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Swisher, Robert E. "Paleobiogeographical and evolutionary analysis of Late Ordovician, C₅ sequence brachiopod species, with special reference to Rhynchonellid taxa." Ohio : Ohio University, 2009. http://www.ohiolink.edu/etd/view.cgi?ohiou1245445583.
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Vavrek, Matthew. "Palaeomacroecology: large scale patterns in species diversity through the fossil record." Thesis, McGill University, 2011. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=96968.
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Palaeomacroecology is the study of large scale patterns of species diversity in the fossil record, encompassing a variety of subtopics. This thesis also addresses a variety of these subtopics, making it difficult to define under one heading.The first portion of the thesis deals with a new package of software tools for the analysis of large scale datasets, with a specific focus towards palaeoecology and palaeogeography. These software tools have been combined into a package called fossil that has been released on the Comprehensive R Archive Network (CRAN), and is already being used by other palaeoecologists. While the majority of these tools had a basis in previous statistical methods, I have also independently developed a clustering algorithm for use with biogeographic datasets. This clustering algorithm is relational, non-Euclidean and non-hierarchical and as such is called Non-Euclidean Relational Clustering (NERC). NERC eliminates several of the assumptions common to most other clustering methods that are often violated by biogeographic data.The next portion of my thesis describes a new Triassic aged flora from Axel Heiberg Island in Nunavut. Macroecological studies typically use large databases compiled from individual samples; therefore, these individual samples represent the foundation on which macroecological analyses rest, and collection and description of new fossil bearing sites is vital to the advancement of palaeomacroecology.Chapter 5 is an analysis of the provinciality and beta diversity of dinosaurs in the Late Cretaceous of North America. This analysis found that contrary to previous studies, dinosaur genera were widespread across the continent and not restricted to small geographic ranges. Chapter 6 is the final culmination of my thesis, and where I see palaeomacroecology headed in the future. It is an analysis of how latitudinal diversity gradients in plants have changed through time. The analysis assesses the impact of changing climate in creating and sustaining the latitudinal diversity gradient, and lends support to the idea that temperatures are important drivers of the gradient.The final chapter is a summary of where palaeomacroecology has been, and where its future work might be best focused. While the field of palaeontology is vital to our understanding of large scale, especially temporally, patterns of species diversity, the field of palaeontology has an opportunity to advance our understanding at an even more rapid pace provided we ask the appropriate questions of our data.La palaeomacroecology est l'etude des modeles a grande echelle de la diversite des especes dans les archives fossiles, et inclue une variete de sous-themes. Cette these adresse aussi une variete de ces sous-themes, ce qui en fait diffucult de definir sous une seule rubrique. La premiere partie de la these discute d'un nouvel ensemble d'outils logiciels pour l'analyse des ensembles de donnees a grande echelle, avec une attention particuliere a la paleoecologie et la paleogeographie. Ces outils logiciels ont ete combines dans un paquet appele fossil qui a ete publie sur le reseau Comprehensive R Archive Network (CRAN), et est deja utilise par d'autres palaeoecologists. Bien que la majorite de ces outils avait une base en preious methodes statistiques, j'ai aussi developpe independamment un algorithm de regroupement pour une utilisation avec des bases de donnees biogeographiques. Cet algorithme de regroupement est relationnelle, non-euclidienne et non-hierarchique et en tant que telle est appele Non-Euclidean Relational Clustering (NERC). NERC elimine plusieurs des hypotheses communes a la plupart des autres methodes de classification, et qui sont souvent violees par des donnees biogeographiques.La partie suivante de ma these decrit une nouvelle flore du Trias a l'ile Axel Heiberg, au Nunavut. Les etudes macroecologiques utilisent generalement de grandes bases de donnees compilees a partir des echantillons individuels et, par consequent, ces echantillons individuels representent le fondement del'analyse macroecologique, et la collecte et la description des nouveaux sites fossiliferes est indispensable a l'avancement de la palaeomacroecologie.Le Chapitre 5 est une analyse du provincialisme et de la diversite beta des dinosaures aux Cretace superieur en Amerique du Nord. Contrairement aux etudes precedentes, cette analyse a revele que les genres de dinosaures ont ete beaucoup plus repondus a travers le continent et ne se limitement pas a de petites aires geographiques. Le Chapitre 6 est l'aboutissement final de ma these, ou je vois dans quelle direction se dirige a la palaeomacroecologie. Il s'agit d'une analyse de la facon dont les gradients de diversite des plantes ont change au fil du temps. L'analyse evalue le role des changements climatiques dans la creation et le maintien du gradient latitudinal de diversite, et soutient l'idee que les temperatures sont d'importants moteurs de ce gradient.Le dernier chapitre resume l'evolution palaeomacroecologie dans quelle direction les travaux futurs devraient etre orientes. Bien que le domaine de la paleontologie sait vital pour notre comprehension des modeles de la diversite des especes a grande echelle, en particulier celle temporelle, le domaine de la paleontologie a une occasion de faire progresser notre comprehension a un rythme encore plus rapide, a condition de poser les bonnes questions.
