General 2 — DeSantis DREAM Lab

Publications

"The aim of science is to discover and illuminate truth."

- Rachel Carson

Relevant Papers & Press

(*graduate student, **undergraduate student) Bold = lab members

In Review/Revision

(57) Cohen, J.E., DeSantis, L.R.G. Lindsey, E.L., Meachen, J.A., O’Keefe, F.R., Southon, J.R., Binder, W.J. Dietary stability inferred from dental mesowear analysis in large ungulates from Rancho La Brea and opportunistic feeding during the Late Pleistocene. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology (In revision)

(56) Braun, D., Faith, J. T., Douglass, M., Davies, B., Power, M., Aldeias, V., Conard, N., Cutts, R., DeSantis, L., Dupont, L., Esteban, I., Kandel, A., Levin, N., Luyt, J., Parkington, J., Pickering, R., Quick, L., Sealy, J., Stynder, D. Ecosystem engineering in the Quaternary of the West Coast of South Africa. Evolutionary Anthropology (In revision)

(55) Faith, J. T., Braun, D., Davies, B., DeSantis, L., Douglass, M., Esteban, I., Hare, V., Levin, N., Luyt, J., Pickering, R., Power, M., Sealy, J., Stynder, D. Ecometrics and the paleoecological implications of Pleistocene faunas from the western coastal plaines of the Cape Floristic Region, South Africa. Journal of Quaternary Science (In revision).

2020/In Press

(54) Louys, J.§, Zaim, Y., Rizal, Y., Aswan, M.P., Trihascaryo, A., Price, G.J., Petherick, A.**, Scholtz, E.**, DeSantis, L.R.G. § Sumatran orangutan diets in the Late Pleistocene as inferred from dental microwear texture analysis. Quaternary International (In press; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quaint.2020.08.040)

(53) Janis, C.M., Figueirido, B., DeSantis, L.R.G., Lautenschlager, S. 2020. An eye for a tooth: Thylacosmilus was not a marsupial “saber-tooth predator.” Peer J 8:e9346 (https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.9346)

Featured in National Geographic, Smithsonian, and global news coverage, including Atlas Obscura and the New York Times.

(52) DeSantis, L.R.G. §, Sharp, A.C., Schubert, B.W., Colbert, M.W., Wallace, S.C., Grine, F.E. 2020. Clarifying relationships between cranial form and function in tapirs, with implications for the dietary ecology of early hominins. Scientific Reports 10:8809 (https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-65586-w)

Featured in Vanderbilt News, Notizie Scientifiche, and RPP Noticias.

(51) DeSantis, L.R.G. §, Feranec, R.S., Fox-Dobbs, K., **Crites, J.M., Farrell, A.B., Harris, J.M., Takeuchi, G.T., Cerling, T.E. 2020. Reply to Van Valkenburgh et al. The validity of stable isotope data from tooth enamel to interpreting the ecology of ancient predators and their prey. Current Biology 30:R151-R152 (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2020.01.011)

(50) Scholtz, E.J.**, DeSantis, L.R.G. §. 2020. Invasive species, not environmental changes, restrict the population and geographical range of the quokka (Setonix brachyurus). Journal of Zoology 311:106-115 (https://doi.org/10.1111/jzo.12765)

Featured by UPI , Futurity, The Epoch Times, and more. Also, this work is being featured on a forthcoming podcast on The Wild Life. See the associated blog we wrote, published in the Journal of Zoology Blog.

(49) Smith, G.J.*, DeSantis, L.R.G. § 2020. Extinction of North American Cuvieronius (Mammalia, Proboscidea, Gomphotheriidae) driven by dietary resource competition with sympatric mammoths and mastodons. Paleobiology 46:41-57 (https://doi.org/10.1017/pab.2020.7)

2019

(48) Lundelius, E.L., Thies, K.J., Graham, R.W., Bell, C.J, Smith, G.J.*, DeSantis, L.R.G. 2019. Proboscidea from the Big Cypress Creek Fauna, Deweyville Formation, Harris County, Texas. Quaternary International 530-531:59-68 (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quaint.2019.11.018)

(47) DeSantis, L.R.G. §, **Crites, J.M., Feranec, R.S., Fox-Dobbs, K., Farrell, A.B., Harris, J.M., Takeuchi, G.T., Cerling, T.E. 2019. Pleistocene megafaunal extinctions, climate change, and mesopredator dietary release. Current Biology 29: 2488-2495 (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2019.06.059)

Featured in National Geographic, CNN, Smithsonian, LA Times, Ars Technica, and numerous news outlets. Also, see Curiosity Stream's tv documentaries featuring our work: Saber-tooth Brawl (English), Lucha Entre Dientes De Sable (Spanish), and Tops Science Stories of 2019.

