Data from: Exceptional body sizes but typical trophic structure in a Pleistocene food web

In this study, we focused on the exceptionally large mammals inhabiting
the Americas during the Quaternary period and the paramount role of body
size in species ecology. We evaluated two main features of Pleistocene
food webs: the relationship between body size and (i) trophic position and
(ii) vulnerability to predation. Despite the large range of species sizes,
we found a hump-shaped relationship between trophic position and body
size. We also found a negative trend in species vulnerability similar to
that observed in modern faunas. The largest species lived near the
boundary of energetic constraints, such that any shift in resource
availability could drive these species to extinction. Our results
reinforce several features of megafauna ecology: (i) the negative
relationship between trophic position and body size implies that
large-sized species were particularly vulnerable to changes in energetic
support; (ii) living close to energetic imbalance could favour the
incorporation of additional energy sources, for example, a transition from
a herbivorous to a scavenging diet in the largest species (e.g.
Megatherium) and (iii) the interactions and structure of Quaternary
megafauna communities were shaped by similar forces to those shaping
modern fauna communities.