Global climate change is having profound impacts on the natural world. However, influence faunal dynamics at macroevolutionary scales remains poorly understood. In this paper we investigate of over deep time diversity patterns Cenozoic North American mammals. We use factor analysis to identify temporally correlated assemblages taxa, or major evolutionary faunas that can then study in relation climatic past 65 million years. These taxa be grouped into six consecutive associations show some...

In this article, we investigate convergent evolution toward durophagy in carnivoran skull shape using geometric morphometrics a sample of living and extinct species. Principal components analysis indicate that, spite the different dietary resources consumed by durophages—that is, bone-crackers bamboo-feeders—both groups carnivorans share portions phenotypic spaces. We identify discriminant analyses shared set adaptations carnivores. However, ancestral states that although durophages reached...

Abstract Relative warp analyses of landmarks describing cranial and mandibular shape are used for investigating patterns morphological variation among extant bears (Mammalia, Carnivora, Ursidae) indicative diet feeding behavior. These deriving inferences about the autecology two extinct species previously assumed to have had different dietary preferences, North American giant, short‐faced bear Arctodus simus Eurasian cave Ursus spelaeus . Results reveal a set shared craniodental traits...

Abstract Patterns of skull shape in Carnivora provide examples parallel and convergent evolution for similar ecomorphological adaptations. However, although most researchers report on homoplasies among hypercarnivorous taxa, evolutionary trends towards herbivory remain largely unexplored. In this study, we analyse the living herbivorous carnivorans to evaluate importance natural selection phylogenetic legacy shaping skulls these peculiar species. We quantitatively estimated variability using...

The evolutionary history of the Order Carnivora is marked by episodes iterative evolution. Although this pattern widely reported in different carnivoran families, mechanisms driving evolution skull morphology remain largely unexplored. In study we use coordinate-point extended eigenshape analysis (CP-EES) to summarize aspects shape large fissiped carnivores. Results these comparisons enable evaluation role factors constraining design. Empirical morphospaces derived from mandible anatomy show...

In this study, three-dimensional landmark-based methods of geometric morphometrics are used for estimating the influence phylogeny, allometry and locomotor performance on forelimb shape in living extinct carnivorans (Mammalia, Carnivora). The main objective is to investigate morphological convergences towards similar strategies major bones. Results indicate that both size phylogeny have strong effects anatomy all contrast, bone does not correlate taxa with maximum running speed or daily...

We investigated patterns of evolutionary integration in the appendicular skeleton mammalian carnivores. The findings are discussed relation to performance selection terms organismal function as a potential mechanism underlying integration. Interspecific shape covariation was quantified by two-block partial least-squares (2B-PLS) analysis 3D landmark data within phylogenetic context. Specifically, we compared pairs anatomically connected bones (within-limbs) and both serially homologous...

The shape of the appendicular bones in mammals usually reflects adaptations towards different locomotor abilities. However, other aspects such as body size and phylogeny also play an important role shaping bone design. We used 3D landmark-based geometric morphometrics to analyse hind limb (i.e., femur, tibia, pelvic girdle bones) living extinct terrestrial carnivorans (Mammalia, Carnivora) quantitatively investigate influence size, phylogeny, behaviour morphology these bones. investigated...

Biogeochemical (␦ 13 C, ␦ 15 N, and 18 O values) ecomorphological analyses of the early Pleistocene fauna Venta Micena (Orce, Guadix-Baza basin, SE Spain) provide interesting clues on physiology, dietary regimes, habitat preferences, ecological interactions large mammals.Such inferences are useful in deciphering aspects paleocommunity structure predator-prey relationships.Specifically, hypsodonty index combined with C values allows classifying ungulates among grazers from open (Equus...

The polar bear is the only living ursid with a fully carnivorous diet. Despite number of well-documented craniodental adaptations for diet seal flesh and blubber, molecular paleontological data indicate that this morphologically distinct species evolved less than million years ago from omnivorous brown bear. To better understand evolution dietary specialization, we used phylogenetic tests to estimate rate morphological specialization in bears. We then finite element analysis (FEA) compare...

The spread of open grassy habitats and the evolution long-legged herbivorous mammals with high-crowned cheek teeth have been viewed as an example coevolution. Previous studies indicate that specialized predatory techniques in carnivores do not correlate North America. Here we analyse new data on elbow-joint shape for American canids over past ∼37 million years show incipiently species first appeared along initial late Oligocene. Elbow-joint morphologies indicative behavior modern...

The red ( Ailurus fulgens ) and giant Ailuropoda melanoleuca pandas are mammalian carnivores convergently adapted to a bamboo feeding diet. However, whereas forages almost entirely on younger leaves, fruits tender trunks, relies more trunks stems. Such difference in foraging mode is considered strategy for resource partitioning where they sympatric. Here, we use finite-element analysis test mechanical differences similarities skull performance between related Feeding simulations suggest that...