(46) *Larmon, J.T., McDonald, H.G., Ambrose, S., DeSantis, L.R.G. , Lucero, L.J. 2019. A year in the life of a giant ground sloth during the Last Glacial Maximum in Belize. Science Advances 5 (2): eaau1200 (https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aau1200)

Featured in The New York Post, Fox News, Smithsonian, and numerous news outlets.

(45) Stydner, D.D.§, DeSantis, L.R.G., *Donohue, S.L., Schubert, B.W., Ungar, P.S. 2018. A Dental Microwear Texture Analysis of the Early Pliocene African Ursid Agrotherium africanum (Mammalia, Carnivora, Ursidae). Journal of Mammalian Evolution 26: 505-515 (https://doi.org/10.1007/s10914-018-9436-y)

2018

(44) DeSantis, L.R.G., Fortelius, M., Grine, F., Janis, C., Kaiser, T.M, Merceron, G., Purnell, M.A., Schulz-Kornas, E., Saarinen J., Teaford, M., Ungar, P.S., Žliobaité, I.§ 2018. The phylogenetic signal in tooth wear: what does it mean? Ecology and Evolution (https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.4541)

(43) DeSantis, L.R.G. §, **Alexander, J., *Biedron, E.M., *Johnson, P.S., **Frank, A.S., **Martin, J.M., **Williams, L. 2018. Effects of climate on dental mesowear of extant koalas and two broadly distributed kangaroos throughout their geographic range. PLoS ONE 13(8): e0201962. (https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0201962)

Featured in EveryONE, PLoS ONE's Blog, and News Channel 5.

(42) *Tanis, B.P., DeSantis, L.R.G., Terry, R.C. 2018. Dental microwear textures across cheek teeth in canids: implications for dietary studies of extant and extinct canids. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 508: 129-138 (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2018.07.028)

(41) *Bradham, J., DeSantis, L.R.G. §, Jorge, M.L.S.P., Keuroghlian, A. 2018. Dietary variability of extinct tayassuids and modern white-lipped peccaries (Tayassu pecari) as inferred from dental microwear and stable isotope analysis. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 499: 93-101 (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2018.03.020)

(40) *Tune, J.W., Waters, M.R.§, Schmallec, K.A., DeSantis, L.R.G., Kamenove, G. 2018. Assessing the proposed pre-last glacial maximum human occupation of North America at Coats-Hines-Litchy, Tennessee, and other Sites. Quaternary Science Reviews 186: 47-58 (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2018.02.018)

(39) *Smith, G.J., DeSantis, L.R.G. § 2018. Dietary ecology of Pleistocene mammoths and mastodons as inferred from dental microwear textures. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 492: 10-25 (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2017.11.024)

2017

(38) Green, J.L.§, DeSantis, L.R.G., *Smith, G.J. 2017. Regional variation in the browsing diet of Pleistocene Mammut americanum (Mammalia, Proboscidea). Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 487: 59-70. (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2017.08.019)

Featured in Scientific American

(37) DeSantis, L.R.G. §, Patterson, B.D. 2017. Dietary behaviour of man-eating lions as revealed by dental microwear textures. Scientific Reports 7: 904 (https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-017-00948-5)

Featured in Science and 65+ news outlets including National Geographic, Smithsonian, Discover, Newsweek, The Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, and numerous other radio (e.g., Voice of America, BBC, Futureproof, live-news radio), print, and TV shows (The Daily Planet, Discovery Channel in Canada).

