Biology ETDs

Publication Date

Summer 7-28-2026

Abstract

Body size is a fundamental predictor of ecological function, life history, and population dynamics in mammals. However, direct measurements of body mass remain unavailable for many rare or extinct species, particularly within the order Carnivora. Allometric relationships between skeletal dimensions and body mass provide a tractable solution; however, previous studies have been limited in their taxonomic scope or trait diversity. Here, we quantify the scaling of 82 cranial and postcranial traits across 97 species from 11 carnivoran families spanning four orders of magnitude in body mass (20g to >500kg). Additionally, we examine the influence of phylogenetic relatedness, dietary specialization, and locomotor mode on allometric scaling patterns. Results indicate that nearly all skeletal traits scaled significantly with body mass, with postcranial elements showing the highest predictive accuracy (often R² > 0.9; MAPE < 10%). Allometric slopes varied with dietary and locomotor strategy: hypercarnivores exhibited shallower postcranial scaling slopes, while scansorial and arboreal taxa showed elevated intercepts for joint widths. Phylogenetic structure also influenced predictive performance, with some families (e.g., Felidae, Mustelidae) deviating from order-wide patterns due to ecological or morphological specialization. Model comparisons revealed that ecological predictors (diet, locomotion) outperformed taxonomic ones, underscoring the importance of functional context. These findings improve our ability to estimate body mass from partial remains.

Language

English

Keywords

Carnivora, diet categories, locomotion, body size, allometries

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Biology

Level of Degree

Masters

Department Name

UNM Biology Department

First Committee Member (Chair)

Felisa Smith

Second Committee Member

Davorka Gulisija

Third Committee Member

Sherry Nelson

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