Distinguishing between two Antarctic species of Eocene Palaeeudyptes penguins: a statistical approach using tarsometatarsi
Abstract Defining species boundaries, due to morphological variation, often represents a significant challenge in paleozoology. In this paper we report results from multi− and univariate data analyses, such as enhanced clustering techniques, principal coordinates or− dination method, kernel density...
| Published in: | Polish Polar Research |
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| Main Authors: | , |
| Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
| Language: | unknown |
| Published: |
Walter de Gruyter GmbH
2013
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.2478/popore-2013-0020 https://content.sciendo.com/view/journals/popore/34/3/article-p237.xml https://www.degruyter.com/view/j/popore.2013.34.issue-3/popore-2013-0020/popore-2013-0020.pdf |
| Summary: | Abstract Defining species boundaries, due to morphological variation, often represents a significant challenge in paleozoology. In this paper we report results from multi− and univariate data analyses, such as enhanced clustering techniques, principal coordinates or− dination method, kernel density estimations and finite mixture model analyses, revealing some morphometric patterns within the Eocene Antarctic representatives of Palaeeudyptes penguins. These large−sized birds were represented by two species, P. gunnari and P. klekowskii, known mainly from numerous isolated bones. Investigations focused on tarso− metatarsi, crucial bones in paleontology of early penguins, resulted in a probability−based framework allowing for the “fuzzy” partitioning the studied specimens into two taxa with partly overlapping size distributions. Such a number of species was supported by outcomes from both multi− and univariate studies. In our opinion, more reliance should be placed on the quantitative analysis of form when distinguishing between species within the Antarctic Palaeeudyptes. |
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