerus suggests a functional partition of shape variability. Our study is the first to show within-structure modular morphological variation in the appendicular skeleton of any living tetrapod. Our results suggest that diaphyseal shape correlates more with phylogeny, whereas epiphyseal shape correlates with diet and FG.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camilo López-Aguirre
- Earth and Sustainability Science Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Suzanne J Hand
- Earth and Sustainability Science Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Daisuke Koyabu
- Jockey Club College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong.,Department of Molecular Craniofacial Embryology, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Vuong Tan Tu
- Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, Hanoi, Vietnam.,Graduate University of Science and Technology, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Laura A B Wilson
- Earth and Sustainability Science Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,School of Archaeology & Anthropology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
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Janis CM, Martín-Serra A. Postcranial elements of small mammals as indicators of locomotion and habitat. PeerJ 2020; 8:e9634. [PMID: 32953256 PMCID: PMC7474524 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.9634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2020] [Accepted: 07/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Many studies have shown a correlation between postcranial anatomy and locomotor behavior in mammals, but the postcrania of small mammals (<5 kg) is often considered to be uninformative of their mode of locomotion due to their more generalized overall anatomy. Such small body size was true of all mammals during the Mesozoic. Anatomical correlates of locomotor behavior are easier to determine in larger mammals, but useful information can be obtained from the smaller ones. Limb bone proportions (e.g., brachial index) can be useful locomotor indicators; but complete skeletons, or even complete long bones, are rare for Mesozoic mammals, although isolated articular surfaces are often preserved. Here we examine the correlation of the morphology of long bone joint anatomy (specifically articular surfaces) and locomotor behavior in extant small mammals and demonstrate that such anatomy may be useful for determining the locomotor mode of Mesozoic mammals, at least for the therian mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine M. Janis
- School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, Avon, UK
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
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