Ecological correlates of hind‐limb length in the Carnivora
Ecological correlates of hind‐limb length in the Carnivora
复制标题
食肉目动物后肢长度的生态相关性
DOI：
10.1111/j.1469-7998.1997.tb01966.x
复制
发表时间：
1997
影响因子：
2
通讯作者：
K. Steudel
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
M. A. Harris;K. Steudel
是什么决定了哺乳动物四肢的长度和比例？虽然这个问题的答案在很大程度上仍然未知，但许多工作人员最近开始在严格的框架中分析形态的选择，寻找结构、性能及其生态和行为背景之间的定量联系。本研究调查了各种生态和行为变量，以确定它们是否与食肉目动物的后肢长度相关。通过使用系统发育独立对比和协方差系统发育分析来分析数据。我们发现，对肢体长度的传统看法往往不准确。一些被广泛认为腿相对较长的物种实际上四肢长度接近其体型的预期长度。有趣的是，相对后肢长度并不是每日移动距离、活动范围或猎物大小的重要预测因素。然而，系统发育ANCOVA结果表明捕获猎物的行为与相对后肢长度之间存在关系。这些发现表明，食肉动物肢体长度的进化受猎物捕获行为选择的影响最大。这些结果与其他研究的结果相结合，可以用来表明哪些性能变量可以在实验室中最有效地研究，以了解哺乳动物肢体结构的选择。我们建议相关的性能变量可能是：最大跳跃高度和/或长度、产生外力的能力以及在猎物追逐/捕获过程中四肢骨骼的压力耐受水平。
What determines the lengths and proportions of mammalian limbs? While the answer to this question is still largely unknown, a number of workers have recently begun analysing the selection of morphology in a rigorous framework, searching for quantitative links between structure, performance, and their ecological and behavioural context. The present study investigates a variety of ecological and behavioural variables to determine whether or not they are correlated with hind-limb length in the Carnivora. Data were analysed by using phylogenetically independent contrasts and phylogenetic analysis of covariance. We found that traditional perceptions of limb length are often inaccurate; some species widely regarded as relatively long-legged actually have limb lengths near those expected for their body size. Interestingly, relative hind-limb length is not a significant predictor of distance moved daily, home-range area, or prey size. Phylogenetic ANCOVA results, however, indicate a relationship between prey-capture behaviour and relative hind-limb length. These findings suggest that the evolution of carnivoran limb length has been most influenced by selection for prey-capture behaviour. These results, coupled with those of other studies, can be used to suggest which performance variables could most fruitfully be studied in the laboratory to understand the selection of the structure of the mammalian limb. We suggest that relevant performance variables might be: maximum jump height and/or length, the ability to generate outforces, and levels of stress tolerance in limb bones during prey pursuit/capture.