Words cannot describe how excited I am to announce the publication of my first peer-reviewed paper published in the Journal of Mammalian Evolution! Here's a big, fancy thread summarizing everything: link.springer.com/article/10.1... - ThreadSky

slothfultyrant.bsky.social • 43 days ago

Words cannot describe how excited I am to announce the publication of my first peer-reviewed paper published in the Journal of Mammalian Evolution! Here's a big, fancy thread summarizing everything: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10914-024-09743-2

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slothfultyrant.bsky.social•43 days ago

For over two centuries, this is how giant #sloths such as #Megatherium were depicted in art and media. But how credible are these extensively furry reconstructions?

slothfultyrant.bsky.social•43 days ago

Over two decades ago, paleontologist Richard Fariña suggested that the largest ground sloths may have been sparsely furred akin to extant large mammals of similar body sizes based on thermal conductivity equations.

slothfultyrant.bsky.social•43 days ago

Needless to say, Fariña's hypothesis was largely forgotten until it was revitalized in the wake of similar discussions on thermal neutrality and integument in large #dinosaurs. @markwitton.bsky.social's blog and art proved to be very influential on my end.

slothfultyrant.bsky.social•43 days ago

However, one thing that was overlooked is the lower metabolic rates and core body temperatures of living #xenarthrans. Would these estimates of thermoneutrality hold up if ground sloths were on the low side metabolically speaking?

slothfultyrant.bsky.social•43 days ago

While some suggest that lower metabolic rates are the case in fossil sloths, recent publications have called that assertion into question.
https://peerj.com/articles/17815/

slothfultyrant.bsky.social•43 days ago

In the words of Bilbo Baggins: "And that my dear Frodo, Is where I come in." With Witton's blog as a catalyst, and the guidance of Youngstown State University's Dr. Mike Butcher as my MS advisor, I began my quest to retest the "hairless model of integument".

shadi-shin.bsky.social•43 days ago

I'll note that that study concerns maximal metabolic rate or aerobic capacity. An elevated maximal metabolic rate and low basal metabolic rate has been shown to coexist in varanids for example. Perhaps its possibly the case for extinct xenarthrans as well.

madmetazoa.bsky.social•43 days ago

Congrats, this will be an amazing resource!

slothfultyrant.bsky.social•43 days ago

Thanks! There's more in the pipeline.

shadi-shin.bsky.social•42 days ago

Im curious if this was the model that was used for your paper?

https://bsky.app/profile/villesinkkonen.bsky.social/post/3lbilzjanl22t

slothfultyrant.bsky.social•42 days ago

That's the one!

shadi-shin.bsky.social•42 days ago

The paper states body volumes were estimated using these models. Is this data reported elsewhere? I didnt see it in the paper itself.

slothfultyrant.bsky.social•42 days ago

The models were used to determine heat and mass transfer values so that Niche Mapper could calculate the heat balance equations. The code and associated files should be deposited as mentioned in the paper.

shadi-shin.bsky.social•42 days ago

One of the links seems to not work

https://doi.org/10.5281/zendo.10626431

slothfultyrant.bsky.social•42 days ago

Try this one: https://zenodo.org/records/10626431

gulop1th3cuz.bsky.social•43 days ago

This is all fascinating stuff!

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