1
|
Li P, Xiong C, Huang B, Sun B, Gong X. Terrestrial locomotion characteristics of climbing perch (Anabas testudineus). J Exp Biol 2024; 227:jeb247238. [PMID: 38752366 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.247238] [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: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 05/01/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024]
Abstract
The evolution and utilization of limbs facilitated terrestrial vertebrate movement on land, but little is known about how other lateral structures enhance terrestrial locomotion in amphibian fishes without terrestrialized limb structures. Climbing perch (Anabas testudineus) exhibit sustained terrestrial locomotion using uniaxial rotating gill covers instead of appendages. To investigate the role of such simple lateral structures in terrestrial locomotion and the motion-generating mechanism of the corresponding locomotor structure configuration (gill covers and body undulation), we measured the terrestrial kinematics of climbing perch and quantitatively analysed its motion characteristics. The digitized locomotor kinematics showed a unique body postural adjustment ability that enables the regulation of the posture of the caudal peduncle for converting lateral bending force into propulsion. An analysis of the coordination characteristics demonstrated that the motion of the gill cover is kinematically independent of axial undulation, suggesting that the gill cover functions as an anchored simple support pole while axial undulation actively mediates body posture and produces propulsive force. The two identified feature shapes explained more than 87% of the complex lateral undulation in multistage locomotion. The kinematic characteristics enhance our understanding of the underlying coordinating mechanism corresponding to locomotor configurations. Our work provides quantitative insight into the terrestrial locomotor adaptation of climbing perch and sheds light on terrestrial motion potential of locomotor configurations containing a typical aquatic body and restricted lateral structure.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Peimin Li
- Institute of Medical Equipment Science and Engineering, School of Mechanical Science and Engineering , Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Caihua Xiong
- Institute of Medical Equipment Science and Engineering, School of Mechanical Science and Engineering , Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Bo Huang
- Institute of Medical Equipment Science and Engineering, School of Mechanical Science and Engineering , Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Baiyang Sun
- Institute of Medical Equipment Science and Engineering, School of Mechanical Science and Engineering , Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Xuan Gong
- Institute of Medical Equipment Science and Engineering, School of Mechanical Science and Engineering , Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Rosslenbroich B. Evolutionary changes in the capacity for organismic autonomy. J Physiol 2024; 602:2455-2468. [PMID: 37851897 DOI: 10.1113/jp284414] [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: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Studies of macroevolution have revealed various trends in evolution - which have been documented and discussed. There is, however, no consensus on this topic. Since Darwin's time one presumption has persisted: that throughout evolution organisms increase their independence from and stability towards environmental influences. Although this principle has often been stated in the literature, it played no role in mainstream theory. In a closer examination, we studied this particular feature and described that many of the major transitions in animal evolution have been characterized by changes in the capacity for physiological regulation. Organisms gained in robustness, self-regulation, homeostasis and stabilized self-referential, intrinsic functions within their respective systems. This is associated with expanded environmental flexibility, such as new opportunities for movement and behaviour. Together, these aspects can be described as changes in the capacity for autonomy. There seems to be a large-scale trajectory in evolution during which some organisms gained in autonomy and flexibility. At the same time, adaptations to the environment emerged that were a prerequisite for survival. Apparently, evolution produced differential combinations of autonomy traits and adaptations. These processes are described as modifications in relative autonomy because numerous interconnections with the environment and dependencies upon it were retained. Also, it is not a linear trend, but rather an outcome of all the diverse processes which have been involved during evolutionary changes. Since the principle of regulation is a core element of physiology, the concept of autonomy is suitable to build a bridge from physiology to evolutionary research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bernd Rosslenbroich
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Morphology, Centre for Biomedical Education and Research, Faculty of Health, School of Medicine Witten/Herdecke University, Witten, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Gamel KM, Pinti S, Astley HC. Ground Reaction Forces and Energy Exchange During Underwater Walking. Integr Org Biol 2024; 6:obae013. [PMID: 38911182 PMCID: PMC11191838 DOI: 10.1093/iob/obae013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2023] [Revised: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 06/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Underwater walking was a crucial step in the evolutionary transition from water to land. Underwater walkers use fins and/or limbs to interact with the benthic substrate and produce propulsive forces. The dynamics of underwater walking remain poorly understood due to the lack of a sufficiently sensitive and waterproof system to measure substrate reaction forces (SRFs). Using an underwater force plate (described in our companion paper), we quantify SRFs during underwater walking in axolotls (Ambystoma mexicanum) and Spot prawn (Pandalus platyceros), synchronized with videography. The horizontal propulsive forces were greater than the braking forces in both species to overcome hydrodynamic drag. In axolotls, potential energy (PE) fluctuations were far smaller than kinetic energy (KE) fluctuations due to high buoyant support (97%), whereas the magnitudes were similar in the prawn due to lower buoyant support (93%). However, both species show minimal evidence of exchange between KE and PE, which, along with the effects of hydrodynamic drag, is incompatible with inverted pendulum dynamics. Our results show that, despite their evolutionary links, underwater walking has fundamentally different dynamics compared with terrestrial walking and emphasize the substantial consequences of differences in body plan in underwater walking.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- K M Gamel
- Department of Biology, University of Akron, 235 Carroll St., Akron, OH 44325, USA
- Naval Undersea Warfare Center, Division Newport, 1176 Howell St., Newport, RI 002841, USA
| | - S Pinti
- Department of Biological Sciences, Kent State University, 800 E. Summit St, Kent, OH 44242, USA
| | - H C Astley
- Department of Biology, University of Akron, 235 Carroll St., Akron, OH 44325, USA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Gamel KM, Pinti S, Astley HC. Design of A Highly Sensitive, Low-cost Underwater Force Plate to Record Substrate Reaction Forces. Integr Org Biol 2024; 6:obae008. [PMID: 38911183 PMCID: PMC11193385 DOI: 10.1093/iob/obae008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2023] [Revised: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 06/25/2024] Open
Abstract
The study of underwater walking presents major challenges because the small forces applied during underwater walking are difficult to measure due to the lack of a sufficiently sensitive force plate that functions underwater. Understanding the force interaction between the underwater walker and the substrate may lead to better understanding of the evolution, ecology, and biomechanics of underwater walking. The shift from aquatic to terrestrial life was a crucial transition in animal evolution where, underwater walking preceded the invasion of land and combines mechanics from terrestrial locomotion (substrate reaction forces) and aquatic swimming (buoyancy and drag). In this work, we describe our design of a low-cost underwater force plate made using 3D printed multi axis load cells equipped with commercial strain gauges amplified with a custom circuit board, and custom code to gather force data. The use of 3D printed sensors allows customization of the material and thickness of the shear beam load cell to accommodate the loads for a wide range of study species. We show that our design can detect loads as small as 1 mN (filtered) with minimal noise and present sample live animal trials of several species. The 3D multiaxial load cells, circuit design, and custom code are open-source and available online.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- K M Gamel
- Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division Newport, 1176 Howell St., Newport, RI 002841, USA
| | - S Pinti
- Department of Biology at the University of Akron, 302 Buchtel Ave., Akron, OH 44325, US
| | - H C Astley
- Department of Biological Sciences Kent State University, 800 E. Summit St, Kent, OH, 44242, US
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
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'.
