Forelimb morphology as an adaptation for burrowing in kangaroo rat species (genus Dipodomys) that inhabit different soil substrates
Data files
Oct 19, 2023 version files 621.96 KB
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krat_morpho.xlsx
102.73 KB
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README.md
3.34 KB
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Soil_data_k-rat_buffers_1.csv
515.89 KB
Abstract
Among burrowing rodents, forelimb morphology frequently shares an intricate relationship with soil substrates. Soils can vary widely in texture and density, leading to differences in friability, which often requires forelimb specializations in digging animals. Kangaroo rat species (genus Dipodomys) dig and occupy underground burrows, a trait which is essential to their survival. Some members of this genus are restricted to particular types of soil substrates that presumably require species-specific forelimb traits. Here we explored the forelimb morphology and soil substrates inhabited by four Dipodomys species, including two range-restricted species (D. compactus and D. elator) and two widely-ranging species (D. merriami and D. ordii) in an effort to explore the variation in soil usage, forelimb skeletal specializations, and the relationship between these traits. We assessed the size and shape traits of preserved specimen forelimb bones using traditional and geometric morphometric techniques and we extracted soil data associated with the collecting locality of each specimen. We expected the four species to differ in their substrate affinities and forelimb morphology. Specifically, we expected species that inhabit dense soil substrates (e.g., clay-rich soils) to display specialized forelimb morphology typified by an elongated scapula and robust humerus, radius, and ulna bones. The four Dipodomys species differed substantially in their soil associations. We also detected significant morphological differences among Dipodomys species in which forelimb traits allowing for greater mechanical digging ability were found in D. elator, a species that inhabits dense clay-rich soils. These findings suggest that Dipodomys species that inhabit dense substrates may require correspondingly specialized forelimb morphology and that these traits may limit the desirable geographic ranges inhabited by these species. This may provide particularly important information when making conservation decisions on behalf of these species given that, unlike other habitat features, soil substrates cannot be easily modified to suit the needs of the organism.
README: Forelimb morphology and soil substrates inhabited by kangaroo rat species
https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.gqnk98srz
This readme file was generated on [2022-10-04] by [Leila Siciliano-Martina]
GENERAL INFORMATION
Title of Manuscript: Forelimb morphology as an adaptation for burrowing in kangaroo rat species (Genus Dipodomys) that inhabit different soil substrates
Authors: Leila Siciliano-Martina, Daniel A. Guerra, Joseph A. Veech
Corresponding Author
Name: Leila Siciliano-Martina
ORCID: 0000-0002-0004-5407
Institution: Texas State University, San Marcos, Texas
Email: sicilia.marti@gmail.com
This README file describes the data accompanying the above publication.
Files:
1. krat_morpho.xlsx: This file includes the full list of museum specimens used for the morphological analyses including the major specimen attributes (provided by the museum) and the raw morphological measures.
- Museum institution codes include ASNHC (Angelo State Natural History Collection, Angelo State University, San Angelo, TX), MSB (Museum of Southwestern Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM), TCWC (Biodiversity Research and Teaching Collections, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX), TTU (Natural Sciences Research Laboratory, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX).
- Specimen data includes the museum catalog number, the trapping locality (country, state, and county), the specimen sex, and the genus and species names.
- Specimen sexes include F (female), M (male), and U (unknown sex).
- The morphological data includes Principal Component 1 (PC1) and Principal Component 2 (PC2) and the centroid size of the ulna, humerus, and scapula, as well as the raw linear measures in millimeters.
- The raw measures include ulna length (UL), ulna width (UW), length of olecranon process (UOP), radius length (RL), radius width (RW), scapula length (SL), scapula width (SW), humerus length from the deltoid crest to the humeral head (HdCL), humeral tuberosity width (HtW), total humerus length (HL), total humerus width (HW), humerus width at the epicondyles (HbW), and the linear indices including length of olecranon process relative to the ulna length (UOP_UL), ulna width relative to ulna length (UW_UL), ulna length relative to radius length (UL_RL), scapular width relative to scapular length (SW_SL), humerus length from the deltoid crest to the humeral head relative to total humerus length (HdCL_HL), humerus width at the epicondyles relative to (HbW_HL), humeral tuberosity width relative to humeral length (HtW_HL), humerus width relative to humerus length (HW_HL), olecranon process length relative to radius length (UOP_RL), radius width relative to radius length (RW_RL), and humerus length relative to radius length (HL_RL). Any missing morphological data is indicated by NA.
2. Soil data k-rat buffers.xlsx: This file includes all of the kangaroo rat locality observations along with the percentage of each locality that is composed of the eight soil types for the 25m\, 50m\, and 75m buffers around each kangaroo rat locality. Each soil buffer is also divided into three soil depths\, a top layer (the soil type at the surface)\, a middle layer (the soil at a depth of 25cm)\, and the bottom layer (the soil at a depth of 25.1-100cm).