(36) DeSantis, L.R.G. §, **Hedberg, C. 2017. Stable isotope ecology of the koala (Phascolarctos cinereus). Australian Journal of Zoology 64: 343-349 (https://doi.org/10.1071/ZO16057)

(35) Badgley, C., Smiley, T.M., Davis, E.B., DeSantis, L.R.G., Fox, D.L., Hopkins, S.B., Jezkova T., Matocq, M.D., Matzke, N., McGuire, J.L., Mulch, A., Riddle, B.R., Roth, V.L., Samuels, J.X., Strömberg, C.A.E., Terry, R., Yanites, B.J. 2017. Biodiversity and topographic complexity: modern and geohistorical perspectives. Trends in Ecology and Evolution 32: 211–226 (http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2016.12.010)

(34) DeSantis, L.R.G. §, DeSantis, D.T. 2017. Experimenting with extinction: A multi-disciplinary investigation into ancient cat extinctions. The Science Teacher 84 (2): 49-55

Published in the special evolution themed issue in honor of Darwin Day.

(33) DeSantis, L.R.G. §, Tseng, J., Liu, J. **Hurst, A., Schubert, B.W., Jiangzuo, Q. 2017. Assessing niche conservatism using a multi-proxy approach: dietary ecology of extinct and extant spotted hyenas. Paleobiology 43: 286-303 (https://doi.org/10.1017/pab.2016.45)

(32) DeSantis, L.R.G. §, Field, J.H., Wroe, S. Dodson, J. 2017. Dietary responses of Sahul (Pleistocene Australia-New Guinea) megafauna to climate and environmental change. Paleobiology Letters - Rapid Communications 43: 181-195 (https://doi.org/10.1017/pab.2016.50)

Rapid Communications are reserved for papers that represent "non-incremental research advancements of broad interdisciplinary interest." Featured in Scientific American and other news outlets including Smithsonian, Forbes, and several others.

(31) **Hedberg, C., DeSantis, L.R.G. § 2017. Dental microwear texture analysis of extant koalas: clarifying causal agents of microwear. Journal of Zoology 301: 206-214 (http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jzo.12413/full)

(30) **Jones, B.D., DeSantis, L.R.G. § 2017. Dietary ecology of ungulates from the La Brea tar pits in southern California: a multi-proxy approach. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 466: 110–127 (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2016.11.019)

2016-2015 (Combined years due to one-year extended tenure clock)

(29) *Yann, L., DeSantis, L.R.G. §, Koch, P.L., Lundelius, E.L. 2016. Dietary ecology of Pleistocene camelids: Influences of climate, environment, and sympatric taxa. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 461: 389–400 (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2016.08.036)

(28) **Jones, B.D., DeSantis, L.R.G. § 2016. Dietary ecology of the extinct cave bear (Ursus spelaeus): evidence of omnivory as inferred from dental microwear textures. Acta Palaeontologica Polinica 61 (4): 735–741 (http://dx.doi.org/10.4202/app.00253.2016)

(27) *Arman, S., Ungar, P., Brown, C., DeSantis, L.R.G., Schmidt, C., Prideaux, G. 2016. Minimizing inter-microscope variability in dental microwear texture analysis. Surface Topography: Metrology and Properties 4: 024007 (http://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/2051-672X/4/2/024007/meta)

Invited contribution for a special issue titled, Exposing the past: what surfaces and their measurement can teach us about extinct species and the lives of ancient people.

(26) DeSantis, L.R.G. § 2016. Dental microwear textures: reconstructing diets of fossil mammals. Surface Topography: Metrology and Properties 4: 023002 (http://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/2051-672X/4/2/023002)

Invited Review Paper for a special issue titled: Exposing the past: what surfaces and their measurement can teach us about extinct species and the lives of ancient people.

(25) DeSantis, L.R.G. §, Schubert, B.W., *Schmitt-Linville, E., Ungar, P., *Donohue, S., *Haupt, R.J. 2015. Dental microwear textures of carnivorans from the La Brea Tar Pits, California and potential extinction implications. Science Series of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County 42: 37-52 (https://nhm.org/site/sites/default/files/pdf/contrib_science/lacm-42.pdf)

Invited contribution for a special volume titled, La Brea and Beyond: the Paleontology of Asphalt-Preserved Biotas, in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County's excavations at Rancho La Brea. Featured in Forbes magazine (Are The Dire Wolves From Game of Thrones Real Animals?).

2014

(24) *Yann, L., DeSantis, L.R.G. § 2014. Effects of Pleistocene climates on local environments and dietary behavior of mammals in Florida. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 414: 370-381 (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2014.09.020)

(23) Feranec, R.S. §, DeSantis, L.R.G. 2014. Understanding specifics in generalist diets of carnivorans by analyzing stable carbon isotope values in Pleistocene mammals of Florida. Paleobiology 40: 477-493 (http://dx.doi.org/10.1666/13055)

(22) DeSantis, L.R.G. §, *Haupt, R.J. 2014. Cougars’ key to survival through the late Pleistocene extinction: insights from dental microwear texture analysis. Biology Letters 10 (4): 20140203 (http://rsbl.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/10/4/20140203)

Featured in The Economist (print and on-line), National Geographic, and numerous other on-line, print, and radio outlets including MSN UK, Discovery News, ABC News, BBC World Service Radio, Quirks & Quarks (Radio Show, CBC), Scientific America - 60-second Science Podcast and a National Geographic Wild television special called Future Cats.

(21) **Loffredo, L., DeSantis, L.R.G.§ 2014. Cautionary lessons from assessing dental mesowear observer variability and integrating paleoecological proxies of an extreme generalist herbivore. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 395: 42-52 (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2013.12.020)

2013

(20) *Donohue, S.L., DeSantis, L.R.G. §, Schubert, B.W., Ungar, P.S. 2013. Was the giant short-faced bear a hyper-scavenger? A new approach to the dietary study of ursids using dental microwear textures. PLoS ONE 8: e77531 (https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0077531)

(19) *Yann, L.T., DeSantis, L.R.G. §, *Haupt, R.J., **Romer, J.L., **Corapi, S.E., **Ettenson, D.J. 2013. The application of an oxygen isotope aridity index to terrestrial paleoenvironmental reconstructions in Pleistocene North America. Paleobiology 39: 576-590 (http://dx.doi.org/10.1666/12059)

(18) **Veter, N.M., DeSantis, L.R.G. §, *Yann, L.T., *Donohue, S.L., *Haupt, R.J., **Corapi, S.E., *Fathel, S.L., **Gootee, E.K., **Loffredo, L.F., **Romer, J.L., **Velkovski, S. 2013. Is Rapoport's rule a recent phenomenon? A deep time perspective on potential causal mechanisms. Biology Letters 9: 20130398 (http://rsbl.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/roybiolett/9/5/20130398.full.pdf)

(17) DeSantis, L.R.G. §, Scott, J.R., Schubert, B.W., *Donohue, S.L., *McCray, B.M., **Van Stolk, C.A., *Winburn, A.A., **Greshko, M.A., **O'Hara, M.C. 2013. Direct comparisons of 2D and 3D dental microwear proxies in extant herbivorous and carnivorous mammals. PLoS ONE 8: e71428 (https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0071428)

(16) *Haupt, R.J., DeSantis, L.R.G. §, Green, J.L., Ungar, P.S. 2013. Dental microwear texture as a proxy for diet in xenarthrans. Journal of Mammalogy 94: 856-866 (http://dx.doi.org/10.1644/12-MAMM-A-204.1)

2012

(15) DeSantis, L.R.G. §, Schubert, B.W., Scott, J.R., Ungar, P.S. 2012. Implications of diet for the extinction of saber-toothed cats and American lions. PLoS ONE 7: e52453 (https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0052453)

Featured in msNBC, in addition to numerous on-line (e.g., Huffington Post, National Geographic), radio (Up all Night, BBC; As it Happens, CBC) and TV media including a National Geographic Wild special called Future Cats.