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Short, Rachel A. "A New Species of Teleoceras from the Late Miocene Gray Fossil Site, with Comparisons to Other North American Hemphillian Species." Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 2013. https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/1143.
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A thorough morphological description of Teleoceras material from the Gray Fossil Site, Gray, Tennessee is provided. This is the only record of a browsing Teleoceras and, as a late Hemphillian locality, represents one of the youngest populations. Linear measurements of post-cranial elements indicate proportional differences between Teleoceras from the Gray Fossil Site and those from other Hemphillian localities. These differences are more pronounced in the elements of the forelimb than in those of the hind limb. Statistical analyses of post-cranial elements from 3 Hemphillian species of Teleoceras suggest that these differences should not be used to separate species. However, the elements do typically sort well by fossil locality, which suggests that post-cranial morphology is plastic enough to become modified within a population. Furthermore, dental morphology comparisons with the holotypes of these species indicate that the GFS rhino represents a previously undescribed species.
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Brassey, Charlotte. "Biomechanical modelling of long bones and body mass estimation in modern and fossil species." Thesis, University of Manchester, 2014. https://www.research.manchester.ac.uk/portal/en/theses/biomechanical-modelling-of-long-bones-and-body-mass-estimation-in-modern-and-fossil-species(112da3ec-eb91-4d2e-bde1-64ed5d8b2299).html.
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The thesis presented herein utilizes a variety of methods to address the biomechanical function of vertebrate hind limb bones in both modern and fossil species. In an innovative application of beam theory, the maximum force a long bone is capable of withstanding before yield is calculated under a variety of simplified loading conditions for a phylogenetically diverse sample of modern birds and mammals. In doing so, new insights are gained into the combined role of limb bone geometry and load vector in achieving mass-invariant safety factors under static loading. In particular, the avian femur is found to scale with sufficient allometry such that no postural modification is required to maintain constant safety factors across several orders of magnitude in body mass. In a methodological study, two techniques for estimating stress (simple beam theory and finite element analysis, FEA) are compared across a sample of morphologically diverse long bones. The extent to which stress estimates derived from the two modelling techniques diverge is found to correlate to aspects of the underlying bone morphology such as shaft curvature and cross-sectional asymmetry, and important recommendations are made regarding the appropriate application of both methods to skeletal material. A novel ’convex hull’ volumetric mass prediction technique for fossil birds is applied to two species of extinct moa (Dinornithiformes) from New Zealand. The resulting mass estimates are incorporated into a FEA study of the femora and tibiotarsi of modern ratites and moa. The ’stout southern’ moa (Pachyornis australis) is confirmed as possessing extremely robust limbs, whilst the ’terrible robust’ moa (Dinornis robustus) is found to possess equally, if not less, robust limb bones than those of modern ratites. The results are subsequently interpreted in the context of moa habitat range and shared ancestry. Finally the convex hull mass estimation technique is extended to modern primates, and the scaling of body mass with convex hull volume is compared across birds, primates and non-primate mammals. The allometric scaling of convex hull volume in birds and primates is considered in light of interspecific variation in muscle volume, body fat and integumentary structures, and is particularly relevant to those reconstructing the soft-tissue architecture of fossil species.
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James, Helen Frances. "Historical perspectives on the evolution and ecology of Hawaiian birds : part I: phylogeny of the Hawaiian finches (Fringillidae: Drepanidini); part II: palaeoecology of terrestrial communities." Thesis, University of Oxford, 1998. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.325927.
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Jansky, Kyle J. "Identifying Myotis Species Using Geometric Morphometrics and its Implications for the Fossil Record and Conservation." Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 2013. https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/1145.
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Dentaries of the 6 species of Myotis that occur in the eastern United States were analyzed using landmark-based geometric morphometrics. The species could be distinguished with a high degree of accuracy. Evidence was found of a phylogenetic signal in the morphology of the Neotropical and Nearctic Myotis sub-clades. There is also evidence of convergence in the morphology of the dentary among Myotis species that feed primarily by gleaning. When analyzed together there was no evidence of sexual dimorphism among the 6 eastern U.S. Myotis, but when analyzed individually some dimorphism may be present. A sample of fossil Myotis of unknown species from Bat Cave, Kentucky, was analyzed in an attempt to identify the specimens to species. Results indicate that Myotis austroriparius and M. sodalis predominate the sample, possibly with smaller numbers of M. grisescens and M. leibii. This study demonstrates the ability to differentiate Myotis taxa from historic and prehistoric sites and provides a tool for researchers to better understand and potentially conserve these species.
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Moore, Jason Richard. "Quantifying isotaphonomy and assessing the preservation of species evenness in the terrestrial vertebrate fossil record." Thesis, University of Cambridge, 2006. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.614182.
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Emery, Meaghan. "Assessment of Character Variation in the Crania and Teeth of Modern Artiodactyls for Better Species Diagnosis in the Fossil Record." Thesis, University of Oregon, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/1794/20726.
