1
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Did some extinct South American native ungulates arise from an afrothere ancestor? A critical appraisal of Avilla and Mothé’s (2021) Sudamericungulata – Panameridiungulata hypothesis. J MAMM EVOL 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s10914-022-09633-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
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2
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New Specimens of Reigitherium bunodontum from the Late Cretaceous La Colonia Formation, Patagonia, Argentina and Meridiolestidan Diversity in South America. J MAMM EVOL 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10914-021-09585-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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3
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Le Verger K, González Ruiz LR, Billet G. Comparative anatomy and phylogenetic contribution of intracranial osseous canals and cavities in armadillos and glyptodonts (Xenarthra, Cingulata). J Anat 2021; 239:1473-1502. [PMID: 34275130 PMCID: PMC8602025 DOI: 10.1111/joa.13512] [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: 04/25/2021] [Revised: 06/28/2021] [Accepted: 06/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The evolutionary history of the Cingulata, as for many groups, remains a highly debated topic to this day, particularly for one of their most emblematic representatives: the glyptodonts. There is no consensus among morphological and molecular phylogenies regarding their position within Cingulata. As demonstrated by recent works, the study of the internal anatomy constitutes a promising path for enriching morphological matrices for the phylogenetic study of armadillos. However, internal cranial anatomy remains understudied in the Cingulata. Here we explored and compared the anatomy of intracranial osseous canals and cavities in a diverse sample of extant and extinct cingulates, including the earliest well-preserved glyptodont crania. The virtual 3D reconstruction (using X-ray microtomography) of selected canals, that is, the nasolacrimal canal, the palatine canal, the sphenopalatine canal, the canal for the frontal diploic vein, the transverse canal, the orbitotemporal canal, the canal for the capsuloparietal emissary vein and the posttemporal canal, and alveolar cavities related to cranial vascularization, innervation or tooth insertion allowed us to compare the locations, trajectories, and shape of these structures and to discuss their potential interest for cingulate systematics. We tentatively reconstructed evolutionary scenarios for eight selected traits related to these structures in which glyptodonts often showed a close resemblance to pampatheres, to the genus Proeutatus, and/or to chlamyphorines. This latter pattern was partly congruent with recent molecular hypotheses, but more research is needed on these resemblances and on the potential effects of development and allometry on the observed variations. Overall, these comparisons have enabled us to highlight new anatomical variation that may be of great interest to further explore the evolutionary history of cingulates and the origins of glyptodonts on a morphological basis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kévin Le Verger
- Museum national d’Histoire naturelleCentre de Recherche en Paléontologie – ParisUMR 7207 CR2P MNHN/CNRS/UPMCSorbonne UniversitésParisFrance
| | - Laureano R. González Ruiz
- Laboratorio de Investigaciones en Evolución y Biodiversidad (LIEB‐FCNyCS sede EsquelUNPSJB) y Centro de Investigaciones Esquel de Montaña y Estepa Patagónica (CIEMEP), CONICETUniversidad Nacional de La Patagonia San Juan Bosco (UNPSJB)ChubutArgentina
| | - Guillaume Billet
- Museum national d’Histoire naturelleCentre de Recherche en Paléontologie – ParisUMR 7207 CR2P MNHN/CNRS/UPMCSorbonne UniversitésParisFrance
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4
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Moncrief ND, Fies ML, Thompson SD. Recent Records and Range Expansion of Dasypus novemcinctus (Nine-Banded Armadillo) in Virginia. SOUTHEAST NAT 2021. [DOI: 10.1656/058.020.0218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Nancy D. Moncrief
- Virginia Museum of Natural History, 21 Starling Avenue, Martinsville, VA 24112
| | - Michael L. Fies
- Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, PO Box 996, Verona, VA 24482
| | - Seth D. Thompson
- Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, 9416 Coeburn Mountain Road, Wise, VA 24293
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5
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Ciancio MR, Vieytes EC, Castro MC, Carlini AA. Dental enamel structure in long-nosed armadillos (Xenarthra: Dasypus) and its evolutionary implications. Zool J Linn Soc 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlaa119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Most xenarthrans have a reduced and simplified dentition that lacks enamel. However, the presence of prismatic enamel has been recorded in the Eocene armadillos Utaetus buccatus (Euphractinae) and Astegotherium dichotomus (Astegotheriini). Among extant xenarthrans, the occurrence of enamel has been recognized only in the long-nosed armadillo, Dasypus novemcinctus (Dasypodinae), but its microstructure has never been described. In this contribution, we analyse the enamel microstructure in deciduous and permanent teeth of four Dasypus species. In deciduous molariform teeth of some species, we identify an apical cap of vestigial enamel (without crystalline structure), interpreted as an amorphous ameloblastic secretion. In permanent teeth, a thin layer of true enamel is found in the apical portion of unworn molariforms. The enamel is prismatic in D. novemcinctus, but in Dasypus hybridus, Dasypus sabanicola and Dasypus punctatus it is prismless. Taking into account the Eocene species of armadillos, the ancestral condition of enamel in cingulates could have been more complex (as in other placentals) and undergone progressive reduction, as shown in the Dasypus lineage. In light of previous genetic and developmental studies, we review and briefly discuss the processes that can account for the reduction/loss of enamel in extant and extinct armadillos. The retention of enamel and the fact that this genus is the only living xenarthran with two functional generations of teeth support the early divergence of the Dasypus lineage among living cingulates. This is in agreement with morphological and molecular analyses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martín R Ciancio
- Laboratorio de Morfología Evolutiva y Desarrollo (MORPHOS) y División Paleontología Vertebrados, Museo de La Plata, CONICET, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Paseo del Bosque s/n, B1900FWA, La Plata, Argentina
- Cátedra Anatomía Comparada, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Paseo del Bosque s/n, B1900FWA, La Plata, Argentina
| | - Emma C Vieytes
- Cátedra Anatomía Comparada, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Paseo del Bosque s/n, B1900FWA, La Plata, Argentina
- División Zoología Vertebrados, Museo de La Plata, CONICET, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Paseo del Bosque s/n, B1900FWA, La Plata, Argentina
| | - Mariela C Castro
- Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, IBiotec, Universidade Federal de Catalão, Avenida Dr. Lamartine Pinto de Avelar, 1120, 75704-020, Catalão, Brazil
| | - Alfredo A Carlini
- Laboratorio de Morfología Evolutiva y Desarrollo (MORPHOS) y División Paleontología Vertebrados, Museo de La Plata, CONICET, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Paseo del Bosque s/n, B1900FWA, La Plata, Argentina
- Cátedra Anatomía Comparada, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Paseo del Bosque s/n, B1900FWA, La Plata, Argentina
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6
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Le Verger K, Hautier L, Bardin J, Gerber S, Delsuc F, Billet G. Ontogenetic and static allometry in the skull and cranial units of nine-banded armadillos (Cingulata: Dasypodidae: Dasypus novemcinctus). Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blaa083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
