1
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Hermanson G, Arnal FAM, Szczygielski T, Evers SW. A systematic comparative description of extant turtle humeri, with comments on humerus disparity and evolution based on fossil comparisons. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2024; 307:3437-3505. [PMID: 38716962 DOI: 10.1002/ar.25450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2024] [Revised: 03/25/2024] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 10/09/2024]
Abstract
The humerus is central for locomotion in turtles as quadrupedal animals. Osteological variation across testudine clades remains poorly documented. Here, we systematically describe the humerus anatomy for all major extant turtle clades based on 38 species representing the phylogenetic and ecological diversity of crown turtles. Three Late Triassic species of shelled stem turtles (Testudindata) are included to establish the plesiomorphic humerus morphology. Our work is based on 3D models, establishing a publicly available digital database. Previously defined terms for anatomical sides of the humerus (e.g., dorsal, ventral) are often not aligned with the respective body sides in turtles and other quadrupedal animals with sprawling gait. We propose alternative anatomical directional terms to simplify communication: radial and ulnar (the sides articulating with the radius/ulna), capitular (the side bearing the humeral head), and intertubercular (opposite to capitular surface). Turtle humeri show low morphological variation with exceptions concentrated in locomotory specialists. We propose 15 discrete characters to summarize osteological variation for future phylogenetic studies. Disparity analyses comparing non-shelled and shelled turtles indicate that the presence of the shell constrains humerus variation. Flippered aquatic turtles are released from this constraint and significantly increase overall disparity. Ontogenetic changes of turtle humeri are related to increased ossification and pronunciation of the proximal processes, the distal articulation areas, and the closure of the ectepicondylar groove to a foramen. Some turtle species retain juvenile features into adulthood and provide evidence for paedomorphic evolution. We review major changes of turtle humerus morphology throughout the evolution of its stem group.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Fernando A M Arnal
- The Milner Centre for Evolution, Department of Life Sciences, University of Bath, Bath, UK
| | | | - Serjoscha W Evers
- Department of Geosciences, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
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2
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Ferreira GS, Hermanson G, Kyriakouli C, Dróżdż D, Szczygielski T. Shell biomechanics suggests an aquatic palaeoecology at the dawn of turtle evolution. Sci Rep 2024; 14:21822. [PMID: 39294199 PMCID: PMC11411134 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-72540-7] [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: 04/26/2024] [Accepted: 09/09/2024] [Indexed: 09/20/2024] Open
Abstract
The turtle shell is a remarkable structure that has intrigued not only evolutionary biologists but also engineering and material scientists because of its multi-scale complexity and various functions. Although protection is its most apparent role, the carapace and plastron are also related to many physiological functions and their shape influences hydrodynamics and self-righting ability. As such, analysing the functional morphology of the shell could help understanding the ecology of Triassic stem-turtles, which will contribute to the century-long debate on the evolutionary origins of turtles. Here, we used 3D imaging techniques to digitize the shells of two of the earliest stem-turtle taxa, Proganochelys and Proterochersis, and submitted their models to biomechanical and shape analyses. We analysed the strength performance under five predation scenarios and tested the function of two morphological traits found in stem-turtles, the epiplastral processes and an attached pelvic girdle. The latter, also present in the crown-lineage of side-necked turtles, has been suggested to increase load-bearing capacity of the shell or to improve swimming in pleurodires. Our results do not confirm the shell-strengthening hypothesis and, together with the results of our shape analyses, suggest that at least one of the first stem-turtles (Proterochersis) was an aquatic animal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel S Ferreira
- Senckenberg Centre for Human Evolution and Palaeoenvironment, University of Tübingen, Hölderlinstraße 12, 72074, Tübingen, Germany.
- Fachbereich Geowissenschaften, Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Hölderlinstraße 12, 72074, Tübingen, Germany.
| | - Guilherme Hermanson
- Department of Geosciences, University of Fribourg, Chemin du Musée 6, 1700, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Christina Kyriakouli
- Senckenberg Centre for Human Evolution and Palaeoenvironment, University of Tübingen, Hölderlinstraße 12, 72074, Tübingen, Germany
- Fachbereich Geowissenschaften, Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Hölderlinstraße 12, 72074, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Dawid Dróżdż
- Nalecz Institute of Biocybernetics and Biomedical Engineering, Polish Academy of Sciences PL, Ks. Trojdena 4, 02-109, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Tomasz Szczygielski
- Institute of Paleobiology, Polish Academy of Sciences PL, Twarda 51/55, 00-818, Warsaw, Poland
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3
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Abd-Elhafeez HH, Massoud D, Mahmoud MS, Abdellah N, Salah AS, Mohamed NE, Sayed MAA, Shaalan M, Rutland CS, Abu-ELhamed AS, Soliman SA, Mustafa FEZA. Microstructural architecture of the bony scutes, spine, and rays of the bony fins in the common pleco (Hypostomus plecostomus). Int J Vet Sci Med 2024; 12:101-124. [PMID: 39239634 PMCID: PMC11376312 DOI: 10.1080/23144599.2024.2374201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2024] [Revised: 06/17/2024] [Accepted: 06/24/2024] [Indexed: 09/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Studying scute and fin morphology are advantageous approaches for phylogenetic identification and provide information on biological linkages and evolutionary history that are essential for deciphering the fossil record. Despite this, no prior research has precisely characterized the histological structures of scutes in the common pleco. Therefore, this research investigated the microstructure and organization of bone tissue within the dermal skeleton, including the scutes and fins, in the common pleco, using light microscopy, stereomicroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. The dermal scutes were organized in a pentagonal shape with denticular coverage and were obliquely aligned with the caudal portion pointing dorsally. The dermal scutes consisted of three distinct portions: the central, preterminal, and terminal portions. Each portion comprised three layers: a superficial bony plate, a basal bony plate, and a mid-plate. Both the superficial and basal bony plates were composed of lamellar bone and lamellar zonal bone, whilst the mid-plate consisted of secondary osteons and woven bone. In the terminal portion, the superficial and basal bony plates became thinner. The pectoral fin consists of spines and rays composed of lepidotrichium (two symmetrical hemi-rays). The spine contained centrifugal and centripetal lamellar and trabecular bones. A centripetal fibrous bone was implanted between the lamellar bones. Besides being oriented in a V shape, the hemi-rays were also composed of thin centrifugal and centripetal lamellar bones and trabecular bones. A fibrous bone was identified between the centrifugal and centripetal bones. The trabecular bone and lamellar bone were made up of bone spicules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanan H Abd-Elhafeez
- Department of Cell and Tissues, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt
| | - Diaa Massoud
- Department of Biology, College of Science, Jouf University, Sakaka, Saudi Arabia
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Fayoum University, Fayoum, Egypt
| | - Mohammed S Mahmoud
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Fayoum University, Fayoum, Egypt
| | - Nada Abdellah
- Department of Histology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Sohag University, Sohag, Egypt
- Department of Histology and Anatomy, School of Veterinary Medicine, Badr University in Assiut, New Nasser City, Egypt
| | - Abdallah S Salah
- Institute of Aquaculture, University of Stirling, Stirling, UK
- Department of Aquaculture, Faculty of Aquatic and Fisheries Sciences, Kafrelsheikh University, Kafrelsheikh, Egypt
| | - Nor-Elhoda Mohamed
- Faculty of Science, Biomedicine Branch, University of Science & Technology, Zewail, Egypt
| | | | - Mohamed Shaalan
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Caio University, Giza, Egypt
- Polymer Institute, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Catrin S Rutland
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Alaa Sayed Abu-ELhamed
- Department of Cell and Tissues, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt
- Department of Respiratory Therapy, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, Jazan University, Jazan, Saudi Arabia
| | - Soha A Soliman
- Department of Histology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, South Valley University, Qena, Egypt
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4
