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1. A preliminary reconstruction of the paleocological context of Galili, Ethiopia using bovid dental metrics.

   Slotter, A. ; Simpson, S. W. ( January 2018 , American journal of physical anthropology)

   Paleoanthropological and geological field research at Galili, Afar Regional State, Ethiopia was reinitiated in 2016. The site has been established as encompassing sediments ranging between 2.5-4.5± Ma and includes early Australopithecus and perhaps Ardipithecus. While preliminary paleoenvironmental analyses have suggested open woodland to bushland-woodland and shrubland, we present here additional evidence of the diet and functional anatomy of the Early Pliocene bovids from Galili. Fossil bovids have been recognized as a crucial tool in understanding ancient environments and serve as an important ecological indicator. Establishing the habitats of Galili is important for both understanding the environment in which the fauna, including hominins, resided and providing comparison to other contemporaneous sites. Taxonomic identification and metric analyses were performed on bovid teeth (n=93) from the 3.9-4.4 Ma Shabeley Laag and Dhidinley members to reconstruct the paleoenvironment. The sample was dominated by Reduncini, a riparian-associated tribe, and Tragelaphini, a browsing-associated tribe. Hypsodonty index was calculated for each tribe and results suggest the most abundant bovid taxa trend towards the brachydont category. Only three tribes: Alcelaphini, Antilopini, and Hippotragini fell within the mesodont category, and no tribes had hypsodont indices. Mesowear analysis of the sample indicated high occlusal relief and rounded cusp shapes were most common. Taken together, our results indicate a trend in bovid diet towards mixed feeding and browsing at Galili. 

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2. A preliminary reconstruction of the paleoecological context of Galili, Ethiopia using bovid dental metrics.

   Slotter, A. ; Simpson, S.W. ( April 2018 , American journal of physical anthropology)

   Paleoanthropological and geological field research at Galili, Afar Regional State, Ethiopia was reinitiated in 2016. The site has been established as encompassing sediments ranging between 2.5-4.5± Ma and includes early Australopithecus and perhaps Ardipithecus . While preliminary paleoenvironmental analyses have suggested open woodland to bushland-wood - land and shrubland, we present here additional evidence of the diet and functional anatomy of the Early Pliocene bovids from Galili. Fossil bovids have been recognized as a crucial tool in understanding ancient environments and serve as an important ecological indicator. Establishing the habitats of Galili is important for both understanding the environment in which the fauna, including hominins, resided and providing comparison to other contemporaneous sites. Taxonomic identification and metric analyses were performed on bovid teeth (n=93) from the 3.9-4.4 Ma Shabeley Laag and Dhidinley members to reconstruct the paleoenvironment. The sample was dominated by Reduncini, a riparian-associated tribe, and Tragelaphini, a browsing-associated tribe. Hypsodonty index was calculated for each tribe and results suggest the most abundant bovid taxa trend towards the brachydont category. Only three tribes: Alcelaphini, Antilopini, and Hippotragini fell within the mesodont category, and no tribes had hypso - dont indices. Mesowear analysis of the sample indicated high occlusal relief and rounded cusp shapes were most common. Taken together, our results indicate a trend in bovid diet towards mixed feeding and browsing at Galili. We thank Prof. H Seidler and his team for allowing access to the fossils they collected. 

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3. Reference database of teeth images from the Family Bovidae

   https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-022-01501-4  

   Brophy, Juliet K. ; Matthews, Gregory J. ( December 2022 , Scientific Data)

   Abstract Researchers typically rely on fossils from the Family Bovidae to generate African paleoenvironmental reconstructions due to their strict ecological tendencies. Bovids have dominated the southern African fauna for the past four million years and, therefore, dominate the fossil faunal assemblages, especially isolated teeth. Traditionally, researchers reference modern and fossil comparative collections to identify teeth. However, researchers are limited by the specific type and number of bovids at each institution. B.O.V.I.D. (Bovidae Occlusal Visual IDentification) is a repository of images of the occlusal surface of bovid teeth. The dataset currently includes extant bovids from 7 tribes and 20 species (~3900). B.O.V.I.D. contains two scaled images per specimen: a color and a black and white (binarized) image. The database is a useful reference for identifying bovid teeth. The large sample size also allows one to observe the natural variation that exists in each taxa. The binarized images can be used in statistical shape analyses, such as taxonomic classification. B.O.V.I.D. is a valuable supplement to other methods for taxonomically identifying bovid teeth. 

