Fig. 2: Synapsid carnivore feeding functional subgroup jaw characteristics.
From: Predatory synapsid ecomorphology signals growing dynamism of late Palaeozoic terrestrial ecosystems
The feeding functional subgroup jaw functional character (Supplementary Methods) distributions illustrated using violin and box plots. Functional feeding group compositions illustrated using ring plots detailing relative proportions of different taxonomic groups. Violin plots show taxon density. Box plots showing median value and upper and lower quartiles, with whisker illustrating standard deviation. Mean values indicate by black dots. Coloured arrows indicate whether values increase (red) or decrease (blue) relevant jaw functionality. N = 122. Jaw silhouettes (left to right): Varanodon agilis, Tetraceratops insignis, Dimetrodon grandis, Sauroctonus parringtoni, Smilesaurus ferox, Annatherapsidus petri, Tetracynodon darti. BIA Biarmosuchia, CYN Cynodontia, DIN Dinocephalia, EOT Eothyrididae, GRG Gorgonopsia, MAMA mean anterior mechanical advantage, MAR maximum aspect ratio, MPMA mean posterior mechanical advantage, OMA opening mechanical advantage, OPH Ophiacodontidae, RAO relative articulation offset, RSL relative symphyseal length, RTL relative toothrow length, SA Symphyseal angle, SPH Sphenacodontia (non-therapsid), THR Therocephalia, VAR Varanopidae. N = 122 taxa. Biarmosuchia, Dinocephalia and Therocephalia silhouettes by Dmitry Bogdanov (vectorized by T. Michael Keesey); all other silhouettes created by S.A.S., but some are vectorised from artwork by Felipe Alves Elias (https://www.paleozoobr.com/), available for academic use with attribution.
