Estimated Body Mass Research Articles

Juvenile Body Mass Estimation from the Femur Using Postmortem Computed Tomography Data

Skeletal estimation methods to reconstruct the juvenile biological profile are largely limited to those estimating age and, to a lesser extent, sex. While body mass is not generally estimated as part of the biological profile in forensic investigations, this is a logical candidate for inclusion in the forensic biological profile, as it has long been of interest in paleoanthropology and several methods to estimate juvenile body mass currently exist. To explore the performance of body mass estimation for juveniles, the authors tested the accuracy and precision of previously published panel regression formulae using two femoral measurements: the breadth of the distal metaphysis and the cross-sectional polar moment of inertia (J). The test sample consisted of measurements of 94 individuals from birth to 12.5 years of age, taken from postmortem computed tomography scans housed at the Office of the Medical Investigator, New Mexico, USA. Results indicate that body mass estimates are more accurate when estimated from cross-sectional than from metaphyseal measures. Both formulae, however, consistently underestimated weight, and the magnitude of the underestimation increased exponentially with age. This suggests that, contrary to what others have argued, body mass estimation is complicated by population variation in body composition. This study reinforces the importance of documenting and investigating the ontogeny of human variation. The global increase in medical imaging in clinical settings can be leveraged to obtain skeletal data for juveniles from a wide range of ontogenic environments, marking an exciting time for the study of human variation.

Body mass estimation in Triassic cynodonts from Argentina based on limb variables

Body mass estimation in Triassic cynodonts from Argentina based on limb variables

Study of serum level of S100B as a biomarker of vitiligo activity

BackgroundVitiligo is a common acquired depigmenting skin disorder. Current pathophysiologic insights promote the theory that melanocytes are destroyed by the immune system, leaving persistent areas of depigmentation, other theories have been suggested regarding the causes for depigmentation, including deficient adhesion proteins, an increased presence of oxidative stress, and neurogenic factors.ObjectiveThe study aims to evaluate the serum level of S100B in vitiligo patients and its correlation with disease activity in comparison with healthy controls.Patients and methodsThis is a case–control study that included 60 patients with vitiligo who were diagnosed with clinical evaluation and 30 healthy individuals as a control group. All patients were assessed for activity by Vitiligo Disease Activity Score (VIDA score) last year and the authors used Vitiligo Extent Score (VES), which is estimated body mass index % and measured serum level of S100B by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay system.ResultsThere was a significant increase in the serum level of S100Bng/l in the patient group compared with the control (P value < 0.001) and a significant positive correlation between serum level of S100Bng/l and VIDA in the patient group.ConclusionSerum levels of S100B in vitiligo were used as a biomarker for activity.

Factors Influencing the Sponsoring of Animals in Slovak Zoos.

Simple SummaryTo achieve conservation goals with ex situ programs, zoos have two alternatives: government funding and private donations. By using published data from 2018 on the amount of money received by zoos through adoption programs (if any), we investigated the factors influencing donations in all Slovak zoos. Generalized linear mixed models were applied throughout statistical analyses. Although the majority of animal species in the zoos included in this study had low a conservation status, a few others, like amphibians, were rarely listed as threatened species. In general, vertebrates received more funding than invertebrates, and mammals were the preferred taxa by private contributors. Mammals were sponsored more frequently than non-mammal species, except for reptiles. We submit that zoo managers could concentrate their efforts on the breeding of threatened animals to support their reintroduction to the wild and to enhance people’s awareness of these animal species.Anthropogenic disturbance causes biodiversity loss, and consequently the captive conservation (ex situ) of threatened animals may be an effective strategy in protecting species. We used estimated body mass, phylogenetic closeness with humans, International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) conservation status, and species attractiveness scores, to examine the factors influencing the adoption likelihood of a species in all Slovak zoos. In general, vertebrates received more funding than invertebrates, and mammals were the preferred taxa by private contributors. In terms of funding, we propose that the perception of mammals as phylogenetically close to humans, and attractiveness factor, contribute to an advantage over less attractive and phylogenetically distant species. Conservation status also contributed to the amount of donations; however, the magnitude of these relationships was weak when compared to the effect of animal taxa. These results suggest that Slovak zoos might be more successful in raising donations by breeding threatened species, and raising public awareness about these animal species. Displaying popular, flagship species of non-mammal taxa may increase interest among the public as well, and may translate into a significant growth in the amount of donations.

