A quantitative test of the "Ecomorphotype Hypothesis" for fossil true seals (Family Phocidae).

ABSTRACT: The fossil record of true seals (Family Phocidae) is mostly made up of isolated bones, some of which are type specimens. Previous studies have sought to increase referral of non-overlapping and unrelated fossils to these taxa using the 'Ecomorphotype Hypothesis', which stipulates that certain differences in morphology between taxa represent adaptations to differing ecology. On this basis, bulk fossil material could be lumped to a specific ecomorphotype, and then referred to species in that ecomorphotype, even if they are different bones. This qualitative and subjective method has been used often to expand the taxonomy of fossil phocids, but has never been quantitatively tested. We test the proposed ecomorphotypes using morphometric analysis of fossil and extant northern true seal limb bone

SUBMITTER: Rule JP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11193399 | biostudies-literature | 2024

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature