1
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Cupello C, Clément G, Herbin M, Meunier FJ, Brito PM. Pulmonary arteries in coelacanths shed light on the vasculature evolution of air-breathing organs in vertebrates. Sci Rep 2024; 14:10624. [PMID: 38724555 PMCID: PMC11082188 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-61065-8] [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: 01/27/2024] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
To date, the presence of pulmonary organs in the fossil record is extremely rare. Among extant vertebrates, lungs are described in actinopterygian polypterids and in all sarcopterygians, including coelacanths and lungfish. However, vasculature of pulmonary arteries has never been accurately identified neither in fossil nor extant coelacanths due to the paucity of fossil preservation of pulmonary organs and limitations of invasive studies in extant specimens. Here we present the first description of the pulmonary vasculature in both fossil and extant actinistian, a non-tetrapod sarcopterygian clade, contributing to a more in-depth discussion on the morphology of these structures and on the possible homology between vertebrate air-filled organs (lungs of sarcopterygians, lungs of actinopterygians, and gas bladders of actinopterygians).
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Affiliation(s)
- Camila Cupello
- Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Biologia-IBRAG, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
| | - Gaël Clément
- Département Origines & Evolution, Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, UMR 7207 (MNHN-CNRS-Sorbonne Universités) Centre de Recherche en Paléontologie (CR2P), Paris, France
| | - Marc Herbin
- Département Adaptations du Vivant, Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, UMR 7179 (CNRS-MNHN) Mécanismes Adaptatifs et Evolution (MECADEV), Paris, France
| | - François J Meunier
- Département Adaptations du Vivant, Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, UMR 8067 (CNRS-IRD-MNHN-Sorbonne Universités-UCN, UA), Laboratoire de Biologie des Organismes et des Ecosystèmes Aquatiques (BOREA), Paris, France
| | - Paulo M Brito
- Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Biologia-IBRAG, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
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2
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Falk D, Wings O, Unitt R, Wade J, McNamara ME. Fossilized anuran soft tissues reveal a new taphonomic model for the Eocene Geiseltal Konservat-Lagerstätte, Germany. Sci Rep 2024; 14:7876. [PMID: 38654038 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-55822-y] [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: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
The Eocene Geiseltal Konservat-Lagerstätte (Germany) is famous for reports of three dimensionally preserved soft tissues with sub-cellular detail. The proposed mode of preservation, direct replication in silica, is not known in other fossils and has not been verified using modern approaches. Here, we investigated the taphonomy of the Geiseltal anurans using diverse microbeam imaging and chemical analytical techniques. Our analyses confirm the preservation of soft tissues in all body regions but fail to yield evidence for silicified soft tissues. Instead, the anuran soft tissues are preserved as two layers that differ in microstructure and composition. Layer 1 comprises sulfur-rich carbonaceous microbodies interpreted as melanosomes. Layer 2 comprises the mid-dermal Eberth-Katschenko layer, preserved in calcium phosphate. In addition, patches of original aragonite crystals define the former position of the endolymphatic sac. The primary modes of soft tissue preservation are therefore sulfurization of melanosomes and phosphatization of more labile soft tissues, i.e., skin. This is consistent with the taphonomy of vertebrates in many other Konservat-Lagerstätten. These findings emphasize an emerging model for pervasive preservation of vertebrate soft tissues via melanosome films, particularly in stagnation-type deposits, with phosphatization of more labile tissues where tissue biochemistry is favorable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Falk
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University College Cork, Distillery Fields, North Mall, Cork, T23 TK30, Ireland.
- Environmental Research Institute, University College Cork, Lee Rd, Cork, T23 XE10, Ireland.
| | - Oliver Wings
- Natural History Museum Bamberg, Staatliche Naturwissenschaftliche Sammlungen Bayerns, Fleischstraße 2, 96047, Bamberg, Germany
| | - Richard Unitt
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University College Cork, Distillery Fields, North Mall, Cork, T23 TK30, Ireland
- Environmental Research Institute, University College Cork, Lee Rd, Cork, T23 XE10, Ireland
- Copper Coast UNESCO Global Geopark, Knockmahon, Bunmahon, X42 T923, Ireland
| | - Jon Wade
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3AN, UK
| | - Maria E McNamara
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University College Cork, Distillery Fields, North Mall, Cork, T23 TK30, Ireland
- Environmental Research Institute, University College Cork, Lee Rd, Cork, T23 XE10, Ireland
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3
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Slater TS, Ito S, Wakamatsu K, Zhang F, Sjövall P, Jarenmark M, Lindgren J, McNamara ME. Taphonomic experiments reveal authentic molecular signals for fossil melanins and verify preservation of phaeomelanin in fossils. Nat Commun 2023; 14:5651. [PMID: 37803012 PMCID: PMC10558522 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-40570-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2021] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 10/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Melanin pigments play a critical role in physiological processes and shaping animal behaviour. Fossil melanin is a unique resource for understanding the functional evolution of melanin but the impact of fossilisation on molecular signatures for eumelanin and, especially, phaeomelanin is not fully understood. Here we present a model for the chemical taphonomy of fossil eumelanin and phaeomelanin based on thermal maturation experiments using feathers from extant birds. Our results reveal which molecular signatures are authentic signals for thermally matured eumelanin and phaeomelanin, which signatures are artefacts derived from the maturation of non-melanin molecules, and how these chemical data are impacted by sample preparation. Our model correctly predicts the molecular composition of eumelanins in diverse vertebrate fossils from the Miocene and Cretaceous and, critically, identifies direct molecular evidence for phaeomelanin in these fossils. This taphonomic framework adds to the geochemical toolbox that underpins reconstructions of melanin evolution and of melanin-based coloration in fossil vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiffany S Slater
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.
- Environmental Research Institute, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.
| | - Shosuke Ito
- Institute for Melanin Chemistry, Fujita Health University, Toyoake, Aichi, Japan
| | - Kazumasa Wakamatsu
- Institute for Melanin Chemistry, Fujita Health University, Toyoake, Aichi, Japan
| | - Fucheng Zhang
- Institute of Geology and Paleontology, Linyi University, Linyi City, Shandong, China
| | - Peter Sjövall
- RISE Research Institutes of Sweden, Materials and Production, 501 15, Borås, Sweden
| | | | - Johan Lindgren
- Department of Geology, Lund University, 223 62, Lund, Sweden
| | - Maria E McNamara
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.
- Environmental Research Institute, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.
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4
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Wakamatsu K, Ito S. Recent Advances in Characterization of Melanin Pigments in Biological Samples. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24098305. [PMID: 37176019 PMCID: PMC10179066 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24098305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2023] [Revised: 04/23/2023] [Accepted: 04/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The melanin pigments eumelanin (EM) and pheomelanin (PM), which are dark brown to black and yellow to reddish-brown, respectively, are widely found among vertebrates. They are produced in melanocytes in the epidermis, hair follicles, the choroid, the iris, the inner ear, and other tissues. The diversity of colors in animals is mainly caused by the quantity and quality of their melanin, such as by the ratios of EM versus PM. We have developed micro-analytical methods to simultaneously measure EM and PM and used these to study the biochemical and genetic fundamentals of pigmentation. The photoreactivity of melanin has become a major focus of research because of the postulated relevance of EM and PM for the risk of UVA-induced melanoma. Our biochemical methods have found application in many clinical studies on genetic conditions associated with alterations in pigmentation. Recently, besides chemical degradative methods, other methods have been developed for the characterization of melanin, and these are also discussed here.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazumasa Wakamatsu
- Institute for Melanin Chemistry, Fujita Health University, Toyoake 470-192, Aichi, Japan
| | - Shosuke Ito
- Institute for Melanin Chemistry, Fujita Health University, Toyoake 470-192, Aichi, Japan
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5