Belly fat or bloating? New insights into the physical appearance of St Anthony of Padua.

Over the centuries, iconographic representations of St Anthony of Padua, one of the most revered saints in the Catholic world, have been inspired by literary sources, which described the Saint as either naturally corpulent or with a swollen abdomen due to dropsy (i.e. fluid accumulation in the body cavities). Even recent attempts to reconstruct the face of the Saint have yielded discordant results regarding his outward appearance. To address questions about the real appearance of St Anthony, we applied body mass estimation equations to the osteometric measurements taken in 1981, during the public recognition of the Saint’s skeletal remains. Both the biomechanical and the morphometric approach were employed to solve some intrinsic limitations in the equations for body mass estimation from skeletal remains. The estimated body mass was used to assess the physique of the Saint with the body mass index. The outcomes of this investigation reveal interesting information about the body type of the Saint throughout his lifetime.

First record of Macaca (Cercopithecidae, Primates) in the Middle Pleistocene of Greece

In this article, we describe an almost complete macaque mandible from the Middle Pleistocene locality Marathousa 1 in the Megalopolis Basin of southern Greece. The mandible belonged to a male individual of advanced ontogenetic age and of estimated body mass ∼13 kg. Comparative metric analysis of its teeth permits its attribution to the Barbary macaque Macaca sylvanus, a species that was geographically widely distributed in Western Eurasia during the Plio-Pleistocene. The dental dimensions of the Marathousa 1 macaque fit better within the variation of the Early Pleistocene M. s. florentina and the Middle to Late Pleistocene M. s. pliocena rather than with the extant representative M. s. sylvanus. Moreover, principal component analysis reveals a better match with M. s. pliocena. However, because no clear-cut diagnostic criteria have been defined to differentiate these European fossil subspecies, we attribute the Marathousa 1 specimen to M. s. cf. pliocena, in agreement with the chronology of the locality. Previously known only from the Early Pleistocene of Greece by some isolated teeth, this is the first record of Macaca in the Middle Pleistocene of the country and one of very few in the eastern sector of the peri-Mediterranean region. We discuss the presence of macaques in the paleolake environment of Marathousa 1, as well as their predation risks from both carnivores and hominins present at the locality.

Evolutionary trend in dental size in fossil orangutans from the Pleistocene of Chongzuo, Guangxi, southern China

More than 800 isolated teeth of fossil Pongo have been recovered from cave sites in the vicinity of Chongzuo in Guangxi, southern China, ranging from the Early to Late Pleistocene (2.0–0.1 Ma). These collections provide a unique regional window into the evolutionary history of orangutans over a two-million-year period at the northernmost extent of their former geographic range. Here we investigate the nature and timing of the evolutionary change in the dental size of fossil orangutans from Chongzuo. Fossil tooth size (mesiodistal length∗buccolingual breadth) was compared against an extant Pongo pygmaeus standard (n = 106 individuals). During the course of the Pleistocene, orangutans from southern China exhibited a progressive reduction in overall dental size. Early Pleistocene Pongo has cheek teeth with occlusal areas that are 38.1% larger than those of extant P. pygmaeus. Those from the Middle and Late Pleistocene are 25.2% and 18.9% larger, respectively. Previously, the size difference in dentition between the Early to Middle Pleistocene and Middle to Late Pleistocene samples was used to differentiate time-successive species of Pongo, namely Pongo weidenreichi and Pongo devosi. However, with access to larger samples and better representation of populations through time, the evidence in support of this taxonomic arrangement requires reconsideration. Diminution of the teeth now appears to be a gradual evolutionary transformation rather than a punctuated event. Moreover, the morphological features that distinguish the Chongzuo fossil orangutans from extant Pongo spp. remain uniform throughout the Pleistocene. Retaining P. weidenreichi and P. devosi as anagenetic species remains an option, but, given the current evidence, we consider it preferable to assign all of the fossil orangutans from Chongzuo to P. weidenreichi. Beyond resolving questions of alpha taxonomy, the study of fossil orangutan dental size provides a basis for estimating body mass, which has implications for interpreting the paleobiology of Pleistocene Pongo in southern China.

Long dive capacity of olive ridley turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea) at high water temperature during the post-nesting foraging period in the Arafura Sea

Water temperature and body size are considered to be important factors influencing the diving capabilities of ectothermic reptiles. Although high water temperature and small body size tend to cause short dive durations, previous studies have reported that olive ridley turtles, the smallest sea turtle species distributed in tropical regions, often conduct prolonged dives. To understand diving behavior during the post-nesting foraging periods, especially the relationship between dive duration and water temperature for this species, satellite relay data loggers were attached to 10 nesting females (straight carapace length: 60.5 ± 2.6 cm, estimated body mass: 30.5 ± 4.0 kg) in West Papua, Indonesia, in 2017 and 2019. During the post-nesting tracking period (34–153 days), the turtles migrated southward to the Arafura Sea. A total of 9469 dives were observed, and 28.9% of the dives were longer than 1 h (mean: 44.0 ± 33.1 min, max: 220 min), although the turtles experienced high water temperatures (25.5 ± 2.6 °C). The behavioral aerobic dive limits (behavioral ADLs) calculated from the relationship between the dive depth and duration of olive ridley turtles were 89.6 min and 167.7 min for V-shaped and U-shaped dives, respectively. Even for dives above the behavioral ADL (1.8% for V-shaped and 2.0% for U-shaped dives), the turtles dove 1.1 ± 0.1 (max: 1.6) and 1.1 ± 0.1 (max: 1.3) times longer than the behavioral ADLs for V-shaped and U-shaped dives, respectively. On the other hand, the calculated ADLs (cADLs), estimated from the metabolic rates and oxygen stores of loggerhead turtles, were 51.2 ± 20.3 min (range: 24.1–139.3 min) and 99.8 ± 38.5 min (range: 39.4–258.3 min) for V-shaped and U-shaped dives, respectively. The turtles often exceeded the cADLs (21.4–29.1% for V-shaped dives and 21.2–42.2% for U-shaped dives), and they dove 1.4 ± 0.3 (max: 3.1) and 1.3 ± 0.3 (max: 3.4) times longer than the cADLs for V-shaped and U-shaped dives, respectively. However, those long dives were not considered anaerobic because of the short post-dive surface durations (4.7 ± 5.8 min). Additionally, the relationship between dive duration and water temperature indicated that olive ridley turtles dove longer than loggerhead and green turtles in the high temperature range (> 20 °C). This study confirms that the diving capacity of olive ridley turtles is qualitatively different from those of loggerhead and green turtles for several reasons, such as low metabolic rates and/or low activity levels at high water temperatures.

