Postcranial morphology and the locomotor habits of living and extinct carnivorans

Samuels, Joshua X.; Meachen, Julie; Sakai, Stacey A.

doi:10.1002/jmor.20077

Cited by 142 publications

(313 citation statements)

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“…A osteometria foi realizada com paquímetro digital de precisão (resolução 0,01mm, exatidão ±0,02mm, ZAAS Precision, Amatools ® ), por dois examinadores em duplicata, conforme o roteiro de medidas internacionalmente preconizadas por Von-den-Driesch (1976) (Quadro 2). Também foram incluídas as medidas designadas por Samuels et al (2013) para o cálculo de índices morfológicos com significado funcional (Quadro 3). Por fim, algumas medidas nos ossos carpianos e sesamoides foram elaboradas para o presente estudo.…”

Section: Methodsunclassified

“…As adaptações morfofuncionais no esqueleto pós-craniano são indicadores confiáveis sobre a locomoção e exploração do habitat pelas espécies e permitem, inclusive, inferir conclusões sobre grupos extintos (Salesa et al 2010, Meloro et al 2013, Samuels et al 2013). Entretanto, estudos sobre esqueletos pós-cranianos de canídeos sul-americanos são escassos desde as análises de Hildebrand (1954).…”

Section: Introductionunclassified

“…Isto explica-se pois suportam a maior parte da massa corporal do animal, além de serem melhores indicadores da ecologia da locomoção e de outros comportamentos como forrageamento, acasalamento e captura da presa (Ewer 1973, Fabre et al 2014, Martín-Serra et al 2014, Fabre et al 2015. Por exemplo, membros torácicos alongados, com metacarpianos compridos, côndilos umerais reduzidos, úmero alongado e ossatura leve são características expressas em carní-voros cursoriais especializados (Samuels et al 2013). Em contrapartida, nos canídeos semi-fossoriais, como Speothos venaticus, são esperados membros relativamente robustos, úmero curto, epicôndilos umerais desenvolvidos, olecranos alongados e falanges distais compridas (Samuels et al 2013).…”

Section: Introductionunclassified

“…Por exemplo, membros torácicos alongados, com metacarpianos compridos, côndilos umerais reduzidos, úmero alongado e ossatura leve são características expressas em carní-voros cursoriais especializados (Samuels et al 2013). Em contrapartida, nos canídeos semi-fossoriais, como Speothos venaticus, são esperados membros relativamente robustos, úmero curto, epicôndilos umerais desenvolvidos, olecranos alongados e falanges distais compridas (Samuels et al 2013).…”

Section: Introductionunclassified

“…Os métodos utilizados para detalhar características morfofuncionais dos ossos de carnívoros incluem desde a descrição macroscópica comum (Evans & DeDeLahunta 2013) e comparativa (Hildebrand 1954, Feeney 1999, exploração de anatomia radiográfica (Schebitz & Wilkens 1987, Meachen-Samuels 2010, Van Staden 2014, medidas lineares de distâncias entre pontos de referências (Vonden-Driesch 1976) acrescidas de índices comparativos (Samuels et al 2013, Janis & Figueirido 2014 até modelos de morfometria geométrica bi ou tridimensional (Andersson 2004, Meloro et al 2013, Martín-Serra et al 2014.…”

Section: Introductionunclassified

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Osteologia do membro torácico de Lycalopex gymnocercus Fischer, 1814 (Carnivora, Mammalia): abordagens comparada, radiográfica e osteométrica

et al. 2018

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The forelimb is the part of the post-cranial skeleton that provides more information about locomotion and life habits of a species. The objective of this study was to perform a detailed macroscopic, comparative, radiographic and osteometric investigation of the thoracic limb of Lycalopex gymnocercus. Twenty-four adult specimens collected dead from roadkill were studied. Analysis included macroscopic and comparative descriptions to other canids, radiographic images for recognition of trabeculation patterns and topographical arrangement of bones, linear and three-dimensional measurements, and histological evaluation of the clavicles. The forelimb skeleton of L. gymnocercus presented morphological and functional adaptations in every segment for a specialized cursorial locomotion and some ability to pronation and supination for capture of small vertebrates. There was a tendency for the bones to be longer in males, especially in the distal end of humerus, presumably to fixation of stronger antebrachial muscles. The vestigial clavicle bone was found in all the specimens, had a predominantly cartilaginous nature and was significantly larger in males. The basic conformation of the forelimb skeleton was similar to that of domestic and wild canids described in the literature, although peculiar characteristics of L. gymnocercus have been found.

