1
|
Ollonen J, Khannoon ER, Macrì S, Vergilov V, Kuurne J, Saarikivi J, Soukainen A, Aalto IM, Werneburg I, Diaz RE, Di-Poï N. Dynamic evolutionary interplay between ontogenetic skull patterning and whole-head integration. Nat Ecol Evol 2024; 8:536-551. [PMID: 38200368 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-023-02295-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
The arrangement and morphology of the vertebrate skull reflect functional and ecological demands, making it a highly adaptable structure. However, the fundamental developmental and macroevolutionary mechanisms leading to different vertebrate skull phenotypes remain unclear. Here we exploit the morphological diversity of squamate reptiles to assess the developmental and evolutionary patterns of skull variation and covariation in the whole head. Our geometric morphometric analysis of a complex squamate ontogenetic dataset (209 specimens, 169 embryos, 44 species), covering stages from craniofacial primordia to fully ossified bones, reveals that morphological differences between snake and lizard skulls arose gradually through changes in spatial relationships (heterotopy) followed by alterations in developmental timing or rate (heterochrony). Along with dynamic spatiotemporal changes in the integration pattern of skull bone shape and topology with surrounding brain tissues and sensory organs, we identify a relatively higher phenotypic integration of the developing snake head compared with lizards. The eye, nasal cavity and Jacobson's organ are pivotal in skull morphogenesis, highlighting the importance of sensory rearrangements in snake evolution. Furthermore, our findings demonstrate the importance of early embryonic, ontogenetic and tissue interactions in shaping craniofacial evolution and ecological diversification in squamates, with implications for the nature of cranio-cerebral relations across vertebrates.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joni Ollonen
- Institute of Biotechnology, Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Eraqi R Khannoon
- Biology Department, College of Science, Taibah University, Al Madinah Al Munawwarah, Saudi Arabia
- Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Fayoum University, Fayoum, Egypt
| | - Simone Macrì
- Institute of Biotechnology, Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Vladislav Vergilov
- National Museum of Natural History, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Jaakko Kuurne
- Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jarmo Saarikivi
- Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Arttu Soukainen
- Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Ida-Maria Aalto
- Institute of Biotechnology, Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Ingmar Werneburg
- Senckenberg Centre for Human Evolution and Palaeoenvironment, Eberhard Karls Universität, Tübingen, Germany
- Fachbereich Geowissenschaften, Eberhard Karls Universität, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Raul E Diaz
- Department of Biological Sciences, California State University, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Herpetology, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Nicolas Di-Poï
- Institute of Biotechnology, Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Pandelis GG, Grundler MC, Rabosky DL. Ecological correlates of cranial evolution in the megaradiation of dipsadine snakes. BMC Ecol Evol 2023; 23:48. [PMID: 37679675 PMCID: PMC10485986 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-023-02157-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Dipsadine snakes represent one of the most spectacular vertebrate radiations that have occurred in any continental setting, with over 800 species in South and Central America. Their species richness is paralleled by stunning ecological diversity, ranging from arboreal snail-eating and aquatic eel-eating specialists to terrestrial generalists. Despite the ecological importance of this clade, little is known about the extent to which ecological specialization shapes broader patterns of phenotypic diversity within the group. Here, we test how habitat use and diet have influenced morphological diversification in skull shape across 160 dipsadine species using micro-CT and 3-D geometric morphometrics, and we use a phylogenetic comparative approach to test the contributions of habitat use and diet composition to variation in skull shape among species. RESULTS We demonstrate that while both habitat use and diet are significant predictors of shape in many regions of the skull, habitat use significantly predicts shape in a greater number of skull regions when compared to diet. We also find that across ecological groupings, fossorial and aquatic behaviors result in the strongest deviations in morphospace for several skull regions. We use simulations to address the robustness of our results and describe statistical anomalies that can arise from the application of phylogenetic generalized least squares to complex shape data. CONCLUSIONS Both habitat and dietary ecology are significantly correlated with skull shape in dipsadines; the strongest relationships involved skull shape in snakes with aquatic and fossorial lifestyles. This association between skull morphology and multiple ecological axes is consistent with a classic model of adaptive radiation and suggests that ecological factors were an important component in driving morphological diversification in the dipsadine megaradiation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gregory G Pandelis
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109, USA.
- Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109, USA.
- Amphibian and Reptile Diversity Research Center, Department of Biology, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, Texas, 76019, USA.
| | - Michael C Grundler
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109, USA
- Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109, USA
| | - Daniel L Rabosky
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109, USA
- Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109, USA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Evans KM, Larouche O, Gartner SM, Faucher RE, Dee SG, Westneat MW. Beaks promote rapid morphological diversification along distinct evolutionary trajectories in labrid fishes (Eupercaria: Labridae). Evolution 2023; 77:2000-2014. [PMID: 37345732 DOI: 10.1093/evolut/qpad115] [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: 10/05/2022] [Revised: 06/09/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 06/23/2023]
Abstract
The upper and lower jaws of some wrasses (Eupercaria: Labridae) possess teeth that have been coalesced into a strong durable beak that they use to graze on hard coral skeletons, hard-shelled prey, and algae, allowing many of these species to function as important ecosystem engineers in their respective marine habitats. While the ecological impact of the beak is well understood, questions remain about its evolutionary history and the effects of this innovation on the downstream patterns of morphological evolution. Here we analyze 3D cranial shape data in a phylogenetic comparative framework and use paleoclimate modeling to reconstruct the evolution of the labrid beak across 205 species. We find that wrasses evolved beaks three times independently, once within odacines and twice within parrotfishes in the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. We find an increase in the rate of shape evolution in the Scarus+Chlorurus+Hipposcarus (SCH) clade of parrotfishes likely driven by the evolution of the intramandibular joint. Paleoclimate modeling shows that the SCH clade of parrotfishes rapidly morphologically diversified during the middle Miocene. We hypothesize that possession of a beak in the SCH clade coupled with favorable environmental conditions allowed these species to rapidly morphologically diversify.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kory M Evans
- Department of Biosciences, Rice University, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Olivier Larouche
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Houston, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Samantha M Gartner
- Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Rose E Faucher
- Department of Biosciences, Rice University, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Sylvia G Dee
- Department of Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences, Rice University, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Mark W Westneat
- Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Carrasco PA, Prystupczuk L, Koch C, González GA, Leynaud GC, Grazziotin FG. Patterns of morphological variation and ecological correlates in the skull of vipers (Serpentes: Viperidae). J Morphol 2023; 284:e21617. [PMID: 37458083 DOI: 10.1002/jmor.21617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2022] [Revised: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
The skull of vipers is a highly kinetic anatomical structure involved in envenomating and consuming of prey. Morphological knowledge about the viperid skull is based on studies on some groups of species, but information on its variation within the whole family and its functional morphology is still scarce. In this study, we aimed to explore variation in skull morphology among species of the three subfamilies of Viperidae, and test whether that variation correlates with macrohabitat and diet. We performed quantitative analyses of the viperid skull based on broad taxonomic sampling and two methodological approaches: linear and geometric morphometrics. The results of both approaches showed that much of the variation lies in differences of shape and relative size of the premaxilla, the nasals, the frontals, and the parietals. The results indicated that phylogeny and size influence the shape of the skull, but we also found evidence of morphological differentiation between arboreal and terrestrial species and in species with mammal specialist diet. Our findings imply that, besides evolutionary allometry and phylogenetic signal, demands of particular diets coupled with use of certain habitats have in part shaped morphological evolution of the viperid skull.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Paola A Carrasco
- Centro de Zoología Aplicada, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
- Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, (IDEA-CONICET), Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Lilen Prystupczuk
- Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, (IDEA-CONICET), Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Claudia Koch
- Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change, Museum Koenig, Bonn, Germany
| | - Germán A González
- Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, (IDEA-CONICET), Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Gerardo C Leynaud
- Centro de Zoología Aplicada, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
- Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, (IDEA-CONICET), Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Felipe G Grazziotin
- Laboratório de Coleções Zoológicas, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Gripshover ND, Hennessey P, McBrayer LD, Meik JM, Watson CM, Cox CL. When Food Fights Back: Skull Morphology and Feeding Behavior of Centipede-Eating Snakes. Integr Comp Biol 2023; 63:34-47. [PMID: 37248050 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icad047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2023] [Revised: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Feeding is a complex process that involves an integrated response of multiple functional systems. Animals evolve phenotypic integration of complex morphological traits to covary and maximize performance of feeding behaviors. Specialization, such as feeding on dangerous prey, can further shape the integration of behavior and morphology as traits are expected to evolve and maintain function in parallel. Feeding on centipedes, with their powerful forcipules that pinch and inject venom, has evolved multiple times within snakes, including the genus Tantilla. However, the behavioral and morphological adaptations used to consume this dangerous prey are poorly understood. By studying snakes with varying degrees of dietary specialization, we can test the integration of diet, morphology, and behavior to better understand the evolution of consuming difficult prey. We studied the prey preference and feeding behavior of Tantilla using the flat-headed snake (T. gracilis) and the crowned snake (T. coronata), which differ in the percentage of centipedes in their diet. We then quantified cranial anatomy using geometric morphometric data from CT scans. To test prey preference, we offered multiple types of prey and recorded snake behavior. Both species of snakes showed interest in multiple prey types, but only struck or consumed centipedes. To subdue centipedes, crowned snakes used coiling and holding (envenomation) immediately after striking, while flat-headed snakes used the novel behavior of pausing and holding onto centipedes for a prolonged time prior to the completion of swallowing. Each skull element differed in shape after removing the effects of size, position, and orientation. The rear fang was larger in crowned snakes, but the mechanical advantage of the lower jaw was greater in flat-headed snakes. Our results suggest that the integration of behavioral and morphological adaptations is important for the success of subduing and consuming dangerous prey.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Noah D Gripshover
- Department of Biological Sciences, Institute of Environment, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, USA
| | - Patrick Hennessey
- School of Biological and Behavioral Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, E1 4NS, UK
| | - Lance D McBrayer
- Department of Biology, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA 30458, USA
| | - Jesse M Meik
- Department of Biological Sciences, Tarleton State University, Stephenville, TX 76402, USA
| | - Charles M Watson
- Department of Life Sciences, Texas A&M-San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78224, USA
| | - Christian L Cox
- Department of Biological Sciences, Institute of Environment, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, USA
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Goswami A, Noirault E, Coombs EJ, Clavel J, Fabre AC, Halliday TJD, Churchill M, Curtis A, Watanabe A, Simmons NB, Beatty BL, Geisler JH, Fox DL, Felice RN. Developmental origin underlies evolutionary rate variation across the placental skull. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2023; 378:20220083. [PMID: 37183904 PMCID: PMC10184245 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2022.0083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2023] Open
Abstract
The placental skull has evolved into myriad forms, from longirostrine whales to globular primates, and with a diverse array of appendages from antlers to tusks. This disparity has recently been studied from the perspective of the whole skull, but the skull is composed of numerous elements that have distinct developmental origins and varied functions. Here, we assess the evolution of the skull's major skeletal elements, decomposed into 17 individual regions. Using a high-dimensional morphometric approach for a dataset of 322 living and extinct eutherians (placental mammals and their stem relatives), we quantify patterns of variation and estimate phylogenetic, allometric and ecological signal across the skull. We further compare rates of evolution across ecological categories and ordinal-level clades and reconstruct rates of evolution along lineages and through time to assess whether developmental origin or function discriminate the evolutionary trajectories of individual cranial elements. Our results demonstrate distinct macroevolutionary patterns across cranial elements that reflect the ecological adaptations of major clades. Elements derived from neural crest show the fastest rates of evolution, but ecological signal is equally pronounced in bones derived from neural crest and paraxial mesoderm, suggesting that developmental origin may influence evolutionary tempo, but not capacity for specialisation. This article is part of the theme issue 'The mammalian skull: development, structure and function'.