1
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Schwarz D, Heiss E, Pierson TW, Konow N, Schoch RR. Using salamanders as model taxa to understand vertebrate feeding constraints during the late Devonian water-to-land transition. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2023; 378:20220541. [PMID: 37839447 PMCID: PMC10577038 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2022.0541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2023] [Accepted: 07/23/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The vertebrate water-to-land transition and the rise of tetrapods brought about fundamental changes for the groups undergoing these evolutionary changes (i.e. stem and early tetrapods). These groups were forced to adapt to new conditions, including the distinct physical properties of water and air, requiring fundamental changes in anatomy. Nutrition (or feeding) was one of the prime physiological processes these vertebrates had to successfully adjust to change from aquatic to terrestrial life. The basal gnathostome feeding mode involves either jaw prehension or using water flows to aid in ingestion, transportation and food orientation. Meanwhile, processing was limited primarily to simple chewing bites. However, given their comparatively massive and relatively inflexible hyobranchial system (compared to the more muscular tongue of many tetrapods), it remains fraught with speculation how stem and early tetrapods managed to feed in both media. Here, we explore ontogenetic water-to-land transitions of salamanders as functional analogues to model potential changes in the feeding behaviour of stem and early tetrapods. Our data suggest two scenarios for terrestrial feeding in stem and early tetrapods as well as the presence of complex chewing behaviours, including excursions of the jaw in more than one dimension during early developmental stages. Our results demonstrate that terrestrial feeding may have been possible before flexible tongues evolved. This article is part of the theme issue 'Food processing and nutritional assimilation in animals'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Schwarz
- Department of Palaeontology, State Museum of Natural History Stuttgart, Rosenstein 1, 70191 Stuttgart, Germany
- Institute of Zoology and Evolutionary Research, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Erbertstrasse 1, 07743 Jena, Germany
| | - Egon Heiss
- Institute of Zoology and Evolutionary Research, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Erbertstrasse 1, 07743 Jena, Germany
| | - Todd W. Pierson
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, GA 30144, USA
| | - Nicolai Konow
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Massachusetts Lowell, 198 Riverside Street, Lowell, MA 01854, USA
| | - Rainer R. Schoch
- Department of Palaeontology, State Museum of Natural History Stuttgart, Rosenstein 1, 70191 Stuttgart, Germany
- Institute for Biology, Department of Palaeontology, University of Hohenheim, Wollgrasweg 23, 70599 Stuttgart, Germany
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2
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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.
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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
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3
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Rawson JRG, Esteve-Altava B, Porro LB, Dutel H, Rayfield EJ. Early tetrapod cranial evolution is characterized by increased complexity, constraint, and an offset from fin-limb evolution. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eadc8875. [PMID: 36083907 PMCID: PMC9462696 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adc8875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2022] [Accepted: 07/26/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The developmental underpinnings and functional consequences of modifications to the limbs during the origin of the tetrapod body plan are increasingly well characterized, but less is understood about the evolution of the tetrapod skull. Decrease in skull bone number has been hypothesized to promote morphological and functional diversification in vertebrate clades, but its impact during the initial rise of tetrapods is unknown. Here, we test this by quantifying topological changes to cranial anatomy in fossil and living taxa bracketing the fin-to-limb transition using anatomical network analysis. We find that bone loss across the origin of tetrapods is associated not only with increased complexity of bone-to-bone contacts but also with decreasing topological diversity throughout the late Paleozoic, which may be related to developmental and/or mechanical constraints. We also uncover a 10-Ma offset between fin-limb and cranial morphological evolution, suggesting that different evolutionary drivers affected these features during the origin of tetrapods.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Borja Esteve-Altava
- Institut de Biologia Evolutiva, Departament de Ciències Experimentals i la Salud, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Laura B. Porro
- Centre for Integrative Anatomy, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, UCL, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Hugo Dutel
- School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1RJ, UK
- Department of Engineering, University of Hull, Cottingham Road, Hull HU6 7RX, UK
| | - Emily J. Rayfield
- School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1RJ, UK
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4
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Deakin WJ, Anderson PSL, den Boer W, Smith TJ, Hill JJ, Rücklin M, Donoghue PCJ, Rayfield EJ. Increasing morphological disparity and decreasing optimality for jaw speed and strength during the radiation of jawed vertebrates. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabl3644. [PMID: 35302857 PMCID: PMC8932669 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abl3644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2021] [Accepted: 01/28/2022] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
The Siluro-Devonian adaptive radiation of jawed vertebrates, which underpins almost all living vertebrate biodiversity, is characterized by the evolutionary innovation of the lower jaw. Multiple lines of evidence have suggested that the jaw evolved from a rostral gill arch, but when the jaw took on a feeding function remains unclear. We quantified the variety of form in the earliest jaws in the fossil record from which we generated a theoretical morphospace that we then tested for functional optimality. By drawing comparisons with the real jaw data and reconstructed jaw morphologies from phylogenetically inferred ancestors, our results show that the earliest jaw shapes were optimized for fast closure and stress resistance, inferring a predatory feeding function. Jaw shapes became less optimal for these functions during the later radiation of jawed vertebrates. Thus, the evolution of jaw morphology has continually explored previously unoccupied morphospace and accumulated disparity through time, laying the foundation for diverse feeding strategies and the success of jawed vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- William J. Deakin
- School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Life Sciences Building, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
| | - Philip S. L. Anderson
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behavior, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL, USA
| | - Wendy den Boer
- Swedish Museum of Natural History, Department of Palaeobiology, Frescativägen 40, 114 18 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Thomas J. Smith
- School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Life Sciences Building, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
| | - Jennifer J. Hill
- Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC 20013-7012, USA
| | - Martin Rücklin
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Postbus 9517, 2300 RA Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Philip C. J. Donoghue
- School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Life Sciences Building, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
| | - Emily J. Rayfield
- School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Life Sciences Building, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
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5
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Brocklehurst N, Ford DP, Benson RBJ. Early origins of divergent patterns of morphological evolution on the mammal and reptile stem-lineages. Syst Biol 2022; 71:1195-1209. [PMID: 35274702 PMCID: PMC9366456 DOI: 10.1093/sysbio/syac020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Revised: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 03/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The origin of amniotes 320 million years ago signaled independence from water in vertebrates and was closely followed by divergences within the mammal and reptile stem lineages (Synapsida and Reptilia). Early members of both groups had highly similar morphologies, being superficially “lizard-like” forms with many plesiomorphies. However, the extent to which they might have exhibited divergent patterns of evolutionary change, with the potential to explain the large biological differences between their living members, is unresolved. We use a new, comprehensive phylogenetic dataset to quantify variation in rates and constraints of morphological evolution among Carboniferous–early Permian amniotes. We find evidence for an early burst of evolutionary rates, resulting in the early origins of morphologically distinctive subgroups that mostly persisted through the Cisuralian. Rates declined substantially through time, especially in reptiles. Early reptile evolution was also more constrained compared with early synapsids, exploring a more limited character state space. Postcranial innovation in particular was important in early synapsids, potentially related to their early origins of large body size. In contrast, early reptiles predominantly varied the temporal region, suggesting disparity in skull and jaw kinematics, and foreshadowing the variability of cranial biomechanics seen in reptiles today. Our results demonstrate that synapsids and reptiles underwent an early divergence of macroevolutionary patterns. This laid the foundation for subsequent evolutionary events and may be critical in understanding the substantial differences between mammals and reptiles today. Potential explanations include an early divergence of developmental processes or of ecological factors, warranting cross-disciplinary investigation. [Amniote; body size; constraint; phylogeny; rate.]
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Affiliation(s)
- Neil Brocklehurst
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, UK
| | - David P Ford
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, UK
| | - Roger B J Benson
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, UK
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6
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Multiple paths to morphological diversification during the origin of amniotes. Nat Ecol Evol 2021; 5:1243-1249. [PMID: 34312521 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-021-01516-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2021] [Accepted: 06/11/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Early terrestrial vertebrates (amniotes) provide a classic example of diversification following adaptive zone invasion. The initial terrestrialization of vertebrates was closely followed by dietary diversification, as evidenced by a proliferation of craniomandibular and dental adaptations. However, morphological evolution of early amniotes has received limited study, in analyses with restricted taxonomic scope, leaving substantial questions about the dynamics of this important terrestrial radiation. We use novel analyses of discrete characters to quantify variation in evolutionary rates and constraints during diversification of the amniote feeding apparatus. We find evidence for an early burst, comprising high rates of anatomical change that decelerated through time, giving way to a background of saturated morphological evolution. Subsequent expansions of phenotypic diversity were not associated with increased evolutionary rates. Instead, variation in the mode of evolution became important, with groups representing independent origins of herbivory evolving distinctive, group-specific morphologies and thereby exploring novel character-state spaces. Our findings indicate the importance of plant-animal interactions in structuring the earliest radiation of amniotes and demonstrate the importance of variation in modes of phenotypic divergence during a major evolutionary radiation.
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7
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Simões TR, Pierce SE. Sustained high rates of morphological evolution during the rise of tetrapods. Nat Ecol Evol 2021; 5:1403-1414. [PMID: 34426679 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-021-01532-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2021] [Accepted: 07/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The fish-to-tetrapod transition is one of the most iconic events in vertebrate evolution, yet fundamental questions regarding the dynamics of this transition remain unresolved. Here, we use advances in Bayesian morphological clock modelling to reveal the evolutionary dynamics of early tetrapodomorphs (tetrapods and their closest fish relatives). We show that combining osteological and ichnological calibration data results in major shifts on the time of origin of all major groups of tetrapodomorphs (up to 25 million years) and that low rates of net diversification, not fossilization, explain long ghost lineages in the early tetrapodomorph fossil record. Further, our findings reveal extremely low rates of morphological change for most early tetrapodomorphs, indicating widespread stabilizing selection upon their 'fish' morphotype. This pattern was broken only by elpistostegalians (including early tetrapods), which underwent sustained high rates of morphological evolution for ~30 Myr during the deployment of the tetrapod body plan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiago R Simões
- Museum of Comparative Zoology & Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.
| | - Stephanie E Pierce
- Museum of Comparative Zoology & Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
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8
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The feeding system of Tiktaalik roseae: an intermediate between suction feeding and biting. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2016421118. [PMID: 33526593 PMCID: PMC7896305 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2016421118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The water-to-land transition is a major event in vertebrate history, involving significant changes to feeding structures and mechanics. In water, fish often use suction-feeding to capture prey, but this feeding strategy is not possible on land. Therefore, it has been traditionally believed that the invasion of land involved a shift from suction-based prey capture to mechanisms based on biting and snapping. Computed tomography analysis of Tiktaalik roseae, a key intermediate in tetrapod evolution, compared with extant analogs (gars and polypterids), reveals a rigid skull, capable of biting, with joint morphologies suggestive of cranial kinesis and suction generation. An intermediate condition that utilizes both feeding strategies helps explain some of the key morphological changes in cranial anatomy during the water-to-land transition. Changes to feeding structures are a fundamental component of the vertebrate transition from water to land. Classically, this event has been characterized as a shift from an aquatic, suction-based mode of prey capture involving cranial kinesis to a biting-based feeding system utilizing a rigid skull capable of capturing prey on land. Here we show that a key intermediate, Tiktaalik roseae, was capable of cranial kinesis despite significant restructuring of the skull to facilitate biting and snapping. Lateral sliding joints between the cheek and dermal skull roof, as well as independent mobility between the hyomandibula and palatoquadrate, enable the suspensorium of T. roseae to expand laterally in a manner similar to modern alligator gars and polypterids. This movement can expand the spiracular and opercular cavities during feeding and respiration, which would direct fluid through the feeding apparatus. Detailed analysis of the sutural morphology of T. roseae suggests that the ability to laterally expand the cheek and palate was maintained during the fish-to-tetrapod transition, implying that limited cranial kinesis was plesiomorphic to the earliest limbed vertebrates. Furthermore, recent kinematic studies of feeding in gars demonstrate that prey capture with lateral snapping can synergistically combine both biting and suction, rather than trading off one for the other. A “gar-like” stage in early tetrapod evolution might have been an important intermediate step in the evolution of terrestrial feeding systems by maintaining suction-generation capabilities while simultaneously elaborating a mechanism for biting-based prey capture.
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9
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Dickson BV, Clack JA, Smithson TR, Pierce SE. Functional adaptive landscapes predict terrestrial capacity at the origin of limbs. Nature 2020; 589:242-245. [PMID: 33239789 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-020-2974-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2020] [Accepted: 10/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The acquisition of terrestrial, limb-based locomotion during tetrapod evolution has remained a subject of debate for more than a century1,2. Our current understanding of the locomotor transition from water to land is largely based on a few exemplar fossils such as Tiktaalik3, Acanthostega4, Ichthyostega5 and Pederpes6. However, isolated bony elements may reveal hidden functional diversity, providing a more comprehensive evolutionary perspective7. Here we analyse 40 three-dimensionally preserved humeri from extinct tetrapodomorphs that span the fin-to-limb transition and use functionally informed ecological adaptive landscapes8-10 to reconstruct the evolution of terrestrial locomotion. We show that evolutionary changes in the shape of the humerus are driven by ecology and phylogeny and are associated with functional trade-offs related to locomotor performance. Two divergent adaptive landscapes are recovered for aquatic fishes and terrestrial crown tetrapods, each of which is defined by a different combination of functional specializations. Humeri of stem tetrapods share a unique suite of functional adaptations, but do not conform to their own predicted adaptive peak. Instead, humeri of stem tetrapods fall at the base of the crown tetrapod landscape, indicating that the capacity for terrestrial locomotion occurred with the origin of limbs. Our results suggest that stem tetrapods may have used transitional gaits5,11 during the initial stages of land exploration, stabilized by the opposing selective pressures of their amphibious habits. Effective limb-based locomotion did not arise until loss of the ancestral 'L-shaped' humerus in the crown group, setting the stage for the diversification of terrestrial tetrapods and the establishment of modern ecological niches12,13.
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Affiliation(s)
- Blake V Dickson
- Museum of Comparative Zoology, Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.
| | - Jennifer A Clack
- University Museum of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Stephanie E Pierce
- Museum of Comparative Zoology, Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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10
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Challands TJ, Pardo JD, Clement AM. Mandibular musculature constrains brain-endocast disparity between sarcopterygians. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2020; 7:200933. [PMID: 33047053 PMCID: PMC7540775 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.200933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2020] [Accepted: 08/12/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The transition from water to land by the earliest tetrapods in the Devonian Period is seen as one of the greatest steps in evolution. However, little is understood concerning changes in brain morphology over this transition. Here, we determine the brain-braincase relationship in fishes and basal lissamphibians as a proxy to elucidate the changes that occurred over the fish-tetrapod transition. We investigate six basal extant sarcopterygians spanning coelacanths to salamanders (Latimeria chalumnae, Neoceratodus, Protopterus aethiopicus, P. dolloi, Cynops, Ambystoma mexicanum) using micro-CT and MRI and quantify the brain-braincase relationship in these extant taxa. Our results show that regions of lowest brain-endocast disparity are associated with regions of bony reinforcement directly adjacent to masticatory musculature for the mandible except in Neoceratodus and Latimeria. In Latimeria this deviation from the trend can be accounted for by the possession of an intracranial joint and basicranial muscles, whereas in Neoceratodus difference is attributed to dermal bones contributing to the overall neurocranial reinforcement. Besides Neoceratodus and Latimeria, regions of low brain-endocast disparity occur where there is less reinforcement away from high mandibular muscle mass, where the trigeminal nerve complex exits the braincase and where endolymphatic sacs occupy space between the brain and braincase wall. Despite basal tetrapods possessing reduced adductor muscle mass and a different biting mechanism to piscine sarcopterygians, regions of the neurocranium lacking osteological reinforcement in the basal tetrapods Lethiscus and Brachydectes broadly correspond to regions of high brain-endocast disparity seen in extant taxa.
