A5072347071- Evolution and Paleontology Studies
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
- Pleistocene-Era Hominins and Archaeology
- Geology and Paleoclimatology Research
- Morphological variations and asymmetry
- Bat Biology and Ecology Studies
- Genetic diversity and population structure
- Animal Ecology and Behavior Studies
- Comparative Animal Anatomy Studies
- Primate Behavior and Ecology
- Isotope Analysis in Ecology
- Archaeology and ancient environmental studies
- Human-Animal Interaction Studies
- Paleopathology and ancient diseases
- Paleontology and Evolutionary Biology
- Species Distribution and Climate Change
- Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies
- Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior
- Veterinary Equine Medical Research
- Fire effects on ecosystems
- Horticultural and Viticultural Research
- Science Education and Pedagogy
- Botany and Plant Ecology Studies
- Agriculture and Rural Development Research
- Mediterranean and Iberian flora and fauna
Des Moines University
2015-2025
Des Moines University Osteopathic Medical Center
2022-2025
Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County
2023
Google (United States)
2019
Marshall University
2013-2014
National Evolutionary Synthesis Center
2012
University of California System
2005
University of Florida
2002-2004
Florida Museum of Natural History
2002-2004
Abstract Members of the order Carnivora display a broad range locomotor habits, including cursorial, scansorial, arboreal, semiaquatic, aquatic, and semifossorial species from multiple families. Ecomorphological analyses osteological measurements have been used successfully in prior studies carnivorans rodents to accurately infer habits extinct species. This study uses 20 postcranial that shown be effective indicators incorporates an extensive sample over 300 individuals more than 100 living...
The cause, or causes, of the Pleistocene megafaunal extinctions have been difficult to establish, in part because poor spatiotemporal resolution fossil record hinders alignment species disappearances with archeological and environmental data. We obtained 172 new radiocarbon dates on megafauna from Rancho La Brea California spanning 15.6 10.0 thousand calendar years before present (ka). Seven extinct disappeared by 12.9 ka, onset Younger Dryas. Comparison high-resolution regional datasets...
Variation is the raw material for natural selection, but factors shaping variation are still poorly understood. Genetic and developmental interactions can direct variation, there has been little synthesis of these effects with extrinsic that shape biodiversity over large scales. The study phenotypic integration modularity capacity to unify aspects evolutionary by estimating genetic through quantitative analysis morphology, allowing combined assessment intrinsic effects. Data from fossil...
Living coyotes modify their behavior in the presence of larger carnivores, such as wolves. However, little is known about effects competitor or absence on morphological change wolves over long periods time. We examined evolution and through time from late Pleistocene, during which many large carnivorous species coexisted predators competitors, to Recent; this allowed us investigate evolutionary changes these response climate megafaunal extinctions at end Pleistocene. measured postcranial...
Abstract Giant short-faced bears (Arctodus simus) were the largest carnivoran of Pleistocene North America and are one most extensively studied extinct megafaunal species from continent. Smaller larger forms A. simus have previously been recognized sometimes considered subspecies (A. s. yukonensis, respectively). However, researchers also proposed that this size variation is primarily result sexual dimorphism. We sequenced 31 mitogenomes locations ranging Alaska to New Mexico. Our results...
Abstract Pleistocene diversity was much higher than today, for example there were three distinct wolf morphotypes (dire, gray, Beringian) in North America versus one today (gray). Previous fossil evidence suggested that these groups overlapped ecologically, but split the landscape geographically. The Natural Trap Cave ( NTC ) site Wyoming, USA is an ideally placed late to study geographical movement of species from northern middle before, during, and after last glacial maximum. Until now, it...
Abstract The gray wolf (Canis lupus) exhibits both genetic and morphologic clinal variation across North America. Although shape in populations has been documented, no study made to exhaustively quantify it, or correlate with environmental variables. This utilizes a large historical database of skull linear measurements analyze shape, attempts it ecology. A variety statistical tests are employed; size examined through principal component analysis calculation allometry vectors. Multiple...
Coyotes (Canis latrans) are an important species in human-inhabited areas. They control pests and the apex predators many ecosystems. Because of their importance it is imperative to understand how environmental change will affect this species. The end Pleistocene Ice Age brought with ecological changes for coyotes here we statistically determine that occurred coyotes, when these occurred, what consequences were changes. We examined mandibles three coyote populations: Rancho La Brean (13–29...
The Bering Land Bridge connecting North America and Eurasia was periodically exposed inundated by oscillating sea levels during the Pleistocene glacial cycles. This land connection allowed intermittent dispersal of animals, including humans, between Western Beringia (far northeast Asia) Eastern (northwest America), changing faunal community composition both continents. cycles also had profound impacts on temperature, precipitation vegetation, impacting structure demography. While these...
Abstract Dissection reports of large cats (family Felidae) have been published since the late 19th century. These generally describe findings in words, show drawings dissection, and usually include some masses muscles, but often neglect to provide muscle maps showing precise location bony origins insertions. Although these early can be highly useful, absence visual depictions attachment sites makes it difficult compare insertions living taxa especially reconstruct attachments fossil taxa....