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Terranova ML. Prominent Roles and Conflicted Attitudes of Eumelanin in the Living World. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24097783. [PMID: 37175490 PMCID: PMC10178024 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24097783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2023] [Revised: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 04/22/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Eumelanin, a macromolecule widespread in all the living world and long appreciated for its protective action against harmful UV radiation, is considered the beneficial component of the melanin family (ευ means good in ancient Greek). This initially limited picture has been rather recently extended and now includes a variety of key functions performed by eumelanin in order to support life also under extreme conditions. A lot of still unexplained aspects characterize this molecule that, in an evolutionary context, survived natural selection. This paper aims to emphasize the unique characteristics and the consequent unusual behaviors of a molecule that still holds the main chemical/physical features detected in fossils dating to the late Carboniferous. In this context, attention is drawn to the duality of roles played by eumelanin, which occasionally reverses its functional processes, switching from an anti-oxidant to a pro-oxidant behavior and implementing therefore harmful effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Letizia Terranova
- Dipartimento Scienze e Tecnologie Chimiche, Università degli Studi di Roma "Tor Vergata", Via della Ricerca Scientifica, 00133 Roma, Italy
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6
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Cupello C, Hirasawa T, Tatsumi N, Yabumoto Y, Gueriau P, Isogai S, Matsumoto R, Saruwatari T, King A, Hoshino M, Uesugi K, Okabe M, Brito PM. Lung evolution in vertebrates and the water-to-land transition. eLife 2022; 11:77156. [PMID: 35880746 PMCID: PMC9323002 DOI: 10.7554/elife.77156] [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: 01/17/2022] [Accepted: 06/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
A crucial evolutionary change in vertebrate history was the Palaeozoic (Devonian 419–359 million years ago) water-to-land transition, allowed by key morphological and physiological modifications including the acquisition of lungs. Nonetheless, the origin and early evolution of vertebrate lungs remain highly controversial, particularly whether the ancestral state was paired or unpaired. Due to the rarity of fossil soft tissue preservation, lung evolution can only be traced based on the extant phylogenetic bracket. Here we investigate, for the first time, lung morphology in extensive developmental series of key living lunged osteichthyans using synchrotron x-ray microtomography and histology. Our results shed light on the primitive state of vertebrate lungs as unpaired, evolving to be truly paired in the lineage towards the tetrapods. The water-to-land transition confronted profound physiological challenges and paired lungs were decisive for increasing the surface area and the pulmonary compliance and volume, especially during the air-breathing on land. All life on Earth started out under water. However, around 400 million years ago some vertebrates, such as fish, started developing limbs and other characteristics that allowed them to explore life on land. One of the most pivotal features to evolve was the lungs, which gave vertebrates the ability to breathe above water. Most land-living vertebrates, including humans, have two lungs which sit on either side of their chest. The lungs extract oxygen from the atmosphere and transfer it to the bloodstream in exchange for carbon dioxide which then gets exhaled out in to the atmosphere. How this important organ first evolved is a hotly debated topic. This is largely because lung tissue does not preserve well in fossils, making it difficult to trace how the lungs of vertebrates changed over the course of evolution. To overcome this barrier, Cupello et al. compared the lungs of living species which are crucial to understand the early stages of the water-to-land transition. This included four species of lunged bony fish which breathe air at the water surface, and a four-legged salamander that lives on land. Cupello et al. used a range of techniques to examine how the lungs of the bony fish and salamander changed shape during development. The results suggested that the lungs of vertebrates started out as a single organ, which became truly paired later in evolution once vertebrates started developing limbs. This anatomical shift increased the surface area available for exchanging oxygen and carbon dioxide so that vertebrates could breathe more easily on land. These findings provide new insights in to how the lung evolved into the paired structure found in most vertebrates alive today. It likely that this transition allowed vertebrates to fully adapt to breathing above water, which may explain why this event only happened once over the course of evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camila Cupello
- Departamento de Zoologia-IBRAG, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro RJ, Brazil
| | - Tatsuya Hirasawa
- Department of Earth and Planetary Science, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Norifumi Tatsumi
- Department of Anatomy, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yoshitaka Yabumoto
- Kitakyushu Museum of Natural History and Human History, 2-4-1 Higashida, Yahatahigashi-ku, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Pierre Gueriau
- Institute of Earth Sciences, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.,Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, ministère de la Culture, UVSQ, MNHN, Institut photonique d'analyse non-destructive européen des matériaux anciens, Saint-Aubin, France
