An advanced shape-fitting algorithm applied to quadrupedal mammals: improving volumetric mass estimates.

ABSTRACT: Body mass is a fundamental physical property of an individual and has enormous bearing upon ecology and physiology. Generating reliable estimates for body mass is therefore a necessary step in many palaeontological studies. Whilst early reconstructions of mass in extinct species relied upon isolated skeletal elements, volumetric techniques are increasingly applied to fossils when skeletal completeness allows. We apply a new 'alpha shapes' (α-shapes) algorithm to volumetric mass estimation in quadrupedal mammals. α-shapes are defined by: (i) the underlying skeletal structure to which they are fitted; and (ii) the value α, determining the refinement of fit. For a given skeleton, a range of α-shapes may be fitted around the individual, spanning from very coarse to very fine. We fit α-shapes t

SUBMITTER: Brassey CA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4555864 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature