1
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Tada S, Tsuihiji T, Matsumoto R, Hanai T, Iwami Y, Tomita N, Sato H, Tsogtbaatar K. Evolutionary process toward avian-like cephalic thermoregulation system in Theropoda elucidated based on nasal structures. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2023; 10:220997. [PMID: 37063996 PMCID: PMC10090882 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.220997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
It has long been discussed whether non-avian dinosaurs were physiologically closer to ectotherms or endotherms, with the internal nasal structure called the respiratory turbinate present in extant endotherms having been regarded as an important clue for this conundrum. However, the physiological function and relevance of this structure for dinosaur physiology are still controversial. Here, we found that the size of the nasal cavity relative to the head size of extant endotherms is larger than those of extant ectotherms, with that of the dromaeosaurid Velociraptor being below the extant endotherms level. The result suggests that a large nasal cavity accommodating a well-developed respiratory turbinate is primarily important as a thermoregulation apparatus for large brains characteristic of endothermic birds and mammals, and the nasal cavity of Velociraptor was apparently not large enough to carry out this role required for an endothermic-sized brain. In addition, a hypothesis that the enlargement of the nasal cavity for brain cooling has been associated with the skull modification in the theropod lineage toward modern birds is proposed herein. In particular, the reduction of the maxilla in derived avialans may have coincided with acquisition of the avian-like cephalic thermoregulation system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seishiro Tada
- Department of Geology and Paleontology, National Museum of Nature and Science, 4-1-1 Amakubo, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0005, Japan
- Department of Earth and Planetary Science, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Takanobu Tsuihiji
- Department of Geology and Paleontology, National Museum of Nature and Science, 4-1-1 Amakubo, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0005, Japan
- Department of Earth and Planetary Science, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Ryoko Matsumoto
- Department of Zoology, Kanagawa Prefectural Museum of Natural History, 499 Iryuda, Odawara, Kanagawa 250-0031, Japan
| | - Tomoya Hanai
- Department of Earth and Planetary Science, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Yasuko Iwami
- Yamashina Institute for Ornithology, 115 Konoyama, Abiko, Chiba 270-1145, Japan
| | - Naoki Tomita
- Yamashina Institute for Ornithology, 115 Konoyama, Abiko, Chiba 270-1145, Japan
| | - Hideaki Sato
- Department of Earth and Planetary Science, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
- The University Museum, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Khishigjav Tsogtbaatar
- Institute of Paleontology and Geology, Mongolian Academy of Sciences, 15160 Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
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2
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Nabavizadeh A. How Triceratops got its face: An update on the functional evolution of the ceratopsian head. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2023. [PMID: 36883781 DOI: 10.1002/ar.25196] [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: 07/12/2022] [Revised: 02/22/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2023]
Abstract
Ceratopsian dinosaurs arguably show some of the most extravagant external cranial morphology across all Dinosauria. For over a century, ceratopsian dinosaurs have inspired a multitude of cranial functional studies as more discoveries continued to depict a larger picture of the enormous diversity of these animals. The iconic horns and bony frills in many ceratopsians portray a plethora of shapes, sizes, and arrangements across taxa, and their overall feeding apparatus show the development of unique specializations previously unseen in large herbivores. Here, I give a brief updated review of the many functional studies investigating different aspects of the ceratopsian head. The functional role of the horns and bony frills is explored, with an overview of studies investigating their potential for weaponization or defense in either intraspecific or anti-predatory combat, among other things. A review of studies pertaining to the ceratopsian feeding apparatus is also presented here, with analyses of studies exploring their beak and snout morphology, dentition and tooth wear, cranial musculature with associated skull anatomy, and feeding biomechanics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali Nabavizadeh
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
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3
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Barker CT, Naish D, Trend J, Michels LV, Witmer L, Ridgley R, Rankin K, Clarkin CE, Schneider P, Gostling NJ. Modified skulls but conservative brains? The palaeoneurology and endocranial anatomy of baryonychine dinosaurs (Theropoda: Spinosauridae). J Anat 2023; 242:1124-1145. [PMID: 36781174 PMCID: PMC10184548 DOI: 10.1111/joa.13837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Revised: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 02/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The digital reconstruction of neurocranial endocasts has elucidated the gross brain structure and potential ecological attributes of many fossil taxa, including Irritator, a spinosaurine spinosaurid from the "mid" Cretaceous (Aptian) of Brazil. With unexceptional hearing capabilities, this taxon was inferred to integrate rapid and controlled pitch-down movements of the head that perhaps aided in the predation of small and agile prey such as fish. However, the neuroanatomy of baryonychine spinosaurids remains to be described, and potentially informs on the condition of early spinosaurids. Using micro-computed tomographic scanning (μCT), we reconstruct the braincase endocasts of Baryonyx walkeri and Ceratosuchops inferodios from the Wealden Supergroup (Lower Cretaceous) of England. We show that the gross endocranial morphology is similar to other non-maniraptoriform theropods, and corroborates previous observations of overall endocranial conservatism amongst more basal theropods. Several differences of unknown taxonomic utility are noted between the pair. Baryonychine neurosensory capabilities include low-frequency hearing and unexceptional olfaction, whilst the differing morphology of the floccular lobe tentatively suggests less developed gaze stabilisation mechanisms relative to spinosaurines. Given the morphological similarities observed with other basal tetanurans, baryonychines likely possessed comparable behavioural sophistication, suggesting that the transition from terrestrial hypercarnivorous ancestors to semi-aquatic "generalists" during the evolution of Spinosauridae did not require substantial modification of the brain and sensory systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chris Tijani Barker
- Institute for Life Sciences, University of Southampton, University Road, Southampton, UK.,Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, University of Southampton, University Road, Southampton, UK
| | - Darren Naish
- School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Environment and Life Sciences, University of Southampton, University Road, Southampton, UK
| | - Jacob Trend
- School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Environment and Life Sciences, University of Southampton, University Road, Southampton, UK
| | - Lysanne Veerle Michels
- School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Environment and Life Sciences, University of Southampton, University Road, Southampton, UK
| | - Lawrence Witmer
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine, Ohio Center for Ecology and Evolutionary Studies, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio, USA
| | - Ryan Ridgley
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine, Ohio Center for Ecology and Evolutionary Studies, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio, USA
| | - Katy Rankin
- μ-VIS X-ray Imaging Centre, Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Claire E Clarkin
- School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Environment and Life Sciences, University of Southampton, University Road, Southampton, UK
| | - Philipp Schneider
- Bioengineering Science Research Group, Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.,High-Performance Vision Systems, Center for Vision, Automation and Control, AIT Austrian Institute of Technology, Vienna, Austria
| | - Neil J Gostling
- Institute for Life Sciences, University of Southampton, University Road, Southampton, UK.,School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Environment and Life Sciences, University of Southampton, University Road, Southampton, UK
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4
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Rice EA, Lewis TR, Griffin RK, Grant PBC. Heads nods and boat bobs: Behavior of
Iguana iguana
is affected by environment and boat traffic in riparian tropical forest. Biotropica 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.13136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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5
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O'Brien F, Staunton CA, Barrett-Jolley R. Systemic application of the transient receptor potential vanilloid-type 4 antagonist GSK2193874 induces tail vasodilation in a mouse model of thermoregulation. Biol Lett 2022; 18:20220129. [PMID: 35702981 PMCID: PMC9198786 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2022.0129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In humans, skin is a primary thermoregulatory organ, with vasodilation leading to rapid body cooling, whereas in Rodentia the tail performs an analogous function. Many thermodetection mechanisms are likely to be involved including transient receptor potential vanilloid-type 4 (TRPV4), an ion channel with thermosensitive properties. Previous studies have shown that TRPV4 is a vasodilator by local action in blood vessels, so here, we investigated whether constitutive TRPV4 activity affects Mus muscularis tail vascular tone and thermoregulation. We measured tail blood flow by pressure plethysmography in lightly sedated M. muscularis (CD1 strain) at a range of ambient temperatures, with and without intraperitoneal administration of the blood-brain barrier crossing TRPV4 antagonist GSK2193874. We also measured heart rate (HR) and blood pressure. As expected for a thermoregulatory organ, we found that tail blood flow increased with temperature. However, unexpectedly, we found that GSK2193874 increased tail blood flow at all temperatures, and we observed changes in HR variability. Since local TRPV4 activation causes vasodilation that would increase tail blood flow, these data suggest that increases in tail blood flow resulting from the TRPV4 antagonist may arise from a site other than the blood vessels themselves, perhaps in central cardiovascular control centres.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fiona O'Brien
- Department of Musculoskeletal Ageing, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L7 8TX, UK
| | - Caroline A. Staunton
- Department of Musculoskeletal Ageing, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L7 8TX, UK
| | - Richard Barrett-Jolley
- Department of Musculoskeletal Ageing, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L7 8TX, UK
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6
