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Mean body size estimation in large mammals and the computation of biomass in past ecosystems: An application to the Pleistocene sites of Orce and Sierra de Atapuerca (Spain)

  • Identification data

    Identifier: imarina:9247858
    Authors:
    Rodriguez-Gomez, GPalmqvist, PMartinez-Navarro, BMartin-Gonzalez, JABermudez De Castro, JM
    Abstract:
    Estimates of adult body mass are usually considered as equivalent of mean population body size in most studies of ancient mammals. However, given that any population is composed in part of subadult individuals, this approach overestimates the mean population body mass and biomass. For this reason, more realistic estimates of mean population body mass should be used. In this paper, we: 1) test five different proxies of population mean mass; and 2) estimate the total prey biomass in the paleoecosystems from the Orce and Atapuerca sites as an approach for estimating their carrying capacity. Our results for past ecosystems support the use of survival profiles derived from the Weibull model (SPW), as they show values in better agreement with those of extant populations. They also estimate higher carrying capacities for the faunal assemblages of Orce than for those of Atapuerca. We suggest that the environmental conditions of Orce could have played an important role in the first peopling of Europe.
  • Others:

    Author, as appears in the article.: Rodriguez-Gomez, G; Palmqvist, P; Martinez-Navarro, B; Martin-Gonzalez, JA; Bermudez De Castro, JM
    Department: Història i Història de l'Art
    URV's Author/s: Martínez Navarro, Bienvenido
    Keywords: Weibull model Venta-micena orce Trophic resource availability Sima del elefante Predator-prey relationships Paleoecosystems On-crop biomass Middle pleistocene Megantereon-whitei broom Macromammals Guadix-baza basin Gran dolina Fuente nueva-3 orce European early pleistocene Carrying capacity Body mass
    Abstract: Estimates of adult body mass are usually considered as equivalent of mean population body size in most studies of ancient mammals. However, given that any population is composed in part of subadult individuals, this approach overestimates the mean population body mass and biomass. For this reason, more realistic estimates of mean population body mass should be used. In this paper, we: 1) test five different proxies of population mean mass; and 2) estimate the total prey biomass in the paleoecosystems from the Orce and Atapuerca sites as an approach for estimating their carrying capacity. Our results for past ecosystems support the use of survival profiles derived from the Weibull model (SPW), as they show values in better agreement with those of extant populations. They also estimate higher carrying capacities for the faunal assemblages of Orce than for those of Atapuerca. We suggest that the environmental conditions of Orce could have played an important role in the first peopling of Europe.
    Thematic Areas: Paleontology Geociências Ciências biológicas i Biodiversidade
    licence for use: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/es/
    Author's mail: bienvenido.martinez@urv.cat
    Record's date: 2024-09-07
    Papper version: info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
    Link to the original source: https://sciencepress.mnhn.fr/fr/periodiques/comptes-rendus-palevol/21/10
    Licence document URL: https://repositori.urv.cat/ca/proteccio-de-dades/
    Papper original source: Comptes Rendus Palevol. 21 (10): 207-233
    APA: Rodriguez-Gomez, G; Palmqvist, P; Martinez-Navarro, B; Martin-Gonzalez, JA; Bermudez De Castro, JM (2022). Mean body size estimation in large mammals and the computation of biomass in past ecosystems: An application to the Pleistocene sites of Orce and Sierra de Atapuerca (Spain). Comptes Rendus Palevol, 21(10), 207-233. DOI: 10.5852/cr-palevol2022v21a10
    Article's DOI: 10.5852/cr-palevol2022v21a10
    Entity: Universitat Rovira i Virgili
    Journal publication year: 2022
    Publication Type: Journal Publications
  • Keywords:

    Paleontology
    Weibull model
    Venta-micena orce
    Trophic resource availability
    Sima del elefante
    Predator-prey relationships
    Paleoecosystems
    On-crop biomass
    Middle pleistocene
    Megantereon-whitei broom
    Macromammals
    Guadix-baza basin
    Gran dolina
    Fuente nueva-3 orce
    European early pleistocene
    Carrying capacity
    Body mass
    Paleontology
    Geociências
    Ciências biológicas i
    Biodiversidade
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