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Dental form and function in the early feeding diversification of dinosaurs.
Sci Adv. 2022 12 16; 8(50):eabq5201.SA

Abstract

Dinosaurs evolved a remarkable diversity of dietary adaptations throughout the Mesozoic, but the origins of different feeding modes are uncertain, especially the multiple origins of herbivory. Feeding habits of early dinosaurs have mostly been inferred from qualitative comparisons of dental morphology with extant analogs. Here, we use biomechanical and morphometric methods to investigate the dental morphofunctional diversity of early dinosaurs in comparison with extant squamates and crocodylians and predict their diets using machine learning classification models. Early saurischians/theropods are consistently classified as carnivores. Sauropodomorphs underwent a dietary shift from faunivory to herbivory, experimenting with diverse diets during the Triassic and Early Jurassic, and early ornithischians were likely omnivores. Obligate herbivory was a late evolutionary innovation in both clades. Carnivory is the most plausible ancestral diet of dinosaurs, but omnivory is equally likely under certain phylogenetic scenarios. This early dietary diversity was fundamental in the rise of dinosaurs to ecological dominance.

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Authors+Show Affiliations

Ballell A
Bristol Palaeobiology Group, School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Life Sciences Building, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK.
Benton MJ
Bristol Palaeobiology Group, School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Life Sciences Building, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK.
Rayfield EJ
Bristol Palaeobiology Group, School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Life Sciences Building, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK.

MeSH

AnimalsDinosaursPhylogenyFossilsBiological EvolutionHerbivory

Pub Type(s)

Journal Article

Language

eng

PubMed ID

36525501

Citation

Ballell, Antonio, et al. "Dental Form and Function in the Early Feeding Diversification of Dinosaurs." Science Advances, vol. 8, no. 50, 2022, pp. eabq5201.
Ballell A, Benton MJ, Rayfield EJ. Dental form and function in the early feeding diversification of dinosaurs. Sci Adv. 2022;8(50):eabq5201.
Ballell, A., Benton, M. J., & Rayfield, E. J. (2022). Dental form and function in the early feeding diversification of dinosaurs. Science Advances, 8(50), eabq5201. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abq5201
Ballell A, Benton MJ, Rayfield EJ. Dental Form and Function in the Early Feeding Diversification of Dinosaurs. Sci Adv. 2022 12 16;8(50):eabq5201. PubMed PMID: 36525501.
* Article titles in AMA citation format should be in sentence-case
TY - JOUR T1 - Dental form and function in the early feeding diversification of dinosaurs. AU - Ballell,Antonio, AU - Benton,Michael J, AU - Rayfield,Emily J, Y1 - 2022/12/16/ PY - 2022/12/16/entrez PY - 2022/12/17/pubmed PY - 2022/12/21/medline SP - eabq5201 EP - eabq5201 JF - Science advances JO - Sci Adv VL - 8 IS - 50 N2 - Dinosaurs evolved a remarkable diversity of dietary adaptations throughout the Mesozoic, but the origins of different feeding modes are uncertain, especially the multiple origins of herbivory. Feeding habits of early dinosaurs have mostly been inferred from qualitative comparisons of dental morphology with extant analogs. Here, we use biomechanical and morphometric methods to investigate the dental morphofunctional diversity of early dinosaurs in comparison with extant squamates and crocodylians and predict their diets using machine learning classification models. Early saurischians/theropods are consistently classified as carnivores. Sauropodomorphs underwent a dietary shift from faunivory to herbivory, experimenting with diverse diets during the Triassic and Early Jurassic, and early ornithischians were likely omnivores. Obligate herbivory was a late evolutionary innovation in both clades. Carnivory is the most plausible ancestral diet of dinosaurs, but omnivory is equally likely under certain phylogenetic scenarios. This early dietary diversity was fundamental in the rise of dinosaurs to ecological dominance. SN - 2375-2548 UR - https://www.unboundmedicine.com/medline/citation/36525501/Dental_form_and_function_in_the_early_feeding_diversification_of_dinosaurs_ DB - PRIME DP - Unbound Medicine ER -