Palaeontologia Electronica 

About: Palaeontologia Electronica is an academic journal published by Coquina Press. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): Geology & Paleontology. It has an ISSN identifier of 1094-8074. It is also open access. Over the lifetime, 702 publications have been published receiving 30024 citations. The journal is also known as: Palaeontologia Electronica.

Past: paleontological statistical software package for education and data analysis

Abstract: A comprehensive, but simple-to-use software package for executing a range of standard numerical analysis and operations used in quantitative paleontology has been developed. The program, called PAST (PAleontological STatistics), runs on standard Windows computers and is available free of charge. PAST integrates spreadsheet-type data entry with univariate and multivariate statistics, curve fitting, timeseries analysis, data plotting, and simple phylogenetic analysis. Many of the functions are specific to paleontology and ecology, and these functions are not found in standard, more extensive, statistical packages. PAST also includes fourteen case studies (data files and exercises) illustrating use of the program for paleontological problems, making it a complete educational package for courses in quantitative methods.

The facial skeleton of the early Oligocene colodon (perissodactyla, tapiroidea)

Abstract: Two skulls of the early Oligocene Colodon from the White River Group in South Dakota are much more derived than previously reported. In particular, morphologies of the facial skeleton and narial region are surprisingly modern, including a deeply retracted nasoincisive incisure, and other indicators of prehensile proboscis development. High-resolution X-ray computed tomography was used to explore the internal anatomy of these tapiroids, and revealed frontal sinuses, and an internal facial skeleton approaching that of modern tapirs. This not only indicates an earlier origin for these anatomical conditions than previously recorded, but in a phylogenetic context indicates that Colodon is more closely related to Tapirus than is Protapirus. Matthew W. Colbert. The Jackson School of Geosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Geological Sciences Department, 1 University Station C1100, Austin, Texas 78712-0254 USA colbert@mail.utexas.edu

Constraints on the timescale of animal evolutionary history

Abstract: Dating the tree of life is a core endeavor in evolutionary biology. Rates of evolution are fundamental to nearly every evolutionary model and process. Rates need dates. There is much debate on the most appropriate and reasonable ways in which to date the tree of life, and recent work has highlighted some confusions and complexities that can be avoided. Whether phylogenetic trees are dated after they have been established, or as part of the process of tree finding, practitioners need to know which calibrations to use. We emphasize the importance of identifying crown (not stem) fossils, levels of confidence in their attribution to the crown, current chronostratigraphic precision, the primacy of the host geological formation and asymmetric confidence intervals. Here we present calibrations for 88 key nodes across the phylogeny of animals, ranging from the root of Metazoa to the last common ancestor of Homo sapiens. Close attention to detail is constantly required: for example, the classic bird-mammal date (base of crown Amniota) has often been given as 310-315 Ma; the 2014 international time scale indicates a minimum age of 318 Ma. Michael J. Benton. School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1RJ, U.K. mike.benton@bristol.ac.uk Philip C.J. Donoghue. School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1RJ, U.K. phil.donoghue@bristol.ac.uk Robert J. Asher, Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EJ, U.K. r.asher@zoo.cam.ac.uk Matt Friedman, Department of Earth Sciences, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3AN, U.K. mattf@earth.ox.ac.uk Thomas J. Near, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, P. O. Box 208106, 165 Prospect Street, New Haven, CT 06520-8106, U.S.A. thomas.near@yale.edu Jakob Vinther. School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1RJ, U.K. jakob.vinther@bristol.ac.uk PE Article Number: 18.1.1FC Copyright: Society for Vertebrate Paleontology February 2015 Submission: 1 August 2013. Acceptance: 7 December 2014 Benton, Michael J., Donoghue, Philip C.J., Asher, Robert J., Friedman, Matt, Near, Thomas J., and Vinther, Jakob. 2015. Constraints on the timescale of animal evolutionary history. Palaeontologia Electronica 18.1.1FC; 1-106; palaeo-electronica.org/content/fc-1 Calibrations published in the Fossil Calibration Series are accessioned into the Fossil Calibration Database (www.fossilcalibrations.org). The Database is a dynamic tool for finding up-to-date calibrations, and calibration data will be updated and annotated as interpretations change. In contrast, the Fossil Calibration papers are a permanent published record of the information on which the calibrations were originally based. Please refer to the Database for the latest data. BENTON ET AL.: ANIMAL HISTORY TIMESCALE

Acquisition of high resolution three-dimensional models using free, open-source, photogrammetric software

Abstract: The 3D digitisation of palaeontological resources is of tremendous use to the field, providing the means to archive, analyse, and visualise specimens that would otherwise be too large to handle, too valuable to destructively sample, or simply in a different geographic location. Digitisation of a specimen to produce a 3D digital model often requires the use of expensive laser scanning equipment or proprietary digital reconstruction software, making the technique inaccessible to many workers. Presented here is a guide for producing high resolution 3D models from photographs, using freely available open-source software. To demonstrate the accuracy and flexibility of the approach, a number of examples are given, including a small trilobite (~0.04 m), a large mounted elephant skeleton (~3 m), and a very large fossil tree root system (~6 m), illustrating that the method is equally applicable to specimens or even outcrops of all sizes. The digital files of the models produced in this paper are included. The results demonstrate that production of digital models from specimens for research or archival purposes is available to anyone, and it is hoped that an increased use of digitisation techniques will facilitate research and encourage collaboration and dissemination of digital data. Peter L. Falkingham. School of Earth, Atmospheric and Environmental Science, University of Manchester, Williamson Building, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK. peter.falkingham@manchester.ac.uk

The Fossil Record and Evolution of Bovidae: State of the Field

Abstract: This paper presents a summary of the current state of knowledge on the evolution and fossil record of Bovidae and identifies topics and problems for further study. The earliest records of the different bovid tribes are reviewed, along with their geographic locations. Future work on the fossil bovid record should focus on: the reinvestigation of osteological characters that might distinguish early bovids from stem taxa; the late Miocene fossil record with respect to the evolutionary origins and biogeography of the living bovid tribes; and improved methodologies for reconstructing bovid phylogeny using morphology. This paper reflects the main themes discussed at the meeting of the Revealing Hominid Origins Initiative Bovid Analytical Working Group in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.