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Campli G, Volovych O, Kim K, Veldsman WP, Drage HB, Sheizaf I, Lynch S, Chipman AD, Daley AC, Robinson-Rechavi M, Waterhouse RM. The moulting arthropod: a complete genetic toolkit review. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2024. [PMID: 39039636 DOI: 10.1111/brv.13123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2024] [Revised: 07/09/2024] [Accepted: 07/12/2024] [Indexed: 07/24/2024]
Abstract
Exoskeletons are a defining character of all arthropods that provide physical support for their segmented bodies and appendages as well as protection from the environment and predation. This ubiquitous yet evolutionarily variable feature has been instrumental in facilitating the adoption of a variety of lifestyles and the exploitation of ecological niches across all environments. Throughout the radiation that produced the more than one million described modern species, adaptability afforded by segmentation and exoskeletons has led to a diversity that is unrivalled amongst animals. However, because of the limited extensibility of exoskeleton chitin and cuticle components, they must be periodically shed and replaced with new larger ones, notably to accommodate the growing individuals encased within. Therefore, arthropods grow discontinuously by undergoing periodic moulting events, which follow a series of steps from the preparatory pre-moult phase to ecdysis itself and post-moult maturation of new exoskeletons. Each event represents a particularly vulnerable period in an arthropod's life cycle, so processes must be tightly regulated and meticulously executed to ensure successful transitions for normal growth and development. Decades of research in representative arthropods provide a foundation of understanding of the mechanisms involved. Building on this, studies continue to develop and test hypotheses on the presence and function of molecular components, including neuropeptides, hormones, and receptors, as well as the so-called early, late, and fate genes, across arthropod diversity. Here, we review the literature to develop a comprehensive overview of the status of accumulated knowledge of the genetic toolkit governing arthropod moulting. From biosynthesis and regulation of ecdysteroid and sesquiterpenoid hormones, to factors involved in hormonal stimulation responses and exoskeleton remodelling, we identify commonalities and differences, as well as highlighting major knowledge gaps, across arthropod groups. We examine the available evidence supporting current models of how components operate together to prepare for, execute, and recover from ecdysis, comparing reports from Chelicerata, Myriapoda, Crustacea, and Hexapoda. Evidence is generally highly taxonomically imbalanced, with most reports based on insect study systems. Biases are also evident in research on different moulting phases and processes, with the early triggers and late effectors generally being the least well explored. Our synthesis contrasts knowledge based on reported observations with reasonably plausible assumptions given current taxonomic sampling, and exposes weak assumptions or major gaps that need addressing. Encouragingly, advances in genomics are driving a diversification of tractable study systems by facilitating the cataloguing of putative genetic toolkits in previously under-explored taxa. Analysis of genome and transcriptome data supported by experimental investigations have validated the presence of an "ultra-conserved" core of arthropod genes involved in moulting processes. The molecular machinery has likely evolved with elaborations on this conserved pathway backbone, but more taxonomic exploration is needed to characterise lineage-specific changes and novelties. Furthermore, linking these to transformative innovations in moulting processes across Arthropoda remains hampered by knowledge gaps and hypotheses based on untested assumptions. Promisingly however, emerging from the synthesis is a framework that highlights research avenues from the underlying genetics to the dynamic molecular biology through to the complex physiology of moulting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Campli
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Quartier UNIL-Sorge, Bâtiment Biophore, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, 1015, Switzerland
- SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Quartier Sorge, Bâtiment Amphipôle, Lausanne, 1015, Switzerland
| | - Olga Volovych
- The Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Edmond J. Safra Campus - Givat Ram, Jerusalem, 9190401, Israel
| | - Kenneth Kim
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Quartier UNIL-Sorge, Bâtiment Biophore, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, 1015, Switzerland
- SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Quartier Sorge, Bâtiment Amphipôle, Lausanne, 1015, Switzerland
| | - Werner P Veldsman
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Quartier UNIL-Sorge, Bâtiment Biophore, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, 1015, Switzerland
- SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Quartier Sorge, Bâtiment Amphipôle, Lausanne, 1015, Switzerland
| | - Harriet B Drage
- Institute of Earth Sciences, Quartier UNIL-Mouline, Bâtiment Géopolis, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, 1015, Switzerland
| | - Idan Sheizaf
- The Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Edmond J. Safra Campus - Givat Ram, Jerusalem, 9190401, Israel
| | - Sinéad Lynch
- Institute of Earth Sciences, Quartier UNIL-Mouline, Bâtiment Géopolis, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, 1015, Switzerland
| | - Ariel D Chipman
- The Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Edmond J. Safra Campus - Givat Ram, Jerusalem, 9190401, Israel
| | - Allison C Daley
- Institute of Earth Sciences, Quartier UNIL-Mouline, Bâtiment Géopolis, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, 1015, Switzerland
| | - Marc Robinson-Rechavi
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Quartier UNIL-Sorge, Bâtiment Biophore, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, 1015, Switzerland
- SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Quartier Sorge, Bâtiment Amphipôle, Lausanne, 1015, Switzerland
| | - Robert M Waterhouse
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Quartier UNIL-Sorge, Bâtiment Biophore, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, 1015, Switzerland
- SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Quartier Sorge, Bâtiment Amphipôle, Lausanne, 1015, Switzerland
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Wang D, Qiang Y, Guo J, Vannier J, Song Z, Peng J, Zhang B, Sun J, Yu Y, Zhang Y, Zhang T, Yang X, Han J. Early evolution of the ecdysozoan body plan. eLife 2024; 13:RP94709. [PMID: 38976315 PMCID: PMC11231812 DOI: 10.7554/elife.94709] [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] [Indexed: 07/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Extant ecdysozoans (moulting animals) are represented by a great variety of soft-bodied or articulated organisms that may or may not have appendages. However, controversies remain about the vermiform nature (i.e. elongated and tubular) of their ancestral body plan. We describe here Beretella spinosa gen. et sp. nov. a tiny (maximal length 3 mm) ecdysozoan from the lowermost Cambrian, Yanjiahe Formation, South China, characterized by an unusual sack-like appearance, single opening, and spiny ornament. Beretella spinosa gen. et sp. nov has no equivalent among animals, except Saccorhytus coronarius, also from the basal Cambrian. Phylogenetic analyses resolve both fossil species as a sister group (Saccorhytida) to all known Ecdysozoa, thus suggesting that ancestral ecdysozoans may have been non-vermiform animals. Saccorhytids are likely to represent an early off-shot along the stem-line Ecdysozoa. Although it became extinct during the Cambrian, this animal lineage provides precious insight into the early evolution of Ecdysozoa and the nature of the earliest representatives of the group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deng Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Continental Dynamics, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Early Life & Environments and Department of Geology, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
