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Kerber L, Roese-Miron L, Medina TGM, da Roberto-da-Silva L, Cabreira SF, Pretto FA. Skull anatomy and paleoneurology of a new traversodontid from the Middle-Late Triassic of Brazil. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2024; 307:791-817. [PMID: 38282563 DOI: 10.1002/ar.25385] [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: 10/16/2023] [Revised: 12/28/2023] [Accepted: 12/30/2023] [Indexed: 01/30/2024]
Abstract
Traversodontidae, a clade of gomphodont cynodonts, thrived during the Middle and Late Triassic, displaying a wide geographical distribution. During fieldwork in 2009, a new specimen was discovered in Ladinian/early Carnian stratigraphic layers in southern Brazil. Here, we describe this specimen and propose a new taxon closely related to Traversodon stahleckeri (Traversodontinae) but displaying a unique combination of traits (e.g., presence of a poorly developed suborbital process, mesiodistal length of the paracanine fossa similar to the length of the canine, short diastema between the fourth incisor and the upper canine, and coronoid process not entirely covering the distalmost lower postcanine). Furthermore, the endocranial anatomy of the new taxon was examined. The reconstruction of the cranial endocast revealed paleoneurological features consistent with non-Gomphodontosuchinae traversodontids. These features include the presence of a pineal body (but the absence of an open parietal foramen). These recent findings contribute significantly to our understanding of the evolutionary history and cranial anatomy of Middle-Late Triassic traversodontids, shedding light on the diversity and adaptations of non-mammaliaform cynodonts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonardo Kerber
- Centro de Apoio à Pesquisa Paleontológica da Quarta Colônia, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria (CAPPA/UFSM), São João do Polêsine, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biodiversidade Animal, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, Brazil
| | - Lívia Roese-Miron
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biodiversidade Animal, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, Brazil
| | - Thais G M Medina
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biodiversidade Animal, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, Brazil
| | | | | | - Flávio A Pretto
- Centro de Apoio à Pesquisa Paleontológica da Quarta Colônia, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria (CAPPA/UFSM), São João do Polêsine, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biodiversidade Animal, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, Brazil
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Kerber L, Roese-Miron L, Bubadué JM, Martinelli AG. Endocranial anatomy of the early prozostrodonts (Eucynodontia: Probainognathia) and the neurosensory evolution in mammal forerunners. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2024; 307:1442-1473. [PMID: 37017195 DOI: 10.1002/ar.25215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2022] [Revised: 03/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/09/2023] [Indexed: 04/06/2023]
Abstract
Prozostrodon brasiliensis and Therioherpeton cargnini are non-mammaliaform cynodonts that lived ~233 million years ago (late Carnian, Late Triassic) in western Gondwana. They represent some of the earliest divergent members of the clade Prozostrodontia, which includes "tritheledontids", tritylodontids, "brasilodontids", and mammaliaforms (including Mammalia as crown group). Here, we studied the endocranial anatomy (cranial endocast, nerves, vessels, ducts, ear region, and nasal cavity) of these two species. Our findings suggest that during the Carnian, early prozostrodonts had a brain with well-developed olfactory bulbs, expanded cerebral hemispheres divided by the interhemispheric sulcus, and absence of an unossified zone and pineal body. The morphology of the maxillary canal represents the necessary condition for the presence of facial vibrissae. A slight decrease in encephalization is observed at the origin of the clade Prozostrodontia. This new anatomical information provides evidence for the evolution of endocranial traits of the first prozotrodonts, a Late Triassic lineage that culminated in the origin of mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonardo Kerber
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biodiversidade Animal, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS, Brazil
- Centro de Apoio à Pesquisa Paleontológica da Quarta Colônia, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria (CAPPA/UFSM), São João do Polêsine, RS, Brazil
