Paleontological Contributions
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Stable Isotopes, Hypsodonty, and the Paleodiet of Hemiauchenia (Mammalia: Camelidae): a Morphological Specialization Creating Ecological Generalization
Paleobiology, 29(2), 2003, pp. 230±242 Stable isotopes, hypsodonty, and the paleodiet of Hemiauchenia (Mammalia: Camelidae): a morphological specialization creating ecological generalization Robert S. Feranec Abstract.ÐMorphological adaptations may indicate increased specialization (narrowing of ecolog- ical niche) or expansion of the suite of lifestyles available to an organism (increasing niche breadth). Hypsodonty in mammals generally has been interpreted as a specialization into a grazing niche from a browsing niche. Here I examine the feeding strategy of the extinct hypsodont camel Hem- iauchenia through an analysis of stable carbon isotope values from its tooth enamel, which was used to clarify its feeding strategy and to resolve con¯icting interpretations of dental versus muzzle attributes. The paleodiet of Hemiauchenia is then used to test whether hypsodonty correlates to graz- ing within fossil Lamini. This study focuses on fossils from Florida, which is geographically ideal because unlike other regions of the country almost all extant plants on which animals browse use the C3 photosynthetic pathway. In contrast, most of the grasses and sedges utilized by grazers use the C4 photosynthetic pathway. If Hemiauchenia was an obligate grazer, the stable carbon isotope values of tooth enamel should re¯ect primarily a diet of C4 grass and sedge (.21.3½). If Hem- iauchenia was mainly a browser, the isotopic value should be considerably more negative re¯ecting 13 ingestion primarily of C3 browse (,27.9½). The mean d C values for Hemiauchenia during each time interval average more negative than 28.0½, indicating a dominantly C3 browse diet, and there is no evidence for abandonment of the browsing niche from the Hemphillian through the Ran- cholabrean North American Land Mammal Ages. -
Chapter 1 - Introduction
EURASIAN MIDDLE AND LATE MIOCENE HOMINOID PALEOBIOGEOGRAPHY AND THE GEOGRAPHIC ORIGINS OF THE HOMININAE by Mariam C. Nargolwalla A thesis submitted in conformity with the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Graduate Department of Anthropology University of Toronto © Copyright by M. Nargolwalla (2009) Eurasian Middle and Late Miocene Hominoid Paleobiogeography and the Geographic Origins of the Homininae Mariam C. Nargolwalla Doctor of Philosophy Department of Anthropology University of Toronto 2009 Abstract The origin and diversification of great apes and humans is among the most researched and debated series of events in the evolutionary history of the Primates. A fundamental part of understanding these events involves reconstructing paleoenvironmental and paleogeographic patterns in the Eurasian Miocene; a time period and geographic expanse rich in evidence of lineage origins and dispersals of numerous mammalian lineages, including apes. Traditionally, the geographic origin of the African ape and human lineage is considered to have occurred in Africa, however, an alternative hypothesis favouring a Eurasian origin has been proposed. This hypothesis suggests that that after an initial dispersal from Africa to Eurasia at ~17Ma and subsequent radiation from Spain to China, fossil apes disperse back to Africa at least once and found the African ape and human lineage in the late Miocene. The purpose of this study is to test the Eurasian origin hypothesis through the analysis of spatial and temporal patterns of distribution, in situ evolution, interprovincial and intercontinental dispersals of Eurasian terrestrial mammals in response to environmental factors. Using the NOW and Paleobiology databases, together with data collected through survey and excavation of middle and late Miocene vertebrate localities in Hungary and Romania, taphonomic bias and sampling completeness of Eurasian faunas are assessed. -
Growth Rate and Duration of Growth in the Adult Canine of Smilodon Gracilis, and Inferences on Diet Through Stable Isotope Analysis