| | - Yaqin Qiang
- School of Earth Science and Resources, Key Laboratory of Western China's Mineral Resources and Geological Engineering, Ministry of Education, Chang'an University, Xi'an, China
| | - Junfeng Guo
- School of Earth Science and Resources, Key Laboratory of Western China's Mineral Resources and Geological Engineering, Ministry of Education, Chang'an University, Xi'an, China
| | - Jean Vannier
- Université de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, ENS de Lyon, CNRS, Laboratoire de Géologie de Lyon: Terre, Planètes, Environnement (CNRS-UMR 5276), Villeurbanne, France
| | - Zuchen Song
- School of Earth Science and Resources, Key Laboratory of Western China's Mineral Resources and Geological Engineering, Ministry of Education, Chang'an University, Xi'an, China
| | - Jiaxin Peng
- School of Earth Science and Resources, Key Laboratory of Western China's Mineral Resources and Geological Engineering, Ministry of Education, Chang'an University, Xi'an, China
| | - Boyao Zhang
- School of Earth Science and Resources, Key Laboratory of Western China's Mineral Resources and Geological Engineering, Ministry of Education, Chang'an University, Xi'an, China
| | - Jie Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Continental Dynamics, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Early Life & Environments and Department of Geology, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
- School of Earth Science and Resources, Key Laboratory of Western China's Mineral Resources and Geological Engineering, Ministry of Education, Chang'an University, Xi'an, China
| | - Yilun Yu
- Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yiheng Zhang
- School of Information Science and Technology, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
| | - Tao Zhang
- School of Information Science and Technology, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
| | - Xiaoguang Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Continental Dynamics, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Early Life & Environments and Department of Geology, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
| | - Jian Han
- State Key Laboratory of Continental Dynamics, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Early Life & Environments and Department of Geology, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
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Chen A, Vannier J, Guo J, Wang D, Gąsiorek P, Han J, Ma W. Molting in early Cambrian armored lobopodians. Commun Biol 2024; 7:820. [PMID: 38969778 PMCID: PMC11226638 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-06440-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2023] [Accepted: 06/11/2024] [Indexed: 07/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Lobopodians represent a key step in the early history of ecdysozoans since they were the first animals to evolve legs within this clade. Their Cambrian representatives share a similar body plan with a typically cylindrical annulated trunk and a series of non-jointed legs. However, they do not form a monophyletic group and likely include ancestors of the three extant panarthropod lineages (Tardigrada, Onychophora, Euarthropoda). Some species display astonishing protective devices such as cuticular plates and spines. We describe here the armor and molting process of Microdictyon from the early Cambrian of China. Microdictyon secreted ovoid paired cuticular sclerites that were duplicated in a non-synchronous way along the animal's body. The reticulated pattern and cuticular architecture of these sclerites have similarities to extant armored tardigrades that recently served in hypothesizing that tardigrades are possibly miniaturized lobopodians. Ecdysis and hard cuticular protection are now well documented in the whole spectrum of early Cambrian ecdysozoans such as soft-bodied scalidophorans, lobopodians and fully articulated euarthropods. We hypothesize that the secretion of sclerotized cuticular elements periodically renewed via ecdysis was a key innovation that opened large-scale evolutionary opportunities to invertebrate animal life, specifically ecdysozoans, both in terms of anatomical functionalities and ecological success.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ailin Chen
- Research Centre of Palaeobiology, Yuxi Normal University, 653100, Yuxi, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 210008, Nanjing, China.
| | - Jean Vannier
- Laboratoire de Géologie de Lyon: Terre, Planètes, Environnement (CNRS-UMR 5276), Université de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, ENS de Lyon, CNRS, Villeurbanne, 69622, France.
| | - Jin Guo
- Chengjiang Science Museum, Management Committee of the Chengjiang Fossil Site World Heritage, 652500, Chengjiang, China
| | - Deng Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Continental Dynamics, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Early Life and Environments, Department of Geology, Northwest University, 710069, Xi'an, China
| | - Piotr Gąsiorek
- Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Øster Voldgade 5-7, DK-1350, Universitetsparken 15, DK-2100, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Invertebrate Evolution, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 9, 30-387, Kraków, Poland
| | - Jian Han
- State Key Laboratory of Continental Dynamics, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Early Life and Environments, Department of Geology, Northwest University, 710069, Xi'an, China
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Bicknell RDC, Vargas-Parra EE, Landman NH, Pärnaste H. Evidence for cryptic molting behavior in the trilobite Toxochasmops vormsiensis from the Upper Ordovician Katian Kõrgessaare Formation, Estonia. THE SCIENCE OF NATURE - NATURWISSENSCHAFTEN 2024; 111:22. [PMID: 38607380 PMCID: PMC11009749 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-024-01906-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2024] [Revised: 02/15/2024] [Accepted: 03/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024]
Abstract
Documentation of cryptic trilobite behavior has presented important insights into the paleoecology of this fully extinct arthropod group. One such example is the preservation of trilobites inside the remains of larger animals. To date, evidence for trilobites within cephalopods, gastropods, hyoliths, and other trilobites has been presented. Importantly, most of these interactions show trilobite molts, suggesting that trilobites used larger animals for protection during molting. To expand the record of molted trilobites within cephalopods, we present a unique case of a Toxochasmops vormsiensis trilobite within the body chamber of a Gorbyoceras textumaraneum nautiloid from the Upper Ordovician Kõrgessaare Formation of Estonia. By examining this material, we present new insights into the ecology of pterygometopid trilobites, highlighting how these forms used large cephalopods as areas to successfully molt.
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Affiliation(s)
- Russell D C Bicknell
- Division of Paleontology (Invertebrates), American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY, 10024, USA.
- Palaeoscience Research Centre, School of Environmental & Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, 2351, Australia.
