Ecomorphology of the postcranial skeleton of the rhinocerotids from the Miocene Fossillagerstätte Sandelzhausen

中新世 Fossillagerstätte Sandelzhausen 犀牛颅后骨骼的生态形态学

• 批准号: 277472614
• 负责人: Dr. Rico Schellhorn
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: Abteilung Paläontologie
• 依托单位国家: 德国
• 项目类别: Research Grants
• 财政年份: 2015
• 资助国家: 德国
• 起止时间: 2014-12-31 至 2019-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gepris.dfg.de/gepris/projekt/277472614?language=en
• 关键词: Ecomorphology; postcranial; skeleton; rhinocerotids; Miocene

The Miocene Fossillagerstätte Sandelzhausen was discovered in 1959 and is one of the most important Neogene mammal sites in the world. Within the large the rhinoceroses are dominating the rich fossil assemblage. So far mostly skull and mandible remains, and teeth have been studied of the three occurring species, which belong to three different genera. Sandelzhausen is the type locality for the genus Prosantorhinus and the species Plesiaceratherium fahlbuschi. Beside cranial elements the fossil remains are rich in postcranial material especially limb bones. This material provides the unique opportunity to study variability and to describe the postcranial anatomy in detail and will be the basis for comprehensive statistical analyses. Beside sexual dimorphism and ontogeny the ecological interpretation is one of the main aims of this project and for example the hypothesis of a semi-aquatic mode of life in the short limbed Prosantorhinus germanicus will be tested. The two other species are long legged and hypothesized as terrestrial, but also in Plesiaceratherium fahlbuschi the primitive dentition tends to a moist habitat. Within the fossil remains P. germanicus and P. fahlbuschi are nearly same abundant and Sandelzhausen is known as the richest locality worldwide for both species. Lartetotherium sansaniense was first described from the French locality Sansan and is comparably abundant in Sandelzhausen.The main focus of the functional investigations lies on the limb bones of the three differently adapted species. The analysis will help to clarify the modes of life and to describe the fossil environment. Most of the material is disarticulated. Therefore classical methods, e.g., biometrics, will be combined with current 3D methods, e.g., surface and micro CT scanning. With the 3D data the possibility for measurements and comparisons will be extended, Virtual skeletal reconstructions will allow an interpretation of the data like articulated specimens. This project provides a fruitful and fundamental contribution to the knowledge of the Fossillagerstätte Sandelzhausen itself, as well as to the evolution and ecology of the Rhinocerotidae.

中新世Fossillagerstätte Sandelzhausen发现于1959年，是世界上最重要的新近纪哺乳动物遗址之一。在大型化石中，犀牛占据着丰富的化石组合。到目前为止，人们对这三个物种的头骨和下颌骨遗骸以及牙齿进行了研究，这些物种分属于三个不同的属。Sandelzhausen是Prosantorhinus属和Plesiaceratherium fahlbuschi种的典型产地。除了颅骨元素外，化石遗骸中还含有丰富的颅后材料，尤其是四肢骨。这份材料提供了研究可变性和详细描述颅后解剖结构的独特机会，并将成为全面统计分析的基础。除了性别二态和个体发育，生态解释是这个项目的主要目的之一，例如，将检验短肢原尾鱼半水生生活模式的假说。另外两个物种都是长腿的，被认为是陆生的，但在Plesiaceratherum fahlbuschi中，原始的牙列往往倾向于潮湿的栖息地。在化石遗骸中，日耳曼尼克斯和法布斯基的数量几乎相同，桑德尔豪森被认为是世界上这两个物种最丰富的地方。Sansaniense是从法国三山地区首次发现的，在桑德尔斯豪森中含量相对较高。功能研究的重点集中在这三个不同适应程度的物种的四肢骨骼上。这一分析将有助于阐明生命模式和描述化石环境。大部分材料都脱节了。因此，经典的方法，例如生物识别，将与当前的3D方法，例如表面和微CT扫描相结合。有了3D数据，测量和比较的可能性将扩大，虚拟骨骼重建将允许像关节标本一样解释数据。该项目为了解桑德尔斯豪森脊椎动物本身以及犀牛科的进化和生态做出了卓有成效的基础性贡献。

项目成果

Palaeontological evidence reveals convergent evolution of intervertebral joint types in amniotes

• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-70751-2
• 发表时间: 2020-08
• 期刊: Scientific Reports
• 影响因子: 4.6
• 作者: T. Wintrich;M. Scaal;Christine Böhmer;R. Schellhorn;Ilja Kogan;Ilja Kogan;Aaron J. van der Reest;P. M. Sander;P. M. Sander

A potential link between lateral semicircular canal orientation, head posture, and dietary habits in extant rhinos (Perissodactyla, Rhinocerotidae)

现存犀牛（奇蹄目、犀科）侧半规管方向、头部姿势和饮食习惯之间的潜在联系

• DOI: 10.1002/jmor.20753
• 发表时间: 2018
• 期刊: Journal of Morphology
• 影响因子: 1.5
• 作者: Schellhorn