Bull. Fla. Mus. Nat. Hist. (2005) 45(4): 369-377 369 GROWTH RATE AND DURATION OF GROWTH IN THE ADULT CANINE OF SMILODON GRACILIS, AND INFERENCES ON DIET THROUGH STABLE ISOTOPE ANALYSIS Robert S. Feranec1,2 Trophic structure and interconnectedness have important implications for diversity and stability in ecosystems. While it is generally difficult to determine trophic structure and the specific prey of predators in ancient ecosystems, analysis of stable δ13 δ18 isotope ratios in tooth enamel can be used to exclude taxa from a predator’s diet. This study analyzes Cv-pdb and Ov-pdb values in a canine of Smilodon gracilis to understand tooth growth and the preferred prey of this species. Oxygen isotope results show a 5 mm/month growth rate and a duration of growth estimated to be 16 months long. The carbon isotope results suggest δ13 consumption of animals that depended only on C3 plants. Due to overlap in Cv-pdb values, it appears that Hemiauchenia and Platygonus may have been included in the diet of this individual of S. gracilis, while Equus and Mammuthus were probably δ13 excluded. Also, the mean Cv-pdb values of S. gracilis were more negative than the prey, which may indicate prey captured in a closed environment, or consumption of species present at Leisey 1A but not yet analyzed isotopically. This study shows that determining trophic relationships and interconnectedness within ancient ecosystems is possible. Key Words: Smilodon; tooth development; diet; stable isotopes; enamel INTRODUCTION common carnivore found at the LSP 1A locality was the Trophic interconnectedness has important implications saber-toothed felid Smilodon gracilis (Berta 1995). -
Guidebook Contains Preliminary Findings of a Number of Concurrent Projects Being Worked on by the Trip Leaders
TH FRIENDS OF THE PLEISTOCENE, ROCKY MOUNTAIN-CELL, 45 FIELD CONFERENCE PLIO-PLEISTOCENE STRATIGRAPHY AND GEOMORPHOLOGY OF THE CENTRAL PART OF THE ALBUQUERQUE BASIN OCTOBER 12-14, 2001 SEAN D. CONNELL New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources-Albuquerque Office, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, 2808 Central Ave. SE, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87106 DAVID W. LOVE New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, 801 Leroy Place, Socorro, NM 87801 JOHN D. SORRELL Tribal Hydrologist, Pueblo of Isleta, P.O. Box 1270, Isleta, NM 87022 J. BRUCE J. HARRISON Dept. of Earth and Environmental Sciences, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology 801 Leroy Place, Socorro, NM 87801 Open-File Report 454C and D Initial Release: October 11, 2001 New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology 801 Leroy Place, Socorro, NM 87801 NMBGMR OFR454 C & D INTRODUCTION This field-guide accompanies the 45th annual Rocky Mountain Cell of the Friends of the Pleistocene (FOP), held at Isleta Lakes, New Mexico. The Friends of the Pleistocene is an informal gathering of Quaternary geologists, geomorphologists, and pedologists who meet annually in the field. The field guide has been separated into two parts. Part C (open-file report 454C) contains the three-days of road logs and stop descriptions. Part D (open-file report 454D) contains a collection of mini-papers relevant to field-trip stops. This field guide is a companion to open-file report 454A and 454B, which accompanied a field trip for the annual meeting of the Rocky Mountain/South Central Section of the Geological Society of America, held in Albuquerque in late April. -
Pleistocene Mammals from Extinction Cave, Belize
Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences Pleistocene Mammals From Extinction Cave, Belize Journal: Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences Manuscript ID cjes-2018-0178.R3 Manuscript Type: Article Date Submitted by the 04-May-2019 Author: Complete List of Authors: Churcher, C.S.; University of Toronto, Zoology Central America, Pleistocene, Fauna, Vertebrate Palaeontology, Keyword: Limestone cave Is the invited manuscript for consideration in a Special Not applicableDraft (regular submission) Issue? : https://mc06.manuscriptcentral.com/cjes-pubs Page 1 of 43 Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences 1 1 PLEISTOCENE MAMMALS FROM EXTINCTION CAVE, BELIZE 2 by C.S. CHURCHER1 Draft 1Department of Zoology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario Canada M5S 2C6 and 322-240 Dallas Rd., Victoria, British Columbia, Canada V8V 4X9 (corresponding address): e-mail [email protected] https://mc06.manuscriptcentral.com/cjes-pubs Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences Page 2 of 43 2 4 5 ABSTRACT. A small mammalian fauna is recorded from Extinction Cave (also called Sibun 6 Cave), east of Belmopan, on the Sibun River, Belize, Central America. The animals recognized 7 are armadillo (†Dasypus bellus), American lion (†Panthera atrox), jaguar (P. onca), puma or 8 mountain lion (Puma concolor), Florida spectacled bear (†Tremarctos floridanus), javelina or 9 collared peccary (Pecari tajacu), llama (Camelidae indet., ?†Palaeolama mirifica), red brocket 10 deer (Mazama americana), bison (Bison sp.) and Mexican half-ass (†Equus conversidens), and 11 sabre-tooth cat († Smilodon fatalis) may also be represented (‘†’ indicates an extinct taxon). 12 Bear and bison are absent from the region today. The bison record is one of the more southernly 13 known. The bear record is almost the mostDraft westerly known and a first for Central America. -