| | - Lívia Roese-Miron
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biodiversidade Animal, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, RS, Brazil
- Centro de Apoio à Pesquisa Paleontológica da Quarta Colônia, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria (CAPPA/UFSM), São João do Polêsine, RS, Brazil
| | - Jamile M Bubadué
- Laboratorio de Ciências Ambientais, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro, Campos dos Goytacazes, Brazil
| | - Agustín G Martinelli
- Sección Paleontologia de Vertebrados, Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "Bernardino Rivadavia", Buenos Aires, Argentina
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Laaß M, Kaestner A. Nasal turbinates of the dicynodont Kawingasaurus fossilis and the possible impact of the fossorial habitat on the evolution of endothermy. J Morphol 2023; 284:e21621. [PMID: 37585231 DOI: 10.1002/jmor.21621] [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: 11/20/2022] [Revised: 06/28/2023] [Accepted: 06/29/2023] [Indexed: 08/17/2023]
Abstract
The nasal region of the fossorial anomodont Kawingasaurus fossilis was virtually reconstructed from neutron-computed tomographic data and compared with the terrestrial species Pristerodon mackayi and other nonmammalian synapsids. The tomography of the Kawingasaurus skull reveals a pattern of maxillo-, naso-, fronto- and ethmoturbinal ridges that strongly resemble the mammalian condition. On both sides of the nasal cavity, remains of scrolled maxilloturbinals were preserved that were still partially articulated with maxilloturbinal ridges. Furthermore, possible remains of the lamina semicircularis as well as fronto- or ethmoturbinals were found. In Kawingasaurus, the maxilloturbinal ridges were longer and stronger than in Pristerodon. Except for the nasoturbinal ridges, no other ridges in the olfactory region and no remains of turbinates were recognized. This supports the hypothesis that naso-, fronto-, ethmo- and maxilloturbinals were a plesiomorphic feature of synapsids, but due to their cartilaginous nature in most taxa were, in almost all cases, not preserved. The well-developed maxilloturbinals in Kawingasaurus were probably an adaptation to hypoxia-induced hyperventilation in the fossorial habitat, maintaining the high oxygen demands of Kawingasaurus' large brain. The surface area of the respiratory turbinates in Kawingasaurus falls into the mammalian range, which suggests that they functioned as a countercurrent exchange system for thermoregulation and conditioning of the respiratory airflow. Our results suggest that the environmental conditions of the fossorial habitat led to specific sensory adaptations, accompanied by a pulse in brain evolution and of endothermy in cistecephalids, ~50 million years before the origin of endothermy in the mammalian stem line. This supports the Nocturnal Bottleneck Theory, in that we found evidence for a similar evolutionary scenario in cistecephalids as proposed for early mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Laaß
- Fakultät für Geowissenschaften, Geotechnik und Bergbau, TU Bergakademie Freiberg, Freiberg, Germany
- FRM II and Physics E21, Technische Universität München, Garching, Germany
| | - Anders Kaestner
- Laboratory for Neutron Scattering and Imaging, Paul Scherrer Institute, Villigen PSI, Switzerland
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Scatigno C, Festa G. Neutron Imaging and Learning Algorithms: New Perspectives in Cultural Heritage Applications. J Imaging 2022; 8:jimaging8100284. [PMID: 36286378 PMCID: PMC9605401 DOI: 10.3390/jimaging8100284] [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: 07/11/2022] [Revised: 10/04/2022] [Accepted: 10/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Recently, learning algorithms such as Convolutional Neural Networks have been successfully applied in different stages of data processing from the acquisition to the data analysis in the imaging context. The aim of these algorithms is the dimensionality of data reduction and the computational effort, to find benchmarks and extract features, to improve the resolution, and reproducibility performances of the imaging data. Currently, no Neutron Imaging combined with learning algorithms was applied on cultural heritage domain, but future applications could help to solve challenges of this research field. Here, a review of pioneering works to exploit the use of Machine Learning and Deep Learning models applied to X-ray imaging and Neutron Imaging data processing is reported, spanning from biomedicine, microbiology, and materials science to give new perspectives on future cultural heritage applications.