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Bhat MS, Cullen TM. Growth and life history of freshwater chelydrid turtles (Testudines: Cryptodira): A bone histological approach. J Anat 2024. [PMID: 39169639 DOI: 10.1111/joa.14130] [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: 05/15/2024] [Revised: 07/25/2024] [Accepted: 08/07/2024] [Indexed: 08/23/2024] Open
Abstract
The current study examines the growth pattern and lifestyle habits of the freshwater snapping turtles Chelydra and Macrochelys based on limb bone histology. Femora, humeri, and tibiae of 25 individuals selected from a range of ontogenetic stages were assessed to determine inter-element and intraskeletal histological variation. Osteohistological assessment of multiple elements is consistent with overall moderate growth rates as revealed by the dominance of parallel-fibered bone. However, the growth was cyclical as shown by deposition of multiple lines of arrested growths in the compacta. It appears that the bone tissue of C. serpentina is more variable through ontogeny with intermittent higher growth rates. M. temminckii appears to grow more slowly than C. serpentina possessing compact and thick cortices in accordance with their larger size. Overall, vascularization decreases through ontogeny with humeri and femora being well-vascularized in both species. Contrarily, epipodials are poorly vascularized, though simple longitudinal and radial canals are present, suggesting differences in growth patterns when compared with associated diaphyseal sections. The tibiae were found to be the least remodeled of the limb bones and therefore better suited for skeletochronology for snapping turtles. Intra-elementally, femora and humeri preserved higher cortical vascularity ventrally, suggestive of faster relative growth. We hypothesize that the differential growth pattern in limb bones of snapping turtles may relate to differential functional constraints, where forelimbs are operational in swimming while the hindlimbs provide stability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohd Shafi Bhat
- Department of Geosciences, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama, USA
| | - Thomas M Cullen
- Department of Geosciences, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama, USA
- Auburn University Museum of Natural History, Auburn, Alabama, USA
- Department of Earth Sciences, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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5
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Avrahami HM, Makovicky PJ, Tucker RT, Zanno LE. A new semi-fossorial thescelosaurine dinosaur from the Cenomanian-age Mussentuchit Member of the Cedar Mountain Formation, Utah. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2024. [PMID: 38979930 DOI: 10.1002/ar.25505] [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: 02/26/2024] [Revised: 04/18/2024] [Accepted: 05/06/2024] [Indexed: 07/10/2024]
Abstract
Thescelosaurines are a group of early diverging, ornithischian dinosaurs notable for their conservative bauplans and mosaic of primitive features. Although abundant within the latest Cretaceous ecosystems of North America, their record is poor to absent in earlier assemblages, leaving a large gap in our understanding of their evolution, origins, and ecological roles. Here we report a new small bodied thescelosaurine-Fona herzogae gen. et sp. nov.-from the Mussentuchit Member of the Cedar Mountain Formation, Utah, USA. Fona herzogae is represented by multiple individuals, representing one of the most comprehensive skeletal assemblages of a small bodied, early diverging ornithischian described from North America to date. Phylogenetic analysis recovers Fona as the earliest member of Thescelosaurinae, minimally containing Oryctodromeus, and all three species of Thescelosaurus, revealing the clade was well-established in North America by as early as the Cenomanian, and distinct from, yet continental cohabitants with, their sister clade, Orodrominae. To date, orodromines and thescelosaurines have not been found together within a single North American ecosystem, suggesting different habitat preferences or competitive exclusion. Osteological observations reveal extensive intraspecific variation across cranial and postcranial elements, and a number of anatomical similarities with Oryctodromeus, suggesting a shared semi-fossorial lifestyle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haviv M Avrahami
- North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
- North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - Peter J Makovicky
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Ryan T Tucker
- Department of Earth Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
| | - Lindsay E Zanno
- North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
- North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
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6
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Szczygielski T, Van den Brandt MJ, Gaetano L, Dróżdż D. Saurodesmus robertsoni Seeley 1891-The oldest Scottish cynodont. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0303973. [PMID: 38809839 PMCID: PMC11135747 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0303973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 05/01/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024] Open
Abstract
Predating Darwin's theory of evolution, the holotype of Saurodesmus robertsoni is a long-standing enigma. Found at the beginning of 1840s, the specimen is a damaged stylopodial bone over decades variably assigned to turtles, archosaurs, parareptiles, or synapsids, and currently nearly forgotten. We redescribe and re-assess that curious specimen as a femur and consider Saurodesmus robertsoni as a valid taxon of a derived cynodont (?Tritylodontidae). It shares with probainognathians more derived than Prozostrodon a mainly medially oriented lesser trochanter and with the clade reuniting tritylodontids, brasilodontids, and mammaliaforms (but excluding tritheledontids) the presence of a projected femoral head, offset from the long axis of the femoral shaft; a thin, plate-like greater trochanter; a distinct dorsal eminence proximal to the medial (tibial) condyle located close to the level of the long axis of the femoral shaft and almost in the middle of the width of the distal expansion; and a pocket-like fossa proximally to the medial (tibial) condyle. Saurodesmus robertsoni is most similar to tritylodontids, sharing at least with some forms: the relative mediolateral expansion of the proximal and distal regions of the femur, the general shape and development of the greater trochanter, the presence of a faint intertrochanteric crest separating the shallow intertrochanteric and adductor fossae, and the general outline of the distal region as observed dorsally and distally. This makes Saurodesmus robertsoni the first Triassic cynodont from Scotland and, possibly, one of the earliest representatives of tritylodontids and one of the latest non-mammaliaform cynodonts worldwide. Moreover, it highlights the need for revisiting historical problematic specimens, the identification of which could have been previously hampered by the lack of adequate comparative materials in the past.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Leandro Gaetano
- Evolutionary Studies Institute (ESI), University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Instituto de Estudios Andinos “Don Pablo Groeber” (IDEAN, UBA-CONICET), Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Dawid Dróżdż
- Nalecz Institute of Biocybernetics and Biomedical Engineering, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
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7
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Szczygielski T, Marchetti L, Dróżdż D. Natural external plastron mold of the Triassic turtle Proterochersis: An unusual mode of preservation. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0299314. [PMID: 38551910 PMCID: PMC10980221 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0299314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Impressions of vertebrate bodies or their parts, such as trace fossils and natural molds of bones, are a valuable source of information about ancient faunas which may supplement the standard fossil record based on skeletal elements. Whereas trace fossils of animal activity are relatively common and actively studied within the field of ichnology, and natural impressions of internal or external surfaces are a frequent preservation mode in fossil invertebrates, natural molds of bones are comparatively rare and less extensively documented and discussed. Among them, internal molds (steinkerns) of turtle shells are a relatively well-known form of preservation, but the mechanisms and taphonomic prerequisites leading to their formation are poorly studied. External shell molds are even less represented in the literature. Herein, we describe a historic specimen of a natural external turtle plastron mold from the Triassic (Norian) Löwenstein Formation of Germany-a formation which also yielded a number of turtle steinkerns. The specimen is significant not only because it represents an unusual form of preservation, but also due to its remarkably large size and the presence of a potential shell pathology. Although it was initially interpreted as Proterochersis sp., the recent progress in the knowledge of proterochersid turtles leading to an increase in the number of known taxa within that group allows us to verify that assessment. We confirm that the specimen is morphologically consistent with the genus and tentatively identify it as Proterochersis robusta, the only representative of that genus from the Löwenstein Formation. We note, however, that its size exceeds the size observed thus far in Proterochersis robusta and fits within the range of Proterochersis porebensis from the Grabowa Formation of Poland. The marks interpreted as shell pathology are morphologically consistent with Karethraichnus lakkos-an ichnotaxon interpreted as a trace of ectoparasites, such as leeches. This may support the previously proposed interpretation of Proterochersis spp. as a semiaquatic turtle. Moreover, if the identification is correct, the specimen may represent a very rare case of a negative preservation of a named ichnotaxon. Finally, we discuss the taphonomy of the Löwenstein Formation turtles in comparison with other Triassic turtle-yielding formations which show no potential for the preservation of internal or external shell molds and propose a taphonomic model for the formation of such fossils.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lorenzo Marchetti
