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Abstract In recent years, multiple technological and methodological advances have increased our ability to estimate phylogenies, leading to more accurate dating of the primate tree of life. Here we provide an overview of the limitations and potentials of some of these advancements and discuss how dated phylogenies provide the crucial temporal scale required to understand primate evolution. First, we review new methods, such as thetotal‐evidence datingapproach, that promise a better integration between the fossil record and molecular data. We then explore how the ever‐increasing availability of genomic‐level data for more primate species can impact our ability to accurately estimate timetrees. Finally, we discuss more recent applications of mutation rates to date divergence times. We highlight example studies that have applied these approaches to estimate divergence dates within primates. Our goal is to provide a critical overview of these new developments and explore the promises and challenges of their application in evolutionary anthropology.
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Updating studies of past life and ancient ecologies using defossilized organismal proxies
The fossil record represents the world’s largest historical dataset of biodiversity. However, the biomechanical and ecological potential of this dataset has been restricted by various unique barriers obstructing experimental study. Fossils are often partial, modified by taphonomy, or lacking modern analogs. In the past, these barriers confined many studies to descriptive and observational techniques. Fortunately, advances in computer modeling, virtual simulations, model fabrication, and physical experimentation now allow ancient organisms and their biomechanics to be studied like never before using “Defossilized Organismal Proxies” (DOPs). Although DOPs are forging new approaches integrating ecology, evolutionary biology, and bioinspired engineering, their application has yet to be identified as a unique, independent methodological approach. We believe that techniques involving DOPs will continue revolutionizing paleontology and how other related fields interact with and draw insights from life’s evolutionary history. As the field of paleontology moves forward, identifying the framework for this novel methodological development is essential to establishing best practices that maximize the scientific impact of DOP-based experiments. In this perspective, we reflect on current literature innovating the field using DOPs and establish a workflow explaining the processes of model formulation, construction, and validation. Furthermore, we present the application of DOP-based techniques for non-specialists and specialists alike. Accelerating technological advances and experimental approaches present a host of new opportunities to study extinct organisms. This expanding frontier of paleontological research will provide a more holistic view of ecology, evolution, and natural selection by breathing new life into the fossil record.
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- Award ID(s):
- 2052663
- PAR ID:
- 10403148
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Frontiers in Earth Science
- Volume:
- 10
- ISSN:
- 2296-6463
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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Turner, T (Ed.)Advancements in 3D scanning and modeling have transformed dental and dietary analyses, yet studies often focus on whole-crown, unworn teeth, limiting sample sizes and scope due to the challenges of analyzing worn teeth. Here we explore a novel quantitative method using a virtual goniometer to measure occlusal wear angles in over 150 worn mandibular second molars from extant primates, including frugivores, folivores, and hard-object consumers. For the first time, we apply this method to fossil primates: Ekembo, Dendropithecus, and Limnopithecus. Using the Hecate software package, we align and subdivide molars into five patches corre- sponding to the cusps. We segment each patch using the virtual goniometer. This segments the occlusal surface from the corresponding buccal, lingual, mesial, and distal surfaces, providing a normal vector corresponding to the plane of best fit for each segment. We then calculate three key angles that describe the plane orientation. Results suggest the inclination measurement from the virtual goniometer is more robust than the average inclination of points in the occlusal surface. Additionally, we find that, among the fossil sample, wear across cusps does not align with any of the tested extant dietary categories. Paleontology is a versatile field of study, applying methods used across disciplines. Our novel approach provides yet another example in which paleontology makes use of versatile computer application by extending the virtual goniometer’s utility beyond archaeological inquiries to primate dental analysis. Additionally, this application offers valuable insight into evolutionary traits associated with dietary behaviors through the inclusion of extant and fossil primates.more » « less
- Free Publicly Accessible Full Text
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Accepted Manuscript1.0
- Journal Article:
- https://doi.org/10.3389/feart.2022.1048662