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Kerber L, Ferreira JD, Fonseca PHM, Franco A, Martinelli AG, Soares MB, Ribeiro AM. An additional brain endocast of the ictidosaur Riograndia guaibensis (Eucynodontia: Probainognathia): intraspecific variation of endocranial traits. AN ACAD BRAS CIENC 2021; 93:e20200084. [PMID: 33681891 DOI: 10.1590/0001-3765202120200084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2020] [Accepted: 07/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Recently, the morphology and encephalization of the brain endocast of the Triassic non-mammaliaform probainognathian cynodont Riograndia guaibensis were studied. Here, we analyzed the brain endocast of an additional specimen of this species. The new endocast shows well-defined olfactory bulbs and a median sulcus dividing the hemispheres, traits that were not clearly observed in the first studied specimen. Encephalization quotients were also calculated, revealing similar values to other non-mammaliaform cynodonts and lower than those of the first analyzed specimen. The analyzed cranium is slightly larger than the first studied one and may represent an advanced ontogenetic stage. Hence, these differences may be related to the intraspecific variation of this cynodont or alternatively, to the preservation of each specimen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonardo Kerber
- Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Centro de Apoio à Pesquisa Paleontológica, Rua Maximiliano Vizzotto, 598, 97230-000 São João do Polêsine, RS, Brazil.,Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi, Coordenação de Ciências da Terra e Ecologia, Av. Perimetral, 1901, 66077-830 Belém, PA, Brazil.,Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biodiversidade Animal, Av. Roraima 1000, 97105-900 Santa Maria, RS, Brazil
| | - JosÉ Darival Ferreira
- Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biodiversidade Animal, Av. Roraima 1000, 97105-900 Santa Maria, RS, Brazil
| | - Pedro Henrique M Fonseca
- Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Geociências, Av. Bento Gonçalves, 9500, 91501-970 Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Arymatheia Franco
- Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biodiversidade Animal, Av. Roraima 1000, 97105-900 Santa Maria, RS, Brazil
| | - AgustÍn G Martinelli
- Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales 'Bernardino Rivadavia', CONICET-Sección Paleontología de Vertebrados, Av. Ángel Gallardo, 470, C1405 DJR, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Marina Bento Soares
- Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Geociências, Av. Bento Gonçalves, 9500, 91501-970 Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.,Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Museu Nacional, Departamento de Geologia e Paleontologia, Quinta da Boa Vista, São Cristóvão, 20940-040 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Ana Maria Ribeiro
- Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Geociências, Av. Bento Gonçalves, 9500, 91501-970 Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.,Secretaria do Meio Ambiente e Infraestrutura, Museu de Ciências Naturais, Seção de Paleontologia, Av. Salvador França, 1427, 90690-000 Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
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de Simão-Oliveira D, Kerber L, L Pinheiro F. Endocranial morphology of the Brazilian Permian dicynodont Rastodon procurvidens (Therapsida: Anomodontia). J Anat 2019; 236:384-397. [PMID: 31670465 DOI: 10.1111/joa.13107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Dicynodontia is a major clade of terrestrial tetrapods that greatly diversified during the Permian and Triassic periods, reaching a worldwide distribution. In this study, the endocranial cavity of the Brazilian Permian dicynodont Rastodon procurvidens is described based on a digital endocast obtained using digital imaging (X-ray computed tomography) and 3D modeling. It was possible to reconstruct the brain, olfactory bulbs, inner ear, some neurovascular canals, cranial nerves, the nasal cavity, and the maxillary recesses. The endocast of R. procurvidens preserves a typical plesiomorphic morphology of non-mammaliaform therapsids, being predominantly tubular and displaying a relatively short and robust hindbrain. Encephalization quotients (EQs) were calculated for R. procurvidens, resulting in EQs of 0.09 ± 0.03 and 0.13 ± 0.05 (Jerison's EQ and Manger's EQ, respectively). Finally, some biological implications of the endocast morphology were inferred for R. procurvidens. Its inner ear is especially small, and its orientation implies a slightly downturned head posture in life. Furthermore, the presence of uncompressed maxillary recesses in R. procurvidens indicates a correlation between the enlargement of the recesses and the reduction of the tusks, also seen in other dicynodonts with reduced tusks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel de Simão-Oliveira
- Laboratório de Paleobiologia, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pampa (Unipampa), São Gabriel, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.,Centro de Apoio à Pesquisa Paleontológica da Quarta Colônia (CAPPA), Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biodiversidade Animal, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria (UFSM), São João do Polêsine, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Leonardo Kerber
- Centro de Apoio à Pesquisa Paleontológica da Quarta Colônia (CAPPA), Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biodiversidade Animal, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria (UFSM), São João do Polêsine, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Felipe L Pinheiro