- Museum für Naturkunde, Leibniz-Institut für Evolutions-und Biodiversitätsforschung, Berlin, Germany
| | - Dawid Dróżdż
- Nalecz Institute of Biocybernetics and Biomedical Engineering, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
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8
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Formoso KK, Habib MB, Vélez-Juarbe J. The Role of Locomotory Ancestry on Secondarily Aquatic Transitions. Integr Comp Biol 2023; 63:1140-1153. [PMID: 37591628 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icad112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2023] [Revised: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 08/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Land-to-sea evolutionary transitions are great transformations where terrestrial amniote clades returned to aquatic environments. These secondarily aquatic amniote clades include charismatic marine mammal and marine reptile groups, as well as countless semi-aquatic forms that modified their terrestrial locomotor anatomy to varying degrees to be suited for swimming via axial and/or appendicular propulsion. The terrestrial ancestors of secondarily aquatic groups would have started off swimming strikingly differently from one another given their evolutionary histories, as inferred by the way modern terrestrial amniotes swim. With such stark locomotor functional differences between reptiles and mammals, we ask if this impacted these transitions. Axial propulsion appears favored by aquatic descendants of terrestrially sprawling quadrupedal reptiles, with exceptions. Appendicular propulsion is more prevalent across the aquatic descendants of ancestrally parasagittal-postured mammals, particularly early transitioning forms. Ancestral terrestrial anatomical differences that precede secondarily aquatic invasions between mammals and reptiles, as well as the distribution of axial and appendicular swimming in secondarily aquatic clades, may indicate that ancestral terrestrial locomotor anatomy played a role, potentially in both constraint and facilitation, in certain aquatic locomotion styles. This perspective of the land-to-sea transition can lead to new avenues of functional, biomechanical, and developmental study of secondarily aquatic transitions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kiersten K Formoso
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Southern California, 3651 Trousedale Pkwy, Zumberge Hall, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
- Dinosaur Institute, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, 900 Exposition Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90007-4057, USA
| | - Michael B Habib
- Dinosaur Institute, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, 900 Exposition Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90007-4057, USA
- UCLA Cardiac Arrhythmia Center, Division of Cardiology, 100 Medical Plaza, Suite 660, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Jorge Vélez-Juarbe
- Department of Mammalogy, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, 900 Exposition Blvd, Los Angelss, CA 90007-4057, USA
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9
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Wolniewicz AS, Shen Y, Li Q, Sun Y, Qiao Y, Chen Y, Hu YW, Liu J. An armoured marine reptile from the Early Triassic of South China and its phylogenetic and evolutionary implications. eLife 2023; 12:e83163. [PMID: 37551884 PMCID: PMC10499374 DOI: 10.7554/elife.83163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2022] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 08/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Sauropterygia was a taxonomically and ecomorphologically diverse clade of Mesozoic marine reptiles spanning the Early Triassic to the Late Cretaceous. Sauropterygians are traditionally divided into two groups representing two markedly different body plans - the short-necked, durophagous Placodontia and the long-necked Eosauropterygia - whereas Saurosphargidae, a small clade of armoured marine reptiles, is generally considered as the sauropterygian sister-group. However, the early evolutionary history of sauropterygians and their phylogenetic relationships with other groups within Diapsida are still incompletely understood. Here, we report a new saurosphargid from the Early Triassic (Olenekian) of South China - Prosaurosphargis yingzishanensis gen. et sp. nov. - representing the earliest known occurrence of the clade. An updated phylogenetic analysis focussing on the interrelationships among diapsid reptiles recovers saurosphargids as nested within sauropterygians, forming a clade with eosauropterygians to the exclusion of placodonts. Furthermore, a clade comprising Eusaurosphargis and Palatodonta is recovered as the sauropterygian sister-group within Sauropterygomorpha tax. nov. The phylogenetic position of several Early and Middle Triassic sauropterygians of previously uncertain phylogenetic affinity, such as Atopodentatus, Hanosaurus, Majiashanosaurus, and Corosaurus, is also clarified, elucidating the early evolutionary assembly of the sauropterygian body plan. Finally, our phylogenetic analysis supports the placement of Testudines and Archosauromorpha within Archelosauria, a result strongly corroborated by molecular data, but only recently recovered in a phylogenetic analysis using a morphology-only dataset. Our study provides evidence for the rapid diversification of sauropterygians in the aftermath of the Permo-Triassic mass extinction event and emphasises the importance of broad taxonomic sampling in reconstructing phylogenetic relationships among extinct taxa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrzej S Wolniewicz
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Hefei University of TechnologyHefeiChina
- Institute of Paleobiology, Polish Academy of SciencesWarsawPoland
| | - Yuefeng Shen
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Hefei University of TechnologyHefeiChina
| | - Qiang Li
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Hefei University of TechnologyHefeiChina
- Section Paleontology, Institute of Geosciences, University of BonnBonnGermany
| | - Yuanyuan Sun
- Chengdu Center, China Geological Survey (Southwest China Innovation Center for Geosciences)ChengduChina
| | - Yu Qiao
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Hefei University of TechnologyHefeiChina
| | - Yajie Chen
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Hefei University of TechnologyHefeiChina
| | - Yi-Wei Hu
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Hefei University of TechnologyHefeiChina
| | - Jun Liu
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Hefei University of TechnologyHefeiChina
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10
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At the root of the mammalian mind: The sensory organs, brain and behavior of pre-mammalian synapsids. PROGRESS IN BRAIN RESEARCH 2023; 275:25-72. [PMID: 36841570 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pbr.2022.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
All modern mammals are descendants of the paraphyletic non-mammaliaform Synapsida, colloquially referred to as the "mammal-like reptiles." It has long been assumed that these mammalian ancestors were essentially reptile-like in their morphology, biology, and behavior, i.e., they had a small brain, displayed simple behavior, and their sensory organs were unrefined compared to those of modern mammals. Recent works have, however, revealed that neurological, sensory, and behavioral traits previously considered typically mammalian, such as whiskers, enhanced olfaction, nocturnality, parental care, and complex social interactions evolved before the origin of Mammaliaformes, among the early-diverging "mammal-like reptiles." In contrast, an enlarged brain did not evolve immediately after the origin of mammaliaforms. As such, in terms of paleoneurology, the last "mammal-like reptiles" were not significantly different from the earliest mammaliaforms. The abundant data and literature published in the last 10 years no longer supports the "three pulses" scenario of synapsid brain evolution proposed by Rowe and colleagues in 2011, but supports the new "outside-in" model of Rodrigues and colleagues proposed in 2018, instead. As Mesozoic reptiles were becoming the dominant taxa within terrestrial ecosystems, synapsids gradually adapted to smaller body sizes and nocturnality. This resulted in a sensory revolution in synapsids as olfaction, audition, and somatosensation compensated for the loss of visual cues. This altered sensory input is aligned with changes in the brain, the most significant of which was an increase in relative brain size.
