1
|
Schnetz L, Butler RJ, Coates MI, Sansom IJ. The skeletal completeness of the Palaeozoic chondrichthyan fossil record. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2024; 11:231451. [PMID: 38298400 PMCID: PMC10827434 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.231451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/02/2024]
Abstract
Chondrichthyes (sharks, rays, ratfish and their extinct relatives) originated and diversified in the Palaeozoic but are rarely preserved as articulated or partly articulated remains because of their predominantly cartilaginous endoskeletons. Consequently, their evolutionary history is perceived to be documented predominantly by isolated teeth, scales and fin spines. Here, we aim to capture and analyse the quality of the Palaeozoic chondrichthyan fossil record by using a variation of the skeletal completeness metric, which calculates how complete the skeletons of individuals are compared to estimates of their original entirety. Notably, chondrichthyan completeness is significantly lower than any published vertebrate group: low throughout the Silurian and Permian but peaking in the Devonian and Carboniferous. Scores increase to a range similar to pelycosaurs and parareptiles only when taxa identified solely from isolated teeth, scales and spines are excluded. We argue that environmental influences probably played an important role in chondrichthyan completeness. Sea level significantly negatively correlates with chondrichthyan completeness records and resembles patterns already evident in records of ichthyosaurs, plesiosaurs and sauropodomorphs. Such observed variations in completeness highlight the impact of different sampling biases on the chondrichthyan fossil record and the need to acknowledge these when inferring patterns of chondrichthyan macroevolution.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Schnetz
- School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
| | - Richard J. Butler
- School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
| | - Michael I. Coates
- Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637-1508, USA
| | - Ivan J. Sansom
- School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Brazeau MD, Castiello M, El Fassi El Fehri A, Hamilton L, Ivanov AO, Johanson Z, Friedman M. Fossil evidence for a pharyngeal origin of the vertebrate pectoral girdle. Nature 2023; 623:550-554. [PMID: 37914937 PMCID: PMC10651482 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06702-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/03/2023]
Abstract
The origin of vertebrate paired appendages is one of the most investigated and debated examples of evolutionary novelty1-7. Paired appendages are widely considered as key innovations that enabled new opportunities for controlled swimming and gill ventilation and were prerequisites for the eventual transition from water to land. The past 150 years of debate8-10 has been shaped by two contentious theories4,5: the ventrolateral fin-fold hypothesis9,10 and the archipterygium hypothesis8. The latter proposes that fins and girdles evolved from an ancestral gill arch. Although studies in animal development have revived interest in this idea11-13, it is apparently unsupported by fossil evidence. Here we present palaeontological support for a pharyngeal basis for the vertebrate shoulder girdle. We use computed tomography scanning to reveal details of the braincase of Kolymaspis sibirica14, an Early Devonian placoderm fish from Siberia, that suggests a pharyngeal component of the shoulder. We combine these findings with refreshed comparative anatomy of placoderms and jawless outgroups to place the origin of the shoulder girdle on the sixth branchial arch. These findings provide a novel framework for understanding the origin of the pectoral girdle. Our evidence clarifies the location of the presumptive head-trunk interface in jawless fishes and explains the constraint on branchial arch number in gnathostomes15. The results revive a key aspect of the archipterygium hypothesis and help reconcile it with the ventrolateral fin-fold model.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Martin D Brazeau
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Ascot, UK.
- The Natural History Museum, London, UK.
| | - Marco Castiello
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Ascot, UK
- London Academy of Excellence, London, United Kingdom
| | - Amin El Fassi El Fehri
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Ascot, UK
- Paläontologisches Institut und Museum, Universität Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Louis Hamilton
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Ascot, UK
| | - Alexander O Ivanov
- Department of Sedimentary Geology, Institute of Earth Sciences, St Petersburg State University, St Petersburg, Russia
- Institute of Geology and Petroleum Technologies, Kazan Federal University, Kazan, Russia
| | | | - Matt Friedman
- The Natural History Museum, London, UK
- Museum of Paleontology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
López-Romero FA, Stumpf S, Kamminga P, Böhmer C, Pradel A, Brazeau MD, Kriwet J. Shark mandible evolution reveals patterns of trophic and habitat-mediated diversification. Commun Biol 2023; 6:496. [PMID: 37156994 PMCID: PMC10167336 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-04882-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2022] [Accepted: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Environmental controls of species diversity represent a central research focus in evolutionary biology. In the marine realm, sharks are widely distributed, occupying mainly higher trophic levels and varied dietary preferences, mirrored by several morphological traits and behaviours. Recent comparative phylogenetic studies revealed that sharks present a fairly uneven diversification across habitats, from reefs to deep-water. We show preliminary evidence that morphological diversification (disparity) in the feeding system (mandibles) follows these patterns, and we tested hypotheses linking these patterns to morphological specialisation. We conducted a 3D geometric morphometric analysis and phylogenetic comparative methods on 145 specimens representing 90 extant shark species using computed tomography models. We explored how rates of morphological evolution in the jaw correlate with habitat, size, diet, trophic level, and taxonomic order. Our findings show a relationship between disparity and environment, with higher rates of morphological evolution in reef and deep-water habitats. Deep-water species display highly divergent morphologies compared to other sharks. Strikingly, evolutionary rates of jaw disparity are associated with diversification in deep water, but not in reefs. The environmental heterogeneity of the offshore water column exposes the importance of this parameter as a driver of diversification at least in the early part of clade history.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Faviel A López-Romero
- University of Vienna, Faculty of Earth Sciences, Geography and Astronomy, Department of Palaeontology, Evolutionary Morphology Research Group, Josef-Holaubek-Platz 2, 1190, Vienna, Austria.
