Herbivorous ecomorphology and specialization patterns in theropod dinosaur evolution.

ABSTRACT: Interpreting key ecological parameters, such as diet, of extinct organisms without the benefit of direct observation or explicit fossil evidence poses a formidable challenge for paleobiological studies. To date, dietary categorizations of extinct taxa are largely generated by means of modern analogs; however, for many species the method is subject to considerable ambiguity. Here we present a refined approach for assessing trophic habits in fossil taxa and apply the method to coelurosaurian dinosaurs--a clade for which diet is particularly controversial. Our findings detect 21 morphological features that exhibit statistically significant correlations with extrinsic fossil evidence of coelurosaurian herbivory, such as stomach contents and a gastric mill. These traits represent quantitative,

SUBMITTER: Zanno LE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3017133 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature