Data from: Microanatomy of the amniote femur and inference of lifestyle in limbed vertebrates

The femoral microanatomy of 155 species of extant amniotes (57 species of mammals, 15 species of turtles, 56 species of lepidosaurs, and 27 species of birds) of known lifestyle is studied to demonstrate a possible link between some basic parameters of bone structure and specific lifestyles, as well as phylogenetic relationships between taxa. Squared change parsimony with random taxon reshuffling and pairwise comparisons reveal that most compactness and size parameters exhibit both phylogenetic and ecological signals. A discriminant analysis produces several inference models, including a ternary model (aquatic, amphibious, terrestrial) that yield the correct lifestyle in 88% of the cases. These models are used to infer the lifestyle of three extinct Permian temnospondyls: Eryops megacephalus, Acheloma dunni, and Trimerorhachis insignis.

本研究针对155种已知生活习性的现存羊膜动物（含57种哺乳类、15种龟类、56种鳞龙类及27种鸟类）的股骨显微解剖结构展开分析，旨在揭示骨骼结构的基础参数与特定生活方式之间的潜在关联，同时阐明类群间的系统发育关系。采用带随机类群重排的平方变化简约法（squared change parsimony）与成对比较分析，结果显示多数骨致密性与尺寸参数同时兼具系统发育信号与生态信号。通过判别分析构建了多套生活方式推断模型，其中一套三元分类模型（覆盖水生、半水生、陆生三类生活方式）在88%的样本中可准确推断物种的生活习性。利用上述模型对3种已灭绝的二叠纪离片椎目（Temnospondyli）物种的生活方式进行推断，涉及物种分别为Eryops megacephalus、Acheloma dunni及Trimerorhachis insignis。