DOI: 10.5061/dryad.jq2bvq8h0
title: Predatory synapsid ecomorphology signals growing dynamism of late Palaeozoic terrestrial ecosystems

description: AbstractTerrestrial ecosystems evolved substantially through the
 Palaeozoic, especially the Permian, gaining much new complexity,
 especially among predators. Key among these predators were non-mammalian
 synapsids. Predator ecomorphology reflects interactions with prey and
 competitors, which are key controls on carnivore diversity and ecology.
 Therefore, carnivorous synapsids may offer insight into wider ecological
 evolution as the first complex, tetrapod-dominated, terrestrial ecosystems
 formed through the late Palaeozoic. Using morphometric and phylogenetic
 comparative methods, we chart carnivorous synapsid trophic morphology from
 the latest Carboniferous to the earliest Triassic (307-251.2 Ma). We find
 a major morphofunctional shift in synapsid carnivory between the early and
 middle Permian, via the addition of new feeding modes increasingly
 specialised for greater biting power or speed that captures the growing
 antagonism and dynamism of terrestrial tetrapod predator-prey
 interactions. The further evolution of new hypo- and hypercarnivorous
 synapsids highlights the nascent intrinsic pressures and complexification
 of terrestrial ecosystems across the mid-late Permian.
description: # Predatory synapsid ecomorphology signals growing dynamism of late
 Palaeozoic terrestrial ecosystems.
 [https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.jq2bvq8h0](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.jq2bvq8h0) Supplementary data files associated with the above publication by Singh et al. in Communications Biology. ## Description of the data and file structure A Microsoft Excel document containing the aligned coordinate data for the 2D landmarks and functional measurement data that form the basis of the analyses, as well as further data used in this study in subsequent sheets, such as the first and last appearance dates, and source references for the images used to collect the jaw shape and function data.                                                                                       **Supplementary Data 1 - S1** Procrustes-aligned jaw landmark data. (Source data for Figs. 1, 4-5.)  X/Y coordinates for all 59 landmarks.                                                                    **Supplementary Data 2 - S2** Raw jaw functional measurement data. (Source data for Figs. 1-2, 6-7.) Measurement data for functional characters 1-8. (Abbreviation: MA, Mechanical Advantage). **Supplementary Data 3 - S3** Body size data  (Femur length - mm). Phylogenetically reconstructed femur lengths for all taxa.                                                 **Supplementary Data 4 - S4** Functional feeding group (FFG) and subgroup classifications. (Source data for Figs. 2, 6-7.) Rows A-M: Cluster alignments for the FFGs, Rows O-AA: Cluster alignments for the raptorial specialist subgroup, Rows AE-AM: Cluster alignments for the speed specialist subgroup, Rows AP-BB: Cluster alignments for the power shearer subgroup. **Supplementary Data 5 - S5** Age ranges for all taxa (First and last appearance dates (FADs & LADs).                                                                           **Supplementary Data 6 - S6** Functional feeding group  assignments for ancestral trait estimations. (Source data for Figs. 6 and 7) Rows B-H: Functional feeding groups and subgroups: A_Raptorial_Specialists: GG - Gracile_Grippers, FG - Forceful_Grippers. B_Power_Shearers: PBS - Power_Bite_Specialists, SBS - Shearing_Bite_Specialists. DSS - Deep_Shearing_Specialists. C_Speed_Specialists: RLA - Rapid_Light_Attackers, GRA - Grip_and_Rip_Attackers.                    **Supplementary Data 7 - S7** Functional feeding groups in each timebin (Source data for Fig. 6)  Showing the phylogenetic classifications, functional feeding group (FFG), functional feeding subgroup (FFsG), timebin(s), and jaw functional measurements and estimated femur lengths (mm) of each taxon.           **Supplementary Data 8 - S8** Linear discriminant analysis FFG classifications. (Source data for Supplementary Fig. 6) Showing the consensus cluster functional feeding subgroup (FFsG) assignment, the linear discriminant analysis (LDA) FFsG classification, and jacknifed LDA FFsG classification, and an additional column to highlight differences in FFsG classification. **Supplementary Data 9 - S9** Functional feeding groups across assemblages through time. (Source data for Fig. 8)  Showing the taxa and their clade designations, functional feeding group (FFG), functional feeding subgroup (FFsG), estimated femur length (mm), present at each assemblage, as well as the location & broader regional location, Epoch (age) of each assemblage. Also show any taxon substitutions.       **Supplementary Data 10 - S10** Late Palaeozoic Assemblage Data (Source data for Figs. 6 and 8)  Showing the species richness and functional feeding subgroup (FFsG) diversity at each assemblage, alongside the minimum, maximum and mean body sizes (log10 estimated femur length - mm) of taxa in each assemblage with standard deviations.               **Supplementary Data 11 - S11** Jaw image source references. Taxon and image source references.                                                **Supplementary Data 12 - S12** Femur length data source references. Taxon and image/measurement source references.                                                                                                                        Also a separate R file containing the R codes used to run the analyses in this study: 1. Principal Components Analysis 2. Cluster Analyses 3. Disparity Calculations 4. Phylogenetic Trait Estimations ## Sharing/Access information The information stored here is also available as part of the Supplementary Information of this paper at Communications Biology: * Singh, S.A., Elsler, A., Stubbs, T.L. *et al.* Predatory synapsid ecomorphology signals growing dynamism of late Palaeozoic terrestrial ecosystems. *Commun Biol* **7**, 201 (2024). [https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-024-05879-2](https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-024-05879-2) ## Code/Software Code was run using R version 4.3.2 (2023-10-31) The R code provided allows users to run the principal coordinate analysis, disparity calculations, and cluster analyses used in this study.