Figure 15 in The evolution of Metriorhynchoidea (mesoeucrocodylia, thalattosuchia): an integrated approach using geometric morphometrics, analysis of disparity, and biomechanics

Figure 15. Rarefaction plots for two metrics (sum of ranges and sum of variances) that measure metriorhynchoid disparity (all taxa) throughout time. A, sum of ranges. B, sum of variances. The sum of variances shows little obvious relationship with sample size, in keeping with the theoretical robustness of the measure to differences in sample size (see Wills et al., 1994). The sum of ranges curve suggests that, although this measure is highly sensitive to sample size (Wills et al., 1994), the patterns for metriorhynchoids are robust. Notably, the relative ordering of disparity measures from high (Tithonian) to low (Bathonian) is seen at all sample sizes, from N = 3 upwards. Abbreviations: B, Bathonian; C, Callovian; EK, Early Cretaceous; K, Kimmeridgian; O, Oxfordian; T, Tithonian.