Increasingly sophisticated methods of mitochondrial DNA analysis and computerized restructuring of extinct species based on bone fragments and complete skeletons have allowed paleontologists to "bring to life" extinct species, determine their habitat, diet, migratory patterns, and causes of their extinction.
One fine example of this combination of art and science was published on December 31, 2010, at the Public Library of Science.
We include a copy of the abstract, photographs of some of the remains with which the analysis was accomplished, and a link to the article
Abstract
Hypnomys is a genus of Gliridae (Rodentia) that occurred in the Balearic Islands until Late Holocene. Recent finding of a complete skeleton of the chronospecies H. morpheus (Late Pleistocene-Early Holocene) and two articulated skeletons of H. cf. onicensis (Late Pliocene) allowed the inference of body size and the calculation of several postcranial indexes. We also performed a Factorial Discriminant Analysis (FDA) in order to evaluate locomotory behaviour and body shape of the taxa. Using allometric models based on skull and tooth measurements, we calculated a body weight between 173 and 284 g for H. morpheus, and direct measurements of articulated skeletons yielded a Head and Body Length (HBL) of 179 mm and a Total Body Length of 295 mm for this species. In addition to the generally higher robustness of postcranial bones already recorded by previous authors, H. morpheus, similar to Canariomys tamarani, another extinct island species, displayed elongated zygopodium bones of the limbs and a wider distal humerus and femur than in an extant related taxon, Eliomys quercinus. Indexes indicated that Hypnomys was more terrestrial and had greater fossorial abilities than E. quercinus. This was also corroborated by a Discriminant Analysis, although no clear additional inference of locomotory abilities could be calculated.
Paper
Authors
Pere Bover 1,2*, Josep A. Alcover 1,2,, Jacques J. Michaux 3, Lionel Hautier 4, Rainer Hutterer 2,5
1 Departament de Biodiversitat i Conservació, Institut Mediterrani d'Estudis Avançats, Esporles, Spain
2 Division of Vertebrate Zoology/Mammalogy, American Museum of Natural History, New York, New York, United States of America
3 EPHE and ISEM, UMR 5554 CNRS Université Montpellier II and Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
4 Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
5 Zoologisches Forschungsmuseum Alexander Koenig, Bonn, Germany
Citation: Bover P, Alcover JA, Michaux JJ, Hautier L, Hutterer R (2010) Body Shape and Life Style of the Extinct Balearic Dormouse Hypnomys (Rodentia, Gliridae): New Evidence from the Study of Associated Skeletons. PLoS ONE 5(12): e15817. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0015817
The detail of the accompanying slideshow is presented here for completness and clarity.
Figure 1. Geographical location of the Balearic Islands.
Figure 2. Skull and mandible of glirids considered in this study
A) Hypnomys morpheus (CSC-2); B) Eliomys quecinus ophiusae (IMEDEA 7347); C) Eliomys quercinus s.l. (IMEDEA 7335). Skull in 1) dorsal, 2) ventral and 3) lateral views. Mandible in 4) labial and 5) lingual views
Figure 3. Postcranial bones of the three taxa of glirids considered.
A) Hypnomys morpheus (CSC-2); B) Eliomys quecinus ophiusae (IMEDEA 7347); C) Eliomys quercinus s.l. (IMEDEA 7335). 1) Pelvis, lateral view; 2) Femur, cranial view; 3) Femur, caudal view; 4) Tibia, cranial view; 5) Scapula, lateral view; 6) Humerus, caudal view; 7) Humerus, cranial view; 8) Radius, cranial view; 9) Ulna, lateral view.
Figure 4. Articulated skeletons of Hypnomys morpheus covered by flownstone found in the Cova des Pas de Vallgornera (Llucmajor, Mallorca).
A) Skeleton located in a dry passage of the cave. B) Skeleton found in the bottom of a lake (see diver in insert). Photos by G. Mulet (a) and M.A. Perelló (b).
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