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Accurately distinguishing species in the fossil record is difficult when the extent of osteological variation in many modern animals is unknown. Research into intraspecific variation has been conducted in a number of groups, but has not been conducted for systematics use in most modern artiodactyls. In this dissertation I quantify intraspecific variation of teeth in 14 species of modern artiodactyl, then test how accurately cranial characters diagnose modern, sympatric species of duikers, and use this information to reassess the artiodactyl diversity of a fossil group: the superfamily Merycoidodontoidea in the John Day Fossil Beds. Ultimately, variation is not constant between orders or different size classes, is influenced by morphology, size, and dimorphism, and this variation should be incorporated into fossil diagnoses to avoid both overconfidence of diagnosis and under-recognition of possible intraspecific variation.
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Peart, Daniel Chad. "CONTINUOUS OR PULSE? SIMULATING SPECIATION AND EXTINCTION FROM EAST AND SOUTH AFRICAN FAUNA AT PLIO-PLEISTOCENE FOSSIL SITES." The Ohio State University, 2015. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1429298292.
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Lagomarcino, Anne J. "The relationship between genus richness and geographic area in Late Cretaceous marine biotas." University of Cincinnati / OhioLINK, 2011. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1298394640.
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Walls, Bradley J. "Quantitative Paleobiogeography of Maysvillian (Late Ordovician) Brachiopod Species of the Cincinnati Arch: a Test of Niche Modeling Methods for Paleobiogeographic Reconstruction." Ohio : Ohio University, 2009. http://www.ohiolink.edu/etd/view.cgi?ohiou1243010764.
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Lawson, Laté Ayao. "Essays on economic growth energy use and biodiversity loss." Electronic Thesis or Diss., Strasbourg, 2019. http://www.theses.fr/2019STRAB011.
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L'impact de l'activité économique et de l'augmentation de la population sur l'environnement soulève de profondes questions sur l'avenir des sociétés humaines et des ressources environnementales. En ceci, les "Limites de la Croissance" ("Limits to Growth", Meadows, Meadows, Behrens et Randers, 1974) mettent en garde les sociétés humaines contre la possibilité d'un effondrement social si les tendances actuelles d'exploitation de ressources naturelles et de dégradation de l'environnement suivent leur court. La richesse de la nature étant primordiale à la richesse des nations, cette thèse en sciences économiques au travers de quatre contributions théoriques et empiriques traite de la possibilité d'une cohabitation pacifique des sociétés humaines avec la nature et discute des politiques de conservation de la nature. Nos résultats théoriques et empiriques montrent d'une part que l'expansion de l'habitat humain se fait au détriment des autres espèces biologiques (animales et végétales). D'autre part, nous montrons que les efforts actuels de conservation des espèces biologiques sont fortement orientés vers des forets dont la richesse en biodiversité s'avère douteuse. Finalement, nous montrons qu'une utilisation de plus en plus croissante des énergies primaires, donc à forts impacts écologiques, est encore à attendre des pays en développement. En termes de politiques environnementales, nos travaux appellent davantage à la réduction de l'empreinte écologique des sociétés humaines. Ceci inclut : Une exploitation favorisant la régénération des forêts et non la réduction des aires déjà couvertes ; L'élargissement des aires protégées surtout dans les pays en développement ; Une incitation des individus à orienter les préférences vers la demande de biens à faibles empreintes écologiquesThe impact of economic activities and increasing population on the environment raise profound interrogations towards the future of human societies and environmental resources. In this, the "Limits to Growth" (Meadows, Meadows, Behrens and Randers, 1974) warn human societies about the possibility of social collapse if current trends of exploitation of natural resources and environmental degradation remain unchanged. The wealth of nature being essential to the wealth of nations, this thesis in economics through four theoretical and empirical contributions addresses the possibility of a peaceful cohabitation between human and nature and discusses conservation policies of nature. Our theoretical and empirical results show on the one hand that human habitat is being expanded to the detriment of other biological species (animal and plant). On the other hand, we show that current efforts to conserve biological species are strongly oriented towards forests whose richness in biodiversity is doubtful. Finally, we show that an increasingly growing consumption of primary energies, therefore with strong ecological impacts, is still to be expected from developing countries. In terms of environmental policies, our work advocates for a reduction of the ecological footprint of human societies. This includes policies promoting forest regeneration and not the reduction of covered areas, expansion of protected areas, especially in developing countries and incentives for individuals to orient preferences towards the demand for goods with low ecological impacts
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Jackson, Illiam. "Morphometric analysis of Cambrian fossils and its evolutionary significance." Doctoral thesis, Uppsala universitet, Paleobiologi, 2017. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-319487.
