Evolving Earth最新文献

{"title":"Impacts of flooding on agricultural practices in Bunkure Local Government Area, Kano State, Nigeria","authors":"Inuwa Sani Sani,&nbsp;Adi Wibowo","doi":"10.1016/j.eve.2026.100110","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eve.2026.100110","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Flooding has become one of the key environmental issues that have impacted agricultural productivity in northern Nigeria. This study examines the impacts of recurrent flooding on agricultural practices in Bunkure Local Government Area, Kano State, integrating multi-year satellite-derived Land Use/Land Cover (LULC) analysis, Digital Elevation Model (DEM) terrain assessment, and household survey data. The LULC classifications (2019–2023) based on Landsat data show the presence of considerable Spatio temporal changes in agricultural land, vegetation, bare land and water bodies, which are highly affected by seasonal floods. Terrain analysis also indicates that hydromorphic lowlands in the southern and central parts of the LGA are highly prone to inundation, resulting in prolonged waterlogging of farmlands. The outcomes of the surveys conducted on 346 farmers affirm the prevalence of the effects such as delayed growth of crops, untimely death of crops, changed planting time and low quality of harvests. The findings align with recent studies showing increasing flood frequency and rainfall intensity across northern Nigeria linked to climate variability. In general, flooding has led to massive loss of crops, soil erosion and economic distress particularly to smallholders and vulnerable farmers. The combined spatial and socio-economic analysis indicates evidence that there are changes in the agricultural land availability and productivity in response to the annual floods. The research recommends that flood resistant crop varieties, better drainage systems, and land-use planning should be adopted in minimizing the exposure of farmlands to flooding. Enhancing the early warning system and incorporating local knowledge in line with the contemporary farming practices will boost resiliency in the communities. The study provides context-related observations to enable policy intervention in the case of sustainable agricultural and disaster-risk management in flood-prone rural LGAs.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100516,"journal":{"name":"Evolving Earth","volume":"4 ","pages":"Article 100110"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146078511","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Groundwater quality assessments of phreatic and deeper aquifers of the eastern Palghat, Kerala, Southern India","authors":"K.V. Sarath ,&nbsp;E. Shaji ,&nbsp;M. Thirumurugan ,&nbsp;S.G. Dhanil Dev ,&nbsp;G. Indu ,&nbsp;Ashitha ,&nbsp;Keerthana","doi":"10.1016/j.eve.2025.100104","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eve.2025.100104","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Identification and management of groundwater quality is crucial for maintaining the resources of over-exploited areas in the rain shadow region of the hard rock aquifer, which is essential for sustainable development. This research aims to identify water quality analysis for drinking and agricultural harvest in the crystalline aquifer, located in the eastern Palghat, Kerala, southern India. A groundwater compatibility study was conducted by analysing in situ parameters, major cations, anions, macronutrients, and fluorine in groundwater. Irrigational water quality parameters like Soluble Sodium Percentage (SSP), Sodium Adsorption Ratio (SAR), and Kelly's Ratio (KR), Permeability Index (PI) and Magnesium Hazard were obtained from 48 samples, 24 from excavated wells and 24 from tube wells (TW) in the exact location. The Water Quality Index (WQI) and irrigation water quality (IWQ) index are utilised due to their high importance in identifying the quality of water resources for irrigation and drinking purposes. Groundwater is the essential source for domestic, agricultural, and industrial purposes in the eastern Palghat, Kerala, southern India. This paper presents geochemical analyses of groundwater collected from phreatic and deeper aquifers of the area. Groundwater quality analyses show a considerable difference in the groundwater chemistry of phreatic and deeper aquifers. Excess fluoride is noted in a few samples. Rainwater harvesting, nanotechnology-based filters and awareness programs are recommended for reliable groundwater management in the study area.