Changing the Landscape of Identity in Forensic Anthropology

1 SNA International supporting the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, Joint Base Pearl Harbor, Hickam, Hawaii, USA. 2 Humanities and Sciences Interdepartmental Programs, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA. *Correspondence to: Briana T. New, SNA International supporting the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, 590 Moffet St., Joint Base Pearl Harbor, Hickam, HI 96853 USA. E-mail: btrnew@gmail.com. KEY WORDS: forensic anthropology, identity, casework, multidisciplinary. Human Biology, Winter 2021, v. 93, no. 1. doi: 10.13110/humanbiology.93.1.04. Copyright © 2021 Wayne State University Press, Detroit, Michigan 48201 Changing the Landscape of Identity in Forensic Anthropology Briana T. New1 * and Bridget F. B. Algee-Hewitt2 The articles that comprise this special issue, “Changing the Landscape of Identity in Forensic Anthropology,” grew from a symposium titled “ExpandingBoundaries :EmbracingtheIntersectionality of Forensic Anthropology to Account for the Changing Landscape of Identity in Current Casework .”These papers were intended to be presented at the 2020 meeting of the American Association of PhysicalAnthropologists(nowtheAmericanAssociation of Biological Anthropologists). However, whentheCOVID-19pandemicnecessitatedcanceling the conference, we offered the opportunity for researchers to expand their intended presentations . We are grateful that, despite the events that changed many of our personal and professional lives over the last few years, many symposium participants transformed their contributions into the rich body of research presented here. This two-part special issue focuses on the expanded potential of forensic anthropological research as the discipline continues to develop multidisciplinary approaches for understanding identity, incorporating new sources of information andnewmethodologies,andleveragingpreexisting approaches in new ways. The research showcased here uses diverse data and forward-thinking applications—historical, demographic, dental, skeletal, and genomic—to tackle the complexities of identity in forensic casework. These studies engage critically with parameters of the biological profile from many different perspectives but with shared concern for practical applications within the field. Operating in the context of this theme, all of the contributions highlight the need for a renewed dialogue in the field. Kenyhercz, Konigsberg et al., and Spake et al. problematize the straightforward adoption of prevailing methodologies through their presentations of advanced theory. They demonstrate risks of methodological misuse and misidentificationthatresultfromuncriticalacceptance of standard practice. Kenyhercz challenges the ancestry estimation methodology used by forensic anthropologists for decades by providing anexploratorymethodologyof unsupervisedlearning techniques, an approach that does not require a priori group selection or assumptions when comparing an individual against different groups. Indoingso,theauthorconteststhenormsof analysis , encouraging practitioners to broaden their perspectives on what it means to assess human variation at the level of the individual or group. Konigsberg et al., in surfacing procedural fallacies, underscore the sobering reality of the real human consequences in poor methodology. Asking us to rethink our role as experts in the production and acceptance of forensic evidence, the authors analyzetheconsistencyindevelopmentof thefirstand secondmandibularmolarsforpredictingminimum age thresholds.They thus demonstrate the bounds of juvenile age estimation within this context and assert that use of biological markers for minimum age of criminal responsibility is not reliable. Spake et al. explore the potential of incorporating into the forensic tool kit formulas that estimate body mass for use on modern juvenile remains. Their Changing the Landscape of Identity in Forensic Anthropology New and Algee-Hewitt 000 ■ New and Algee-Hewitt and approaches to race and ancestry within biological anthropology. Through this research, the authors provide a variety of recommendations to address discordances their survey identified in teaching modes, research techniques, and public engagementstrategies,fromthelanguageusedand how our discussions are structured to the modernization of communication methodologies. Taylor et al. deliver case discussions that, while learning tools themselves, drive home a bigger message that forensic casework should be first informed by the fundamentals of “doing” anthropology. In this light, they encourage readers to reevaluate how we reconcile discordant lines of evidence and to embrace how the often-muddied waters of culture can bring unexpected clarity to our understanding of biology. Their research addresses the complexities and possible inconsistences across different lines of biological, social, and material evidencethatmustbeaddressedforidentifications to move forward. Furthermore, the authors show how mobilizing social theory in casework and case building can help contextualize or ground fluid social identities through time. This article advocates for a holistic biosocial anthropological approach to identity building, arguing that it is necessary for facilitating forensic identifications not just...

Measures of body composition via Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, ultrasound and skinfolds are not impacted by the menstrual cycle in active eumenorrheic females