| | - Ernesto E Vargas-Parra
- Division of Paleontology (Invertebrates), American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY, 10024, USA
| | - Neil H Landman
- Division of Paleontology (Invertebrates), American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY, 10024, USA
| | - Helje Pärnaste
- Institute of Geology at Tallinn University of Technology, 19086, Tallinn, Estonia
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5
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Wu Y, Pates S, Pauly D, Zhang X, Fu D. Rapid growth in a large Cambrian apex predator. Natl Sci Rev 2024; 11:nwad284. [PMID: 38312385 PMCID: PMC10833464 DOI: 10.1093/nsr/nwad284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2023] [Revised: 10/09/2023] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 02/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Despite the importance of ontogenetic data on early diverging euarthropods to our understanding of the ecology and evolution of past life, the data are distinctly lacking, as reconstructing life histories of fossil animals is often challenging. Here we report the growth trajectory of frontal appendages of the apex predator Amplectobelua symbrachiata, one of the most common radiodont arthropods from the early Cambrian Chengjiang biota (c. 520 Ma) of China. Analysis of 432 specimens (9.1-137.1 mm length; 1.3-25.6 mm height) reveals that appendages grew isometrically, with an estimated maximum size of the whole animal of c. 90 cm. Individuals grew rapidly compared to extant arthropods, as assessed using the electronic length-frequency analysis (ELEFAN) approach. Therefore, we show that the Cambrian apex predator A. symbrachiata was an extremely fast-growing arthropod, with an unusual life history strategy that formed as part of the escalatory 'arms race' that shaped the Cambrian explosion over 500 Ma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Continental Dynamics and Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Early Life and Environment, Department of Geology, Northwest University, Xi’an 710069, China
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK
| | - Stephen Pates
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK
| | - Daniel Pauly
- Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Xingliang Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Continental Dynamics and Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Early Life and Environment, Department of Geology, Northwest University, Xi’an 710069, China
- Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China
| | - Dongjing Fu
- State Key Laboratory of Continental Dynamics and Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Early Life and Environment, Department of Geology, Northwest University, Xi’an 710069, China
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6
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Sullivan LF, Barker MS, Felix PC, Vuong RQ, White BH. Neuromodulation and the toolkit for behavioural evolution: can ecdysis shed light on an old problem? FEBS J 2024; 291:1049-1079. [PMID: 36223183 PMCID: PMC10166064 DOI: 10.1111/febs.16650] [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: 06/21/2022] [Revised: 09/06/2022] [Accepted: 10/12/2022] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
The geneticist Thomas Dobzhansky famously declared: 'Nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution'. A key evolutionary adaptation of Metazoa is directed movement, which has been elaborated into a spectacularly varied number of behaviours in animal clades. The mechanisms by which animal behaviours have evolved, however, remain unresolved. This is due, in part, to the indirect control of behaviour by the genome, which provides the components for both building and operating the brain circuits that generate behaviour. These brain circuits are adapted to respond flexibly to environmental contingencies and physiological needs and can change as a function of experience. The resulting plasticity of behavioural expression makes it difficult to characterize homologous elements of behaviour and to track their evolution. Here, we evaluate progress in identifying the genetic substrates of behavioural evolution and suggest that examining adaptive changes in neuromodulatory signalling may be a particularly productive focus for future studies. We propose that the behavioural sequences used by ecdysozoans to moult are an attractive model for studying the role of neuromodulation in behavioural evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis F Sullivan
- Section on Neural Function, Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Matthew S Barker
- Section on Neural Function, Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Princess C Felix
- Section on Neural Function, Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Richard Q Vuong
- Section on Neural Function, Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Benjamin H White
- Section on Neural Function, Laboratory of Molecular Biology, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
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7
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Chen S, Yang X, Liu X, Chen Z, Sun Z, Zhao F. Moulting behaviour in the trilobite Oryctocephalus indicus (Reed, 1910) from the Cambrian Miaolingian Series (Wuliuan Stage) of Jianhe, South China. PeerJ 2023; 11:e16440. [PMID: 38107583 PMCID: PMC10722983 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.16440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2023] [Accepted: 10/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The accurate interpretation of trilobite moulting behaviour relies on a comprehensive understanding of their moult configurations, yet the focus has commonly been limited to a brief description of the exuviae, and how differences in moulting behaviour further impact the preservation of exuviae is often ignored. This study investigates the configuration, style, and process of moulting in Oryctocephalus indicus through analysis of 88 exuviae collected from the Kaili Formation (Cambrian, Wuliuan) in Guizhou Province, South China. The moult configurations of O. indicus are typically characterised by the lower cephalic unit (LCU), which comprises the librigenae and rostral-hypostomal plate connected as a whole, detached from the cephalon and positioned anterior to the thoracopygon, while the cranidium is mostly absent. From detailed observation and description of the available material, we believe that O. indicus completes its moult through an exuvial gape formed by disarticulation of the facial sutures, rostral sutures and/or sutures of the cephalothoracic joints. Although many exuviae exhibited an opening at the cephalothoracic joint-disjunction of which is usually accompanied by disarticulation of both the facial and rostral sutures-the Salter's configuration produced by the 'Salterian' mode of moulting was not observed. Additionally, the structural characteristics of Henningsmoen's configuration, Harrington's configuration, and Somersault's configuration are discussed based on the exuviae of O. indicus, and Henningsmoen's configuration has been categorised into three types according to the different states of fossil preservation. In this article, apart from promoting further research on moulting behaviour in O. indicus, we also provide a supplement for moult configuration based on the exuviae, which offers new materials for studying moulting behaviour in oryctocephalid trilobites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shengguang Chen
- College of Resource and Environmental Engineering, Guizhou University, Guiyang, China
- Key Laboratory of Karst Georesources and Environment (Guizhou University), Ministry of Education, Guiyang, China
- State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, China
| | - Xinglian Yang
- College of Resource and Environmental Engineering, Guizhou University, Guiyang, China
- Key Laboratory of Karst Georesources and Environment (Guizhou University), Ministry of Education, Guiyang, China
| | - Xiong Liu
- College of Resource and Environmental Engineering, Guizhou University, Guiyang, China
| | - Zhengpeng Chen
- College of Resource and Environmental Engineering, Guizhou University, Guiyang, China
| | - Zhixin Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, China
- College of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Fangchen Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, China
- College of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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8
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Bicknell RD, Smith PM. Five new malformed trilobites from Cambrian and Ordovician deposits from the Natural History Museum. PeerJ 2023; 11:e16326. [PMID: 37904847 PMCID: PMC10613439 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.16326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2023] [Accepted: 09/30/2023] [Indexed: 11/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Injured trilobites present insight into how a completely extinct group of arthropods responded to traumatic experiences, such as failed predation and moulting complications. These specimens are therefore important for more thoroughly understanding the Paleozoic predator-prey systems that involved trilobites. To expand the record of injured trilobites, we present new examples of injured Ogygopsis klotzi and Olenoides serratus from the Campsite Cliff Shale Member of the Burgess Shale Formation (Cambrian, Miaolingian, Wuliuan), Paradoxides (Paradoxides) paradoxissimus gracilis from the Jince Formation (Cambrian, Miaolingian, Drumian), Ogygiocarella angustissima from the Llanfawr Mudstones Formation (Middle-Late Ordovician, Darriwilian-Sandbian), and Ogygiocarella debuchii from the Meadowtown Formation, (Middle-Late Ordovician, Darriwilian-Sandbian). We consider the possible origins of these malformations and conclude that most injuries reflect failed predation. Within this framework, possible predators are presented, and we uncover a marked shift in the diversity of animals that targeted trilobites in the Ordovician. We also collate other records of injured Ogygo. klotzi and Ol. serratus, and Ogygi. debuchii, highlighting that these species are targets for further understanding patterns and records of trilobite injuries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Russell D.C. Bicknell