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Affiliation(s)
- T. J. Challands
- School of Geosciences, University of Edinburgh, Grant Institute, James Hutton Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3FE, UK
| | - Jason D. Pardo
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Alice M. Clement
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Sturt Road, Bedford Park, 5042, South Australia, Australia
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11
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Benevento GL, Benson RBJ, Friedman M. Patterns of mammalian jaw ecomorphological disparity during the Mesozoic/Cenozoic transition. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 286:20190347. [PMID: 31039714 PMCID: PMC6532522 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2019.0347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The radiation of mammals after the Cretaceous/Palaeogene (K/Pg) boundary was a major event in the evolution of terrestrial ecosystems. Multiple studies point to increases in maximum body size and body size disparity, but patterns of disparity for other traits are less clear owing to a focus on different indices and subclades. We conducted an inclusive comparison of jaw functional disparity from the Early Jurassic-latest Eocene, using six mechanically relevant mandibular ratios for 256 species representing all major groups. Jaw functional disparity across all mammals was low throughout much of the Mesozoic and remained low across the K/Pg boundary. Nevertheless, the K/Pg boundary was characterized by a pronounced pattern of turnover and replacement, entailing a substantial reduction of non-therian and stem-therian disparity, alongside a marked increase in that of therians. Total mammal disparity exceeded its Mesozoic maximum for the first time during the Eocene, when therian mammals began exploring previously unoccupied regions of function space. This delay in the rise of jaw functional disparity until the Eocene probably reflects the duration of evolutionary recovery after the K/Pg mass extinction event. This contrasts with the more rapid expansion of maximum body size, which occurred in the Palaeocene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gemma Louise Benevento
- 1 Department of Earth Sciences, University of Oxford , Oxford OX1 3AN , UK.,2 School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston , Birmingham B15 2TT , UK
| | - Roger B J Benson
- 1 Department of Earth Sciences, University of Oxford , Oxford OX1 3AN , UK
| | - Matt Friedman
- 1 Department of Earth Sciences, University of Oxford , Oxford OX1 3AN , UK.,3 Museum of Paleontology and Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Michigan , 1105 N University Avenue, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 , USA
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12
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Gess RW, Whitfield AK. Estuarine fish and tetrapod evolution: insights from a Late Devonian (Famennian) Gondwanan estuarine lake and a southern African Holocene equivalent. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2020; 95:865-888. [PMID: 32059074 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2019] [Revised: 01/31/2020] [Accepted: 02/05/2020] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
The Waterloo Farm lagerstätte in South Africa provides a uniquely well-preserved record of a Latest Devonian estuarine ecosystem. Ecological evidence from it is reviewed, contextualised, and compared with that available from the analogous Swartvlei estuarine lake, with a particular emphasis on their piscean inhabitants. Although the taxonomic affinities of the estuarine species are temporally very different, the overall patterns of utilisation prove to be remarkably congruent, with similar trophic structures. Significantly, both systems show evidence of widespread use of estuaries as fish nurseries by both resident and marine migrant taxa. Holocene estuaries are almost exclusively utilised by actinopterygians which are overwhelmingly dominated by oviparous species. Complex strategies are utilised by estuarine resident species to avoid exposure of eggs to environmental stresses that characterize these systems. By contrast, many of the groups utilising Devonian estuaries were likely live bearers, potentially allowing them to avoid the challenges faced by oviparous taxa. This may have contributed to dominance of these systems by non-actinoptergians prior to the End Devonian Mass Extinction. The association of early aquatic tetrapods at Waterloo Farm with a fish nursery environment is consistent with findings from North America, Belgium and Russia, and may be implied by the estuarine settings of a number of other Devonian tetrapods. Tetrapods apparently replace their sister group, the elpistostegids, in estuaries with both groups having been postulated to be adaptated to shallow water habitats where they could access small piscean prey. Correlation of tetrapods (and elpistostegids) with fish nursery areas in the Late Devonian lends strong support to this hypothesis, suggesting that adaptations permitting improved access to the abundant juvenile fish within the littoral zone of estuarine lakes and continental water bodies may have been pivotal in the evolution of tetrapods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert W Gess
- Albany Museum and Geology Department, Rhodes University, P.O. Box 94, Makhanda/Grahamstown, South Africa
| | - Alan K Whitfield
- South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB), Private Bag 1015, Makhanda/Grahamstown, South Africa
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13
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Buser TJ, Finnegan DL, Summers AP, Kolmann MA. Have Niche, Will Travel. New Means of Linking Diet and Ecomorphology Reveals Niche Conservatism in Freshwater Cottoid Fishes. Integr Org Biol 2019; 1:obz023. [PMID: 33791537 PMCID: PMC7671106 DOI: 10.1093/iob/obz023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Evolutionary transitions between habitats have been catalysts for some of the most stunning examples of adaptive diversification, with novel niches and new resources providing ecological opportunity for such radiations. In aquatic animals, transitions from saltwater to freshwater habitats are rare, but occur often enough that in the Neotropics for example, marine-derived fishes contribute noticeably to regional ichthyofaunal diversity. Here, we investigate how morphology has evolved in a group of temperate fishes that contain a marine to freshwater transition: the sculpins (Percomorpha; Cottoidea). We devised a novel method for classifying dietary niche and relating functional aspects of prey to their predators. Coupled with functional measurements of the jaw apparatus in cottoids, we explored whether freshwater sculpins have fundamentally changed their niche after invading freshwater (niche lability) or if they retain a niche similar to their marine cousins (niche conservatism). Freshwater sculpins exhibit both phylogeographical and ecological signals of phylogenetic niche conservatism, meaning that regardless of habitat, sculpins fill similar niche roles in either saltwater or freshwater. Rather than competition guiding niche conservatism in freshwater cottoids, we argue that strong intrinsic constraints on morphological and ecological evolution are at play, contra to other studies of diversification in marine-derived freshwater fishes. However, several intertidal and subtidal sculpins as well as several pelagic freshwater species from Lake Baikal show remarkable departures from the typical sculpin bauplan. Our method of prey categorization provides an explicit, quantitative means of classifying dietary niche for macroevolutionary studies, rather than relying on somewhat arbitrary means used in previous literature.