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Cerroni MA, Canale JI, Novas FE, Paulina‐Carabajal A. An exceptional neurovascular system in abelisaurid theropod skull: New evidence from Skorpiovenator bustingorryi. J Anat 2022; 240:612-626. [PMID: 32569442 PMCID: PMC8930818 DOI: 10.1111/joa.13258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2020] [Revised: 05/03/2020] [Accepted: 05/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Abelisaurids were one of the most successful theropod dinosaurs during Cretaceous times. They are featured by numerous derived skull traits, such as heavily ornamented bones, short and tall snout, and a strongly thickened cranial roof. Furthermore, nasals are distinctive on having two distinct nasal patterns: strongly transversely convex and heavily sculptured (e.g., Carnotaurus), and transversely concave, with marked bilateral crests and poorly sculptured surfaces (e.g., Rugops). Independently of the pattern, some abelisaurid nasals (e.g., Rugops) show a distinctive row of large foramina on the dorsal surface, which were in general associated to skin structures (scales). Skorpiovenator bustingorryi is a derived abelisaurid coming from the upper Cretaceous beds of northwestern Patagonia, represented by an almost complete skeleton including a well-preserved skull. Particularly, the skull of Skorpiovenator shows nasal bones characterized by being transversely concave, rimmed by lateral crests and with a conspicuous row of foramina on the dorsal surface. But more interesting is that the skull roof also exhibits a row of large foramina that seem to be continuous with the previous nasal foramina. CT scans made on the skull corroborates a novel feature within theropods: the nasal foramina on the external surface are linked to an internal canal that runs across the nasal bones. We compared this feature with CT scans of Carnotaurus and revealed that it also possess an internal system as in Skorpiovenator, but being notably smaller. The symmetry and disposition of the foramina in the nasal and skull roof bones of Skorpiovenator would indicate a neurovascular correlate (i.e., blood vessels and nerves), probably to the lateral nasal and supraorbital vessels and the trigeminal nerve. The biological significance of such neurovascular system can be conjectured from several hypotheses. A possible one involves an enhanced blood volume in these bones linked to a zone of thermal exchange, which may help avoid overheat of encephalic tissues. Another plausible hypothesis takes into account the presence of display skin structures in which blood volume nourished the mineralized skin, which would have a role in intraspecific communication. However, other more speculative explanations should not be discarded such as a correlation with integumentary sensory organs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mauricio A. Cerroni
- Laboratorio de Anatomía Comparada y Evolución de los VertebradosMuseo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales “Bernardino Rivadavia”, CONICETBuenos AiresArgentina
| | - Juan I. Canale
- Área Laboratorio e InvestigaciónMuseo Paleontológico “Ernesto Bachmann”, CONICETVilla El Chocón NeuquénArgentina
| | - Fernando E. Novas
- Laboratorio de Anatomía Comparada y Evolución de los VertebradosMuseo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales “Bernardino Rivadavia”, CONICETBuenos AiresArgentina
| | - Ariana Paulina‐Carabajal
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente (CONICET‐Universidad Nacional del Comahue), CONICETSan Carlos de BarilocheArgentina
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7
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Schade M, Stumpf S, Kriwet J, Kettler C, Pfaff C. Neuroanatomy of the nodosaurid Struthiosaurus austriacus (Dinosauria: Thyreophora) supports potential ecological differentiations within Ankylosauria. Sci Rep 2022; 12:144. [PMID: 34996895 PMCID: PMC8741922 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-03599-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2021] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Nodosauridae is a group of thyreophoran dinosaurs characterized by a collar of prominent osteoderms. In comparison to its sister group, the often club-tailed ankylosaurids, a different lifestyle of nodosaurids could be assumed based on their neuroanatomy and weaponry, e.g., regarding applied defensive strategies. The holotype of the nodosaurid Struthiosaurus austriacus consists of a single partial braincase from the Late Cretaceous of Austria. Since neuroanatomy is considered to be associated with ecological tendencies, we created digital models of the braincase based on micro-CT data. The cranial endocast of S. austriacus generally resembles those of its relatives. A network of vascular canals surrounding the brain cavity further supports special thermoregulatory adaptations within Ankylosauria. The horizontal orientation of the lateral semicircular canal independently confirms previous appraisals of head posture for S. austriacus and, hence, strengthens the usage of the LSC as proxy for habitual head posture in fossil tetrapods. The short anterior and angular lateral semicircular canals, combined with the relatively shortest dinosaurian cochlear duct known so far and the lack of a floccular recess suggest a rather inert lifestyle without the necessity of sophisticated senses for equilibrium and hearing in S. austriacus. These observations agree with an animal that adapted to a comparatively inactive lifestyle with limited social interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Schade
- Institute of Geography and Geology, Palaeontology and Historical Geology, University of Greifswald, 17489, Greifswald, Germany. .,Zoological Institute and Museum, Cytology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Greifswald, 17489, Greifswald, Germany. .,Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Palaeontology and Geobiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, 80333, Munich, Germany.