Preliminary Post-Cranial Metric Analysis of Mammoths from the Hot Springs Mammoth Site, South Dakota
University of Nebraska - Lincoln DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln Transactions of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences and Affiliated Societies Nebraska Academy of Sciences 1977 Preliminary Post-Cranial Metric Analysis Of Mammoths From The Hot Springs Mammoth Site, South Dakota Barbara Lee Dutrow Chadron State College Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/tnas Dutrow, Barbara Lee, "Preliminary Post-Cranial Metric Analysis Of Mammoths From The Hot Springs Mammoth Site, South Dakota" (1977). Transactions of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences and Affiliated Societies. 445. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/tnas/445 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Nebraska Academy of Sciences at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in Transactions of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences and Affiliated Societiesy b an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. COLLEGIATE SECTION PRELIMINARY POST-CRANIAL METRIC ANALYSIS OF MAMMOTHS FROM THE HOT SPRINGS MAMMOTH SITE, SOUTH DAKOTA BARBARA LEE DUTROW Department of Earth Sciences Chadron State College, Chadron, Nebraska 69337 Salvage investigations of a Karst depression containing more than but is not currently available. nine Late Pleistocene mammoth were conducted during approxi mately twenty field days in the summers of 1974 and 1975. The deposit contains a local death assemblage of a mammoth population. METHODOLOGY A post-cranial metric analysis has been conducted on the fossil elephant remains. Excavation of the site followed standard archaeological and paleontological techniques as applied at the following t t t sites: Murray Springs, Lehner Ranch, Boney Springs, and Hudson-Meng. Bones were mapped in situ, both vertically INTRODUCTION and horizontally, as encountered in the fill. -
Agate Fossil Beds
University of Nebraska - Lincoln DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln U.S. National Park Service Publications and Papers National Park Service 1980 Agate Fossil Beds Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/natlpark "Agate Fossil Beds" (1980). U.S. National Park Service Publications and Papers. 160. http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/natlpark/160 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the National Park Service at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in U.S. National Park Service Publications and Papers by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. Agate Fossil Beds cap. tfs*Af Clemson Universit A *?* jfcti *JpRPP* - - - . Agate Fossil Beds Agate Fossil Beds National Monument Nebraska Produced by the Division of Publications National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Washington, D.C. 1980 — — The National Park Handbook Series National Park Handbooks, compact introductions to the great natural and historic places adminis- tered by the National Park Service, are designed to promote understanding and enjoyment of the parks. Each is intended to be informative reading and a useful guide before, during, and after a park visit. More than 100 titles are in print. This is Handbook 107. You may purchase the handbooks through the mail by writing to Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington DC 20402. About This Book What was life like in North America 21 million years ago? Agate Fossil Beds provides a glimpse of that time, long before the arrival of man, when now-extinct creatures roamed the land which we know today as Nebraska. -
Palaeontologia Electronica COMPARATIVE VARIABILITY OF