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anjali Goswami
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London SW7 5BD, UK
- Department of Genetics, Evolution, and Environment, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Eve Noirault
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London SW7 5BD, UK
| | - Ellen J Coombs
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London SW7 5BD, UK
- Department of Genetics, Evolution, and Environment, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20013, USA
| | - Julien Clavel
- Université Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, ENTPE, UMR 5023 LEHNA, 69622 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Anne-Claire Fabre
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London SW7 5BD, UK
- Naturhistorisches Museum Bern, 3005 Bern, Switzerland
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Thomas J D Halliday
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London SW7 5BD, UK
- School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
| | - Morgan Churchill
- Department of Biology, University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, Oshkosh, WI 54901, USA
| | - Abigail Curtis
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Akinobu Watanabe
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London SW7 5BD, UK
- Department of Anatomy, College of Osteopathic Medicine, New York Institute of Technology, Old Westbury, NY 11568, USA
- Division of Paleontology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY 10024, USA
| | - Nancy B Simmons
- Department of Mammalogy, Division of Vertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY 10024, USA
| | - Brian L Beatty
- Department of Paleobiology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20013, USA
- Department of Anatomy, College of Osteopathic Medicine, New York Institute of Technology, Old Westbury, NY 11568, USA
| | - Jonathan H Geisler
- Department of Paleobiology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20013, USA
- Department of Anatomy, College of Osteopathic Medicine, New York Institute of Technology, Old Westbury, NY 11568, USA
| | - David L Fox
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Ryan N Felice
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London SW7 5BD, UK
- Department of Genetics, Evolution, and Environment, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
- Centre for Integrative Anatomy, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Pourmasumi S, Kounis NG, Naderi M, Hosseinisadat R, Khoradmehr A, Fagheirelahee N, Kouni SN, de Gregorio C, Dousdampanis P, Mplani V, Michalaki MA, Plotas P, Assimakopoulos S, Gogos C, Aidonidis G, Roditis P, Matsas N, Velissaris D, Calogiuri G, Hung MY, Koniari I. Effects of COVID-19 Infection and Vaccination on the Female Reproductive System: A Narrative Review. Balkan Med J 2023; 40:153-164. [PMID: 37114907 PMCID: PMC10175880 DOI: 10.4274/balkanmedj.galenos.2023.2023-3-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2023] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Several studies and research papers have been published to elucidate and understand the mechanism of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and its long-term effects on the human body. COVID-19 affects a number of organs, including the female reproductive system. However, less attention has been given to the effects of COVID-19 on the female reproductive system due to their low morbidity. The results of studies investigating the relationship between COVID-19 infection and ovarian function in women of reproductive age have shown the harmless involvement of COVID-19 infection. Several studies have reported the involvement of COVID-19 infection in oocyte quality, ovarian function, and dysfunctions in the uterine endometrium and the menstrual cycle. The findings of these studies indicate that COVID-19 infection negatively affects the follicular microenvironment and dysregulate ovarian function. Although the COVID-19 pandemic and female reproductive health have been studied in humans and animals, very few studies have examined how COVID-19 affects the female reproductive system. The objective of this review is to summarize the current literature and categorize the effects of COVID-19 on the female reproductive system, including the ovaries, uterus, and hormonal profiles. The effects on oocyte maturation, oxidative stress, which causes chromosomal instability and apoptosis in ovaries, in vitro fertilization cycle, high-quality embryos, premature ovarian insufficiency, ovarian vein thrombosis, hypercoagulable state, women’s menstrual cycle, the hypothalamus-pituitary-ovary axis, and sex hormones, including estrogen, progesterone, and the anti-Müllerian hormone, are discussed in particular.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Soheila Pourmasumi
- Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan, Iran
- Clinical Research Development Unit, Ali-Ibn Abi-Talib Hospital, Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan, Iran
| | - Nicholas G. Kounis
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Cardiology, University of Patras Medical School, Patras, Greece
| | - Monavar Naderi
- Knowledge and Information Science, Vice Chancellor for Science and Technology, Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan, Iran
| | - Robabe Hosseinisadat
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Arezoo Khoradmehr
- The Persian Gulf Marine Biotechnology Research Center, The Persian Gulf Biomedical Sciences Research Institute, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Bushehr, Iran
| | - Niloofar Fagheirelahee
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran
| | | | - Cesare de Gregorio
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Messina Medical School, Messina, Italy
| | | | - Virginia Mplani
- Intensive Care Unit, Patras University Hospital, Patras, Greece
| | - Marina A. Michalaki
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Fculty of Health Sciences, University of Patras, Patras, Greece
| | | | - Stelios Assimakopoulos
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Patras Medical School, Patras, Greece
| | - Christos Gogos
- COVID-19 Unit, Papageorgiou General Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | | | - Pavlos Roditis
- Department of Cardiology, Mamatsio Kozanis General Hospital, Kozani, Greece
| | | | | | - Gianfranco Calogiuri
- Pneumonology Department, Civil Hospital “Ninetto Melli”, Pietro Vernoti, Brindisi, Italy
- Department of Internal Medicine, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Section of Allergology and Clinical Immunology, University of Bari Medical School, Bari, Italy
| | - Ming-Yow Hung
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Shuang Ho Hospital, Taipei Medical University, New Taipei City, Taiwan
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Taipei Heart Institute, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Ioanna Koniari
- Departmentof Cardiology, Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital, Liverpool, UK
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Segall M, Houssin C, Delapré A, Cornette R, Herrel A, Milgram J, Shahar R, Dumont M. Armed to the teeth: The underestimated diversity in tooth shape in snakes and its relation to feeding behavior and diet. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10011. [PMID: 37066060 PMCID: PMC10099486 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2023] [Revised: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/31/2023] [Indexed: 04/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The structure, composition, and shape of teeth have been related to dietary specialization in many vertebrate species, but comparative studies on snakes' teeth are lacking. Yet, snakes have diverse dietary habits that may impact the shape of their teeth. We hypothesize that prey properties, such as hardness and shape, as well as feeding behavior, such as aquatic or arboreal predation, or holding vigorous prey, impose constraints on the evolution of tooth shape in snakes. We compared the morphology of the dentary teeth of 63 species that cover the phylogenetic and dietary diversity of snakes, using 3D geometric morphometrics and linear measurements. Our results show that prey hardness, foraging substrate, and the main feeding mechanical challenge are important drivers of tooth shape, size, and curvature. Overall, long, slender, curved teeth with a thin layer of hard tissue are observed in species that need to maintain a grip on their prey. Short, stout, less curved teeth are associated with species that undergo high or repeated loads. Our study demonstrates the diversity of tooth morphology in snakes and the need to investigate its underlying functional implications to better understand the evolution of teeth in vertebrates.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marion Segall
- Department of Life SciencesThe Natural History MuseumLondonUK
- Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), UMR 7205Muséum National d'Histoire naturelle, CNRS, SU, EPHE, UAParisFrance
| | - Céline Houssin
- Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), UMR 7205Muséum National d'Histoire naturelle, CNRS, SU, EPHE, UAParisFrance
| | - Arnaud Delapré
- Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), UMR 7205Muséum National d'Histoire naturelle, CNRS, SU, EPHE, UAParisFrance
| | - Raphaël Cornette
- Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), UMR 7205Muséum National d'Histoire naturelle, CNRS, SU, EPHE, UAParisFrance
| | - Anthony Herrel
- Mécanismes Adaptatifs et Evolution, UMR 7179, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle CNRSParisFrance
| | - Joshua Milgram
- Laboratory of Bone Biomechanics, Koret School of Veterinary MedicineThe Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, HUJIRehovotIsrael
| | - Ron Shahar
- Laboratory of Bone Biomechanics, Koret School of Veterinary MedicineThe Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, HUJIRehovotIsrael
| | - Maïtena Dumont
- Laboratory of Bone Biomechanics, Koret School of Veterinary MedicineThe Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, HUJIRehovotIsrael
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Carrasco PA, Koch C, Grazziotin FG, Venegas PJ, Chaparro JC, Scrocchi GJ, Salazar-Valenzuela D, Leynaud GC, Mattoni CI. Total-evidence phylogeny and evolutionary morphology of New World pitvipers (Serpentes: Viperidae: Crotalinae). Cladistics 2023; 39:71-100. [PMID: 36701490 DOI: 10.1111/cla.12522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2022] [Revised: 12/05/2022] [Accepted: 12/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Crotalines (pitvipers) in the Americas are distributed from southern Canada to southern Argentina, and are represented by 13 genera and 163 species that constitute a monophyletic group. Their phylogenetic relationships have been assessed mostly based on DNA sequences, while morphological data have scarcely been used for phylogenetic inquiry. We present a total-evidence phylogeny of New World pitvipers, the most taxon/character comprehensive phylogeny to date. Our analysis includes all genera, morphological data from external morphology, cranial osteology and hemipenial morphology, and DNA sequences from mitochondrial and nuclear genes. We performed analyses with parsimony as an optimality criterion, using different schemes for character weighting. We evaluated the contribution of the different sources of characters to the phylogeny through analyses of reduced datasets and calculation of weighted homoplasy and retention indexes. We performed a morphological character analysis to identify synapomorphies for the main clades. In terms of biogeography, our results support a single colonization event of the Americas by pitvipers, and a cladogenetic event into a Neotropical clade and a North American/Neotropical clade. The results also shed light on the previously unstable position of some taxa, although they could not sufficiently resolve the position of Bothrops lojanus, which may lead to the paraphyly of either Bothrops or Bothrocophias. The morphological character analyses demonstrated that an important phylogenetic signal is contained in characters related to head scalation, the jaws and the dorsum of the skull, and allowed us to detect morphological convergences in external morphology associated with arboreality.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Paola A Carrasco
- Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Centro de Zoología Aplicada, Rondeau 798, Córdoba, 5000, Argentina.,Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal (IDEA-CONICET), Rondeau, 798, Córdoba, 5000, Argentina
| | - Claudia Koch
- Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change/Zoologisches Forschungsinstitute und Museum Alexander Koenig, Adenauerallee 160, 53113, Bonn, Germany
| | - Felipe G Grazziotin
- Laboratório de Coleções Zoológicas, Instituto Butantan, Avenida Vital Brasil, 1500, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Pablo J Venegas
- Instituto Peruano de Herpetología, Salazar Bondy 136, Santiago de Surco 15038, Lima, Peru.,Rainforest Partnership, 4005 Guadalupe St, Austin, TX, 78751, USA
| | - Juan C Chaparro
- Museo de Biodiversidad del Perú, Urbanización Mariscal Gamarra A-61, Zona 2, Cusco, Peru.,Museo de Historia Natural de la Universidad Nacional de San Antonio Abad del Cusco, Paraninfo Universitario (Plaza de Armas s/n), Cusco, Peru
| | - Gustavo J Scrocchi
- UEL-CONICET and Fundación Miguel Lillo, Miguel Lillo 251, San Miguel de Tucumán, Tucumán, Argentina
| | - David Salazar-Valenzuela
- Centro de Investigación de la Biodiversidad y Cambio Climático (BioCamb) e Ingeniería en Biodiversidad y Recursos Genéticos, Facultad de Ciencias de Medio Ambiente, Universidad Tecnológica Indoamérica, Machala y Sabanilla, EC170301, Quito, Ecuador
| | - Gerardo C Leynaud
- Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Centro de Zoología Aplicada, Rondeau 798, Córdoba, 5000, Argentina.,Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal (IDEA-CONICET), Rondeau, 798, Córdoba, 5000, Argentina
| | - Camilo I Mattoni
- Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Centro de Zoología Aplicada, Rondeau 798, Córdoba, 5000, Argentina.,Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal (IDEA-CONICET), Rondeau, 798, Córdoba, 5000, Argentina