A large part of extant and past mammalian morphological diversity is related to variation in size through allometric effects. Previous studies suggested that craniofacial allometry is the dominant pattern underlying mammalian skull shape variation, but cranial allometries were rarely characterized within cranial units such as individual bones. Here, we used 3D geometric morphometric methods to study allometric patterns of the whole skull (global) and of cranial units (local) in a postnatal developmental series of nine-banded armadillos (Dasypus novemcinctus ssp.). Analyses were conducted at the ontogenetic and static levels, and for successive developmental stages. Our results support craniofacial allometry as the global pattern along with more local allometric trends, such as the relative posterior elongation of the infraorbital canal, the tooth row reduction on the maxillary, and the marked development of nuchal crests on the supraoccipital with increasing skull size. Our study also reports allometric proportions of shape variation varying substantially among cranial units and across ontogenetic stages. The multi-scale approach advocated here allowed unveiling previously unnoticed allometric variations, indicating an untapped complexity of cranial allometric patterns to further explain mammalian morphological evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kévin Le Verger
- Museum national d’Histoire naturelle, Centre de Recherche en Paléontologie – Paris, UMR 7207 CR2P MNHN/CNRS/UPMC, Sorbonne Universités, Paris, France
| | - Lionel Hautier
- Institut des Sciences de l’Evolution, Université de Montpellier, UMR 5554 ISEM CNRS/IRD/EPHE, Montpellier cedex, France
- Natural History Museum of London, Department of Life Sciences, Mammal Section, London, UK
| | - Jérémie Bardin
- Museum national d’Histoire naturelle, Centre de Recherche en Paléontologie – Paris, UMR 7207 CR2P MNHN/CNRS/UPMC, Sorbonne Universités, Paris, France
| | - Sylvain Gerber
- Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, Institut de Systématique, Évolution, Biodiversité, UMR 7205 ISYEB MNHN/CNRS/UPMC/EPHE, Sorbonne Universités, Paris, France
| | - Frédéric Delsuc
- Institut des Sciences de l’Evolution, Université de Montpellier, UMR 5554 ISEM CNRS/IRD/EPHE, Montpellier cedex, France
| | - Guillaume Billet
- Museum national d’Histoire naturelle, Centre de Recherche en Paléontologie – Paris, UMR 7207 CR2P MNHN/CNRS/UPMC, Sorbonne Universités, Paris, France
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7
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Phenotypic variability and environmental tolerance shed light on nine-banded armadillo Nearctic invasion. Biol Invasions 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-019-02085-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
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8
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Frýdlová P, Mrzílková J, Šeremeta M, Křemen J, Dudák J, Žemlička J, Němec P, Velenský P, Moravec J, Koleška D, Zahradníčková V, Jirásek T, Kodym P, Frynta D, Zach P. Universality of indeterminate growth in lizards rejected: the micro-CT reveals contrasting timing of growth cartilage persistence in iguanas, agamas, and chameleons. Sci Rep 2019; 9:18913. [PMID: 31831851 PMCID: PMC6908584 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-54573-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2019] [Accepted: 11/06/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Squamate reptiles are considered to exhibit indeterminate growth. Nevertheless, current literature disputes the available definitions of this growth type, presents new theoretical models, and questions its universality in cold-blooded vertebrates. We have followed up on our previous research employing micro-CT to explore growth plate cartilage (GPC) in the epiphysis of long bones, which is responsible for longitudinal skeletal growth by the endochondral ossification process. We focused on numerous and highly diversified group of the Iguania clade comprising Acrodonta (agamas and chameleons) and Pleurodonta ("iguanas"). We recorded the absence of GPC in most of the examined adult Pleurodonta specimens and interpret it as an irreversible arrest of skeletal growth. This finding clearly rejects the universality of indeterminate growth in lizards. On the other hand, we found apparent GPC preservation in most of the adult specimens belonging to Acrodonta. This suggests a preserved ability to continue body growth throughout most of their life. We discuss the uncovered disparity between Acrodonta and Pleurodonta and emphasize the importance of GPC degradation timing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Petra Frýdlová
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Viničná 7, CZ-12844, Prague, Czech Republic
- Department of Anatomy, Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Ruská 2411/87, CZ-10000, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Jana Mrzílková
- Specialized laboratory of experimental imaging, Ruská 2411/87, CZ-10000, Prague, Czech Republic