Objectives(1) Compare changes in body composition estimates over the menstrual cycle in active females using Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, standardised brightness-mode ultrasound and skinfolds (2) Compare the predictability of Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry fat mass estimate via standardised brightness-mode ultrasound versus skinfolds measurements. DesignThirty active females (27 ± 5 y) with regularly occurring menstrual cycles participated in a cross sectional study. MethodsParticipants completed four assessment sessions scheduled according to each individual's menstrual cycle. These sessions took place during their (1) early follicular, (2) mid-to-late follicular, (3) mid-luteal and (4) second early follicular phases. Body composition estimates were acquired using Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, subcutaneous adipose tissue thickness was measured at eight sites using standardised brightness-mode ultrasound and skinfolds. ResultsThe sum of eight subcutaneous adipose tissue thickness measured using standardised brightness-mode ultrasound and skinfolds were not different between the cycle phases (p > 0.05). Body mass and Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry total mass estimate as well as Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry estimates of total and regional lean and fat mass were also not different between cycle phases (p > 0.05) and any changes were within the 95% confidence intervals of their respective least significant change values. ConclusionsThere were no true and meaningful changes in the sum of eight subcutaneous adipose tissue thickness measured via standardised brightness-mode ultrasound and skinfolds or Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry total and regional tissue mass estimates across the menstrual cycle in active eumenorrheic females. Body composition may thus be assessed via these methods in this population at any cycle phase with standardised participant presentation.

Constraining the body mass range of Anzu wyliei using volumetric and extant-scaling methods

The ability to accurately and reliably estimate body mass of extinct taxa is a vital tool for interpreting the physiology and even behavior of long-dead animals. For this reason, paleontologists have developed many possible methods of estimating the body mass of extinct animals, with varying degrees of success. These methods can be divided into two main categories: volumetric mass estimation and extant scaling methods. Each has advantages and disadvantages, which is why, when possible, it is best to perform both, and compare the results to determine what is most plausible within reason. Here we employ volumetric mass estimation (VME) to calculate an approximate body mass for previously described specimens of Anzu wyliei from the Carnegie Museum of Natural History. We also use extant scaling methods to try to obtain a reliable mass estimate for this taxon. In addition, we present the first digital life restoration and convex hull of the dinosaur Anzu wyliei used for mass estimation purposes. We found that the volumetric mass estimation using our digital model was 216-280kg, which falls within the range predicted by extant scaling techniques, while the mass estimate using minimum convex hulls was below the predicted range, between 159-199 kg . The VME method for Anzu wyliei strongly affirms the predictive utility of extant-based scaling. However, volumetric mass estimates are likely more precise because the models are based on comprehensive specimen anatomy rather than regressions of a phylogenetically comprehensive but disparate sample.

Mid upper arm and calf circumferences as indicators of nutritional status in women of reproductive age

Mid upper arm circumference (MUAC) is recognized as an effective means of screening for poor nutritional status in adults. The efficacy of calf circumference (CC) as a screening tool, however, is not well reported. We studied 2000 healthy women (age range: 15-49 years) in Mashed, Islamic Republic of Iran, to assess anthropometric measurements at reproductive age and the usefulness of MUAC and CC for estimating body mass index (BMI) and screening of women at nutritional risk. We found a strong correlation between MUAC and CC with weight and BMI, suggesting that MUAC and CC can be used to estimate BMI and detect nutritional disorders.

An updated review on Equus stenonis (Mammalia, Perissodactyla): New implications for the European early Pleistocene Equus taxonomy and paleoecology, and remarks on the Old World Equus evolution

Equus stenonis is one of the most iconic fossil species of the Early Pleistocene. Although it is known from the 19th century, its taxonomic and evolutionary position has been extensively debated among equid specialists, including multiple interpretations. The current work aims to review the European E. stenonis record, by morphological, morphometrical and statistical analyses combined with body mass and net primary production estimates. Furthermore, we investigate the evolution of E. stenonis cranial anatomy in comparison with the Plio-Pleistocene species from North America, Eurasia and Africa, and extant zebras and asses. Our review of European E. stenonis samples has closely considered the E. stenonis subspecies Equus stenonis vireti, Equus stenonis guthi, Equus stenonis pueblensis, Equus stenonis olivolanus and Equus stenonis stenonis which we recognize as being ecomorphotypes of Equus stenonis, with the exception of Equus stenonis senezensis and Equus stenonis mygdoniensis. These two last subspecies warrant the species ranks of Equus senezensis and Equus altidens, respectively. This has led us to propose a new revised biochronology of European Early Pleistocene Equus. Our evolutionary interpretations based on cranial morphology reveals that the evolutionary lineage of extant zebras can be recognized in deep time from the North American species Equus simplicidens, through the European E. stenonis and the African Equus koobiforensis. European stenonine horses likewise represent the original source for the African Pleistocene fossil species and extant Equus grevyi.

What is winter? Modeling spatial variation in bat host traits and hibernation and their implications for overwintering energetics.

White‐nose syndrome (WNS) has decimated hibernating bat populations across eastern and central North America for over a decade. Disease severity is driven by the interaction between bat characteristics, the cold‐loving fungal agent, and the hibernation environment. While we further improve hibernation energetics models, we have yet to examine how spatial heterogeneity in host traits is linked to survival in this disease system. Here, we develop predictive spatial models of body mass for the little brown myotis (Myotis lucifugus) and reassess previous definitions of the duration of hibernation of this species. Using data from published literature, public databases, local experts, and our own fieldwork, we fit a series of generalized linear models with hypothesized abiotic drivers to create distribution‐wide predictions of prehibernation body fat and hibernation duration. Our results provide improved estimations of hibernation duration and identify a scaling relationship between body mass and body fat; this relationship allows for the first continuous estimates of prehibernation body mass and fat across the species' distribution. We used these results to inform a hibernation energetic model to create spatially varying fat use estimates for M. lucifugus. These results predict WNS mortality of M. lucifugus populations in western North America may be comparable to the substantial die‐off observed in eastern and central populations.

Fluctuation of body mass in cotton rats and pocket gophers during the late Cenozoic in the Meade basin of Kansas: possible influence of the Huckleberry Ridge Ash-fall

ABSTRACT Equations estimating body mass were used to depict a near 5-million-year history of size change in pocket gophers and cotton rats from the Meade Basin of southwestern Kansas. Although phyletic size decrease was noted in Sigmodon minor and Geomys minor and size increase in Geomys quinni, no long-term intra-basin size trends were observed. Immediately following the Huckleberry Ridge ash-fall at 2.11 Ma, the small Pliocene cotton rat S. minor became extinct, a large cotton rat entered the basin, two gophers became extinct, and two new ones entered the basin. Assuming the same rodent contingent at the Short Haul locality as at the Aries A site, between deposition of the Borchers and Short Haul assemblages, minimally about 0.12 million years, 40% of the Meade Basin rodent fauna turned over and Microtus dispersed into North America across Beringia. Geochemical environmental proxy data did not identify significant climatic events in the Borchers Badlands Pleistocene sequence; consequently it is possible that a super-eruption from the Yellowstone caldera was at least partly responsible for size shifts in cotton rats and pocket gophers and significant modifications to the Meade Basin rodent community.

A new dinosaur track site from the earliest Cretaceous (Berriasian) part of the Tuchengzi Formation, Hebei Province, China: Implications for morphology, ontogeny and paleocommunity structure

The Jurassic-Cretaceous Tuchengzi Formation has yielded at least 16 known theropod-dominated tracksites from northeast China, and in this paper, a new locality, the Lishi site in Hebei Province, is documented. A tuff layer positioned stratigraphically 90 m below the trackway layer yielded a UPb date of 142.2 ± 0.9 Ma, placing the site in the Berriasian stage. The site includes sauropod tracks, assigned to Brontopodus, and large theropod tracks, informally assigned to Therangospodus and Megalosauripus as well as a well-preserved morphotype here named as Asianopodus wangi ichnosp. Nov. The Tuchengzi Formation theropod track assemblages have implications for theropod ontogeny, paleocommunity structure, palaeobiology and preferred habitats of different size groups, based on comparison with data from the skeletal record. The size-frequency distribution indicates that small theropod tracks (Footprint length, FL < 25 cm) represent the dominant trackmakers with estimated body masses of <100 kg, whereas intermediate sized trackmakers (FL 25.0 – ~38.0 cm) are comparatively scarce and there are no tracks suggestive of megatheropods with body masses of >1000 kg. The latter phenomenon is in contrast to recently published analyses from Cretaceous theropod skeletal data that recognize a gap between small and very large megatheropod individuals.

