Ecomorphology of the African felid ensemble: the role of the skull and postcranium in determining species segregation and assembling history

Autores
Morales, Miriam Mariana; Giannini, Norberto Pedro
Año de publicación
2013
Idioma
inglés
Tipo de recurso
artículo
Estado
versión publicada
Descripción
Morphology of extant felids is regarded as highly conservative. Most previous studies have focussed on skull morphology, so a vacuum exists about morphofunctional variation in postcranium and its role in structuring ensembles of felids in different continents. The African felid ensemble is particularly rich in ecologically specialized felids. We studied the ecomorphology of this ensemble using 31 cranial and 93 postcranial morphometric variables measured in 49 specimens of all 10 African species. We took a multivariate approach controlling for phylogeny, with and without body size correction. Postcranial and skull + postcranial analyses (but not skull-only analyses) allowed for a complete segregation of species in morphospace. Morphofunctional factors segregating species included body size, bite force, zeugopodial lengths and osteological features related to parasagittal leg movement. A general gradient of bodily proportions was recovered: lightly built, long-legged felids with small heads and weak bite forces vs. the opposite. Three loose groups were recognized: small terrestrial felids, mid-to-large sized scansorial felids and specialized Acinonyx jubatus and Leptailurus serval. As predicted from a previous study, the assembling of the African felid ensemble during the Plio-Pleistocene occurred by the arrival of distinct felid lineages that occupied then vacant areas of morphospace, later diversifying in the continent.
Fil: Morales, Miriam Mariana. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales E Instituto Miguel Lillo; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Tucumán; Argentina
Fil: Giannini, Norberto Pedro. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e Instituto Miguel Lillo; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Tucumán; Argentina
Materia
Africa
Cranium
Ecomorphology
Ensemble
Felidae
Postcranium
Species Segregation
Nivel de accesibilidad
acceso abierto
Condiciones de uso
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/ar/
Repositorio
CONICET Digital (CONICET)
Institución
Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas
OAI Identificador
oai:ri.conicet.gov.ar:11336/7216
Acceder
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network_name_str CONICET Digital (CONICET)
spelling Ecomorphology of the African felid ensemble: the role of the skull and postcranium in determining species segregation and assembling historyMorales, Miriam MarianaGiannini, Norberto PedroAfricaCraniumEcomorphologyEnsembleFelidaePostcraniumSpecies Segregationhttps://purl.org/becyt/ford/1.6https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1Morphology of extant felids is regarded as highly conservative. Most previous studies have focussed on skull morphology, so a vacuum exists about morphofunctional variation in postcranium and its role in structuring ensembles of felids in different continents. The African felid ensemble is particularly rich in ecologically specialized felids. We studied the ecomorphology of this ensemble using 31 cranial and 93 postcranial morphometric variables measured in 49 specimens of all 10 African species. We took a multivariate approach controlling for phylogeny, with and without body size correction. Postcranial and skull + postcranial analyses (but not skull-only analyses) allowed for a complete segregation of species in morphospace. Morphofunctional factors segregating species included body size, bite force, zeugopodial lengths and osteological features related to parasagittal leg movement. A general gradient of bodily proportions was recovered: lightly built, long-legged felids with small heads and weak bite forces vs. the opposite. Three loose groups were recognized: small terrestrial felids, mid-to-large sized scansorial felids and specialized Acinonyx jubatus and Leptailurus serval. As predicted from a previous study, the assembling of the African felid ensemble during the Plio-Pleistocene occurred by the arrival of distinct felid lineages that occupied then vacant areas of morphospace, later diversifying in the continent.Fil: Morales, Miriam Mariana. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales E Instituto Miguel Lillo; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Tucumán; ArgentinaFil: Giannini, Norberto Pedro. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e Instituto Miguel Lillo; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Tucumán; ArgentinaWiley2013-01info:eu-repo/semantics/articleinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersionhttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501info:ar-repo/semantics/articuloapplication/pdfapplication/pdfapplication/pdfhttp://hdl.handle.net/11336/7216Morales, Miriam Mariana; Giannini, Norberto Pedro; Ecomorphology of the African felid ensemble: the role of the skull and postcranium in determining species segregation and assembling history; Wiley; Journal Of Evolutionary Biology; 26; 5; 1-2013; 980–9921010-061Xenginfo:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/url/http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jeb.12108/abstractinfo:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.1111/jeb.12108info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccesshttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/ar/reponame:CONICET Digital (CONICET)instname:Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas2025-10-22T12:00:29Zoai:ri.conicet.gov.ar:11336/7216instacron:CONICETInstitucionalhttp://ri.conicet.gov.ar/Organismo científico-tecnológicoNo correspondehttp://ri.conicet.gov.ar/oai/requestdasensio@conicet.gov.ar; lcarlino@conicet.gov.arArgentinaNo correspondeNo correspondeNo correspondeopendoar:34982025-10-22 12:00:30.222CONICET Digital (CONICET) - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicasfalse
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Ecomorphology of the African felid ensemble: the role of the skull and postcranium in determining species segregation and assembling history
title Ecomorphology of the African felid ensemble: the role of the skull and postcranium in determining species segregation and assembling history
spellingShingle Ecomorphology of the African felid ensemble: the role of the skull and postcranium in determining species segregation and assembling history
Morales, Miriam Mariana
Africa
Cranium
Ecomorphology
Ensemble
Felidae
Postcranium
Species Segregation
title_short Ecomorphology of the African felid ensemble: the role of the skull and postcranium in determining species segregation and assembling history
