1
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Brennan IG, Chapple DG, Keogh JS, Donnellan S. Evolutionary bursts drive morphological novelty in the world's largest skinks. Curr Biol 2024; 34:3905-3916.e5. [PMID: 39137786 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.07.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2023] [Revised: 06/26/2024] [Accepted: 07/09/2024] [Indexed: 08/15/2024]
Abstract
Animal phenotypes evolve and diverge as a result of differing selective pressures and drift. These processes leave unique signatures in patterns of trait evolution, impacting the tempo and mode of morphological macroevolution. While there is a broad understanding of the history of some organismal traits (e.g., body size), there is little consensus about the evolutionary mode of most others. This includes the relative contribution of prolonged (Darwinian gradualist) and episodic (Simpsonian jump) changes toward the evolution of novel morphologies. Here, we use new exon-capture and linear morphological datasets to investigate the tempo and mode of morphological evolution in Australo-Melanesian Tiliquini skinks. We generate a well-supported time-calibrated phylogenomic tree from ∼400 nuclear markers for more than 100 specimens, including undescribed diversity, and provide unprecedented resolution of the rapid Miocene diversification of these lizards. By collecting a morphological dataset that encompasses the lizard body plan (19 traits across the head, body, limb, and tail), we are able to identify that most traits evolve conservatively, but infrequent evolutionary bursts result in morphological novelty. These phenotypic discontinuities occur via rapid rate increases along individual branches, inconsistent with both gradualistic and punctuated equilibrial evolutionary modes. Instead, this "punctuated gradualism" has resulted in the rapid evolution of blue-tongued giants and armored dwarves in the ∼20 million years since colonizing Australia. These results outline the evolutionary pathway toward new morphologies and highlight the heterogeneity of evolutionary tempo and mode, even within individual traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian G Brennan
- Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD, UK; Australian National University, Division of Ecology & Evolution, Linnaeus Way, Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia.
| | - David G Chapple
- Monash University, School of Biological Sciences, Wellington Road, Melbourne, VIC 3800, Australia
| | - J Scott Keogh
- Australian National University, Division of Ecology & Evolution, Linnaeus Way, Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia
| | - Stephen Donnellan
- The University of Adelaide, School of Biological Sciences, North Terrace, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia; South Australian Museum, North Terrace, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia; Australian Museum, Australian Museum Research Institute, William Street, Sydney, NSW 2010, Australia
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2
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Lai C, Scarpetta SG. The skull of the Turks and Caicos rock iguana, Cyclura carinata (Squamata: Iguanidae). PeerJ 2024; 12:e17595. [PMID: 39026542 PMCID: PMC11257063 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.17595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 05/28/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024] Open
Abstract
We provide a detailed and first description of the skull, hyoid apparatus, and trachea of the Turks and Caicos rock iguana, Cyclura carinata (Squamata: Iguanidae). Cyclura is a radiation of iguanas restricted to islands of the Caribbean Sea. Species of Cyclura have high rates of endemism, and all species are severely threatened with extinction. Our anatomical description of this threatened iguana is based on high-resolution computed tomography scans of one adult, one putative adult or near adult, and one juvenile specimen, and includes three-dimensional segmented renderings and visualizations. We discuss some observations of intraspecific and ontogenetic variation, and provide a brief comparison with specimens of another species of Cyclura and published descriptions of other iguanas. Our study provides a cranial osteological framework for Cyclura and augments the body of knowledge on iguana anatomy generally. Finally, we posit that our description and future studies may facilitate identification of fossil Cyclura, which could help understand the paleobiogeography of the genus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chloe Lai
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley, Califiornia, United States of America
| | - Simon G. Scarpetta
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley, Califiornia, United States of America
- Department of Environmental Science, University of San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States of America
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3
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Daza JD, Stanley EL, Heinicke MP, Leah C, Doucet DS, Fenner KL, Arias JS, Smith RDA, Peretti AM, Aung NN, Bauer AM. Compound osteoderms preserved in amber reveal the oldest known skink. Sci Rep 2024; 14:15662. [PMID: 38977836 PMCID: PMC11231356 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-66451-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2024] [Accepted: 07/01/2024] [Indexed: 07/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Scincidae is one of the most species-rich and cosmopolitan clades of squamate reptiles. Abundant disarticulated fossil material has also been attributed to this group, however, no complete pre-Cenozoic crown-scincid specimens have been found. A specimen in Burmite (99 MYA) is the first fossil that can be unambiguously referred to this clade. Our analyses place it as nested within extant skinks, supported by the presence of compound osteoderms formed by articulated small ostedermites. The specimen has a combination of dorsal and ventral compound osteoderms and overlapping cycloid scales that is limited to skinks. We propose that this type of osteoderm evolved as a response to an increased overlap of scales, and to reduced stiffness of the dermal armour. Compound osteoderms could be a key innovation that facilitated diversification in this megadiverse family.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan D Daza
- Department of Biological Sciences, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, TX, 77341, USA.
| | - Edward L Stanley
- Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA.
| | | | - Chuck Leah
- Houston Museum of Natural Sciences, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Daniel S Doucet
- Department of Biological Sciences, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, TX, 77341, USA
| | - Kelsey L Fenner
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
| | - J Salvador Arias
- Laboratorio de Genética Evolutiva, Instituto de Biología Subtropical, CONICET-Universidad Nacional de Misiones, and Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Químicas y Naturales, 3300, Posadas, Misiones, Argentina
| | - Ru D A Smith
- Jabatan Geologi, University Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Adolf M Peretti
- Peretti Museum Foundation, Baumschulweg, 13, 6045, Meggen, Switzerland
| | - Nyi Nyi Aung
- Peretti Museum Foundation, Baumschulweg, 13, 6045, Meggen, Switzerland
- Myanmar Geosciences Society, Department of Geology, University of Yangon, Yangon, 11041, Myanmar
| | - Aaron M Bauer
- Department of Biology and Center for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Stewardship, Villanova University, Villanova, PA, 19085, USA
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4
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Hernández-Morales C, Ngo A, Abdelhadi L, Schargel WE, Daza JD, Yánez-Muñoz MH, Smith EN. The skull of the semi-aquatic neotropical lizard Echinosaura horrida (Gymnophthalmidae: Cercosaurinae) reveals new synapomorphies within Gymnophthalmoidea. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2024. [PMID: 38965784 DOI: 10.1002/ar.25530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2024] [Revised: 06/07/2024] [Accepted: 06/14/2024] [Indexed: 07/06/2024]
Abstract
The rough teiid or water cork lizard (Echinosaura horrida) is a small reptile from Colombia and Ecuador placed in a genus that contains eight species and well-known phylogenetic relationships. Here we provide a detailed description and illustrations, bone by bone, of its skull, while we discussed its intraspecific variation by comparing high-resolution computed tomography data from two specimens and the variation within the genus by including previously published data from Echinosaura fischerorum. This allowed to propose putative diagnostic character states for Echinosaura horrida and synapomorphies for Echinosaura. In addition, our discussion includes broader comparisons of new character transformations of the jugal, vomer, orbitosphenoid, and hyoid. These characters are important for diagnosing clades at different levels of the Gymnophthalmoidea phylogeny.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Alison Ngo
- Department of Biology, The University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, Texas, USA
| | - Leila Abdelhadi
- Department of Biology, The University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, Texas, USA
| | - Walter E Schargel
- Department of Biology, The University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, Texas, USA
| | - Juan D Daza
- Department of Biological Sciences, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, Texas, USA
| | - Mario H Yánez-Muñoz
- Unidad de Investigación, Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad (INABIO), Quito, Pichincha, Ecuador
| | - Eric N Smith
- Department of Biology, The University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, Texas, USA
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5
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Chatar N, Michaud M, Tamagnini D, Fischer V. Evolutionary patterns of cat-like carnivorans unveil drivers of the sabertooth morphology. Curr Biol 2024; 34:2460-2473.e4. [PMID: 38759651 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.04.055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2023] [Revised: 03/10/2024] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 05/19/2024]
Abstract
The sabertooth morphology stands as a classic case of convergence, manifesting recurrently across various vertebrate groups, prominently within two carnivorans clades: felids and nimravids. Nonetheless, the evolutionary mechanisms driving these recurring phenotypes remain insufficiently understood, lacking a robust phylogenetic and spatiotemporal framework. We reconstruct the tempo and mode of craniomandibular evolution of Felidae and Nimravidae and evaluate the strength of the dichotomy between conical and saber-toothed species, as well as within saber-toothed morphotypes. To do so, we investigate morphological variation, convergence, phenotypic integration, and evolutionary rates, employing a comprehensive dataset of nearly 200 3D models encompassing mandibles and crania from both extinct and extant feline-like carnivorans, spanning their entire evolutionary timeline. Our results reject the hypothesis of a distinctive sabertooth morphology, revealing instead a continuous spectrum of feline-like phenotypes in both the cranium and mandible, with sporadic instances of unequivocal convergence. Disparity peaked at the end of the Miocene and is usually higher in clades containing taxa with extreme sabertoothed adaptations. We show that taxa with saberteeth exhibit a lower degree of craniomandibular integration, allowing to exhibit a greater range of phenotypes. Those same groups usually show a burst of morphological evolutionary rate at the beginning of their evolutionary history. Consequently, we propose that a reduced degree of integration coupled with rapid evolutionary rates emerge as key components in the development of a sabertooth morphology in multiple clades.
