Palaeobiology of Hyaenodon exiguus (Hyaenodonta, Mammalia) based on morphometric analysis of the bony labyrinth

Autor(en): Cathrin Pfaff, Doris Nagel, Gregg Gunnell, Gerhard Weber, Jürgen Kriwet, Michael Morlo, Katharina Anna Bastl
Abstrakt: Species of the extinct genus Hyaenodon were among the largest carnivorous mammals from the Late Eocene through Early Miocene in North America, Europe and Asia. The origin, phylogeny and palaeobiology of Hyaenodonta are still ambiguous. Most previous studies focused on teeth and dental function in these highly adapted species, which might be influenced by convergent morphologies. The anatomy of the bony labyrinth in vertebrates is generally quite conservative and, additionally, was used in functional-morphological studies. This study provides the first anatomical description of the bony labyrinth of the extinct European species Hyaenodon exiguus in comparison to selected extant carnivoran taxa discussed from a functional-morphological perspective. Hyaenodon exiguus may have occupied a hyaena-like dietary niche with a semi-arboreal lifestyle, based on the relative height, width and length of the semicircular canals of the inner ear. However, this contradicts previous functional-morphological studies focusing on the diameter of the canals, which presumably represent the signal of locomotion mode.
Organisation(en): Institut für Paläontologie, Department für Evolutionäre Anthropologie
Externe Organisation(en): Senckenberg Forschungsinstitut und Naturmuseum, Duke University, Medizinische Universität Wien
Journal: Journal of Anatomy
Band: 230
Seiten: 282-289
Anzahl der Seiten: 8
ISSN: 0021-8782
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/joa.12545
Publikationsdatum: 09-2016
Peer-reviewed: Ja
ÖFOS 2012: 105118 Paläontologie
Schlagwörter
ASJC Scopus Sachgebiete: Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics, Molecular Biology, Anatomy, Cell Biology, Histology, Developmental Biology
Link zum Portal: https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/de/publications/aec01ec1-804c-40b5-b1f3-3731dccc0011

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