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100516,"journal":{"name":"Evolving Earth","volume":"4 ","pages":"Article 100104"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145841677","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Deciphering soil erosion dynamics in a fluvial island ecosystem of Northeast India: An integrated RUSLE-geospatial approach","authors":"Tilak Prasad Panika ,&nbsp;Dilip Kumar Patgiri ,&nbsp;Prem Kumar Bharteey ,&nbsp;Bipul Deka ,&nbsp;Marami Dutta ,&nbsp;Rituparna Saikia ,&nbsp;Santanu Banerjee ,&nbsp;Jayashree Saha ,&nbsp;Malini Roy Choudhury ,&nbsp;Suman Dutta ,&nbsp;Sudipta Das ,&nbsp;Sumanta Das","doi":"10.1016/j.eve.2026.100122","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eve.2026.100122","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Soil erosion poses a critical threat to the sustainability of fluvial island ecosystems, particularly in dynamic and flood-prone regions such as <em>Majuli</em>, the world's largest inhabited river island in Northeast India. Despite its ecological and cultural significance, spatially explicit assessments of erosion dynamics remain limited. This study aims to (i) quantify the spatial distribution and severity of soil erosion across <em>Majuli</em> and (ii) evaluate the influence of key biophysical factors on erosion variability. We hypothesize that erosion risk exhibits significant spatial heterogeneity driven by rainfall, topography, soil properties, and land-use practices. An integrated Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) model coupled with geospatial techniques was applied using 160 GPS-referenced soil samples collected from riverbank locations. Soil loss was estimated using five core RUSLE factors: rainfall erosivity (R), soil erodibility (K), slope length and steepness (LS), cover management (C), and support practices (P), alongside erodibility indices including clay ratio, silt–clay ratio, modified clay ratio, dispersion ratio, erosion ratio, and erosion index. Estimated annual soil loss ranged from 2.58 to 50.88 t ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹, with a mean of 17.72 t ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ and standard deviation of 9.83 t ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹. Dispersion ratio (0.09–0.34), erosion ratio (0.03–0.25), and erosion index (0.05–0.46) indicate moderate to high erodibility across large areas. Approximately 40.32% of the island experiences moderately severe erosion, whereas only 0.02% falls under very low erosion. The results indicate pronounced spatial heterogeneity in erosion risk, highlighting priority zones for targeted conservation. The study demonstrates the robustness of integrating field-based measurements with GIS-enabled RUSLE modeling to support watershed planning, soil conservation strategies, and sustainable land management in vulnerable riverine environments.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100516,"journal":{"name":"Evolving Earth","volume":"4 ","pages":"Article 100122"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147709608","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The ichnotaphonomic window in lacustrine subaqueous littoral deposits: an example of bird and mammal footprints from the Miocene of northwest Argentina","authors":"Ricardo N. Melchor ,&nbsp;Víctor H. Contreras ,&nbsp;Silverio F. Feola","doi":"10.1016/j.eve.2026.100129","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eve.2026.100129","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study includes the ichnotaxonomic and taphonomic analysis of bird and mammal footprints from an Upper Miocene lacustrine sequence of the San Juan Province, northwestern Argentina. The interval hosting the trace fossils represents the interaction between unconfined fluvial flows and lacustrine deposits. Recorded trace fossils include a diverse assemblage of bird footprints (12 ichnotaxa), mammal footprints (2 ichnotaxa, including a new one), swimming traces (1 ichnotaxa) and invertebrate trace fossils (7 ichnotaxa). This case study is peculiar because of the dominance of bird footprints, of moderate to large size, preserved in full relief (77% of specimens) that are interpreted as shallow to deep depressions left by foraging birds in the subaqueous littoral zone of the lake. This type of preservation of bird footprints is indicative of a subaqueous littoral ichnotaphonomic window in lakes distinct from the “shorebird ichnofacies” and related to the partitioning of shallow-water habitats by waterbirds. Two littoral depth zones are recognized: 1) the shallow littoral (∼5–25 cm) represented by cf. <em>Ornithotarnocia</em> isp., <em>Chraradriipeda</em> isp., <em>Gruipeda</em> isp., <em>Uhangrichnus</em> isp., indeterminate tridactyl footprints, and tridactyl footprints with elongate posterior traces type 1 and 2; and 2) the wading-depth littoral zone (∼25–40/50 cm) that includes cf. <em>Gyeongsangornipes</em> isp. and <em>Phoenicopterichnum</em> isp. The bird assemblage also has footprints preserved in positive hyporelief and negative epirelief (23% of specimens) from the shore margin zone (∼0–5 cm) containing the smaller footprints (<em>Avipeda phoenix</em>, <em>Gruipeda dominguensis</em> and cf. <em>Avipeda circumontis</em>). The latter type of preservation is commonly described in the literature and belongs to the “shorebird ichnofacies”.