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Affiliation(s)
- Narimane Chatar
- Evolution and Diversity Dynamics Lab, Université de Liège, Allée du six août 14, 4000 Liège, Belgium; Functional Anatomy and Vertebrate Evolution Lab, Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, 3040 Valley Life Sciences Building, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
| | - Margot Michaud
- Evolution and Diversity Dynamics Lab, Université de Liège, Allée du six août 14, 4000 Liège, Belgium; Département Formation et Recherche Sciences et Technologie, Université de Guyane, WMMX+5Q3, Cayenne 97300, Guyane
| | - Davide Tamagnini
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies, Sapienza University of Rome, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Roma, Italy
| | - Valentin Fischer
- Evolution and Diversity Dynamics Lab, Université de Liège, Allée du six août 14, 4000 Liège, Belgium
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6
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Ollonen J, Khannoon ER, Macrì S, Vergilov V, Kuurne J, Saarikivi J, Soukainen A, Aalto IM, Werneburg I, Diaz RE, Di-Poï N. Dynamic evolutionary interplay between ontogenetic skull patterning and whole-head integration. Nat Ecol Evol 2024; 8:536-551. [PMID: 38200368 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-023-02295-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
The arrangement and morphology of the vertebrate skull reflect functional and ecological demands, making it a highly adaptable structure. However, the fundamental developmental and macroevolutionary mechanisms leading to different vertebrate skull phenotypes remain unclear. Here we exploit the morphological diversity of squamate reptiles to assess the developmental and evolutionary patterns of skull variation and covariation in the whole head. Our geometric morphometric analysis of a complex squamate ontogenetic dataset (209 specimens, 169 embryos, 44 species), covering stages from craniofacial primordia to fully ossified bones, reveals that morphological differences between snake and lizard skulls arose gradually through changes in spatial relationships (heterotopy) followed by alterations in developmental timing or rate (heterochrony). Along with dynamic spatiotemporal changes in the integration pattern of skull bone shape and topology with surrounding brain tissues and sensory organs, we identify a relatively higher phenotypic integration of the developing snake head compared with lizards. The eye, nasal cavity and Jacobson's organ are pivotal in skull morphogenesis, highlighting the importance of sensory rearrangements in snake evolution. Furthermore, our findings demonstrate the importance of early embryonic, ontogenetic and tissue interactions in shaping craniofacial evolution and ecological diversification in squamates, with implications for the nature of cranio-cerebral relations across vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joni Ollonen
- Institute of Biotechnology, Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Eraqi R Khannoon
- Biology Department, College of Science, Taibah University, Al Madinah Al Munawwarah, Saudi Arabia
- Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Fayoum University, Fayoum, Egypt
| | - Simone Macrì
- Institute of Biotechnology, Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Vladislav Vergilov
- National Museum of Natural History, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Jaakko Kuurne
- Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jarmo Saarikivi
- Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Arttu Soukainen
- Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Ida-Maria Aalto
- Institute of Biotechnology, Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Ingmar Werneburg
- Senckenberg Centre for Human Evolution and Palaeoenvironment, Eberhard Karls Universität, Tübingen, Germany
- Fachbereich Geowissenschaften, Eberhard Karls Universität, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Raul E Diaz
- Department of Biological Sciences, California State University, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Herpetology, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Nicolas Di-Poï
- Institute of Biotechnology, Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
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7
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Kuo PC, Navalón G, Benson RBJ, Field DJ. Macroevolutionary drivers of morphological disparity in the avian quadrate. Proc Biol Sci 2024; 291:20232250. [PMID: 38378144 PMCID: PMC10878815 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.2250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024] Open
Abstract
In birds, the quadrate connects the mandible and skull, and plays an important role in cranial kinesis. Avian quadrate morphology may therefore be assumed to have been influenced by selective pressures related to feeding ecology, yet large-scale variation in quadrate morphology and its potential relationship with ecology have never been quantitatively investigated. Here, we used geometric morphometrics and phylogenetic comparative methods to quantify morphological variation of the quadrate and its relationship with key ecological features across a wide phylogenetic sample. We found non-significant associations between quadrate shape and feeding ecology across different scales of phylogenetic comparison; indeed, allometry and phylogeny exhibit stronger relationships with quadrate shape than ecological features. We show that similar quadrate shapes are associated with widely varying dietary ecologies (one-to-many mapping), while divergent quadrate shapes are associated with similar dietary ecologies (many-to-one mapping). Moreover, we show that the avian quadrate evolves as an integrated unit and exhibits strong associations with the morphologies of neighbouring bones. Our results collectively illustrate that quadrate shape has evolved jointly with other elements of the avian kinetic system, with the major crown bird lineages exploring alternative quadrate morphologies, highlighting the potential diagnostic value of quadrate morphology in investigations of bird systematics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pei-Chen Kuo
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge, Downing St, Cambridge CB2 3EQ, UK
| | - Guillermo Navalón
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge, Downing St, Cambridge CB2 3EQ, UK
| | - Roger B. J. Benson
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Oxford, 3 S Parks Rd, Oxford OX1 3AN, UK
- American Museum of Natural History, 200 Central Park West, New York, NY, USA
| | - Daniel J. Field
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge, Downing St, Cambridge CB2 3EQ, UK
- Museum of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing St, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK
- Fossil Reptiles, Amphibians and Birds Section, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD, UK
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8
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Title PO, Singhal S, Grundler MC, Costa GC, Pyron RA, Colston TJ, Grundler MR, Prates I, Stepanova N, Jones MEH, Cavalcanti LBQ, Colli GR, Di-Poï N, Donnellan SC, Moritz C, Mesquita DO, Pianka ER, Smith SA, Vitt LJ, Rabosky DL. The macroevolutionary singularity of snakes. Science 2024; 383:918-923. [PMID: 38386744 DOI: 10.1126/science.adh2449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
Snakes and lizards (Squamata) represent a third of terrestrial vertebrates and exhibit spectacular innovations in locomotion, feeding, and sensory processing. However, the evolutionary drivers of this radiation remain poorly known. We infer potential causes and ultimate consequences of squamate macroevolution by combining individual-based natural history observations (>60,000 animals) with a comprehensive time-calibrated phylogeny that we anchored with genomic data (5400 loci) from 1018 species. Due to shifts in the dynamics of speciation and phenotypic evolution, snakes have transformed the trophic structure of animal communities through the recurrent origin and diversification of specialized predatory strategies. Squamate biodiversity reflects a legacy of singular events that occurred during the early history of snakes and reveals the impact of historical contingency on vertebrate biodiversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pascal O Title
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
- Environmental Resilience Institute, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47408, USA
- Museum of Zoology and Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Sonal Singhal
- Museum of Zoology and Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
- Department of Biology, California State University, Dominguez Hills, Carson, CA 90747, USA
| | - Michael C Grundler
- Museum of Zoology and Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Gabriel C Costa
- Museum of Zoology and Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
- Department of Biology and Environmental Sciences, Auburn University at Montgomery, Montgomery, AL 36117, USA
| | - R Alexander Pyron
- Department of Biological Sciences, The George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, USA
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, 20560, USA
| | - Timothy J Colston
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, 20560, USA
- Biology Department, University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez, Mayagüez 00680, Puerto Rico
| | - Maggie R Grundler
- Museum of Zoology and Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Ivan Prates
- Museum of Zoology and Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Natasha Stepanova
- Museum of Zoology and Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Marc E H Jones
- Science Group: Fossil Reptiles, Amphibians and Birds Section, Natural History Museum, London SW7 5BD, UK
- Research Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
- Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia
| | - Lucas B Q Cavalcanti
- Departamento de Sistemática e Ecologia, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, João Pessoa, Paraíba 58051-900, Brazil
| | - Guarino R Colli
- Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, Distrito Federal 70910-900, Brazil
| | - Nicolas Di-Poï
- Institute of Biotechnology, Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | | | - Craig Moritz
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia
| | - Daniel O Mesquita
- Departamento de Sistemática e Ecologia, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, João Pessoa, Paraíba 58051-900, Brazil
| | - Eric R Pianka
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Stephen A Smith
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Laurie J Vitt
- Sam Noble Museum and Department of Biology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA
| | - Daniel L Rabosky
- Museum of Zoology and Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
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9
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Coombs EJ, Knapp A, Park T, Bennion RF, McCurry MR, Lanzetti A, Boessenecker RW, McGowen MR. Drivers of morphological evolution in the toothed whale jaw. Curr Biol 2024; 34:273-285.e3. [PMID: 38118449 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.11.056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2023] [Revised: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/22/2023]
Abstract
Toothed whales (odontocetes) emit high-frequency underwater sounds (echolocate)-an extreme and unique innovation allowing them to sense their prey and environment. Their highly specialized mandible (lower jaw) allows high-frequency sounds to be transmitted back to the inner ear. Echolocation is evident in the earliest toothed whales, but little research has focused on the evolution of mandibular form regarding this unique adaptation. Here, we use a high-density, three-dimensional geometric morphometric analysis of 100 living and extinct cetacean species spanning their ∼50-million-year evolutionary history. Our analyses demonstrate that most shape variation is found in the relative length of the jaw and the mandibular symphysis. The greatest morphological diversity was obtained during two periods of rapid evolution: the initial evolution of archaeocetes (stem whales) in the early to mid-Eocene as they adapted to an aquatic lifestyle, representing one of the most extreme adaptive transitions known, and later on in the mid-Oligocene odontocetes as they became increasingly specialized for a range of diets facilitated by increasingly refined echolocation. Low disparity in the posterior mandible suggests the shape of the acoustic window, which receives sound, has remained conservative since the advent of directional hearing in the aquatic archaeocetes, even as the earliest odontocetes began to receive sounds from echolocation. Diet, echolocation, feeding method, and dentition type strongly influence mandible shape. Unlike in the toothed whale cranium, we found no significant asymmetry in the mandible. We suggest that a combination of refined echolocation and associated dietary specializations have driven morphology and disparity in the toothed whale mandible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ellen J Coombs
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, 10th St & Constitution Ave NW, Washington, DC 20560, USA; Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD, UK.