- American Museum of Natural History, New York City, NY, United States of America
- School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Patrick M. Smith
- Palaeontology Department, Australian Museum Research Institute, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
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9
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Chen Z, Zhao Y, Yang X, Esteve J, Liu X, Chen S. Life cycle evolution in the trilobites Balangia and Duyunaspis from the Cambrian Series 2 (Stage 4) of South China. PeerJ 2023; 11:e15068. [PMID: 37065692 PMCID: PMC10100804 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.15068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2022] [Accepted: 02/23/2023] [Indexed: 04/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The evolution process can be reconstructed by tracking the changes in the dynamic characters of life cycles. A number of related trilobites from the Cambrian of South China provide additional information for the study of trilobite evolutionary patterns, which has been hampered by previous incomplete fossil record though. Here, Balangia and Duyunaspis represent related Cambrian oryctocephalid trilobites from South China, are comprehensively discussed over the ontogeny, and the results show that, from B. balangensis via D. duyunensis to D. jianheensis, their exoskeletal morphology shows a directional evolution. Based on the direction of evolutionary changes in the development of Balangia and Duyunaspis, we speculate that Duyunaspis likely evolved from Balangia instead of Balangia evolved from Duyunaspis, as was previously assumed. This inference is also supported by the phylogenetic tree. This research provides not only a better understanding of the mechanisms of evolution in trilobites, but also new insights for the relationship between developmental evolutionary changes and phylogeny in trilobites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhengpeng Chen
- College of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Guizhou University, Guiyang, Guizhou, China
| | - Yuanlong Zhao
- College of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Guizhou University, Guiyang, Guizhou, China
- Guizhou Research Center for Palaeontology, Guiyang, Guizhou, China
| | - Xinglian Yang
- College of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Guizhou University, Guiyang, Guizhou, China
- Guizhou Research Center for Palaeontology, Guiyang, Guizhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Karst Georesources and Environment (Guizhou University), Ministry of Education, Guiyang, Guizhou, China
| | - Jorge Esteve
- Departamento de Geodinámica, Estratigrafía y Paleontología, Facultad de Ciencias Geológicas, Geológicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Xiong Liu
- College of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Guizhou University, Guiyang, Guizhou, China
| | - Shengguang Chen
- College of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Guizhou University, Guiyang, Guizhou, China
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10
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Hopkins MJ, To R. Long-term clade-wide shifts in trilobite segment number and allocation during the Palaeozoic. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20221765. [PMID: 36541173 PMCID: PMC9768642 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.1765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Arthropods are characterized by having an exoskeleton, paired jointed appendages and segmented body. The number and shape of those segments vary dramatically and unravelling the evolution of segmentation is fundamental to our understanding of arthropod diversification. Because trilobites added segments to the body post-hatching which were expressed and preserved in biomineralized exoskeletal sclerites, their fossil record provides an excellent system for understanding the early evolution of segmentation in arthropods. Over the last 200 years, palaeontologists have hypothesized trends in segment number and allocation in the trilobite body, but they have never been rigorously tested. We tabulated the number of segments in the post-cephalic body for over 1500 species, selected to maximize taxonomic, geographical and temporal representation. Analysis reveals long-term shifts in segment number and allocation over the 250-million-year evolutionary history of the clade. For most of the Palaeozoic, the median number of segments in the body did not change. Instead, the total range decreased over time and there was long-term increase in the proportion of segments allocated to the fused terminal sclerite relative to the articulated thoracic region. There was also increased conservation of thoracic segment number within families. Neither taxonomic turnover nor trends in functionally relevant defensive behaviour sufficiently explain these patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melanie J. Hopkins
- Division of Paleontology (Invertebrates), American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY 10024, USA
| | - Rebecca To
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Michigan Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
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11
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Pates S, Botting JP, Muir LA, Wolfe JM. Ordovician opabiniid-like animals and the role of the proboscis in euarthropod head evolution. Nat Commun 2022; 13:6969. [PMID: 36379946 PMCID: PMC9666559 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-34204-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2022] [Accepted: 10/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
A crucial step in the evolution of Euarthropoda (chelicerates, myriapods, pancrustaceans) was the transition between fossil groups that possessed frontal appendages innervated by the first segment of the brain (protocerebrum), and living groups with a protocerebral labrum and paired appendages innervated by the second brain segment (deutocerebrum). Appendage homologies between the groups are controversial. Here we describe two specimens of opabiniid-like euarthropods, each bearing an anterior proboscis (a fused protocerebral appendage), from the Middle Ordovician Castle Bank Biota, Wales, UK. Phylogenetic analyses support a paraphyletic grade of stem-group euarthropods with fused protocerebral appendages and a posterior-facing mouth, as in the iconic Cambrian panarthropod Opabinia. These results suggest that the labrum may have reduced from an already-fused proboscis, rather than a pair of arthropodized appendages. If some shared features between the Castle Bank specimens and radiodonts are considered convergent rather than homologous, phylogenetic analyses retrieve them as opabiniids, substantially extending the geographic and temporal range of Opabiniidae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen Pates
- grid.5335.00000000121885934Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Joseph P. Botting
- grid.9227.e0000000119573309Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, China ,grid.422296.90000 0001 2293 9551Department of Natural Sciences, Amgueddfa Cymru—National Museum Wales, Cardiff, UK
| | - Lucy A. Muir
- grid.422296.90000 0001 2293 9551Department of Natural Sciences, Amgueddfa Cymru—National Museum Wales, Cardiff, UK
| | - Joanna M. Wolfe
- grid.38142.3c000000041936754XMuseum of Comparative Zoology and Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA USA
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12
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Zong R, Bicknell RD. A new bilaterally injured trilobite presents insight into attack patterns of Cambrian predators. PeerJ 2022; 10:e14185. [PMID: 36248717 PMCID: PMC9558619 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.14185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2022] [Accepted: 09/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Durophagous predation in the Cambrian is typically recorded as malformed shells and trilobites, with rarer evidence in the form of coprolites and shelly gut contents. Reporting novel evidence for shell-crushing further expands the understanding of where and when in the Cambrian durophagy was present. To expand the current documentation and present new records of malformed trilobites from the Cambrian of China, we present an injured Redlichia (Pteroredlichia) chinensis from the lower Cambrian Balang Formation, western Hunan, South China. The specimen has two distinct injuries along the thorax. The injuries show different degrees of regeneration, suggesting that the specimen was attacked twice. We propose that the individual may have been targeted more readily for the second attack. This predatory approach would have been highly energy efficient, maximizing net energy gain during the attack.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruiwen Zong
- State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Russell D.C. Bicknell
- Palaeoscience Research Centre, School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, New South Wales, Australia