| | - Sebastian Stumpf
- Department of Palaeontology, Faculty of Earth Sciences, Geography and Astronomy, University of Vienna, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Jürgen Kriwet
- Department of Palaeontology, Faculty of Earth Sciences, Geography and Astronomy, University of Vienna, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Christoph Kettler
- Department of Geology, Faculty of Earth Sciences, Geography and Astronomy, University of Vienna, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Cathrin Pfaff
- Department of Palaeontology, Faculty of Earth Sciences, Geography and Astronomy, University of Vienna, 1090, Vienna, Austria.
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8
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Chiarenza AA, Mannion PD, Farnsworth A, Carrano MT, Varela S. Climatic constraints on the biogeographic history of Mesozoic dinosaurs. Curr Biol 2021; 32:570-585.e3. [PMID: 34921764 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.11.061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Revised: 11/15/2021] [Accepted: 11/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Dinosaurs dominated Mesozoic terrestrial ecosystems globally. However, whereas a pole-to-pole geographic distribution characterized ornithischians and theropods, sauropods were restricted to lower latitudes. Here, we evaluate the role of climate in shaping these biogeographic patterns through the Jurassic-Cretaceous (201-66 mya), combining dinosaur fossil occurrences, past climate data from Earth System models, and habitat suitability modeling. Results show that, uniquely among dinosaurs, sauropods occupied climatic niches characterized by high temperatures and strongly bounded by minimum cold temperatures. This constrained the distribution and dispersal pathways of sauropods to tropical areas, excluding them from latitudinal extremes, especially in the Northern Hemisphere. The greater availability of suitable habitat in the southern continents, particularly in the Late Cretaceous, might be key to explaining the high diversity of sauropods there, relative to northern landmasses. Given that ornithischians and theropods show a flattened or bimodal latitudinal biodiversity gradient, with peaks at higher latitudes, the closer correspondence of sauropods to a subtropical concentration could hint at fundamental thermophysiological differences to the other two clades.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alfio Alessandro Chiarenza
- Grupo de Ecología Animal, Centro de Investigacion Mariña, Universidade de Vigo, Campus Lagoas-Marcosende, Vigo 36310, Spain; Department of Earth Science and Engineering, Imperial College London, Prince Consort Road, London SW7 2BP, UK; Department of Earth Sciences, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK.
| | - Philip D Mannion
- Department of Earth Sciences, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK.
| | - Alex Farnsworth
- School of Geographical Sciences, University of Bristol, University Road, Bristol BS8 1RL, UK; State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Resources and Environment (TPESRE), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Matthew T Carrano
- Department of Paleobiology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, P.O. Box 37012, MRC 121, Washington, DC 20013-7012, USA.
