limb characteristics associated with different locomotor habits

[Shows in pubmed as "Postcranial morphology and the locomotor habits
of living and extinct carnivorans." BIG]

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J Morphol. 2012 Sep 13. doi: 10.1002/jmor.20077. [Epub ahead of print]
Postcranial morphology and the locomotor habits of living and extinct
carnivorans.

Samuels JX, Meachen JA, Sakai SA.

Source
John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, Kimberly, Oregon 97848.

Abstract
Members of the order Carnivora display a broad range of locomotor
habits, including cursorial, scansorial, arboreal, semiaquatic,
aquatic, and semifossorial species from multiple families.
Ecomorphological analyses from osteological measurements have been used
successfully in prior studies of carnivorans and rodents to accurately
infer the locomotor habits of extinct species. This study uses 20
postcranial measurements that have been shown to be effective
indicators of locomotor habits in rodents and incorporates an extensive
sample of over 300 individuals from more than 100 living carnivoran
species. We performed statistical analyses, including analysis of
variance (ANOVA) and stepwise discriminant function analysis, using
a set of 16 functional indices (ratios). Our ANOVA results reveal
consistent differences in postcranial skeletal morphology among
locomotor groups. Cursorial species display distal elongation of the
limbs, gracile limb elements, and relatively narrow humeral and femoral
epicondyles. Aquatic and semiaquatic species display relatively robust,
shortened femora and elongate metatarsals. Semifossorial species
display relatively short, robust limbs with enlarged muscular
attachment sites and elongate claws. Both semiaquatic and semifossorial
species have relatively elongate olecranon process of the ulna and
enlarged humeral and femoral epicondyles. Terrestrial, scansorial, and
arboreal species are characterized by having primarily intermediate
features, but arboreal species do show relatively elongate manual
digits. Morphological indices effectively discriminate locomotor
groups, with cursorial and arboreal species more accurately classified
than terrestrial, scansorial, or semiaquatic species. Both within and
between families, species with similar locomotor habits converge toward
similar postcranial morphology despite their independent evolutionary
histories. The discriminant analysis worked particularly well to
correctly classify members of the Canidae, but not as well for members
of the Mustelidae or Ursidae. Results are used to infer the locomotor
habits of extinct carnivorans, including members of several extinct
families, and also 12 species from the Pleistocene of Rancho La Brea.
J. Morphol., 2012. (c) 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Copyright (c) 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

PMID: 22972188 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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