| | - Andrew Knapp
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD, UK; University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Travis Park
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD, UK; School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia
| | - Rebecca F Bennion
- Evolution & Diversity Dynamics Lab, Department of Geology, University of Liege, 4000 Liege, Belgium; O.D. Earth and History of Life, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, 1000 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Matthew R McCurry
- Australian Museum Research Institute, 1 William Street, Sydney, NSW 2010, Australia; Earth & Sustainability Science Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences (BEES), University of New South Wales, Kensington, NSW 2052, Australia; Paleobiology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20560, USA
| | - Agnese Lanzetti
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD, UK; School of Geography, Earth, and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
| | - Robert W Boessenecker
- University of California Museum of Paleontology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Michael R McGowen
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, 10th St & Constitution Ave NW, Washington, DC 20560, USA
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10
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Allemand R, López-Aguirre C, Abdul-Sater J, Khalid W, Lang MM, Macrì S, Di-Poï N, Daghfous G, Silcox MT. A landmarking protocol for geometric morphometric analysis of squamate endocasts. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2023; 306:2425-2442. [PMID: 36654187 DOI: 10.1002/ar.25162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2022] [Revised: 12/29/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Landmark-based geometric morphometrics is widely used to study the morphology of the endocast, or internal mold of the braincase, and the diversity associated with this structure across vertebrates. Landmarks, as the basic unit of such methods, are intended to be points of correspondence, selected depending on the question at hand, whose proper definition is essential to guarantee robustness and reproducibility of results. In this study, 20 landmarks are defined to provide a framework to analyze the morphological variability in squamate endocasts. Ten species representing a cross-section of the diversity of Squamata from both phylogenetic and ecological (i.e., habitat) perspectives were considered, to select landmarks replicable throughout the entire clade, regardless of the degree of neuroanatomical resolution of the endocast. To assess the precision, accuracy, and repeatability of these newly defined landmarks, both intraobserver and interobserver error were investigated. Estimates of measurement error show that most of the landmarks established here are highly replicable, and preliminary results suggest that they capture aspects of endocast shape related to both phylogenetic and ecologic signals. This study provides a basis for further examinations of squamate endocast disparity using landmark-based geometric morphometrics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rémi Allemand
- Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Camilo López-Aguirre
- Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jade Abdul-Sater
- Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Waqqas Khalid
- Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Madlen M Lang
- Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Simone Macrì
- Institute of Biotechnology, Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Nicolas Di-Poï
- Institute of Biotechnology, Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | | | - Mary T Silcox
- Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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11
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Allemand R, Abdul-Sater J, Macrì S, Di-Poï N, Daghfous G, Silcox MT. Endocast, brain, and bones: Correspondences and spatial relationships in squamates. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2023; 306:2443-2465. [PMID: 36602153 DOI: 10.1002/ar.25142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2022] [Revised: 12/05/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Vertebrate endocasts are widely used in the fields of paleoneurology and comparative neuroanatomy. The validity of endocranial studies is dependent upon the extent to which an endocast reflects brain morphology. Due to the variable neuroanatomical resolution of vertebrate endocasts, direct information about the brain morphology can be sometimes difficult to assess and needs to be investigated across lineages. Here, we employ X-ray computed tomography (CT), including diffusible iodine-based contrast-enhanced CT, to qualitatively compare brains and endocasts in different species of squamates. The relative position of the squamate brain within the skull, as well as the variability that may exist in such spatial relationships, was examined to help clarify the neurological regions evidence on their endocasts. Our results indicate that squamate endocasts provide variable representation of the brain, depending on species and neuroanatomical regions. The olfactory bulbs and peduncles, cerebral hemispheres, as well as the medulla oblongata represent the most easily discernable brain regions from squamate endocasts. In contrast, the position of the optic lobes, the ventral diencephalon and the pituitary may be difficult to determine depending on species. Finally, squamate endocasts provide very limited or no information about the cerebellum. The spatial relationships revealed here between the brain and the surrounding bones may help to identify each of the endocranial region. However, as one-to-one correspondences between a bone and a specific region appear limited, the exact delimitation of these regions may remain challenging according to species. This study provides a basis for further examination and interpretation of squamate endocast disparity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rémi Allemand
- Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jade Abdul-Sater
- Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Simone Macrì
- Institute of Biotechnology, Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Nicolas Di-Poï
- Institute of Biotechnology, Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | | | - Mary T Silcox
- Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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12
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Brownstein CD, Simões TR, Caldwell MW, Lee MSY, Meyer DL, Scarpetta SG. The affinities of the Late Triassic Cryptovaranoides and the age of crown squamates. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2023; 10:230968. [PMID: 37830017 PMCID: PMC10565374 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.230968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/14/2023]
Abstract
Most living reptile diversity is concentrated in Squamata (lizards, including snakes), which have poorly known origins in space and time. Recently, †Cryptovaranoides microlanius from the Late Triassic of the United Kingdom was described as the oldest crown squamate. If true, this result would push back the origin of all major lizard clades by 30-65 Myr and suggest that divergence times for reptile clades estimated using genomic and morphological data are grossly inaccurate. Here, we use computed tomography scans and expanded phylogenetic datasets to re-evaluate the phylogenetic affinities of †Cryptovaranoides and other putative early squamates. We robustly reject the crown squamate affinities of †Cryptovaranoides, and instead resolve †Cryptovaranoides as a potential member of the bird and crocodylian total clade, Archosauromorpha. Bayesian total evidence dating supports a Jurassic origin of crown squamates, not Triassic as recently suggested. We highlight how features traditionally linked to lepidosaurs are in fact widespread across Triassic reptiles. Our study reaffirms the importance of critically choosing and constructing morphological datasets and appropriate taxon sampling to test the phylogenetic affinities of problematic fossils and calibrate the Tree of Life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chase D. Brownstein
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
- Stamford Museum and Nature Center, Stamford, CT 06903, USA
| | - Tiago R. Simões
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology & Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Michael W. Caldwell
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Michael S. Y. Lee
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide 5001, Australia
- Earth Sciences Section, South Australian Museum, North Terrace, Adelaide 5000, Australia
| | - Dalton L. Meyer
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
| | - Simon G. Scarpetta
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- Department of Environmental Science, University of San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94117, USA
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13
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Macrì S, Aalto IM, Allemand R, Di-Poï N. Reconstructing the origin and early evolution of the snake brain. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadi6888. [PMID: 37756406 PMCID: PMC10530081 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adi6888] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023]
Abstract
Snakes represent one-eighth of terrestrial vertebrate diversity, encompassing various lifestyles, ecologies, and morphologies. However, the ecological origins and early evolution of snakes are controversial topics in biology. To address the paucity of well-preserved fossils and the caveats of osteological traits for reconstructing snake evolution, we applied a different ecomorphological hypothesis based on high-definition brain reconstructions of extant Squamata. Our predictive models revealed a burrowing lifestyle with opportunistic behavior at the origin of crown snakes, reflecting a complex ancestral mosaic brain pattern. These findings emphasize the importance of quantitatively tracking the phenotypic diversification of soft tissues-including the accurate definition of intact brain morphological traits such as the cerebellum-in understanding snake evolution and vertebrate paleobiology. Furthermore, our study highlights the power of combining extant and extinct species, soft tissue reconstructions, and osteological traits in tracing the deep evolution of not only snakes but also other groups where fossil data are scarce.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Macrì
- Institute of Biotechnology, Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Ida-Maria Aalto
- Institute of Biotechnology, Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Rémi Allemand
- Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, ON M1C 1A4, Canada
| | - Nicolas Di-Poï
- Institute of Biotechnology, Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
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14
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Jiang D, Zhang J. Detecting natural selection in trait-trait coevolution. BMC Ecol Evol 2023; 23:50. [PMID: 37700252 PMCID: PMC10496359 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-023-02164-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2023] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 09/14/2023] Open
Abstract
No phenotypic trait evolves independently of all other traits, but the cause of trait-trait coevolution is poorly understood. While the coevolution could arise simply from pleiotropic mutations that simultaneously affect the traits concerned, it could also result from multivariate natural selection favoring certain trait relationships. To gain a general mechanistic understanding of trait-trait coevolution, we examine the evolution of 220 cell morphology traits across 16 natural strains of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae and the evolution of 24 wing morphology traits across 110 fly species of the family Drosophilidae, along with the variations of these traits among gene deletion or mutation accumulation lines (a.k.a. mutants). For numerous trait pairs, the phenotypic correlation among evolutionary lineages differs significantly from that among mutants. Specifically, we find hundreds of cases where the evolutionary correlation between traits is strengthened or reversed relative to the mutational correlation, which, according to our population genetic simulation, is likely caused by multivariate selection. Furthermore, we detect selection for enhanced modularity of the yeast traits analyzed. Together, these results demonstrate that trait-trait coevolution is shaped by natural selection and suggest that the pleiotropic structure of mutation is not optimal. Because the morphological traits analyzed here are chosen largely because of their measurability and thereby are not expected to be biased with regard to natural selection, our conclusion is likely general.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daohan Jiang
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA.
- Present address: Department of Quantitative and Computational Biology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA.
| | - Jianzhi Zhang
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
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15
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Pandelis GG, Grundler MC, Rabosky DL. Ecological correlates of cranial evolution in the megaradiation of dipsadine snakes. BMC Ecol Evol 2023; 23:48. [PMID: 37679675 PMCID: PMC10485986 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-023-02157-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Dipsadine snakes represent one of the most spectacular vertebrate radiations that have occurred in any continental setting, with over 800 species in South and Central America. Their species richness is paralleled by stunning ecological diversity, ranging from arboreal snail-eating and aquatic eel-eating specialists to terrestrial generalists. Despite the ecological importance of this clade, little is known about the extent to which ecological specialization shapes broader patterns of phenotypic diversity within the group. Here, we test how habitat use and diet have influenced morphological diversification in skull shape across 160 dipsadine species using micro-CT and 3-D geometric morphometrics, and we use a phylogenetic comparative approach to test the contributions of habitat use and diet composition to variation in skull shape among species. RESULTS We demonstrate that while both habitat use and diet are significant predictors of shape in many regions of the skull, habitat use significantly predicts shape in a greater number of skull regions when compared to diet. We also find that across ecological groupings, fossorial and aquatic behaviors result in the strongest deviations in morphospace for several skull regions. We use simulations to address the robustness of our results and describe statistical anomalies that can arise from the application of phylogenetic generalized least squares to complex shape data. CONCLUSIONS Both habitat and dietary ecology are significantly correlated with skull shape in dipsadines; the strongest relationships involved skull shape in snakes with aquatic and fossorial lifestyles. This association between skull morphology and multiple ecological axes is consistent with a classic model of adaptive radiation and suggests that ecological factors were an important component in driving morphological diversification in the dipsadine megaradiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory G Pandelis
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109, USA.
- Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109, USA.
- Amphibian and Reptile Diversity Research Center, Department of Biology, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, Texas, 76019, USA.
| | - Michael C Grundler
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109, USA
- Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109, USA
| | - Daniel L Rabosky
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109, USA
- Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109, USA
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16
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Su HY, Hussain B, Hsu BM, Lee KH, Mao YC, Chiang LC, Chen JS. Bacterial community analysis identifies Klebsiella pneumoniae as a native symbiotic bacterium in the newborn Protobothrops mucrosquamatus. BMC Microbiol 2023; 23:213. [PMID: 37553640 PMCID: PMC10408043 DOI: 10.1186/s12866-023-02936-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/06/2023] [Indexed: 08/10/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The study of the native microbiome of organisms is crucial. The connection between the native microbiome and the host affects the formation of the innate immune system and the organism's growth. However, the native microbiome of newborn venomous snakes has not been reported. Therefore, we aimed to determine the oral and skin microbiomes of newborn Protobothrops mucrosquamatus. RESULTS We performed 16 S full-length sequencing on 14 samples collected from 7 newborn P. mucrosquamatus individuals, specifically targeting their oral and skin microbiomes. In terms of the oral and skin microbiome, the main species were Klebsiella pneumoniae lineages. According to subspecies/species analysis, the proportion from highest to lowest was K. quasipneumoniae subsp. similipneumoniae, K. pneumoniae subsp. pneumoniae, and K. pneumoniae subsp. rhinoscleromatis. These three bacteria accounted for 62.5% and 85% of the skin and oral activity, respectively. The oral microbiome of newborn P. mucrosquamatus did not comprise common bacteria found in snakebite wounds or oral cultures in adult snakes. Therefore, the source of other microbiomes in the oral cavities of adult snakes may be the environment or prey. Functional Annotation of the Prokaryotic Taxa analysis showed that the skin/oral native microbiome metabolism was related to fermentation and human infection owing to the dominance of K. pneumoniae lineages. The characteristics of K. pneumoniae may impact the development of venom in venomous snakes. CONCLUSION The results of the native microbiome in the oral cavity and skin of newborn P. mucrosquamatus demonstrated that the habitat environment and prey capture may affect the composition of bacteria in adult snakes. We hypothesized that the native microbiome influences newborn venomous snakes and that K. pneumoniae lineages related to citrate fermentation may play a role in venom growth. However, further verification of this is required.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hung-Yuan Su
- Department of Emergency Medicine, E-Da Hospital, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
- School of Chinese Medicine for Post Baccalaureate, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Bashir Hussain
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, National Chung Cheng University, Chiayi County, Taiwan
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, National Chung Cheng University, Chiayi County, Taiwan
| | - Bing-Mu Hsu
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, National Chung Cheng University, Chiayi County, Taiwan
| | - Kuo-Hsin Lee
- Department of Emergency Medicine, E-Da Hospital, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
- School of Medicine, College of Medicine, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
- Department of Emergency Medicine, E-Da Dachang Hospital, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan
| | - Yan-Chiao Mao
- Division of Clinical Toxicology, Department of Emergency Medicine, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan
- School of Medicine, National Defense Medical Centre, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Liao-Chun Chiang
- Department of Medical Research, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
- Department of Biology and Anatomy, National Defense Medical Centre, Taipei, Taiwan.
| | - Jung-Sheng Chen
- Department of Medical Research, E-Da Hospital, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
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17
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Mutumi GL, Hall RP, Hedrick BP, Yohe LR, Sadier A, Davies KTJ, Rossiter SJ, Sears KE, Dávalos LM, Dumont ER. Disentangling Mechanical and Sensory Modules in the Radiation of Noctilionoid Bats. Am Nat 2023; 202:216-230. [PMID: 37531274 DOI: 10.1086/725368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/04/2023]
Abstract
AbstractWith diverse mechanical and sensory functions, the vertebrate cranium is a complex anatomical structure whose shifts between modularity and integration, especially in mechanical function, have been implicated in adaptive diversification. Yet how mechanical and sensory systems and their functions coevolve, as well as how their interrelationship contributes to phenotypic disparity, remain largely unexplored. To examine the modularity, integration, and evolutionary rates of sensory and mechanical structures within the head, we analyzed hard and soft tissue scans from ecologically diverse bats in the superfamily Noctilionoidea, a clade that ranges from insectivores and carnivores to frugivores and nectarivores. We identified eight regions that evolved in a coordinated fashion, thus recognizable as evolutionary modules: five associated with bite force and three linked to olfactory, visual, and auditory systems. Interrelationships among these modules differ between Neotropical leaf-nosed bats (family Phyllostomidae) and other noctilionoids. Consistent with the hypothesis that dietary transitions begin with changes in the capacity to detect novel food items followed by adaptations to process them, peak rates of sensory module evolution predate those of some mechanical modules. We propose that the coevolution of structures influencing bite force, olfaction, vision, and hearing constituted a structural opportunity that allowed the phyllostomid ancestor to take advantage of existing ecological opportunities and contributed to the clade's remarkable radiation.