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11
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Hermanson G, Benson RBJ, Farina BM, Ferreira GS, Langer MC, Evers SW. Cranial ecomorphology of turtles and neck retraction as a possible trigger of ecological diversification. Evolution 2022; 76:2566-2586. [PMID: 36117268 PMCID: PMC9828723 DOI: 10.1111/evo.14629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2022] [Revised: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 08/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Turtles have a highly modified body plan, including a rigid shell that constrains postcranial anatomy. Skull morphology and neck mobility may therefore be key to ecological specialization in turtles. However, the ecological signal of turtle skull morphologies has not been rigorously evaluated, leaving uncertainties about the roles of ecological adaptation and convergence. We evaluate turtle cranial ecomorphology using three-dimensional geometric morphometrics and phylogenetic comparative methods. Skull shape correlates with allometry, neck retraction capability, and different aquatic feeding ecologies. We find that ecological variables influence skull shape only, whereas a key functional variable (the capacity for neck retraction) influences both shape and size. Ecology and functional predictions from three-dimensional shape are validated by high success rates for extant species, outperforming previous two-dimensional approaches. We use this to infer ecological and functional traits of extinct species. Neck retraction evolved among crownward stem-turtles by the Late Jurassic, signaling functional decoupling of the skull and neck from the shell, possibly linked to a major episode of ecomorphological diversification. We also find strong evidence for convergent ecological adaptations among marine groups. This includes parallel loss of neck retraction, evidence for active hunting, possible grazing, and suction feeding in extinct marine groups. Our large-scale assessment of dietary and functional adaptation throughout turtle evolution reveals the timing and origin of their distinct ecomorphologies, and highlights the potential for ecology and function to have distinct effects on skull form.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guilherme Hermanson
- Department of GeosciencesUniversity of FribourgFribourgCH‐1700Switzerland
- Department of Earth SciencesUniversity of OxfordOxfordOX1 3ANUnited Kingdom
- Laboratório de Paleontologia de Ribeirão PretoUniversidade de São PauloRibeirão Preto14040‐091Brazil
| | - Roger B. J. Benson
- Department of Earth SciencesUniversity of OxfordOxfordOX1 3ANUnited Kingdom
| | - Bruna M. Farina
- Laboratório de Paleontologia de Ribeirão PretoUniversidade de São PauloRibeirão Preto14040‐091Brazil
- Department of BiologyUniversity of FribourgFribourgCH‐1700Switzerland
| | - Gabriel S. Ferreira
- Senckenberg Centre for Human Evolution and Palaeoenvironment (HEP)Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen72076TübingenGermany
- Fachbereich GeowissenschaftenUniversität Tübingen72074TübingenGermany
| | - Max C. Langer
- Laboratório de Paleontologia de Ribeirão PretoUniversidade de São PauloRibeirão Preto14040‐091Brazil
| | - Serjoscha W. Evers
- Department of GeosciencesUniversity of FribourgFribourgCH‐1700Switzerland
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12
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Dudgeon TW, Livius MCH, Alfonso N, Tessier S, Mallon JC. A new model of forelimb ecomorphology for predicting the ancient habitats of fossil turtles. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:17071-17079. [PMID: 34938493 PMCID: PMC8668755 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2021] [Revised: 10/20/2021] [Accepted: 10/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Various morphological proxies have been used to infer habitat preferences among fossil turtles and their early ancestors, but most are tightly linked to phylogeny, thereby minimizing their predictive power. One particularly widely used model incorporates linear measurements of the forelimb (humerus + ulna + manus), but in addition to the issue of phylogenetic correlation, it does not estimate the likelihood of habitat assignment. Here, we introduce a new model that uses intramanual measurements (digit III metacarpal + non-ungual phalanges + ungual) to statistically estimate habitat likelihood and that has greater predictive strength than prior estimators. Application of the model supports the hypothesis that stem-turtles were primarily terrestrial in nature and recovers the nanhsiungchelyid Basilemys (a fossil crown-group turtle) as having lived primarily on land, despite some prior claims to the contrary.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas W. Dudgeon
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of TorontoTorontoOntarioCanada
- Department of Natural HistoryRoyal Ontario MuseumTorontoOntarioCanada
| | - Marissa C. H. Livius
- Ottawa‐Carleton Geoscience Centre and Department of Earth SciencesCarleton UniversityOttawaOntarioCanada
| | - Noel Alfonso
- Beaty Centre for Species Discovery and Zoology SectionCanadian Museum of NatureOttawaOntarioCanada
| | - Stéphanie Tessier
- Beaty Centre for Species Discovery and Zoology SectionCanadian Museum of NatureOttawaOntarioCanada
| | - Jordan C. Mallon
- Ottawa‐Carleton Geoscience Centre and Department of Earth SciencesCarleton UniversityOttawaOntarioCanada
- Beaty Centre for Species Discovery and Palaeobiology SectionCanadian Museum of NatureOttawaOntarioCanada
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13
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Bhat MS, Shelton CD, Chinsamy A. Inter-element variation in the bone histology of Anteosaurus (Dinocephalia, Anteosauridae) from the Tapinocephalus Assemblage Zone of the Karoo Basin of South Africa. PeerJ 2021; 9:e12082. [PMID: 34589298 PMCID: PMC8434808 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.12082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2021] [Accepted: 08/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite its abundance in the Permian fossil record of South Africa, little is known about the life history of Anteosaurus. Here we examine the bone microstructure of multiple skeletal elements of Anteosaurus from the Tapinocephalus Assemblage Zone of the Karoo Basin. The bone histology of Anteosaurus magnificus reveals that the cortex is composed of highly vascularized, uninterrupted fibrolamellar bone tissue surrounding the inner spongy medullary region. However, the histology of two ribs and a previously described femur of another Anteosaurus taxon revealed an interrupted growth pattern with lines of arrested growth and peripheral rest lines occurring in the compacta, indicating periodic pauses in growth possibly linked to the slowing down of growth during maturity. Given that the fibula of the same individual has well-vascularised fibrolamellar bone tissue without any growth marks in the cortex; this suggests variation in skeletal growth. Based on our histological results, three growth dynamic stages are deduced for the genus Anteosaurus: (i) the earliest growth stage is represented by the predominance of highly vascularized, uninterrupted fibrolamellar bone tissue in the inner cortex, which suggests rapid periosteal bone deposition during early ontogeny; (ii) the next stage of growth shows periodic interruptions in the bone deposition as indicated by the deposition of lines of arrested growth; (iii) the third stage shows the development of lamellar bone tissue with rest lines in the peripheral part of the cortex suggesting a slowing down of growth prior to death. Most of the skeletal elements are characterized by thick bone walls, extensive secondary reconstruction and the complete infilling of the medullary cavity. However, the radius and a previously studied femur have open medullary cavities with struts of bony trabeculae. Based on histologic structures and comparisons with extant taxa, it is likely that Anteosaurus may have been more terrestrial as its osteology point towards terrestriality, but it may have occasionally inhabited ephemeral pools like modern semi-aquatic Hippopotamus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohd Shafi Bhat
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Christen D Shelton
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.,Natural History Department, New Jersey State Museum, Trenton, New Jersey, United States.,Biology/Mathematics & Physical Science Departments, Rogers State University, Claremore, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Anusuya Chinsamy
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
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14
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Abstract
Turtles and tortoises (chelonians) have been integral components of global ecosystems for about 220 million years and have played important roles in human culture for at least 400,000 years. The chelonian shell is a remarkable evolutionary adaptation, facilitating success in terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems. Today, more than half of the 360 living species and 482 total taxa (species and subspecies combined) are threatened with extinction. This places chelonians among the groups with the highest extinction risk of any sizeable vertebrate group. Turtle populations are declining rapidly due to habitat loss, consumption by humans for food and traditional medicines and collection for the international pet trade. Many taxa could become extinct in this century. Here, we examine survival threats to turtles and tortoises and discuss the interventions that will be needed to prevent widespread extinction in this group in coming decades.