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100516,"journal":{"name":"Evolving Earth","volume":"4 ","pages":"Article 100129"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147802696","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Heavy metal contamination in water and sediment of a tropical urbanizing landscape: Insights from Akkulam–Veli Lake, southwest coast, India","authors":"Arsha ,&nbsp;Pooja Pradeep ,&nbsp;S.G. Dhanil Dev ,&nbsp;E. Shaji ,&nbsp;P.K. Krishna Prasad ,&nbsp;S. Swetha ,&nbsp;S. Arya ,&nbsp;V. Deepchand ,&nbsp;Mohammed Noohu Nazeer","doi":"10.1016/j.eve.2026.100112","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eve.2026.100112","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>A comprehensive hydrogeological investigation was conducted to evaluate heavy metal contamination in water and sediments of the Akkulam–Veli Lake system, a rapidly urbanizing coastal landscape in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, southwest India. Decadal land use/land cover (LULC) analysis (2014–2023) over a 7.05 km² area revealed extensive urban expansion, with built-up areas increasing sharply at the expense of vegetation and wetlands, reflecting intense anthropogenic pressure. Water and sediment samples were analyzed for physicochemical parameters and heavy metals using Microwave Plasma Atomic Emission Spectroscopy and Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry, integrated with GIS-based spatial analysis. Sediments exhibited elevated concentrations of Zn (up to 285 mg/kg), Ni (113 mg/kg), Cu (74 mg/kg), Pb (66–260 mg/kg), Cd (1.14–8.21 mg/kg), Fe (255–1755 mg/kg), and Cr (86–241 mg/kg), with lead exceeding permissible limits by up to 6.5 times. Water samples showed Zn concentrations up to 5.6 mg/L, Cd up to 0.24 mg/L, Fe up to 0.37 mg/L, and Cr up to 0.09 mg/L, frequently surpassing drinking-water standards. Pollution indices identified severe contamination hotspots near Parvathy Puthanaar and Kochuveli, closely associated with unplanned urban development, dredging activities, and untreated effluent discharge. Comparison with earlier studies (2012–2014) indicates a marked escalation in heavy metal concentrations, particularly Pb, Cd, and Cr, highlighting intensifying anthropogenic influence. The findings underscore the need for continuous monitoring, stricter regulation of urban discharges, and future studies integrating seasonal variability, contaminant source apportionment, and ecological risk assessment to support sustainable management of tropical urban lake systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100516,"journal":{"name":"Evolving Earth","volume":"4 ","pages":"Article 100112"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146078512","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Integrated geospatial and AHP techniques for deciphering groundwater potential zones in Arasikere taluk, Hassan district, Karnataka, India","authors":"S. Sudha,&nbsp;Govindaraju,&nbsp;C.J. Rakesh,&nbsp;S. Lokanath","doi":"10.1016/j.eve.2026.100126","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eve.2026.100126","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Groundwater resources are facing significant pressure due to overexploitation and climate change. Comprehending the characteristics of these diminishing resources is very crucial for sustainable development and management, particularly given their varied distribution and temporal and spatial occurrence. The study region has a dry, semi-arid type of climate; farming is the predominant occupation, and residents heavily depend on groundwater resources because the availability of surface water is limited and rainfall patterns are irregular. This study uses an integrated approach that incorporates remote sensing, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), and Analytic Hierarchical Process (AHP), in order to assess groundwater potential zones in Arasikere Taluk, Hassan District. The twelve thematic layers—lithology, geomorphology, land use and land cover, lineament density, drainage density, rainfall, groundwater level, soil type, slope, curvature, roughness index, and topographic wetness index are used as the basis for the analysis. Each thematic layer weighted according to its characteristics and water-holding capacity to retain water. The groundwater potentiality index then calculated, incorporating the weighted overlay analysis to create a groundwater potentiality map. Five zones are identified by the results: very good (20.41%), good (11.12%), moderate (44.94%), poor (5.93%), and extremely Poor (11.81%) for groundwater potential. The results of this study will further guide future investigations and strategies for effective management and planning of groundwater development.