Mass estimation of Santacrucian sloths from the Early Miocene Santa Cruz Formation of Patagonia, Argentina

Autores
Toledo, Nestor; Cassini, Guillermo Hernán; Vizcaino, Sergio Fabian; Bargo, María Susana
Año de publicación
2014
Idioma
inglés
Tipo de recurso
artículo
Estado
versión publicada
Descripción
Miocene deposits of the Santa Cruz Formation, Patagonia, comprise a diverse and excellently preserved vertebrate fauna, allowing detailed paleobiological and paleoecological studies based on three ecological parameters: body mass, diet, and substrate preference. In contrast to the small and arboreal extant sloths, Bradypus and Choloepus, Santacrucian sloths were much more diverse and larger, and comprised 11 genera previously characterized as arboreal or climbing forms. Here, we focus on body mass estimation based on measurements of postcranial elements. We present a morphometric database comprising 64 linear, base-ten logged variables applied to Santacrucian sloths and a wide sample of extant mammals, as well as the body mass of the extant taxa as reported in the literature. To detect any potential phylogenetical bias, we performed a variance decomposition test on our sample of extant mammals. Based on four orthogram statistics, logged body mass was found not to be dependent on phylogenetic tree topology. Predictive equations for the body mass of extant mammals were generated through multiple regression analysis, using weighting procedures to avoid taxonomic biases and stepwise analysis to discard redundant variables. Using this procedure, we derived separate equations for the scapula, humerus, radius, ulna, pelvis, femur, tibia plus fibula, astragalus, and calcaneum. These equations were then applied to estimate the body mass of our sample of Santacrucian sloths. We obtained an average body mass of about 70 kg for the megalonychid Eucholoeops. Among stem megatherioids, Hapalops ranged between 30 and 80 kg, Analcimorphus was estimated at 67 kg, and Schismotherium at 44 kg. Larger genera included the megatheriid Prepotherium (~123 kg), and the mylodontids Analcitherium (~88 kg) and Nematherium (~89 kg). The medium to large body size of Santacrucian sloths imposed constraints on their climbing abilities. Megalonychids and stem megatherioids were likely unable to access the finest branches, while megatheriids and mylodonts were more terrestrial forms.
Fil: Toledo, Nestor. Universidad Nacional de la Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. División Paleontología Vertebrados; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina
Fil: Cassini, Guillermo Hernán. Universidad Nacional de Luján. Departamento de Ciencias Básicas; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina
Fil: Vizcaino, Sergio Fabian. Universidad Nacional de la Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. División Paleontología Vertebrados; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "Bernardino Rivadavia"; Argentina
Fil: Bargo, María Susana. Universidad Nacional de la Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. División Paleontología Vertebrados; Argentina. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas; Argentina
Materia
XENARTHRA
FOLIVORA
MIOCENE
BODY MASS
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:11336/20506
Acceder
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oai_identifier_str oai:ri.conicet.gov.ar:11336/20506
network_acronym_str CONICETDig
repository_id_str 3498
network_name_str CONICET Digital (CONICET)
spelling Mass estimation of Santacrucian sloths from the Early Miocene Santa Cruz Formation of Patagonia, ArgentinaToledo, NestorCassini, Guillermo HernánVizcaino, Sergio FabianBargo, María SusanaXENARTHRAFOLIVORAMIOCENEBODY MASShttps://purl.org/becyt/ford/1.5https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1Miocene deposits of the Santa Cruz Formation, Patagonia, comprise a diverse and excellently preserved vertebrate fauna, allowing detailed paleobiological and paleoecological studies based on three ecological parameters: body mass, diet, and substrate preference. In contrast to the small and arboreal extant sloths, Bradypus and Choloepus, Santacrucian sloths were much more diverse and larger, and comprised 11 genera previously characterized as arboreal or climbing forms. Here, we focus on body mass estimation based on measurements of postcranial elements. We present a morphometric database comprising 64 linear, base-ten logged variables applied to Santacrucian sloths and a wide sample of extant mammals, as well as the body mass of the extant taxa as reported in the literature. To detect any potential phylogenetical bias, we performed a variance decomposition test on our sample of extant mammals. Based on four orthogram statistics, logged body mass was found not to be dependent on phylogenetic tree topology. Predictive equations for the body mass of extant mammals were generated through multiple regression analysis, using weighting procedures to avoid taxonomic biases and stepwise analysis to discard redundant variables. Using this procedure, we derived separate equations for the scapula, humerus, radius, ulna, pelvis, femur, tibia plus fibula, astragalus, and calcaneum. These equations were then applied to estimate the body mass of our sample of Santacrucian sloths. We obtained an average body mass of about 70 kg for the megalonychid Eucholoeops. Among stem megatherioids, Hapalops ranged between 30 and 80 kg, Analcimorphus was estimated at 67 kg, and Schismotherium at 44 kg. Larger genera included the megatheriid Prepotherium (~123 kg), and the mylodontids Analcitherium (~88 kg) and Nematherium (~89 kg). The medium to large body size of Santacrucian sloths imposed constraints on their climbing abilities. Megalonychids and stem megatherioids were likely unable to access the finest branches, while megatheriids and mylodonts were more terrestrial forms.Fil: Toledo, Nestor. Universidad Nacional de la Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. División Paleontología Vertebrados; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Cassini, Guillermo Hernán. Universidad Nacional de Luján. Departamento de Ciencias Básicas; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Vizcaino, Sergio Fabian. Universidad Nacional de la Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. División Paleontología Vertebrados; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "Bernardino Rivadavia"; ArgentinaFil: Bargo, María Susana. Universidad Nacional de la Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. División Paleontología Vertebrados; Argentina. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas; ArgentinaPolish Academy of Sciences. Institute of Paleobiology2014-08info:eu-repo/semantics/articleinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersionhttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501info:ar-repo/semantics/articuloapplication/pdfapplication/pdfapplication/pdfapplication/pdfapplication/pdfapplication/pdfapplication/pdfhttp://hdl.handle.net/11336/20506Toledo, Nestor; Cassini, Guillermo Hernán; Vizcaino, Sergio Fabian; Bargo, María Susana; Mass estimation of Santacrucian sloths from the Early Miocene Santa Cruz Formation of Patagonia, Argentina; Polish Academy of Sciences. Institute of Paleobiology; Acta Palaeontologica Polonica; 59; 2; 8-2014; 267-2800567-79201732-2421CONICET DigitalCONICETenginfo:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.4202/app.2012.0009info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/url/http://www.app.pan.pl/article/item/app20120009.htmlinfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccesshttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/ar/reponame:CONICET Digital (CONICET)instname:Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas2025-09-29T09:54:34Zoai:ri.conicet.gov.ar:11336/20506instacron: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:34982025-09-29 09:54:35.282CONICET Digital (CONICET) - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicasfalse
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Mass estimation of Santacrucian sloths from the Early Miocene Santa Cruz Formation of Patagonia, Argentina
title Mass estimation of Santacrucian sloths from the Early Miocene Santa Cruz Formation of Patagonia, Argentina
spellingShingle Mass estimation of Santacrucian sloths from the Early Miocene Santa Cruz Formation of Patagonia, Argentina
Toledo, Nestor
XENARTHRA
FOLIVORA
MIOCENE
BODY MASS
title_short Mass estimation of Santacrucian sloths from the Early Miocene Santa Cruz Formation of Patagonia, Argentina
title_full Mass estimation of Santacrucian sloths from the Early Miocene Santa Cruz Formation of Patagonia, Argentina
title_fullStr Mass estimation of Santacrucian sloths from the Early Miocene Santa Cruz Formation of Patagonia, Argentina
title_full_unstemmed Mass estimation of Santacrucian sloths from the Early Miocene Santa Cruz Formation of Patagonia, Argentina
title_sort Mass estimation of Santacrucian sloths from the Early Miocene Santa Cruz Formation of Patagonia, Argentina
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Toledo, Nestor
Cassini, Guillermo Hernán
Vizcaino, Sergio Fabian
Bargo, María Susana
author Toledo, Nestor
author_facet Toledo, Nestor
Cassini, Guillermo Hernán
Vizcaino, Sergio Fabian
Bargo, María Susana
author_role author
author2 Cassini, Guillermo Hernán
Vizcaino, Sergio Fabian
Bargo, María Susana
author2_role author
author
author
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv XENARTHRA
FOLIVORA
MIOCENE
BODY MASS
topic XENARTHRA
FOLIVORA
MIOCENE
BODY MASS
purl_subject.fl_str_mv https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1.5
https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1
dc.description.none.fl_txt_mv Miocene deposits of the Santa Cruz Formation, Patagonia, comprise a diverse and excellently preserved vertebrate fauna, allowing detailed paleobiological and paleoecological studies based on three ecological parameters: body mass, diet, and substrate preference. In contrast to the small and arboreal extant sloths, Bradypus and Choloepus, Santacrucian sloths were much more diverse and larger, and comprised 11 genera previously characterized as arboreal or climbing forms. Here, we focus on body mass estimation based on measurements of postcranial elements. We present a morphometric database comprising 64 linear, base-ten logged variables applied to Santacrucian sloths and a wide sample of extant mammals, as well as the body mass of the extant taxa as reported in the literature. To detect any potential phylogenetical bias, we performed a variance decomposition test on our sample of extant mammals. Based on four orthogram statistics, logged body mass was found not to be dependent on phylogenetic tree topology. Predictive equations for the body mass of extant mammals were generated through multiple regression analysis, using weighting procedures to avoid taxonomic biases and stepwise analysis to discard redundant variables. Using this procedure, we derived separate equations for the scapula, humerus, radius, ulna, pelvis, femur, tibia plus fibula, astragalus, and calcaneum. These equations were then applied to estimate the body mass of our sample of Santacrucian sloths. We obtained an average body mass of about 70 kg for the megalonychid Eucholoeops. Among stem megatherioids, Hapalops ranged between 30 and 80 kg, Analcimorphus was estimated at 67 kg, and Schismotherium at 44 kg. Larger genera included the megatheriid Prepotherium (~123 kg), and the mylodontids Analcitherium (~88 kg) and Nematherium (~89 kg). The medium to large body size of Santacrucian sloths imposed constraints on their climbing abilities. Megalonychids and stem megatherioids were likely unable to access the finest branches, while megatheriids and mylodonts were more terrestrial forms.