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15
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Sena MVA, Bantim RAM, Saraiva AAF, Sayão JM, Oliveira GR. Shell and long-bone histology, skeletochronology, and lifestyle of Araripemys barretoi (Testudines: Pleurodira), a side-necked turtle of the Lower Cretaceous from Brazil. AN ACAD BRAS CIENC 2021; 93:e20201606. [PMID: 34378648 DOI: 10.1590/0001-3765202120201606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2020] [Accepted: 03/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
In this study we provide a comprehensive investigation of the microanatomical and microstructural aspects of the carapace and limb bones of the Early Cretaceous side-necked turtle, Araripemys barretoi, from the Araripe Basin, Brazil. Inter-elemental histovariability reveals different secondary remodelling of the skeletal elements within the same individual. The vascularisation is scarce and mainly longitudinal, also it ceases towards the bone surface, forming an avascular parallel-fibred bone with closely spaced LAGs. These traits indicate a late ontogenetic stage and a slow growth rate for one of the two A. barretoi specimens. The high cortical thickness of the costal plate suggests an increase of the shell stiffness. The elevated relative bone wall thickness of the ulna compared to other limb bones indicates a case of local pachyosteosclerosis, possibly to improve body stability in the aquatic environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana Valéria A Sena
- Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Geociências (PPGEOC), Departamento de Geologia, Avenida Prof. Moraes Rego, 1235, Cidade Universitária, 50670-901 Recife, PE, Brazil.,Centro Universitário da Vitória de Santo Antão, Loteamento São Vicente Ferrer, 71, Cajá, 55610-050 Vitória de Santo Antão, PE, Brazil
| | - Renan Alfredo M Bantim
- Universidade Regional do Cariri, Laboratório de Paleontologia da URCA, Rua Carolino Sucupira, s/n, Pimenta, 63105-000 Crato, CE, Brazil
| | - Antônio A F Saraiva
- Universidade Regional do Cariri, Laboratório de Paleontologia da URCA, Rua Carolino Sucupira, s/n, Pimenta, 63105-000 Crato, CE, Brazil
| | - Juliana M Sayão
- Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Laboratório de Paleobiologia e Paleogeografia Antártica, Museu Nacional, Quinta da Boa Vista s/n, São Cristóvão, 20940-040 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Gustavo R Oliveira
- Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Laboratório de Paleontologia & Sistemática, Departamento de Biologia, Rua Dom Manoel de Medeiros, s/n, Dois Irmãos, 52171-900 Recife, PE, Brazil
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16
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Park JY, Lee YN, Currie PJ, Ryan MJ, Bell P, Sissons R, Koppelhus EB, Barsbold R, Lee S, Kim SH. A new ankylosaurid skeleton from the Upper Cretaceous Baruungoyot Formation of Mongolia: its implications for ankylosaurid postcranial evolution. Sci Rep 2021; 11:4101. [PMID: 33737515 PMCID: PMC7973727 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-83568-4] [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: 12/11/2020] [Accepted: 02/04/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
A new articulated postcranial specimen of an indeterminate ankylosaurid dinosaur from the Upper Cretaceous (middle-upper Campanian) Baruungoyot Formation from Hermiin Tsav, southern Gobi Desert, Mongolia includes twelve dorsal vertebrae, ribs, pectoral girdles, forelimbs, pelvic girdles, hind limbs, and free osteoderms. The new specimen shows that Asian ankylosaurids evolved rigid bodies with a decreased number of pedal phalanges. It also implies that there were at least two forms of flank armor within Ankylosauridae, one with spine-like osteoderms and the other with keeled rhomboidal osteoderms. Unique anatomical features related to digging are present in Ankylosauridae, such as dorsoventrally flattened and fusiform body shapes, extensively fused series of vertebrae, anteroposteriorly broadened dorsal ribs, a robust humerus with a well-developed deltopectoral crest, a short robust ulna with a well-developed olecranon process, a trowel-like manus, and decreased numbers of pedal phalanges. Although not fossorial, ankylosaurids were likely able to dig the substrate, taking advantage of it for self-defence and survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin-Young Park
- grid.31501.360000 0004 0470 5905School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826 South Korea
| | - Yuong-Nam Lee
- grid.31501.360000 0004 0470 5905School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826 South Korea
| | - Philip J. Currie
- grid.17089.37Department of Biological Sciences, CW 405 Biological Sciences Building, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2E9 Canada
| | - Michael J. Ryan
- grid.34428.390000 0004 1936 893XDepartment of Earth Sciences, Carleton University, 2125 Herzberg Building, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, ON K1S 5B6 Canada ,grid.450544.40000 0004 0448 6933Department of Palaeobiology, Canadian Museum of Nature, Station ‘D’, P.O. Box 3443, Ottawa, ON K1P 6P4 Canada
| | - Phil Bell
- grid.1020.30000 0004 1936 7371Palaeoscience Research Centre, University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2351 Australia
| | - Robin Sissons
- grid.17089.37Department of Biological Sciences, CW 405 Biological Sciences Building, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2E9 Canada
| | - Eva B. Koppelhus
- grid.17089.37Department of Biological Sciences, CW 405 Biological Sciences Building, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2E9 Canada
| | - Rinchen Barsbold
- grid.425564.40000 0004 0587 3863Institute of Paleontology, Mongolian Academy of Sciences, Box-46/650, Ulaanbaatar, 15160 Mongolia
| | - Sungjin Lee
- grid.31501.360000 0004 0470 5905School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826 South Korea
| | - Su-Hwan Kim
- grid.31501.360000 0004 0470 5905School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826 South Korea
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17
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Lyson TR, Bever GS. Origin and Evolution of the Turtle Body Plan. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ECOLOGY, EVOLUTION, AND SYSTEMATICS 2020. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-ecolsys-110218-024746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The origin of turtles and their uniquely shelled body plan is one of the longest standing problems in vertebrate biology. The unfulfilled need for a hypothesis that both explains the derived nature of turtle anatomy and resolves their unclear phylogenetic position among reptiles largely reflects the absence of a transitional fossil record. Recent discoveries have dramatically improved this situation, providing an integrated, time-calibrated model of the morphological, developmental, and ecological transformations responsible for the modern turtle body plan. This evolutionary trajectory was initiated in the Permian (>260 million years ago) when a turtle ancestor with a diapsid skull evolved a novel mechanism for lung ventilation. This key innovation permitted the torso to become apomorphically stiff, most likely as an adaption for digging and a fossorial ecology. The construction of the modern turtle body plan then proceeded over the next 100 million years following a largely stepwise model of osteological innovation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tyler R. Lyson
- Department of Earth Sciences, Denver Museum of Nature & Science, Denver, Colorado 80205, USA
| | - Gabriel S. Bever
- Department of Earth Sciences, Denver Museum of Nature & Science, Denver, Colorado 80205, USA
- Center for Functional Anatomy and Evolution, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, USA
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18
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Smith Paredes D, Lord A, Meyer D, Bhullar BS. A developmental staging system and musculoskeletal development sequence of the common musk turtle (
Sternotherus odoratus
). Dev Dyn 2020; 250:111-127. [DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2020] [Accepted: 05/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Smith Paredes
- Department of Earth and Planetary Science, Peabody Museum of Natural History Yale University New Haven Connecticut USA
| | - Arianna Lord
- Department of Earth and Planetary Science, Peabody Museum of Natural History Yale University New Haven Connecticut USA
| | - Dalton Meyer