Collapse
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
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Mao J, Cao Y, Zhang Y, Huang B, Zhao Y. A novel method for identifying key genes in macroevolution based on deep learning with attention mechanism. Sci Rep 2023; 13:19727. [PMID: 37957311 PMCID: PMC10643560 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-47113-9] [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: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Macroevolution can be regarded as the result of evolutionary changes of synergistically acting genes. Unfortunately, the importance of these genes in macroevolution is difficult to assess and hence the identification of macroevolutionary key genes is a major challenge in evolutionary biology. In this study, we designed various word embedding libraries of natural language processing (NLP) considering the multiple mechanisms of evolutionary genomics. A novel method (IKGM) based on three types of attention mechanisms (domain attention, kmer attention and fused attention) were proposed to calculate the weights of different genes in macroevolution. Taking 34 species of diurnal butterflies and nocturnal moths in Lepidoptera as an example, we identified a few of key genes with high weights, which annotated to the functions of circadian rhythms, sensory organs, as well as behavioral habits etc. This study not only provides a novel method to identify the key genes of macroevolution at the genomic level, but also helps us to understand the microevolution mechanisms of diurnal butterflies and nocturnal moths in Lepidoptera.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jiawei Mao
- College of Big Data and Intelligent Engineering, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming, 650224, China
| | - Yong Cao
- College of Big Data and Intelligent Engineering, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming, 650224, China
| | - Yan Zhang
- College of Mathematics and Physics, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming, 650224, China
| | - Biaosheng Huang
- College of Big Data and Intelligent Engineering, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming, 650224, China
| | - Youjie Zhao
- College of Big Data and Intelligent Engineering, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming, 650224, China.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Méndez-Narváez J, Warkentin KM. Early onset of urea synthesis and ammonia detoxification pathways in three terrestrially developing frogs. J Comp Physiol B 2023; 193:523-543. [PMID: 37639061 DOI: 10.1007/s00360-023-01506-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Revised: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 07/19/2023] [Indexed: 08/29/2023]
Abstract
Frogs evolved terrestrial development multiple times, necessitating mechanisms to avoid ammonia toxicity at early stages. Urea synthesis from ammonia is a key adaptation that reduces water dependence after metamorphosis. We tested for early expression and plasticity of enzymatic mechanisms of ammonia detoxification in three terrestrial-breeding frogs: foam-nest-dwelling larvae of Leptodactylus fragilis (Lf) and arboreal embryos of Hyalinobatrachium fleischmanni (Hf) and Agalychnis callidryas (Ac). Activity of two ornithine-urea cycle (OUC) enzymes, arginase and CPSase, and levels of their products urea and CP in tissues were high in Lf regardless of nest hydration, but reduced in experimental low- vs. high-ammonia environments. High OUC activity in wet and dry nests, comparable to that under experimental high ammonia, suggests terrestrial Lf larvae maintain high capacity for urea excretion regardless of their immediate risk of ammonia toxicity. This may aid survival through unpredictably long waiting periods before rain enables their transition to water. Moderate levels of urea and CP were present in Hf and Ac tissues and enzymatic activities were lower than in Lf. In both species, embryos in drying clutches can hatch and enter the water early, behaviorally avoiding ammonia toxicity. Moreover, glutamine synthetase was active in early stages of all three species, condensing ammonia and glutamate to glutamine as another mechanism of detoxification. Enzyme activity appeared highest in Lf, although substrate and product levels were higher in Ac and Lf. Our results reveal that multiple biochemical mechanisms of ammonia detoxification occur in early life stages of anuran lineages that evolved terrestrial development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Javier Méndez-Narváez
- Calima, Fundación para la Investigación de la Biodiversidad y Conservación en el Trópico, Cali, Colombia.
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Karen M Warkentin
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panamá, Republic of Panama
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Morphological comparison of the cranial movement apparatus in mudskippers (Gobiidae: Oxudercinae). ZOOLOGY 2022; 154:126042. [PMID: 36027692 DOI: 10.1016/j.zool.2022.126042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2022] [Revised: 08/10/2022] [Accepted: 08/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Possession of the neck allows vertebrates to move the head independently from the trunk. Fish do not have the neck and thus the cranial mobility could be limited. Oxudercine gobies show full range of habitat transition from aquatic to terrestrial environments and exhibit flexible cranial movement, yet the cranium-movement apparatus is little known. In this study, we investigated the anatomy of the structure of the eight oxudercine gobies, Oxuderces nexipinnis, Parapocryptes serperaster, Pseudapocryptes elongatus, Scartelaos histophorus, Boleophthalmus boddarti, Periophthalmus chrysospilos, Periophthalmodon schlosseri, and Periophthalmodon septemradiatus. These species share similarities in the specialized features of the craniovertebral joint and the epaxials attaching onto different locations of the neurocranium. On the other hand, large space between the ventral portions of the craniovertebral joint only occurs in O. nexipinnis, Pd. elongatus, Pn. schlosseri and Pn. septemradiatus. Hypaxials are hypertrophied at the insertion point and attach more anteriorly onto the ventral side of the neurocranium in B. boddarti, O. nexipinnis, Pa. serperaster, Pd. elongatus, and S. histophorus, whereas the muscles are small and attach posteriorly in the remaining species. There were significant differences in the area occupancy ratio of the post-cranial neural spines, the lever arm ratio of the cranial rotation, and the angle between the horizontal plane and the plane through the craniovertebral joint among the species. The cranial depression presumably facilitates grazing of oxudercine gobies in their early stage of terrestrial transition, whereas the cranial elevation parameters are contradictory to the terrestrial gradient. The cranium-movement morphometrics partially agree with the phylogeny.
Collapse
|
9
|
Kawano SM, Blob RW. Terrestrial force production by the limbs of a semi-aquatic salamander provides insight into the evolution of terrestrial locomotor mechanics. J Exp Biol 2022; 225:274955. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.242795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2021] [Accepted: 03/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Amphibious fishes and salamanders are valuable functional analogs for vertebrates that spanned the water-to-land transition. However, investigations of walking mechanics have focused on terrestrial salamanders and, thus, may better reflect the capabilities of stem tetrapods that were already terrestrial. The earliest tetrapods were likely aquatic, so salamanders that are not primarily terrestrial may yield more appropriate data for modelling the incipient stages of terrestrial locomotion. In the present study, locomotor biomechanics were quantified from semi-aquatic Pleurodeles waltl, a salamander that spends most of its adult life in water, and then compared to a primarily terrestrial salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum) and semi-aquatic fish (Periophthalmus barbarus) to evaluate whether terrestrial locomotion was more comparable between species with ecological versus phylogenetic similarities. Ground reaction forces (GRFs) from individual limbs or fins indicated that the pectoral appendages of each taxon had distinct patterns of force production, but GRFs from the hind limbs were comparable between the salamander species. The rate that force is produced can affect musculoskeletal function, so we also calculated ‘yank’ (first time derivative of force) to quantify the dynamics of GRF production. Yank was sometimes slower in P. waltl but there were some similarities between the three species. Finally, the semi-aquatic taxa (P. waltl and P. barbarus) had a more medial inclination of the GRF compared to terrestrial salamanders, potentially elevating bone stresses among more aquatic taxa and limiting their excursions onto land.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sandy M. Kawano