Abstract The red wolf ( Canis rufus ) of the eastern US was driven to near‐extinction by colonial‐era persecution and habitat conversion, which facilitated coyote C . latrans range expansion widespread hybridization with wolves. observation some grey lupus ancestry within wolves sparked controversy over whether it historically a subspecies its predominant “coyote‐like” obtained from post‐colonial (2‐species hypothesis) versus distinct species closely related that hybridized (3‐species...
Abstract The late P leistocene was a time of environmental change, culminating in an extinction event. Few fossil localities record temporal series carnivore populations from this interesting interval as well R ancho L B rea ( RLB ). We analysed mandibles S milodon fatalis using 2‐ D geometric morphometrics to examine whether, and how, mandibular shape changes through time. shows evolution with oscillations between small, ancestral‐type morph pits 77 (≈37 Kybp) 2051 (≈26 Kybp), larger, more...
The relationship between climate and morphology is important to understand in view of the rapid rate change occurring today; however, this has not been fully explored many mammalian groups. We use postcranial indices explore association order Carnivora. Carnivora a good group for analysis because it includes species with variety locomotor ecologies that live almost every type habitat on Earth. measured postcrania 121 carnivoran from around world, combined data BIOCLIM database NCEAS...
Hybridization capture with in-solution oligonucleotide probes has quickly become the preferred method for enriching specific DNA loci from degraded or ancient samples prior to high-throughput sequencing (HTS). Several companies synthesize sets of hybridization capture, but these commercial reagents are usually expensive. Methods economical in-house probe synthesis have been described, they do not directly address one major advantages commercially synthesised probes: that sequences matching...
The fourth radiation of Camelidae in North America produced both living tribes Camelidae: the Camelini Old World and Lamini South America. This paper focuses on origin Lamini. It places record a new genus species, Pleiolama mckennai, from middle Miocene Nebraska Texas, assigns to that species P. vera (Matthew, 1909) late High Plains. is distinguished four other extinct genera recognized nominal Pliauchenia humphresiana Cope(1875), traditionally thought be an early representative Lamini,...
Abstract The Bering Land Bridge connecting North America and Eurasia was periodically exposed inundated by oscillating sea levels during the Pleistocene glacial cycles. This land connection allowed intermittent dispersal of animals, including humans, between Western Beringia (far north-east Asia) Eastern (north-west America), changing faunal community composition both continents. cycles also had profound impacts on temperature, precipitation, vegetation, impacting structure demography. While...
Excavations at Natural Trap Cave (NTC) began in the mid-1970's and quickly yielded evidence of a diverse steppe fauna that existed during Last Glacial Maximum (MIS 2) along western slope Bighorn Mountains north central Wyoming. NTC is karst pit cave with 24.5 m vertical drop into roughly 43 wide bell-shaped ‘Main Chamber’ course early excavations plugged entrance to fossil-bearing ‘Lower was discovered. Stratigraphic relationships below Main Chamber were originally studied mid-1970's, but...
A new species of lamine, Hemiauchenia gracilis n. sp., is present at six late Blancan fossil localities in Florida: Inglis 1A and 1F Citrus County; DeSoto Shell Pits 1 5 Santa Fe River Columbia Waccasassa 9A Levy County. The deposits these locations are thought to be between 1.8 2.5 million years old. holotype specimen a right mandibular fragment including p4 through m3. lacks p1 p3. teeth H. similar those macrocephala edensis, with an intermediate crown height small degree crenulation....
Recent advances in genomics and palaeontology have begun to unravel the complex evolutionary history of gray wolf, Canis lupus . Still, much their phenotypic variation across time space remains be documented. We examined limb morphology fossil modern North American wolves from late Quaternary (< ca 70 ka) better understand postcranial diversity through time. found that late-Pleistocene were characterized by short-leggedness on both sides Cordilleran–Laurentide ice sheets, this trait...
The relationship of carpal morphology to ecology and habitat is under studied in carnivorans more generally mammals. Here, we use 3D-scanning techniques assess the usefulness a bone, scapholunar, reflect habitat, reconstruct five extinct from two fossil sites: Rancho La Brea Natural Trap Cave. We 3D-scanned scapholunars measured articular surface areas angles between facets using GeoMagic Rhino 3D-software. analyzed difference these metrics multivariate analysis variance discriminant...
This article investigates a form of rank deficiency in phenotypic covariance matrices derived from geometric morphometric data, and its impact on measures integration. We first define type based information theory then demonstrate that this impairs the performance integration metrics model system. Lastly, we propose methods to treat for deficiency. Our goal is establish how typical matrix relates entropy eigenvalue spectrum. requires clear definitions rank, which three: full (equal number...
Natural Trap Cave, located in the Big Horn Mountains of north-central Wyoming, has a history trapping and preserving range North American fauna that plummeted into deep vertical entrance. These animal remains were buried preserved within sediments main chamber and, turn, have helped elucidate procession faunal dynamics during latest glacial cycle. The cave location, south Laurentide Cordilleran Ice Sheets, proximal to Yellowstone, is at an ideal geographical juncture provide insights...