New body mass estimates for Omomys carteri, a middle Eocene primate from North America.

We report new body mass estimates for the North American Eocene primate Omomys carteri. These estimates are based on postcranial measurements and a variety of analytical methods, including bivariate regression, multiple regression, and principal components analysis (PCA). All body mass estimation equations show high coefficients of determination (R2), and some equations exhibit low prediction errors in accuracy tests involving extant species of body size similar to O. carteri. Equations derived from PCA-summarized data and multiple regression generally perform better than those based on single variables. The consensus of estimates and their statistics suggests a body mass range of 170-290 g. This range is similar to previous estimates for this species based on first molar area (Gingerich, J Hum Evol 10:345-374, 1981; Conroy, Int J Primatol 8:115-137, 1987).