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Cranial biomechanics underpins high sauropod diversity in resource-poor environments.
Proc Biol Sci. 2014 11 22; 281(1795)PB

Abstract

High megaherbivore species richness is documented in both fossil and contemporary ecosystems despite their high individual energy requirements. An extreme example of this is the Late Jurassic Morrison Formation, which was dominated by sauropod dinosaurs, the largest known terrestrial vertebrates. High sauropod diversity within the resource-limited Morrison is paradoxical, but might be explicable through sophisticated resource partitioning. This hypothesis was tested through finite-element analysis of the crania of the Morrison taxa Camarasaurus and Diplodocus. Results demonstrate divergent specialization, with Camarasaurus capable of exerting and accommodating greater bite forces than Diplodocus, permitting consumption of harder food items. Analysis of craniodental biomechanical characters taken from 35 sauropod taxa demonstrates a functional dichotomy in terms of bite force, cranial robustness and occlusal relationships yielding two polyphyletic functional 'grades'. Morrison taxa are widely distributed within and between these two morphotypes, reflecting distinctive foraging specializations that formed a biomechanical basis for niche partitioning between them. This partitioning, coupled with benefits associated with large body size, would have enabled the high sauropod diversities present in the Morrison Formation. Further, this provides insight into the mechanisms responsible for supporting the high diversities of large megaherbivores observed in other Mesozoic and Cenozoic communities, particularly those occurring in resource-limited environments.

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Authors+Show Affiliations

Button DJ
School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Life Sciences Building, 24 Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TP, UK Department of Earth Sciences, The Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5DB, UK gldjb@bristol.ac.uk.
Rayfield EJ
School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Life Sciences Building, 24 Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TP, UK.
Barrett PM
Department of Earth Sciences, The Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5DB, UK.

MeSH

AnimalsBiodiversityBiomechanical PhenomenaDinosaursEcosystemFinite Element AnalysisFossilsSkull

Pub Type(s)

Journal Article
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Language

eng

PubMed ID

25297869

Citation

Button, David J., et al. "Cranial Biomechanics Underpins High Sauropod Diversity in Resource-poor Environments." Proceedings. Biological Sciences, vol. 281, no. 1795, 2014.
Button DJ, Rayfield EJ, Barrett PM. Cranial biomechanics underpins high sauropod diversity in resource-poor environments. Proc Biol Sci. 2014;281(1795).
Button, D. J., Rayfield, E. J., & Barrett, P. M. (2014). Cranial biomechanics underpins high sauropod diversity in resource-poor environments. Proceedings. Biological Sciences, 281(1795). https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2014.2114
Button DJ, Rayfield EJ, Barrett PM. Cranial Biomechanics Underpins High Sauropod Diversity in Resource-poor Environments. Proc Biol Sci. 2014 11 22;281(1795) PubMed PMID: 25297869.
* Article titles in AMA citation format should be in sentence-case
TY - JOUR T1 - Cranial biomechanics underpins high sauropod diversity in resource-poor environments. AU - Button,David J, AU - Rayfield,Emily J, AU - Barrett,Paul M, PY - 2014/10/10/entrez PY - 2014/10/10/pubmed PY - 2015/10/23/medline KW - Morrison Formation KW - biomechanics KW - finite-element analysis KW - megaherbivores KW - niche partitioning KW - sauropod JF - Proceedings. Biological sciences JO - Proc Biol Sci VL - 281 IS - 1795 N2 - High megaherbivore species richness is documented in both fossil and contemporary ecosystems despite their high individual energy requirements. An extreme example of this is the Late Jurassic Morrison Formation, which was dominated by sauropod dinosaurs, the largest known terrestrial vertebrates. High sauropod diversity within the resource-limited Morrison is paradoxical, but might be explicable through sophisticated resource partitioning. This hypothesis was tested through finite-element analysis of the crania of the Morrison taxa Camarasaurus and Diplodocus. Results demonstrate divergent specialization, with Camarasaurus capable of exerting and accommodating greater bite forces than Diplodocus, permitting consumption of harder food items. Analysis of craniodental biomechanical characters taken from 35 sauropod taxa demonstrates a functional dichotomy in terms of bite force, cranial robustness and occlusal relationships yielding two polyphyletic functional 'grades'. Morrison taxa are widely distributed within and between these two morphotypes, reflecting distinctive foraging specializations that formed a biomechanical basis for niche partitioning between them. This partitioning, coupled with benefits associated with large body size, would have enabled the high sauropod diversities present in the Morrison Formation. Further, this provides insight into the mechanisms responsible for supporting the high diversities of large megaherbivores observed in other Mesozoic and Cenozoic communities, particularly those occurring in resource-limited environments. SN - 1471-2954 UR - https://www.unboundmedicine.com/medline/citation/25297869/Cranial_biomechanics_underpins_high_sauropod_diversity_in_resource_poor_environments_ DB - PRIME DP - Unbound Medicine ER -