| | - Sumio Isogai
- Department of Anatomy, Iwate Medical University School of Medicine, Iwate, Japan
| | - Ryoko Matsumoto
- Kanagawa Prefectural Museum of Natural History, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Toshiro Saruwatari
- Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo, Chiba, Japan.,Seikei Education and Research Center for Sustainable Development, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Andrew King
- Synchrotron SOLEIL, L'orme des Merisiers Saint-Aubin, Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex, France
| | - Masato Hoshino
- Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute (JASRI/SPring-8), Hyogo, Japan
| | - Kentaro Uesugi
- Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute (JASRI/SPring-8), Hyogo, Japan
| | - Masataka Okabe
- Department of Anatomy, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Paulo M Brito
- Departamento de Zoologia-IBRAG, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro RJ, Brazil
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7
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Siljeström S, Neubeck A, Steele A. Detection of porphyrins in vertebrate fossils from the Messel and implications for organic preservation in the fossil record. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0269568. [PMID: 35767560 PMCID: PMC9242450 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0269568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2021] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Organic molecules preserved in fossils provide a wealth of new information about ancient life. The discovery of almost unaltered complex organic molecules in well-preserved fossils raise the question of how common such occurrences are in the fossil record, how to differentiate between endogenous and exogenous sources for the organic matter and what promotes such preservation. The aim of this study was the in-situ analysis of a well-preserved vertebrate fossil from 48 Ma Eocene sediments in the Messel pit, Germany for preservation of complex biomolecules. The fossil was characterized using a variety of techniques including time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS), scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (SEM/EDX), x-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman spectroscopy. A suite of organic molecules was detected, including porphyrins, which given the context of the detected signal are most probably diagenetically altered heme originating from the fossil though a microbial contribution cannot be completely ruled out. Diagenetic changes to the porphyrin structure were observed that included the exchange of the central iron by nickel. Further analyses on the geochemistry of the fossil and surrounding sediments showed presence of pyrite and aluminosilicates, most likely clay. In addition, a carbonate and calcium phosphate dominated crust has formed around the fossil. This suggests that several different processes are involved in the preservation of the fossil and the organic molecules associated with it. Similar processes seem to have also been involved in preservation of heme in fossils from other localities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Siljeström
- Department of Methodology, Textiles and Medical Technology, RISE Research Institutes of Sweden, Stockholm, Sweden
- * E-mail:
| | - Anna Neubeck
- Department of Earth Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Andrew Steele
- Carnegie Institution for Science, Earth and Planetary Laboratory, Washington, DC, United States of America
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8
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Moore VDG, Haenel G. Variation in melanin content of lizard livers: hybrids turning to the dark side. Physiol Biochem Zool 2022; 95:536-543. [DOI: 10.1086/721445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
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9
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Rossi V, Unitt R, McNamara M, Zorzin R, Carnevale G. Skin patterning and internal anatomy in a fossil moonfish from the Eocene Bolca Lagerstätte illuminate the ecology of ancient reef fish communities. PALAEONTOLOGY 2022; 65:e12600. [PMID: 35915728 PMCID: PMC9324815 DOI: 10.1111/pala.12600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2021] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Colour patterning in extant animals can be used as a reliable indicator of their biology and, in extant fish, can inform on feeding strategy. Fossil fish with preserved colour patterns may thus illuminate the evolution of fish behaviour and community structure, but are understudied. Here we report preserved melanin-based integumentary colour patterning and internal anatomy of the fossil moonfish Mene rhombea (Menidae) from the Bolca Lagerstätte (Eocene (Ypresian), north-east Italy). The melanosome-based longitudinal stripes of M. rhombea differ from the dorsal rows of black spots in its extant relative M. maculata, suggesting that the ecology of moonfish has changed during the Cenozoic. Extant moonfish are coastal schooling fish that feed on benthic invertebrates, but the longitudinal stripes and stomach contents with fish remains in M. rhombea suggest unstructured open marine ecologies and a piscivorous diet. The localized distribution of extant moonfish species in the Indo-Pacific Ocean may reflect, at least in part, tectonically-driven reorganization of global oceanographic patterns during the Cenozoic. It is likely that shifts in habitat and colour patterning genes promoted colour pattern evolution in the menid lineage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Rossi