(14) Fisher, E. §, Mackey, K., Cusack, D., DeSantis, L., Hartzell-Nichols, L., Lutz, J., Melbourne-Thomas, J., Meyer, R., Riveros-Iregui, D., Sorte, C., Taylor, J., White, S. 2012. Is pre-tenure interdisciplinary research a career risk? EOS, Transactions American Geophysical Union 93(32): 311-312 (http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2012EO320004/full)

(13) DeSantis, L.R.G. §, *Beavins Tracy, R.A., *Koontz, C.S., *Roseberry, J.C., *Velasco, M.C. 2012. Mammalian niche conservation through deep time. PLoS ONE 7: e35624 (https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0035624)

Featured in the French Tribune (http://frenchtribune.com/teneur/1210846-diversity-best-way-mammals-adapt-environmental-changes), in addition to other on-line media sources.

(12) Dillehay, T.D. Bonavia, D., Goodbred, S., Pino, M., Vasquez, V., Rosales Tham, T., Conklin, W., Splitsoser, J., Piperno, D., Iriarte, J., Grobman, A., Levi-Lazzaris, G., Moreira, D., Lopez, M., Tung, T.A., Titelbaum, A., Verano, J., Adovasio, J., Cummings, L., Bearez, P., Dufour, E., Tombret, O., Ramirez, M., Beavins, R., DeSantis, L., Rey, I., Mink, P., Maggard, G., Franco, T. 2012. Chronology, mound-building and environment at Huaca Prieta, coastal Peru, from 13700 to 4000 years ago. Antiquity 86: 48-70 (https://doi.org/10.1017/S0003598X00062451)

2011-2010 (Combined years due to one-year extended tenure clock)

(11) DeSantis, L.R.G. § 2011. Stable isotope ecology of extant tapirs from the Americas. Biotropica 43: 746-754. (http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1744-7429.2011.00761.x/full)

(10) MacFadden, B.J. §, DeSantis, L.R.G., Labs Hochstein, J., Kamenov, G.D. 2010. Physical properties, geochemistry, and diagenesis of xenarthran teeth: prospects for interpreting the paleoecology of extinct species. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 291: 180-189 (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2010.02.021)

(9) Schubert, B.W. §, Ungar, P.S., DeSantis, L.R.G. 2010. Carnassial microwear and dietary behaviour in large carnivorans. Journal of Zoology 280: 257-263 (http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1469-7998.2009.00656.x/full)

2009 and prior

(8) DeSantis, L.R.G. §, Feranec, R.S., MacFadden, B.J. 2009. Effects of global warming on ancient mammalian communities and their environments. PLoS ONE 4: e5750

Featured in msNBC and numerous other media outlets including Wired Science, Science Now.

(7) Prideaux, G.J. §, Ayliffe, L.K., DeSantis, L.R.G., Schubert, B.W., Murray, P.F., Gagan, M.K., Cerling, T.E. 2009. Extinction implications of a chenopod browse diet for a giant Pleistocene kangaroo. PNAS 106: 11646-11650 (http://www.pnas.org/content/106/28/11646.full)

Featured in BBC News and several other on-line, print, and radio shows (including PRI).

(6) DeSantis, L.R.G. § 2009. Teaching evolution through inquiry-based lessons of uncontroversial science. The American Biology Teacher 71(2): 106-111 (http://dx.doi.org/10.1662/005.071.0211)

(5) DeSantis, L.R.G. § 2009. Straight from the mouths of horses and tapirs: using fossil teeth to clarify how ancient environments have changed over time. Science Scope 32(5): 18-24

(4) DeSantis, L.R.G. §, Wallace, S.C. 2008. Neogene forest from the Appalachians of Tennessee, USA: geochemical evidence from fossil mammal teeth. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 266: 59-68 (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2008.03.032)

(3) DeSantis, L.R.G. §, MacFadden, B.J. 2007. Identifying forested environments in Deep Time using fossil tapirs: evidence from evolutionary morphology and stable isotopes. Courier Forschungsinstitut Senckenberg 258: 147-157

Invited contribution to a Special Issue Honoring David L. Dilcher and Jack A. Wolfe titled, Advances in Angiosperm Paleobotany and Paleoclimatic. Featured in Wired Science .

(2) DeSantis, L.R.G. §, Bhotika, S., Putz, F.E., Williams, K. 2007. Sea-level rise and drought interactions accelerate declines on the Gulf Coast of Florida, USA. Global Change Biology 13: 2349-2360 (http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2486.2007.01440.x/full)