- Department of Earth and Planetary Science, Peabody Museum of Natural History Yale University New Haven Connecticut USA
| | - Bhart‐Anjan S. Bhullar
- Department of Earth and Planetary Science, Peabody Museum of Natural History Yale University New Haven Connecticut USA
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19
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Zhang J, Yu P, Liu T, Qiao D, Hu Q, Su S. Identification and functional analysis of SOX transcription factors in the genome of the Chinese soft-shell turtle (Pelodiscus sinensis). Comp Biochem Physiol B Biochem Mol Biol 2020; 242:110407. [PMID: 31923463 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpb.2020.110407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2019] [Revised: 11/27/2019] [Accepted: 12/10/2019] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
SOX transcription factors play an irreplaceable role in biological developmental processes. Sox genes have been identified in a wide variety of species; however, their identification and functional analysis in the genome of the Chinese soft-shell turtle (Pelodiscus sinensis) have not been performed. In the present study, the Chinese soft-shell turtle genome was found to contain 17 Sox genes, which were categorized into seven groups according to their phylogenetic relationships. Gene structure and protein motif analysis of the Sox genes showed that within the same phylogenetic group, their exon-intron number and motif structure of the Sox family were relatively conserved, but diverged in the comparison between different groups. Sexual dimorphism expression analysis for the Sox genes displayed that Sox8 and Sox9 were upregulated in the testis, while Sox3, Sox7, Sox11, and Sox13 were upregulated in the ovary. A correlation network analysis of SOX transcription factors with their target genes analysis showed that Sox3 correlated negatively with Sox9 and gata4. Sox11 and Sox7 correlated negatively with gata4. Sox8 and Sox9 correlated positively with gata4. Therefore, the genome-wide identification and functional analysis of the Sox gene family will be useful to further reveal the functions of Sox genes in the Chinese soft-shell turtle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Zhang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China.
| | - Peng Yu
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China
| | - Tiantian Liu
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China
| | - Dan Qiao
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China
| | - Qingtao Hu
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China
| | - Shiping Su
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China
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20
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Clarac F, Scheyer TM, Desojo JB, Cerda IA, Sanchez S. The evolution of dermal shield vascularization in Testudinata and Pseudosuchia: phylogenetic constraints versus ecophysiological adaptations. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2020; 375:20190132. [PMID: 31928197 PMCID: PMC7017437 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/01/2019] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Studies on living turtles have demonstrated that shells are involved in the resistance to hypoxia during apnea via bone acidosis buffering; a process which is complemented with cutaneous respiration, transpharyngeal and cloacal gas exchanges in the soft-shell turtles. Bone acidosis buffering during apnea has also been identified in crocodylian osteoderms, which are also known to employ heat transfer when basking. Although diverse, many of these functions rely on one common trait: the vascularization of the dermal shield. Here, we test whether the above ecophysiological functions played an adaptive role in the evolutionary transitions between land and aquatic environments in both Pseudosuchia and Testudinata. To do so, we measured the bone porosity as a proxy for vascular density in a set of dermal plates before performing phylogenetic comparative analyses. For both lineages, the dermal plate porosity obviously varies depending on the animal lifestyle, but these variations prove to be highly driven by phylogenetic relationships. We argue that the complexity of multi-functional roles of the post-cranial dermal skeleton in both Pseudosuchia and Testudinata probably is the reason for a lack of obvious physiological signal, and we discuss the role of the dermal shield vascularization in the evolution of these groups. This article is part of the theme issue 'Vertebrate palaeophysiology'.
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Affiliation(s)
- François Clarac
- Department of Organismal Biology, Subdepartment of Evolution and Development, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18A, 752 36 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Torsten M. Scheyer
- Paleontological Institute and Museum, University of Zurich, Karl Schmid-Strasse 4, 8006 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Julia B. Desojo
- CONICET, División Paleontología Vertebrados, Museo de La Plata, Paseo del Bosque s/n°, B1900FWA La Plata, Argentina
| | - Ignacio A. Cerda
- CONICET, Argentina y Instituto de Investigacion en Paleobiología y Geología, Universidad Nacional de Río Negro, Museo Carlos Ameghino, Belgrano 1700, Paraje Pichi Ruca (predio Marabunta), 8300 Cipolletti, Río Negro, Argentina
| | - Sophie Sanchez
- Department of Organismal Biology, Subdepartment of Evolution and Development, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18A, 752 36 Uppsala, Sweden
- European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, 71 Avenue des Martyrs, CS-40220, 38043 Grenoble Cedex, France
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21
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Hoekstra LA, Schwartz TS, Sparkman AM, Miller DAW, Bronikowski AM. The untapped potential of reptile biodiversity for understanding how and why animals age. Funct Ecol 2020; 34:38-54. [PMID: 32921868 PMCID: PMC7480806 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2019] [Accepted: 09/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
1. The field of comparative aging biology has greatly expanded in the past 20 years. Longitudinal studies of populations of reptiles with a range of maximum lifespans have accumulated and been analyzed for evidence of mortality senescence and reproductive decline. While not as well represented in studies of amniote senescence, reptiles have been the subjects of many recent demographic and mechanistic studies of the biology of aging. 2. We review recent literature on reptile demographic senescence, mechanisms of senescence, and identify unanswered questions. Given the ecophysiological and demographic diversity of reptiles, what is the expected range of reptile senescence rates? Are known mechanisms of aging in reptiles consistent with canonical hallmarks of aging in model systems? What are the knowledge gaps in our understanding of reptile aging? 3. We find ample evidence of increasing mortality with advancing age in many reptiles. Testudines stand out as slower aging than other orders, but data on crocodilians and tuatara are sparse. Sex-specific analyses are generally not available. Studies of female reproduction suggest that reptiles are less likely to have reproductive decline with advancing age than mammals. 4. Reptiles share many physiological and molecular pathways of aging with mammals, birds, and laboratory model organisms. Adaptations related to stress physiology coupled with reptilian ectothermy suggest novel comparisons and contrasts that can be made with canonical aging phenotypes in mammals. These include stem cell and regeneration biology, homeostatic mechanisms, IIS/TOR signaling, and DNA repair. 5. To overcome challenges to the study of reptile aging, we recommend extending and expanding long-term monitoring of reptile populations, developing reptile cell lines to aid cellular biology, conducting more comparative studies of reptile morphology and physiology sampled along relevant life-history axes, and sequencing more reptile genomes for comparative genomics. Given the diversity of reptile life histories and adaptations, achieving these directives will likely greatly benefit all aging biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luke A Hoekstra
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, 50010, USA
| | - Tonia S Schwartz
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama 36849, USA
| | - Amanda M Sparkman
- Department of Biology, Westmont College, Santa Barbara, California, 93108, USA
| | - David A W Miller