- University of Vienna, Vienna Doctoral School of Ecology and Evolution (VDSEE), Djerassiplatz 1, 1030, Vienna, Austria.
| | - Sebastian Stumpf
- University of Vienna, Faculty of Earth Sciences, Geography and Astronomy, Department of Palaeontology, Evolutionary Morphology Research Group, Josef-Holaubek-Platz 2, 1190, Vienna, Austria
| | - Pepijn Kamminga
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Darwinweg 2, 2333 CR, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Christine Böhmer
- MECADEV UMR 7179 CNRS/MNHN, Département Adaptations du Vivant, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, CP 55, 57 rue Cuvier, 75231, Paris, France
- Department für Geo- und Umweltwissenschaften und GeoBio-Center, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Richard-Wagner-Straße 10, 80333, München, Germany
- Zoologisches Institut, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Am Botanischen Garten 1-9, 24118, Kiel, Germany
| | - Alan Pradel
- CR2P, Centre de Recherche en Paléontologie - Paris, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle-Sorbonne Université-CNRS, CP 38, 57 rue Cuvier, F75231, Paris, Cedex 05, France
| | - Martin D Brazeau
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Silwood Park Campus, Ascot, SL5 7PY, London, UK
- The Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 5BD, UK
| | - Jürgen Kriwet
- University of Vienna, Faculty of Earth Sciences, Geography and Astronomy, Department of Palaeontology, Evolutionary Morphology Research Group, Josef-Holaubek-Platz 2, 1190, Vienna, Austria
- University of Vienna, Vienna Doctoral School of Ecology and Evolution (VDSEE), Djerassiplatz 1, 1030, Vienna, Austria
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Klug C, Coates M, Frey L, Greif M, Jobbins M, Pohle A, Lagnaoui A, Haouz WB, Ginter M. Broad snouted cladoselachian with sensory specialization at the base of modern chondrichthyans. SWISS JOURNAL OF PALAEONTOLOGY 2023; 142:2. [PMID: 37009301 PMCID: PMC10050047 DOI: 10.1186/s13358-023-00266-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2022] [Accepted: 02/11/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Throughout the Silurian and Devonian, cartilaginous fish successively evolved their specialized skeletal and dental characteristics, and increasingly refined their sensory systems. The Late Devonian shark taxon Maghriboselache mohamezanei gen. et sp. n. from the eastern Anti-Atlas of Morocco is known from multiple specimens preserving most of its skeletal features, which in some instances are preserved in three dimensions. Key details of the dentition, jaws, and pectoral skeleton are shared with the iconic genus Cladoselache. Phylogenetic analyses place the family Cladoselachidae as the sister group of symmoriiforms and these groups as sister group of the holocephalans. Further phylogenetic results corroborate that the initial evolutionary radiation of crown chondrichthyans occurred within or before the Late Devonian. Remarkably, this new stem holocephalan is equipped with a wide snout and large laterally separated nasal capsules: the earliest known example of this condition in the chondrichthyan and (perhaps) gnathostome record. This suggests sensory specialization approaching that of extant broad-rostrum elasmobranchs and represents a significant addition to increasingly apparent ecomorphological diversity among early chondrichthyans. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13358-023-00266-6.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christian Klug
- Paläontologisches Institut und Museum, University of Zurich, Karl-Schmid-Strasse 4, 8006 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Michael Coates
- Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, University of Chicago, 1027 E. 57Th St., Chicago, 60637 USA
| | - Linda Frey
- Paläontologisches Institut und Museum, University of Zurich, Karl-Schmid-Strasse 4, 8006 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Merle Greif
- Paläontologisches Institut und Museum, University of Zurich, Karl-Schmid-Strasse 4, 8006 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Melina Jobbins
- Paläontologisches Institut und Museum, University of Zurich, Karl-Schmid-Strasse 4, 8006 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Alexander Pohle
- Institute for Geology, Mineralogy, and Geophysics, Ruhr University Bochum, Universitätsstraβe 150, 44801 Bochum, Germany
| | - Abdelouahed Lagnaoui
- Interdisciplinary Research Laboratory in Sciences, Education and Training, Higher School of Education and Training Berrechid (ESEFB), Hassan First University, Avenue de l’Université, B.P:218, 26100 Berrechid, Morocco
- Laboratory of Stratigraphy of Oil-and-Gas Bearing Reservoirs, Department of Paleontology and Stratigraphy, Institute of Geology and Petroleum Technologies, Federal University, Kremlyovskaya Str. 18, 420008 Kazan, Volga Region Russia
| | - Wahiba Bel Haouz
- Laboratory of Stratigraphy of Oil-and-Gas Bearing Reservoirs, Department of Paleontology and Stratigraphy, Institute of Geology and Petroleum Technologies, Federal University, Kremlyovskaya Str. 18, 420008 Kazan, Volga Region Russia
- Geosciences Laboratory, Department of Geology, Faculty of Sciences Ain Chock, Hassan II University, Km 8 Route d’El Jadida, 20100 Casablanca, Morocco
