Predatory synapsid ecomorphology signals growing dynamism of late Palaeozoic terrestrial ecosystems

AbstractTerrestrial ecosystems evolved substantially through the Palaeozoic, especially the Permian, gaining much new complexity, especially among predators. Key among these predators were non-mammalian synapsids. Predator ecomorphology reflects interactions with prey and competitors, which are key controls on carnivore diversity and ecology. Therefore, carnivorous synapsids may offer insight into wider ecological evolution as the first complex, tetrapod-dominated, terrestrial ecosystems formed through the late Palaeozoic. Using morphometric and phylogenetic comparative methods, we chart carnivorous synapsid trophic morphology from the latest Carboniferous to the earliest Triassic (307-251.2 Ma). We find a major morphofunctional shift in synapsid carnivory between the early and middle Permian, via the addition of new feeding modes increasingly specialised for greater biting power or speed that captures the growing antagonism and dynamism of terrestrial tetrapod predator-prey interaction..., , , # Predatory synapsid ecomorphology signals growing dynamism of late Palaeozoic terrestrial ecosystems.

[https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.jq2bvq8h0](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.jq2bvq8h0)

Supplementary data files associated with the above publication by Singh et al. in Communications Biology.

## Description of the data and file structure

A Microsoft Excel document containing the aligned coordinate data for the 2D landmarks and functional measurement data that form the basis of the analyses, as well as further data used in this study in subsequent sheets, such as the first and last appearance dates, and source references for the images used to collect the jaw shape and function data.

                                                                                     

**Supplementary Data 1 - S1**

Procrustes-aligned jaw landmark data. (Source data for Figs. 1, 4-5.)  X/Y coordinates for all 59 landmarks.                                                                   

**Suppleme...

摘要
陆地生态系统在古生代，尤其是二叠纪时期经历了显著演化，复杂性大幅提升，食肉动物类群的变化尤为突出。其中关键的食肉类群为非哺乳类合弓纲（synapsids）。捕食者的生态形态学特征反映了其与猎物和竞争者的相互作用，而这类相互作用正是控制食肉动物多样性与生态格局的核心因素。因此，随着古生代晚期首个以四足类为主导的复杂陆地生态系统形成，食肉合弓纲或可为更广泛的生态演化提供研究视角。本研究借助形态测量学与系统发育比较方法，梳理了石炭纪晚期至三叠纪早期（307~251.2 Ma）食肉合弓纲的营养取食形态演化轨迹。研究发现，在早二叠世至中二叠世之间，合弓纲食肉性特征出现了重大形态功能转变——通过新增越来越特化的取食模式，以适配更强的咬合力或运动速度，这一转变恰好反映了陆地四足类捕食者与猎物间拮抗关系与动态互动的不断增强。

# 食肉合弓纲生态形态学揭示古生代晚期陆地生态系统的动态性提升
[https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.jq2bvq8h0]

本数据集为Singh等人发表于《Communications Biology》的上述论文的配套补充数据文件。

## 数据与文件结构说明
本研究采用的Microsoft Excel文档包含二维地标对齐坐标数据与功能测量数据，是本项分析的核心基础；其余工作表还收录了本研究使用的其他数据，如类群首现与末现年代，以及用于获取颌骨形态与功能数据的图像来源参考文献。

**补充数据1 - S1**
普氏叠加对齐颌骨地标数据（为图1、图4~5的源数据）。包含全部59个地标点的X/Y坐标。

**补充数据[后续内容截断]**