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100516,"journal":{"name":"Evolving Earth","volume":"4 ","pages":"Article 100126"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147709506","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Integrated multi-scale heterogeneity analysis and explainable AI for improved reservoir rock typing: A case study of Reservoir-X, Southern Niger Delta Basin, Nigeria","authors":"Bernard Che Ngu ,&nbsp;Kennedy Folepai Fozao ,&nbsp;Mathias Akong Onabid ,&nbsp;Lionel Takem Nkwanyang ,&nbsp;Zerubbabel Akongneh ,&nbsp;Flora Vernyuy Wiysanyuy ,&nbsp;Anastasia Annu","doi":"10.1016/j.eve.2026.100127","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eve.2026.100127","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The high cost of extensive coring in the Niger Delta Basin necessitates innovative, data-driven methods for accurate reservoir characterization. We hypothesized that a multi-scale analysis, the integration of global statistical averages, stratigraphic zonal measures, and pore-scale physics, would reveal significant flow complexities masked by standard metrics. Using wireline logs and core porosity-permeability data from Reservoir-X, Southern Niger Delta Basin, we calculated heterogeneity indices and hydraulic flow units. While global Lorenz (7.5%) and Dykstra-Parsons (13.2%) coefficients suggested a homogeneous reservoir, the Stratigraphic Modified Lorenz Plot (SMLP) provided critical depth-dependent resolution, uniquely exposing localized baffles and rhythmic cyclicity (2.2 m) that standard global applications failed to detect. To extrapolate these localized, core-derived hydraulic units to the continuous reservoir, we employed a supervised Random Forest model to predict rock types in uncored intervals, validating its performance against core-derived classes with 91% accuracy. To bridge the gap between black box algorithms and geological physics, we applied SHAP (SHapley Additive exPlanations) analysis, which identified bulk density as the dominant predictor, confirming that compaction is the primary physical control on reservoir quality. Furthermore, we integrated unsupervised K-means clustering, evaluated via the Elbow Method and sum of squared errors (SSE) reduction, to challenge the rigid supervised classification. We demonstrate that this combined workflow is necessary because the unsupervised analysis identified distinct transition zones (4–5 clusters) that the standard three-rock-type empirical models missed. We conclude that combining explainable AI with heterogeneity analysis provides a superior framework for identifying cryptic facies and optimizing reservoir models in complex deltaic systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100516,"journal":{"name":"Evolving Earth","volume":"4 ","pages":"Article 100127"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147745999","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Threshold dynamics of mass extinctions and human famine risk","authors":"Kunio Kaiho","doi":"10.1016/j.eve.2026.100114","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eve.2026.100114","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Large-scale continental volcanism, meteoroid impacts, and nuclear war can inject massive amounts of sulfur dioxide or soot into the stratosphere, causing solar dimming, global cooling, reduced rainfall, and—at extremes—global famine and mass extinction. Using Phanerozoic data, this study quantifies animal extinction magnitudes and human famine risk under such scenarios. We find a nonlinear threshold: species loss surges from a few percent to 20–40% when soot exceeds 100–120 Tg or volcanic ejecta surpasses 500,000–700,000 km³. Human population loss from food shortages increases more gradually, reaching 50–80% beyond these thresholds. These tipping points may be exceeded by massive eruptions, large asteroid impacts, or full-scale nuclear war. Our results offer a unified model for extinction mechanisms and underscore the grave risks these events pose to biodiversity and human survival.