title_full Ecomorphology of the African felid ensemble: the role of the skull and postcranium in determining species segregation and assembling history
title_fullStr Ecomorphology of the African felid ensemble: the role of the skull and postcranium in determining species segregation and assembling history
title_full_unstemmed Ecomorphology of the African felid ensemble: the role of the skull and postcranium in determining species segregation and assembling history
title_sort Ecomorphology of the African felid ensemble: the role of the skull and postcranium in determining species segregation and assembling history
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Morales, Miriam Mariana
Giannini, Norberto Pedro
author Morales, Miriam Mariana
author_facet Morales, Miriam Mariana
Giannini, Norberto Pedro
author_role author
author2 Giannini, Norberto Pedro
author2_role author
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv Africa
Cranium
Ecomorphology
Ensemble
Felidae
Postcranium
Species Segregation
topic Africa
Cranium
Ecomorphology
Ensemble
Felidae
Postcranium
Species Segregation
purl_subject.fl_str_mv https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1.6
https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1
dc.description.none.fl_txt_mv Morphology of extant felids is regarded as highly conservative. Most previous studies have focussed on skull morphology, so a vacuum exists about morphofunctional variation in postcranium and its role in structuring ensembles of felids in different continents. The African felid ensemble is particularly rich in ecologically specialized felids. We studied the ecomorphology of this ensemble using 31 cranial and 93 postcranial morphometric variables measured in 49 specimens of all 10 African species. We took a multivariate approach controlling for phylogeny, with and without body size correction. Postcranial and skull + postcranial analyses (but not skull-only analyses) allowed for a complete segregation of species in morphospace. Morphofunctional factors segregating species included body size, bite force, zeugopodial lengths and osteological features related to parasagittal leg movement. A general gradient of bodily proportions was recovered: lightly built, long-legged felids with small heads and weak bite forces vs. the opposite. Three loose groups were recognized: small terrestrial felids, mid-to-large sized scansorial felids and specialized Acinonyx jubatus and Leptailurus serval. As predicted from a previous study, the assembling of the African felid ensemble during the Plio-Pleistocene occurred by the arrival of distinct felid lineages that occupied then vacant areas of morphospace, later diversifying in the continent.
Fil: Morales, Miriam Mariana. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales E Instituto Miguel Lillo; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Tucumán; Argentina
Fil: Giannini, Norberto Pedro. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e Instituto Miguel Lillo; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Tucumán; Argentina
description Morphology of extant felids is regarded as highly conservative. Most previous studies have focussed on skull morphology, so a vacuum exists about morphofunctional variation in postcranium and its role in structuring ensembles of felids in different continents. The African felid ensemble is particularly rich in ecologically specialized felids. We studied the ecomorphology of this ensemble using 31 cranial and 93 postcranial morphometric variables measured in 49 specimens of all 10 African species. We took a multivariate approach controlling for phylogeny, with and without body size correction. Postcranial and skull + postcranial analyses (but not skull-only analyses) allowed for a complete segregation of species in morphospace. Morphofunctional factors segregating species included body size, bite force, zeugopodial lengths and osteological features related to parasagittal leg movement. A general gradient of bodily proportions was recovered: lightly built, long-legged felids with small heads and weak bite forces vs. the opposite. Three loose groups were recognized: small terrestrial felids, mid-to-large sized scansorial felids and specialized Acinonyx jubatus and Leptailurus serval. As predicted from a previous study, the assembling of the African felid ensemble during the Plio-Pleistocene occurred by the arrival of distinct felid lineages that occupied then vacant areas of morphospace, later diversifying in the continent.
publishDate 2013
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2013-01
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
http://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501
info:ar-repo/semantics/articulo
format article
status_str publishedVersion
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv http://hdl.handle.net/11336/7216
Morales, Miriam Mariana; Giannini, Norberto Pedro; Ecomorphology of the African felid ensemble: the role of the skull and postcranium in determining species segregation and assembling history; Wiley; Journal Of Evolutionary Biology; 26; 5; 1-2013; 980–992
1010-061X
url http://hdl.handle.net/11336/7216
identifier_str_mv Morales, Miriam Mariana; Giannini, Norberto Pedro; Ecomorphology of the African felid ensemble: the role of the skull and postcranium in determining species segregation and assembling history; Wiley; Journal Of Evolutionary Biology; 26; 5; 1-2013; 980–992
1010-061X
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv eng
language eng
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/url/http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jeb.12108/abstract
info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/
info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.1111/jeb.12108
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/ar/
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
rights_invalid_str_mv https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/ar/
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv application/pdf
application/pdf
application/pdf
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv Wiley
publisher.none.fl_str_mv Wiley
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv reponame:CONICET Digital (CONICET)
instname:Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas
reponame_str CONICET Digital (CONICET)
collection CONICET Digital (CONICET)
instname_str Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas
repository.name.fl_str_mv CONICET Digital (CONICET) - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas
repository.mail.fl_str_mv dasensio@conicet.gov.ar; lcarlino@conicet.gov.ar
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score 12.982451

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