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The Extended Evolutionary Synthesis (EES) is currently emerging as a theoretical alternative to the Modern Synthesis (MS) in which to frame evolutionary observations and interpretations. These alternative frameworks differ fundamentally in their understanding of the relative roles of the genotype, phenotype, development and environment in evolutionary processes and patterns. While the MS represents a gene-centred view of evolution, the EES instead emphasizes the interactions between organism, development and environment. This novel theoretical framework has generated a number of evolutionary predictions that are mutually incompatible with the equivalent of the MS. While research and empirical testing has begun on a number of these in a neontological context, the field of palaeontology has yet to contribute meaningfully to this endeavour. One of the reasons for this is a lack of methodological approaches capable of investigating relevant evolutionary patterns in the fossil record. In this thesis morphometric methods capable of providing relevant data are developed and employed in the analysis of Cambrian fossils. Results of these analyses provide empirical support for the process of evolution through phenotypic plasticity and genetic assimilation hypothesized by the EES. Furthermore, theoretical revision to the species concept in a palaeontological context is suggested. Finally, predictions of the EES specific to the fossil record are made explicit and promising directions of future research are outlined.
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Isaza, Londoño Carolina. "Late Maastrichtian paleoclimatology and the paleobiology of Raceguembelina fructicosa, Contusotruncana contusa and Rugoglobigerina rugosa inferred from single specimen [delta]¹³C and [delta]¹⁸O data /." free to MU campus, to others for purchase, 2004. http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/mo/fullcit?p1421145.
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Bybee, Seth M. "Phylogenetics, evolution, and systematics of Holodonata with special focus on wing structure evolution morphological, molecular and fossil evidence /." [Gainesville, Fla.] : University of Florida, 2008. http://purl.fcla.edu/fcla/etd/UFE0023589.
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Klinken, G. J. van. "Dating and dietary reconstruction by isotopic analysis of amino acids in fossil bone collagen-with special reference to the Caribbean." Amsterdam : Fondation for Scientific Research in the Caribbean Region, 1991. http://catalog.hathitrust.org/api/volumes/oclc/26955816.html.
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Merson, Samuel David. "Bushmeat hunting, retaliatory killing, habitat degradation and exotic species as threats to Fosa (Cryptoprocta ferox) conservation." Thesis, University of Oxford, 2017. http://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:cae515e4-5b08-4228-a38e-3bb5929887af.
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Large carnivores are in global decline, chiefly resultant of anthropogenic persecution, habitat reduction and disturbance. Fosas represent Madagascar's largest carnivore, occupying much of the island's forest. This thesis examines the threats of bushmeat hunting, retaliatory killing, habitat alteration and exotic species using sociological and remote-sensing methodologies. Habitat degradation was not associated with reduced fosa occupancy, indicating some resilience within large, contiguous forests. However, competition with exotic species (cats, dogs) was associated with reduced fosa occupancy and potential temporal shifts towards greater nocturnality. Poor households were more likely to consume protected species. Conversely, wealthier households consumed more fish and eel. This pattern is reflected in Malagasy reported taste preference to consume domesticated animals and certain legally hunted wild species. Protected areas were not associated with reduced protected species consumption. Fosas' predation was a major cause of rural poultry mortality. Predation was more likely to occur in deciduous forests, in the dry season, during the evening. Fosa predation, and lower education was associated with negative Malagasy attitudes. Wealthy households, and those that had experienced fosa predation were most likely to retaliatory kill a fosa. Strategies to safeguard fosas' long-term persistence should seek to improve domestic husbandry, build robust coops with the use of watchdogs, promote education, and reduce exotic species abundance.
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Katz, Eric Paul. "Measurement of the Cross-Sectional Area of the Nasal Passages of Nine Species of Modern Odontoceti with Implications for Comparative Physiology and the Paleophysiology of the Dinosauria." PDXScholar, 1999. https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/open_access_etds/2247.
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In search of evidence for or against the endothermic dinosaur hypothesis, a recent study by Ruben et al. (1996) revealed that endotherms tend to have larger nasal cross-sectional areas than ectotherms of the same mass. The reason offered for this observation was that larger nasal passages are needed to house the complex respiratory turbinates possessed by endotherms. Whales were excluded from the study on the grounds that they have no nasal turbinates. In the present study, the cross-sectional area of the nasal passages of nine species of Odontoceti were measured by the use of latex casts. The regression of log cross-sectional area vs. log mass yielded the same line for the whales of the current study as for the endotherms of the previous study. Alternative explanations for the large nasal cross-sectional area of endotherms are sought.
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PARRA, IGOR. "Quantification des précipitations 0 partir des spectres polliniques actuels et fossiles : du tardiglaciaire à l'holocène supérieur de la côte méditerranéenne espagnole." Paris, EPHE, 1994. http://www.theses.fr/1994EPHE3012.
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Des estimations quantifiées des précipitations sont proposées dans le secteur ibérique durant la transition glaciaire-interglaciaire. Une calibration pollen/précipitations a été effectuée pour la première fois sur une banque de données aéropolliniques. Deux fonctions analytiques différentes ont été formulées et appliquées simultanément aux données fossiles. Les variations des précipitations estimées couvrent les derniers 20 000 ans
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Mengistu, Azemeraw Tadesse. "Modeling and Analysis of Long-Term Shifts in Bioenergy Use-With Special Reference to Ethiopia : Improving Sustainable Development." Thesis, KTH, Energi och klimatstudier, ECS, 2013. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-129541.