- School of Biological, Earth & Environmental SciencesUniversity College CorkCorkT23 TK30Ireland
- Museo di Scienze Naturali dell’Alto AdigeBolzano39100Italy
- Environmental Research InstituteUniversity College CorkCorkT23 XE10Ireland
| | - Richard Unitt
- School of Biological, Earth & Environmental SciencesUniversity College CorkCorkT23 TK30Ireland
- Environmental Research InstituteUniversity College CorkCorkT23 XE10Ireland
| | - Maria McNamara
- School of Biological, Earth & Environmental SciencesUniversity College CorkCorkT23 TK30Ireland
- Environmental Research InstituteUniversity College CorkCorkT23 XE10Ireland
| | - Roberto Zorzin
- Sezione di Geologia e PaleontologiaMuseo Civico di Storia Naturale di VeronaLungadige Porta Vittoria 937129VeronaItaly
| | - Giorgio Carnevale
- Dipartimento di Scienze della TerraUniversità degli Studi di TorinoVia Valperga Caluso 3510125TorinoItaly
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10
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Cincotta A, Nicolaï M, Campos HBN, McNamara M, D'Alba L, Shawkey MD, Kischlat EE, Yans J, Carleer R, Escuillié F, Godefroit P. Pterosaur melanosomes support signalling functions for early feathers. Nature 2022; 604:684-688. [PMID: 35444275 PMCID: PMC9046085 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-04622-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2021] [Accepted: 03/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Remarkably well-preserved soft tissues in Mesozoic fossils have yielded substantial insights into the evolution of feathers1. New evidence of branched feathers in pterosaurs suggests that feathers originated in the avemetatarsalian ancestor of pterosaurs and dinosaurs in the Early Triassic2, but the homology of these pterosaur structures with feathers is controversial3,4. Reports of pterosaur feathers with homogeneous ovoid melanosome geometries2,5 suggest that they exhibited limited variation in colour, supporting hypotheses that early feathers functioned primarily in thermoregulation6. Here we report the presence of diverse melanosome geometries in the skin and simple and branched feathers of a tapejarid pterosaur from the Early Cretaceous found in Brazil. The melanosomes form distinct populations in different feather types and the skin, a feature previously known only in theropod dinosaurs, including birds. These tissue-specific melanosome geometries in pterosaurs indicate that manipulation of feather colour-and thus functions of feathers in visual communication-has deep evolutionary origins. These features show that genetic regulation of melanosome chemistry and shape7-9 was active early in feather evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aude Cincotta
- Directorate Earth and History of Life, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Brussels, Belgium. .,Institute of Life, Earth and Environment, University of Namur, Namur, Belgium. .,School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland. .,Environmental Research Institute, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.
| | - Michaël Nicolaï
- Evolution and Optics of Nanostructures Group, Biology Department, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | | | - Maria McNamara
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland. .,Environmental Research Institute, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.
| | - Liliana D'Alba
- Evolution and Optics of Nanostructures Group, Biology Department, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.,Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Matthew D Shawkey
- Evolution and Optics of Nanostructures Group, Biology Department, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Edio-Ernst Kischlat
- Divisão de Bacias Sedimentares, Geological Survey of Brazil, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Johan Yans
- Institute of Life, Earth and Environment, University of Namur, Namur, Belgium
| | - Robert Carleer
- Research Group of Analytical and Circular Chemistry, Institute for Material Research, Hasselt University, Diepenbeek, Belgium
| | | | - Pascal Godefroit
- Directorate Earth and History of Life, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Brussels, Belgium
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11
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Decoding the Evolution of Melanin in Vertebrates. Trends Ecol Evol 2021; 36:430-443. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2020.12.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2020] [Revised: 12/18/2020] [Accepted: 12/23/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
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12
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Yang Z, Jiang B, McNamara ME, Kearns SL, Pittman M, Kaye TG, Orr PJ, Xu X, Benton MJ. Reply to: No protofeathers on pterosaurs. Nat Ecol Evol 2020; 4:1592-1593. [PMID: 32989267 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-020-01309-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2019] [Accepted: 08/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Zixiao Yang
- Center for Research and Education on Biological Evolution and Environments, School of Earth Sciences and Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Baoyu Jiang
- Center for Research and Education on Biological Evolution and Environments, School of Earth Sciences and Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China.