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13
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Wang Y, Peng J, Wang D, Zhang H, Luo X, Shao Y, Sun Q, Ling C, Wang Q. Ontogenetic moulting behavior of the Cambrian oryctocephalid trilobite Arthricocephalites xinzhaiheensis. PeerJ 2021; 9:e12217. [PMID: 34631322 PMCID: PMC8465991 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.12217] [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: 06/27/2021] [Accepted: 09/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Moulting behaviors in trilobites are a crucial strategy during development. Previous studies have demonstrated inter-and intraspecific variability of moulting behavior in trilobites. Currently, ecdysial motifs for trilobites are considered not stable even within species and fewer detailed studies dealt with moulting behaviors in a single species of trilobite during development. Here a large sample of meraspid to holaspid exuviae of Arthricocephalites xinzhaiheensis (131 specimens) from the Cambrian Balang Formation of South China has allowed description of the reasonably complete ontogenic moulting sequence. Both ontogenetic stage and body size reveal gradual transition of configuration from Somersault configuration to Henningsmoen's configuration during development. Somersault configuration is exclusive till meraspid degree five and exists in subsequent growth stages. This suggests that opening of the facial and rostral sutures allowing the emergence forward of the post-ecdysial trilobite was prevalent in early growth stages. In later development, Henningsmoen's configuration (showing disarticulation of the cranidium) became more dominant. This study indicates that gradual transition of ontogenetic moulting behavior occurred in oryctocephalid trilobites in the early Cambrian.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yifan Wang
- College of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Key Laboratory of Karst Georesources and Environment, Ministry of Education, Guizhou University, Guiyang, Guizhou Province, China
| | - Jin Peng
- College of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Key Laboratory of Karst Georesources and Environment, Ministry of Education, Guizhou University, Guiyang, Guizhou Province, China
| | - Dezhi Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Hui Zhang
- College of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Key Laboratory of Karst Georesources and Environment, Ministry of Education, Guizhou University, Guiyang, Guizhou Province, China
- School of Geography and Resources, Guizhou Education University, Guiyang, Guizhou, China
| | - Xiuchun Luo
- College of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Key Laboratory of Karst Georesources and Environment, Ministry of Education, Guizhou University, Guiyang, Guizhou Province, China
| | - Yunbin Shao
- College of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Key Laboratory of Karst Georesources and Environment, Ministry of Education, Guizhou University, Guiyang, Guizhou Province, China
| | - Quanyi Sun
- College of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Key Laboratory of Karst Georesources and Environment, Ministry of Education, Guizhou University, Guiyang, Guizhou Province, China
| | - Chenchen Ling
- College of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Key Laboratory of Karst Georesources and Environment, Ministry of Education, Guizhou University, Guiyang, Guizhou Province, China
| | - Qiujun Wang
- College of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Key Laboratory of Karst Georesources and Environment, Ministry of Education, Guizhou University, Guiyang, Guizhou Province, China
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14
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Zong R. Injuries and molting interference in a trilobite from the Cambrian (Furongian) of South China. PeerJ 2021; 9:e11201. [PMID: 33868827 PMCID: PMC8035893 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.11201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2020] [Accepted: 03/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
An injured Shergoldia laevigata Zhu, Hughes & Peng, 2007 (Trilobita, Asaphida) was collected from the Furongian of Guangxi, South China. The injuries occurred in the left thoracic pleurae possessing two marked V-shaped gaps. It led to substantial transverse shortening of the left pleural segments, with barely perceptible traces of healing. This malformation is interpreted as a sub-lethal attack from an unknown predator. The morphology of injuries and the spatial and temporal distribution of predators indicated that the predatory structure might have been the spines on the ganathobase or ganathobase-like structure of a larger arthropod. There were overlapped segments located in the front of the injuries, and slightly dislocated thoracic segments on the left part of the thorax, suggesting that the trilobite had experienced difficulties during molting. The freshly molted trilobite had dragged forward the old exuvia causing the irregular arrangement of segments. This unusual trilobite specimen indicates that the injuries interfered with molting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruiwen Zong
- State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, China
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15
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16
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Zong R. Coupled exuviae of the Ordovician Ovalocephalus (Pliomeridae, Trilobita) in South China and its behavioral implications. PeerJ 2020; 8:e10166. [PMID: 33083154 PMCID: PMC7548070 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.10166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2020] [Accepted: 09/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Ecdysis was a vital process during the lives of trilobites. In addition to preserving the morphological changes in trilobite ontogeny, the preservation of its action often captured interesting behavioral information. Abundant exuviae of Ovalocephalus tetrasulcatus are preserved in the Ordovician strata in central Hubei, China, and some of them are arranged with two or three together end to end or superimposed. The preserved patterns and burial conditions indicate that these specimens were caused by the active behavior of trilobites. It is speculated that these exuvial clusters were formed by two or three trilobites in line to molt; that is, after one trilobite finished molting, other trilobites molted in front of, behind, or overlying the previously molted shells. This ecdysis strategy is interpreted as related to the postulated herding behavior of some trilobites, representing a behavioral response of the trilobites to choose a nearby safe zone during some risky life activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruiwen Zong
- State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, Hubei, China
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17
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Corrales-García A, Esteve J, Zhao Y, Yang X. Synchronized moulting behaviour in trilobites from the Cambrian Series 2 of South China. Sci Rep 2020; 10:14099. [PMID: 32839477 PMCID: PMC7445173 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-70883-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2019] [Accepted: 07/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The study of moulting behaviour in the fossil record is relatively well known in arthropods and this is especially true for trilobites. Nevertheless, while studies focusing on the style of moulting in social and semi-social groups of modern animals (e.g. arthropods) are common, very few works investigate moulting adaptations in deep time. Here we report a trilobite assemblage from the Cambrian Series 2 “Tsinghsutung” Formation of South China. Around 850 specimens were used for this study from three different levels across one section near Balang (SE Guizhou Province, South China). These levels preserve numerous trilobite clusters in some cases containing around 400 individual specimens. Up to four species have been found in these clusters, but two species are more common. Trilobite clusters bear a high percentage of disarticulated specimens that we interpret as moults. Additionally, measurements of bioclast orientation and the dorsoventral attitude suggests very quiet water conditions followed by rapid burial events, prior to scavenger disturbance. Together, this indicates that the fossil assemblages were a result of a biological phenomenon rather than mechanical processes, allowing us to interpret the position of the fossil parts as different moulting configurations. Since the trilobite assemblage seems to be in situ, the large number of exuviae suggests a local place of migration. This was triggered by the need for group protection while moulting, which is suggestive of gregarious behaviour, possibly synchronized. These trilobites from the Cambrian Epoch 2, Age 4 constitute one of the earliest known gregarious community of trilobites and has important implications for understanding the ecology of this group during their emergence in the Cambrian.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jorge Esteve
- Department of Geosciences, Universidad de Los Andes, 111711, Bogotá D.C., Colombia.
| | - Yuanlong Zhao
- College of Resources and Environmental Engineering College, Guizhou University, Guiyang, 550025, China
| | - Xinglian Yang
- College of Resources and Environmental Engineering College, Guizhou University, Guiyang, 550025, China. .,Key Laboratory of Geological Resources and Environment, Ministry of Education, Guizhou University, Guiyang, 550025, China.
