Bite force and body mass of the fossil rodentTelicomys giganteus(Caviomorpha, Dinomyidae)
| Autor: | Andrés Rinderknecht, Washington Jones, Gustavo A. Grinspan, Ney Araújo, R. Ernesto Blanco |
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| Rok vydání: | 2017 |
| Předmět: |
0106 biological sciences
010506 paleontology biology Rodent Telicomys Anatomy biology.organism_classification 010603 evolutionary biology 01 natural sciences Bite force quotient Dinomyidae Skull medicine.anatomical_structure South american biology.animal Agonistic behaviour medicine General Agricultural and Biological Sciences Caviomorpha 0105 earth and related environmental sciences |
| Zdroj: | Historical Biology. 31:644-652 |
| ISSN: | 1029-2381 0891-2963 |
| Popis: | An exceptionally well-preserved skull of the Pliocene rodent Telicomys giganteus allowed the first estimation of body mass and analysis of the bite mechanics of this species of South American giant rodent. In this study, we reconstructed the main anatomical features of the skull of this Pliocene rodent and related them to the bite force at the incisors. The average of an estimation body mass gives 100 kg. We also estimated the bite force using three different techniques. Two methods suggest that bite forces at the incisors have a range of 500–1000 N. However, the incisors seem to be stronger than expected for this bite force, implying that the bite forces may have been greater than 2000 N. We consider the hypothesis of defense against predators or other agonistic behavior to explain our results. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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