Plant architecture and spatial structure of an early Permian woodland buried by flood waters, Sangre de Cristo Formation, New Mexico

Rinehart, Larry F.; Lucas, Spencer G.; Tanner, Lawrence H.; Nelson, W. John; Elrick, Scott D.; Chaney, Dan S.; DiMichele, William A.

doi:10.1016/j.palaeo.2015.02.018

Cited by 12 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 51 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…For example, a highly skewed and multimodal distribution was found in the diameters of trees in a Permian forest buried by floodwaters (Rinehart et al . 2015, fig. 13 and associated text).…”

Section: Method Interpretation and Accuracymentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

The utility of probability plotting in palaeobiology

Rinehart¹,

Heckert

Lucas

2022

Palaeontology

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

We introduce probability plotting for general use in the analysis of biological and palaeontological morphometric data. When applied to morphometric data, this analytical tool can yield palaeoecological, ontogenetic and demographic information. We have adapted and expanded a statistical tool used in reliability engineering, mechanical or electrical lifetime analysis, geochemistry and ore mineral analysis to analyse fossil populations. The technique is explained stepwise in a 'user's manual' format. Its power is to characterize statistical distribution types, to determine whether these distributions are skewed or truncated, and to resolve and quantify the components of mixed distributions, which in palaeontological data potentially represent morphological groupings such as cohorts or sexual dimorphs. The ease of application and simplicity are surprising. A probability plot of growth series data (e.g. skull lengths, femoral lengths, snout-to-vent lengths or other morphometrics) typically shows complex non-normal distribution of the data because of multimodal composition. We show that these component modes, which are generally, but not always normal (i.e. Gaussian), can be resolved, and that they correspond to yearly age groups (cohorts), sexual dimorphs, pre-and post-metamorphic forms, other ontogenetic stages or possibly mixed taxa. When these component size distributions are associated with an age group or sex, several important palaeoecological calculations become possible. These include growth curves, age and sex distributions, sexual dimorphism indices, etc. We demonstrate the biological and palaeontological utility of probability plots with several examples including a Permian wingless insect, an extant unionid bivalve, a Triassic metoposaurid amphibian, an extant lizard, and a Triassic theropod dinosaur.

show abstract

Section: Method Interpretation and Accuracymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…See, for example, Rinehart et al . (2015, fig. 12A and associated text) where the surface areas of fallen, fossil‐bearing rocks produced by mining and mass wasting showed extreme value distribution.…”

Section: Method Interpretation and Accuracymentioning

confidence: 99%

The utility of probability plotting in palaeobiology

Rinehart¹,

Heckert

Lucas

2022

Palaeontology

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Rhizolith architecture and geometry is highly dependent on root type as well as diagenetic and pedogenic parameters. Even though most rhizoliths do not retain the morphological structures of their source plants (Sarjeant, 1975), they can still be used to make some qualitative and quantitative inferences about the densities, sizes and types of former vegetation ecosystem (Pfefferkorn and Fuchs, 1991;Rinehart et al, 2015). Moreover, rhizoliths and the related features are also indicators of paleosols and hence of subaerial vadose environments in ancient successions and are widely used as a tool for paleoenvironmental reconstructions (e.g., Klappa, 1980;Golubtsov et al, 2019;Nascimento et al, 2019;Sun et al, 2019a).…”

Section: / 28mentioning

confidence: 99%

Outcrop distribution and formation of carbonate rhizoliths in Badain Jaran Desert, NW China

Sun

Huguet

Zamanian

2021

CATENA

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Carbonate rhizoliths and related features are environmental and ecological indicators of not only palaeosols, but also modern soils. They designate subaerial vadose and pedogenic diagenesis environments. Rhizoliths are commonly used as a tool for paleoenvironmental reconstructions, but uncertainty remains regarding their formation mechanisms. Field characteristics of the dune rhizoliths in the Badain Jaran Desert, NW China were analyzed to investigate formation mechanisms and interpret paleoenvironmental significance. Systematic field sampling and intensive examination showed that the tube-like rhizoliths without morphological structures of plant roots have been placed at the dune soil surface following erosion and weathering but the underground rhizoliths are still connected to the dead Artemisia roots.Rhizoliths occurred only along the windward, long gentle slopes of mega-dunes. Their distribution patterns of both types in connection with plant distribution and landscapes have been studied. Their petrological and mineralogical characters were performed in detail using microscopic and spectroscopic techniques (cathodoluminescence, scanning electronic microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy) in laboratory. Altogether, field and laboratory analyses showed that rhizolith cement is calcium carbonate and despite the high porosity of soil and high aridness of climate, *Revision, Unmarked Click here to download Revision, Unmarked: Rhizoliths outcrops of Badain Jaran Desert 2020 09 21 Revision Unmarked.doc 2 soil moisture plays an important role in sustaining Artemisia growth and rhizolith formation. Desert rhizoliths can therefore be used as a proxy to infer local soil moisture and plant communities. Moreover, as soil moisture content is related to climate and landscape position, rhizoliths could indirectly be indicators of aboveground environmental conditions, e.g. annual precipitation or humidity.

show abstract

“…Data from neural spines 4, 7, 8, and 10. N = 36. approach has been used to determine the spatial distribution of fossil plant assemblages (e.g., DiMichele et al, 1996;Rinehart et al, 2015).…”

Section: Skullmentioning

confidence: 99%

The oldest specialized tetrapod herbivore: A new eupelycosaur from the Permian of New Mexico, USA

Lucas

Rinehart

Celeskey

2018

Palaeontol Electron

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Gordodon kraineri is a new genus and species of edaphosaurid eupelycosaur known from an associated skull, lower jaw and incomplete postcranium found in the early Permian Bursum Formation of Otero County, New Mexico, USA. It has a specialized dental apparatus consisting of large, chisel-like incisors in the front of the jaws separated by a long diastema from relatively short rows of peg-like maxillary and dentary cheek teeth. The dorsal vertebrae of Gordodon have long neural spines that bear numerous, randomly arranged, small, thorn-like tubercles. The tubercles on long neural spines place Gordodon in the Edaphosauridae, and the dental apparatus and distinctive tubercles on the neural spines distinguish it from the other edaphosaurid genera-Edaphosaurus, Glaucosaurus, Lupeosaurus and Ianthasaurus. Gordodon is the oldest known tetrapod herbivore with a dentary diastema, extending the temporal range of that anatomical feature back 95 million years from the Late Triassic. The dental apparatus of Gordodon indicates significantly different modes of ingestion and intraoral transport of vegetable matter than took place in Edaphosaurus and thus represents a marked increase in disparity among edaphosaurids. There were two very early pathways to tetrapod herbivory in edaphosaurid evolution, one toward generalized browsing on high-fiber plant items (Edaphosaurus) and the other (Gordodon) toward more specialized browsing, at least some of it likely on higher nutrient, low fiber plant items. Gordodon shows a surprisingly early specialization of the dental apparatus and indicates how incomplete our knowledge is of edaphosaurid evolution, disparity and diversity.

show abstract

Plant architecture and spatial structure of an early Permian woodland buried by flood waters, Sangre de Cristo Formation, New Mexico

Cited by 12 publications

References 51 publications

The utility of probability plotting in palaeobiology

The utility of probability plotting in palaeobiology

Outcrop distribution and formation of carbonate rhizoliths in Badain Jaran Desert, NW China

The oldest specialized tetrapod herbivore: A new eupelycosaur from the Permian of New Mexico, USA

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About