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18
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Li Y, Ruta M, Wills MA. Craniodental and Postcranial Characters of Non-Avian Dinosauria Often Imply Different Trees. Syst Biol 2020; 69:638-659. [PMID: 31769837 PMCID: PMC7302058 DOI: 10.1093/sysbio/syz077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2018] [Revised: 11/08/2019] [Accepted: 11/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite the increasing importance of molecular sequence data, morphology still makes an important contribution to resolving the phylogeny of many groups, and is the only source of data for most fossils. Most systematists sample morphological characters as broadly as possible on the principle of total evidence. However, it is not uncommon for sampling to be focused on particular aspects of anatomy, either because characters therein are believed to be more informative, or because preservation biases restrict what is available. Empirically, the optimal trees from partitions of morphological data sets often represent significantly different hypotheses of relationships. Previous work on hard-part versus soft-part characters across animal phyla revealed significant differences in about a half of sampled studies. Similarly, studies of the craniodental versus postcranial characters of vertebrates revealed significantly different trees in about one-third of cases, with the highest rates observed in non-avian dinosaurs. We test whether this is a generality here with a much larger sample of 81 published data matrices across all major dinosaur groups. Using the incongruence length difference test and two variants of the incongruence relationship difference test, we found significant incongruence in about 50% of cases. Incongruence is not uniformly distributed across major dinosaur clades, being highest (63%) in Theropoda and lowest (25%) in Thyreophora. As in previous studies, our partition tests show some sensitivity to matrix dimensions and the amount and distribution of missing entries. Levels of homoplasy and retained synapomorphy are similar between partitions, such that incongruence must partly reflect differences in patterns of homoplasy between partitions, which may itself be a function of modularity and mosaic evolution. Finally, we implement new tests to determine which partition yields trees most similar to those from the entire matrix. Despite no bias across dinosaurs overall, there are striking differences between major groups. The craniodental characters of Ornithischia and the postcranial characters of Saurischia yield trees most similar to the "total evidence" trees derived from the entire matrix. Trees from these same character partitions also tend to be most stratigraphically congruent: a mutual consilience suggesting that those partitions yield more accurate trees. [Dinosauria; homoplasy; partition homogeneity.].
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Affiliation(s)
- Yimeng Li
- Department of Biology & Biochemistry, The Milner Centre for Evolution, The University of Bath, The Avenue, Claverton Down, Bath BA2 7AY, UK
| | - Marcello Ruta
- School of Life Sciences, University of Lincoln, Joseph Banks Laboratories, Green Lane, Lincoln LN6 7DL, UK
| | - Matthew A Wills
- Department of Biology & Biochemistry, The Milner Centre for Evolution, The University of Bath, The Avenue, Claverton Down, Bath BA2 7AY, UK
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19
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Pates S, Botting JP, McCobb LME, Muir LA. A miniature Ordovician hurdiid from Wales demonstrates the adaptability of Radiodonta. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2020; 7:200459. [PMID: 32742697 PMCID: PMC7353989 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.200459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2020] [Accepted: 05/18/2020] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Originally considered as large, solely Cambrian apex predators, Radiodonta-a clade of stem-group euarthropods including Anomalocaris-now comprises a diverse group of predators, sediment sifters and filter feeders. These animals are only known from deposits preserving non-biomineralized material, with radiodonts often the first and/or only taxa known from such deposits. Despite the widespread and diverse nature of the group, only a handful of radiodonts are known from post-Cambrian deposits, and all originate from deposits or localities rich in other total-group euarthropods. In this contribution, we describe the first radiodont from the UK, an isolated hurdiid frontal appendage from the Tremadocian (Lower Ordovician) Dol-cyn-Afon Formation, Wales, UK. This finding is unusual in two major aspects: firstly, the appendage (1.8 mm in size) is less than half the size of the next smallest radiodont frontal appendage known, and probably belonged to an animal between 6 and 15 mm in length; secondly, it was discovered in the sponge-dominated Afon Gam Biota, one of only a handful of non-biomineralized total-group euarthropods known from this deposit. This Welsh hurdiid breaks new ground for Radiodonta in terms of both its small size and sponge-dominated habitat. This occurrence demonstrates the adaptability of the group in response to the partitioning of ecosystems and environments in the late Cambrian and Early Ordovician world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen Pates
- Museum of Comparative Zoology and Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Oxford Street, Boston, MA 02138, USA
- Author for correspondence: Stephen Pates e-mail:
| | - Joseph P. Botting
- Department of Natural Sciences, Amgueddfa Cymru-National Museum Wales, Cathays Park, Cardiff CF10 3NP, UK
- Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 39 East Beijing Road, Nanjing 210008, People's Republic of China
| | - Lucy M. E. McCobb
- Department of Natural Sciences, Amgueddfa Cymru-National Museum Wales, Cathays Park, Cardiff CF10 3NP, UK
| | - Lucy A. Muir
- Department of Natural Sciences, Amgueddfa Cymru-National Museum Wales, Cathays Park, Cardiff CF10 3NP, UK
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20
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Mángano MG, Ortega-Hernández J, Piñuela L, Buatois LA, Rodríguez-Tovar FJ, García-Ramos JC. Trace fossil evidence for infaunal moulting in a Middle Devonian non-trilobite euarthropod. Sci Rep 2020; 10:5316. [PMID: 32210261 PMCID: PMC7093436 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-62019-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2019] [Accepted: 03/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Trace fossils represent the primary source of information on the evolution of animal behaviour through deep time, and provide exceptional insights into complex life strategies that would be otherwise impossible to infer from the study of body parts alone. Here, we describe unusual trace fossils found in marginal-marine, storm- and river-flood deposits from the Middle Devonian Naranco Formation of Asturias (northern Spain) that constitute the first evidence for infaunal moulting in a non-trilobite euarthropod. The trace fossils are preserved in convex hyporelief, and include two main morphological variants that reflect a behavioural continuum. Morphotype 1 consists of a structure that superficially resembles a Rusophycus with an oval outline that possesses a distinctly three lobed axis with an elevated central ridge and regularly spaced transverse furrows that convey the appearance of discrete body segments. The anterior part is the most irregular region of the structure, and it is not always recorded. Morphotype 2 displays more elongated, tubular morphology. Careful observation, however, reveals that it comprises up to three successive morphotype 1 specimens organised in a linear fashion and partially truncating each other. Trilobate morphology and effaced transverse furrows are locally evident, but the predominant morphological feature is the continuous, elevated ridge. The detailed morphology of morphotype 1 and well-preserved, discrete segments of morphotype 2 closely resemble the dorsal exoskeleton of the enigmatic late Carboniferous euarthropod Camptophyllia, suggesting the possible affinities of the producer. Comparisons with patterns of Devonian phacopid trilobite exuviation suggest that the Naranco Formation trace fossils may have been produced by the infaunal activities of an euarthropod that anchored its dorsal exoskeleton in the firm sediment during the body inversion moult procedure. Our findings expand the phylogenetic and environmental occurrence of infaunal moulting in Palaeozoic euarthropods, and suggest a defensive strategy against predation, previously only known from trilobites preserved in open-marine deposits.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Gabriela Mángano
- Department of Geological Sciences, University of Saskatchewan, 114 Science Place, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5E2, Canada.