CarniFOSS: A database of the body mass of fossil carnivores

AbstractMotivationBody mass is one of the most important determinants of animal ecology. Unlike other important traits it is also readily inferable from fossils and it is therefore one of the only traits that can be directly analysed and compared between fossil and contemporary communities. Despite this, no comprehensive database of the body mass of larger clades of extinct species exists. Analysis of fossils has therefore been restricted to small clades or to smaller, potentially biased, subsets of species. We here describe CarniFoss, an open‐access database of body masses of all 1,322 extinct species of non‐pinniped Carnivoramorpha and two related extinct groups of carnivorous mammals, Hyaenodonta and Oxyaenidae.Main types of variables containedWe gathered lengths of teeth of fossil and extant species and body mass for extant species and a few of the best‐known fossil species. Following this we estimated body mass for all species through phylogenetic imputation.Spatial location and grainGlobal, terrestrial.Time period and grainWe collected data on all known species within the focal groups. The known species all lived in the Palaeogene, Neogene or Quaternary (i.e., the last 66 Myr).Major taxa and level of measurementWe searched for data on reported tooth size of all described species of Carnivoramorpha (excluding pinnipeds) and selected extinct related groups (Hyaenodonta and Oxyaenidae). We combined this with measured body mass for all extant species and inferred body mass based on long‐bones for selected extinct species, as well as a species‐level phylogeny including all extant and extinct species in the group, and inferred the body mass for all species using phylogenetic imputation.Software formatData are provided as a series of .csv files, with all metadata in a separate PDF file.

Middle Pleistocene Variations in the Diet of Equus in the South of France and Its Morphometric Adaptations to Local Environments

Equus is a very sensitive genus which has expanded over a large area and lived in Europe despite the climatic instability of the Pleistocene. Its persistence and abundance are helpful in understanding and describing environmental and climatic regional parameters. In this study, we present the result of dental mesowear and microwear analysis and post-cranial skeleton biometry on Equus populations located in two regions in the South of France from ten sites, corresponding to twelve assemblages dated from MIS 12 to MIS 5. The areas refer to two major climatic zones: the oceanic or subcontinental climate for the South West of France, and the Mediterranean for the South East. The first objective of this study is to integrate and compare biometric data, dental wear, and other already-published environmental proxies. The goal is to discuss the validity of horse body shape adaptations on a small geographical scale. The second objective is to describe the impact of environmental features on the horse population through time in the two regions. We observe that the Equus diet was quite diverse, according to microwear analysis which shows adaptations according to seasonal variations. However, they remained mostly grazers over a long period of time. Estimated body mass of Equus in the localities studied here varies from a mean of 468 up to a mean of 570 kg, but these variations failed to be correlated with the diet, the climatic period, or the geographical position of the horse population, probably because of the sample size or the restricted time-span or geographical scale. However, the conformation of the metapodials and the width of the third phalanges may have been linked with environmental and behavioural parameters. The width of the third phalange may be correlated with the recurrence of the snow cover, while the robustness of the metapodial co-occurs with a humid climate. Also, diet may influence the conformation of the bones, since the tall and slender horses seem to be preferentially grazers all year long and seasonally browser horses are tall and robust. Seasonally mixed-feeder horses, all coming from the Mediterranean area, were found to be smaller, perhaps in relation to a less productive environment. The correspondence of the dietary and morphometrical data could suggest high pressure on the horse population, which caused rapid body adaptation. Thus, the combination of these different proxies allows us to suggest more accurate large mammal paleoenvironmental reconstructions.

The diet of early birds based on modern and fossil evidence and a new framework for its reconstruction.