| | - Maria E McNamara
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Stuart L Kearns
- School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Michael Pittman
- Vertebrate Palaeontology Laboratory, Department of Earth Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Thomas G Kaye
- Foundation for Scientific Advancement, Sierra Vista, AZ, USA
| | - Patrick J Orr
- UCD School of Earth Sciences, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Xing Xu
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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13
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Ito S, Del Bino S, Hirobe T, Wakamatsu K. Improved HPLC Conditions to Determine Eumelanin and Pheomelanin Contents in Biological Samples Using an Ion Pair Reagent. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21145134. [PMID: 32698502 PMCID: PMC7404343 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21145134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2020] [Revised: 07/08/2020] [Accepted: 07/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Alkaline hydrogen peroxide oxidation (AHPO) of eumelanin and pheomelanin, two major classes of melanin pigments, affords pyrrole-2,3,5-tricarboxylic acid (PTCA), pyrrole-2,3-dicarboxylic acid (PDCA) and pyrrole-2,3,4,5-tetracarboxylic acid (PTeCA) from eumelanin and thiazole-2,4,5-tricarboxylic acid (TTCA) and thiazole-4,5-dicarboxylic acid (TDCA) from pheomelanin. Quantification of these five markers by HPLC provides useful information on the quantity and structural diversity of melanins in various biological samples. HPLC analysis of these markers using the original method of 0.1 M potassium phosphate buffer (pH 2.1):methanol = 99:1 (85:15 for PTeCA) on a reversed-phase column had some problems, including the short lifetime of the column and, except for the major eumelanin marker PTCA, other markers were occasionally overlapped by interfering peaks in samples containing only trace levels of these markers. These problems can be overcome by the addition of an ion pair reagent for anions, such as tetra-n-butylammonium bromide (1 mM), to retard the elution of di-, tri- and tetra-carboxylic acids. The methanol concentration was increased to 17% (30% for PTeCA) and the linearity, reproducibility, and recovery of the markers with this improved method is good to excellent. This improved HPLC method was compared to the original method using synthetic melanins, mouse hair, human hair, and human epidermal samples. In addition to PTCA, TTCA, a major marker for pheomelanin, showed excellent correlations between both HPLC methods. The other markers showed an attenuation of the interfering peaks with the improved method. We recommend this improved HPLC method for the quantitative analysis of melanin markers following AHPO because of its simplicity, accuracy, and reproducibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shosuke Ito
- Department of Chemistry, Fujita Health University School of Medical Sciences, Toyoake 470-1192, Japan
- Correspondence: (S.I.); (K.W.); Tel.: +81-562-93-9849 (S.I. & K.W.); Fax: +81-562-93-4595 (S.I. & K.W.)
| | - Sandra Del Bino
- L’Oreal Research and Innovation, 93600 Aulnay-sous-Bois, France;
| | - Tomohisa Hirobe
- Shinjuku Skin Clinic, 10F Shinjuku M-SQUARE, 3-24-1 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-0022, Japan;
| | - Kazumasa Wakamatsu
- Department of Chemistry, Fujita Health University School of Medical Sciences, Toyoake 470-1192, Japan
- Correspondence: (S.I.); (K.W.); Tel.: +81-562-93-9849 (S.I. & K.W.); Fax: +81-562-93-4595 (S.I. & K.W.)