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Ethiopia is one of the sub-Saharan Africa countries whose energy depends on traditional use of biomass such as wood, charcoal, agricultural residues and animal dung. The traditional use of biomass mainly wood and charcoal leads the country to massive deforestation and forest degradation. Negative environmental impacts from poorly managed municipal solid waste are also serious problems in the country. Moreover, there is a wide range of fossil fuels demand in the country fully covered by importing which results to a significant expenditure from the country’s budget. This study investigates the long-term shifts in bioenergy use of the country and evaluates the expected social, environmental and economical implications. For this purpose, three scenarios are formulated within a timeframe that goes from 2013 to 2030. The baseline scenario assumes the existing energy practices of the country would undergo no significant change in the future while the moderate shift and high shift scenarios consider the long-term shifts in bioenergy use with and without considering constraints respectively. In this context, long-term shifts means: transition from traditional use of biomass to efficient and modern in the household sector, biofuels deployment in the transport sector, introduction of agricultural residues as a fuel for cement production, and electricity generation from bagasse and municipal solid waste. To model and analyze the scenarios, the long-range energy alternatives planning system (LEAP) software tool is used. Taking the results of high shift scenario by 2030, the use of improved wood stoves and fuel switch stoves could save 65 million tons of wood. The foreign currency saving from using biofuels and agricultural residues as fossil fuels substitute would reach to 674 million USD. The greenhouse gas emissions reduction is equivalent to 46 million tons of CO2e which is about 18.4% of the CO2e abatement target of the country for 2030. The corresponding revenue from carbon trading schemes would reach to 231 million USD. Electricity generation from bagasse and municipal solid waste would be 3,672 GWh that is around 3.7% of the total electricity generation target for 2030.
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Rothe, Andrea Kerstin [Verfasser], Martin [Akademischer Betreuer] Banse, Scott [Gutachter] McDonald, and Harald [Gutachter] Grethe. "Impact of the Exit from Nuclear and Fossil-fuel Energy on the German Economy : A General Equilibrium Analysis with Special Emphasis on Agriculture and Electricity / Andrea Kerstin Rothe ; Gutachter: Scott McDonald, Harald Grethe ; Betreuer: Martin Banse." Göttingen : Niedersächsische Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek Göttingen, 2018. http://d-nb.info/1162339691/34.
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Rothe, Andrea Kerstin Verfasser], Martin [Akademischer Betreuer] [Banse, Scott [Gutachter] McDonald, and Harald [Gutachter] Grethe. "Impact of the Exit from Nuclear and Fossil-fuel Energy on the German Economy : A General Equilibrium Analysis with Special Emphasis on Agriculture and Electricity / Andrea Kerstin Rothe ; Gutachter: Scott McDonald, Harald Grethe ; Betreuer: Martin Banse." Göttingen : Niedersächsische Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek Göttingen, 2018. http://d-nb.info/1162339691/34.
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Olson, Carina. "Neolithic Fisheries : Osteoarchaeology of Fish Remains in the Baltic Sea Region." Doctoral thesis, Stockholm : Department of Archaeology and Classical Studies, Stockholm University, 2008. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:su:diva-8215.
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OKŘINOVÁ, Isabela. "Paleoecology of fossil species of canids (Canidae, Carnivora, Mammalia)." Master's thesis, 2013. http://www.nusl.cz/ntk/nusl-166262.
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There were reconstructed phylogeny of recent and fossil species of subfamily Caninae in this study. Resulting phylogeny was used for examining possible causes of cooperative behaviour in Caninae. The study tried tu explain evolution of social behavior in canids.
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Dykes, Susan Jane. "Shape and size variability in lower second molars of extant hominoids and extinct hominin species with particular reference to modern homo sapiens and its potential for use as an analogue species in the context of fossil hominin dental variability comparisons." Thesis, 2018. https://hdl.handle.net/10539/25804.
