Data from: Are cranial biomechanical simulation data linked to known diets in extant taxa? A method for applying diet-biomechanics linkage models to infer feeding capability of extinct species ...

• Main Authors: Tseng, Zhijie Jack, Flynn, John J.
• Format: Dataset
• Language: English
• Published: Dryad 2016
• Subjects: Paleogene; Neogene; Carnivora; Canis mesomelas; Parahyaena brunnea; ecomorphology; Oodectes herpestoides; Finite element analysis; Crocuta crocuta; Ursus maritimus; Geometric Morphometrics Analysis; Mephitis mephitis; Procyon lotor; Lycaon pictus; Herpestes javanicus; Ursus arctos; Panthera pardus; Theoretical morphology; Carnivoramorpha; Thinocyon velox; Canis lupus
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.5061/dryad.1b52s; https://datadryad.org/stash/dataset/doi:10.5061/dryad.1b52s

Performance of the masticatory system directly influences feeding and survival, so adaptive hypotheses often are proposed to explain craniodental evolution via functional morphology changes. However, the prevalence of “many-to-one” association of cranial forms and functions in vertebrates suggests a complex interplay of ecological and evolutionary histories, resulting in redundant morphology-diet linkages. Here we examine the link between cranial biomechanical properties for taxa with different dietary preferences in crown clade Carnivora, the most diverse clade of carnivorous mammals. We test whether hypercarnivores and generalists can be distinguished based on cranial mechanical simulation models, and how such diet-biomechanics linkages relate to morphology. Comparative finite element and geometric morphometrics analyses document that predicted bite force is positively allometric relative to skull strain energy; this is achieved in part by increased stiffness in larger skull models and shape changes that ... : Canis_lupus_FE_modelsCanis_mesomelas_FE_modelsCrocuta_crocuta_FE_modelsHerpestes_javanicus_FE_modelsLycaon_pictus_FE_modelsMephitis_mephitis_FE_modelsOodectes_herpestoides_FE_modelsPanthera_pardus_FE_modelsParahyaena_brunnea_FE_modelsProcyon_lotor_FE_modelsThinocyon_lotor_FE_modelsUrsus_arctos_FE_modelsUrsus_maritimus_FE_models ...