title: Decoupled form and function in disparate herbivorous dinosaur clades.
abstract: Convergent evolution, the acquisition of morphologically similar traits in unrelated taxa due to similar functional demands or environmental factors, is a common phenomenon in the animal kingdom. Consequently, the occurrence of similar form is used routinely to address fundamental questions in morphofunctional research and to infer function in fossils. However, such qualitative assessments can be misleading and it is essential to test form/function relationships quantitatively. The parallel occurrence of a suite of morphologically convergent craniodental characteristics in three herbivorous, phylogenetically disparate dinosaur clades (Sauropodomorpha, Ornithischia, Theropoda) provides an ideal test case. A combination of computational biomechanical models (Finite Element Analysis, Multibody Dynamics Analysis) demonstrate that despite a high degree of morphological similarity between representative taxa (Plateosaurus engelhardti, Stegosaurus stenops, Erlikosaurus andrewsi) from these clades, their biomechanical behaviours are notably different and difficult to predict on the basis of form alone. These functional differences likely reflect dietary specialisations, demonstrating the value of quantitative biomechanical approaches when evaluating form/function relationships in extinct taxa.
authors.affiliation: School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Life Sciences Building, 24 Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK.
authors.forename: Stephan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lautenschlager
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK.
authors.forename: Charlotte A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Brassey
authors.affiliation: School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK.
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Button
authors.affiliation: Department of Earth Sciences, The Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5DB, UK.
authors.forename: Paul M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Barrett
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D003198:Computer Simulation; D025061:Dinosaurs / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000145:classification / Q000502:physiology; D020342:Finite Element Analysis; D005580:Fossils / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D060434:Herbivory; D010802:Phylogeny; D012886:Skull / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D014070:Tooth / Q000033:anatomy & histology