| | - Michal Ginter
- Faculty of Geology, University of Warsaw, Al. Żwirki I Wigury 93, 02-089 Warsaw, Poland
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Villalobos-Segura E, Stumpf S, Türtscher J, Jambura PL, Begat A, López-Romero FA, Fischer J, Kriwet J. A Synoptic Review of the Cartilaginous Fishes (Chondrichthyes: Holocephali, Elasmobranchii) from the Upper Jurassic Konservat-Lagerstätten of Southern Germany: Taxonomy, Diversity, and Faunal Relationships. DIVERSITY 2023; 15:386. [PMID: 36950327 PMCID: PMC7614348 DOI: 10.3390/d15030386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/10/2023]
Abstract
The Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous (164-100 Ma) represents one of the main transitional periods in life history. Recent studies unveiled a complex scenario in which abiotic and biotic factors and drivers on regional and global scales due to the fragmentation of Pangaea resulted in dramatic faunal and ecological turnovers in terrestrial and marine environments. However, chondrichthyan faunas from this interval have received surprisingly little recognition. The presence of numerous entire skeletons of chondrichthyans preserved in several localities in southern Germany, often referred to as Konservat-Lagerstätten (e.g., Nusplingen and the Solnhofen Archipelago), provides a unique opportunity of to study the taxonomic composition of these assemblages, their ecological distributions and adaptations, and evolutionary histories in detail. However, even after 160 years of study, the current knowledge of southern Germany's Late Jurassic chondrichthyan diversity remains incomplete. Over the last 20 years, the systematic study and bulk sampling of southern Germany's Late Jurassic deposits significantly increased the number of known fossil chondrichthyan genera from the region (32 in the present study). In the present work, the fossil record, and the taxonomic composition of Late Jurassic chondrichthyans from southern Germany are reviewed and compared with several contemporaneous assemblages from other sites in Europe. Our results suggest, inter alia, that the Late Jurassic chondrichthyans displayed extended distributions within Europe. However, it nevertheless also is evident that the taxonomy of Late Jurassic chondrichthyans is in urgent need of revision.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eduardo Villalobos-Segura
- Evolutionary Morphology Research Group, Department of Palaeontology, Faculty of Earth Sciences, Geography and Astronomy, University of Vienna, Josef-Holaubek-Platz 2, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Sebastian Stumpf
- Evolutionary Morphology Research Group, Department of Palaeontology, Faculty of Earth Sciences, Geography and Astronomy, University of Vienna, Josef-Holaubek-Platz 2, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Julia Türtscher
- Evolutionary Morphology Research Group, Department of Palaeontology, Faculty of Earth Sciences, Geography and Astronomy, University of Vienna, Josef-Holaubek-Platz 2, 1090 Vienna, Austria
- Vienna Doctoral School of Ecology and Evolution (VDSEE), University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Patrick L. Jambura
- Evolutionary Morphology Research Group, Department of Palaeontology, Faculty of Earth Sciences, Geography and Astronomy, University of Vienna, Josef-Holaubek-Platz 2, 1090 Vienna, Austria
- Vienna Doctoral School of Ecology and Evolution (VDSEE), University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Arnaud Begat
- Evolutionary Morphology Research Group, Department of Palaeontology, Faculty of Earth Sciences, Geography and Astronomy, University of Vienna, Josef-Holaubek-Platz 2, 1090 Vienna, Austria
- Vienna Doctoral School of Ecology and Evolution (VDSEE), University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Faviel A. López-Romero
- Evolutionary Morphology Research Group, Department of Palaeontology, Faculty of Earth Sciences, Geography and Astronomy, University of Vienna, Josef-Holaubek-Platz 2, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Jan Fischer
- Urweltmuseum GEOSKOP/Burg Lichtenberg (Pfalz), Burgstraße 19, 66871 Thallichtenberg, Germany
| | - Jürgen Kriwet
- Evolutionary Morphology Research Group, Department of Palaeontology, Faculty of Earth Sciences, Geography and Astronomy, University of Vienna, Josef-Holaubek-Platz 2, 1090 Vienna, Austria
- Vienna Doctoral School of Ecology and Evolution (VDSEE), University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Jambura PL, Villalobos-Segura E, Türtscher J, Begat A, Staggl MA, Stumpf S, Kindlimann R, Klug S, Lacombat F, Pohl B, Maisey JG, Naylor GJP, Kriwet J. Systematics and Phylogenetic Interrelationships of the Enigmatic Late Jurassic Shark Protospinax annectans Woodward, 1918 with Comments on the Shark-Ray Sister Group Relationship. DIVERSITY 2023; 15:311. [PMID: 36950326 PMCID: PMC7614347 DOI: 10.3390/d15030311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/25/2023]
Abstract