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18
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Gripshover ND, Hennessey P, McBrayer LD, Meik JM, Watson CM, Cox CL. When Food Fights Back: Skull Morphology and Feeding Behavior of Centipede-Eating Snakes. Integr Comp Biol 2023; 63:34-47. [PMID: 37248050 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icad047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2023] [Revised: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Feeding is a complex process that involves an integrated response of multiple functional systems. Animals evolve phenotypic integration of complex morphological traits to covary and maximize performance of feeding behaviors. Specialization, such as feeding on dangerous prey, can further shape the integration of behavior and morphology as traits are expected to evolve and maintain function in parallel. Feeding on centipedes, with their powerful forcipules that pinch and inject venom, has evolved multiple times within snakes, including the genus Tantilla. However, the behavioral and morphological adaptations used to consume this dangerous prey are poorly understood. By studying snakes with varying degrees of dietary specialization, we can test the integration of diet, morphology, and behavior to better understand the evolution of consuming difficult prey. We studied the prey preference and feeding behavior of Tantilla using the flat-headed snake (T. gracilis) and the crowned snake (T. coronata), which differ in the percentage of centipedes in their diet. We then quantified cranial anatomy using geometric morphometric data from CT scans. To test prey preference, we offered multiple types of prey and recorded snake behavior. Both species of snakes showed interest in multiple prey types, but only struck or consumed centipedes. To subdue centipedes, crowned snakes used coiling and holding (envenomation) immediately after striking, while flat-headed snakes used the novel behavior of pausing and holding onto centipedes for a prolonged time prior to the completion of swallowing. Each skull element differed in shape after removing the effects of size, position, and orientation. The rear fang was larger in crowned snakes, but the mechanical advantage of the lower jaw was greater in flat-headed snakes. Our results suggest that the integration of behavioral and morphological adaptations is important for the success of subduing and consuming dangerous prey.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noah D Gripshover
- Department of Biological Sciences, Institute of Environment, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, USA
| | - Patrick Hennessey
- School of Biological and Behavioral Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, E1 4NS, UK
| | - Lance D McBrayer
- Department of Biology, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA 30458, USA
| | - Jesse M Meik
- Department of Biological Sciences, Tarleton State University, Stephenville, TX 76402, USA
| | - Charles M Watson
- Department of Life Sciences, Texas A&M-San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78224, USA
| | - Christian L Cox
- Department of Biological Sciences, Institute of Environment, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, USA
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19
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Tseng ZJ, Garcia-Lara S, Flynn JJ, Holmes E, Rowe TB, Dickson BV. A switch in jaw form-function coupling during the evolution of mammals. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2023; 378:20220091. [PMID: 37183899 PMCID: PMC10184249 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2022.0091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2023] Open
Abstract
The evolutionary shift from a single-element ear, multi-element jaw to a multi-element ear, single-element jaw during the transition to crown mammals marks one of the most dramatic structural transformations in vertebrates. Research on this transformation has focused on mammalian middle-ear evolution, but a mandible comprising only the dentary is equally emblematic of this evolutionary radiation. Here, we show that the remarkably diverse jaw shapes of crown mammals are coupled with surprisingly stereotyped jaw stiffness. This strength-based morphofunctional regime has a genetic basis and allowed mammalian jaws to effectively resist deformation as they radiated into highly disparate forms with markedly distinct diets. The main functional consequences for the mandible of decoupling hearing and mastication were a trade-off between higher jaw stiffness versus decreased mechanical efficiency and speed compared with non-mammals. This fundamental and consequential shift in jaw form-function underpins the ecological and taxonomic diversification of crown mammals. This article is part of the theme issue 'The mammalian skull: development, structure and function'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Z Jack Tseng
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- Museum of Paleontology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- Division of Paleontology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY 10024, USA
| | - Sergio Garcia-Lara
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- Museum of Paleontology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - John J Flynn
- Division of Paleontology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY 10024, USA
- Richard Gilder Graduate School, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY 10024, USA
| | - Emily Holmes
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Timothy B Rowe
- Jackson School of Geological Sciences, University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Blake V Dickson
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
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20
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Goswami A, Noirault E, Coombs EJ, Clavel J, Fabre AC, Halliday TJD, Churchill M, Curtis A, Watanabe A, Simmons NB, Beatty BL, Geisler JH, Fox DL, Felice RN. Developmental origin underlies evolutionary rate variation across the placental skull. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2023; 378:20220083. [PMID: 37183904 PMCID: PMC10184245 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2022.0083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2023] Open
Abstract
The placental skull has evolved into myriad forms, from longirostrine whales to globular primates, and with a diverse array of appendages from antlers to tusks. This disparity has recently been studied from the perspective of the whole skull, but the skull is composed of numerous elements that have distinct developmental origins and varied functions. Here, we assess the evolution of the skull's major skeletal elements, decomposed into 17 individual regions. Using a high-dimensional morphometric approach for a dataset of 322 living and extinct eutherians (placental mammals and their stem relatives), we quantify patterns of variation and estimate phylogenetic, allometric and ecological signal across the skull. We further compare rates of evolution across ecological categories and ordinal-level clades and reconstruct rates of evolution along lineages and through time to assess whether developmental origin or function discriminate the evolutionary trajectories of individual cranial elements. Our results demonstrate distinct macroevolutionary patterns across cranial elements that reflect the ecological adaptations of major clades. Elements derived from neural crest show the fastest rates of evolution, but ecological signal is equally pronounced in bones derived from neural crest and paraxial mesoderm, suggesting that developmental origin may influence evolutionary tempo, but not capacity for specialisation. This article is part of the theme issue 'The mammalian skull: development, structure and function'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anjali Goswami
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London SW7 5BD, UK
- Department of Genetics, Evolution, and Environment, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Eve Noirault
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London SW7 5BD, UK
| | - Ellen J Coombs
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London SW7 5BD, UK
- Department of Genetics, Evolution, and Environment, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20013, USA
| | - Julien Clavel
- Université Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, ENTPE, UMR 5023 LEHNA, 69622 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Anne-Claire Fabre
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London SW7 5BD, UK
- Naturhistorisches Museum Bern, 3005 Bern, Switzerland
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Thomas J D Halliday
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London SW7 5BD, UK
- School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
| | - Morgan Churchill
- Department of Biology, University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, Oshkosh, WI 54901, USA
| | - Abigail Curtis
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Akinobu Watanabe
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London SW7 5BD, UK
- Department of Anatomy, College of Osteopathic Medicine, New York Institute of Technology, Old Westbury, NY 11568, USA
- Division of Paleontology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY 10024, USA
| | - Nancy B Simmons
- Department of Mammalogy, Division of Vertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY 10024, USA
| | - Brian L Beatty
- Department of Paleobiology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20013, USA
- Department of Anatomy, College of Osteopathic Medicine, New York Institute of Technology, Old Westbury, NY 11568, USA
| | - Jonathan H Geisler
- Department of Paleobiology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20013, USA
- Department of Anatomy, College of Osteopathic Medicine, New York Institute of Technology, Old Westbury, NY 11568, USA
| | - David L Fox
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Ryan N Felice
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London SW7 5BD, UK
- Department of Genetics, Evolution, and Environment, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
- Centre for Integrative Anatomy, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
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21
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Tharakan S, Shepherd N, Gower DJ, Stanley EL, Felice RN, Goswami A, Watanabe A. High-Density Geometric Morphometric Analysis of Intraspecific Cranial Integration in the Barred Grass Snake ( Natrix helvetica) and Green Anole ( Anolis carolinensis). Integr Org Biol 2023; 5:obad022. [PMID: 37397233 PMCID: PMC10311474 DOI: 10.1093/iob/obad022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2022] [Revised: 04/30/2023] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 07/04/2023] Open
Abstract
How do phenotypic associations intrinsic to an organism, such as developmental and mechanical processes, direct morphological evolution? Comparisons of intraspecific and clade-wide patterns of phenotypic covariation could inform how population-level trends ultimately dictate macroevolutionary changes. However, most studies have focused on analyzing integration and modularity either at macroevolutionary or intraspecific levels, without a shared analytical framework unifying these temporal scales. In this study, we investigate the intraspecific patterns of cranial integration in two squamate species: Natrix helvetica and Anolis carolinensis. We analyze their cranial integration patterns using the same high-density three-dimensional geometric morphometric approach used in a prior squamate-wide evolutionary study. Our results indicate that Natrix and Anolis exhibit shared intraspecific cranial integration patterns, with some differences, including a more integrated rostrum in the latter. Notably, these differences in intraspecific patterns correspond to their respective interspecific patterns in snakes and lizards, with few exceptions. These results suggest that interspecific patterns of cranial integration reflect intraspecific patterns. Hence, our study suggests that the phenotypic associations that direct morphological variation within species extend across micro- and macroevolutionary levels, bridging these two scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Tharakan
- Department of Anatomy, New York Institute of Technology, College of Osteopathic Medicine, 100 Northern Boulevard, Old Westbury, NY 11568, USA
| | - N Shepherd
- Department of Genetics, Evolution, and Environment, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - D J Gower
- Life Sciences Division, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 5BD, UK
| | - E L Stanley
- Digital Imaging Division, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611-0001, USA
| | - R N Felice
- Department of Genetics, Evolution, and Environment, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
- Life Sciences Division, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 5BD, UK
- Centre for Integrative Anatomy, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - A Goswami
- Department of Genetics, Evolution, and Environment, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
- Life Sciences Division, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 5BD, UK
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22
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Pourmasumi S, Kounis NG, Naderi M, Hosseinisadat R, Khoradmehr A, Fagheirelahee N, Kouni SN, de Gregorio C, Dousdampanis P, Mplani V, Michalaki MA, Plotas P, Assimakopoulos S, Gogos C, Aidonidis G, Roditis P, Matsas N, Velissaris D, Calogiuri G, Hung MY, Koniari I. Effects of COVID-19 Infection and Vaccination on the Female Reproductive System: A Narrative Review. Balkan Med J 2023; 40:153-164. [PMID: 37114907 PMCID: PMC10175880 DOI: 10.4274/balkanmedj.galenos.2023.2023-3-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2023] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Several studies and research papers have been published to elucidate and understand the mechanism of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and its long-term effects on the human body. COVID-19 affects a number of organs, including the female reproductive system. However, less attention has been given to the effects of COVID-19 on the female reproductive system due to their low morbidity. The results of studies investigating the relationship between COVID-19 infection and ovarian function in women of reproductive age have shown the harmless involvement of COVID-19 infection. Several studies have reported the involvement of COVID-19 infection in oocyte quality, ovarian function, and dysfunctions in the uterine endometrium and the menstrual cycle. The findings of these studies indicate that COVID-19 infection negatively affects the follicular microenvironment and dysregulate ovarian function. Although the COVID-19 pandemic and female reproductive health have been studied in humans and animals, very few studies have examined how COVID-19 affects the female reproductive system. The objective of this review is to summarize the current literature and categorize the effects of COVID-19 on the female reproductive system, including the ovaries, uterus, and hormonal profiles. The effects on oocyte maturation, oxidative stress, which causes chromosomal instability and apoptosis in ovaries, in vitro fertilization cycle, high-quality embryos, premature ovarian insufficiency, ovarian vein thrombosis, hypercoagulable state, women’s menstrual cycle, the hypothalamus-pituitary-ovary axis, and sex hormones, including estrogen, progesterone, and the anti-Müllerian hormone, are discussed in particular.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soheila Pourmasumi
- Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan, Iran
- Clinical Research Development Unit, Ali-Ibn Abi-Talib Hospital, Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan, Iran
| | - Nicholas G. Kounis
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Cardiology, University of Patras Medical School, Patras, Greece
| | - Monavar Naderi
- Knowledge and Information Science, Vice Chancellor for Science and Technology, Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan, Iran
| | - Robabe Hosseinisadat
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Arezoo Khoradmehr
- The Persian Gulf Marine Biotechnology Research Center, The Persian Gulf Biomedical Sciences Research Institute, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Bushehr, Iran
| | - Niloofar Fagheirelahee
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran
| | | | - Cesare de Gregorio
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Messina Medical School, Messina, Italy
| | | | - Virginia Mplani
- Intensive Care Unit, Patras University Hospital, Patras, Greece
| | - Marina A. Michalaki
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Fculty of Health Sciences, University of Patras, Patras, Greece
| | | | - Stelios Assimakopoulos
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Patras Medical School, Patras, Greece
| | - Christos Gogos
- COVID-19 Unit, Papageorgiou General Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | | | - Pavlos Roditis
- Department of Cardiology, Mamatsio Kozanis General Hospital, Kozani, Greece
| | | | | | - Gianfranco Calogiuri
- Pneumonology Department, Civil Hospital “Ninetto Melli”, Pietro Vernoti, Brindisi, Italy
- Department of Internal Medicine, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Section of Allergology and Clinical Immunology, University of Bari Medical School, Bari, Italy
| | - Ming-Yow Hung
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University, New Taipei City, Taiwan
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Taipei Heart Institute, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Ioanna Koniari
- Departmentof Cardiology, Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital, Liverpool, UK
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23
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Zelditch ML, Swiderski DL. Effects of Procrustes Superimposition and Semilandmark Sliding on Modularity and Integration: An Investigation Using Simulations of Biological Data. Evol Biol 2023. [DOI: 10.1007/s11692-023-09600-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/31/2023]
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24
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He Y, Cooney CR, Maddock S, Thomas GH. Using pose estimation to identify regions and points on natural history specimens. PLoS Comput Biol 2023; 19:e1010933. [PMID: 36812227 PMCID: PMC9987800 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1010933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2022] [Revised: 03/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2023] Open
Abstract
A key challenge in mobilising growing numbers of digitised biological specimens for scientific research is finding high-throughput methods to extract phenotypic measurements on these datasets. In this paper, we test a pose estimation approach based on Deep Learning capable of accurately placing point labels to identify key locations on specimen images. We then apply the approach to two distinct challenges that each requires identification of key features in a 2D image: (i) identifying body region-specific plumage colouration on avian specimens and (ii) measuring morphometric shape variation in Littorina snail shells. For the avian dataset, 95% of images are correctly labelled and colour measurements derived from these predicted points are highly correlated with human-based measurements. For the Littorina dataset, more than 95% of landmarks were accurately placed relative to expert-labelled landmarks and predicted landmarks reliably captured shape variation between two distinct shell ecotypes ('crab' vs 'wave'). Overall, our study shows that pose estimation based on Deep Learning can generate high-quality and high-throughput point-based measurements for digitised image-based biodiversity datasets and could mark a step change in the mobilisation of such data. We also provide general guidelines for using pose estimation methods on large-scale biological datasets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yichen He
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield; Alfred Denny Building, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Christopher R. Cooney
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield; Alfred Denny Building, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Steve Maddock
- Department of Computer Science, University of Sheffield; Regent Court, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Gavin H. Thomas
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield; Alfred Denny Building, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
- Bird Group, Department of Life Sciences, The Natural History Museum at Tring; Tring, United Kingdom
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25
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Ferreira-Cardoso S, Claude J, Goswami A, Delsuc F, Hautier L. Flexible conservatism in the skull modularity of convergently evolved myrmecophagous placental mammals. BMC Ecol Evol 2022; 22:87. [PMID: 35773630 PMCID: PMC9248141 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-022-02030-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2021] [Accepted: 06/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The skull of placental mammals constitutes one of the best studied systems for phenotypic modularity. Several studies have found strong evidence for the conserved presence of two- and six-module architectures, while the strength of trait correlations (integration) has been associated with major developmental processes such as somatic growth, muscle-bone interactions, and tooth eruption. Among placentals, ant- and termite-eating (myrmecophagy) represents an exemplar case of dietary convergence, accompanied by the selection of several cranial morphofunctional traits such as rostrum elongation, tooth loss, and mastication loss. Despite such drastic functional modifications, the covariance patterns of the skull of convergently evolved myrmecophagous placentals are yet to be studied in order to assess the potential consequences of this dietary shift on cranial modularity. Results Here, we performed a landmark-based morphometric analysis of cranial covariance patterns in 13 species of myrmecophagous placentals. Our analyses reveal that most myrmecophagous species present skulls divided into six to seven modules (depending on the confirmatory method used), with architectures similar to those of non-myrmecophagous placentals (therian six modules). Within-module integration is also similar to what was previously described for other placentals, suggesting that most covariance-generating processes are conserved across the clade. Nevertheless, we show that extreme rostrum elongation and tooth loss in myrmecophagid anteaters have resulted in a shift in intermodule correlations in the proximal region of the rostrum. Namely, the naso-frontal and maxillo-palatine regions are strongly correlated with the oro-nasal module, suggesting an integrated rostrum conserved from pre-natal developmental processes. In contrast, the similarly toothless pangolins show a weaker correlation between the anterior rostral modules, resembling the pattern of toothed placentals. Conclusions These results reveal that despite some integration shifts related to extreme functional and morphological features of myrmecophagous skulls, cranial modular architectures have conserved the typical mammalian scheme. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12862-022-02030-9.
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Brownstein CD, Meyer DL, Fabbri M, Bhullar BAS, Gauthier JA. Evolutionary origins of the prolonged extant squamate radiation. Nat Commun 2022; 13:7087. [PMID: 36446761 PMCID: PMC9708687 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-34217-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2022] [Accepted: 10/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Squamata is the most diverse clade of terrestrial vertebrates. Although the origin of pan-squamates lies in the Triassic, the oldest undisputed members of extant clades known from nearly complete, uncrushed material come from the Cretaceous. Here, we describe three-dimensionally preserved partial skulls of two new crown lizards from the Late Jurassic of North America. Both species are placed at the base of the skink, girdled, and night lizard clade Pan-Scincoidea, which consistently occupies a position deep inside the squamate crown in both morphological and molecular phylogenies. The new lizards show that several features uniting pan-scincoids with another major lizard clade, the pan-lacertoids, in trees using morphology were convergently acquired as predicted by molecular analyses. Further, the palate of one new lizard bears a handful of ancestral saurian characteristics lost in nearly all extant squamates, revealing an underappreciated degree of complex morphological evolution in the early squamate crown. We find strong evidence for close relationships between the two new species and Cretaceous taxa from Eurasia. Together, these results suggest that early crown squamates had a wide geographic distribution and experienced complicated morphological evolution even while the Rhynchocephalia, now solely represented by the tuatara, was the dominant clade of lepidosaurs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chase D. Brownstein
- grid.47100.320000000419368710Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT USA ,Stamford Museum and Nature Center, Stamford, CT USA
| | - Dalton L. Meyer
- grid.47100.320000000419368710Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Yale University, New Haven, CT USA
| | - Matteo Fabbri
- grid.47100.320000000419368710Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Yale University, New Haven, CT USA ,grid.299784.90000 0001 0476 8496Negaunee Integrative Research Center, Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, IL USA
| | - Bhart-Anjan S. Bhullar
- grid.47100.320000000419368710Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Yale University, New Haven, CT USA ,grid.47100.320000000419368710Yale Peabody Museum, Yale University, New Haven, CT USA
| | - Jacques A. Gauthier
- grid.47100.320000000419368710Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Yale University, New Haven, CT USA ,grid.47100.320000000419368710Yale Peabody Museum, Yale University, New Haven, CT USA
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27
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Artuso S, Gamisch A, Staedler YM, Schönenberger J, Comes HP. Evidence for an evo-devo-derived hypothesis on three-dimensional flower shape modularity in a tropical orchid clade. Evolution 2022; 76:2587-2604. [PMID: 36128635 PMCID: PMC9828045 DOI: 10.1111/evo.14621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2021] [Revised: 08/21/2022] [Accepted: 08/26/2022] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Covarying suites of phenotypic traits, or modules, are increasingly recognized to promote morphological evolution. However, information on how modularity influences flower diversity is rare and lacking for Orchidaceae. Here, we combine high-resolution X-ray computed tomography scanning with three-dimensional geometric morphometrics and phylogenetic comparative methods to test various hypotheses about three-dimensional patterns of flower evolutionary modularity in Malagasy Bulbophyllum orchids and examine rates and modes of module evolution. Based on the four evolutionary modules identified (i.e., sepals, lateral petals, labellum + column-foot, and column-part), our data support the hypothesis that both genetic-developmental and functional adaptive factors shaped evolutionary flower trait covariation in these tropical orchids. In line with "evo-devo" studies, we also find that the labellum evolved independently from the rest of the petal whorl. Finally, we show that modules evolved with different rates, and either in a neutral fashion (only column-part) or under selective constraints, as likely imposed by pollinators. Overall, this study supports current views that modular units can enhance the range and rate of morphological evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Artuso
- Department of Environment and BiodiversityUniversity of SalzburgSalzburg5020Austria
| | - Alexander Gamisch
- Department of Environment and BiodiversityUniversity of SalzburgSalzburg5020Austria
| | - Yannick M. Staedler
- Department of Botany and Biodiversity ResearchUniversity of ViennaVienna1030Austria
| | - Jürg Schönenberger
- Department of Botany and Biodiversity ResearchUniversity of ViennaVienna1030Austria
| | - Hans Peter Comes
- Department of Environment and BiodiversityUniversity of SalzburgSalzburg5020Austria
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28
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Tulli MJ, Manzano A, Abdala V. Is the Shape of Turtle Claws Driven by Locomotor Modes? Evol Biol 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s11692-022-09580-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
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29
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Anatomical network analyses reveal evolutionary integration and modularity in the lizards skull. Sci Rep 2022; 12:14429. [PMID: 36064738 PMCID: PMC9445097 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-18222-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The morphology of lizard skulls is highly diverse, and it is crucial to understand the factors that constrain and promote their evolution to understand how lizards thrive. The results of interactions between cranial bones reflecting these factors can be detected as integration and modularity, and the analysis of integration and modularity allows us to explore the underlying factors. In this study, the integration and modularity of the skulls of lizards and the outgroup tuatara are analyzed using a new method, Anatomical Network Analysis (AnNA), and the factors causing lizards morphological diversity are investigated by comparing them. The comparison of modular structures shows that lizard skulls have high integration and anisomerism, some differences but basically common modular patterns. In contrast, the tuatara shows a different modular pattern from lizards. In addition, the presence of the postorbital bar by jugal and postorbital (postorbitofrontal) also reflect various functional factors by maintaining low integration. The maintenance of basic structures due to basic functional requirements and changes in integration within the modules play a significant role in increasing the morphological diversity of the lizard skull and in the prosperity of the lizards.
