Browsing by Author "Kay, R"

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    Fruit Selectivity in Anthropoid Primates: Size Matters
    (International Journal of Primatology, 2020-06-01) Valenta, K; Daegling, DJ; Nevo, O; Ledogar, J; Sarkar, D; Kalbitzer, U; Bortolamiol, S; Omeja, P; Chapman, CA; Ayasse, M; Kay, R; Williams, B
    © 2020, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature. Certain features of both extant and fossil anthropoid primates have been interpreted as adaptations to ripe fruit foraging and feeding particularly spatulate incisors and trichromatic color vision. Here, we approach the question of anthropoid fruit foraging adaptations in light of the sensory and mechanical properties of anthropoid-consumed fruits in Kibale National Park, Uganda. We quantify the color, odor, size, and puncture resistance of fruits in Kibale that are consumed by anthropoid primates (N = 44) and compare these with the same traits of fruits that are not consumed by anthropoid primates (N = 24). Contrary to extant hypotheses, color and odor of anthropoid-consumed fruits do not differ from non-anthropoid–consumed fruits. However, we find that anthropoids in this system consume fruits that are significantly larger than non-anthropoid–consumed fruits, and with the exception of elephants that consume very large fruits, are the only dispersers of fruits with a surface area <4032 mm2, and a maximum diameter of 52 mm. While our findings do not support most extant hypotheses for the evolution of derived anthropoid primate traits as adaptations to ripe fruit foraging, we find some evidence to support the hypothesis that spatulate incisors may be an adaptation to foraging on large fruits, which tend to be harder.
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    Reconstructing Cenozoic Patagonian biotas using multi-proxy fossil records
    (Journal of South American Earth Sciences, 2021-12-01) Palazzesi, L; Vizcaíno, SF; Barreda, VD; Cuitiño, JI; del Río, CJ; Goin, F; González Estebenet, MS; Guler, MV; Gandolfo, MA; Kay, R; Parras, A; Reguero, MA; Zamaloa, MDC
    The fossil record from Cenozoic sediments provides a great deal of information that has direct bearing on the early assembling of modern Patagonian ecosystems. In this synthesis, we revise selected fossil marine and terrestrial records from the last 66 Ma with the aim of understanding major shifts of Patagonian biotas. From the Paleocene to the mid Eocene this region supported outstandingly diverse terrestrial assemblages that show strong connections to modern-day Australasia (e.g. gum trees, casuarinas, monotremes). Nearshore marine biotas confirm peak warmth conditions, with tropical species with Tethyan affinities. The late Eocene and early Oligocene marks the onset of a period of overall regional cooling, drying, and increasingly variable ecological conditions. The rise of palm-dominated flammable biomes in hinterlands and the prevalence of Gondwanan gallery forest (e.g. southern beeches and podocarps) along river-sides supported the existence of mosaic habitats maintained by edaphic and regional climatic conditions. This shift in landscapes reflects the evolution of a wide range of herbivorous mammals (e.g. Notoungulata, Litopterna, and Astrapotheria). The late Oligocene and early-to-mid Miocene witnessed a dramatic modification of landscapes including the incursion of high sea-level episodes, the emergence of specialized coastal (i.e. salt-marsh) plant taxa and the expansion of large herbivorous mammals with predominantly high-crowned teeth (e.g. Notoungulata: Hegetotheriidae, Interatheriidae, and Mesotheriidae). The cooling trend of this interval was interrupted by a mid-Miocene transient warming event, with the dispersion of terrestrial (e.g. platyrrhine monkeys, palms) and marine (e.g. Tuberculodinium vancampoae) elements with tropical affinity into southernmost South American regions. Seasonally-dry conditions increased towards the end of the Miocene, yet subtropical species persisted either in terrestrial (e.g. malpighs, passion vines, capybaras), and marine (e.g. Subtropical and Caribbean molluscs) environments. The increasing aridity caused by the Andean uplift wiped out most of the forest species and promoted the diversification of open-habitat species; the emergence of the current grass-dominated Patagonian Steppe occurred later on, probably during the Quaternary.