The Late Jurassic elasmobranch Protospinax annectans is often regarded as a key species to our understanding of crown group elasmobranch interrelationships and the evolutionary history of this group. However, since its first description more than 100 years ago, its phylogenetic position within the Elasmobranchii (sharks and rays) has proven controversial, and a closer relationship between Protospinax and each of the posited superorders (Batomorphii, Squalomorphii, and Galeomorphii) has been proposed over the time. Here we revise this controversial taxon based on new holomorphic specimens from the Late Jurassic Konservat-Lagerstätte of the Solnhofen Archipelago in Bavaria (Germany) and review its skeletal morphology, systematics, and phylogenetic interrelationships. A data matrix with 224 morphological characters was compiled and analyzed under a molecular backbone constraint. Our results indicate a close relationship between Protospinax, angel sharks (Squatiniformes), and saw sharks (Pristiophoriformes). However, the revision of our morphological data matrix within a molecular framework highlights the lack of morphological characters defining certain groups, especially sharks of the order Squaliformes, hampering the phylogenetic resolution of Protospinax annectans with certainty. Furthermore, the monophyly of modern sharks retrieved by molecular studies is only weakly supported by morphological data, stressing the need for more characters to align morphological and molecular studies in the future.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Patrick L. Jambura
- Department of Palaeontology, University of Vienna, Josef-Holaubek-Platz 2, 1090 Vienna, Austria
- Vienna Doctoral School of Ecology and Evolution (VDSEE), University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030 Vienna, Austria
- Correspondence:
| | | | - Julia Türtscher
- Department of Palaeontology, University of Vienna, Josef-Holaubek-Platz 2, 1090 Vienna, Austria
- Vienna Doctoral School of Ecology and Evolution (VDSEE), University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Arnaud Begat
- Department of Palaeontology, University of Vienna, Josef-Holaubek-Platz 2, 1090 Vienna, Austria
- Vienna Doctoral School of Ecology and Evolution (VDSEE), University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Manuel Andreas Staggl
- Department of Palaeontology, University of Vienna, Josef-Holaubek-Platz 2, 1090 Vienna, Austria
- Vienna Doctoral School of Ecology and Evolution (VDSEE), University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Sebastian Stumpf
- Department of Palaeontology, University of Vienna, Josef-Holaubek-Platz 2, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - René Kindlimann
- Haimuseum und Sammlung R. Kindlimann, 8607 Aathal-Seegräben, Switzerland
| | - Stefanie Klug
- School of Science (GAUSS), Georg–August Universität Göttingen, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | | | - Burkhard Pohl
- Interprospekt Group, 1724 Ferpicloz, Switzerland
- Wyoming Dinosaur Center, Thermopolis, WY 82443, USA
| | - John G. Maisey
- Department of Vertebrate Paleontology, American Natural History Museum, New York, NY 10024, USA
| | - Gavin J. P. Naylor
- Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Jürgen Kriwet
- Department of Palaeontology, University of Vienna, Josef-Holaubek-Platz 2, 1090 Vienna, Austria
- Vienna Doctoral School of Ecology and Evolution (VDSEE), University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Evidence for high-performance suction feeding in the Pennsylvanian stem-group holocephalan Iniopera. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2207854119. [PMID: 36649436 PMCID: PMC9942859 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2207854119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The Carboniferous (358.9 to 298.9 Ma) saw the emergence of marine ecosystems dominated by modern vertebrate groups, including abundant stem-group holocephalans (chimaeras and relatives). Compared with the handful of anatomically conservative holocephalan genera alive today-demersal durophages all-these animals were astonishingly morphologically diverse, and bizarre anatomies in groups such as iniopterygians hint at specialized ecological roles foreshadowing those of the later, suction-feeding neopterygians. However, flattened fossils usually obscure these animals' functional morphologies and how they fitted into these important early ecosystems. Here, we use three-dimensional (3D) methods to show that the musculoskeletal anatomy of the uniquely 3D-preserved iniopterygian Iniopera can be best interpreted as being similar to that of living holocephalans rather than elasmobranchs but that it was mechanically unsuited to durophagy. Rather, Iniopera had a small, anteriorly oriented mouth aperture, expandable pharynx, and strong muscular links among the pectoral girdle, neurocranium, and ventral pharynx consistent with high-performance suction feeding, something exhibited by no living holocephalan and never clearly characterized in any of the extinct members of the holocephalan stem-group. Remarkably, in adapting a distinctly holocephalan anatomy to suction feeding, Iniopera is more comparable to modern tetrapod suction feeders than to the more closely related high-performance suction-feeding elasmobranchs. This raises questions about the assumed role of durophagy in the evolution of holocephalans' distinctive anatomy and offers a rare glimpse into the breadth of ecological niches filled by holocephalans in a pre-neopterygian world.
