Acta Geologica 21 (1) - Suplemento --- Interior

Jornadas Geológicas 2008 – Fundación Miguel Lillo

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Acta geológica lilloana

Volumen

21

(1)

Fundación Miguel Lillo

— 2008 —

—

Suplemento

—Resúmenes de las 2

das

Jornadas Geológicasde la Fundación Miguel Lillo

18 y 19 de setiembre de 2008

* * *

“Año Internacional del Planeta Tierra” “Año de la Enseñanza de las Ciencias”

Jornadas Geológicas 2008 – Fundación Miguel Lillo

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El Comité Editor de

Acta geológica lilloana

agradece especialmente la colaboración en este suple-mento a la Geól. Gloria Ibáñez Palacios, por la colaboración en la recepción y corrección de losresúmenes durante la jornada.

Acta geológica lilloana

Serie publicada por la Fundación Miguel Lillo, que tiene como objetivo divulgar trabajos originalessobre ciencias geológicas y afines. Los trabajos son evaluados por árbitros externos e internos.Correo electrónico: actageologicalilloana@gmail.comISSN 0567–7513

©

2008

,

Fundación Miguel Lillo

Acta geológica lilloana

: Ana FogliataSecretaria editorial: Lucía IbañezSecretaria del Área Geología: Rosa MolinaEditor gráfico: Gustavo SánchezComité editorial:Dra. Ana S. Fogliata (Coordinadora) (Fundación Miguel Lillo, Facultad de Cs. Naturales,

UNT

)Dra. Lucía Ibañez (Secretaria) (Fundación Miguel Lillo, Facultad de Cs. Naturales,

UNT

)Dra. Judith Babot (Prosecretaria) (Fundación Miguel Lillo, Facultad de Cs. Naturales,

UNT

)Dr. Pablo Grosse (Fundación Miguel Lillo,

CONICET

)Dr. Hugo A. Carrizo (Fundación Miguel Lillo)Dr. Sergio Georgieff (Facultad de Cs. Naturales,

UNT

,

CONICET

)Editores asociados:Dr. Carlos L. Azcuy (

CONICET

)Dr. Eduardo Piovano (

CONICET

, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba)Dr. Franco M. Tortello (

CONICET

, Universidad Nacional de La Plata)Publicación indexada en las siguientes bases de datos:

Bulletin Signalétique, Biosis Previews, Latindex, Periodica, Referativnyi Zhurnal

Canjes:Centro de Información Geo-Biológico del Noroeste Argentino,Fundación Miguel Lillo, Miguel Lillo 251, (4000) San Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina.Correo electrónico: biblioteca@lillo.org.arRef. bibliográfica:

Acta geol. lilloana

21 (1), Suplemento, 2008.Periodicidad: un volumen anual en dos números.Impresión: Artes Gráficas Crivelli S.A.Propiedad intelectual Nº 315450.Prohibida su reproducción total o parcial.Impreso en la Argentina.

Printed in Argentina.

Jornadas Geológicas 2008 – Fundación Miguel Lillo

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Resúmenes de conferencias

APPLICATIONS OF FUNCTIONAL ANATOMYTO THE PALEONTOLOGY OF MAMMALS –FORM, FUNCTION AND ADAPTATION

Argot C.

Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, DépartementHistoire de la Terre, UMR 5143 du CNRS “Paléobio-diversité et paléoenvironnements”, Paris, France.argot@mnhn.fr

Abstract

.— Understanding vanished func-tions from remaining structures is the core of functional analyses in paleontology. It refersto the evolutionary history of forms: whatdoes the bone shape, articular shape or mus-cular attachment teach us about the functionof the skeletal element considered? This talk is an overview of the method followed by apalaeontologist who tries to understand therole of a fossil structure and to reconstitutethe mode of life of an extinct animal, andthe problems met on this occasion. Examples will be taken especially in metatherians(Borhyaenoidea),

placental

carnivores (Am-phicyonidae), and xenarthran sloths (Mega-lonychidae,

Megatheriidae), all groups that Ihad the opportunity to study during the pastyears.Comparative anatomy remains the bestapproach to undersand fossil structures, us-ing extant species as anatomical models rep-resenting the basis of our hypotheses. Func-tional interpretations are indeed inferredfrom extant species, sometimes poorly known or understood themselves, or whoseecology constraints the behaviour in a differ-ent way than does the structure itself (i.e.,an animal may be anatomically able to per-form some movements, like climbing, andnot do it in natural conditions). However,extant species must be observed and dis-sected in order to be able to make a link between movements, muscles and bones. Es-tablishing such correlations in extant speciesallows to follow the opposite direction whenstudying fossils, when going from bones tomovements.The talk is organized around the mainquestions faced when performing functionalanalyses:– What does a paleontologist observe ona bone? Three points are concerned and il-lustrated:1) the general shape of the bone, with itscrests, condyles, and tuberosities;2) the position and extension of muscularscars, supposedly related to the developmentof the muscle concerned;3) the shape of the articular facets, thatgives us information about the range andmain direction of the movements performed.The regionalisation of the postcranial skel-eton is also important, because the verte-brae, forelimbs and hind limbs carry specificinformation that must be synthetize in thelast conclusions.– Where does the shape of a bone comefrom? From a compromise between the phy-logenetic constraints and the adaptations of the animal to a certain mode of life. This isillustrated with the shape of the humerus indifferent groups of mammals.– Can we discover the role of every struc-ture? Obviously not – some remain enig-matic, as it is the case for the presence orabsence and role of the entepicondylar fora-men, located in the medial part of the distalextremity of the humerus.– May a single bone be used in differentcontexts, or for different functions? Yes, it isparticularly the case of the pelvis, whosestructure is illustrated in different groups of mammals.– What means the term “mosaic evolu-tion”? This expression underlines the factthat the different parts of a skeleton may notevolve at the same speed: for example, thehindlimb tends to become more erected and with a more parasagittal excursion earlierthan the forelimb that retains several roles