Premium
TITANOTHERE ALLOMETRY, HETEROCHRONY, AND BIOMECHANICS: REVISING AN EVOLUTIONARY CLASSIC
Author(s) -
McKinney Michael L.,
Schoch Robert M.
Publication year - 1985
Publication title -
evolution
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.84
H-Index - 199
eISSN - 1558-5646
pISSN - 0014-3820
DOI - 10.1111/j.1558-5646.1985.tb05700.x
Subject(s) - heterochrony , neoteny , allometry , biology , evolutionary biology , acceleration , biological evolution , french horn , growth rate , biomechanics , zoology , ecology , anatomy , geometry , mathematics , ontogeny , classical mechanics , physics , genetics , acoustics
A reanalysis of Osborn's titanothere data indicates that extrapolative growth of a constant allometric relationship alone (“hypermorphosis”) does not account for the trend toward body and horn size increase. Empirically, we also observe possible positive changes in the y ‐intercept (“predisplacement” or early onset of development), and possibly, changes in the slope (“acceleration/neoteny” or changes in growth rate) between the Oligocene and Eocene groups. Theoretically, these may be responses to more massive body shapes, perforce accompanying size increase, which increase the amount of force to which the horns were subjected.