| | - Javier Ortega-Hernández
- Museum of Comparative Zoology and Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
| | - Laura Piñuela
- Museo del Jurásico de Asturias (MUJA), 33328, Colunga, Asturias, Spain
| | - Luis A Buatois
- Department of Geological Sciences, University of Saskatchewan, 114 Science Place, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5E2, Canada
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21
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Bicknell RD, Paterson JR, Hopkins MJ. A Trilobite Cluster from the Silurian Rochester Shale of New York: Predation Patterns and Possible Defensive Behavior. AMERICAN MUSEUM NOVITATES 2019. [DOI: 10.1206/3937.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Russell D.C. Bicknell
- Palaeoscience Research Centre, School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, New South Wales, Australia
| | - John R. Paterson
- Palaeoscience Research Centre, School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Melanie J. Hopkins
- Division of Paleontology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY
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22
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Moysiuk J, Caron JB. A new hurdiid radiodont from the Burgess Shale evinces the exploitation of Cambrian infaunal food sources. Proc Biol Sci 2019; 286:20191079. [PMID: 31362637 PMCID: PMC6710600 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2019.1079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2019] [Accepted: 07/05/2019] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Radiodonts, a clade of Cambro-Devonian stem group euarthropods, have classically been regarded as nektonic apex predators. However, many aspects of radiodont morphology and ecology have remained unclear because of the typically fragmentary nature of fossil material. Here, we describe a new hurdiid radiodont based on abundant and exceptionally well-preserved fossils from the Burgess Shale (Marble Canyon area, British Columbia, Canada). Cambroraster falcatus gen. et sp. nov. is characterized by an extra-large horseshoe-shaped head carapace, bearing conspicuous posterolateral spinous processes, and partially covering a short trunk with eight pairs of lateral flaps. Each of the pair of frontal appendages possess five mesially curving rake-like endites equipped with a series of anteriorly directed hooked spines, altogether surrounding the oral cone. This feeding apparatus suggests a micro to macrophagous sediment-sifting feeding ecology. Cambroraster illuminates the evolution of Hurdiidae and evinces the exploitation of the diversifying infauna by these large and specialized nektobenthic carnivores in the aftermath of the Cambrian explosion.
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Affiliation(s)
- J. Moysiuk
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, 25 Willcocks Street, Toronto, Ontario, CanadaM5S 3B2
- Department of Natural History, Royal Ontario Museum, 100 Queen's Park, Toronto, Ontario, CanadaM5S 2C6
| | - J.-B. Caron
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, 25 Willcocks Street, Toronto, Ontario, CanadaM5S 3B2
- Department of Natural History, Royal Ontario Museum, 100 Queen's Park, Toronto, Ontario, CanadaM5S 2C6
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23
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Wang D, Vannier J, Schumann I, Wang X, Yang XG, Komiya T, Uesugi K, Sun J, Han J. Origin of ecdysis: fossil evidence from 535-million-year-old scalidophoran worms. Proc Biol Sci 2019; 286:20190791. [PMID: 31288707 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2019.0791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
With millions of extant species, ecdysozoans (Scalidophora, Nematoida and Panarthropoda) constitute a major portion of present-day biodiversity. All ecdysozoans secrete an exoskeletal cuticle which must be moulted periodically and replaced by a larger one. Although moulting (ecdysis) has been recognized in early Palaeozoic panarthropods such as trilobites and basal groups such as anomalocaridids and lobopodians, the fossil record lacks clear evidence of ecdysis in early scalidophorans, largely because of difficulties in recognizing true exuviae. Here, we describe two types of exuviae in microscopic scalidophoran worms from the lowermost Cambrian Kuanchuanpu Formation ( ca 535 Ma) of China and reconstruct their moulting process. These basal scalidophorans moulted in a manner similar to that of extant priapulid worms, extricating themselves smoothly from their old tubular cuticle or turning their exuviae inside out like the finger of a glove. This is the oldest record of moulting in ecdysozoans. We also discuss the origin of ecdysis in the light of recent molecular analyses and the significance of moulting in the early evolution of animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deng Wang
- 1 State Key Laboratory of Continental Dynamics, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Early Life and Environments, Department of Geology, Northwest University , Xi'an 710069 , People's Republic of China.,2 Laboratoire de Géologie de Lyon: Terre, Planètes, Environnement (CNRS-UMR 5276), Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 , Villeurbanne Cedex 69622 , France
| | - Jean Vannier
- 2 Laboratoire de Géologie de Lyon: Terre, Planètes, Environnement (CNRS-UMR 5276), Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 , Villeurbanne Cedex 69622 , France
| | - Isabell Schumann
- 3 Department of Genetics, University of Leipzig , Talstraße 33, 04103 Leipzig , Germany.,4 Molecular Evolution & Animal Systematics, Institute of Biology, University of Leipzig , Talstraße 33, 04103 Leipzig , Germany
| | - Xing Wang
- 5 Qingdao Institute of Marine Geology, China Geological Survey , Qingdao 266071 , People's Republic of China
| | - Xiao-Guang Yang
- 1 State Key Laboratory of Continental Dynamics, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Early Life and Environments, Department of Geology, Northwest University , Xi'an 710069 , People's Republic of China
| | - Tsuyoshi Komiya
- 6 Department of Earth Science and Astronomy, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, University of Tokyo , Tokyo 153-8902 , Japan
| | - Kentaro Uesugi
- 7 Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute (JASRI) , 1-1-1 Kouto, Sayo-cho, Sayo-gun, Hyogo , Japan
| | - Jie Sun
- 1 State Key Laboratory of Continental Dynamics, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Early Life and Environments, Department of Geology, Northwest University , Xi'an 710069 , People's Republic of China
| | - Jian Han
- 1 State Key Laboratory of Continental Dynamics, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Early Life and Environments, Department of Geology, Northwest University , Xi'an 710069 , People's Republic of China
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24
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Du KS, Ortega-Hernández J, Yang J, Zhang XG. A soft-bodied euarthropod from the early Cambrian Xiaoshiba Lagerstätte of China supports a new clade of basal artiopodans with dorsal ecdysial sutures. Cladistics 2019; 35:269-281. [PMID: 34622993 DOI: 10.1111/cla.12344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/17/2018] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
We describe the exceptionally well-preserved non-trilobite artiopodan Zhiwenia coronata gen. et sp. nov. from the Cambrian Stage 3 Xiaoshiba Lagerstätte in Yunnan, China. The exoskeleton consists of a cephalic shield with dorsal sutures expressed as lateral notches that accommodate stalked lateral eyes, an elongate trunk composed of 20 tergites-the first of which is reduced-and a short tailspine with marginal spines. Appendicular data include a pair of multi-segmented antennae, and homonomous biramous trunk limbs consisting of an endopod with at least seven podomeres and a flattened exopod with lamellae. Although the presence of cephalic notches and a reduced first trunk tergite invites comparisons with the petalopleurans Xandarella, Luohiniella and Cindarella, the proportions and exoskeletal tagmosis of Zhiwenia do not closely resemble those of any major group within Trilobitomorpha. Parsimony and Bayesian phylogenetic analyses consistently support Zhiwenia as sister-taxon to the Emu Bay Shale artiopodan Australimicola spriggi, and both of them as closely related to Acanthomeridion from the Chengjiang. This new monophyletic clade, Protosutura nov., occupies a basal phylogenetic position within Artiopoda as sister-group to Trilobitomorpha and Vicissicaudata, illuminates the ancestral organization of these successful euarthropods, and leads to a re-evaluation of the evolution of ecdysial dorsal sutures within the group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kun-Sheng Du