Palaeontologia Electronica http://palaeo-electronica.org COMPARATIVE VARIABILITY OF INTERMEMBRANOUS AND ENDOCHONDRAL BONES IN PLEISTOCENE MAMMALS Kristina R. Raymond and Donald R. Prothero ABSTRACT Study of the embryology and ossification of modern bones predicts that fossil intermembranous bones (which ossify from connective tissue) will exhibit greater size variability than endochondral bones (which are formed from embryological cartilagi- nous precursors), because intermembranous bones are less tightly constrained by joints and articular surfaces. To evaluate this hypothesis, we measured multiple dimen- sions of 989 intermembranous bones (patellae and other sesamoids) of the saber- toothed cat Smilodon fatalis, the Ice Age lion Panthera atrox, the bison Bison antiquus, the horse Equus occidentalis, the camel Camelops hesternus, the ground sloths Paramylodon (=Glossotherium) harlani and Nothrotheriops shastensis from Rancho La Brea and from the late Pleistocene San Josecito Cave in Nuevo Leon, Mexico. These were compared to measurements of 811 endochondral bones (primarily astragali) of comparable size. Through statistical analyses (coefficients of variation, ANOVA, modi- fied Levene’s test, and t-tests) we found slight evidence of higher variability in many of the intermembranous bones of these taxa (21 out of 27 CVs were higher for intermem- branous bones than endochondral bones), although this trend is not found in all taxa. Using a modified Levene’s test, only Smilodon and some of the dimensions of horse and bison patellae are significantly more variable than the corresponding dimensions of the astragali. Although the results are mixed, at least some data show that inter- membranous bones are not as tightly constrained by growth and by adjacent tissues as are endochondral bones. -
Vertebrate Fauna from the Black Mesa Quarry, Chamita Formation, Rio Arriba County, New Mexico Gary S
New Mexico Geological Society Downloaded from: http://nmgs.nmt.edu/publications/guidebooks/56 Late Hemphillian (Late Miocene) vertebrate fauna from the Black Mesa Quarry, Chamita Formation, Rio Arriba County, New Mexico Gary S. Morgan, Daniel J. Koning, and Spencer G. Lucas, 2005, pp. 408-415 in: Geology of the Chama Basin, Lucas, Spencer G.; Zeigler, Kate E.; Lueth, Virgil W.; Owen, Donald E.; [eds.], New Mexico Geological Society 56th Annual Fall Field Conference Guidebook, 456 p. This is one of many related papers that were included in the 2005 NMGS Fall Field Conference Guidebook. Annual NMGS Fall Field Conference Guidebooks Every fall since 1950, the New Mexico Geological Society (NMGS) has held an annual Fall Field Conference that explores some region of New Mexico (or surrounding states). Always well attended, these conferences provide a guidebook to participants. Besides detailed road logs, the guidebooks contain many well written, edited, and peer-reviewed geoscience papers. These books have set the national standard for geologic guidebooks and are an essential geologic reference for anyone working in or around New Mexico. Free Downloads NMGS has decided to make peer-reviewed papers from our Fall Field Conference guidebooks available for free download. Non-members will have access to guidebook papers two years after publication. Members have access to all papers. This is in keeping with our mission of promoting interest, research, and cooperation regarding geology in New Mexico. However, guidebook sales represent a significant proportion of our operating budget. Therefore, only research papers are available for download. Road logs, mini-papers, maps, stratigraphic charts, and other selected content are available only in the printed guidebooks. -
Middle Miocene Paleoenvironmental Reconstruction of the Central Great Plains from Stable Carbon Isotopes in Large Mammals Willow H
University of Nebraska - Lincoln DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln Dissertations & Theses in Earth and Atmospheric Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Department of Sciences 7-2017 Middle Miocene Paleoenvironmental Reconstruction of the Central Great Plains from Stable Carbon Isotopes in Large Mammals Willow H. Nguy University of Nebraska-Lincoln, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/geoscidiss Part of the Geology Commons, Paleobiology Commons, and the Paleontology Commons Nguy, Willow H., "Middle Miocene Paleoenvironmental Reconstruction of the Central Great Plains from Stable Carbon Isotopes in Large Mammals" (2017). Dissertations & Theses in Earth and Atmospheric Sciences. 