Functional Morphology in Vertebrate Paleontology

ISBN-13: 9780521629218 / Angielski / Miękka / 1997 / 296 str.

J. J. Thomason; Jeffrey J. Thomason

Opis

A crucial task for paleontologists and paleobiologists is the reconstruction of the appearance, movements, and behavior of extinct vertebrates from studies of their bones or other, more rarely preserved parts. A related issue is the boundary between the scientific evidence for reconstruction and the need to resort to imagination. In this book, sixteen paleontologists and biologists discuss these questions, review the current status of functional studies of extinct vertebrates in the context of similar work on living animals, and present a broad philosophical view of the subject's development within the framework of phylogenetic analysis. The authors describe and debate methods for making realistic inferences of function in fossil vertebrates, and present examples where we may be confident that our reconstructions are both detailed and accurate.

Recenzje

'… for graduate study and serious research, this is an important collection of bench-mark papers … A rich seam to be mined for a long period of study.' Arthur Cruikshank, Open University Geological Society Journal

Spis treści

1. On the inference of function from structure George V. Lauder; 2. The extant phylogenetic bracket and the importance of reconstructing soft tissues in fossils Lawrence M. Witmer; 3. Fossils, function and phylogeny David B. Weishampel; 4. Masticatory function in nonmammalian cynodonts and early mammals A. W. Crompton; 5. Correlations between craniodental morphology and feeding behavior in ungulates: reciprocal illumination between living and fossil taxa Christine M. Janis; 6. Functional predictions from theoretical models of the skull and jaws in reptiles and mammals Walter S. Greaves; 7. Carnassial functioning in nimravid and felid sabretooths: theoretical basis and robustness of inferences Harold N. Bryant and Anthony P. Russell; 8. The artificial determination of wear patterns on tooth models as a means to infer mandibular movement during feeding in mammals Virginia L. Naples; 9. Determination of stresses in mammalian dental enamel and their relevance to the interpretation of feeding behaviors in extinct taxa John M. Rensberger; 10. The structural consequences of skull flattening in crocodilians Arthur S. Busbey; 11. Graphical analysis of dermal skull roof patterns Keith S. Thomson; 12. The forelimb of Torosaurus, and an analysis of the posture and gait of ceratopsian dinosaurs Rolf E. Johnson and John H. Ostrom; 13. Functional evolution of the hindlimb and tail from basal theropods to birds Stephen M. Gatesy; 14. Functional interpretation of spinal anatomy in living and fossil amniotes Emily B. Giffin; 15. To what extent may the mechanical environment of a bone be inferred from its internal architecture? Jeffrey J. Thomason; 16. Form vs function: the evolution of a dialectic Kevin Padian.