- Department of Anatomy, Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Ruská 2411/87, CZ-10000, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Martin Šeremeta
- Specialized laboratory of experimental imaging, Ruská 2411/87, CZ-10000, Prague, Czech Republic
- Department of Anatomy, Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Ruská 2411/87, CZ-10000, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Křemen
- Specialized laboratory of experimental imaging, Ruská 2411/87, CZ-10000, Prague, Czech Republic
- Department of Anatomy, Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Ruská 2411/87, CZ-10000, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Dudák
- Institute of Experimental and Applied Physics, Czech Technical University in Prague, Husova 5, CZ-11000, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Žemlička
- Institute of Experimental and Applied Physics, Czech Technical University in Prague, Husova 5, CZ-11000, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Pavel Němec
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Viničná 7, CZ-12844, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Petr Velenský
- Prague Zoo, U Trojského Zámku 3, CZ-17100, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Jiří Moravec
- Department of Zoology, National Museum, Cirkusová 1740, CZ-19300, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Daniel Koleška
- Department of Zoology and Fisheries, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamýcká 129, CZ-16500, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Veronika Zahradníčková
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Viničná 7, CZ-12844, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Tomáš Jirásek
- Zoological and Botanical Garden Pilsen, Pod Vinicemi 9, CZ-30116, Pilsen, Czech Republic
| | - Petr Kodym
- National Institute of Public Health, Šrobárova 48, CZ-10042, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Daniel Frynta
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Viničná 7, CZ-12844, Prague, Czech Republic.
| | - Petr Zach
- Specialized laboratory of experimental imaging, Ruská 2411/87, CZ-10000, Prague, Czech Republic
- Department of Anatomy, Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Ruská 2411/87, CZ-10000, Prague, Czech Republic
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9
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Evolutionary Tinkering of the Mandibular Canal Linked to Convergent Regression of Teeth in Placental Mammals. Curr Biol 2019; 29:468-475.e3. [PMID: 30661801 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2018.12.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2018] [Revised: 11/07/2018] [Accepted: 12/13/2018] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Loss or reduction of teeth has occurred independently in all major clades of mammals [1]. This process is associated with specialized diets, such as myrmecophagy and filter feeding [2, 3], and led to an extensive rearrangement of the mandibular anatomy. The mandibular canal enables lower jaw innervation through the passage of the inferior alveolar nerve (IAN) [4, 5]. In order to innervate teeth, the IAN projects ascending branches directly through tooth roots [5, 6], bone trabeculae [6], or bone canaliculi (i.e., dorsal canaliculi) [7]. Here, we used micro-computed tomography (μ-CT) scans of mandibles, from eight myrmecophagous species with reduced dentition and 21 non-myrmecophages, to investigate the evolutionary fate of dental innervation structures following convergent tooth regression in mammals. Our observations provide strong evidence for a link between the presence of tooth loci and the development of dorsal canaliculi. Interestingly, toothless anteaters present dorsal canaliculi and preserve intact tooth innervation, while equally toothless pangolins do not. We show that the internal mandibular morphology of anteaters has a closer resemblance to that of baleen whales [7] than to pangolins. This is despite masticatory apparatus resemblances that have made anteaters and pangolins a textbook example of convergent evolution. Our results suggest that early tooth loci innervation [8] is required for maintaining the dorsal innervation of the mandible and underlines the dorsal canaliculi sensorial role in the context of mediolateral mandibular movements. This study presents a unique example of convergent redeployment of the tooth developmental pathway to a strictly sensorial function following tooth regression in anteaters and baleen whales.
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10
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Geiger M, Marron S, West AR, Asher RJ. Influences of Domestication and Island Evolution on Dental Growth in Sheep. J MAMM EVOL 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s10914-018-9452-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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11
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Feijó A, Patterson BD, Cordeiro-Estrela P. Taxonomic revision of the long-nosed armadillos, Genus Dasypus Linnaeus, 1758 (Mammalia, Cingulata). PLoS One 2018; 13:e0195084. [PMID: 29624590 PMCID: PMC5889077 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0195084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2017] [Accepted: 02/28/2018] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Dasypus is the most speciose genus of the order Cingulata, including approximately 40% of known living armadillos. Nine species are currently recognized, although comprehensive analyses of the entire genus have never been done. Our aim is to revise the taxonomy of the long-nosed armadillos and properly define the taxa. We examined 2126 specimens of Dasypus preserved in 39 different museum collections, including 17 type specimens. Three complementary methods were applied to explore morphological datasets both qualitatively and quantitatively. Qualitative morphological variation in discrete characters was assessed by direct observations of specimens. Linear morphometric variation was based on external data and cranial measurements of 887 adult skulls. The shape and size of the skull was abstracted through two-dimensional geometric morphometric analyses of dorsal, lateral and ventral views of respectively 421, 211, and 220 adult specimens. Our results converge on the recognition of eight living species (D. beniensis, D. kappleri, D. mazzai, D. novemcinctus, D. pastasae, D. pilosus, D. sabanicola, and D. septemcinctus), and three subspecies of D. septemcinctus (D. s. septemcinctus, D. s. hybridus, and a new subspecies from Cordoba described here). Information on type material, diagnosis, distribution, and taxonomic comments for each taxon are provided. We designate a lectotype for D. novemcinctus; and a neotype for Loricatus hybridus (= D. septemcinctus hybridus).
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Affiliation(s)
- Anderson Feijó
- Laboratório de mamíferos, Departamento de Sistemática e Ecologia, Centro de Ciências Exatas e da Natureza, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, Campus I, João Pessoa, PB, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Biológicas (Zoologia), Departamento de Sistemática e Ecologia, Centro de Ciências Exatas e da Natureza, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, Campus I, João Pessoa, PB, Brazil
- Integrative Research Center, Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, IL, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Bruce D. Patterson
- Integrative Research Center, Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, IL, United States of America
| | - Pedro Cordeiro-Estrela
- Laboratório de mamíferos, Departamento de Sistemática e Ecologia, Centro de Ciências Exatas e da Natureza, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, Campus I, João Pessoa, PB, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Biológicas (Zoologia), Departamento de Sistemática e Ecologia, Centro de Ciências Exatas e da Natureza, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, Campus I, João Pessoa, PB, Brazil
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12
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Voss RS, Fleck DW. Mammalian Diversity and Matses Ethnomammalogy in Amazonian Peru Part 2: Xenarthra, Carnivora, Perissodactyla, Artiodactyla, and Sirenia. BULLETIN OF THE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY 2017. [DOI: 10.1206/00030090-417.1.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Robert S. Voss
- Division of Vertebrate Zoology (Mammalogy) American Museum of Natural History
| | - David W. Fleck
- Division of Anthropology American Museum of Natural History
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13
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Hautier L, Oliver JD, Pierce SE. An Overview of Xenarthran Developmental Studies with a Focus on the Development of the Xenarthrous Vertebrae. J MAMM EVOL 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s10914-017-9412-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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14
