Form and function within a phylogenetic framework: locomotory habits of extant predators and some Miocene Sparassodonta (Metatheria)

2012/04/05 by Marcos D. Ercoli, Francisco J. Prevosti, Alicia Álvarez · 6 citations
Earth and Planetary Sciences · Mathematics · #Evolution and Paleontology Studies #Paleontology and Evolutionary Biology #Morphological variations and asymmetry #Biology #Postcrania #Extant taxon #Predation #Arboreal locomotion #Zoology #Ecomorphology #Phylogenetic tree #Evolutionary biology #Ecology #Taxon #Habitat

paper · pdf · doi:10.1111/j.1096-3642.2011.00793.x

openalex publication_date 2012/04/05 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/29

Abstract

In this study, we analysed locomotory habits in extant predators and Sparassodonta species through geometric morphometric techniques and discriminant analyses of the distal humerus in anterior view, proximal ulna in lateral view, and tibia in proximal view. We included a wide sample of extant predators, and considered the phylogenetic and allometric structure in the data sets. We also included some Sparassodonta, a group of carnivorous metatherians that inhabited South America during the Cenozoic, and inferred their locomotory habits. Results suggest the presence of a close relationship between shape and locomotory habits, even after removing the shape component explained by phylogeny in the three postcranial elements. Terrestrial habits were inferred for Arctodictis sinclairi, Borhyaena tuberata, 'Lycopsis' longirostrus, and Thylacosmilus atrox. Some degree of cursoriality was highlighted in B. tuberata and T. atrox, and climbing abilities in 'L.' longirostrus, and to a lesser degree in B. tuberata. Scansorial habits were inferred for Cladosictis patagonica, Sipalocyon gracilis, Prothylacynus patagonicus, and Pseudonotictis pusillus, and in the case of C. patagonica, some digging ability was also tentatively inferred.

Citations

• Evolution of the Carnivorous Adaptive Zone in South America
• A New Marsupial Saber-Tooth from the Pliocene of Argentina and Its Relationships to Other South American Predacious Marsupials
• Multigene phylogeny of the Mustelidae: Resolving relationships, tempo and biogeographic history of a mammalian adaptive radiation
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• Phylogeny of the large extinct South American Canids (Mammalia, Carnivora, Canidae) using a “total evidence” approach
• Cenozoic South American Land Mammal Ages
• The phylogenetic regression
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• Molecular systematics of the Hyaenidae: Relationships of a relictual lineage resolved by a molecular supermatrix
• Does metatarsal/femur ratio predict maximal running speed in cursorial mammals?
• Molecular phylogeny of the Herpestidae (Mammalia, Carnivora) with a special emphasis on the Asian Herpestes
• Mitochondrial genomes reveal an explosive radiation of extinct and extant bears near the Miocene-Pliocene boundary
• Monodelphis domestica
• The Quantitative Assessment of Phylogenetic Constraints in Comparative Analyses: Sexual Dimorphism in Body Weight Among Primates
• Taxidea taxus
• The functional anatomy of the forelimb of some african viverridae (Carnivora)
• Dromiciops australis

Cited by

• Mandible morphology and diet of the South American extinct metatherian predators (Mammalia, Metatheria, Sparassodonta)
• New Specimens of Acyon myctoderos (Metatheria, Sparassodonta) from Quebrada Honda, Bolivia
• Caudal Cranium of Thylacosmilus atrox (Mammalia, Metatheria, Sparassodonta), a South American Predaceous Sabertooth
• Comparative Biomechanical Modeling of Metatherian and Placental Saber-Tooths: A Different Kind of Bite for an Extreme Pouched Predator
• An eye for a tooth:Thylacosmiluswas not a marsupial “saber-tooth predator”
• Sparassodonta [wikipedia]

Related

• The Structure of the Mammalian Predator Guild in the Santa Cruz Formation (Late Early Miocene)
• A multivariate approach to infer locomotor modes in Mesozoic mammals
• Postcranial morphology, functional adaptations and palaeobiology of Callistoe vincei, a predaceous metatherian from the Eocene of Salta, north‐western Argentina
• Mandible morphology and diet of the South American extinct metatherian predators (Mammalia, Metatheria, Sparassodonta)
• Functional anatomy of the limbs of erethizontidae (Rodentia, Caviomorpha): Indicators of locomotor behavior in Miocene porcupines