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Section: Methodsunclassified

Section: Introductionunclassified

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Osteologia do membro torácico de Lycalopex gymnocercus Fischer, 1814 (Carnivora, Mammalia): abordagens comparada, radiográfica e osteométrica

et al. 2018

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An integrative approach to examining the influences of size, phylogeny, and locomotion on os coxae shape variation in primates

Lewton

2022

American Journal of Biological Anthropology

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ObjectivesAspects of three‐dimensional (3D) pelvis shape are associated with body size and adaptations to locomotor behaviors in primates, while the effect of phylogeny is less well understood. This study examines 3D os coxae shape in primates using an integrated, phylomorphospace approach to investigate the relationships among shape, phylogeny, locomotor function, and size.Materials and Methods3D landmarks (N = 20) were collected on a large sample of primate pelves (736 individuals, 60 species) and standard geometric morphometric methods were used to examine shape variation. Phylogenetic and non‐phylogenetic generalized least squares models were constructed with Procrustes coordinates as dependent variables and locomotor behavior and size as independent variables; analyses were conducted on all primates and on a nonhuman primate subsample.ResultsThe degree of phylogenetic signal in these models was statistically significant, but less than would be expected under a Brownian motion model of evolution. Among all primates, both size and locomotion have significant effects on os coxae shape while accounting for the effects of phylogeny. However, these group differences are relatively small and as a result, locomotion is not significantly related to os coxae shape among the nonhuman primate sample when accounting for phylogeny.DiscussionAlthough closely related primate taxa share locomotor behavior, there are size and locomotor differences in os coxae shape that cannot be solely accounted for by phylogeny alone and must be considered alongside previously identified mechano‐functional morphological differences. Phylogenetic comparative methods make it difficult to identify adaptation when locomotion and phylogeny are closely linked.

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Quantifying morphological adaptations using direct measurements: The carnivoran appendicular skeleton as a case study

Gálvez-López

2020

The Anatomical Record

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Here, I study whether locomotor adaptations can be detected in limb bones using a univariate approach, and whether those results are affected by size and/or shared evolutionary history. Ultimately, it tests whether classical papers on locomotor adaptations should be trusted. To do that, I analyzed the effect of several factors (size, taxonomic group, and locomotor habit) on limb bone morphology using a set of 43 measurements of the scapula, long bones, and calcaneus, of 435 specimens belonging to 143 carnivoran species. Size was the main factor affecting limb morphology. Size-corrected analyses revealed artifactual differences between various locomotion-related categories in the analyses of raw data. Additionally, several between-group differences were new to the size-corrected analyses, suggesting that they were masked by the size-effect. Phylogeny had also an important effect, although it only became apparent after removing the effect of size, probably due to the strong covariation of both factors. Regarding locomotor adaptations, locomotor type was used to represent locomotor specialization, and utilized habitat as an indicator of the capacity to adopt different modes of locomotion (running, swimming, climbing, and digging) and thus maximize resource exploitation by being capable of navigating all the substrates in the habitat they use. Locomotor type produced better results than utilized habitat, suggesting that carnivorans use locomotor specialization to minimize locomotion costs. The characteristic limb bone morphology for each locomotor type studied is described, including several adaptations and trends that are novel to the present study. Finally, the results presented here support the hypothesis of a "viverrid-like", forestdwelling carnivoran ancestor, either arboreal or terrestrial.

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Postcranial morphology and the locomotor habits of living and extinct carnivorans

Cited by 142 publications

References 143 publications

Osteologia do membro torácico de Lycalopex gymnocercus Fischer, 1814 (Carnivora, Mammalia): abordagens comparada, radiográfica e osteométrica

Osteologia do membro torácico de Lycalopex gymnocercus Fischer, 1814 (Carnivora, Mammalia): abordagens comparada, radiográfica e osteométrica

An integrative approach to examining the influences of size, phylogeny, and locomotion on os coxae shape variation in primates

Quantifying morphological adaptations using direct measurements: The carnivoran appendicular skeleton as a case study

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