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Billet G, Hautier L, de Thoisy B, Delsuc F. The hidden anatomy of paranasal sinuses reveals biogeographically distinct morphotypes in the nine-banded armadillo ( Dasypus novemcinctus). PeerJ 2017; 5:e3593. [PMID: 28828240 PMCID: PMC5562141 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.3593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2017] [Accepted: 06/29/2017] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Background With their Pan-American distribution, long-nosed armadillos (genus Dasypus) constitute an understudied model for Neotropical biogeography. This genus currently comprises seven recognized species, the nine-banded armadillo (D. novemcinctus) having the widest distribution ranging from Northern Argentina to the South-Eastern US. With their broad diversity of habitats, nine-banded armadillos provide a useful model to explore the effects of climatic and biogeographic events on morphological diversity at a continental scale. Methods Based on a sample of 136 skulls of Dasypus spp. belonging to six species, including 112 specimens identified as D. novemcinctus, we studied the diversity and pattern of variation of paranasal cavities, which were reconstructed virtually using µCT-scanning or observed through bone transparency. Results Our qualitative analyses of paranasal sinuses and recesses successfully retrieved a taxonomic differentiation between the traditional species D. kappleri, D. pilosus and D. novemcinctus but failed to recover diagnostic features between the disputed and morphologically similar D. septemcinctus and D. hybridus. Most interestingly, the high variation detected in our large sample of D. novemcinctus showed a clear geographical patterning, with the recognition of three well-separated morphotypes: one ranging from North and Central America and parts of northern South America west of the Andes, one distributed across the Amazonian Basin and central South America, and one restricted to the Guiana Shield. Discussion The question as to whether these paranasal morphotypes may represent previously unrecognized species is to be evaluated through a thorough revision of the Dasypus species complex integrating molecular and morphological data. Remarkably, our recognition of a distinct morphotype in the Guiana Shield area is congruent with the recent discovery of a divergent mitogenomic lineage in French Guiana. The inflation of the second medialmost pair of caudal frontal sinuses constitutes an unexpected morphological diagnostic feature for this potentially distinct species. Our results demonstrate the benefits of studying overlooked internal morphological structures in supposedly cryptic species revealed by molecular data. It also illustrates the under-exploited potential of the highly variable paranasal sinuses of armadillos for systematic studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillaume Billet
- Sorbonne Universités, CR2P, UMR 7207, CNRS, Université Paris 06, Museum national d'Histoire naturelle, Paris, France
| | - Lionel Hautier
- Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution, UMR 5554, CNRS, IRD, EPHE, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France.,Mammal Section, Life Sciences, Vertebrate Division, The Natural History Museum, London, United Kingdom
| | - Benoit de Thoisy
- Institut Pasteur de la Guyane, Cayenne, French Guiana, France.,Association Kwata, Cayenne, French Guiana, France
| | - Frédéric Delsuc
- Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution, UMR 5554, CNRS, IRD, EPHE, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
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15
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Hautier L, Billet G, de Thoisy B, Delsuc F. Beyond the carapace: skull shape variation and morphological systematics of long-nosed armadillos (genus Dasypus). PeerJ 2017; 5:e3650. [PMID: 28828252 PMCID: PMC5562145 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.3650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2017] [Accepted: 07/12/2017] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The systematics of long-nosed armadillos (genus Dasypus) has been mainly based on a handful of external morphological characters and classical measurements. Here, we studied the pattern of morphological variation in the skull of long-nosed armadillos species, with a focus on the systematics of the widely distributed nine-banded armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus). Methods We present the first exhaustive 3D comparison of the skull morphology within the genus Dasypus, based on micro-computed tomography. We used geometric morphometric approaches to explore the patterns of the intra- and interspecific morphological variation of the skull with regard to several factors such as taxonomy, geography, allometry, and sexual dimorphism. Results We show that the shape and size of the skull vary greatly among Dasypus species, with Dasypus pilosus representing a clear outlier compared to other long-nosed armadillos. The study of the cranial intraspecific variation in Dasypus novemcinctus evidences clear links to the geographic distribution and argues in favor of a revision of past taxonomic delimitations. Our detailed morphometric comparisons detected previously overlooked morphotypes of nine-banded armadillos, especially a very distinctive unit restricted to the Guiana Shield. Discussion As our results are congruent with recent molecular data and analyses of the structure of paranasal sinuses, we propose that Dasypus novemcinctus should be regarded either as a polytypic species (with three to four subspecies) or as a complex of several distinct species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lionel Hautier
- Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution, UMR5554, CNRS, IRD, EPHE, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France.,Mammal Section, Life Sciences, Vertebrate Division, The Natural History Museum, London, UK
| | - Guillaume Billet
- Sorbonne Universités, CR2P, UMR 7207, CNRS, Université Paris 06, Museum national d'Histoire naturelle, Paris, France
| | - Benoit de Thoisy
- Institut Pasteur de la Guyane, Cayenne, French Guiana, France.,Kwata NGO, Cayenne, French Guiana, France
| | - Frédéric Delsuc
- Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution, UMR5554, CNRS, IRD, EPHE, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
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16
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Patterns of growth in monitor lizards (Varanidae) as revealed by computed tomography of femoral growth plates. ZOOMORPHOLOGY 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s00435-016-0338-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
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17
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A New Eocene Dasypodid with Caniniforms (Mammalia, Xenarthra, Cingulata) from Northwest Argentina. J MAMM EVOL 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s10914-016-9345-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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18
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The hidden teeth of sloths: evolutionary vestiges and the development of a simplified dentition. Sci Rep 2016; 6:27763. [PMID: 27297516 PMCID: PMC4906291 DOI: 10.1038/srep27763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2016] [Accepted: 05/24/2016] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Xenarthrans are unique among mammals in retaining simplified teeth that are rootless and homodont, which makes it difficult to determine dental homologies. We apply computerized tomography to prenatal developmental series of extant sloths, Bradypus and Choloepus, to further elucidate the patterns of morphological variation in their dentition. We also propose new criteria based on sequences of dental mineralization, and the presence of vestigial teeth, to distinguish between caniniforms and postcaniniforms. We report for the first time the presence of vestigial incisors in Bradypus. We also show the presence of a vestigial tooth in front of the lower caniniform in both extant sloth genera and the existence of two generations for the upper caniniform in Choloepus. The study of their sequence of mineralization indicates that the lower and upper caniniform teeth are not homologous in sloths, and suggests that upper caniniforms are not homologous between the two extant sloth genera. Our results show that assessing the developmental processes and functional constraints remains crucial to understand the dental variations observed in sloths, and more generally, tooth class homology issues in mammals. Applied to the tooth row of all extinct sloths, these developmental data illuminate a potentially ancestral dental formula for sloths.
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19
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Veitschegger K, Sánchez-Villagra MR. Tooth Eruption Sequences in Cervids and the Effect of Morphology, Life History, and Phylogeny. J MAMM EVOL 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s10914-015-9315-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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20
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21
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When xenarthrans had enamel: insights on the evolution of their hypsodonty and paleontological support for independent evolution in armadillos. Naturwissenschaften 2014; 101:715-25. [DOI: 10.1007/s00114-014-1208-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2013] [Revised: 06/26/2014] [Accepted: 07/01/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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22
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Geiger M, Forasiepi AM, Koyabu D, Sánchez-Villagra MR. Heterochrony and post-natal growth in mammals - an examination of growth plates in limbs. J Evol Biol 2013; 27:98-115. [DOI: 10.1111/jeb.12279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2013] [Accepted: 10/14/2013] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- M. Geiger
- Paläontologisches Institut und Museum der Universität Zürich; Zürich Switzerland
| | | | - D. Koyabu
- University Museum; University of Tokyo; Tokyo Japan
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23
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Trophic Segregation of Small Carnivorans (Carnivora: Mustelidae and Mephitidae) from the Southern Cone of South America. J MAMM EVOL 2013. [DOI: 10.1007/s10914-013-9240-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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24
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Hautier L, Bennett NC, Viljoen H, Howard L, Milinkovitch MC, Tzika AC, Goswami A, Asher RJ. PATTERNS OF OSSIFICATION IN SOUTHERN VERSUS NORTHERN PLACENTAL MAMMALS. Evolution 2013; 67:1994-2010. [DOI: 10.1111/evo.12071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2012] [Accepted: 01/31/2013] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lionel Hautier