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100516,"journal":{"name":"Evolving Earth","volume":"4 ","pages":"Article 100114"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147397065","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Variability in Indian monsoon onset: Delays, advances, and regional disruptions","authors":"Hemalatha Kapa ,&nbsp;Kandula Bharghavi ,&nbsp;Thotli Lokeswara Reddy","doi":"10.1016/j.eve.2025.100103","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eve.2025.100103","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Indian Summer Monsoon is a critical climatic phenomenon that sustains agriculture, water resources, and economic stability across South Asia. Accurate prediction of monsoon onset timing is essential, as delays can severely disrupt agricultural cycles, reduce crop yields, and strain water availability. This review examines the factors driving monsoon onset variability, with particular emphasis on delayed onset patterns and their regional impacts. The ISM onset is governed by complex atmospheric transitions including the weakening of westerlies, strengthening of easterlies, and formation of onset vortices that are modulated by large-scale climate drivers. El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO), Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD), and Madden–Julian Oscillation (MJO) phases play dominant roles in determining onset timing. Climate change has intensified these interactions by amplifying ENSO variability, altering IOD behavior, and weakening atmospheric circulation responses, thereby increasing the complexity of monsoon dynamics. Additionally, rising Land Surface Temperatures (LST) driven by global warming and land use changes have further contributed to onset variability. Historical analysis reveals that late-onset events were particularly frequent during 1900–1925 and 1970–1990, though some regions now experience earlier onsets, reflecting spatiotemporal heterogeneity in monsoon behavior. Advances in forecasting particularly through Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) and Multi-Model Ensemble (MME) approaches—have enhanced prediction accuracy by capturing both deterministic and stochastic rainfall patterns while reducing model uncertainties. Integration of indigenous knowledge into forecasting frameworks offers valuable localized insights for climate adaptation. Agricultural resilience strategies, including climate-smart practices such as integrated soil fertility management, agroforestry, resource conservation techniques, and community-based adaptation programs, are crucial for mitigating the impacts of monsoon variability while simultaneously contributing to greenhouse gas mitigation. Given the escalating complexities introduced by climate change, a synergistic approach combining improved forecasting models with adaptive agricultural practices is essential to enhance preparedness, optimize resource management, and mitigate the socioeconomic and environmental risks associated with monsoon variability.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100516,"journal":{"name":"Evolving Earth","volume":"4 ","pages":"Article 100103"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145841679","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Investigating size-asymmetric feeding among tyrannosaurids using tooth marks on a metatarsal from the Judith River Formation, Montana, USA","authors":"Josephine Nielsen ,&nbsp;Denver Fowler ,&nbsp;Taia Wyenberg-Henzler ,&nbsp;Aase Roland Jacobsen ,&nbsp;Christof Pearce","doi":"10.1016/j.eve.2026.100107","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eve.2026.100107","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Judith River Formation in Montana, USA, is a key Campanian-aged sedimentary package, with a rich fossil assemblage, including multiple tyrannosaurid taxa. This study documents BDM 124, a partial left metatarsal II exhibiting multiple tooth marks consistent with tyrannosaurid feeding activity. Using the Category-Modifier (CM) classification system and high-resolution 3D surface scanning, 16 distinct marks were systematically characterized. Morphometric analyses and Non-metric Multidimensional Scaling (NMDS) revealed grouping patterns suggestive of size-asymmetric feeding behavior. The small size and spacing of the marks indicate that they were produced by a small tyrannosaurid, most likely scavenging on the carcass of a significantly larger conspecific or closely related taxon. The absence of healing, mark placement on the metatarsal, and their morphology collectively suggest late-stage carcass consumption. The study contributes a new data point to our understanding of trophic dynamics and interactions among Late Cretaceous tyrannosaurids, highlighting the value of systematic methodologies for interpreting tooth marks.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100516,"journal":{"name":"Evolving Earth","volume":"4 ","pages":"Article 100107"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146189000","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}