- Department of Biological Sciences, The George Washington University, Washington, D.C. 20052, USA
| | - Richard W. Blob
- Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Kienle SS, Cuthbertson RD, Reidenberg JS. Comparative examination of pinniped craniofacial musculature and its role in aquatic feeding. J Anat 2022; 240:226-252. [PMID: 34697793 PMCID: PMC8742965 DOI: 10.1111/joa.13557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2021] [Revised: 08/20/2021] [Accepted: 09/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Secondarily aquatic tetrapods have many unique morphologic adaptations for life underwater compared with their terrestrial counterparts. A key innovation during the land-to-water transition was feeding. Pinnipeds, a clade of air-breathing marine carnivorans that include seals, sea lions, and walruses, have evolved multiple strategies for aquatic feeding (e.g., biting, suction feeding). Numerous studies have examined the pinniped skull and dental specializations for underwater feeding. However, data on the pinniped craniofacial musculoskeletal system and its role in aquatic feeding are rare. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to conduct a comparative analysis of pinniped craniofacial musculature and examine the function of the craniofacial musculature in facilitating different aquatic feeding strategies. We performed anatomic dissections of 35 specimens across six pinniped species. We describe 32 pinniped craniofacial muscles-including facial expression, mastication, tongue, hyoid, and soft palate muscles. Pinnipeds broadly conform to mammalian patterns of craniofacial muscle morphology. Pinnipeds also exhibit unique musculoskeletal morphologies-in muscle position, attachments, and size-that likely represent adaptations for different aquatic feeding strategies. Suction feeding specialists (bearded and northern elephant seals) have a significantly larger masseter than biters. Further, northern elephant seals have large and unique tongue and hyoid muscle morphologies compared with other pinniped species. These morphologic changes likely help generate and withstand suction pressures necessary for drawing water and prey into the mouth. In contrast, biting taxa (California sea lions, harbor, ringed, and Weddell seals) do not exhibit consistent craniofacial musculoskeletal adaptations that differentiate them from suction feeders. Generally, we discover that all pinnipeds have well-developed and robust craniofacial musculature. Pinniped head musculature plays an important role in facilitating different aquatic feeding strategies. Together with behavioral and kinematic studies, our data suggest that pinnipeds' robust facial morphology allows animals to switch feeding strategies depending on the environmental context-a critical skill in a heterogeneous and rapidly changing underwater habitat.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Roxanne D. Cuthbertson
- Department of Biology and Marine BiologyUniversity of North Carolina WilmingtonWilmingtonNorth CarolinaUSA
| | - Joy S. Reidenberg
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiCenter for Anatomy and Functional MorphologyNew YorkNew YorkUSA
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Méndez‐Narváez J, Warkentin KM. Reproductive colonization of land by frogs: Embryos and larvae excrete urea to avoid ammonia toxicity. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e8570. [PMID: 35222954 PMCID: PMC8843769 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2021] [Revised: 12/30/2021] [Accepted: 01/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Vertebrate colonization of land has occurred multiple times, including over 50 origins of terrestrial eggs in frogs. Some environmental factors and phenotypic responses that facilitated these transitions are known, but responses to water constraints and risk of ammonia toxicity during early development are poorly understood. We tested if ammonia accumulation and dehydration risk induce a shift from ammonia to urea excretion during early stages of four anurans, from three origins of terrestrial development. We quantified ammonia and urea concentrations during early development on land, under well-hydrated and dry conditions. Where we found urea excretion, we tested for a plastic increase under dry conditions and with ammonia accumulation in developmental environments. We assessed the potential adaptive role of urea excretion by comparing ammonia tolerance measured in 96h-LC50 tests with ammonia levels in developmental environments. Ammonia accumulated in foam nests and perivitelline fluid, increasing over development and reaching higher concentrations under dry conditions. All four species showed high ammonia tolerance, compared to fishes and aquatic-breeding frogs. Both nest-dwelling larvae of Leptodactylus fragilis and late embryos of Hyalinobatrachium fleischmanni excreted urea, showing a plastic increase under dry conditions. These two species can develop the longest on land and urea excretion appears adaptive, preventing their exposure to potentially lethal levels of ammonia. Neither late embryos of Agalychnis callidryas nor nest-dwelling larvae of Engystomops pustulosus experienced toxic ammonia levels under dry conditions, and neither excreted urea. Our results suggest that an early onset of urea excretion, its increase under dry conditions, and elevated ammonia tolerance can all help prevent ammonia toxicity during terrestrial development. High ammonia represents a general risk for development which may be exacerbated as climate change increases dehydration risk for terrestrial-breeding frogs. It may also be a cue that elicits adaptive physiological responses during early development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Javier Méndez‐Narváez
- Department of BiologyBoston UniversityBostonMassachusettsUSA
- CalimaFundación para la Investigación de la Biodiversidad y Conservación en el TrópicoCaliColombia
| | - Karen M. Warkentin
- Department of BiologyBoston UniversityBostonMassachusettsUSA
- Smithsonian Tropical Research InstitutePanamaRepublic of Panama
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Steppan SJ, Meyer AA, Barrow LN, Alhajeri BH, S Y Al-Zaidan A, Gignac PM, Erickson GM. Phylogenetics And The Evolution Of Terrestriality In Mudskippers (Gobiidae: Oxudercinae). Mol Phylogenet Evol 2022; 169:107416. [PMID: 35032645 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2022.107416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2020] [Revised: 11/30/2021] [Accepted: 12/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
The initial vertebrate conquest of land by stegocephalians (Sarcopterygia) allowed access to new resources and exploitation of untapped niches precipitating a major phylogenetic diversification. However, a paucity of fossils has left considerable uncertainties about phylogenetic relationships and the eco-morphological stages in this key transition in Earth history. Among extant actinopterygians, three genera of mudskippers (Gobiidae: Oxudercinae), Boleophthalmus, Periophthalmus and Periophthalmodon are the most terrestrialized, with vertebral, appendicular, locomotory, respiratory, and epithelial specializations enabling overland excursions up to 14 hours. Unlike early stegocephalians, the ecologies and morphologies of the 45 species of oxudercines are well known, making them viable analogs for the initial vertebrate conquest of land. Nevertheless, they have received little phylogenetic attention. We compiled the largest molecular dataset to date, with 29 oxudercine species, and 5 nuclear and mitochondrial loci. Phylogenetic and comparative analyses revealed strong support for two independent terrestrial transitions, and a complex suit of ecomorphological forms in estuarine environments. Furthermore, neither Oxudercinae nor their presumed sister-group the eel gobies (Amblyopinae, a group of elongated gobies) were monophyletic with respect to each other, requiring a merging of these two subfamilies and revealing an expansion of phenotypic variation within the "mudskipper" clade. We did not find support for the expected linear model of ecomorphological and locomotory transition from fully aquatic, to mudswimming, to pectoral-aided mudswimming, to lobe-finned terrestrial locomotion proposed by earlier morphological studies. This high degree of convergent or parallel transitions to terrestriality, and apparent divergent directions of estuarine adaptation, promises even greater potential for this clade to illuminate the conquest of land. Future work should focus on these less-studied species with "transitional" and other mud-habitat specializations to fully resolve the dynamics of this diversification.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Scott J Steppan
- Department of Biological Science, 327 Stadium Dr., Florida State University, Tallahassee Florida, 32306-4295, USA.