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30
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Strong CRC, Scherz MD, Caldwell MW. Convergence, divergence, and macroevolutionary constraint as revealed by anatomical network analysis of the squamate skull, with an emphasis on snakes. Sci Rep 2022; 12:14469. [PMID: 36008512 PMCID: PMC9411180 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-18649-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Traditionally considered the earliest-diverging group of snakes, scolecophidians are central to major evolutionary paradigms regarding squamate feeding mechanisms and the ecological origins of snakes. However, quantitative analyses of these phenomena remain scarce. Herein, we therefore assess skull modularity in squamates via anatomical network analysis, focusing on the interplay between 'microstomy' (small-gaped feeding), fossoriality, and miniaturization in scolecophidians. Our analyses reveal distinctive patterns of jaw connectivity across purported 'microstomatans', thus supporting a more complex scenario of jaw evolution than traditionally portrayed. We also find that fossoriality and miniaturization each define a similar region of topospace (i.e., connectivity-based morphospace), with their combined influence imposing further evolutionary constraint on skull architecture. These results ultimately indicate convergence among scolecophidians, refuting widespread perspectives of these snakes as fundamentally plesiomorphic and morphologically homogeneous. This network-based examination of skull modularity-the first of its kind for snakes, and one of the first to analyze squamates-thus provides key insights into macroevolutionary trends among squamates, with particular implications for snake origins and evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine R C Strong
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada.
- Museum of Comparative Zoology and Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA.
| | - Mark D Scherz
- Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, 2100, Copenhagen Ø, Denmark
| | - Michael W Caldwell
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
- Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
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31
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Ruiz-Monachesi MR, Abdala CS, Cruz FB. Allometry and morphological integration shape the chemical detection system in Liolaemus lizards (Squamata, Iguania). ZOOL ANZ 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jcz.2022.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
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32
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Evans KM, Buser TJ, Larouche O, Kolmann MA. Untangling the relationship between developmental and evolutionary integration. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2022; 145:22-27. [PMID: 35659472 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2022.05.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2021] [Revised: 04/29/2022] [Accepted: 05/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Patterns of integration and modularity among organismal traits are prevalent across the tree of life, and at multiple scales of biological organization. Over the past several decades, researchers have studied these patterns at the developmental, and evolutionary levels. While their work has identified the potential drivers of these patterns at different scales, there appears to be a lack of consensus on the relationship between developmental and evolutionary integration. Here, we review and summarize key studies and build a framework to describe the conceptual relationship between these patterns across organismal scales and illustrate how, and why some of these studies may have yielded seemingly conflicting outcomes. We find that among studies that analyze patterns of integration and modularity using morphological data, the lack of consensus may stem in part from the difficulty of fully disentangling the developmental and functional causes of integration. Nonetheless, in some empirical systems, patterns of evolutionary modularity have been found to coincide with expectations based on developmental processes, suggesting that in some circumstances, developmental modularity may translate to evolutionary modularity. We also advance an extension to Hallgrímsson et al.'s palimpsest model to describe how patterns of trait modularity may shift across different evolutionary scales. Finally, we also propose some directions for future research which will hopefully be useful for investigators interested in these issues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kory M Evans
- Rice University, Biosciences Department, 6100 Main St, Houston, TX 77005, USA.
| | - Thaddaeus J Buser
- Rice University, Biosciences Department, 6100 Main St, Houston, TX 77005, USA
| | - Olivier Larouche
- Rice University, Biosciences Department, 6100 Main St, Houston, TX 77005, USA
| | - Matthew A Kolmann
- Rice University, Biosciences Department, 6100 Main St, Houston, TX 77005, USA
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Grundler MC, Rabosky DL, Zapata F. Fast Likelihood Calculations for Automatic Identification of Macroevolutionary Rate Heterogeneity in Continuous and Discrete Traits. Syst Biol 2022; 71:1307-1318. [DOI: 10.1093/sysbio/syac035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2021] [Revised: 04/28/2022] [Accepted: 05/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Understanding phenotypic disparity across the tree of life requires identifying where and when evolutionary rates change on phylogeny. A primary methodological challenge in macroevolution is therefore to develop methods for accurate inference of among-lineage variation in rates of phenotypic evolution. Here, we describe a method for inferring among-lineage evolutionary rate heterogeneity in both continuous and discrete traits. The method assumes that the present-day distribution of a trait is shaped by a variable-rate process arising from a mixture of constant-rate processes and uses a single-pass tree traversal algorithm to estimate branch-specific evolutionary rates. By employing dynamic programming optimization techniques and approximate maximum likelihood estimators where appropriate, our method permits rapid exploration of the tempo and mode of phenotypic evolution. Simulations indicate that the method reconstructs rates of trait evolution with high accuracy. Application of the method to datasets on squamate reptile reproduction and turtle body size recovers patterns of rate heterogeneity identified by previous studies but with computational costs reduced by many orders of magnitude. Our results expand the set of tools available for detecting macroevolutionary rate heterogeneity and point to the utility of fast, approximate methods for studying large scale biodiversity dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael C Grundler
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Daniel L Rabosky
- Museum of Zoology and Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Felipe Zapata
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
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34
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Bolet A, Stubbs TL, Herrera-Flores JA, Benton MJ. The Jurassic rise of squamates as supported by lepidosaur disparity and evolutionary rates. eLife 2022; 11:e66511. [PMID: 35502582 PMCID: PMC9064307 DOI: 10.7554/elife.66511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2021] [Accepted: 03/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The squamates (lizards, snakes, and relatives) today comprise more than 10,000 species, and yet their sister group, the Rhynchocephalia, is represented by a single species today, the tuatara. The explosion in squamate diversity has been tracked back to the Cretaceous Terrestrial Revolution, 100 million years ago (Ma), the time when flowering plants began their takeover of terrestrial ecosystems, associated with diversification of coevolving insects and insect-eating predators such as lizards, birds, and mammals. Squamates arose much earlier, but their long pre-Cretaceous history of some 150 million years (Myr) is documented by sparse fossils. Here, we provide evidence for an initial radiation of squamate morphology in the Middle and Late Jurassic (174-145 Ma), and show that they established their key ecological roles much earlier than had been assumed, and they have not changed them much since.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arnau Bolet
- Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont, Universitat Autònoma de BarcelonaCerdanyola del VallèsSpain
- School of Earth Sciences, University of BristolBristolUnited Kingdom
| | - Thomas L Stubbs
- School of Earth Sciences, University of BristolBristolUnited Kingdom
| | | | - Michael J Benton
- School of Earth Sciences, University of BristolBristolUnited Kingdom
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35
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Benítez HA, Püschel TA, Suazo MJ. Drosophila Wing Integration and Modularity: A Multi-Level Approach to Understand the History of Morphological Structures. BIOLOGY 2022; 11:biology11040567. [PMID: 35453766 PMCID: PMC9025964 DOI: 10.3390/biology11040567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2022] [Revised: 04/03/2022] [Accepted: 04/06/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Simple Summary The diverse components of any morphological structure are integrated with respect to each other since they have developed, functioned, and evolved together, a phenomenon known as integration. However, this integration is not absolute but organized in units (i.e., modules) that are relatively independent while participating to generate a structure that acts as a functional whole. Even though most of the studies on modularity and integration have focused on variation among individuals within populations, there are more levels of variation that exhibit modularity and integration, deriving from distinct sources such as genetic variation, phenotypic plasticity, fluctuating asymmetry, evolutionary change, among others. Consequently, the present study focused on analysing the integration and modularity of the wing shape of some of the best-known model organisms, i.e., the genus Drosophila, at the static, developmental, and evolutionary levels to acquire a better insight about how modularity and integration act at different analytical levels. The strong integration and overall similarities observed in the variation pattern at multiple levels suggest a shared mechanism underlying the observed variation in Drosophila’s wing shape and added a new piece of evidence of stasis in the evolutionary history of Drosophila wing. Abstract Static, developmental, and evolutionary variation are different sources of morphological variation which can be quantified using morphometrics tools. In the present study we have carried out a comparative multiple level study of integration (i.e., static, developmental, and evolutionary) to acquire insight about the relationships that exist between different integration levels, as well as to better understand their involvement in the evolutionary processes related to the diversification of Drosophila’s wing shape. This approach was applied to analyse wing evolution in 59 species across the whole genus in a large dataset (~10,000 wings were studied). Static integration was analysed using principal component analysis, thus providing an integration measurement for overall wing shape. Developmental integration was studied between wing parts by using a partial least squares method between the anterior and posterior compartments of the wing. Evolutionary integration was analysed using independent contrasts. The present results show that all Drosophila species exhibit strong morphological integration at different levels. The strong integration and overall similarities observed at multiple integration levels suggest a shared mechanism underlying this variation, which could result as consequence of genetic drift acting on the wing shape of Drosophila.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hugo A. Benítez
- Laboratorio de Ecología y Morfometría Evolutiva, Centro de Investigación de Estudios Avanzados del Maule, Universidad Católica del Maule, Talca 3466706, Chile
- Centro de Investigación en Recursos Naturales y Sustentabilidad (CIRENYS), Universidad Bernardo O’Higgins, Avenida Viel 1497, Santiago 8370993, Chile
- Correspondence:
| | - Thomas A. Püschel
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Division, School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading, Reading RG6 6AH, UK;
- Institute of Human Sciences, School of Anthropology and Museum Ethnography, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 2JD, UK
| | - Manuel J. Suazo
- Instituto de Alta Investigación, Universidad de Tarapacá, Casilla 7D, Arica 1000000, Chile;
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Ontogenetic shift in diet of a large elapid snake is facilitated by allometric change in skull morphology. Evol Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s10682-022-10164-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
AbstractAs snakes are limbless, gape-limited predators, their skull is the main feeding structure involved in prey handling, manipulation and feeding. Ontogenetic changes in prey type and size are likely to be associated with distinct morphological changes in the skull during growth. We investigated ontogenetic variation in diet from stomach contents of 161 Dugite specimens (Pseudonaja affinis, Elapidae) representing the full range of body size for the species, and skull morphology of 46 specimens (range 0.25–1.64 m snout-vent-length; SVL). We hypothesised that changes in prey type throughout postnatal ontogeny would coincide with distinct changes in skull shape. Dugites demonstrate a distinct size-related shift in diet: the smallest individuals ate autotomised reptile tails and reptiles, medium-sized individuals predominantly ate mammals, and the largest individuals had the most diverse diet, including large reptiles. Morphometric analysis revealed that ~40% of the variation in skull shape was associated with body size (SVL). Through ontogeny, skulls changed from a smooth, bulbous cranium with relatively small trophic bones (upper and lower jaws and their attachments), to more rugose bones (as a likely reflection of muscle attachment) and relatively longer trophic bones that would extend gape. Individual shape variation in trophic bone dimensions was greater in larger adults and this likely reflects natural plasticity of individuals feeding on different prey sizes/types. Rather than a distinct morphological shift with diet, the ontogenetic changes were gradual, but positive allometry of individual trophic bones resulted in disproportionate growth of the skull, reflected in increased gape size and mobility of jaw bones in adults to aid the ingestion of larger prey and improve manipulation and processing ability. These results indicate that allometric scaling is an important mechanism by which snakes can change their dietary niche.