| | - Sara Varela
- Grupo de Ecología Animal, Centro de Investigacion Mariña, Universidade de Vigo, Campus Lagoas-Marcosende, Vigo 36310, Spain
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9
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Bowman CIW, Young MT, Schwab JA, Walsh S, Witmer LM, Herrera Y, Choiniere J, Dollman KN, Brusatte SL. Rostral neurovasculature indicates sensory trade-offs in Mesozoic pelagic crocodylomorphs. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2021; 305:2654-2669. [PMID: 34428341 DOI: 10.1002/ar.24733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2021] [Revised: 06/09/2021] [Accepted: 06/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Metriorhynchoid thalattosuchians were a marine clade of Mesozoic crocodylomorphs that evolved from semi-aquatic, "gharial"-like species into the obligately pelagic subclade Metriorhynchidae. To explore whether the sensory and physiological demands of underwater life necessitates a shift in rostral anatomy, both in neurology and vasculature, we investigate the trigeminal innervation and potential somatosensory abilities of metriorhynchoids by digitally segmenting the rostral neurovascular canals in CT scans of 10 extant and extinct crocodyliforms. The dataset includes the terrestrial, basal crocodyliform Protosuchus haughtoni, two semi-aquatic basal metriorhynchoids, four pelagic metriorhynchids and three extant, semi-aquatic crocodylians. In the crocodylian and basal metriorhynchoid taxa, we find three main neurovascular channels running parallel to one another posteroanteriorly down the length of the snout, whereas in metriorhynchids there are two, and in P. haughtoni only one. Crocodylians appear to be unique in their extensive trigeminal innervation, which is used to supply the integumentary sensory organs (ISOs) involved with their facial somatosensory abilities. Crocodylians have a far higher number of foramina on the maxillary bones than either metriorhynchoids or P. haughtoni, suggesting that the fossil taxa lacked the somatosensory abilities seen in extant species. We posit that the lack of ISO osteological correlates in metriorhynchoids is due to their basal position in Crocodyliformes, rather than a pelagic adaptation. This is reinforced by the hypothesis that extant crocodyliforms, and possibly some neosuchian clades, underwent a long "nocturnal bottleneck"-hinting that their complex network of ISOs evolved in Neosuchia, as a sensory trade-off to compensate for poorer eyesight.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mark T Young
- School of GeoSciences, Grant Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Julia A Schwab
- School of GeoSciences, Grant Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Stig Walsh
- Department of Natural Sciences, National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Lawrence M Witmer
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine, Ohio Center for Ecology and Evolutionary Studies, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio, USA
| | - Yanina Herrera
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, División Paleontología Vertebrados, Museo de La Plata, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Jonah Choiniere
- Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Kathleen N Dollman
- Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Stephen L Brusatte
- School of GeoSciences, Grant Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
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10
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Liao CC, Moore A, Jin C, Yang TR, Shibata M, Jin F, Wang B, Jin D, Guo Y, Xu X. A possible brachiosaurid (Dinosauria, Sauropoda) from the mid-Cretaceous of northeastern China. PeerJ 2021; 9:e11957. [PMID: 34484987 PMCID: PMC8381880 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.11957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2021] [Accepted: 07/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Brachiosauridae is a lineage of titanosauriform sauropods that includes some of the most iconic non-avian dinosaurs. Undisputed brachiosaurid fossils are known from the Late Jurassic through the Early Cretaceous of North America, Africa, and Europe, but proposed occurrences outside this range have proven controversial. Despite occasional suggestions that brachiosaurids dispersed into Asia, to date no fossils have provided convincing evidence for a pan-Laurasian distribution for the clade, and the failure to discover brachiosaurid fossils in the well-sampled sauropod-bearing horizons of the Early Cretaceous of Asia has been taken to evidence their genuine absence from the continent. Here we report on an isolated sauropod maxilla from the middle Cretaceous (Albian-Cenomanian) Longjing Formation of the Yanji basin of northeast China. Although the specimen preserves limited morphological information, it exhibits axially twisted dentition, a shared derived trait otherwise known only in brachiosaurids. Referral of the specimen to the Brachiosauridae receives support from phylogenetic analysis under both equal and implied weights parsimony, providing the most convincing evidence to date that brachiosaurids dispersed into Asia at some point in their evolutionary history. Inclusion in our phylogenetic analyses of an isolated sauropod dentary from the same site, for which an association with the maxilla is possible but uncertain, does not substantively alter these results. We consider several paleobiogeographic scenarios that could account for the occurrence of a middle Cretaceous Asian brachiosaurid, including dispersal from either North America or Europe during the Early Cretaceous. The identification of a brachiosaurid in the Longshan fauna, and the paleobiogeographic histories that could account for its presence there, are hypotheses that can be tested with continued study and excavation of fossils from the Longjing Formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun-Chi Liao
