The mammalian family Bovidae has been widely studied in ecomorphological research,with important applications to paleoecological and paleohabitat reconstructions.Most studies of bovid craniomandibular features in relation to diet have used linear measurements.In this study,we conduct landmark-based geometric-morphometric analyses to evaluate whether different dietary groups can be distinguished by mandibular morphology.Our analysis includes data for 100 species of extant bovids,covering all bovid tribes and 2 dietary classifications.For the first classification with 3 feeding categories,we found that browsers(including frugivores),mixed feeders,and grazers are moderately well separated using mandibular shape.A finer dietary classification(frugivore,browser,browser-grazer intermediate,generalist,variable grazer,and obligate grazer)proved to be more useful for differentiating dietary extremes(frugivores and obligate grazers)but performed equally or less well for other groups.Notably,frugivorous bovids,which belong in tribe Cephalophini,have a distinct mandibular shape that is readily distinguished from all other dietary groups,yielding a 100%correct classification rate from jackknife cross-validation.The main differences in mandibular shape found among dietary groups are related to the functional needs of species during forage prehension and mastication.Compared with browsers,both frugivores and grazers have mandibles that are adapted for higher biomechanical demand of chewing.Additionally,frugivore mandibles are adapted for selective cropping.Our results call for more work on the feeding ecology and functional morphology of frugivores and offer an approach for reconstructing the diet of extinct bovids.
The Przewalski's gazelle,Procapra przewalskii,is one of the most endangered species in China,and is now found only in a single small area around the Lake Qinghai.In this study,the complete mitochondrial genome of P.przewalskii was determined and annotated.The circular genome is 16 547-bp long,containing13 protein-coding genes,22 transfer RNA genes,2 ribosomal RNA genes,and a predicted control region.The overall base composition was 34.0% A,24.7% C,28.3% T,and 13.0% G,with a total A + T content of 62.3%.Phylogenetic analysis of all 19 Bovidae species indicated that P.przewalskii showed a close relationship to Procapra gutturosa.Our results provide a great deal of useful information on further studies for conservation biology of Przewalski's gazelle.