- Department of Zoology; University of Cambridge; Downing St. Cambridge CB2 3EJ United Kingdom
| | - Nigel C. Bennett
- Department of Zoology and Entomology; University of Pretoria; Pretoria 0002 South Africa
| | - Hermien Viljoen
- Department of Zoology and Entomology; University of Pretoria; Pretoria 0002 South Africa
| | - Lauren Howard
- Science Facilities Department; British Museum of Natural History; Cromwell Road London SW7 5BD United Kingdom
| | - Michel C. Milinkovitch
- Laboratory of Artificial and Natural Evolution; Department of Genetics & Evolution; Sciences III Building; 30 Quai Ernest-Ansermet 1211 Geneva Switzerland
| | - Athanasia C. Tzika
- Laboratory of Artificial and Natural Evolution; Department of Genetics & Evolution; Sciences III Building; 30 Quai Ernest-Ansermet 1211 Geneva Switzerland
| | - Anjali Goswami
- Department of Genetics, Evolution, and Environment and Department of Earth Sciences; University College London; Wolfson House to Darwin Building; Gower Street London WC1E 6BT United Kingdom
| | - Robert J. Asher
- Department of Zoology; University of Cambridge; Downing St. Cambridge CB2 3EJ United Kingdom
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25
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Charles C, Solé F, Rodrigues HG, Viriot L. Under pressure? Dental adaptations to termitophagy and vermivory among mammals. Evolution 2013; 67:1792-804. [PMID: 23730770 DOI: 10.1111/evo.12051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2012] [Accepted: 12/19/2012] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
The extant mammals have evolved highly diversified diets associated with many specialized morphologies. Two rare diets, termitophagy and vermivory, are characterized by unusual morphological and dental adaptations that have evolved independently in several clades. Termitophagy is known to be associated with increases in tooth number, crown simplification, enamel loss, and the appearance of intermolar diastemata. We observed similar modifications at the species level in vermivorous clades, although interestingly the vermivorous mammals lack secondarily derived tools that compensate for the dentition's reduced function. We argue that the parallel dental changes in these specialists are the result of relaxed selection on occlusal functions of the dentition, which allow a parallel cascade of changes to occur independently in each clade. Comparison of the phenotypes of Rhynchomys, a vermivorous rat, and strains of mice whose ectodysplasin (EDA) pathway has been mutated revealed several shared dental features. Our results point to the likely involvement of this genetic pathway in the rapid, parallel morphological specializations in termitophagous and vermivorous species. We show that diets or feeding mechanisms in other mammals that are linked to decreased reliance on complex can lead to similar cascades of change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cyril Charles
- Team Evo-Devo of Vertebrate Dentition, Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle de Lyon, Université de Lyon, CNRS UMR 5242, UCBL 1, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, 46 Allée d'Italie, Lyon Cedex 07, France.
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26
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Billet G, Hautier L, Asher RJ, Schwarz C, Crumpton N, Martin T, Ruf I. High morphological variation of vestibular system accompanies slow and infrequent locomotion in three-toed sloths. Proc Biol Sci 2012; 279:3932-9. [PMID: 22859594 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2012.1212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The semicircular canals (SCs), part of the vestibular apparatus of the inner ear, are directly involved in the detection of angular motion of the head for maintaining balance, and exhibit adaptive patterns for locomotor behaviour. Consequently, they are generally believed to show low levels of intraspecific morphological variation, but few studies have investigated this assumption. On the basis of high-resolution computed tomography, we present here, to our knowledge, the first comprehensive study of the pattern of variation of the inner ear with a focus on Xenarthra. Our study demonstrates that extant three-toed sloths show a high level of morphological variation of the bony labyrinth of the inner ear. Especially, the variation in shape, relative size and angles of their SCs greatly differ from those of other, faster-moving taxa within Xenarthra and Placentalia in general. The unique pattern of variation in three-toed sloths suggests that a release of selection and/or constraints on their organ of balance is associated with the observed wide range of phenotypes. This release is coincident with their slow and infrequent locomotion and may be related, among other possible factors, to a reduced functional demand for a precise sensitivity to movement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillaume Billet
- Steinmann-Institut für Geologie, Mineralogie und Paläontologie, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, Nussallee 8, 53115 Bonn, Germany.
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