Collapse
|
8
|
Greif M, Ferrón HG, Klug C. A new Meckel's cartilage from the Devonian Hangenberg black shale in Morocco and its position in chondrichthyan jaw morphospace. PeerJ 2022; 10:e14418. [PMID: 36573235 PMCID: PMC9789696 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.14418] [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: 08/09/2022] [Accepted: 10/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Fossil chondrichthyan remains are mostly known from their teeth, scales or fin spines only, whereas their cartilaginous endoskeletons require exceptional preservational conditions to become fossilized. While most cartilaginous remains of Famennian (Late Devonian) chondrichthyans were found in older layers of the eastern Anti-Atlas, such fossils were unknown from the Hangenberg black shale (HBS) and only a few chondrichthyan teeth had been found therein previously. Here, we describe a Meckel's cartilage from the Hangenberg black shale in Morocco, which is the first fossil cartilage from these strata. Since no teeth or other skeletal elements have been found in articulation, we used elliptical Fourier (EFA), principal component (PCA), and hierarchical cluster (HCA) analyses to morphologically compare it with 41 chondrichthyan taxa of different size and age and to evaluate its possible systematic affiliation. PCA and HCA position the new specimen closest to some acanthodian and elasmobranch jaws. Accordingly, a holocephalan origin was excluded. The jaw shape as well as the presence of a polygonal pattern, typical for tessellated calcified cartilage, suggest a ctenacanth origin and we assigned the new HBS Meckel's cartilage to the order Ctenacanthiformes with reservations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Merle Greif
- Palaeontological Institute and Museum, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Humberto G. Ferrón
- Instituto Cavanilles de Biodiversidad i Biología Evolutiva, Universitat de València, Paterna, Valencia, Spain
| | - Christian Klug
- Palaeontological Institute and Museum, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
The Development of the Chimaeroid Pelvic Skeleton and the Evolution of Chondrichthyan Pelvic Fins. J Dev Biol 2022; 10:jdb10040053. [PMID: 36547475 PMCID: PMC9782884 DOI: 10.3390/jdb10040053] [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: 09/09/2022] [Revised: 10/11/2022] [Accepted: 11/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Pelvic girdles, fins and claspers are evolutionary novelties first recorded in jawed vertebrates. Over the course of the evolution of chondrichthyans (cartilaginous fish) two trends in the morphology of the pelvic skeleton have been suggested to have occurred. These evolutionary shifts involved both an enlargement of the metapterygium (basipterygium) and a transition of fin radial articulation from the pelvic girdle to the metapterygium. To determine how these changes in morphology have occurred it is essential to understand the development of extant taxa as this can indicate potential developmental mechanisms that may have been responsible for these changes. The study of the morphology of the appendicular skeleton across development in chondrichthyans is almost entirely restricted to the historical literature with little contemporary research. Here, we have examined the morphology and development of the pelvic skeleton of a holocephalan chondrichthyan, the elephant shark (Callorhinchus milii), through a combination of dissections, histology, and nanoCT imaging and redescribed the pelvic skeleton of Cladoselache kepleri (NHMUK PV P 9269), a stem holocephalan. To put our findings in their evolutionary context we compare them with the fossil record of chondrichthyans and the literature on pelvic development in elasmobranchs from the late 19th century. Our findings demonstrate that the pelvic skeleton of C. milii initially forms as a single mesenchymal condensation, consisting of the pelvic girdle and a series of fin rays, which fuse to form the basipterygium. The girdle and fin skeleton subsequently segment into distinct components whilst chondrifying. This confirms descriptions of the early pelvic development in Scyliorhinid sharks from the historical literature and suggests that chimaeras and elasmobranchs share common developmental patterns in their pelvic anatomy. Alterations in the location and degree of radial fusion during early development may be the mechanism responsible for changes in pelvic fin morphology over the course of the evolution of both elasmobranchs and holocephalans, which appears to be an example of parallel evolution.