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Ultra-black Camouflage in Deep-Sea Fishes. Curr Biol 2020; 30:3470-3476.e3. [PMID: 32679102 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.06.044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2020] [Revised: 05/25/2020] [Accepted: 06/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
At oceanic depths >200 m, there is little ambient sunlight, but bioluminescent organisms provide another light source that can reveal animals to visual predators and prey [1-4]. Transparency and mirrored surfaces-common camouflage strategies under the diffuse solar illumination of shallower waters-are conspicuous when illuminated by directed bioluminescent sources due to reflection from the body surface [5, 6]. Pigmentation allows animals to absorb light from bioluminescent sources, rendering them visually undetectable against the dark background of the deep sea [5]. We present evidence suggesting pressure to reduce reflected bioluminescence led to the evolution of ultra-black skin (reflectance <0.5%) in 16 species of deep-sea fishes across seven distantly related orders. Histological data suggest this low reflectance is mediated by a continuous layer of densely packed melanosomes in the exterior-most layer of the dermis [7, 8] and that this layer lacks the unpigmented gaps between pigment cells found in other darkly colored fishes [9-13]. Using finite-difference, time-domain modeling and comparisons with melanosomes found in other ectothermic vertebrates [11, 13-21], we find the melanosomes making up the layer in these ultra-black species are optimized in size and shape to minimize reflectance. Low reflectance results from melanosomes scattering light within the layer, increasing the optical path length and therefore light absorption by the melanin. By reducing reflectance, ultra-black fish can reduce the sighting distance of visual predators more than 6-fold compared to fish with 2% reflectance. This biological example of efficient light absorption via a simple architecture of strongly absorbing and highly scattering particles may inspire new ultra-black materials.
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15
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Hierarchical biota-level and taxonomic controls on the chemistry of fossil melanosomes revealed using synchrotron X-ray fluorescence. Sci Rep 2020; 10:8970. [PMID: 32488139 PMCID: PMC7265528 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-65868-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2019] [Accepted: 05/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Fossil melanosomes, micron-sized granules rich in melanin in vivo, provide key information for investigations of the original coloration, taxonomy and internal anatomy of fossil vertebrates. Such studies rely, in part, on analysis of the inorganic chemistry of preserved melanosomes and an understanding of melanosome chemical taphonomy. The extent to which the preserved chemistry of fossil melanosomes is biased by biotic and abiotic factors is, however, unknown. Here we report the discovery of hierarchical controls on the inorganic chemistry of melanosomes from fossil vertebrates from nine biotas. The chemical data are dominated by a strong biota-level signal, indicating that the primary taphonomic control is the diagenetic history of the host sediment. This extrinsic control is superimposed by a biological, tissue-level control; tissue-specific chemical variation is most likely to survive in fossils where the inorganic chemistry of preserved melanosomes is distinct from that of the host sediment. Comparative analysis of our data for fossil and modern amphibians reveals that most fossil specimens show tissue-specific melanosome chemistries that differ from those of extant analogues, strongly suggesting alteration of original melanosome chemistry. Collectively, these findings form a predictive tool for the identification of fossil deposits with well-preserved melanosomes amenable to studies of fossil colour and anatomy.