- Key Laboratory for Palaeobiology, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650091, China.,MEC International Joint Laboratory for Palaeoenvironment, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650091, China
| | - Javier Ortega-Hernández
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EJ, UK.,Museum of Comparative Zoology and, Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
| | - Jie Yang
- Key Laboratory for Palaeobiology, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650091, China.,MEC International Joint Laboratory for Palaeoenvironment, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650091, China
| | - Xi-Guang Zhang
- Key Laboratory for Palaeobiology, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650091, China.,MEC International Joint Laboratory for Palaeoenvironment, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650091, China
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25
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Yang J, Ortega-Hernández J, Drage HB, Du KS, Zhang XG. Ecdysis in a stem-group euarthropod from the early Cambrian of China. Sci Rep 2019; 9:5709. [PMID: 30952888 PMCID: PMC6450865 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-41911-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2018] [Accepted: 03/20/2019] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Moulting is a fundamental component of the ecdysozoan life cycle, but the fossil record of this strategy is susceptible to preservation biases, making evidence of ecdysis in soft-bodied organisms extremely rare. Here, we report an exceptional specimen of the fuxianhuiid Alacaris mirabilis preserved in the act of moulting from the Cambrian (Stage 3) Xiaoshiba Lagerstätte, South China. The specimen displays a flattened and wrinkled head shield, inverted overlap of the trunk tergites over the head shield, and duplication of exoskeletal elements including the posterior body margins and telson. We interpret this fossil as a discarded exoskeleton overlying the carcass of an emerging individual. The moulting behaviour of A. mirabilis evokes that of decapods, in which the carapace is separated posteriorly and rotated forward from the body, forming a wide gape for the emerging individual. A. mirabilis illuminates the moult strategy of stem-group Euarthropoda, offers the stratigraphically and phylogenetically earliest direct evidence of ecdysis within total-group Euarthropoda, and represents one of the oldest examples of this growth strategy in the evolution of Ecdysozoa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Yang
- Key Laboratory for Palaeobiology, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650091, China
- MEC International Joint Laboratory for Palaeoenvironment, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650091, China
| | - Javier Ortega-Hernández
- Museum of Comparative Zoology and Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EJ, UK
| | - Harriet B Drage
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, 11a Mansfield Road, Oxford, OX1 3SZ, UK
- Institute of Earth Sciences, University of Lausanne, Géopolis, CH-1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Kun-Sheng Du
- Key Laboratory for Palaeobiology, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650091, China
- MEC International Joint Laboratory for Palaeoenvironment, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650091, China
| | - Xi-Guang Zhang
- Key Laboratory for Palaeobiology, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650091, China.
- MEC International Joint Laboratory for Palaeoenvironment, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650091, China.
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26
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Hopkins MJ, Chen F, Hu S, Zhang Z. The oldest known digestive system consisting of both paired digestive glands and a crop from exceptionally preserved trilobites of the Guanshan Biota (Early Cambrian, China). PLoS One 2017; 12:e0184982. [PMID: 28934290 PMCID: PMC5608306 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0184982] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2017] [Accepted: 09/04/2017] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The early Cambrian Guanshan biota of eastern Yunnan, China, contains exceptionally preserved animals and algae. Most diverse and abundant are the arthropods, of which there are at least 11 species of trilobites represented by numerous specimens. Many trilobite specimens show soft-body preservation via iron oxide pseudomorphs of pyrite replacement. Here we describe digestive structures from two species of trilobite, Palaeolenus lantenoisi and Redlichia mansuyi. Multiple specimens of both species contain the preserved remains of an expanded stomach region (a “crop”) under the glabella, a structure which has not been observed in trilobites this old, despite numerous examples of trilobite gut traces from other Cambrian Lagerstätten. In addition, at least one specimen of Palaeolenus lantenoisi shows the preservation of an unusual combination of digestive structures: a crop and paired digestive glands along the alimentary tract. This combination of digestive structures has also never been observed in trilobites this old, and is rare in general, with prior evidence of it from one juvenile trilobite specimen from the late Cambrian Orsten fauna of Sweden and possibly one adult trilobite specimen from the Early Ordovician Fezouata Lagerstätte. The variation in the fidelity of preservation of digestive structures within and across different Lagerstätten may be due to variation in the type, quality, and point of digestion of food among specimens in addition to differences in mode of preservation. The presence and combination of these digestive features in the Guanshan trilobites contradicts current models of how the trilobite digestive system was structured and evolved over time. Most notably, the crop is not a derived structure as previously proposed, although it is possible that the relative size of the crop increased over the evolutionary history of the clade.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melanie J. Hopkins
- Division of Paleontology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, New York, United States of America
- * E-mail: (ZZ); (MJH)
| | - Feiyang Chen
- Early Life Institute, State Key Laboratory of Continental Dynamics and Department of Geology, Northwest University, Xi’an, China
| | - Shixue Hu
- Chengdu Institute of Geology and Mineral Resources, Chengdu, China
| | - Zhifei Zhang
- Early Life Institute, State Key Laboratory of Continental Dynamics and Department of Geology, Northwest University, Xi’an, China
- * E-mail: (ZZ); (MJH)
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27
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Drage HB, Daley AC. Recognising moulting behaviour in trilobites by examining morphology, development and preservation: Comment on Błażejowski et al. 2015. Bioessays 2016; 38:981-90. [PMID: 27545417 PMCID: PMC5042052 DOI: 10.1002/bies.201600027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
A 365 million year-old trilobite moult-carcass assemblage was described by Błażejowski et al. (2015) as the oldest direct evidence of moulting in the arthropod fossil record. Unfortunately, their suppositions are insufficiently supported by the data provided. Instead, the morphology, configuration and preservational context of the highly fossiliferous locality (Kowala Quarry, Poland) suggest that the specimen consists of two overlapping, queued carcasses. The wider fossil record of moulting actually extends back 520 million years, providing an unparalleled opportunity to study behaviour, ecology and development in early animals. Taking cues from modern analogues, it is possible to quantify precise details about moulting behaviour to determine broad-scale evolutionary trends, ontogenetic sequences and morphological selection pressures. In this review, we argue that this rich source of data has been underused in evolutionary studies, though has great potential for investigating the life history and evolution of arthropods in deep time.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Allison C Daley
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.,Oxford University Museum of Natural History, Oxford, UK
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