Cave and spotted hyenas as a latitudinal cline of a single biospecies across alternating climatic episodes: paleobiological implications
Data files
Sep 15, 2026 version files 131.70 KB
-
README.md
6.53 KB
-
Supplementary_Table_1.csv
10.16 KB
-
Supplementary_Table_2.csv
70.25 KB
-
Supplementary_Table_3.csv
44.76 KB
Abstract
This dataset supports the analyses presented in the manuscript "Cave and spotted hyenas as a latitudinal cline of a single biospecies across alternating climatic episodes: paleobiological implications", accepted for publication in Paleobiology.
The dataset contains the raw data and associated variables used to investigate geographic and temporal variation in Crocuta populations, including fossil cave hyenas and extant spotted hyenas. Data are provided in tabular format and include specimen-level information used in the morphometric, statistical, and body-mass analyses presented in the study.
Supplementary Table 1 contains the ages and corresponding references for selected localities with evidence of Crocuta over the last ~2 Ma and forms the basis of the spatiotemporal analyses presented in this study. Supplementary Table 2 contains the appendicular skeletal dataset used in this study, including greatest length (GL) and midshaft mediolateral diameter (DML) measurements (in millimeters), with estimates derived from photographs identified in the table. Supplementary Table 3 contains the dental dataset analyzed in this study, with all measurements provided in millimeters. References for the original data sources are provided within the supplementary tables.
All data required to reproduce the analyses reported in this study are included in these supplementary files.
Dataset DOI: 10.5061/dryad.4tmpg4fsv
Dataset associated with the manuscript:
"Cave and spotted hyenas as a latitudinal cline of a single biospecies across alternating climatic episodes: paleobiological implications"
Author: Juan Antonio Pérez-Claros
Affiliation: Universidad de Málaga, Spain
Description of the data and file structure
Format note: All files are semicolon-delimited (;)
Supplementary_Table_1.csv
Ages and references for selected Crocuta localities spanning approximately the last 2 million years. These data were used in the spatiotemporal analyses presented in the study and form the basis of Supplementary Figure 1.
Supplementary_Table_2.csv
Appendicular skeletal dataset used in the analyses. Variables include greatest length (GL) and midshaft mediolateral diameter (DML) measurements of limb bones. All measurements are expressed in millimeters. Values marked with an asterisk (*) were estimated from published photographs.
Supplementary_Table_3.csv
Dental dataset used in the analyses. Measurements correspond to lower postcanine dentition variables employed in the morphometric and statistical analyses presented in the manuscript. All measurements are expressed in millimeters.
Additional Information
References for the original data sources are provided within the supplementary tables.
All data required to reproduce the analyses reported in the manuscript are included in these files.
Missing Values
Entries marked as "n.a." indicate that the corresponding information was unavailable from the original source publications, could not be determined with confidence, or was not applicable to the specimen or locality concerned.
The notation "n.a." therefore encompasses both unavailable and non-applicable information. Values recorded as "n.a." should not be interpreted as zero values.
Files and variables
File: Supplementary_Table_1.csv
Description: Ages and corresponding references for selected localities with evidence of Crocuta over the last approximately 2 million years. These data were used in the spatiotemporal analyses presented in the associated manuscript and form the basis of Supplementary Figure 1.
Variables
-
Geographic Region: Broad biogeographic region to which each specimen or locality is assigned for analytical purposes
Locality: Name of the fossil locality.
Country: Country where the locality is situated.
Age: Geological age or age range of the locality.
Reference: Source publication supporting the age assignment.
File: Supplementary_Table_2.csv
Description: Appendicular skeletal dataset used in this study. Measurements correspond to limb elements of extant and fossil Crocuta specimens. All measurements are expressed in millimeters. Measurements marked with an asterisk (*) were estimated from published photographs.
Variables
-
Group: Taxonomic or geographic group assignment.
ID: Specimen identifier.
Country: Country of origin.
Locality: Fossil locality or geographic provenance.
Abs(Latitude): Absolute latitude of the locality (degrees).
Stage: Climatic stage (warm/cold).
Reference (Data): Source publication for the measurement data.
Humerus GL: Greatest length of humerus (mm).
Humerus DML: Midshaft mediolateral diameter of humerus (mm).
Radius GL: Greatest length of radius (mm).
Radius DML: Midshaft mediolateral diameter of radius (mm).
Metacarpus III GL: Greatest length of third metacarpal (mm).
Metacarpus III DML: Midshaft mediolateral diameter of third metacarpal (mm).
Metacarpus IV GL: Greatest length of fourth metacarpal (mm).
Metacarpus IV DML: Midshaft mediolateral diameter of fourth metacarpal (mm).
Femur GL: Greatest length of femur (mm).
Femur DML: Midshaft mediolateral diameter of femur (mm).
Tibia GL: Greatest length of tibia (mm).
Tibia DML: Midshaft mediolateral diameter of tibia (mm).
Metatarsus III GL: Greatest length of third metatarsal (mm).
Metatarsus III DML: Midshaft mediolateral diameter of third metatarsal (mm).
Latitude and longitude fields provide geographic coordinates of localities when available.
File: Supplementary_Table_3.csv
Description: Dental dataset used in this study. Measurements correspond to lower postcanine dentition variables employed in the morphometric and statistical analyses. All measurements are expressed in millimeters.
Variables
-
Group 1: Principal taxonomic assignment.
Group 2: Geographic or biogeographic grouping.
ID: Specimen identifier.
Country: Country of origin.
Locality: Fossil locality or geographic provenance.
Abs(Latitude): Absolute latitude of the locality (degrees).
Stage: Climatic stage (warm/cold).
Age: Geological age or chronostratigraphic attribution.
Reference (Data): Source publication for the measurements.
Lp3: Mesiodistal length of lower third premolar (mm).
Wp3: Buccolingual width of lower third premolar (mm).
Lp4: Mesiodistal length of lower fourth premolar (mm).
Wp4: Buccolingual width of lower fourth premolar (mm).
Lm1: Mesiodistal length of lower first molar (mm).
Wm1: Buccolingual width of lower first molar (mm).
PC I Score: Principal component score representing overall size.
PC II Score: Principal component score representing dental robustness.
PC III Score: Principal component score representing the premolar-to-carnassial length relationship.
Code/software
The data are provided as comma-separated values (.csv) files and can be opened with Microsoft Excel, LibreOffice Calc, OpenOffice Calc, R, Python, or any other software capable of reading CSV-formatted files.
Statistical analyses described in the associated manuscript were performed using PAST version 4.15 (Hammer et al. 2001). No custom code or scripts are necessary to access, interpret, reproduce, or reuse the datasets provided in this repository.
Access information
Other publicly accessible locations of the data:
- None.
Data was derived from the following sources:
- The datasets were compiled from previously published sources and original measurements reported in the references listed within Supplementary Tables 1–3. Full bibliographic information for all source data is included in the corresponding supplementary files.