| | - Anna A Meyer
- Department of Biological Science, 327 Stadium Dr., Florida State University, Tallahassee Florida, 32306-4295, USA
| | - Lisa N Barrow
- Department of Biological Science, 327 Stadium Dr., Florida State University, Tallahassee Florida, 32306-4295, USA; Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131-0001, USA
| | - Bader H Alhajeri
- Department of Biological Sciences, Kuwait University, Safat, 13060, Kuwait
| | | | - Paul M Gignac
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences, Tulsa Oklahoma 74107-1898, USA
| | - Gregory M Erickson
- Department of Biological Science, 327 Stadium Dr., Florida State University, Tallahassee Florida, 32306-4295, USA
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Diaz RE, Taylor-Diaz EA, Trainor PA, Diogo R, Molnar JL. Comparative development of limb musculature in phylogenetically and ecologically divergent lizards. Dev Dyn 2021; 251:1576-1612. [PMID: 34927301 DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2021] [Revised: 12/15/2021] [Accepted: 12/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Squamate reptiles (lizards, snakes, and amphisbaenians) exhibit incredible diversity in their locomotion, behavior, morphology, and ecological breadth. Although they often are used as models of locomotor diversity, surprisingly little attention has been given to muscle development in squamate reptiles. In fact, the most detailed examination was conducted almost 80 years ago and solely focused on the proximal limb regions. Herein, we present forelimb and hindlimb muscle morphogenesis data for three lizard species with different locomotion and feeding strategies: the desert grassland whiptail lizard, the central bearded dragon, and the veiled chameleon. This study fills critical gaps in our understanding of muscle morphogenesis in squamate reptiles and presents a comparative and temporospatial analysis of muscle development. RESULTS Our results reveal a conserved pattern of early muscle development among lizards with different adult morphologies and ecologies. The variations that exist are concentrated in distal regions, particularly the specialized autopodia of chameleons, where differentiation of muscles associated with the digits is delayed. CONCLUSIONS The chameleon autopod provides an example of major evolutionary modifications to the skeleton with only minor disruption of the conserved order and pattern of limb muscle development. This robustness of muscle patterning facilitates the evolution of extreme yet functional phenotypes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Raul E Diaz
- Department of Biological Sciences, California State University, Los Angeles, California, USA.,Department of Herpetology, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Elizabeth A Taylor-Diaz
- Department of Biological Sciences, California State University, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Paul A Trainor
- Investigator, Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, Missouri, USA.,Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas, USA
| | - Rui Diogo
- Department of Anatomy, Howard University College of Medicine, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Julia L Molnar
- Department of Anatomy, New York Institute of Technology, College of Osteopathic Medicine, Old Westbury, New York, USA
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Palecek AM, Novak MV, Blob RW. Wading through water: effects of water depth and speed on the drag and kinematics of walking Chilean flamingos, Phoenicopterus chilensis. J Exp Biol 2021; 224:272138. [PMID: 34505127 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.242988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2021] [Accepted: 09/03/2021] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Wading behaviours, in which an animal walks while partially submerged in water, are present in a variety of taxa including amphibians, reptiles, mammals and birds. Despite the ubiquity of wading behaviours, few data are available to evaluate how animals adjust their locomotion to accommodate changes in water depth. Because drag from water might impose additional locomotor costs, wading animals might be expected to raise their feet above the water up to a certain point until such behaviours lead to awkward steps and are abandoned. To test for such mechanisms, we measured drag on models of the limbs of Chilean flamingos (Phoenicopterus chilensis) and measured their limb and body kinematics as they walked and waded through increasing depths of water in a zoo enclosure. Substantial drag was incurred by models of both open- and closed-toed feet, suggesting that flamingos could avoid some locomotor costs by stepping over water, rather than through it, during wading. Step height was highest while wading through intermediate water depths and while wading at a faster speed. Stride length increased with increasing water depth and velocity, and the limb joints generally flexed more while moving through intermediate water depths. However, movements of the head and neck were not strongly correlated with water depth or velocity. Our results show a wide range of kinematic changes that occur to allow wading birds to walk through different water depths, and have implications for better understanding the locomotor strategies employed by semi-aquatic species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Amanda M Palecek
- Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA
| | - Megan V Novak
- Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA
| | - Richard W Blob
- Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Torday JS. Life is a mobius strip. PROGRESS IN BIOPHYSICS AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2021; 167:41-45. [PMID: 34364909 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbiomolbio.2021.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Accepted: 08/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
If you cut a mobius strip in half, the edges form a Trefoil Knot, which can be untied to form a circle, proving it's a true mathematical knot. The cell is a homologue of the mathematical knot since it, too, must be able to unknot itself to form the egg and sperm meiotically in order to reproduce. The homology between a knot and a cell is thought-provoking biologically because the Trefoil Knot is a metaphor for the endoderm, ectoderm and mesoderm, the three germ layers of the gastrula that ultimately produce the embryo, beginning with the zygote. Upon further consideration, the cell membrane is like a mobius strip, forming one continuous surface between the inner environment of the cell and the outer environment. However, it is not formed by taking a circular surface, cutting it, twisting it and attaching the two ends as you would conventionally to form a mobius strip. Conversely, David Bohm's Explicate Order forms a boundary with the Implicate Order. That lipid boundary is the prima facie mobius strip that divides the infinite surface of the Implicate Order into inside and outside by 'recalling' its pre-adapted state as lipid molecules before there was an inside or outside.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- John S Torday
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Los Angeles, Westwood, CA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Bressman NR, Morrison CH, Ashley-Ross MA. Reffling: A Novel Locomotor Behavior Used by Neotropical Armored Catfishes (Loricariidae) in Terrestrial Environments. ICHTHYOLOGY & HERPETOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.1643/i2020084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
|
17
|
Mehta RS, Donohoe KR. Snowflake morays, Echidna nebulosa, exhibit similar feeding kinematics in terrestrial and aquatic treatments. J Exp Biol 2021; 224:269098. [PMID: 34109983 PMCID: PMC8214832 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.234047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2020] [Accepted: 04/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Some species of durophagous moray eels (Muraenidae) have been documented emerging from the marine environment to capture intertidal crabs but how they consume prey out of water is unknown. Here, we trained snowflake morays, Echidna nebulosa, to undulate out of the aquatic environment to feed on land. On land, snowflake morays remove prey from the substrate by biting and swallow prey using pharyngeal jaw enabled transport. Although snowflake morays exhibit smaller jaw rotation angles on land when apprehending their prey, transport kinematics involving dorsoventral flexion of the head to protract the pharyngeal jaws and overall feeding times did not differ between terrestrial and aquatic treatments. We suggest that their elongate body plan, ability to rotate their heads in the dorsoventral and lateral directions, and extreme pharyngeal movements all contribute to the ability of durophagous morays to feed in the terrestrial environment. Summary: Body elongation and pharyngeal transport facilitates prey capture and swallowing on land for the snowflake moray, Echidna nebulosa.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rita S Mehta
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA95064, USA
| | - Kyle R Donohoe
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA95064, USA
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Thinking Inside the Box: Comparative Limb Bone Shape in Emydid Turtles. J HERPETOL 2021. [DOI: 10.1670/20-086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
|
19
|
Wang K, Wang J, Zhu C, Yang L, Ren Y, Ruan J, Fan G, Hu J, Xu W, Bi X, Zhu Y, Song Y, Chen H, Ma T, Zhao R, Jiang H, Zhang B, Feng C, Yuan Y, Gan X, Li Y, Zeng H, Liu Q, Zhang Y, Shao F, Hao S, Zhang H, Xu X, Liu X, Wang D, Zhu M, Zhang G, Zhao W, Qiu Q, He S, Wang W. African lungfish genome sheds light on the vertebrate water-to-land transition. Cell 2021; 184:1362-1376.e18. [PMID: 33545087 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2021.01.047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2020] [Revised: 11/09/2020] [Accepted: 01/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Lungfishes are the closest extant relatives of tetrapods and preserve ancestral traits linked with the water-to-land transition. However, their huge genome sizes have hindered understanding of this key transition in evolution. Here, we report a 40-Gb chromosome-level assembly of the African lungfish (Protopterus annectens) genome, which is the largest genome assembly ever reported and has a contig and chromosome N50 of 1.60 Mb and 2.81 Gb, respectively. The large size of the lungfish genome is due mainly to retrotransposons. Genes with ultra-long length show similar expression levels to other genes, indicating that lungfishes have evolved high transcription efficacy to keep gene expression balanced. Together with transcriptome and experimental data, we identified potential genes and regulatory elements related to such terrestrial adaptation traits as pulmonary surfactant, anxiolytic ability, pentadactyl limbs, and pharyngeal remodeling. Our results provide insights and key resources for understanding the evolutionary pathway leading from fishes to humans.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kun Wang
- School of Ecology and Environment, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an 710072, China
| | - Jun Wang
- Joint Laboratory of Guangdong Province and Hong Kong Region on Marine Bioresource Conservation and Exploitation, College of Marine Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China; School of Civil Engineering, Architecture and Environment, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan 430068, China
| | - Chenglong Zhu
- School of Ecology and Environment, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an 710072, China; State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China
| | - Liandong Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Yandong Ren
- School of Ecology and Environment, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an 710072, China; State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China
| | - Jue Ruan
- Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen 518120, China
| | - Guangyi Fan