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Thesis is submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy to the Faculty of Science, School of Geosciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2018Teeth make up the bulk of hominin fossil material and are useful in taxonomic assessments. In this thesis, discriminant function, principal components and randomised CV analyses on large samples of lower second molars (n=778) from five extant reference species, both sexually dimorphic and non-dimorphic, provide estimates of ranges of size-shape variability to be expected within a single species. However, there is evidence that diet-driven tooth-size reduction and cusp simplification has expanded the ranges of shape and size variability of Homo sapiens in some populations, in areas exposed to soft, undemanding diets since the transition to agriculture and increased use of cooking, food processing and ceramics from about 12500 years ago. Molar size and shape changes are less evident in communities retaining a hunter-gatherer subsistence strategy, requiring strong dentognathic structures with robust teeth to masticate harder, tougher foodstuffs. These factors, driving divergent variability in tooth size and shape, are unique to modern humans. Using a novel mathematically-based landmarking methodology, developed to allow the inclusion of severely worn teeth, intra-species size-shape variability was assessed from 63 lower M2s representing nine African Plio-Pleistocene species. The first hypotheses tested in this thesis address the question of which extant hominoid species might be suitable for use as analogue species for comparisons with fossil hominin molars, and whether uniquely modern-human anomalous size-shape variability exhibited by lower second molars might disqualify modern Homo sapiens for such analyses. Secondly, where lower second molar size-versus-shape variability ratios measured for fossil species do not match those of either a sexually dimorphic or a non-dimorphic extant species, evaluations are made as to whether samples attributed to single hominin species might actually represent specimens from more than one species present in the relevant assemblages, whether sexual dimorphism may have been greater in fossil species than in extant species, and whether some individual specimens attributed to any fossil species might be misclassified. Results of the analyses indicate that uniquely human subsistence strategy divergences are identifiable in the size-shape variability of lower second molars. Furthermore, specimens representing Australopithecus afarensis, Australopithecus africanus and Paranthropus robustus in this study exhibit very high variability and may indicate the presence of more than one species in their respective assemblages.
EM2018
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Dykes, Susan J. "A morphometric analysis of hominin teeth attributed to different species of australopithecus, paranthropus and homo." Thesis, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/10539/16841.
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A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Science, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in fulfilment of requirements for the degree of Master of Science. Johannesburg, October 29, 2014.Teeth are the most common element in the fossil record and play a critical role in taxonomic assessments. Size, relative width and cusp arrangements on enamel crown surfaces are used to help assess relationships between specimens. In this exploratory study, a model is developed for the placement of landmarks on images of lower first molars to maximise key information from crown surfaces of molars of African Plio-Pleistocene hominin fossils representing species of Australopithecus, Paranthropus and Homo. Lower first molar data of four extant species (Pan paniscus, Pan troglodytes, Gorilla and Homo sapiens) are visualised in a principal components analysis to detect whether landmark placements are adequate to identify species groupings and overlaps and patterns indicative of sexual dimorphism. The role of size as a differentiator between extant species is visualised using Procrustes Form Space as the basis for the analysis. A series of analyses, including linear diameter plots, Procrustes averaging, principal components analyses, discriminant function analyses and log sem (based on regression analyses) are used to test whether species groupings agree with currently accepted taxonomic classifications of thirty-six African Plio-Pleistocene hominin lower 2 first molars. Specimens in the sample that consistently fail to group with current species designations are flagged as “anomalous”. Six specimens are identified as anomalous and these are ultimately removed from the analyses. The resultant principal components plot of the fossil specimens appears to show distinctions between currently accepted species groups. The statistical regression analyses (log sem) confirm the results from the geometric morphometric analyses, and are associated with an average log sem value of -1.61 for conspecific pairwise comparisons. The log sem value of -1.61 has been proposed by Thackeray (2007a) as an approximation of a biological species constant (T), based on pairwise comparisons of modern vertebrate taxa, using cranial data. The anomalies confirm the hypothesis that certain specimens from the sample may have been misclassified, and that certain species groups as currently defined may comprise more than one morphotype.
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Paull, Rosemary. "Cenozoic cupressaceae macrofossils from Southeastern Australia: comparisons with extant genera/species." 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/2440/57421.
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Title page, abstract and table of contents only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University of Adelaide Library.Tasmanian fossil sites are rich in Cupressaceae genera and species and yet only three genera (Artrotaxis, Diselma, Callitris) survive there today. The aim of this study is the identification of some new and previously undescribed Cupressacea-related Tasmanian fossils. This is achieved by comprehensive morphological reviews of the foliage and cones (ovulate and pollen) of six extant Southern Hemisphere Cupressaceae genera.
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Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Adelaide, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, 2007
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Taru, Phillip. "Identification of mammalian species represented by fossil hairs in Parahyaena Brunnea coprolites from middle pleistocene deposits at Gladysvale Cave, South Africa." Thesis, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/10539/12318.
Full textAbstract:
This research focuses on scale pattern and cross sectional morphology of hair to identify fossil hairs from Parahyaena brunnea (brown hyaena) coprolites, from Gladysvale cave in the Sterkfontein Valley, South Africa. The coprolites are part of a brown hyaena latrine preserved in calcified cave sediment dated to the Middle Pleistocene (257- 195 ka). Forty-eight fossil hairs were extracted from a 75 x 30 x 15 cm block using fine tweezers and a binocular microscope. They were ultrasonic cleaned in analar ethanol and examined using scanning electron microscopy. Hair identification was based on consultation of standard guides to hair identification and comparison with my own collection of samples of previously undocumented guard hairs, from 15 taxa of indigenous southern African mammals. Samples were taken from the back of pelts curated at the Johannesburg Zoo and Ditsong National Museum of Natural History in Tshwane (formerly Transvaal Museum, Pretoria).