Collapse
|
10
|
Jobbins M, Rücklin M, Ferrón HG, Klug C. A new selenosteid placoderm from the Late Devonian of the eastern Anti-Atlas (Morocco) with preserved body outline and its ecomorphology. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.969158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Placoderms are an extinct group of early jawed vertebrates that play a key role in understanding the evolution of the gnathostome body plan, including the origin of novelties such as jaws, teeth, and pelvic fins. As placoderms have a poorly ossified axial skeleton, preservation of the mainly cartilaginous axial and fin elements is extremely rare, contrary to the heavily mineralized bones of the skull and thoracic armor. Therefore, the gross anatomy of the animals and body shape is only known from a few taxa, and reconstructions of the swimming function and ecology are speculative. Here, we describe articulated specimens preserving skull roofs, shoulder girdles, most fins, and body outlines of a newly derived arthrodire. Specimens of the selenosteid Amazichthys trinajsticae gen. et sp. nov. display a skull roof with reticular ornamentation and raised sensory lines like Driscollaspis, a median dorsal plate with a unique sharp posterior depression, the pelvic girdle, the proportions and shape of the pectoral, dorsal, and caudal fins as well as a laterally enlarged region resembling the lateral keel of a few modern sharks and bony fishes. Our new phylogenetic analyses support the monophyly of the selenosteid family and place the new genus in a clade with Melanosteus, Enseosteus, Walterosteus, and Draconichthys. The shape of its body and heterocercal caudal fin in combination with the pronounced “lateral keel” suggest Amazichthys trinajsticae was an active macropelagic swimmer capable of reaching high swimming speeds.
Collapse
|
11
|
Trinajstic K, Long JA, Sanchez S, Boisvert CA, Snitting D, Tafforeau P, Dupret V, Clement AM, Currie PD, Roelofs B, Bevitt JJ, Lee MSY, Ahlberg PE. Exceptional preservation of organs in Devonian placoderms from the Gogo lagerstätte. Science 2022; 377:1311-1314. [DOI: 10.1126/science.abf3289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
The origin and early diversification of jawed vertebrates involved major changes to skeletal and soft anatomy. Skeletal transformations can be examined directly by studying fossil stem gnathostomes; however, preservation of soft anatomy is rare. We describe the only known example of a three-dimensionally mineralized heart, thick-walled stomach, and bilobed liver from arthrodire placoderms, stem gnathostomes from the Late Devonian Gogo Formation in Western Australia. The application of synchrotron and neutron microtomography to this material shows evidence of a flat S-shaped heart, which is well separated from the liver and other abdominal organs, and the absence of lungs. Arthrodires thus show the earliest phylogenetic evidence for repositioning of the gnathostome heart associated with the evolution of the complex neck region in jawed vertebrates.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kate Trinajstic
- School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Bentley, WA 6102, Australia
- Western Australian Museum, Welshpool, WA 6106, Australia
| | - John A. Long
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA 5001, Australia
- Museum Victoria, Melbourne, VIC 3001, Australia
| | - Sophie Sanchez
- Department of Organismal Biology, Evolutionary Biology Center, Uppsala University, 75236 Uppsala, Sweden
- European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Catherine A. Boisvert
- School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Bentley, WA 6102, Australia
| | - Daniel Snitting
- Department of Organismal Biology, Evolutionary Biology Center, Uppsala University, 75236 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Paul Tafforeau
- European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Vincent Dupret
- Department of Organismal Biology, Evolutionary Biology Center, Uppsala University, 75236 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Alice M. Clement
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA 5001, Australia
| | - Peter D. Currie
- Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute and EMBL Australia, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia
| | - Brett Roelofs
- School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Bentley, WA 6102, Australia
| | - Joseph J. Bevitt
- Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO), Lucas Heights, NSW 2234, Australia
| | - Michael S. Y. Lee
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA 5001, Australia
- Earth Sciences Section, South Australian Museum, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia
| | - Per E. Ahlberg
- Department of Organismal Biology, Evolutionary Biology Center, Uppsala University, 75236 Uppsala, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Staggl MA, Abed-Navandi D, Kriwet J. Cranial morphology of the orectolobiform shark, Chiloscyllium punctatum Müller & Henle, 1838. VERTEBRATE ZOOLOGY 2022; 72:311-370. [PMID: 35693755 PMCID: PMC7612840 DOI: 10.3897/vz.72.e84732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Elasmobranchs, comprising sharks, skates, and rays, have a long evolutionary history extending back into the Palaeozoic. They are characterized by various unique traits including a predominantly cartilaginous skeleton, superficial prismatic phosphatic layer, and permanent tooth replacement. Moreover, they exhibit a more or less marked sexual dimorphism. Especially the morphology of the chondrocranium and the elements of the whole cranial region of extant and extinct chondrichthyans can provide valuable information about corresponding functions, e.g. the feeding apparatus might reflect the diet of the animals. However, studies on sexual dimorphisms are lacking in orectolobiform sharks, therefore, little is known about possible sexual dimorphic characters in the cranial region in this group. For this reason, we present in this study a comprehensive morphological description of the cranial region of the brownbanded bamboo shark Chiloscyllium punctatum Müller & Henle, 1838, with a special focus on its sexual dimorphic characters. Our results reveal clear morphological differences in both sexes of the examined C. punctatum specimens, particularly in the chondrocranium and the mandibular arch. The female specimen shows a comparatively more robust and compact morphology of the chondrocranium. This pattern is also evident in the mandibular arch, especially in the palatoquadrate. The present study is the first to describe the morphology of an orectolobiform shark species in detail using both manual dissection and micro-CT data. The resulting data furthermore provide a starting point for pending studies and are intended to be a first step in a series of comparative studies on the morphology of the cranial region of orectolobiform sharks, including the determination of possible sexual dimorphic characteristics.
