Dietary ecospace and the diversity of euprimates during the Early and Middle Eocene

American Journal of Physical Anthropology
Christopher C Gilbert

Abstract

This study examined adapoid and omomyoid euprimate dietary and body size diversity from the Eocene of North America and Europe. Estimates of body weights and shearing quotients calculated from lower molars were plotted on a coordinate graph as a representation of dietary niche space (dietary ecospace) occupied by extinct species. By computing the areas, average intertaxon distances, and average distances from the centroid of the resulting polygons, comparisons of Eocene euprimate dietary and body size diversity were made. Results indicate that euprimate dietary niche space expanded significantly in North America from the Early to Middle Eocene, and at all times during the Early and Middle Eocene, the niche space occupied by North American euprimates exceeded that of corresponding European euprimates. These results confirm that fossil euprimate diversity, as measured by diet and body size, significantly differed across biogeographic areas. There are many possible explanations as to why North American euprimates were significantly more diverse in terms of diet and body size than their European counterparts. The explanation advocated here as most responsible for the increased diversity during the Early and Middle Eocene relates to...Continue Reading

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Citations

Aug 8, 2008·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Sunil BajpaiB N Tiwari
Apr 20, 2014·Journal of Human Evolution·Jessica M RothmanChristopher C Gilbert
Apr 22, 2009·The Anatomical Record : Advances in Integrative Anatomy and Evolutionary Biology·Jess White
Jan 28, 2012·The Anatomical Record : Advances in Integrative Anatomy and Evolutionary Biology·Mark N Coleman, Doug M Boyer
May 1, 2013·American Journal of Primatology·Alfred L Rosenberger
Dec 10, 2013·American Journal of Physical Anthropology·Katrina E JonesJonathan M G Perry
Sep 22, 2016·Journal of Human Evolution·Arianna R HarringtonJonathan I Bloch
Mar 27, 2018·American Journal of Physical Anthropology·Richard F Kay
Aug 3, 2018·Proceedings. Biological Sciences·Laura K Stroik, Gary T Schwartz

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