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Affiliation(s)
- T J Buser
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97321, USA
| | - D L Finnegan
- Department of Biology, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA 98225, USA
| | - A P Summers
- Department of Biology and SAFS, University of Washington s Friday Harbor Laboratories, Friday Harbor, WA 98250, USA
| | - M A Kolmann
- Department of Biology and SAFS, University of Washington s Friday Harbor Laboratories, Friday Harbor, WA 98250, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, USA
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Esteve-Altava B, Pierce SE, Molnar JL, Johnston P, Diogo R, Hutchinson JR. Evolutionary parallelisms of pectoral and pelvic network-anatomy from fins to limbs. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2019; 5:eaau7459. [PMID: 31086814 PMCID: PMC6506248 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aau7459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2018] [Accepted: 03/27/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Lobe-fins transformed into limbs during the Devonian period, facilitating the water-to-land transition in tetrapods. We traced the evolution of well-articulated skeletons across the fins-to-limbs transition, using a network-based approach to quantify and compare topological features of fins and limbs. We show that the topological arrangement of bones in pectoral and pelvic appendages evolved in parallel during the fins-to-limbs transition, occupying overlapping regions of the morphospace, following a directional trend, and decreasing their disparity over time. We identify the presence of digits as the morphological novelty triggering topological changes that discriminated limbs from fins. The origin of digits caused an evolutionary shift toward appendages that were less densely and heterogeneously connected, but more assortative and modular. Disparity likewise decreased for both appendages, more markedly until a time concomitant with the earliest-known tetrapod tracks. Last, we rejected the presence of a pectoral-pelvic similarity bottleneck at the origin of tetrapods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Borja Esteve-Altava
- Structure & Motion Lab, Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Royal Veterinary College, London, UK
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (UPF-CSIC), Department of Experimental and Health Sciences, Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Stephanie E. Pierce
- Museum of Comparative Zoology and Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Julia L. Molnar
- Department of Anatomy, New York Institute of Technology, New York, NY, USA
| | - Peter Johnston
- Department of Anatomy and Medical Imaging, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Rui Diogo
- Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine, Howard University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - John R. Hutchinson
- Structure & Motion Lab, Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Royal Veterinary College, London, UK
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15
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Pardo JD, Small BJ, Milner AR, Huttenlocker AK. Carboniferous–Permian climate change constrained early land vertebrate radiations. Nat Ecol Evol 2019; 3:200-206. [DOI: 10.1038/s41559-018-0776-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2018] [Accepted: 12/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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16
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Heiss E, Aerts P, Van Wassenbergh S. Aquatic-terrestrial transitions of feeding systems in vertebrates: a mechanical perspective. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2018; 221:221/8/jeb154427. [PMID: 29695537 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.154427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Transitions to terrestrial environments confront ancestrally aquatic animals with several mechanical and physiological problems owing to the different physical properties of water and air. As aquatic feeders generally make use of flows of water relative to the head to capture, transport and swallow food, it follows that morphological and behavioral changes were inevitably needed for the aquatic animals to successfully perform these functions on land. Here, we summarize the mechanical requirements of successful aquatic-to-terrestrial transitions in food capture, transport and swallowing by vertebrates and review how different taxa managed to fulfill these requirements. Amphibious ray-finned fishes show a variety of strategies to stably lift the anterior trunk, as well as to grab ground-based food with their jaws. However, they still need to return to the water for the intra-oral transport and swallowing process. Using the same mechanical perspective, the potential capabilities of some of the earliest tetrapods to perform terrestrial feeding are evaluated. Within tetrapods, the appearance of a mobile neck and a muscular and movable tongue can safely be regarded as key factors in the colonization of land away from amphibious habitats. Comparative studies on taxa including salamanders, which change from aquatic feeders as larvae to terrestrial feeders as adults, illustrate remodeling patterns in the hyobranchial system that can be linked to its drastic change in function during feeding. Yet, the precise evolutionary history in form and function of the hyolingual system leading to the origin(s) of a muscular and adhesive tongue remains unknown.
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Affiliation(s)
- Egon Heiss
- Institute of Zoology and Evolutionary Research, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Erbertstr. 1, 07743, Jena, Germany
| | - Peter Aerts
- Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, B-2610, Antwerp, Belgium.,Department of Movement and Sports Sciences, Ghent University, Watersportlaan 2, B-9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Sam Van Wassenbergh
- Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, B-2610, Antwerp, Belgium.,Département Adaptations du Vivant, Muséum National d' Histoire Naturelle, 57 rue Cuvier, Case postale 55, 75231, Paris Cedex 5, France
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17
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Navarro CA, Martin-Silverstone E, Stubbs TL. Morphometric assessment of pterosaur jaw disparity. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2018; 5:172130. [PMID: 29765665 PMCID: PMC5936930 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.172130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2017] [Accepted: 03/26/2018] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Pterosaurs were a successful group of Mesozoic flying reptiles. They were the first vertebrate group to achieve powered flight and varied enormously in morphology and ecology, occupying a variety of niches and developing specialized feeding strategies. Ecomorphological principles suggest this variation should be reflected by great morphological diversity in the lower jaw, given that the mandible served as the primary apparatus for prey acquisition. Here we present the first study of mandibular shape disparity in pterosaurs and aim to characterize major aspects of variation. We use a combination of geometric morphometric approaches, incorporating both outline analysis using elliptical Fourier analysis and semi-landmark approaches. Our results show that morphological convergence is prevalent and many pterosaurs, belonging to diverse dietary groups and subclades, overlap in morphospace and possessed relatively simple 'rod-shaped' jaws. There is no clear trend of size distributions in pterosaur mandibular morphospace, and larger forms are widely distributed. Additionally, there is limited functional signal within pterosaur lower jaw morphospace. Instead, the development of a large anterior ventral crest represents the major component of disparity. This suggests that a socio-sexual trait was a key driver for innovation in pterosaur lower jaw shape.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlie A. Navarro
- School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Wills Memorial Building, Queen's Road, Bristol BS8 1RJ, UK
| | - Elizabeth Martin-Silverstone
