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Ollonen J, Khannoon ER, Macrì S, Vergilov V, Kuurne J, Saarikivi J, Soukainen A, Aalto IM, Werneburg I, Diaz RE, Di-Poï N. Dynamic evolutionary interplay between ontogenetic skull patterning and whole-head integration. Nat Ecol Evol 2024; 8:536-551. [PMID: 38200368 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-023-02295-3] [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: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
The arrangement and morphology of the vertebrate skull reflect functional and ecological demands, making it a highly adaptable structure. However, the fundamental developmental and macroevolutionary mechanisms leading to different vertebrate skull phenotypes remain unclear. Here we exploit the morphological diversity of squamate reptiles to assess the developmental and evolutionary patterns of skull variation and covariation in the whole head. Our geometric morphometric analysis of a complex squamate ontogenetic dataset (209 specimens, 169 embryos, 44 species), covering stages from craniofacial primordia to fully ossified bones, reveals that morphological differences between snake and lizard skulls arose gradually through changes in spatial relationships (heterotopy) followed by alterations in developmental timing or rate (heterochrony). Along with dynamic spatiotemporal changes in the integration pattern of skull bone shape and topology with surrounding brain tissues and sensory organs, we identify a relatively higher phenotypic integration of the developing snake head compared with lizards. The eye, nasal cavity and Jacobson's organ are pivotal in skull morphogenesis, highlighting the importance of sensory rearrangements in snake evolution. Furthermore, our findings demonstrate the importance of early embryonic, ontogenetic and tissue interactions in shaping craniofacial evolution and ecological diversification in squamates, with implications for the nature of cranio-cerebral relations across vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joni Ollonen
- Institute of Biotechnology, Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Eraqi R Khannoon
- Biology Department, College of Science, Taibah University, Al Madinah Al Munawwarah, Saudi Arabia
- Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Fayoum University, Fayoum, Egypt
| | - Simone Macrì
- Institute of Biotechnology, Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Vladislav Vergilov
- National Museum of Natural History, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Jaakko Kuurne
- Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jarmo Saarikivi
- Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Arttu Soukainen
- Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Ida-Maria Aalto
- Institute of Biotechnology, Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Ingmar Werneburg
- Senckenberg Centre for Human Evolution and Palaeoenvironment, Eberhard Karls Universität, Tübingen, Germany
- Fachbereich Geowissenschaften, Eberhard Karls Universität, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Raul E Diaz
- Department of Biological Sciences, California State University, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Herpetology, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Nicolas Di-Poï
- Institute of Biotechnology, Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
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