Ates mixed feeders and grazers (positive values) from browsers (negative values) mostly on the basis of the MCS, whereas CV2, more influenced by OR, does not enable as a clear distinction among dietary categories than CV1. The discriminant analysis (Table 1B) based on the CVA classifies all the Hoplitomeryx species as browsers (Fig. 3B).Tooth mesowear patterns of Hoplitomeryx traced through time offer for the first time evidence on the relationship of diet and ecological diversification in insular mammals, and provide direct evidence of response to several events that affected its continuous evolution in Gargano. Hoplitomeryx species primarily browsed on forbs and dicots and inhabited considerably closed areas, as reflected by the low mesowear scores and the predominance of cusp sharpness and high relief of the teeth. Species show no signs of hypsodont dentitions, and there are no large differences in this trait among lineages. Despite this, not all the species are equal in their degree of hypsodonty, as the smallest forms are found to be slightly more hypsodont than the largest ones, with Hoplitomeryx sp. 1 and Hoplitomeryx sp. 2 considered as mesodont and Hoplitomeryx sp. 3 and Hoplitomeryx sp. 4 being brachydont. It may be added that most of the body mass values reported are lower than those for highly dimorphic ungulates36, thereby supporting the view20 that Hoplitomeryx size groups cannot be explained by sexual dimorphism and constitute instead different species. Regarding temporal differences, the different sizes are not neatly distributed over the biozones, as there are two or more size groups per fissure and biozone (except the youngest one). Accordingly, differences in foraging TAPI-2 cancer strategies (i.e., diet composition) and body size may have allowed Hoplitomeryx species to coexist on the same range in Gargano.Discussionmesowear scores that vary from 0 to 0.5 (i.e., a range of abrasion that is still quite narrow in the sense that it represents low abrasion overall for most of the species–when compared to extant ungulates31), a chronological order of the data (Fig. 4A) shows a somewhat asymmetrical pattern and a statistically significant fluctuation in diet composition. That is, there is a dietary shift, though all of the taxa clearly have an attritive (less abrasion) diet and stay in the browsing realm. Although not all biozones are order CEP-37440 equally represented by the fossil material, the following evolutionary changes are supported by the samples that yielded the richest and most reliable information.Scientific RepoRts | 6:29803 | DOI: 10.1038/srepThe evolution of diet in relation to species and ecological diversity: causes and trajectories of the adaptive radiation. Despite a general leafy browsing behaviour for the species of Hoplitomeryx, withwww.nature.com/scientificreports/Figure 3. Statistical mesowear grouping showing the relative placement of Hoplitomeryx species. (A) Hierarchical cluster based on the percentage of high occlusal relief, round cusps and blunt cusps. Data of extant species from31. (B) Results of the canonical variate analyesbased on three dietary categories and mesowear (high relief, round and blunt cusps) variables. (C) Results of the canonical variate analyes based on four dietary categories (including frugivorous species) and the same mesowear variables. The figure was designed through the combined use of SPSS Statistics 19, Adobe Illustrator CS6 and Adobe Photoshop CS3 software.A first important phenomenon is the e.Ates mixed feeders and grazers (positive values) from browsers (negative values) mostly on the basis of the MCS, whereas CV2, more influenced by OR, does not enable as a clear distinction among dietary categories than CV1. The discriminant analysis (Table 1B) based on the CVA classifies all the Hoplitomeryx species as browsers (Fig. 3B).Tooth mesowear patterns of Hoplitomeryx traced through time offer for the first time evidence on the relationship of diet and ecological diversification in insular mammals, and provide direct evidence of response to several events that affected its continuous evolution in Gargano. Hoplitomeryx species primarily browsed on forbs and dicots and inhabited considerably closed areas, as reflected by the low mesowear scores and the predominance of cusp sharpness and high relief of the teeth. Species show no signs of hypsodont dentitions, and there are no large differences in this trait among lineages. Despite this, not all the species are equal in their degree of hypsodonty, as the smallest forms are found to be slightly more hypsodont than the largest ones, with Hoplitomeryx sp. 1 and Hoplitomeryx sp. 2 considered as mesodont and Hoplitomeryx sp. 3 and Hoplitomeryx sp. 4 being brachydont. It may be added that most of the body mass values reported are lower than those for highly dimorphic ungulates36, thereby supporting the view20 that Hoplitomeryx size groups cannot be explained by sexual dimorphism and constitute instead different species. Regarding temporal differences, the different sizes are not neatly distributed over the biozones, as there are two or more size groups per fissure and biozone (except the youngest one). Accordingly, differences in foraging strategies (i.e., diet composition) and body size may have allowed Hoplitomeryx species to coexist on the same range in Gargano.Discussionmesowear scores that vary from 0 to 0.5 (i.e., a range of abrasion that is still quite narrow in the sense that it represents low abrasion overall for most of the species–when compared to extant ungulates31), a chronological order of the data (Fig. 4A) shows a somewhat asymmetrical pattern and a statistically significant fluctuation in diet composition. That is, there is a dietary shift, though all of the taxa clearly have an attritive (less abrasion) diet and stay in the browsing realm. Although not all biozones are equally represented by the fossil material, the following evolutionary changes are supported by the samples that yielded the richest and most reliable information.Scientific RepoRts | 6:29803 | DOI: 10.1038/srepThe evolution of diet in relation to species and ecological diversity: causes and trajectories of the adaptive radiation. Despite a general leafy browsing behaviour for the species of Hoplitomeryx, withwww.nature.com/scientificreports/Figure 3. Statistical mesowear grouping showing the relative placement of Hoplitomeryx species. (A) Hierarchical cluster based on the percentage of high occlusal relief, round cusps and blunt cusps. Data of extant species from31. (B) Results of the canonical variate analyesbased on three dietary categories and mesowear (high relief, round and blunt cusps) variables. (C) Results of the canonical variate analyes based on four dietary categories (including frugivorous species) and the same mesowear variables. The figure was designed through the combined use of SPSS Statistics 19, Adobe Illustrator CS6 and Adobe Photoshop CS3 software.A first important phenomenon is the e.