- BGI-Qingdao, Qingdao 266555, China; BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518083, China
| | - Jiang Hu
- Grandomics Biosciences, Beijing 102200, China
| | - Wenjie Xu
- School of Ecology and Environment, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an 710072, China
| | - Xupeng Bi
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518083, China
| | - Youan Zhu
- Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, China Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100044, China
| | - Yue Song
- BGI-Qingdao, Qingdao 266555, China
| | - Huatao Chen
- Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology of the Ministry of Agriculture, Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
| | - Tiantian Ma
- Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology of the Ministry of Agriculture, Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
| | - Ruoping Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China
| | - Haifeng Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Bin Zhang
- Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and China National Center for Bioinformation, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Chenguang Feng
- School of Ecology and Environment, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an 710072, China
| | - Yuan Yuan
- School of Ecology and Environment, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an 710072, China
| | - Xiaoni Gan
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Yongxin Li
- School of Ecology and Environment, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an 710072, China
| | - Honghui Zeng
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Qun Liu
- BGI-Qingdao, Qingdao 266555, China
| | | | - Feng Shao
- Key Laboratory of Freshwater Fish Reproduction and Development, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | | | - He Zhang
- BGI-Qingdao, Qingdao 266555, China
| | - Xun Xu
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518083, China
| | - Xin Liu
- BGI-Qingdao, Qingdao 266555, China
| | - Depeng Wang
- Grandomics Biosciences, Beijing 102200, China
| | - Min Zhu
- Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, China Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100044, China
| | - Guojie Zhang
- BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518083, China; State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China; Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and Genetics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China; Villum Center for Biodiversity Genomics, Section for Ecology and Evolution, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Wenming Zhao
- Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and China National Center for Bioinformation, Beijing 100101, China.
| | - Qiang Qiu
- School of Ecology and Environment, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an 710072, China.
| | - Shunping He
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China; Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and Genetics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China; Institute of Deep-sea Science and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sanya 572000, China.
| | - Wen Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China; Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and Genetics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China.
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Liu C, Ren Y, Li Z, Hu Q, Yin L, Wang H, Qiao X, Zhang Y, Xing L, Xi Y, Jiang F, Wang S, Huang C, Liu B, Liu H, Wan F, Qian W, Fan W. Giant African snail genomes provide insights into molluscan whole-genome duplication and aquatic-terrestrial transition. Mol Ecol Resour 2020; 21:478-494. [PMID: 33000522 DOI: 10.1111/1755-0998.13261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2020] [Revised: 09/03/2020] [Accepted: 09/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Whole-genome duplication (WGD), contributing to evolutionary diversity and environmental adaptability, has been observed across a wide variety of eukaryotic groups, but not in molluscs. Molluscs are the second largest animal phylum in terms of species numbers, and among the organisms that have successfully adapted to the nonmarine realm through aquatic-terrestrial (A-T) transition. We assembled a chromosome-level reference genome for Achatina immaculata, a globally invasive species, and compared the genomes of two giant African snails (A. immaculata and Achatina fulica) to other available mollusc genomes. Macrosynteny, colinearity blocks, Ks peak and Hox gene clusters collectively suggested a WGD event in the two snails. The estimated WGD timing (~70 million years ago) was close to the speciation age of the Sigmurethra-Orthurethra (within Stylommatophora) lineage and the Cretaceous-Tertiary (K-T) mass extinction, indicating that the WGD may have been a common event shared by all Sigmurethra-Orthurethra species and conferred ecological adaptability allowing survival after the K-T extinction event. Furthermore, the adaptive mechanism of WGD in terrestrial ecosystems was confirmed by the presence of gene families related to the respiration, aestivation and immune defence. Several mucus-related gene families expanded early in the Stylommatophora lineage, and the haemocyanin and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase families doubled during WGD, and zinc metalloproteinase genes were highly tandemly duplicated after WGD. This evidence suggests that although WGD may not have been the direct driver of the A-T transition, it played an important part in the terrestrial adaptation of giant African snails.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Conghui Liu
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yuwei Ren
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Zaiyuan Li
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Qi Hu
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Lijuan Yin
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Hengchao Wang
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xi Qiao
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yan Zhang
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Longsheng Xing
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yu Xi
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Fan Jiang
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Sen Wang
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Cong Huang
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Bo Liu
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Hangwei Liu
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Fanghao Wan
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Wanqiang Qian
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Wei Fan
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Redmann E, Sheikh A, Alqahtani A, McCarty-Glenn M, Syed S, Mehta RS, Ward AB. Terrestrial Locomotion in American Eels (Anguilla rostrata): How Substrate and Incline Affect Movement Patterns. Integr Comp Biol 2020; 60:180-189. [PMID: 32251499 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icaa016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Fishes overcome a variety of challenges in order to invade the terrestrial environment. Terrestrial invasions by fish occur over a variety of environmental contexts. In order to advance their bodies on land, fishes capable of terrestrial excursions tend to use one of three different types of locomotor modes: axial-based, appendage-based, or axial-appendage-based. Elongate species with reduced appendages, such as the American eel, Anguilla rostrata, rely on axial based locomotion in water and on land. When eels move from water to land as part of their complex life cycle, they inevitably encounter a variety of substrates and must traverse variable degrees of incline. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of substrate and incline on the terrestrial locomotion of the American eel. In order to do this, eels were filmed from a dorsal view on three substrates and four inclines: sand, loose pebbles, and fixed (glued) pebbles at 0°, 5°, 10°, and 15°. We digitized 20 evenly spaced points along the body to examine the following characteristics of locomotion: velocity, distance ratio (DR), and wave parameters such as wave amplitude, frequency, and length and assessed whether substrate, incline, or body position affected these parameters. DR, our metric of movement efficiency, was highest on the flat sand condition and lowest on 15° pebble conditions. Efficiency also varied across the body. Velocity followed a similar pattern being highest on sand at 0° and lowest at the steepest inclines. Wave amplitude generally increased toward the tail but was similar across substrates and inclines. Wave frequency was relatively consistent across the body on both pebble substrates, but on sand, frequency was higher toward the head but decreased toward the tail. Wavelengths on sand were the longest at 0° near the head and shorter wavelengths were observed on steeper inclines. Both pebble substrates elicited lower wavelengths that were more similar across the body. Overall, A. rostrata were more effective in navigating compliant substrates but struggled at steeper inclines. Our findings provide insight into locomotor challenges that American eels may encounter as they move from and between bodies of water.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Erica Redmann
- Biology Department, Adelphi University, Garden City, NY 11530, USA
| | - Alina Sheikh
- Biology Department, Adelphi University, Garden City, NY 11530, USA
| | - Areej Alqahtani
- Biology Department, Adelphi University, Garden City, NY 11530, USA
| | | | - Shazrah Syed
- Biology Department, Adelphi University, Garden City, NY 11530, USA
| | - Rita S Mehta
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA
| | - Andrea B Ward
- Biology Department, Adelphi University, Garden City, NY 11530, USA
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Angeletti M, Hsu WLN, Majo N, Moriyama H, Moriyama EN, Zhang L. Adaptations of Interferon Regulatory Factor 3 with Transition from Terrestrial to Aquatic Life. Sci Rep 2020; 10:4508. [PMID: 32161340 PMCID: PMC7066157 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-61365-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2019] [Accepted: 02/10/2020] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Interferon regulatory factor 3 (IRF3) and IRF7 are closely related IRF members and the major factors for the induction of interferons, a key component in vertebrate innate immunity. However, there is limited knowledge regarding the evolution and adaptation of those IRFs to the environments. Two unique motifs in IRF3 and 7 were identified. One motif, GASSL, is highly conserved throughout the evolution of IRF3 and 7 and located in the signal response domain. Another motif, DPHK, is in the DNA-binding domain. The ancestral protein of IRF3 and 7 seemed to possess the DPHK motif. In the ray-finned fish lineage, while the DPHK is maintained in IRF7, the motif in IRF3 is changed to NPHK with a D → N amino acid substitution. The D → N substitution are also found in amphibian IRF3 but not in amphibian IRF7. Terrestrial animals such as reptiles and mammals predominantly use DPHK sequences in both IRF3 and 7. However, the D → N substitution in IRF3 DPHK is again found in cetaceans such as whales and dolphins as well as in marsupials. These observations suggest that the D → N substitutions in the IRF3 DPHK motif is likely to be associated with vertebrate's adaptations to aquatic environments and other environmental changes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Monica Angeletti
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE, 68588, USA
| | - Wan-Ling Nicole Hsu
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE, 68588, USA
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Washington, Washington, USA
| | - Nashaat Majo
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE, 68588, USA
| | - Hideaki Moriyama
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE, 68588, USA
| | - Etsuko N Moriyama
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE, 68588, USA.