91. http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/geoscidiss/91 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Department of at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations & Theses in Earth and Atmospheric Sciences by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. MIDDLE MIOCENE PALEOENVIRONMENTAL RECONSTRUCTION OF THE CENTRAL GREAT PLAINS FROM STABLE CARBON ISOTOPES IN LARGE MAMMALS by Willow H. Nguy A THESIS Presented to the Faculty of The Graduate College at the University of Nebraska In Partial Fulfillment of Requirements For the Degree of Master of Science Major: Earth and Atmospheric Sciences Under the Supervision of Professor Ross Secord Lincoln, Nebraska July, 2017 MIDDLE MIOCENE PALEOENVIRONMENTAL RECONSTRUCTION OF THE CENTRAL GREAT PLAINS FROM STABLE CARBON ISOTOPES IN LARGE MAMMALS Willow H. Nguy, M.S. University of Nebraska, 2017 Advisor: Ross Secord Middle Miocene (18-12 Mya) mammalian faunas of the North American Great Plains contained a much higher diversity of apparent browsers than any modern biome. -
Prospects for Rewilding with Camelids
Journal of Arid Environments 130 (2016) 54e61 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Journal of Arid Environments journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/jaridenv Prospects for rewilding with camelids Meredith Root-Bernstein a, b, *, Jens-Christian Svenning a a Section for Ecoinformatics & Biodiversity, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark b Institute for Ecology and Biodiversity, Santiago, Chile article info abstract Article history: The wild camelids wild Bactrian camel (Camelus ferus), guanaco (Lama guanicoe), and vicuna~ (Vicugna Received 12 August 2015 vicugna) as well as their domestic relatives llama (Lama glama), alpaca (Vicugna pacos), dromedary Received in revised form (Camelus dromedarius) and domestic Bactrian camel (Camelus bactrianus) may be good candidates for 20 November 2015 rewilding, either as proxy species for extinct camelids or other herbivores, or as reintroductions to their Accepted 23 March 2016 former ranges. Camels were among the first species recommended for Pleistocene rewilding. Camelids have been abundant and widely distributed since the mid-Cenozoic and were among the first species recommended for Pleistocene rewilding. They show a range of adaptations to dry and marginal habitats, keywords: Camelids and have been found in deserts, grasslands and savannas throughout paleohistory. Camelids have also Camel developed close relationships with pastoralist and farming cultures wherever they occur. We review the Guanaco evolutionary and paleoecological history of extinct and extant camelids, and then discuss their potential Llama ecological roles within rewilding projects for deserts, grasslands and savannas. The functional ecosystem Rewilding ecology of camelids has not been well researched, and we highlight functions that camelids are likely to Vicuna~ have, but which require further study. -
Morton County, Kansas Michael Anthony Calvello Fort Hays State University
Fort Hays State University FHSU Scholars Repository Master's Theses Graduate School Summer 2011 Mammalian Fauna From The ulF lerton Gravel Pit (Ogallala Group, Late Miocene), Morton County, Kansas Michael Anthony Calvello Fort Hays State University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholars.fhsu.edu/theses Part of the Geology Commons Recommended Citation Calvello, Michael Anthony, "Mammalian Fauna From The ulF lerton Gravel Pit (Ogallala Group, Late Miocene), Morton County, Kansas" (2011). Master's Theses. 135. https://scholars.fhsu.edu/theses/135 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at FHSU Scholars Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Master's Theses by an authorized administrator of FHSU Scholars Repository. - MAMMALIAN FAUNA FROM THE FULLERTON GRAVEL PIT (OGALLALA GROUP, LATE MIOCENE), MORTON COUNTY, KANSAS being A Thesis Presented to the Graduate Faculty of the Fort Hays State University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science by Michael Anthony Calvello B.A., State University of New York at Geneseo Date Z !J ~4r u I( Approved----c-~------------- Chair, Graduate Council Graduate Committee Approval The Graduate Committee of Michael A. Calvello hereby approves his thesis as meeting partial fulfillment of the requirement for the Degree of Master of Science. Approved: )<--+-- ----+-G~IJCommittee Meilnber Approved: ~J, iii,,~ Committee Member 11 ABSTRACT The Fullerton Gravel Pit, Morton County, Kansas is one of many sites in western Kansas at which the Ogallala Group crops out. The Ogallala Group was deposited primarily by streams flowing from the Rocky Mountains. Evidence of water transport is observable at the Fullerton Gravel Pit through the presence of allochthonous clasts, cross-bedding, pebble alignment, and fossil breakage and subsequent rounding.