Based on the fossil hairs identified here, this research has established that brown hyaenas shared the Sterkfontein Valley with warthog, impala, zebra, kudu and black wildebeest. These animals are associated with savanna grasslands, much like the Highveld environment of today. Fossil human hair was also noted in the coprolites. These findings provide a new source of information, on the local Middle Pleistocene fossil mammal community, and insight into the environment in which archaic and modern humans in the interior of the African subcontinent lived. Amid a scarce fossil and archaeological record for this time period, these results make a significant contribution to the ongoing debate about the role of climate change in the evolution and success of modern humans. In accordance with modern brown hyaena feeding behaviour, the presence of medium to large-sized mammal hairs in the coprolites suggests the co-existence of large feline predators in the area, or a period of active hunting, based on the behaviour of modern brown hyaenas when rearing cubs.
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Estraviz, López Darío. "Quaternary fossil vertebrates from continental Portugal: Paleobiodiversity, revision of specimens and new localities." Master's thesis, 2019. http://hdl.handle.net/10362/74150.
Full textAbstract:
The Quaternary fossil record of Portugal is important for our understanding of the paleobiodiversity in Iberia. In the present master thesis a series of studies augment our knowledge about this topic. A census of Quaternary paleobiodiversity is carried out in order to test how reliable the fossil record is for detecting living species, resulting in that ~38% of living terrestrial tetrapods are recognized in the fossil record for Portugal, although the number of species recognized varies between groups. The body mass of a Portuguese proboscidean (Palaeoloxodon antiquus) is calculated via numerical methods for the first time (11metric tons) and morphometric comparisons of this species with Mammuthus primigenius are presented using an extensive Proboscidean sample. A new fossil brown bear (Ursus arctos) locality, Algar do Vale da Pena, with numerous claw mark in the walls of the cave (the first of this type of marks described in Portugal) is presented and the fossil bear remains identified and compared to a sample from NW Spain. The bears from Algar do Vale da Pena contrast with other previously known Portuguese brown bear specimens by relative small size. A new microvertebrate locality from Algarve, Santa Margarida, is presented. It is an extraordinary rich site with one fossil for every two grams of sediment selected and processed. The locality provided the first record of two arvicoline taxa in Portugal (Iberomys huescarensis and Victoriamys chalinei), which allows giving a minimal age of around 800.000 YBP for at least part of it. This makes Santa Margarida one of the oldest three localities in the Pleistocene of Portugal.
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Benade, Maria Magdalena. "Thoracic and lumbar vertebrae of African hominids ancient and recent: morphological and fuctional aspects with special reference to upright posture." Thesis, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/10539/20646.
Full textAbstract:
A Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of Science University
of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg for the Degree of Master
of Science
January, 1990This is a study of the morphological and functional aspects of A. africanus thoracic and lumbar vertebrae in comparison with those of modern human and anthropoid ape vertebrae. The purpose is to determine if any derived features in the morphology of hominids, as distinct from primitive features shared with non-hominids, were present and if so to what stage of attainment of full erectness such features point. The major results of this study are as follows: (i) There is a difference in the configuration of the lumbar articular facets between pongids, on the one hand, and modern human and A. africanus, on the other hand. This difference suggests that similar stresses operate in these regions in the two hominid groups. (ii) Bony adaptation to a developed lumbar lordosis is present in A. africanus. (iii) Major agreement has been found in the relative dimensions of modern human and A. africanus lumbar vertebrae, in contrast to those of pongid vertebrae. This indicates probable correspondence in the pattern of weight transmission to the pelvis in modern humans and A. africanus. (iv) The decrease of inferior lumbar vertebral body area starts at higher levels in sts 14 (an A. africanus partial skeleton) than in modern man, suggesting a longer curved lower lumbar region in A. africanus. From these results it may be concluded that the trunk was probably carried in a fully erect posture in A. africanus. The bony adaptation thereto, however, may not have been fully developed as in modern man. It is proposed that, in Sts 14, the last two lumbar vertebrae were carried at an angle relative to each other and to the sacrum, in contrast to the abrupt change in direction between L5 and the sacrum in modern man.
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Stocker, Michelle Renae. "Conceptualizing vertebrate faunal dynamics : new perspectives from the Triassic and Eocene of Western North America." 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/2152/22086.