- School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Wills Memorial Building, Queen's Road, Bristol BS8 1RJ, UK
- Ocean and Earth Science, National Oceanography Centre, University of Southampton, European Way, Southampton SO14 3ZH, UK
| | - Thomas L. Stubbs
- School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Wills Memorial Building, Queen's Road, Bristol BS8 1RJ, UK
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18
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19
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Kamminga P, De Bruin PW, Geleijns J, Brazeau MD. X-ray computed tomography library of shark anatomy and lower jaw surface models. Sci Data 2017; 4:170047. [PMID: 28398352 PMCID: PMC5387928 DOI: 10.1038/sdata.2017.47] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2016] [Accepted: 03/08/2017] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
The cranial diversity of sharks reflects disparate biomechanical adaptations to feeding. In order to be able to investigate and better understand the ecomorphology of extant shark feeding systems, we created a x-ray computed tomography (CT) library of shark cranial anatomy with three-dimensional (3D) lower jaw reconstructions. This is used to examine and quantify lower jaw disparity in extant shark species in a separate study. The library is divided in a dataset comprised of medical CT scans of 122 sharks (Selachimorpha, Chondrichthyes) representing 73 extant species, including digitized morphology of entire shark specimens. This CT dataset and additional data provided by other researchers was used to reconstruct a second dataset containing 3D models of the left lower jaw for 153 individuals representing 94 extant shark species. These datasets form an extensive anatomical record of shark skeletal anatomy, necessary for comparative morphological, biomechanical, ecological and phylogenetic studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pepijn Kamminga
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center Leiden, Darwinweg 2, Leiden 2333 CR, The Netherlands
- Institute Biology Leiden, Leiden University, Sylviusweg 72, Leiden 2333 BE, The Netherlands
| | - Paul W. De Bruin
- Department of Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Albinusdreef 2, Leiden 2300 RC, The Netherlands
| | - Jacob Geleijns
- Department of Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Albinusdreef 2, Leiden 2300 RC, The Netherlands
| | - Martin D. Brazeau
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Silwood Park Campus, Buckhurst Rd., Ascot SL5 7PY, UK
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20
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Massive increase in visual range preceded the origin of terrestrial vertebrates. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 114:E2375-E2384. [PMID: 28270619 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1615563114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The evolution of terrestrial vertebrates, starting around 385 million years ago, is an iconic moment in evolution that brings to mind images of fish transforming into four-legged animals. Here, we show that this radical change in body shape was preceded by an equally dramatic change in sensory abilities akin to transitioning from seeing over short distances in a dense fog to seeing over long distances on a clear day. Measurements of eye sockets and simulations of their evolution show that eyes nearly tripled in size just before vertebrates began living on land. Computational simulations of these animal's visual ecology show that for viewing objects through water, the increase in eye size provided a negligible increase in performance. However, when viewing objects through air, the increase in eye size provided a large increase in performance. The jump in eye size was, therefore, unlikely to have arisen for seeing through water and instead points to an unexpected hybrid of seeing through air while still primarily inhabiting water. Our results and several anatomical innovations arising at the same time suggest lifestyle similarity to crocodiles. The consequent combination of the increase in eye size and vision through air would have conferred a 1 million-fold increase in the amount of space within which objects could be seen. The "buena vista" hypothesis that our data suggest is that seeing opportunities from afar played a role in the subsequent evolution of fully terrestrial limbs as well as the emergence of elaborated action sequences through planning circuits in the nervous system.
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21
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MacLaren JA, Anderson PSL, Barrett PM, Rayfield EJ. Herbivorous dinosaur jaw disparity and its relationship to extrinsic evolutionary drivers. PALEOBIOLOGY 2017; 43:15-33. [PMID: 28216798 PMCID: PMC5270766 DOI: 10.1017/pab.2016.31] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/19/2016] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Morphological responses of nonmammalian herbivores to external ecological drivers have not been quantified over extended timescales. Herbivorous nonavian dinosaurs are an ideal group to test for such responses, because they dominated terrestrial ecosystems for more than 155 Myr and included the largest herbivores that ever existed. The radiation of dinosaurs was punctuated by several ecologically important events, including extinctions at the Triassic/Jurassic (Tr/J) and Jurassic/Cretaceous (J/K) boundaries, the decline of cycadophytes, and the origin of angiosperms, all of which may have had profound consequences for herbivore communities. Here we present the first analysis of morphological and biomechanical disparity for sauropodomorph and ornithischian dinosaurs in order to investigate patterns of jaw shape and function through time. We find that morphological and biomechanical mandibular disparity are decoupled: mandibular shape disparity follows taxonomic diversity, with a steady increase through the Mesozoic. By contrast, biomechanical disparity builds to a peak in the Late Jurassic that corresponds to increased functional variation among sauropods. The reduction in biomechanical disparity following this peak coincides with the J/K extinction, the associated loss of sauropod and stegosaur diversity, and the decline of cycadophytes. We find no specific correspondence between biomechanical disparity and the proliferation of angiosperms. Continual ecological and functional replacement of pre-existing taxa accounts for disparity patterns through much of the Cretaceous, with the exception of several unique groups, such as psittacosaurids that are never replaced in their biomechanical or morphological profiles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamie A MacLaren
- Department of Biology , Universiteit Antwerpen , Campus Drie Eiken , Universiteitsplein , Wilrijk , Antwerp , 2610 , Belgium
| | - Philip S L Anderson
- Department of Animal Biology , University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , 515 Morrill Hall , 505 S. Goodwin Ave. , Urbana , Illinois 61801 , U.S.A
| | - Paul M Barrett
- Department of Earth Sciences , Natural History Museum , London , Cromwell Road , London , SW7 5BD , U.K
| | - Emily J Rayfield
- School of Earth Sciences , University of Bristol , 24 Tyndall Avenue , Bristol , BS8 1TQ , U.K
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22
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Oyston JW, Hughes M, Gerber S, Wills MA. Why should we investigate the morphological disparity of plant clades? ANNALS OF BOTANY 2016; 117:859-79. [PMID: 26658292 PMCID: PMC4845799 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcv135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2015] [Revised: 05/28/2015] [Accepted: 07/08/2015] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Disparity refers to the morphological variation in a sample of taxa, and is distinct from diversity or taxonomic richness. Diversity and disparity are fundamentally decoupled; many groups attain high levels of disparity early in their evolution, while diversity is still comparatively low. Diversity may subsequently increase even in the face of static or declining disparity by increasingly fine sub-division of morphological 'design' space (morphospace). Many animal clades reached high levels of disparity early in their evolution, but there have been few comparable studies of plant clades, despite their profound ecological and evolutionary importance. This study offers a prospective and some preliminary macroevolutionary analyses. METHODS Classical morphometric methods are most suitable when there is reasonable conservation of form, but lose traction where morphological differences become greater (e.g. in comparisons across higher taxa). Discrete character matrices offer one means to compare a greater diversity of forms. This study explores morphospaces derived from eight discrete data sets for major plant clades, and discusses their macroevolutionary implications. KEY RESULTS Most of the plant clades in this study show initial, high levels of disparity that approach or attain the maximum levels reached subsequently. These plant clades are characterized by an initial phase of evolution during which most regions of their empirical morphospaces are colonized. Angiosperms, palms, pines and ferns show remarkably little variation in disparity through time. Conifers furnish the most marked exception, appearing at relatively low disparity in the latest Carboniferous, before expanding incrementally with the radiation of successive, tightly clustered constituent sub-clades. CONCLUSIONS Many cladistic data sets can be repurposed for investigating the morphological disparity of plant clades through time, and offer insights that are complementary to more focused morphometric studies. The unique structural and ecological features of plants make them ideally suited to investigating intrinsic and extrinsic constraints on disparity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack W Oyston
- Milner Centre for Evolution, University of Bath, Bath BA2 7AY, UK
| | - Martin Hughes
- Department of Life Sciences, The Natural History Museum, London SW7 5BD, UK and
| | - Sylvain Gerber
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EQ, UK
| | - Matthew A Wills
- Milner Centre for Evolution, University of Bath, Bath BA2 7AY, UK,
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23
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Button DJ, Rayfield EJ, Barrett PM. Cranial biomechanics underpins high sauropod diversity in resource-poor environments. Proc Biol Sci 2015; 281:rspb.2014.2114. [PMID: 25297869 PMCID: PMC4213629 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2014.2114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
High megaherbivore species richness is documented in both fossil and contemporary ecosystems despite their high individual energy requirements. An extreme example of this is the Late Jurassic Morrison Formation, which was dominated by sauropod dinosaurs, the largest known terrestrial vertebrates. High sauropod diversity within the resource-limited Morrison is paradoxical, but might be explicable through sophisticated resource partitioning. This hypothesis was tested through finite-element analysis of the crania of the Morrison taxa Camarasaurus and Diplodocus. Results demonstrate divergent specialization, with Camarasaurus capable of exerting and accommodating greater bite forces than Diplodocus, permitting consumption of harder food items. Analysis of craniodental biomechanical characters taken from 35 sauropod taxa demonstrates a functional dichotomy in terms of bite force, cranial robustness and occlusal relationships yielding two polyphyletic functional ‘grades’. Morrison taxa are widely distributed within and between these two morphotypes, reflecting distinctive foraging specializations that formed a biomechanical basis for niche partitioning between them. This partitioning, coupled with benefits associated with large body size, would have enabled the high sauropod diversities present in the Morrison Formation. Further, this provides insight into the mechanisms responsible for supporting the high diversities of large megaherbivores observed in other Mesozoic and Cenozoic communities, particularly those occurring in resource-limited environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- David J Button
- School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Life Sciences Building, 24 Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TP, UK Department of Earth Sciences, The Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5DB, UK
| | - Emily J Rayfield
- School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Life Sciences Building, 24 Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TP, UK
| | - Paul M Barrett
- Department of Earth Sciences, The Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5DB, UK
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24
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Duran A, Pie MR. Tempo and mode of climatic niche evolution in Primates. Evolution 2015; 69:2496-506. [DOI: 10.1111/evo.12730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2015] [Accepted: 06/27/2015] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Andressa Duran
- Laboratório de Dinâmica Evolutiva e Sistemas Complexos, Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Centro Politécnico; Jardim das Américas; CEP 81531-990 Curitiba Paraná Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia e Conservação, Universidade Federal do Paraná; Centro Politécnico, Setor de Ciências Biológicas, Jardim das Américas; CEP 81531-990 Curitiba Paraná Brazil
| | - Marcio R. Pie
- Laboratório de Dinâmica Evolutiva e Sistemas Complexos, Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Centro Politécnico; Jardim das Américas; CEP 81531-990 Curitiba Paraná Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia e Conservação, Universidade Federal do Paraná; Centro Politécnico, Setor de Ciências Biológicas, Jardim das Américas; CEP 81531-990 Curitiba Paraná Brazil
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25
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Evidence for a Mid-Jurassic Adaptive Radiation in Mammals. Curr Biol 2015; 25:2137-42. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2015.06.047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2015] [Revised: 05/13/2015] [Accepted: 06/18/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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26
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Dutel H, Herbin M, Clément G, Herrel A. Bite force in the extant coelacanth Latimeria: the role of the intracranial joint and the basicranial muscle. Curr Biol 2015; 25:1228-33. [PMID: 25891405 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2015.02.076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2014] [Revised: 01/25/2015] [Accepted: 02/26/2015] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The terrestrialization process involved dramatic changes in the cranial anatomy of vertebrates. The braincase, which was initially divided into two portions by the intracranial joint in sarcopterygian fishes, became consolidated into a single unit in tetrapods and lungfishes [1-3]. The coelacanth Latimeria is the only extant vertebrate that retains an intracranial joint, which is associated with a unique paired muscle: the basicranial muscle. The intracranial joint has long been thought to be involved in suction feeding by allowing an extensive elevation of the anterior portion of the skull, followed by its rapid depression driven by the basicranial muscle [4-7]. However, we recently challenged this hypothesis [8, 9], and the role of the basicranial muscle with respect to the intracranial joint thus remains unclear. Using 3D biomechanical modeling, we show here that the basicranial muscle and the intracranial joint are involved in biting force generation. By flexing the anterior portion of the skull at the level of the intracranial joint, the basicranial muscle increases the overall bite force. This likely allows Latimeria to feed on a broad range of preys [10, 11] and coelacanths to colonize a wide range of environments during their evolution [4]. The variation in the morphology of the intracranial joint observed in Devonian lobe-finned fishes would have impacted to various degrees their biting performance and might have permitted feeding specializations despite the stability in their lower jaw morphology [12]. VIDEO ABSTRACT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hugo Dutel
- RIKEN Evolutionary Morphology Laboratory, Kobe Hyogo 650-0047, Japan.
| | - Marc Herbin
- UMR 7179 CNRS-MNHN, Mécanismes Adaptatifs: des Organismes aux Communautés, Département Écologie et Gestion de la Biodiversité, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, 75231 Paris, France
| | - Gaël Clément
- Centre de Recherche sur la Paléobiodiversité et les Paléoenvironnements (CR2P, UMR 7207), Sorbonne Universités, MNHN, CNRS, UPMC-Paris 6, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, 57 rue Cuvier, CP38, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Anthony Herrel
- UMR 7179 CNRS-MNHN, Mécanismes Adaptatifs: des Organismes aux Communautés, Département Écologie et Gestion de la Biodiversité, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, 75231 Paris, France; Evolutionary Morphology of Vertebrates, Ghent University, K.L. Ledeganckstraat 35, 9000 Gent, Belgium
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Descriptive anatomy and three-dimensional reconstruction of the skull of the early tetrapod Acanthostega gunnari Jarvik, 1952. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0118882. [PMID: 25760343 PMCID: PMC4356540 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0118882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2014] [Accepted: 01/23/2015] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
The early tetrapod Acanthostega gunnari is an iconic fossil taxon exhibiting skeletal morphology reflecting the transition of vertebrates from water onto land. Computed tomography data of two Acanthostega skulls was segmented using visualization software to digitally separate bone from matrix and individual bones of the skull from each other. A revised description of cranial and lower jaw anatomy in this taxon based on CT data includes new details of sutural morphology, the previously undescribed quadrate and articular bones, and the mandibular symphysis. Sutural morphology is used to infer loading regime in the skull during feeding, and suggests Acanthostega used its anterior jaws to initially seize prey while smaller posterior teeth were used to restrain struggling prey during ingestion. Novel methods were used to repair and retrodeform the skull, resulting in a three-dimensional digital reconstruction that features a longer postorbital region and more strongly hooked anterior lower jaw than previous attempts while supporting the presence of a midline gap between the nasals and median rostrals.
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Neenan JM, Ruta M, Clack JA, Rayfield EJ. Feeding biomechanics in Acanthostega and across the fish-tetrapod transition. Proc Biol Sci 2014; 281:20132689. [PMID: 24573844 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2013.2689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Acanthostega is one of the earliest and most primitive limbed vertebrates. Its numerous fish-like features indicate a primarily aquatic lifestyle, yet cranial suture morphology suggests that its skull is more similar to those of terrestrial taxa. Here, we apply geometric morphometrics and two-dimensional finite-element analysis to the lower jaws of Acanthostega and 22 other tetrapodomorph taxa in order to quantify morphological and functional changes across the fish-tetrapod transition. The jaw of Acanthostega is similar to that of certain tetrapodomorph fish and transitional Devonian taxa both morphologically (as indicated by its proximity to those taxa in morphospace) and functionally (as indicated by the distribution of stress values and relative magnitude of bite force). Our results suggest a slow tempo of morphological and biomechanical changes in the transition from Devonian tetrapod jaws to aquatic/semi-aquatic Carboniferous tetrapod jaws. We conclude that Acanthostega retained a primitively aquatic lifestyle and did not possess cranial adaptations for terrestrial feeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- James M Neenan
- Palaeontological Institute and Museum, University of Zurich, , 8006 Zurich, Switzerland, School of Life Sciences, University of Lincoln, , Lincoln LN2 2LG, UK, University Museum of Zoology, University of Cambridge, , Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK, School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, , Bristol BS8 1RJ, UK
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Kawano SM, Blob RW. Propulsive Forces of Mudskipper Fins and Salamander Limbs during Terrestrial Locomotion: Implications for the Invasion of Land. Integr Comp Biol 2013; 53:283-94. [DOI: 10.1093/icb/ict051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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Ashley-Ross MA, Hsieh ST, Gibb AC, Blob RW. Vertebrate Land Invasions-Past, Present, and Future: An Introduction to the Symposium. Integr Comp Biol 2013; 53:192-6. [DOI: 10.1093/icb/ict048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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