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Anne M Bronikowski
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, 50010, USA
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22
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Botha AE, Botha J. Ontogenetic and inter-elemental osteohistological variability in the leopard tortoise Stigmochelys pardalis. PeerJ 2019; 7:e8030. [PMID: 31871831 PMCID: PMC6924341 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.8030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2019] [Accepted: 10/14/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Testudines are a group of reptiles characterized by the presence of a shell covered by keratinous shields. Stigmochelys pardalis is the most widely distributed terrestrial testudine in southern Africa. Although relatively common with some life history traits being well known, the growth of this species has yet to be studied in any detail. The bone microanatomy of this clade differs from that found in other amniotes, where terrestrial species tend to display characteristics normally seen in aquatic species and vice versa. A detailed histological analysis of the limb bones of S. pardalis reveals extensive variation through ontogeny. Cortical bone becomes increasingly thicker through ontogeny and is finally resorbed in the late sub-adult stage, resulting in a thin cortex and a large infilled medullary cavity. The predominant bone tissues are parallel-fibred and lamellar-zonal for the forelimbs and hind limbs respectively. The oldest individual displayed an External Fundamental System indicating that the growth rate had decreased substantially by this stage. Variability is prevalent between the forelimb and hind limb as well as between early and late sub-adults Forelimb elements exhibit characteristics such as faster growing parallel-fibered bone tissue, slightly higher vascularization and a predominance of annuli over Lines of Arrested Growth (LAG) compared to the hind limb which exhibits poorly vascularized, slower growing lamellar-zonal bone interrupted by LAGs. These differences indicate that the forelimb grew more rapidly than the hind limb, possibly due to the method of locomotion seen in terrestrial species. The extensive bone resorption that occurs from the early sub-adult stage destroys much of the primary cortex and results in a significantly different ratio of inner and outer bone diameter (p = 3.59 × 10--5; df = 28.04) as well as compactness (p = 2.91 × 10--5; df = 31.27) between early and late sub-adults. The extensive bone resorption seen also destroys the ecological signal and infers an aquatic lifestyle for this species despite it being clearly terrestrial. This supports the results of other studies that have found that using bone microanatomy to determine lifestyle in testudines does not produce accurate results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Edward Botha
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, Free State, South Africa
| | - Jennifer Botha
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, Free State, South Africa.,Department of Karoo Palaeontology, National Museum, Bloemfontein, Free State, South Africa
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23
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Bhat MS, Chinsamy A, Parkington J. Long bone histology of
Chersina angulata
: Interelement variation and life history data. J Morphol 2019; 280:1881-1899. [DOI: 10.1002/jmor.21073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2019] [Revised: 09/20/2019] [Accepted: 10/07/2019] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mohd Shafi Bhat
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of Cape Town Cape Town South Africa
| | - Anusuya Chinsamy
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of Cape Town Cape Town South Africa
| | - John Parkington
- Department of ArchaeologyUniversity of Cape Town Cape Town South Africa
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24
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Foth C, Evers SW, Joyce WG, Volpato VS, Benson RBJ. Comparative analysis of the shape and size of the middle ear cavity of turtles reveals no correlation with habitat ecology. J Anat 2019; 235:1078-1097. [PMID: 31373396 DOI: 10.1111/joa.13071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/10/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The middle ear of turtles differs from other reptiles in being separated into two distinct compartments. Several ideas have been proposed as to why the middle ear is compartmentalized in turtles, most suggesting a relationship with underwater hearing. Extant turtle species span fully marine to strictly terrestrial habitats, and ecomorphological hypotheses of turtle hearing predict that this should correlate with variation in the structure of the middle ear due to differences in the fluid properties of water and air. We investigate the shape and size of the air-filled middle ear cavity of 56 extant turtles using 3D data and phylogenetic comparative analysis to test for correlations between habitat preferences and the shape and size of the middle ear cavity. Only weak correlations are found between middle ear cavity size and ecology, with aquatic taxa having proportionally smaller cavity volumes. The middle ear cavity of turtles exhibits high shape diversity among species, but we found no relationship between this shape variation and ecology. Surprisingly, the estimated acoustic transformer ratio, a key functional parameter of impedance-matching ears in vertebrates, also shows no relation to habitat preferences (aquatic/terrestrial) in turtles. We suggest that middle ear cavity shape may be controlled by factors unrelated to hearing, such as the spatial demands of surrounding cranial structures. A review of the fossil record suggests that the modern turtle ear evolved during the Early to Middle Jurassic in stem turtles broadly adapted to freshwater and terrestrial settings. This, combined with our finding that evolutionary transitions between habitats caused only weak evolutionary changes in middle ear structure, suggests that tympanic hearing in turtles evolved as a compromise between subaerial and underwater hearing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Foth
- Department of Geosciences, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Serjoscha W Evers
- Department of Geosciences, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland.,Department of Earth Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Walter G Joyce
- Department of Geosciences, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Virginie S Volpato
- Department of Geosciences, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
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Dickson BV, Pierce SE. Functional performance of turtle humerus shape across an ecological adaptive landscape. Evolution 2019; 73:1265-1277. [PMID: 31008517 DOI: 10.1111/evo.13747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2019] [Revised: 03/11/2019] [Accepted: 04/08/2019] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
The concept of the adaptive landscape has been invaluable to evolutionary biologists for visualizing the dynamics of selection and adaptation, and is increasingly being used to study morpho-functional data. Here, we construct adaptive landscapes to explore functional trade-offs associated with variation in humerus morphology among turtles adapted to three different locomotor environments: marine, semiaquatic, and terrestrial. Humerus shape from 40 species of cryptodire turtles was quantified using a pseudolandmark approach. Hypothetical shapes were extracted in a grid across morphospace and four functional traits (strength, stride length, mechanical advantage, and hydrodynamics) measured on those shapes. Quantitative trait modeling was used to construct adaptive landscapes that optimize the functional traits for each of the three locomotor ecologies. Our data show that turtles living in different environments have statistically different humeral shapes. The optimum adaptive landscape for each ecology is defined by a different combination of performance trade-offs, with turtle species clustering around their respective adaptive peak. Further, species adhere to pareto fronts between marine-semiaquatic and semiaquatic-terrestrial optima, but not between marine-terrestrial. Our study demonstrates the utility of adaptive landscapes in informing the link between form, function, and ecological adaptation, and establishes a framework for reconstructing turtle ecological evolution using isolated humeri from the fossil record.
