Mammalia are the only living members of the larger clade known as Synapsida, which has a fossil record spanning from 320mya to today. Despite the fact that much of the ecological diversity of mammals has been considered in light of limb morphology, the origin of broader synapsid limb diversity and its influence on ecological diversity has received less attention. Here we present shape analyses
of the forelimbs of the multiple fossil synapsid radiations in comparison to a broad sample of extant Mammalia. Previous work by the authors has shown that shape broadly is not informative of
specific locomotor ecomorphologies in earliest fossil Synapsida. Considering the broader scientific use of limb morphology in testing for fossil ecomorphologies, we sought to better understand at what
juncture in synapsid evolutionary history do limb metrics begin to show utility in ecomorphological analyses. Shape data on humeri and ulnae elements from an extant sample representing known
ecomorphologies provided the framework for a comparative study of extinct ecomorphologies, associated specifically with locomotion. We conducted linear and geometric morphometric comparisons
between the extant sample and five taxonomic subsampled radiations moving crown-ward along the synapsid lineage. Taxonomic designations were the PermoCarboniferous "pelycosaurs”, both
Permian and Triassic therapsids, "Non-mammaliaforme cynodonts”, and "Mammaliaformes”. Results show that many limb ecomorphological metrics commonly used are not effective designators until close to the origin of crown Mammalia, as late as the Jurassic. This brings into question the overall utility of using extant analogues to test for ecological signal in a given tetrapod group's deepest fossil ancestors.
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Can Geometric Morphometric Analyses of Limb Shape Reveal Ecomorphological Patterns Across the Evolutionary History of Synapsida?
Extant Mammalia are the only living representatives of the larger clade known as Synapsida, which has a continuous fossil record from around 320 million years ago to today. Despite the fact that much of the ecological diversity of mammals has been considered in light of limb morphology, the deep time origin of synapsid limb diversity and its influence on ecological diversity has received less attention. Here, we present shape analyses focusing on the forelimbs of the two earliest synapsid radiations (“pelycosaurs”, and pre-mammaliaforme Therapsida) in comparison to a broad sample of extant Mammalia. Using an expansive geometric morphometric data set, comprised of 384 fossil specimens and 148 extant mammalian specimens, we sought evidence for ecomorphological signals that could provide insight on the ecology of the earliest synapsids. Collecting shape data of humeral and ulnar elements from an extant sample representing multiple known eco morphologies provided the framework for a comparative exploration of extinct ecomorphologies, associated specifically with locomotion. Our results show that distal humeral shape is not informative of broad locomotor ecomorphologies in early fossil Synapsida. In contrast, proximal humeral shape shows a more complex pattern that suggests shape similarity between basal synapsids and members of extant Perissodactyla, and certain highly derived fully fossorial mammals, as just two examples. Overall, however, our findings suggest general shape analyses may
have limited utility when analyzing for ecological-signal across deep time. Considering skeletal morphology in a holistic framework that considers unique combinations of shapes, as well as the use of biomechanically focused indices (such are functional proportions), may help to elucidate the more nuanced ways that locomotor ecology influenced limb shape in some of the earliest amniote radiations.
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- Award ID(s):
- 1754502
- NSF-PAR ID:
- 10142679
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Journal of morphology
- Volume:
- 280
- ISSN:
- 0898-9249
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- S169
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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Mammals are the only living members of the larger clade Synapsida, which has a fossil record spanning 320 Ma. Despite the fact that much of the ecological diversity of mammals has been considered in the light of limb morphology, the ecological comparability of mammals to their fossil forerunners has not been critically assessed. Because of the wide use of limb morphology in testing ecomorphological hypothesis about extinct tetrapods, we sought: (i) to estimate when in synapsid history, modern mammals become analogues for predicting fossil ecologies; (ii) to document examples of ecomorphological convergence; and (iii) to compare the functional solutions of distinct synapsid radiations. We quantitatively compared the forelimb shapes of the multiple fossil synapsid radiations to a broad sample of extant Mammalia representing a variety of divergent locomotor ecologies. Our results indicate that each synapsid radiation explored different areas of morphospace and arrived at functional solutions that reflected their distinctive ancestral morphologies. This work counters the narrative of non-mammalian synapsid forelimb evolution as a linear progression towards more mammalian morphologies. Instead, a disparate array of early-evolving shapes subsequently contracted towards more mammal-like forms.more » « less
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