Full textAbstract:
Conceptualizations of actual biological patterns as preserved in the fossil record must accommodate the results of biotic and abiotic drivers of faunal dynamics. However, those conceptualizations also may reflect cognitive biases resulting from foundational philosophical stances. Whether fossils are conceptualized as the remains of biological entities or as geological objects will affect both taxonomic identifications and secondary inferences derived from those identifications. In addition, operational research bias centered on relativistic views of ‘importance’ of particular components (i.e., taxonomic or skeletal region) of the assemblage results in preferential documentation of some taxa and marginalization of others. I explored the consequences of those specific cognitive and operational biases through examination of Triassic and Eocene faunal assemblages in western North America. For the Triassic I focused on taxonomic and systematic treatments of Paleorhinus, a group of phytosaurs important for the establishment of biochronologic correlations. Specimen-level reexamination of Paleorhinus supported a restricted usage of Paleorhinus as a clade, dissolved a biochronologic connection between terrestrial and marine deposits, and indicated a prior compression of the early part of the Late Triassic as a result of previous conceptualizations of species. I reexamined the Otis Chalk tetrapod assemblage in light of new specimens and modern phylogenetic frameworks. My examination supported a restricted usage of the Otischalkian for biochronologic correlation of the Late Triassic, and emphasized the importance of apomorphic character-based specimen examinations in conjunction with detailed lithostratigraphy prior to the development of biochronologic schema. For the Eocene I focused on undocumented terrestrial reptiles from the late Uintan fauna of West Texas. Specifically I discovered new taxa and new geographic occurrences of amphisbaenians and caimanine crocodylians. The amphisbaenians represent the southernmost record of the clade in the North American Paleogene, and, when combined with other amphisbaenian records, document that the clade responded to late Paleogene climatic changes in ways different from the inferred mammalian response. The new taxon of caimanine crocodylian represents a new geographic and temporal record of that clade. That new record indicates that the biogeographic range of extant caimans represents a climate-driven restriction from a formerly more expansive range, and suggests that the previous geographic and temporal gap in paleodistribution data is related to sampling biases and is not a solely a biological phenomenon. These data indicate that reliable characterization of vertebrate faunal dynamics requires open acknowledgment and appropriate documentation of cognitive and operational biases that affect interpretations of paleontological data.text
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Maia, Anabela Rodrigues. "O trabalho colaborativo entre o docente de educação especial e os docentes do ensino regular : ponte ou fosso?" Master's thesis, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/10400.14/21471.
Full textAbstract:
A presente investigação parte do contexto profissional da investigadora e da convicção de que um trabalho colaborativo entre o docente de Educação Especial e os professores do ensino regular poderá acarretar inúmeros benefícios.
Deste modo, a constatação do que efetivamente acontece no terreno assume toda a centralidade da nossa investigação - de que forma é que os professores descrevem e interpretam a forma como se operacionaliza, ou não (e porquê), uma cultura de colaboração entre o docente de ensino regular e o docente de Educação Especial, de modo a contribuir, não só para práticas mais inclusivas e conducentes ao sucesso educativo de alunos com NEE, mas também para o seu próprio desenvolvimento profissional.
Foi adotada uma metodologia essencialmente qualitativa e interpretativa, com a opção de uma investigação aproximada a um estudo de caso (embora, não possa ser assim considerada). As técnicas e instrumentos utilizados para a recolha de dados incluem os inquéritos por questionário, as entrevistas semi- -estruturadas e a análise documental.
Para a realização deste estudo, aplicou-se o inquérito por questionário a 14 docentes de Educação Especial e a 71 docentes do ensino regular (de diferentes graus de ensino), a lecionar num mesmo agrupamento de escolas pertencente ao QZP1. Recorreu-se, também, à realização de entrevistas ao Diretor do Agrupamento, a 2 professores de Educação Especial e a 2 docentes do ensino regular, assim como à análise documental de PEIs.
A informação obtida foi sujeita a análise estatística e análise de conteúdo, tendo sido, posteriormente, feita a triangulação dos dados recolhidos.
Os principais resultados obtidos levam a crer que, apesar de alguns avanços, verifica-se, ainda, procedimentos de colaboração algo incipientes e pouco sistemáticos. Assim sendo, a ponte entre o docente de educação especial e os professores do ensino regular está a assistir à construção dos seus alicerces, sendo que o fosso ainda poderá (co)existir em algumas área de atendimento aos alunos com NEE no contexto do Agrupamento onde procedemos à nossa investigação.This research stems from the investigator’s professional context and it is motivated by the conviction that a collaborative work between Special Education Teachers and Regular Education Teachers may bring several benefits. Thus, the consciousness of what actually happens on the ground assumes all the centrality of our research - how teachers describe and interpret,the way a culture of collaboration is operacionalized or not (and why) between the regular education teachers and special education teachers in order to contribute, not only to more inclusive practices and conductive to the academic success of students with special educational needs, but also to their own professional development A predominantly qualitative and interpretative methodology was adopted, as well as the choice of a kind of a case study (although it can not be so regarded). The techniques and instruments used to gather the data included questionnaire surveys, semi-structured interviews and documental analysis. In this study, we applied the questionnaire survey to 14 Special Education teachers and to 71 regular education teachers (working in different levels of education), teaching in the same group of schools, belonging to QZP1. We also interviewed the School’s Headmaster, 2 Special Education teachers and 2 regular education teachers, as well as analyse sereval PEIs. The obtained information was subjected to statistical and content analysis and, afterwards, the triangulation of data was done. The main results suggest that, despite some progress, collaboration procedures are still in an embryonary and little systematic stage. Thus, the bridge between the special education teacher and regular education teachers is witnessing the construction of its foundations, and the moat can still (co) exist in some areas in what the pupils with Special Educational Needs care is concerned, in the context of de Group of Schools in which we made our research.