Fil: Toledo, Nestor. Universidad Nacional de la Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. División Paleontología Vertebrados; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina
Fil: Cassini, Guillermo Hernán. Universidad Nacional de Luján. Departamento de Ciencias Básicas; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina
Fil: Vizcaino, Sergio Fabian. Universidad Nacional de la Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. División Paleontología Vertebrados; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "Bernardino Rivadavia"; Argentina
Fil: Bargo, María Susana. Universidad Nacional de la Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. División Paleontología Vertebrados; Argentina. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas; Argentina
description Miocene deposits of the Santa Cruz Formation, Patagonia, comprise a diverse and excellently preserved vertebrate fauna, allowing detailed paleobiological and paleoecological studies based on three ecological parameters: body mass, diet, and substrate preference. In contrast to the small and arboreal extant sloths, Bradypus and Choloepus, Santacrucian sloths were much more diverse and larger, and comprised 11 genera previously characterized as arboreal or climbing forms. Here, we focus on body mass estimation based on measurements of postcranial elements. We present a morphometric database comprising 64 linear, base-ten logged variables applied to Santacrucian sloths and a wide sample of extant mammals, as well as the body mass of the extant taxa as reported in the literature. To detect any potential phylogenetical bias, we performed a variance decomposition test on our sample of extant mammals. Based on four orthogram statistics, logged body mass was found not to be dependent on phylogenetic tree topology. Predictive equations for the body mass of extant mammals were generated through multiple regression analysis, using weighting procedures to avoid taxonomic biases and stepwise analysis to discard redundant variables. Using this procedure, we derived separate equations for the scapula, humerus, radius, ulna, pelvis, femur, tibia plus fibula, astragalus, and calcaneum. These equations were then applied to estimate the body mass of our sample of Santacrucian sloths. We obtained an average body mass of about 70 kg for the megalonychid Eucholoeops. Among stem megatherioids, Hapalops ranged between 30 and 80 kg, Analcimorphus was estimated at 67 kg, and Schismotherium at 44 kg. Larger genera included the megatheriid Prepotherium (~123 kg), and the mylodontids Analcitherium (~88 kg) and Nematherium (~89 kg). The medium to large body size of Santacrucian sloths imposed constraints on their climbing abilities. Megalonychids and stem megatherioids were likely unable to access the finest branches, while megatheriids and mylodonts were more terrestrial forms.
publishDate 2014
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2014-08
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/11336/20506
Toledo, Nestor; Cassini, Guillermo Hernán; Vizcaino, Sergio Fabian; Bargo, María Susana; Mass estimation of Santacrucian sloths from the Early Miocene Santa Cruz Formation of Patagonia, Argentina; Polish Academy of Sciences. Institute of Paleobiology; Acta Palaeontologica Polonica; 59; 2; 8-2014; 267-280
0567-7920
1732-2421
CONICET Digital
CONICET
url http://hdl.handle.net/11336/20506
identifier_str_mv Toledo, Nestor; Cassini, Guillermo Hernán; Vizcaino, Sergio Fabian; Bargo, María Susana; Mass estimation of Santacrucian sloths from the Early Miocene Santa Cruz Formation of Patagonia, Argentina; Polish Academy of Sciences. Institute of Paleobiology; Acta Palaeontologica Polonica; 59; 2; 8-2014; 267-280
0567-7920
1732-2421
CONICET Digital
CONICET
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv eng
language eng
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.4202/app.2012.0009
info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/url/http://www.app.pan.pl/article/item/app20120009.html
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
application/pdf
application/pdf
application/pdf
application/pdf
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv Polish Academy of Sciences. Institute of Paleobiology
publisher.none.fl_str_mv Polish Academy of Sciences. Institute of Paleobiology
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 13.070432

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