Collapse
|
13
|
Gai Z, Zhu M, Ahlberg PE, Donoghue PCJ. The Evolution of the Spiracular Region From Jawless Fishes to Tetrapods. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.887172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
The spiracular region, comprising the hyomandibular pouch together with the mandibular and hyoid arches, has a complex evolutionary history. In living vertebrates, the embryonic hyomandibular pouch may disappear in the adult, develop into a small opening between the palatoquadrate and hyomandibula containing a single gill-like pseudobranch, or create a middle ear cavity, but it never develops into a fully formed gill with two hemibranchs. The belief that a complete spiracular gill must be the ancestral condition led some 20th century researchers to search for such a gill between the mandibular and hyoid arches in early jawed vertebrates. This hypothesized ancestral state was named the aphetohyoidean condition, but so far it has not been verified in any fossil; supposed examples, such as in the acanthodian Acanthodes and symmoriid chondrichthyans, have been reinterpreted and discounted. Here we present the first confirmed example of a complete spiracular gill in any vertebrate, in the galeaspid (jawless stem gnathostome) Shuyu. Comparisons with two other groups of jawless stem gnathostomes, osteostracans and heterostracans, indicate that they also probably possessed full-sized spiracular gills and that this condition may thus be primitive for the gnathostome stem group. This contrasts with the living jawless cyclostomes, in which the mandibular and hyoid arches are strongly modified and the hyomandibular pouch is lost in the adult. While no truly aphetohyoidean spiracular gill has been found in any jawed vertebrate, the recently reported presence in acanthodians of two pseudobranchs suggests a two-step evolutionary process whereby initial miniaturization of the spiracular gill was followed, independently in chondrichthyans and osteichthyans, by the loss of the anterior pseudobranch. On the basis of these findings we present an overview of spiracular evolution among vertebrates.
Collapse
|
14
|
Dearden RP, Giles S. Diverse stem-chondrichthyan oral structures and evidence for an independently acquired acanthodid dentition. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2021; 8:210822. [PMID: 34804566 PMCID: PMC8580420 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.210822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2021] [Accepted: 10/22/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The teeth of sharks famously form a series of transversely organized files with a conveyor-belt replacement that are borne directly on the jaw cartilages, in contrast to the dermal plate-borne dentition of bony fishes that undergoes site-specific replacement. A major obstacle in understanding how this system evolved is the poorly understood relationships of the earliest chondrichthyans and the profusion of morphologically and terminologically diverse bones, cartilages, splints and whorls that they possess. Here, we use tomographic methods to investigate mandibular structures in several early branching 'acanthodian'-grade stem-chondrichthyans. We show that the dentigerous jaw bones of disparate genera of ischnacanthids are united by a common construction, being growing bones with non-shedding dentition. Mandibular splints, which support the ventro-lateral edge of the Meckel's cartilage in some taxa, are formed from dermal bone and may be an acanthodid synapomorphy. We demonstrate that the teeth of Acanthodopsis are borne directly on the mandibular cartilage and that this taxon is deeply nested within an edentulous radiation, representing an unexpected independent origin of teeth. Many or even all of the range of unusual oral structures may be apomorphic, but they should nonetheless be considered when building hypotheses of tooth and jaw evolution, both in chondrichthyans and more broadly.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Richard P. Dearden
- CR2P, Centre de Recherche en Paléontologie–Paris, Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Sorbonne Université, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, CP 38, 57 Rue Cuvier, F75231 Paris Cedex 05, France
| | - Sam Giles
- School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
- Department of Earth Sciences, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD, UK