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38
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Brocklehurst N, Ford DP, Benson RBJ. Early origins of divergent patterns of morphological evolution on the mammal and reptile stem-lineages. Syst Biol 2022; 71:1195-1209. [PMID: 35274702 PMCID: PMC9366456 DOI: 10.1093/sysbio/syac020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Revised: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 03/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The origin of amniotes 320 million years ago signaled independence from water in vertebrates and was closely followed by divergences within the mammal and reptile stem lineages (Synapsida and Reptilia). Early members of both groups had highly similar morphologies, being superficially “lizard-like” forms with many plesiomorphies. However, the extent to which they might have exhibited divergent patterns of evolutionary change, with the potential to explain the large biological differences between their living members, is unresolved. We use a new, comprehensive phylogenetic dataset to quantify variation in rates and constraints of morphological evolution among Carboniferous–early Permian amniotes. We find evidence for an early burst of evolutionary rates, resulting in the early origins of morphologically distinctive subgroups that mostly persisted through the Cisuralian. Rates declined substantially through time, especially in reptiles. Early reptile evolution was also more constrained compared with early synapsids, exploring a more limited character state space. Postcranial innovation in particular was important in early synapsids, potentially related to their early origins of large body size. In contrast, early reptiles predominantly varied the temporal region, suggesting disparity in skull and jaw kinematics, and foreshadowing the variability of cranial biomechanics seen in reptiles today. Our results demonstrate that synapsids and reptiles underwent an early divergence of macroevolutionary patterns. This laid the foundation for subsequent evolutionary events and may be critical in understanding the substantial differences between mammals and reptiles today. Potential explanations include an early divergence of developmental processes or of ecological factors, warranting cross-disciplinary investigation. [Amniote; body size; constraint; phylogeny; rate.]
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Affiliation(s)
- Neil Brocklehurst
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, UK
| | - David P Ford
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, UK
| | - Roger B J Benson
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, UK
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39
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Kavková M, Šulcová M, Zikmund T, Pyszko M, Kaiser J, Buchtová M. X-ray microtomography imaging of craniofacial hard tissues in selected reptile species with different types of dentition. Gigascience 2022; 11:6543636. [PMID: 35254425 PMCID: PMC8900495 DOI: 10.1093/gigascience/giac016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2021] [Revised: 12/19/2021] [Accepted: 01/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Reptiles exhibit a large heterogeneity in teeth morphology. The main variability comprises the different tooth shape, the type of tooth attachment to the underlying bone, or the ability to replace the teeth. Findings Here, we provide full datasets of microtomography scans and 3D models of reptilian dentitions and skulls. We selected representative species for each of 9 reptilian families on the basis of their characteristic dental features. Because there are ≥4 different types of tooth-bone attachments, ranging from the mammalian-like thecodont attachment found in crocodilians to the simple acrodont implantation observed in some lizards, we aimed to evaluate species with different types of tooth-bone attachments. Moreover, another interesting feature varying in reptilian species is the complexity of tooth shape or the number of tooth generations, which can be associated with the type of tooth attachment to the jawbone. Therefore, selected model species also include animals with distinct tooth morphology along the jaw or different number of tooth generations. The development of tooth attachment and relationship of the tooth to the jaw can be further analysed in detail on a large collection of pre-hatching stages of chameleon. Next, we introduce different possibilities for how these datasets can be further used to study tooth-bone relationships or tooth morphology in 3D space. Moreover, these datasets can be valuable for additional morphological and morphometric analyses of reptilian skulls or their individually segmented skeletal elements. Conclusions Our collection of microcomputed tomography scans can bring new insight into dental or skeletal research. The broad selection of reptilian species, together with their unique dental features and high quality of these scans including complete series of developmental stages of our model species and provide large opportunities for their reuse. Scans can be further used for virtual reality, 3D printing, or in education.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michaela Kavková
- Central European Institute of Technology, Brno University of Technology, 616 69 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Marie Šulcová
- Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, 612 42 Brno, Czech Republic.,Laboratory of Molecular Morphogenesis, Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics, v.v.i., Czech Academy of Sciences, 602 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Tomáš Zikmund
- Central European Institute of Technology, Brno University of Technology, 616 69 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Martin Pyszko
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Veterinary Sciences Brno, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Jozef Kaiser
- Central European Institute of Technology, Brno University of Technology, 616 69 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Marcela Buchtová
- Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, 612 42 Brno, Czech Republic.,Laboratory of Molecular Morphogenesis, Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics, v.v.i., Czech Academy of Sciences, 602 00 Brno, Czech Republic
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40
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Das S, Brecko J, Pauwels OSG, Merilä J. Cranial osteology of
Hypoptophis
(Aparallactinae: Atractaspididae: Caenophidia), with a discussion on the evolution of its fossorial adaptations. J Morphol 2022; 283:510-538. [PMID: 35094424 PMCID: PMC9305546 DOI: 10.1002/jmor.21457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2021] [Revised: 01/10/2022] [Accepted: 01/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sunandan Das
- Ecological Genetics Research Unit, Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, FI‐00014 University of Helsinki Finland
| | - Jonathan Brecko
- Department of Recent Vertebrates Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (RBINS), Rue Vautier 29, B‐1000 Brussels Belgium
- Royal Museum for Central Africa, Leuvensesteenweg 13, 3080 Tervuren Belgium
| | - Olivier S. G. Pauwels
- Department of Recent Vertebrates Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (RBINS), Rue Vautier 29, B‐1000 Brussels Belgium
| | - Juha Merilä
- Ecological Genetics Research Unit, Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, FI‐00014 University of Helsinki Finland
- Division of Ecology and Biodiversity, Faculty of Science The University of Hong Kong, KBSB 3N19 Hong Kong SAR
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41
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Fish scale shape follows predictable patterns of variation based on water column position, body size, and phylogeny. Evol Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s10682-021-10142-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
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42
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Edie SM, Khouja SC, Collins KS, Crouch NMA, Jablonski D. Evolutionary modularity, integration and disparity in an accretionary skeleton: analysis of venerid Bivalvia. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20211199. [PMID: 35042422 PMCID: PMC8767195 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.1199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Modular evolution, the relatively independent evolution of body parts, may promote high morphological disparity in a clade. Conversely, integrated evolution via stronger covariation of parts may limit disparity. However, integration can also promote high disparity by channelling morphological evolution along lines of least resistance-a process that may be particularly important in the accumulation of disparity in the many invertebrate systems having accretionary growth. We use a time-calibrated phylogenetic hypothesis and high-density, three-dimensional semilandmarking to analyse the relationship between modularity, integration and disparity in the most diverse extant bivalve family: the Veneridae. In general, venerids have a simple, two-module parcellation of their body that is divided into features of the calcium carbonate shell and features of the internal soft anatomy. This division falls more along developmental than functional lines when placed in the context of bivalve anatomy and biomechanics. The venerid body is tightly integrated in absolute terms, but disparity appears to increase with modularity strength among subclades and ecologies. Thus, shifts towards more mosaic evolution beget higher morphological variance in this speciose family.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stewart M. Edie
- Department of Paleobiology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20013, USA
| | - Safia C. Khouja
- Department of the Geophysical Sciences, University of Chicago, 5734 South Ellis Ave, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Katie S. Collins
- Department of Earth Sciences, Invertebrates and Plants Palaeobiology Division, Natural History Museum, London SW7 5BD, UK
| | - Nicholas M. A. Crouch
- Department of the Geophysical Sciences, University of Chicago, 5734 South Ellis Ave, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - David Jablonski
- Department of the Geophysical Sciences, University of Chicago, 5734 South Ellis Ave, Chicago, IL 60637, USA,Committee on Evolutionary Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
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43
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Arlegi M, Pantoja-Pérez A, Veschambre-Couture C, Gómez-Olivencia A. Covariation between the cranium and the cervical vertebrae in hominids. J Hum Evol 2021; 162:103112. [PMID: 34894608 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2021.103112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Revised: 10/26/2021] [Accepted: 10/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The analysis of patterns of integration is crucial for the reconstruction and understanding of how morphological changes occur in a taxonomic group throughout evolution. These patterns are relatively constant; however, both patterns and the magnitudes of integration may vary across species. These differences may indicate morphological diversification, in some cases related to functional adaptations to the biomechanics of organisms. In this study, we analyze patterns of integration between two functional and developmental structures, the cranium and the cervical spine in hominids, and we quantify the amount of divergence of each anatomical element through phylogeny. We applied these methods to three-dimensional data from 168 adult hominid individuals, summing a total of more than 1000 cervical vertebrae. We found the atlas (C1) and axis (C2) display the lowest covariation with the cranium in hominids (Homo sapiens, Pan troglodytes, Pan paniscus, Gorilla gorilla, Gorilla beringei, Pongo pygmaeus). H. sapiens show a relatively different pattern of craniocervical correlation compared with chimpanzees and gorillas, especially in variables implicated in maintaining the balance of the head. Finally, the atlas and axis show lower magnitude of shape change during evolution than the rest of the cervical vertebrae, especially those located in the middle of the subaxial cervical spine. Overall, results suggest that differences in the pattern of craniocervical correlation between humans and gorillas and chimpanzees could reflect the postural differences between these groups. Also, the stronger craniocervical integration and larger magnitude of shape change during evolution shown by the middle cervical vertebrae suggests that they have been selected to play an active role in maintaining head balance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikel Arlegi
- Institut Català de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social (IPHES-CERCA), Zona Educacional 4, Campus Sescelades URV (Edifici W3), 43007 Tarragona, Spain; Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Department d'Història i Història de l'Art, Avinguda de Catalunya 35, 43002 Tarragona, Spain.