- Center for Plant Science Innovation, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE, 68588, USA.
| | - Luwen Zhang
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE, 68588, USA.
- Nebraska Center for Virology, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE, 68583, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Bayley M, Damsgaard C, Thomsen M, Malte H, Wang T. Learning to Air-Breathe: The First Steps. Physiology (Bethesda) 2019; 34:14-29. [DOI: 10.1152/physiol.00028.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Air-breathing in vertebrates has evolved many times among the bony fish while in water. Its appearance has had a fundamental impact on the regulation of ventilation and acid-base status. We review the physico-chemical constraints imposed by water and air, place the extant air-breathing fish into this framework, and show how that the advantages of combining control of ventilation and acid-base status are only available to the most obligate of air-breathing fish, thus highlighting promising avenues for research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mark Bayley
- Section for Zoophysiology, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Christian Damsgaard
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Mikkel Thomsen
- Section for Zoophysiology, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Hans Malte
- Section for Zoophysiology, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Tobias Wang
- Section for Zoophysiology, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Aarhus Institute of Advanced Sciences, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Functional morphology of the respiratory organs of the air-breathing fish with particular emphasis on the African catfishes, Clarias mossambicus and C. gariepinus. Acta Histochem 2018; 120:613-622. [PMID: 30195501 DOI: 10.1016/j.acthis.2018.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
The evolution of air-breathing and transition from water to land were pivotal events that greatly determined the ecological diversification, the advances and the successes of animal life. During their relocation onto land, the so-called bimodal breathers were literally caught at the water-air interface. Among such animals are the diverse air-breathing bony fish. Such taxa, however, strictly do not constitute the so-called 'bridging animals', i.e., the inaugural animals that crossed from water to land, nor are they their direct progenitors. The pioneer transitional animals were the Devonian rhipidistian amphibians that possessed a primitive lung which acquired O2 directly from air and discharged CO2 back into the same. By having particular morphological and physiological adaptations for terrestrialness, the modern amphibious- and aquatic air-breathers are heuristic analogues of how and why animals relocated from water to land. It has generally been espoused that lack or dearth of O2 in water, especially in the warm tropical one, was an elemental driver for adoption of air-breathing. There is, however, no direct causal relationship between the evolution of air-breathing and the shift onto land: the move onto land was a direct solution to the existing inimical respiratory conditions in water. This is evinced in the facts that: a) even after attaining capacity of air-breathing, an important preadaptation for life on land, some animals continued living in water while periodically accessing air, b) in the fish species that live in the well-oxygenated waters, e.g., torrential rivers, only few air-breathe and c) air-breathing has still evolved in freshwaters and seawaters, where levels of dissolved O2 are sufficiently high. Here, the structure and function of the respiratory organs of the air-breathing fish are succinctly outlined. Two African catfishes, Clarias mossambicus and C. gariepinus are highlighted.
Collapse
|
25
|
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.
Collapse
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
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Foley RA. Mosaic evolution and the pattern of transitions in the hominin lineage. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2017; 371:rstb.2015.0244. [PMID: 27298474 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2015.0244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/14/2016] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Humans are uniquely unique, in terms of the extreme differences between them and other living organisms, and the impact they are having on the biosphere. The evolution of humans can be seen, as has been proposed, as one of the major transitions in evolution, on a par with the origins of multicellular organisms or the eukaryotic cell (Maynard Smith & Szathmáry 1997 Major transitions in evolution). Major transitions require the evolution of greater complexity and the emergence of new evolutionary levels or processes. Does human evolution meet these conditions? I explore the diversity of evidence on the nature of transitions in human evolution. Four levels of transition are proposed-baseline, novel taxa, novel adaptive zones and major transitions-and the pattern of human evolution considered in the light of these. The primary conclusions are that changes in human evolution occur continuously and cumulatively; that novel taxa and the appearance of new adaptations are not clustered very tightly in particular periods, although there are three broad transitional phases (Pliocene, Plio-Pleistocene and later Quaternary). Each phase is distinctive, with the first based on ranging and energetics, the second on technology and niche expansion, and the third on cognition and cultural processes. I discuss whether this constitutes a 'major transition' in the context of the evolutionary processes more broadly; the role of behaviour in evolution; and the opportunity provided by the rich genetic, phenotypic (fossil morphology) and behavioural (archaeological) record to examine in detail major transitions and the microevolutionary patterns underlying macroevolutionary change. It is suggested that the evolution of the hominin lineage is consistent with a mosaic pattern of change.This article is part of the themed issue 'Major transitions in human evolution'.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Robert A Foley
- Leverhulme Centre for Human Evolutionary Studies, Department of Archaeology and Anthropology, University of Cambridge, Henry Wellcome Building, Fitzwilliam Street, Cambridge CB2 1QH, UK
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Young VKH, Wienands CE, Wilburn BP, Blob RW. Humeral loads during swimming and walking in turtles: implications for morphological change during aquatic reinvasions. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2017; 220:3873-3877. [PMID: 28883088 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.156836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2017] [Accepted: 09/05/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
During evolutionary reinvasions of water by terrestrial vertebrates, ancestrally tubular limb bones often flatten to form flippers. Differences in skeletal loading between land and water might have facilitated such changes. In turtles, femoral shear strains are significantly lower during swimming than during walking, potentially allowing a release from loads favoring tubular shafts. However, flipper-like morphology in specialized tetrapod swimmers is most accentuated in the forelimbs. To test whether the forelimbs of turtles also experience reduced torsional loading in water, we compared strains on the humerus of river cooters (Pseudemys concinna) between swimming and terrestrial walking. We found that humeral shear strains are also lower during swimming than during terrestrial walking; however, this appears to relate to a reduction in overall strain magnitude, rather than a specific reduction in twisting. These results indicate that shear strains show similar reductions between swimming and walking for forelimb and hindlimb, but these reductions are produced through different mechanisms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa K H Young
- Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA
| | | | - Brittany P Wilburn
- Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA
| | - Richard W Blob
- Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Wright PA, Turko AJ. Amphibious fishes: evolution and phenotypic plasticity. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2017; 219:2245-59. [PMID: 27489213 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.126649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2016] [Accepted: 06/29/2016] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Amphibious fishes spend part of their life in terrestrial habitats. The ability to tolerate life on land has evolved independently many times, with more than 200 extant species of amphibious fishes spanning 17 orders now reported. Many adaptations for life out of water have been described in the literature, and adaptive phenotypic plasticity may play an equally important role in promoting favourable matches between the terrestrial habitat and behavioural, physiological, biochemical and morphological characteristics. Amphibious fishes living at the interface of two very different environments must respond to issues relating to buoyancy/gravity, hydration/desiccation, low/high O2 availability, low/high CO2 accumulation and high/low NH3 solubility each time they traverse the air-water interface. Here, we review the literature for examples of plastic traits associated with the response to each of these challenges. Because there is evidence that phenotypic plasticity can facilitate the evolution of fixed traits in general, we summarize the types of investigations needed to more fully determine whether plasticity in extant amphibious fishes can provide indications of the strategies used during the evolution of terrestriality in tetrapods.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Patricia A Wright
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada N1G 2W1
| | - Andy J Turko
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada N1G 2W1
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Van Wassenbergh S, Bonte C, Michel KB. Terrestrial capture of prey by the reedfish, a model species for stem tetrapods. Ecol Evol 2017; 7:3856-3860. [PMID: 28616182 PMCID: PMC5468123 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.2694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2016] [Revised: 11/18/2016] [Accepted: 11/24/2016] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Due to morphological resemblance, polypterid fishes are used as extant analogues of Late Devonian lobe‐finned sarcopterygians to identify the features that allowed the evolution of a terrestrial lifestyle in early tetrapods. Previous studies using polypterids showed how terrestrial locomotion capacity can develop, and how air ventilation for breathing was possible in extinct tetrapodomorphs. Interestingly, one polypterid species, the reedfish Erpetoichthys calabaricus, has been noted being capable of capturing prey on land. We now identified the mechanism of terrestrial prey‐capture in reedfish. We showed that this species uses a lifted trunk and downward inclined head to capture ground‐based prey, remarkably similar to the mechanism described earlier for eel‐catfish. Reedfish similarly use the ground support and flexibility of their elongated body to realize the trunk elevation and dorsoventral flexion of the anterior trunk region, without a role for the pectoral fins. However, curving of the body to lift the trunk may not have been an option for the Devonian tetrapodomorphs as they are significantly less elongated than reedfish and eel‐catfish. This would imply that, in contrast to the eel‐like extant species, evolution of the capacity to capture prey on land in early tetrapods may be linked to the evolution of the pectoral system to lift the anterior part of the body.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sam Van Wassenbergh
- Department of Biology University of Antwerp Antwerp Belgium.,Département d'Ecologie et de Gestion de la Biodiversité Muséum National D'Histoire Naturelle UMR 7179 CNRS Paris Cedex 05 France
| | | | - Krijn B Michel
- Department of Biology University of Antwerp Antwerp Belgium.,Structure & Motion Laboratory The Royal Veterinary College Hatfield Hertfordshire UK
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Houssaye A, Fish FE. Functional (Secondary) Adaptation to an Aquatic Life in Vertebrates: An Introduction to the Symposium. Integr Comp Biol 2016; 56:1266-1270. [DOI: 10.1093/icb/icw129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
|
31
|
Blob RW, Mayerl CJ, Rivera ARV, Rivera G, Young VKH. "On the Fence" versus "All in": Insights from Turtles for the Evolution of Aquatic Locomotor Specializations and Habitat Transitions in Tetrapod Vertebrates. Integr Comp Biol 2016; 56:1310-1322. [PMID: 27940619 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icw121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Though ultimately descended from terrestrial amniotes, turtles have deep roots as an aquatic lineage and are quite diverse in the extent of their aquatic specializations. Many taxa can be viewed as "on the fence" between aquatic and terrestrial realms, whereas others have independently hyperspecialized and moved "all in" to aquatic habitats. Such differences in specialization are reflected strongly in the locomotor system. We have conducted several studies to evaluate the performance consequences of such variation in design, as well as the mechanisms through which specialization for aquatic locomotion is facilitated in turtles. One path to aquatic hyperspecialization has involved the evolutionary transformation of the forelimbs from rowing, tubular limbs with distal paddles into flapping, flattened flippers, as in sea turtles. Prior to the advent of any hydrodynamic advantages, the evolution of such flippers may have been enabled by a reduction in twisting loads on proximal limb bones that accompanied swimming in rowing ancestors, facilitating a shift from tubular to flattened limbs. Moreover, the control of flapping movements appears related primarily to shifts in the activity of a single forelimb muscle, the deltoid. Despite some performance advantages, flapping may entail a locomotor cost in terms of decreased locomotor stability. However, other morphological specializations among rowing species may enhance swimming stability. For example, among highly aquatic pleurodiran turtles, fusion of the pelvis to the shell appears to dramatically reduce motions of the pelvis compared to freshwater cryptodiran species. This could contribute to advantageous increases in aquatic stability among predominantly aquatic pleurodires. Thus, even within the potential constraints of a body plan in which the body is encased by a shell, turtles exhibit diverse locomotor capacities that have enabled diversification into a wide range of aquatic habitats.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Richard W Blob
- *Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, 29634, USA
| | | | | | - Gabriel Rivera
- Department of Biology, Creighton University, Omaha, NE, 68178, USA
| | - Vanessa K H Young
- *Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, 29634, USA
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
McInroe B, Astley HC, Gong C, Kawano SM, Schiebel PE, Rieser JM, Choset H, Blob RW, Goldman DI. Tail use improves performance on soft substrates in models of early vertebrate land locomotors. Science 2016; 353:154-8. [DOI: 10.1126/science.aaf0984] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2015] [Accepted: 05/26/2016] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
|
33
|
Young VKH, Blob RW. Limb bone loading in swimming turtles: changes in loading facilitate transitions from tubular to flipper-shaped limbs during aquatic invasions. Biol Lett 2016; 11:20150110. [PMID: 26085496 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2015.0110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Members of several terrestrial vertebrate lineages have returned to nearly exclusive use of aquatic habitats. These transitions were often accompanied by changes in skeletal morphology, such as flattening of limb bone shafts. Such morphological changes might be correlated with the exposure of limb bones to altered loading. Though the environmental forces acting on the skeleton differ substantially between water and land, no empirical data exist to quantify the impact of such differences on the skeleton, either in terms of load magnitude or regime. To test how locomotor loads change between water and land, we compared in vivo strains from femora of turtles (Trachemys scripta) during swimming and terrestrial walking. As expected, strain magnitudes were much lower (by 67.9%) during swimming than during walking. However, the loading regime of the femur also changed between environments: torsional strains are high during walking, but torsion is largely eliminated during swimming. Changes in loading regime between environments may have enabled evolutionary shifts to hydrodynamically advantageous flattened limb bones in highly aquatic species. Although circular cross sections are optimal for resisting torsional loads, the removal of torsion would reduce the advantage of tubular shapes, facilitating the evolution of flattened limbs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Richard W Blob
- Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Magellan K. Amphibious adaptations in a newly recognized amphibious fish: Terrestrial locomotion and the influences of body size and temperature. AUSTRAL ECOL 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/aec.12332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kit Magellan
- Department of Ichthyology and Fisheries Sciences; Rhodes University; Grahamstown South Africa