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Beijing, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Beijing, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, Beijing, China
| | - Andrew Moore
- Department of Anatomical Sciences, Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, NY, USA
| | - Changzhu Jin
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Beijing, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Beijing, Beijing, China
| | - Tzu-Ruei Yang
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Beijing, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Beijing, Beijing, China
| | - Masateru Shibata
- Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum, Fukui, Japan
- Institute of Dinosaur Research, Fukui Prefectural University, Fukui, Japan
| | - Feng Jin
- Yanji Municipal Bureau of Land and Resources, Yanji, China
- Yanji Paleontological Research Centre, Yanji, China
- Yanji Dinosaur Museum, Yanji, China
| | - Bing Wang
- Yanji Municipal Bureau of Land and Resources, Yanji, China
- Yanji Paleontological Research Centre, Yanji, China
- Yanji Dinosaur Museum, Yanji, China
| | - Dongchun Jin
- Yanji Municipal Bureau of Land and Resources, Yanji, China
- Yanji Paleontological Research Centre, Yanji, China
- Yanji Dinosaur Museum, Yanji, China
| | - Yu Guo
- The Geological Museum of China, Beijing, Beijing, China
| | - Xing Xu
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Beijing, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Beijing, Beijing, China
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11
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Cowgill T, Young MT, Schwab JA, Walsh S, Witmer LM, Herrera Y, Dollman KN, Choiniere JN, Brusatte SL. Paranasal sinus system and upper respiratory tract evolution in Mesozoic pelagic crocodylomorphs. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2021; 305:2583-2603. [PMID: 34398508 DOI: 10.1002/ar.24727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2021] [Revised: 06/03/2021] [Accepted: 06/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Thalattosuchians were a predominately marine clade of Mesozoic crocodylomorphs, including semi-aquatic teleosauroid and obligately pelagic metriorhynchid subclades. Recent advances in our understanding of thalattosuchian endocranial anatomy have revealed new details of the evolutionary transition from terrestrial to marine to pelagic taxa. Paranasal sinuses, however, have received little attention. Herein, we investigate the evolution of the paranasal sinus system and part of the upper respiratory system (nasopharyngeal ducts) in Thalattosuchia, by reconstructing the nasal and paranasal anatomy in CT scans of seven thalattosuchian skulls: one teleosauroid, two basal metriorhynchoids and four metriorhynchids. Our outgroups were: three extant crocodylian species (including adult and subadult skulls) and the basal crocodyliform Protosuchus. We found thalattosuchians exhibit exceptionally reduced paranasal sinus systems, solely comprising the antorbital sinus, as has been previously proposed. The semi-aquatic basal thalattosuchians Palgiopthalmosuchus gracilirostris and Pelagosaurus typus both have an antorbital sinus partially located medial to a reduced external antorbital fenestra and broadly communicating with the dorsal alveolar canal. In pelagic metriorhynchids, the antorbital cavity is more extensive than in basal taxa and possibly had an active function associated with a hypothesized accessory suborbital diverticulum, but our reconstructions are insufficient to confirm or reject the presence of such a diverticulum. The nasopharyngeal ducts of metriorhynchids are dorsoventrally enlarged, possibly enabling stronger ventilation. The sequence of acquisition of craniofacial adaptations show a mosaic pattern and appears to predate many skeletal adaptations, suggesting these changes occurred early in the thalattosuchian marine transition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Cowgill
- School of GeoSciences, Grant Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Mark T Young
- School of GeoSciences, Grant Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Julia A Schwab
- School of GeoSciences, Grant Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Stig Walsh
- Department of Natural Sciences, National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Lawrence M Witmer
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio, USA
| | - Yanina Herrera
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, División Paleontología Vertebrados, Museo de La Plata, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, UNLP, La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Kathleen N Dollman
- Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Jonah N Choiniere
- Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Stephen L Brusatte
- School of GeoSciences, Grant Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
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12
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Evidence from Tarentola mauritanica (Gekkota: Phyllodactylidae) helps validate thermography as a tool to infer internal body temperatures of lizards. J Therm Biol 2020; 93:102700. [PMID: 33077121 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2020.102700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2020] [Revised: 07/30/2020] [Accepted: 08/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Infrared (IR) thermal imaging has become an increasingly popular tool to measure body temperature of animals. The high-resolution data it provides with short lag and minimum disturbance makes it an appealing tool when studying reptile thermal ecology. However, due to the common phenomenon of regional heterothermy and surface-to-core temperature gradients, it is essential to select the appropriate body part to measure and provide calibrations to accurately infer internal body temperatures. This work follows from a previous study on lacertid lizards to assess the reliability of thermography-measured body temperatures, from several body locations, as a proxy