- Laboratório de Paleobiologia, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pampa (Unipampa), São Gabriel, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
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Pavanatto AEB, Kerber L, Dias-da-Silva S. Virtual reconstruction of cranial endocasts of traversodontid cynodonts (Eucynodontia: Gomphodontia) from the upper Triassic of Southern Brazil. J Morphol 2019; 280:1267-1281. [PMID: 31241801 DOI: 10.1002/jmor.21029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2019] [Revised: 06/03/2019] [Accepted: 06/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The brain endocasts of the late Triassic (Carnian) traversodontids (Eucynodontia: Gomphodontia) Siriusgnathus niemeyerorum and Exaeretodon riograndensis from southern Brazil are described based on virtual models generated using computed tomography scan data. Their skull anatomy resembles that of other non-mammaliaform cynodonts, showing an endocranial cavity that is not fully ossified. A "V-shaped" orbitosphenoid, neither fully developed nor ossified is present in E. riograndensis. The nasal cavity is confluent with the encephalic cavity. Thus, the anterior limit of the olfactory bulbs is not definite. The brain endocast is elongated, being narrow anteriorly and wide posteriorly, with the maximum width at the parafloccular cast. The olfactory bulbs do not present a clear division between their counterparts, due to the absence of a longitudinal sulcus. A longitudinal sulcus in the forebrain delimiting the cerebral hemispheres, the pineal tube, and the parietal foramen are absent in both taxa. The large and well-developed unossified zone is partially separated from the remaining endocast by a notch formed by the supraoccipital. The encephalization quotients, as well as the endocranial volume/body mass relationships of S. niemeyerorum and E. riograndensis are within the range expected for non-mammaliaform Therapsida.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ane E B Pavanatto
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biodiversidade Animal, Centro de Ciências Naturais e Exatas, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, Brazil
| | - Leonardo Kerber
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biodiversidade Animal, Centro de Ciências Naturais e Exatas, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, Brazil.,Centro de Apoio à Pesquisa Paleontológica da Quarta Colônia, Centro de Ciências Naturais e Exatas, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, São João do Polêsine, Brazil
| | - Sérgio Dias-da-Silva
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biodiversidade Animal, Centro de Ciências Naturais e Exatas, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, Brazil.,Centro de Apoio à Pesquisa Paleontológica da Quarta Colônia, Centro de Ciências Naturais e Exatas, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, São João do Polêsine, Brazil
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Lautenschlager S, Ferreira GS, Werneburg I. Sensory Evolution and Ecology of Early Turtles Revealed by Digital Endocranial Reconstructions. Front Ecol Evol 2018. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2018.00007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
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Laaß M, Kaestner A. Evidence for convergent evolution of a neocortex-like structure in a late Permian therapsid. J Morphol 2017. [PMID: 28621462 DOI: 10.1002/jmor.20712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The special sensory, motor, and cognitive capabilities of mammals mainly depend upon the neocortex, which is the six-layered cover of the mammalian forebrain. The origin of the neocortex is still controversial and the current view is that larger brains with neocortex first evolved in late Triassic Mammaliaformes. Here, we report the earliest evidence of a structure analogous to the mammalian neocortex in a forerunner of mammals, the fossorial anomodont Kawingasaurus fossilis from the late Permian of Tanzania. The endocranial cavity of Kawingasaurus is almost completely ossified, which allowed a less hypothetical virtual reconstruction of the brain endocast to be generated. A parietal foramen is absent. A small pit between the cerebral hemispheres is interpreted as a pineal body. The inflated cerebral hemispheres are demarcated from each other by a median sulcus and by a possible rhinal fissure from the rest of the endocast. The encephalization quotient estimated by using the method of Eisenberg is 0.52, which is 2-3 times larger than in other nonmammalian synapsids. Another remarkable feature are the extremely ramified infraorbital canals in the snout. The shape of the brain endocast, the extremely ramified maxillary canals as well as the small frontally placed eyes suggest that special sensory adaptations to the subterranean habitat such as a well developed sense of touch and binocular vision may have driven the parallel evolution of an equivalent of the mammalian neocortex and a mammal-like lemnothalamic visual system in Kawingasaurus. The gross anatomy of the brain endocast of Kawingasaurus supports the Outgroup Hypothesis, according to which the neocortex evolved from the dorsal pallium of an amphibian-like ancestor, which receives sensory projections from the lemnothalamic pathway. The enlarged brain as well as the absence of a parietal foramen may be an indication for a higher metabolic rate of Kawingasaurus compared to other nonmammalian synapsids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Laaß
- Department of General Zoology, Faculty of Biology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Universitätsstr. 2, Essen, D-45117, Germany
| | - Anders Kaestner
- Laboratory for Neutron Scattering and Imaging, Paul Scherrer Institute, Villigen PSI, CH-5232, Switzerland
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