| | - Ana Pantoja-Pérez
- Centro UCM-ISCIII de Investigación sobre Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Avda. Monforte de Lemos 5 (Pabellón 14), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Christine Veschambre-Couture
- UMR 5199 PACEA, Université de Bordeaux, Allée Geoffroy Saint Hilaire, Bâtiment B8, CS 50023, 33615, Pessac Cedex, France
| | - Asier Gómez-Olivencia
- Departamento de Geología, Facultad de Ciencia y Tecnología, Universidad del País Vasco-Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea (UPV/EHU), Barrio Sarriena S/n, 48940 Leioa, Spain; Sociedad de Ciencias Aranzadi, Zorroagagaina 11, 20014 Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain; Centro UCM-ISCIII de Investigación sobre Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Avda. Monforte de Lemos 5 (Pabellón 14), 28029 Madrid, Spain
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44
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Tschopp E, Napoli JG, Wencker LCM, Delfino M, Upchurch P. How to Render Species Comparable Taxonomic Units Through Deep Time: a Case Study on Intraspecific Osteological Variability in Extant and Extinct Lacertid Lizards. Syst Biol 2021; 71:875-900. [PMID: 34605923 DOI: 10.1093/sysbio/syab078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2019] [Revised: 09/16/2021] [Accepted: 09/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Generally, the species is considered to be the only naturally occurring taxon. However, species recognised and defined using different species delimitation criteria cannot readily be compared, impacting studies of biodiversity through Deep Time. This comparability issue is particularly marked when comparing extant with extinct species, because the only available data for species delimitation in fossils is derived from their preserved morphology, which is generally restricted to osteology in vertebrates. Here, we quantify intraspecific, intrageneric, and intergeneric osteological variability in extant species of lacertid lizards using pairwise dissimilarity scores based on a dataset of 253 discrete osteological characters for 99 specimens referred to 24 species. Variability is always significantly lower intraspecifically than between individuals belonging to distinct species of a single genus, which is in turn significantly lower than intergeneric variability. Average values of intraspecific variability and associated standard deviations are consistent (with few exceptions), with an overall average within a species of 0.208 changes per character scored. Application of the same methods to six extinct lacertid species (represented by 40 fossil specimens) revealed that intraspecific osteological variability is inconsistent, which can at least in part be attributed to different researchers having unequal expectations of the skeletal dissimilarity within species units. Such a divergent interpretation of intraspecific and interspecific variability among extant and extinct species reinforces the incomparability of the species unit. Lacertidae is an example where extant species recognised and defined based on a number of delimitation criteria show comparable and consistent intraspecific osteological variability. Here, as well as in equivalent cases, application of those skeletal dissimilarity values to palaeontological species delimitation potentially provides a way to ameliorate inconsistencies created by the use of morphology to define species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emanuel Tschopp
- Universität Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany.,Division of Paleontology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, USA.,Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Università di Torino, Italy.,GeoBioTec, NOVA School of Science and Technology, NOVA University Lisbon, Caparica, Portugal
| | - James G Napoli
- Division of Paleontology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, USA.,Richard Gilder Graduate School, American Museum of Natural History, New York, USA
| | | | - Massimo Delfino
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Università di Torino, Italy.,Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Paul Upchurch
- Department of Earth Sciences, University College London, London, UK
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45
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Conith AJ, Albertson RC. The cichlid oral and pharyngeal jaws are evolutionarily and genetically coupled. Nat Commun 2021; 12:5477. [PMID: 34531386 PMCID: PMC8445992 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-25755-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2021] [Accepted: 08/30/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Evolutionary constraints may significantly bias phenotypic change, while "breaking" from such constraints can lead to expanded ecological opportunity. Ray-finned fishes have broken functional constraints by developing two jaws (oral-pharyngeal), decoupling prey capture (oral jaw) from processing (pharyngeal jaw). It is hypothesized that the oral and pharyngeal jaws represent independent evolutionary modules and this facilitated diversification in feeding architectures. Here we test this hypothesis in African cichlids. Contrary to our expectation, we find integration between jaws at multiple evolutionary levels. Next, we document integration at the genetic level, and identify a candidate gene, smad7, within a pleiotropic locus for oral and pharyngeal jaw shape that exhibits correlated expression between the two tissues. Collectively, our data show that African cichlid evolutionary success has occurred within the context of a coupled jaw system, an attribute that may be driving adaptive evolution in this iconic group by facilitating rapid shifts between foraging habitats, providing an advantage in a stochastic environment such as the East African Rift-Valley.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew J Conith
- Biology Department, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA.
| | - R Craig Albertson
- Biology Department, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA.
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46
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Zelditch ML, Goswami A. What does modularity mean? Evol Dev 2021; 23:377-403. [PMID: 34464501 DOI: 10.1111/ede.12390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2020] [Revised: 06/25/2021] [Accepted: 08/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Modularity is now generally recognized as a fundamental feature of organisms, one that may have profound consequences for evolution. Modularity has recently become a major focus of research in organismal biology across multiple disciplines including genetics, developmental biology, functional morphology, population and evolutionary biology. While the wealth of new data, and also new theory, has provided exciting and novel insights, the concept of modularity has become increasingly ambiguous. That ambiguity is underlain by diverse intuitions about what modularity means, and the ambiguity is not merely about the meaning of the word-the metrics of modularity are measuring different properties and the methods for delimiting modules delimit them by different, sometimes conflicting criteria. The many definitions, metrics and methods can lead to substantial confusion not just about what modularity means as a word but also about what it means for evolution. Here we review various concepts, using graphical depictions of modules. We then review some of the metrics and methods for analyzing modularity at different levels. To place these in theoretical context, we briefly review theories about the origins and evolutionary consequences of modularity. Finally, we show how mismatches between concepts, metrics and methods can produce theoretical confusion, and how potentially illogical interpretations can be made sensible by a better match between definitions, metrics, and methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miriam L Zelditch
- Museum of Paleontology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
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47
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Melstrom KM, Angielczyk KD, Ritterbush KA, Irmis RB. The limits of convergence: the roles of phylogeny and dietary ecology in shaping non-avian amniote crania. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2021; 8:202145. [PMID: 34540239 PMCID: PMC8441121 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.202145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Accepted: 08/17/2021] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Cranial morphology is remarkably varied in living amniotes and the diversity of shapes is thought to correspond with feeding ecology, a relationship repeatedly demonstrated at smaller phylogenetic scales, but one that remains untested across amniote phylogeny. Using a combination of morphometric methods, we investigate the links between phylogenetic relationships, diet and skull shape in an expansive dataset of extant toothed amniotes: mammals, lepidosaurs and crocodylians. We find that both phylogeny and dietary ecology have statistically significant effects on cranial shape. The three major clades largely partition morphospace with limited overlap. Dietary generalists often occupy clade-specific central regions of morphospace. Some parallel changes in cranial shape occur in clades with distinct evolutionary histories but similar diets. However, members of a given clade often present distinct cranial shape solutions for a given diet, and the vast majority of species retain the unique aspects of their ancestral skull plan, underscoring the limits of morphological convergence due to ecology in amniotes. These data demonstrate that certain cranial shapes may provide functional advantages suited to particular dietary ecologies, but accounting for both phylogenetic history and ecology can provide a more nuanced approach to inferring the ecology and functional morphology of cryptic or extinct amniotes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keegan M. Melstrom
- Dinosaur Institute, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, 900 W Exposition Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90007, USA
- Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Utah, 115 S 1460 E, Salt Lake City, UT 84112-0102, USA
- Natural History Museum of Utah, University of Utah, 301 Wakara Way, Salt Lake City, UT 84108-1214, USA
| | - Kenneth D. Angielczyk
- Negaunee Integrative Research Center, Field Museum of Natural History, 1400 South Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL 60605-2496, USA
| | - Kathleen A. Ritterbush
- Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Utah, 115 S 1460 E, Salt Lake City, UT 84112-0102, USA
| | - Randall B. Irmis
- Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Utah, 115 S 1460 E, Salt Lake City, UT 84112-0102, USA
- Natural History Museum of Utah, University of Utah, 301 Wakara Way, Salt Lake City, UT 84108-1214, USA
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48
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Rolfe S, Pieper S, Porto A, Diamond K, Winchester J, Shan S, Kirveslahti H, Boyer D, Summers A, Maga AM. SlicerMorph: An open and extensible platform to retrieve, visualize and analyse 3D morphology. Methods Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.13669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sara Rolfe
- Friday Harbor Marine LaboratoriesUniversity of Washington San Juan WA USA
- Seattle Children's Research Institute Center for Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine Seattle WA USA
| | | | - Arthur Porto
- Department of Biological Sciences Louisiana State University Baton Rouge LA USA
- Center for Computation and Technology Louisiana State University Baton Rouge LA USA
| | - Kelly Diamond
- Seattle Children's Research Institute Center for Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine Seattle WA USA
| | - Julie Winchester
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology Duke University Durham NC USA
| | - Shan Shan
- Department of Mathematics Mount Holyoke College South Hadley MA USA
| | | | - Doug Boyer
- Department of Biological Sciences Louisiana State University Baton Rouge LA USA
| | - Adam Summers
- Friday Harbor Marine LaboratoriesUniversity of Washington San Juan WA USA
| | - A. Murat Maga
- Seattle Children's Research Institute Center for Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine Seattle WA USA
- Department of Pediatrics Division of Craniofacial Medicine University of Washington Seattle WA USA
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49
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Felice RN, Pol D, Goswami A. Complex macroevolutionary dynamics underly the evolution of the crocodyliform skull. Proc Biol Sci 2021; 288:20210919. [PMID: 34256005 PMCID: PMC8277476 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.0919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
All modern crocodyliforms (alligators, crocodiles and the gharial) are semi-aquatic generalist carnivores that are relatively similar in cranial form and function. However, this homogeneity represents just a fraction of the variation that once existed in the clade, which includes extinct herbivorous and marine forms with divergent skull structure and function. Here, we use high-dimensional three-dimensional geometric morphometrics to quantify whole-skull morphology across modern and fossil crocodyliforms to untangle the factors that shaped the macroevolutionary history and relatively low phenotypic variation of this clade through time. Evolutionary modelling demonstrates that the pace of crocodyliform cranial evolution is initially high, particularly in the extinct Notosuchia, but slows near the base of Neosuchia, with a late burst of rapid evolution in crown-group crocodiles. Surprisingly, modern crocodiles, especially Australian, southeast Asian, Indo-Pacific species, have high rates of evolution, despite exhibiting low variation. Thus, extant lineages are not in evolutionary stasis but rather have rapidly fluctuated within a limited region of morphospace, resulting in significant convergence. The structures related to jaw closing and bite force production (e.g. pterygoid flange and quadrate) are highly variable, reinforcing the importance of function in driving phenotypic variation. Together, these findings illustrate that the apparent conservativeness of crocodyliform skulls betrays unappreciated complexity in their macroevolutionary dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan N Felice
- Centre for Integrative Anatomy, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, London, UK.,Department of Life Sciences, The Natural History Museum, London, UK
| | - Diego Pol
- CONICET, Museo Paleontológico Egidio Feruglio, Trelew 9100, Chubut, Argentina
| | - Anjali Goswami
- Department of Life Sciences, The Natural History Museum, London, UK
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50
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Huntley LC, Gower DJ, Sampaio FL, Collins ES, Goswami A, Fabre A. Intraspecific morphological variation in the shieldtail snake
Rhinophis philippinus
(Serpentes: Uropeltidae), with particular reference to tail‐shield and cranial 3D geometric morphometrics. J ZOOL SYST EVOL RES 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/jzs.12505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lucy C. Huntley
- Department of Life Sciences The Natural History Museum London UK
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment University College London London UK
| | - David J. Gower
- Department of Life Sciences The Natural History Museum London UK
| | - Filipa L. Sampaio
- Department of Life Sciences The Natural History Museum London UK
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment University College London London UK
| | - Ellen S. Collins
- Department of Life Sciences The Natural History Museum London UK
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences University of Sheffield Sheffield UK
| | - Anjali Goswami
- Department of Life Sciences The Natural History Museum London UK
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