for internal body temperature in lizards. This study focuses on the Moorish gecko, Tarentola mauritanica, due to its distant phylogenetic relationship and its different ecology and morphology from the previously tested species. A total of 60 adult geckos of both sexes and of a range of sizes were tested in thermal gradients and subjected to a sequence of randomly assorted treatments of heating and cooling. The temperatures of the animals were periodically measured with a thermal camera at six different body parts and, immediately after, the cloacal temperature was then measured with a thermocouple probe. Body parts' temperatures, obtained thermographically, were regressed against cloacal temperature using OLS regression and the pairwise correlations were tested using Spearman coefficients. Relationships among all body parts and between all body parts and the cloaca were strong in all cases (R2 > 0.87, Spearman Correlation > 0.95). The observed pattern was very similar to those previously obtained from lacertid lizards. Ultimately, the eye proved to provide the best overall proxy for internal temperature, when accounting for both the slope and intercept of the regression. Hence, this study provides further support for the establishment of the eye as the standard location to infer internal body temperatures of lizards through thermography.
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13
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Škop V, Liu N, Guo J, Gavrilova O, Reitman ML. The contribution of the mouse tail to thermoregulation is modest. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 2020; 319:E438-E446. [PMID: 32691633 PMCID: PMC7473913 DOI: 10.1152/ajpendo.00133.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Understanding mouse thermal physiology informs the usefulness of mice as models of human disease. It is widely assumed that the mouse tail contributes greatly to heat loss (as it does in rat), but this has not been quantitated. We studied C57BL/6J mice after tail amputation. Tailless mice housed at 22°C did not differ from littermate controls in body weight, lean or fat content, or energy expenditure. With acute changes in ambient temperature from 19 to 39°C, tailless and control mice demonstrated similar body temperatures (Tb), metabolic rates, and heat conductances and no difference in thermoneutral point. Treatment with prazosin, an α1-adrenergic antagonist and vasodilator, increased tail temperature in control mice by up to 4.8 ± 0.8°C. Comparing prazosin treatment in tailless and control mice suggested that the tail's contribution to total heat loss was a nonsignificant 3.4%. Major heat stress produced by treatment at 30°C with CL316243, a β3-adrenergic agonist, increased metabolic rate and Tb and, at a matched increase in metabolic rate, the tailless mice showed a 0.72 ± 0.14°C greater Tb increase and 7.6% lower whole body heat conductance. Thus, the mouse tail is a useful biomarker of vasodilation and thermoregulation, but in our experiments contributes only 5-8% of whole body heat dissipation, less than the 17% reported for rat. Heat dissipation through the tail is important under extreme scenarios such as pharmacological activation of brown adipose tissue; however, non-tail contributions to heat loss may have been underestimated in the mouse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vojtěch Škop
- Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Obesity Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Naili Liu
- Mouse Metabolism Core, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Juen Guo
- Laboratory of Biological Modeling, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Oksana Gavrilova
- Mouse Metabolism Core, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Marc L Reitman
- Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Obesity Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
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14
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Kuzmin I, Petrov I, Averianov A, Boitsova E, Skutschas P, Sues HD. The braincase of Bissektipelta archibaldi — new insights into endocranial osteology, vasculature, and paleoneurobiology of ankylosaurian dinosaurs. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2020. [DOI: 10.21638/spbu03.2020.201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
We describe in detail three braincases of the ankylosaur Bissektipelta archibaldi from the Late Cretaceous (Turonian) of Uzbekistan with the aid of computed tomography, segmentation, and 3D modeling. Bissektipelta archibaldi is confirmed as a valid taxon and attributed to Ankylosaurinae based on the results of a phylogenetic analysis. The topographic relationships between the elements forming the braincase are determined using a newly referred specimen with preserved sutures, which is an exceedingly rare condition for ankylosaurs. The mesethmoid appears to be a separate ossification in the newly referred specimen ZIN PH 281/16. We revise and discuss features of the neurocranial osteology in Ankylosauria and propose new diagnostic characters for a number of its subclades. We present a 3D model of the braincase vasculature of Bissektipelta and comment on vascular patterns of armored dinosaurs. A complex vascular network piercing the skull roof and the wall of the braincase is reported for ankylosaurs for the first time. We imply the presence of a lepidosaur-like dorsal head vein and the venous parietal sinus in the adductor cavity of Bissektipelta. We suggest that the presence of the dorsal head vein in dinosaurs is a plesiomorphic diapsid trait, and extant archosaur groups independently lost the vessel. A study of two complete endocranial casts of Bissektipelta allowed us to compare endocranial anatomy within Ankylosauria and infer an extremely developed sense of smell, a keen sense of hearing at lower frequencies (100–3000 Hz), and the presence of physiological mechanisms for precise temperature control of neurosensory tissues at least in derived ankylosaurids.