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16
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Roy A, Pittman M, Saitta ET, Kaye TG, Xu X. Recent advances in amniote palaeocolour reconstruction and a framework for future research. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2020; 95:22-50. [PMID: 31538399 PMCID: PMC7004074 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2019] [Revised: 08/12/2019] [Accepted: 08/15/2019] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Preserved melanin pigments have been discovered in fossilised integumentary appendages of several amniote lineages (fishes, frogs, snakes, marine reptiles, non-avialan dinosaurs, birds, and mammals) excavated from lagerstätten across the globe. Melanisation is a leading factor in organic integument preservation in these fossils. Melanin in extant vertebrates is typically stored in rod- to sphere-shaped, lysosome-derived, membrane-bound vesicles called melanosomes. Black, dark brown, and grey colours are produced by eumelanin, and reddish-brown colours are produced by phaeomelanin. Specific morphotypes and nanostructural arrangements of melanosomes and their relation to the keratin matrix in integumentary appendages create the so-called 'structural colours'. Reconstruction of colour patterns in ancient animals has opened an exciting new avenue for studying their life, behaviour and ecology. Modern relationships between the shape, arrangement, and size of avian melanosomes, melanin chemistry, and feather colour have been applied to reconstruct the hues and colour patterns of isolated feathers and plumages of the dinosaurs Anchiornis, Sinosauropteryx, and Microraptor in seminal papers that initiated the field of palaeocolour reconstruction. Since then, further research has identified countershading camouflage patterns, and informed subsequent predictions on the ecology and behaviour of these extinct animals. However, palaeocolour reconstruction remains a nascent field, and current approaches have considerable potential for further refinement, standardisation, and expansion. This includes detailed study of non-melanic pigments that might be preserved in fossilised integuments. A common issue among existing palaeocolour studies is the lack of contextualisation of different lines of evidence and the wide variety of techniques currently employed. To that end, this review focused on fossil amniotes: (i) produces an overarching framework that appropriately reconstructs palaeocolour by accounting for the chemical signatures of various pigments, morphology and local arrangement of pigment-bearing vesicles, pigment concentration, macroscopic colour patterns, and taphonomy; (ii) provides background context for the evolution of colour-producing mechanisms; and (iii) encourages future efforts in palaeocolour reconstructions particularly of less-studied groups such as non-dinosaur archosaurs and non-archosaur amniotes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arindam Roy
- Vertebrate Palaeontology Laboratory, Department of Earth SciencesThe University of Hong KongPokfulamHong Kong SARChina
| | - Michael Pittman
- Vertebrate Palaeontology Laboratory, Department of Earth SciencesThe University of Hong KongPokfulamHong Kong SARChina
| | - Evan T. Saitta
- Integrative Research Center, Section of Earth SciencesField Museum of Natural History1400 S. Lake Shore Drive, ChicagoIL60605U.S.A.
| | - Thomas G. Kaye
- Foundation for Scientific Advancement7023 Alhambra Drive, Sierra VistaAZ85650U.S.A.
| | - Xing Xu
- Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and PaleoanthropologyChinese Academy of Sciences142 Xizhimenwai Street.Beijing100044China
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17
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Rogers CS, Astrop TI, Webb SM, Ito S, Wakamatsu K, McNamara ME. Synchrotron X-ray absorption spectroscopy of melanosomes in vertebrates and cephalopods: implications for the affinity of Tullimonstrum. Proc Biol Sci 2019; 286:20191649. [PMID: 31640518 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2019.1649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Screening pigments are essential for vision in animals. Vertebrates use melanins bound in melanosomes as screening pigments, whereas cephalopods are assumed to use ommochromes. Preserved eye melanosomes in the controversial fossil Tullimonstrum (Mazon Creek, IL, USA) are partitioned by size and/or shape into distinct layers. These layers resemble tissue-specific melanosome populations considered unique to the vertebrate eye. Here, we show that extant cephalopod eyes also show tissue-specific size- and/or shape-specific partitioning of melanosomes; these differ from vertebrate melanosomes in the relative abundance of trace metals and in the binding environment of copper. Chemical signatures of melanosomes in the eyes of Tullimonstrum more closely resemble those of modern cephalopods than those of vertebrates, suggesting that an invertebrate affinity for Tullimonstrum is plausible. Melanosome chemistry may thus provide insights into the phylogenetic affinities of enigmatic fossils where melanosome size and/or shape are equivocal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher S Rogers
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University College Cork, Distillery Fields, North Mall, Cork T23 TK30, Republic of Ireland
| | - Timothy I Astrop
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University College Cork, Distillery Fields, North Mall, Cork T23 TK30, Republic of Ireland
| | - Samuel M Webb
- Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, 2575 Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA
| | - Shosuke Ito
- Department of Chemistry, Fujita Health University School of Health Sciences, Toyoake, Aichi 470-1192, Japan
| | - Kazumasa Wakamatsu
- Department of Chemistry, Fujita Health University School of Health Sciences, Toyoake, Aichi 470-1192, Japan
| | - Maria E McNamara
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University College Cork, Distillery Fields, North Mall, Cork T23 TK30, Republic of Ireland
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