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Affiliation(s)
- Blake V Dickson
- Museum of Comparative Zoology and Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02138
| | - Stephanie E Pierce
- Museum of Comparative Zoology and Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02138
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Evolution, Diversity, and Development of the Craniocervical System in Turtles with Special Reference to Jaw Musculature. HEADS, JAWS, AND MUSCLES 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-93560-7_8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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27
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Li C, Fraser NC, Rieppel O, Wu XC. A Triassic stem turtle with an edentulous beak. Nature 2018; 560:476-479. [DOI: 10.1038/s41586-018-0419-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2018] [Accepted: 06/15/2018] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Lautenschlager S, Ferreira GS, Werneburg I. Sensory Evolution and Ecology of Early Turtles Revealed by Digital Endocranial Reconstructions. Front Ecol Evol 2018. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2018.00007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
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Achrai B, Wagner HD. The turtle carapace as an optimized multi-scale biological composite armor – A review. J Mech Behav Biomed Mater 2017; 73:50-67. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jmbbm.2017.02.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2016] [Revised: 02/19/2017] [Accepted: 02/24/2017] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
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30
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Multilocus phylogeny and statistical biogeography clarify the evolutionary history of major lineages of turtles. Mol Phylogenet Evol 2017; 113:59-66. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2017.05.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 97] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2016] [Revised: 04/13/2017] [Accepted: 05/09/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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31
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Rae R. The gastropod shell has been co-opted to kill parasitic nematodes. Sci Rep 2017; 7:4745. [PMID: 28684859 PMCID: PMC5500577 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-04695-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2017] [Accepted: 05/18/2017] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Exoskeletons have evolved 18 times independently over 550 MYA and are essential for the success of the Gastropoda. The gastropod shell shows a vast array of different sizes, shapes and structures, and is made of conchiolin and calcium carbonate, which provides protection from predators and extreme environmental conditions. Here, I report that the gastropod shell has another function and has been co-opted as a defense system to encase and kill parasitic nematodes. Upon infection, cells on the inner layer of the shell adhere to the nematode cuticle, swarm over its body and fuse it to the inside of the shell. Shells of wild Cepaea nemoralis, C. hortensis and Cornu aspersum from around the U.K. are heavily infected with several nematode species including Caenorhabditis elegans. By examining conchology collections I show that nematodes are permanently fixed in shells for hundreds of years and that nematode encapsulation is a pleisomorphic trait, prevalent in both the achatinoid and non-achatinoid clades of the Stylommatophora (and slugs and shelled slugs), which diverged 90–130 MYA. Taken together, these results show that the shell also evolved to kill parasitic nematodes and this is the only example of an exoskeleton that has been co-opted as an immune system.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Rae
- Liverpool John Moores University, School of Natural Sciences and Psychology, Byrom Street, Liverpool, L33AF, UK.
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Scheyer TM, Neenan JM, Bodogan T, Furrer H, Obrist C, Plamondon M. A new, exceptionally preserved juvenile specimen of Eusaurosphargis dalsassoi (Diapsida) and implications for Mesozoic marine diapsid phylogeny. Sci Rep 2017; 7:4406. [PMID: 28667331 PMCID: PMC5493663 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-04514-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2017] [Accepted: 05/16/2017] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Recently it was suggested that the phylogenetic clustering of Mesozoic marine reptile lineages, such as thalattosaurs, the very successful fish-shaped ichthyosaurs and sauropterygians (including plesiosaurs), among others, in a so-called 'superclade' is an artefact linked to convergent evolution of morphological characters associated with a shared marine lifestyle. Accordingly, partial 'un-scoring' of the problematic phylogenetic characters was proposed. Here we report a new, exceptionally preserved and mostly articulated juvenile skeleton of the diapsid reptile, Eusaurosphargis dalsassoi, a species previously recovered within the marine reptile 'superclade', for which we now provide a revised diagnosis. Using micro-computed tomography, we show that besides having a deep skull with a short and broad rostrum, the most outstanding feature of the new specimen is extensive, complex body armour, mostly preserved in situ, along its vertebrae, ribs, and forelimbs, as well as a row of flat, keeled ventrolateral osteoderms associated with the gastralia. As a whole, the anatomical features support an essentially terrestrial lifestyle of the animal. A review of the proposed partial character 'un-scoring' using three published data matrices indicate that this approach is flawed and should be avoided, and that within the marine reptile 'superclade' E. dalsassoi potentially is the sister taxon of Sauropterygia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Torsten M Scheyer
- Universität Zürich, Paläontologisches Institut und Museum, Karl Schmid-Strasse 4, CH-8006, Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - James M Neenan
- Oxford University Museum of Natural History, Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PW, UK
| | - Timea Bodogan
- Universität Zürich, Paläontologisches Institut und Museum, Karl Schmid-Strasse 4, CH-8006, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Heinz Furrer
- Universität Zürich, Paläontologisches Institut und Museum, Karl Schmid-Strasse 4, CH-8006, Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | - Mathieu Plamondon
- Empa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Center for X-ray Analytics, Überlandstrasse 129, CH-8600, Dübendorf, Switzerland
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Szczygielski T. Homeotic shift at the dawn of the turtle evolution. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2017; 4:160933. [PMID: 28484613 PMCID: PMC5414250 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.160933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2016] [Accepted: 03/08/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
All derived turtles are characterized by one of the strongest reductions of the dorsal elements among Amniota, and have only 10 dorsal and eight cervical vertebrae. I demonstrate that the Late Triassic turtles, which represent successive stages of the shell evolution, indicate that the shift of the boundary between the cervical and dorsal sections of the vertebral column occurred over the course of several million years after the formation of complete carapace. The more generalized reptilian formula of at most seven cervicals and at least 11 dorsals is thus plesiomorphic for Testudinata. The morphological modifications associated with an anterior homeotic change of the first dorsal vertebra towards the last cervical vertebra in the Triassic turtles are partially recapitulated by the reduction of the first dorsal vertebra in crown-group Testudines, and they resemble the morphologies observed under laboratory conditions resulting from the experimental changes of Hox gene expression patterns. This homeotic shift hypothesis is supported by the, unique to turtles, restriction of Hox-5 expression domains, somitic precursors of scapula, and brachial plexus branches to the cervical region, by the number of the marginal scute-forming placodes, which was larger in the Triassic than in modern turtles, and by phylogenetic analyses.
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Anquetin J, Tong H, Claude J. A Jurassic stem pleurodire sheds light on the functional origin of neck retraction in turtles. Sci Rep 2017; 7:42376. [PMID: 28206991 PMCID: PMC5312562 DOI: 10.1038/srep42376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2016] [Accepted: 01/09/2017] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Modern turtles are composed of two monophyletic groups, notably diagnosed by divergent neck retraction mechanisms. Pleurodires (side-necked turtles) bend their neck sideways and protect their head under the anterior margin of the carapace. Cryptodires (hidden-necked turtles) withdraw their neck and head in the vertical plane between the shoulder girdles. These two mechanisms of neck retraction appeared independently in the two lineages and are usually assumed to have evolved for protective reasons. Here we describe the neck of Platychelys oberndorferi, a Late Jurassic early stem pleurodire, and find remarkable convergent morphological and functional similarities with modern cryptodires. Partial vertical neck retraction in this taxon is interpreted to have enabled fast forward projection of the head during underwater prey capture and offers a likely explanation to the functional origin of neck retraction in modern cryptodires. Complete head withdrawal for protection may therefore have resulted from an exaptation in that group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jérémy Anquetin
- JURASSICA Museum, Porrentruy, Switzerland.,Department of Geosciences, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Haiyan Tong
- Palaeontological Research and Education Centre, Mahasarakham University, Mahasarakham, Thailand
| | - Julien Claude
- Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution de Montpellier, UMR 5554 CNRS/UM/IRD/EPHE, Montpellier, France
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