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15
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Dodson P. Generations: Tracking American Paleontology and Anatomy Over 17 Decades. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2020; 303:649-655. [PMID: 32009298 DOI: 10.1002/ar.24375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2019] [Revised: 01/07/2020] [Accepted: 01/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Peter Dodson
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.,Department of Earth and Environmental Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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16
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McKeown M, Brusatte SL, Williamson TE, Schwab JA, Carr TD, Butler IB, Muir A, Schroeder K, Espy MA, Hunter JF, Losko AS, Nelson RO, Gautier DC, Vogel SC. Neurosensory and Sinus Evolution as Tyrannosauroid Dinosaurs Developed Giant Size: Insight from the Endocranial Anatomy of Bistahieversor sealeyi. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2020; 303:1043-1059. [PMID: 31967416 DOI: 10.1002/ar.24374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2019] [Revised: 01/09/2020] [Accepted: 01/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Tyrannosaurus rex and other tyrannosaurid dinosaurs were apex predators during the latest Cretaceous, which combined giant size and advanced neurosensory systems. Computed tomography (CT) data have shown that tyrannosaurids had a trademark system of a large brain, large olfactory bulbs, elongate cochlear ducts, and expansive endocranial sinuses surrounding the brain and sense organs. Older, smaller tyrannosauroid relatives of tyrannosaurids developed some, but not all, of these features, raising the hypothesis that tyrannosaurid-style brains evolved before the enlarged tyrannosaurid-style sinuses, which might have developed only with large body size. This has been difficult to test, however, because little is known about the brains and sinuses of the first large-bodied tyrannosauroids, which evolved prior to Tyrannosauridae. We here present the first CT data for one of these species, Bistahieversor sealeyi from New Mexico. Bistahieversor had a nearly identical brain and sinus system as tyrannosaurids like Tyrannosaurus, including a large brain, large olfactory bulbs, reduced cerebral hemispheres, and optic lobes, a small tab-like flocculus, long and straight cochlear ducts, and voluminous sinuses that include a supraocciptal recess, subcondyar sinus, and an anterior tympanic recess that exits the braincase via a prootic fossa. When characters are plotted onto tyrannosauroid phylogeny, there is a two-stage sequence in which features of the tyrannosaurid-style brain evolved first (in smaller, nontyrannosaurid species like Timurlengia), followed by features of the tyrannosaurid-style sinuses (in the first large-bodied nontyrannosaurid tyrannosauroids like Bistahieversor). This suggests that the signature tyrannosaurid sinus system evolved in concert with large size, whereas the brain did not. Anat Rec, 303:1043-1059, 2020. © 2020 American Association for Anatomy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew McKeown
- School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh, Grant Institute, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Stephen L Brusatte
- School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh, Grant Institute, Edinburgh, UK
| | | | - Julia A Schwab
- School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh, Grant Institute, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Thomas D Carr
- Department of Biology, Carthage College, Kenosha, Wisconsin
| | - Ian B Butler
- School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh, Grant Institute, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Amy Muir
- School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh, Grant Institute, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Katlin Schroeder
- New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science, Albuquerque, New Mexico
| | | | | | - Adrian S Losko
- Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico.,Research Neutron Source FRM II, Technical University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | | | | | - Sven C Vogel
- Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico
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