A5077726078- Primate Behavior and Ecology
- Evolution and Paleontology Studies
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
- Pleistocene-Era Hominins and Archaeology
- Marine animal studies overview
- Morphological variations and asymmetry
- Fish biology, ecology, and behavior
- Language and cultural evolution
- Animal Vocal Communication and Behavior
- Fish Biology and Ecology Studies
- Bat Biology and Ecology Studies
- Olfactory and Sensory Function Studies
- dental development and anomalies
- Image Processing and 3D Reconstruction
- Cephalopods and Marine Biology
- Turtle Biology and Conservation
- Fish Ecology and Management Studies
- Animal Genetics and Reproduction
- Isotope Analysis in Ecology
- Bone and Dental Protein Studies
- thermodynamics and calorimetric analyses
University of Central Lancashire
2023-2024
Johns Hopkins Medicine
2015-2018
Johns Hopkins University
2015-2018
Duke University
2012-2014
Stony Brook University
2006-2012
We describe approaches for distances between pairs of two-dimensional surfaces (embedded in three-dimensional space) that use local structures and global information contained interstructure geometric relationships. present algorithms to automatically determine these as well correspondences. This approach is motivated by the aspiration students natural science understand continuity form unites diversity life. At present, scientists using physical traits study evolutionary relationships among...
Abstract Inferred dietary preference is a major component of paleoecologies extinct primates. Molar occlusal shape correlates with diet in living mammals, so teeth are potentially useful structure from which to reconstruct taxa. We assess the efficacy Dirichlet normal energy (DNE) calculated for molar tooth surfaces reflecting diet. evaluate DNE, uses changes vectors characterize curvature, by directly comparing this metric metrics previously used inference. also test whether combining...
ABSTRACT Dental topographic analysis is the quantitative assessment of shape three‐dimensional models tooth crowns and component features. Molar curvature, relief, complexity correlate with aspects feeding behavior in certain living primates, have been employed to investigate dietary ecology extant extinct primate species. This study investigates whether dental topography correlates diet among a diverse sample platyrrhines, compares platyrrhine that prosimians. We sampled 111 lower second...
Abstract Pitheciines ( Pithecia , Chiropotes and Cacajao ) are a specialized clade of Neotropical seed predators that exhibit postcanine teeth with low rounded cusps highly crenulated occlusal surface enamel. Data on feeding ecology show consumes proportionally more leaves than other pitheciine species, comparative studies demonstrate its greater molar relief relative shearing potential. However, data food mechanics masticates seeds crushing resistance those preferred by . This variation...
Abstract Dental topographic metrics (DTMs), which quantify different aspects of the shape teeth, are powerful tools for studying dietary adaptation and evolution in mammals. Current DTM protocols usually rely on proprietary software, may be unavailable to researchers reasons cost. We address this issue context a analysis primate clade Platyrrhini (“New World monkeys”) by: 1) presenting large comparative sample scanned second lower molars (m2s) callitrichids (marmosets tamarins), previously...
ABSTRACT Objectives The craniomandibular morphology of the adapid primates Europe, especially Adapis and Leptadapis ( sensu lato ), suggests that they possessed enormous jaw adductor muscles. goal this study is to estimate muscle mass, physiological cross‐sectional area (PCSA), fiber length in from Eocene Europe. We also estimated leverage, bite force, gape parameters. Materials Methods use bony osteological correlates soft tissues a sample extant strepsirrhines these soft‐tissue performance...
ABSTRACT Objectives Maximum ingested food size ( V b ) is an empirically tested performance variable that can shed light on feeding energetics and adaptation in the masticatory system. Until now, this had been strepsirrhines alone among primates. Here, we present first data a broad sample of anthropoid primates describe scaling patterns. Materials Methods anthropoids were collected under captive conditions at Philadelphia Zoo compared with published strepsirrhines. Data scaled against...
Abstract The goal of this research is to evaluate the relative strength influences diet, size, and phylogenetic signal on dental geometric shape. Accurate comprehension these factors their interaction important for reconstructing diet deriving characters a cladistic analysis in fossil primates. Geometric morphometric used identify axes shape variation lower second molars (a) prosimian primates (b) platyrrhines. Landmarks were placed µCT‐generated surface renderings. Landmark configurations...
ABSTRACT Phalangeriform marsupials have often been compared with primates because of similarity in the range external morphology, ecological niches, and body size between two radiations. We explore morphological convergence masticatory anatomy strepsirrhine phalangeriforms, through osteological measurements mandible facial skeleton, dissection musculature, presenting new data on arrangement proportions jaw adductors phalangeriforms. Phalangeriforms a large number shape differences mandibular...
Click to increase image sizeClick decrease size ACKNOWLEDGMENTS We thank the CMB landowners who granted access over decades of collection work, in particular Kremer family own land on which Bingo Q is situated; G. Gunnell and P. Gingerich for casts UM collection; M. Jin, C. Norris, J. Galkin comparative material at AMNH; N. Kley use his microscope photographs; two anonymous reviewers whose comments greatly improved manuscript. NSF grants BSR-8722539 EAR-0308902 supported field work CMB.
This study tests whether (1) premolar topography of extant "prosimians" (strepsirrhines and tarsiers) successfully predicts diet (2) the combination molar yields higher classification accuracy than using either tooth position in isolation.
Abstract Dental topographic metrics (DTMs), which quantify different aspects of the shape teeth, are powerful tools for studying dietary adaptation and evolution in mammals. However, comparative samples scanned mammal teeth suitable analysis with DTMs remain limited size scope, little or no representation some major lineages, even within well-studied clades such as primates. In addition, current DTM protocols usually rely on proprietary software, may be unavailable to many researchers...
Previous published statistical analyses of allometric variation in primate molar form have not included phylogenetic information. Some clades and dietary groups differ average body size; thus, observed associations between size morphological might be due to evolutionary history and/or diet. We examined 3D μCT generated surfaces mandibular second molars 26 prosimian taxa (n=69) test if shape is correlated with taking phylogeny into account. positioned 41 landmarks semilandmarks on cusps...