Sthenurine kangaroos (Marsupialia, Diprotodontia, Macropodoidea) were an extinct subfamily within the family Macropodidae (kangaroos and rat-kangaroos). These "short-faced browsers" first appeared in middle Miocene, radiated Plio-Pleistocene into a diversity of mostly large-bodied forms, more robust than extant forms their build. The largest (Procoptodon goliah) had estimated body mass 240 kg, almost three times size living kangaroos, there is speculation whether kangaroo this would be...

The acquisition of elongated, sabre-like canines in multiple vertebrate clades during the last 265 Myr represents a remarkable example for convergent evolution. Due to striking superficial similarities cranial skeleton, same or similar skull and jaw functions have been inferred sabre-toothed species interpreted as an adaptation subdue large-bodied prey. However, although some sabre-tooth lineages classified into different ecomorphs (dirk-tooths scimitar-tooths) functional diversity within...

Abstract The late Early Pleistocene archaeological site of Fuente Nueva 3 (Orce, Guadix-Baza Depression, SE Spain), dated to ~1.4 Ma, provides evidence on the subsistence strategies first hominin population that dispersed in Western Europe. preserves Oldowan tool assemblages associated with abundant remains large mammals. A small proportion these show cut marks and percussion resulting from defleshing bone fracturing, a bones also tooth marks. Previous taphonomic studies FN3 suggested...

Miquel De Renzi de la Fuente es un paleontólogo catalán que ha realizado gran parte su investigación y magisterio en Universitat València, como catedrático Paleontología. Es difícil indicar cuál sus dos grandes facetas sido más importante, o docencia. Son muchos los alumnos Biología quedaron marcados por clases epistemología ciencia, biomorfodinámica Paleontología, última disciplina desde una visión muy biológica, pero a vez profundamente multifacética. también doctorandos aprendieron...

ABSTRACT Carnivorous mammals use their forelimbs in different ways to capture prey. Most terrestrial carnivores have some cursorial (running) adaptations, but ambush predators retain considerable flexibility forelimb movement, important for grappling with In contrast, that rely on pursuit run down prey sacrificed of this locomotor efficiency, the greater restriction motion parasagittal plane. article, we measured aspects anatomy (44 linear measurements) 36 species carnivorous known predatory...

Background Saber-toothed mammals, now all extinct, were cats or “cat-like” forms with enlarged, blade-like upper canines, proposed as specialists in taking large prey. During the last 66 Ma, saber-tooth ecomorph has evolved convergently at least five different mammalian lineages across both marsupials and placentals. Indeed, Thylacosmilus atrox , so-called “marsupial saber-tooth,” is often considered a classic example of convergence placental such Smilodon fatalis . However, despite its...

Figueirido, B. & Soibelzon, L.H. 2009: Inferring palaeoecology in extinct tremarctine bears (Carnivora, Ursidae) using geometric morphometrics. Lethaia, Vol. 43, pp. 209–222. In this study we explore the ecomorphological patterns of South America during Great American Biotic Interchange (GABI). These are used to derive palaeoautoecological inferences tremarctines and their palaeosinecological relationships within Plio-Pleistocene ecosystems. We morphometrics landmark data recover shape...

The body masses of sixteen species amphicyonids (Mammalia, Carnivora, Amphicyonidae) from the New and Old World were estimated on basis 86 osteological variables measured craniodental (N = 44) postcranial 42) skeleton living Canidae Ursidae.Given absence complete well preserved skeletons in fossil record, multiple regression functions derived separately measurements taken mandible, cranium major limb bones.The accuracy was evaluated using percentage prediction error standard estimates.Mass...

ABSTRACT In this study, we review the previous evidence on paleobiology of giant, 'short-faced' bear Arctodus simus (Mammalia: Carnivora: Ursidae) and contribute new ecomorphological inferences enigmatic species. Craniodental variables are used in a comparative morphometric study across families Felidae, Hyaenidae, Canidae, Ursidae. Principal components analyses (PCAs) do not show an adaptation towards bone-cracking or hypercarnivory bear. contrast, PCAs discriminant restricted to...

The extinct thylacine (Thylacinus cynocephalus) and the extant grey wolf (Canis lupus) are textbook examples of convergence between marsupials placentals. Craniodental studies confirm thylacine's carnivorous diet, but little attention has been paid to its postcranial skeleton, which would or refute rare eyewitness reports a more ambushing predatory mode than pack-hunting pursuit wolves other large canids. Here we show that thylacines had elbow morphology typical an ambush predator, propose...