ABSTRACTBirds are some of the most diverse organisms on Earth, with species inhabiting a wide variety of niches across every major biome. As such, birds are vital to our understanding of modern ecosystems. Unfortunately, our understanding of the evolutionary history of modern ecosystems is hampered by knowledge gaps in the origin of modern bird diversity and ecosystem ecology. A crucial part of addressing these shortcomings is improving our understanding of the earliest birds, the non‐avian avialans (i.e. non‐crown birds), particularly of their diet. The diet of non‐avian avialans has been a matter of debate, in large part because of the ambiguous qualitative approaches that have been used to reconstruct it. Here we review methods for determining diet in modern and fossil avians (i.e. crown birds) as well as non‐avian theropods, and comment on their usefulness when applied to non‐avian avialans. We use this to propose a set of comparable, quantitative approaches to ascertain fossil bird diet and on this basis provide a consensus of what we currently know about fossil bird diet. While no single approach can precisely predict diet in birds, each can exclude some diets and narrow the dietary possibilities. We recommend combining (i) dental microwear, (ii) landmark‐based muscular reconstruction, (iii) stable isotope geochemistry, (iv) body mass estimations, (v) traditional and/or geometric morphometric analysis, (vi) lever modelling, and (vii) finite element analysis to reconstruct fossil bird diet accurately. Our review provides specific methodologies to implement each approach and discusses complications future researchers should keep in mind. We note that current forms of assessment of dental mesowear, skull traditional morphometrics, geometric morphometrics, and certain stable isotope systems have yet to be proven effective at discerning fossil bird diet. On this basis we report the current state of knowledge of non‐avian avialan diet which remains very incomplete. The ancestral dietary condition in non‐avian avialans remains unclear due to scarce data and contradictory evidence in Archaeopteryx. Among early non‐avian pygostylians, Confuciusornis has finite element analysis and mechanical advantage evidence pointing to herbivory, whilst Sapeornis only has mechanical advantage evidence indicating granivory, agreeing with fossilised ingested material known for this taxon. The enantiornithine ornithothoracine Shenqiornis has mechanical advantage and pedal morphometric evidence pointing to carnivory. In the hongshanornithid ornithuromorph Hongshanornis only mechanical advantage evidence indicates granivory, but this agrees with evidence of gastrolith ingestion in this taxon. Mechanical advantage and ingested fish support carnivory in the songlingornithid ornithuromorph Yanornis. Due to the sparsity of robust dietary assignments, no clear trends in non‐avian avialan dietary evolution have yet emerged. Dietary diversity seems to increase through time, but this is a preservational bias associated with a predominance of data from the Early Cretaceous Jehol Lagerstätte. With this new framework and our synthesis of the current knowledge of non‐avian avialan diet, we expect dietary knowledge and evolutionary trends to become much clearer in the coming years, especially as fossils from other locations and climates are found. This will allow for a deeper and more robust understanding of the role birds played in Mesozoic ecosystems and how this developed into their pivotal role in modern ecosystems.

Integration of tetrapod ichnofaunas and coastal dynamics for paleocommunity reconstruction in the Curtis and Summerville formations (Jurassic), eastern Utah

ABSTRACT The transition between the aeolian Moab Member of the Curtis Formation and the marginal marine upper tongue of the Summerville Formation, in the area of Arches National Park, Utah, facilitated the registration of the distinctive theropod-dominated Moab Megatracksite complex, which is something of an ichnological cause célèbre. The complex reveals three interpenetrating ichnofaunas each with distinctive ichnofacies characteristics. The present study focuses on the small theropod-dominated assemblages from the coastal dune facies and applies Walther’s Law of Facies to the sequence relationship between onshore ichnoassemblages, the late pulse of transgression by the Summerville sea, and the development of the shallow marine Pteraichnus ichnocoenosis. Together, these spatio-temporal facies relationship between onshore terrestrial, shoreline and shallow marine facies and their contained ichnofaunas shed useful light on the Late Jurassic tetrapod ecology of the region, in an area entirely lacking tetrapod body fossils. The small theropod dune ichnofauna has obvious precursors in other Jurassic dune facies. The shoreline and shallow marine ichnocoenosis also fit certain ichnofacies models, despite the lack of comparable ichnofaunas in the area. Abundant trackway size frequency data yield body mass estimates which allow testing of recently proposed palaeobiological theories on theropod ontogeny and community structure based on the skeletal record.