James O. Farlowa; I. Dan Coroianb; John R. Fosterc
aDepartment of Geosciences, Indiana-Purdue University, Fort Wayne, IN, USA
bDepartment of Mathematical Sciences, Indiana-Purdue University, Fort Wayne, IN, USA
cMuseum of Western Colorado, Grand Junction, CO, USA
Abstract
The ecosystem impact of megaherbivorous dinosaurs of the Morrison Formation would have depended on their abundance (number of animals per unit of habitat area) on the landscape. We constrain Morrison megaherbivore abundance by modelling dinosaur abundance in terms of carrying capacity (K), average body mass (ABM) and animal's energy needs. Two kinds of model are presented: 'demand-side' models that estimate K in terms of the aggregate energy demand of the dinosaur community, and 'supply-side' models that estimate K in terms of retrodicted primary productivity. Baseline values of K, ABM and energy needs for the models are further derived from comparisons with modern large herbivores, and from the composition of the megaherbivore fauna from a particular stratigraphic interval of the Morrison, but in all models a broad range of fractions and multiples of these baseline parameters are considered. 'Best-guess' estimates of Morrison megaherbivore abundance suggest an upper limit of a few hundred animals across all taxa and size classes per square kilometre, and up to a few tens of individuals of large subadults and adults.
Keywords: Morrison Formation; terrestrial paleoecology; herbivorous dinosaurs
Fuente: Solo usuarios registrados se encuentran habilitados a visualizar los enlaces. Gracias por su visita.