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Michel KB, Heiss E, Aerts P, Van Wassenbergh S. A fish that uses its hydrodynamic tongue to feed on land. Proc Biol Sci 2015; 282:rspb.2015.0057. [PMID: 25788596 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2015.0057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
To capture and swallow food on land, a sticky tongue supported by the hyoid and gill arch skeleton has evolved in land vertebrates from aquatic ancestors that used mouth-cavity-expanding actions of the hyoid to suck food into the mouth. However, the evolutionary pathway bridging this drastic shift in feeding mechanism and associated hyoid motions remains unknown. Modern fish that feed on land may help to unravel the physical constraints and biomechanical solutions that led to terrestrialization of fish-feeding systems. Here, we show that the mudskipper emerges onto land with its mouth cavity filled with water, which it uses as a protruding and retracting 'hydrodynamic tongue' during the initial capture and subsequent intra-oral transport of food. Our analyses link this hydrodynamic action of the intra-oral water to a sequence of compressive and expansive cranial motions that diverge from the general pattern known for suction feeding in fishes. However, the hyoid motion pattern showed a remarkable resemblance to newts during tongue prehension. Consequently, although alternative scenarios cannot be excluded, hydrodynamic tongue usage may be a transitional step onto which the evolution of adhesive mucosa and intrinsic lingual muscles can be added to gain further independence from water for terrestrial foraging.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Krijn B Michel
- Department of Biology, Universiteit Antwerpen, Antwerp 2610, Belgium
| | - Egon Heiss
- Department of Biology, Universiteit Antwerpen, Antwerp 2610, Belgium Institute of Systematic Zoology and Evolutionary Biology, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Jena 07743, Germany
| | - Peter Aerts
- Department of Biology, Universiteit Antwerpen, Antwerp 2610, Belgium Department of Movement and Sports Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent 9000, Belgium
| | - Sam Van Wassenbergh
- Department of Biology, Universiteit Antwerpen, Antwerp 2610, Belgium Evolutionary Morphology of Vertebrates, Ghent University, Ghent 9000, Belgium
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Procheş S, Polgar G, Marshall DJ. K-Pg events facilitated lineage transitions between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Biol Lett 2015; 10:rsbl.2014.0010. [PMID: 24919699 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2014.0010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
We use dated phylogenetic trees for tetrapod vertebrates to identify lineages that shifted between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems in terms of feeding or development, and to assess the timing of such events. Both stem and crown lineage ages indicate a peak in transition events in correspondence with the K-Pg mass extinction. This meets the prediction that changes in competitive pressure and resource availability following mass extinction events should facilitate such transitions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Serban Procheş
- Discipline of Geography, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville Campus, PO Box X54001, Durban 4000, South Africa Environmental and Life Sciences Programme, Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Jalan Tungku Link 1410, Brunei Darussalam
| | - Gianluca Polgar
- Environmental and Life Sciences Programme, Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Jalan Tungku Link 1410, Brunei Darussalam
| | - David J Marshall
- Environmental and Life Sciences Programme, Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Jalan Tungku Link 1410, Brunei Darussalam
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Flexibility is everything: prey capture throughout the seasonal habitat switches in the smooth newt Lissotriton vulgaris. ORG DIVERS EVOL 2014; 15:127-142. [PMID: 26097413 PMCID: PMC4470538 DOI: 10.1007/s13127-014-0187-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2014] [Accepted: 10/16/2014] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Transitions between aquatic and terrestrial habitats are significant steps in vertebrate evolution. Due to the different biophysical demands on the whole organism in water and air, such transitions require major changes of many physiological functions, including feeding. Accordingly, the capability to modulate the pre-programmed chain of prey-capture movements might be essential to maintain performance in a new environment. Newts are of special interest in this regard as they show a multiphasic lifestyle where adults change seasonally between an aquatic and a terrestrial stage. For instance, the Alpine newt is capable of using tongue prehension to feed on land only when in the terrestrial stage, but still manages to suction feed if immersed whilst in terrestrial stage. During the aquatic stage, terrestrial feeding always involved grasping prey by the jaws. Here, we show that this seasonal shift in feeding behavior is also present in a species with a shorter terrestrial stage, the smooth newt Lissotriton vulgaris. Behavioral variability increases when animals change from aquatic to terrestrial strikes in the aquatic stage, but prey-capture movements seem to be generally well-coordinated across the feeding modes. Only suction feeding in the terrestrial stage was seldom performed and appeared uncoordinated. Our results indicate that newts exhibit a high degree of seasonal flexibility of the prey-capture behavior. The similarity between movement patterns of suction feeding and terrestrial feeding suggests that only relatively subtle neuromotoric adjustments to the ancestral, suction-feeding motor program are required to successfully feed in the new environment.
Collapse
|
38
|
Blob RW, Higham TE. Terrestrial Locomotion--Where Do We Stand, Where Are We Going? An Introduction to the Symposium. Integr Comp Biol 2014; 54:1051-7. [DOI: 10.1093/icb/icu105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
|
39
|
Blob RW, Espinoza NR, Butcher MT, Lee AH, D'Amico AR, Baig F, Sheffield KM. Diversity of Limb-Bone Safety Factors for Locomotion in Terrestrial Vertebrates: Evolution and Mixed Chains. Integr Comp Biol 2014; 54:1058-71. [DOI: 10.1093/icb/icu032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
|
40
|
Functional anatomy and kinematics of the oral jaw system during terrestrial feeding inPeriophthalmus barbarus. J Morphol 2014; 275:1145-60. [DOI: 10.1002/jmor.20291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2013] [Revised: 04/03/2013] [Accepted: 04/04/2014] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
|
41
|
Pace CM, Gibb AC. Sustained periodic terrestrial locomotion in air-breathing fishes. JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY 2014; 84:639-660. [PMID: 24502775 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.12318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2013] [Accepted: 12/18/2013] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
While emergent behaviours have long been reported for air-breathing osteichthyians, only recently have researchers undertaken quantitative analyses of terrestrial locomotion. This review summarizes studies of sustained periodic terrestrial movements by air-breathing fishes and quantifies the contributions of the paired appendages and the axial body to forward propulsion. Elongate fishes with axial-based locomotion, e.g. the ropefish Erpetoichthys calabaricus, generate an anterior-to-posterior wave of undulation that travels down the axial musculoskeletal system and pushes the body against the substratum at multiple points. In contrast, appendage-based locomotors, e.g. the barred mudskipper Periophthalmus argentilineatus, produce no axial bending during sustained locomotion, but instead use repeated protraction-retraction cycles of the pectoral fins to elevate the centre of mass and propel the entire body anteriorly. Fishes that use an axial-appendage-based mechanism, e.g. walking catfishes Clarias spp., produce side-to-side, whole-body bending in co-ordination with protraction-retraction cycles of the pectoral fins. Once the body is maximally bent to one side, the tail is pressed against the substratum and drawn back through the mid-sagittal plane, which elevates the centre of mass and rotates it about a fulcrum formed by the pectoral fin and the ground. Although appendage-based terrestrial locomotion appears to be rare in osteichthyians, many different species appear to have converged upon functionally similar axial-based and axial-appendage-based movements. Based on common forms observed across divergent taxa, it appears that dorsoventral compression of the body, elongation of the axial skeleton or the presence of robust pectoral fins can facilitate effective terrestrial movement by air-breathing fishes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- C M Pace
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Arizona University, Box 5640, Flagstaff, AZ 86011, U.S.A
| | | |
Collapse
|