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Klug C, Lagnaoui A, Jobbins M, Bel Haouz W, Najih A. The swimming trace Undichna from the latest Devonian Hangenberg Sandstone equivalent of Morocco. SWISS JOURNAL OF PALAEONTOLOGY 2021; 140:19. [PMID: 34777238 PMCID: PMC8550595 DOI: 10.1186/s13358-021-00237-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2021] [Accepted: 08/31/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Trace fossils occur in several strata of the Devonian and Carboniferous of the eastern Anti-Atlas, but they are still poorly documented. Here, we describe a fossil swimming trace from strata overlying the Hangenberg Black Shale (correlation largely based on lithostratigraphy; Postclymenia ammonoid genozone, ca. 370 Ma old). We discuss the systematic position of the tracemaker and its body size. This ichnofossil is important for three main reasons: (1) it is considered here to be the first record of Undichna from the Devonian of Gondwana, as far as we know; (2) it is the oldest record of vertebrate trace fossils from Africa; (3) it provides a unique window into the behaviour of Late Devonian fishes for which body-fossils cannot provide direct evidence. Further, we put this discovery into the macroecological context of the palaeoenvironment following the Late Devonian Hangenberg biodiversity crisis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christian Klug
- Paläontologisches Institut Und Museum, Universität Zürich, Karl-Schmid-Strasse 4, 8006 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Abdelouahed Lagnaoui
- Interdisciplinary Research Laboratory in Sciences, Education and Training, Higher School of Education and Training Berrechid (ESEFB), Hassan First University, Route de Casablanca Km 3.5, BP 539, 26100 Berrechid, Grand-Casablanca Morocco
- Working-Team On Geology of Mineral and Energy Resources, Research Laboratory Physico-Chemistry of Processes and Materials, Faculty of Sciences and Techniques, Hassan First University of Settat, Route de Casablanca Km 3.5, BP 539, 26000 Settat, Grand-Casablanca Morocco
- Laboratory of Stratigraphy of Oil-and-Gas Bearing Reservoirs, Department of Paleontology and Stratigraphy, Institute of Geology and Petroleum Technologies, Kazan (Volga Region) Federal University, Kremlyovskaya Str. 18, Kazan, 420008 Russian Federation
| | - Melina Jobbins
- Paläontologisches Institut Und Museum, Universität Zürich, Karl-Schmid-Strasse 4, 8006 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Wahiba Bel Haouz
- Laboratory of Stratigraphy of Oil-and-Gas Bearing Reservoirs, Department of Paleontology and Stratigraphy, Institute of Geology and Petroleum Technologies, Kazan (Volga Region) Federal University, Kremlyovskaya Str. 18, Kazan, 420008 Russian Federation
| | - Amine Najih
- Institut National Supérieur du Professorat Et de L’Éducation de L’Académie de Poitiers, Université de Poitiers, 5 Rue Shirin Ebadi, 86073 Poitiers, France
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Jobbins M, Rücklin M, Argyriou T, Klug C. A large Middle Devonian eubrachythoracid 'placoderm' (Arthrodira) jaw from northern Gondwana. SWISS JOURNAL OF PALAEONTOLOGY 2021; 140:2. [PMID: 33488510 PMCID: PMC7809001 DOI: 10.1186/s13358-020-00212-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2020] [Accepted: 11/18/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
For the understanding of the evolution of jawed vertebrates and jaws and teeth, 'placoderms' are crucial as they exhibit an impressive morphological disparity associated with the early stages of this process. The Devonian of Morocco is famous for its rich occurrences of arthrodire 'placoderms'. While Late Devonian strata are rich in arthrodire remains, they are less common in older strata. Here, we describe a large tooth-bearing jaw element of Leptodontichthys ziregensis gen. et sp. nov., an eubrachythoracid arthrodire from the Middle Devonian of Morocco. This species is based on a large posterior superognathal with a strong dentition. The jawbone displays features considered synapomorphies of Late Devonian eubrachythoracid arthrodires, with one posterior and one lateral row of conical teeth oriented postero-lingually. μCT-images reveal internal structures including pulp cavities and dentinous tissues. The posterior orientation of the teeth and the traces of a putative occlusal contact on the lingual side of the bone imply that these teeth were hardly used for feeding. Similar to Compagopiscis and Plourdosteus, functional teeth were possibly present during an earlier developmental stage and have been worn entirely. The morphological features of the jaw element suggest a close relationship with plourdosteids. Its size implies that the animal was rather large.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Melina Jobbins
- Paläontologisches Institut und Museum, Universität Zürich, Karl-Schmid-Strasse 4, 8006 Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | - Thodoris Argyriou
- UMR 7207 (MNHN – Sorbonne Université – CNRS) Centre de Recherche en Paléontologie, Muséum National D’Histoire Naturelle, 57 rue Cuvier, 75231 Paris cedex 05, France
| | - Christian Klug
- Paläontologisches Institut und Museum, Universität Zürich, Karl-Schmid-Strasse 4, 8006 Zurich, Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|