Symposium: Craniofacial Adaptations of Faunivorous Mammals to be held December 27-30, 1993, in Los Angeles, California

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9306600 Van Valkenbugh Support is requested for a one-day symposium entitled Craniofacial Adaptations of Faunivorous Mammals to be held as part of the annual meeting of the American Society of Zoologists, December 27-30, 1993 in Los Angeles, California. Feeding adaptations and behavior are fundamental aspects of mammalian evolution and ecology and have been well studied in both primates and herbivorous hoofed mammals. In contrast, Faunivorous mammals (species that consume vertebrate and invertebrate prey) have received comparatively little attention. Yet, faunivores include a wide range of mammals, such as insectivores (e.g. shrews), carnivores (e.g., cats), piscivores (e.g., fish-eating bats), and omnivores (e.g., pigs). They range in size and shape from shrew with a mass of less than two grams, to polar bears, which exceed 500 kilograms. In spite of this diversity, faunivorous mammals are united by the necessities of capturing, killing, and consuming prey. Anatomical specializations of the skull and teeth for these activities are apparent at both macroscopic and microscopic levels and include increased skeletal and dental strength, accentuated cutting blades on the teeth, and load- bearing modifications of skull architecture. Over the past ten years, research in cranial and dental structure has accelerated and diversified, benefiting from the application of several new technologies such as scanning electron microscopy and computed topography. It is now time to bring together previously independent researchers for not the synthesis of work-to-date and an appraisal of current and future research directions. ***