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4. Host phylogeny and host ecology structure the mammalian gut microbiota at different taxonomic scales

   https://doi.org/10.1186/s42523-021-00094-4  

   Rojas, Connie A. ; Ramírez-Barahona, Santiago ; Holekamp, Kay E. ; Theis, Kevin R. ( April 2021 , Animal Microbiome)

   The gut microbiota is critical for host function. Among mammals, host phylogenetic relatedness and diet are strong drivers of gut microbiota structure, but one factor may be more influential than the other. Here, we used 16S rRNA gene sequencing to determine the relative contributions of host phylogeny and host diet in structuring the gut microbiotas of 11 herbivore species from 5 families living sympatrically in southwest Kenya. Herbivore species were classified as grazers, browsers, or mixed-feeders and dietary data (% C4 grasses in diet) were compiled from previously published sources. We found that herbivore gut microbiotas were highly species-specific, and that host taxonomy accounted for more variation in the gut microbiota (30%) than did host dietary guild (10%) or sample month (8%). Overall, similarity in the gut microbiota increased with host phylogenetic relatedness (r = 0.74) across the 11 species of herbivores, but among 7 closely related Bovid species, dietary %C4 grass values more strongly predicted gut microbiota structure (r = 0.64). Additionally, within bovids, host dietary guild explained more of the variation in the gut microbiota (17%) than did host species (12%). Lastly, while we found that the gut microbiotas of herbivores residing in southwest Kenya converge with those of distinct populations of conspecifics from central Kenya, fine-scale differences in the abundances of bacterial amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) between individuals from the two regions were also observed. Overall, our findings suggest that host phylogeny and taxonomy strongly structure the gut microbiota across broad host taxonomic scales, but these gut microbiotas can be further modified by host ecology (i.e., diet, geography), especially among closely related host species.

    

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5. Livestock browsing affects the species composition and structure of cloud forest in the Dhofar Mountains of Oman

   https://doi.org/10.1111/avsc.12493  

   Ball, Lawrence ; Tzanopoulos, Joseph ; Hölzel, ed., Norbert ( April 2020 , Applied Vegetation Science)

   It is frequently reported that overstocking of camels, cattle and goats is degrading theAnogeissuscloud forest, which is endemic to a 200‐km stretch of coastal mountains in southern Arabia. However, livestock impacts on the vegetation have not been assessed. Furthermore, we have a limited understanding of the impacts of large‐bodied browsing livestock, such as camels, in woodland and forest rangelands. Therefore, in this study, we examine the effects of livestock browsing on the species composition, density, and phytomorphology of woody vegetation in theAnogeissuscloud forests in the Dhofar Mountains of Oman.

   Data were collected at 30 sites in the Jabal Qamar mountain range in western Dhofar, Oman.

   The point‐centred quarter method was used to sample the composition, density and structure of woody vegetation. Constrained correspondence analysis was used to quantify the effects of livestock browsing on woody plant species composition, whilst effects on plant density were analysed using mixed‐effects models. Standardised major axis regression was used to examine differences in height–diameter allometry (stunting) under different stocking rates.

   Fog density, topographic position and long‐term stocking rates were found to be important factors affecting woody species composition. We found lower species diversity and plant density, and higher frequencies of unpalatable species, under higher stocking rates. Juveniles showed a stronger response to stocking rates than adults, and several common species exhibited stunted morphology under high stocking rates.

   Browsing by large‐bodied livestock, such as camels and cattle, can substantially alter the species composition, structure, and phytomorphology of woody vegetation in semi‐arid woodlands and forests. Juveniles are particularly susceptible to browsing which alters woody vegetation demography and inhibits regeneration potential. Our results support previous suggestions of overstocking in Dhofar and highlight the importance of swift measures to reduce livestock browsing pressure in theAnogeissuscloud forests.

    

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