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Evans KM, Larouche O, West JL, Gartner SM, Westneat MW. Burrowing constrains patterns of skull shape evolution in wrasses. Evol Dev 2023; 25:73-84. [PMID: 35971630 DOI: 10.1111/ede.12415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2022] [Revised: 07/08/2022] [Accepted: 07/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
The evolution of behavioral and ecological specialization can have marked effects on the tempo and mode of phenotypic evolution. Head-first burrowing has been shown to exert powerful selective pressures on the head and body shapes of many vertebrate and invertebrate taxa. In wrasses, burrowing behaviors have evolved multiple times independently, and are commonly used in foraging and predator avoidance behaviors. While recent studies have examined the kinematics and body shape morphology associated with this behavior, no study to-date has examined the macroevolutionary implications of burrowing on patterns of phenotypic diversification in this clade. Here, we use three-dimensional geometric morphometrics and phylogenetic comparative methods to study the evolution of skull shape in fossorial wrasses and their relatives. We test for skull shape differences between burrowing and non burrowing wrasses and evaluate hypotheses of shape convergence among the burrowing wrasses. We also quantify rates of skull shape evolution between burrowing and non burrowing wrasses to test for whether burrowing constrains or accelerates rates of skull shape evolution in this clade. We find that while burrowing and non burrowing wrasses exhibit similar degrees of morphological disparity, for burrowing wrasses, it took nearly twice as long to amass this disparity. Furthermore, while the disparities between groups are evenly matched, we find that most burrowing species are confined to a particular region of shape space with most species exhibiting narrower heads than many non-burrowing species. These results suggest head-first burrowing constrains patterns of skull shape diversification in wrasses by potentially restricting the range of phenotypes that can perform this behavior.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kory M Evans
- Department of Bioscience, Rice University, Houston, Texas, USA
| | | | - JoJo L West
- Department of Bioscience, Rice University, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Samantha M Gartner
- Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, University of Chicago Biological Sciences Division, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Mark W Westneat
- Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, University of Chicago Biological Sciences Division, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Ferreira-Cardoso S, Claude J, Goswami A, Delsuc F, Hautier L. Flexible conservatism in the skull modularity of convergently evolved myrmecophagous placental mammals. BMC Ecol Evol 2022; 22:87. [PMID: 35773630 PMCID: PMC9248141 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-022-02030-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2021] [Accepted: 06/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The skull of placental mammals constitutes one of the best studied systems for phenotypic modularity. Several studies have found strong evidence for the conserved presence of two- and six-module architectures, while the strength of trait correlations (integration) has been associated with major developmental processes such as somatic growth, muscle-bone interactions, and tooth eruption. Among placentals, ant- and termite-eating (myrmecophagy) represents an exemplar case of dietary convergence, accompanied by the selection of several cranial morphofunctional traits such as rostrum elongation, tooth loss, and mastication loss. Despite such drastic functional modifications, the covariance patterns of the skull of convergently evolved myrmecophagous placentals are yet to be studied in order to assess the potential consequences of this dietary shift on cranial modularity. Results Here, we performed a landmark-based morphometric analysis of cranial covariance patterns in 13 species of myrmecophagous placentals. Our analyses reveal that most myrmecophagous species present skulls divided into six to seven modules (depending on the confirmatory method used), with architectures similar to those of non-myrmecophagous placentals (therian six modules). Within-module integration is also similar to what was previously described for other placentals, suggesting that most covariance-generating processes are conserved across the clade. Nevertheless, we show that extreme rostrum elongation and tooth loss in myrmecophagid anteaters have resulted in a shift in intermodule correlations in the proximal region of the rostrum. Namely, the naso-frontal and maxillo-palatine regions are strongly correlated with the oro-nasal module, suggesting an integrated rostrum conserved from pre-natal developmental processes. In contrast, the similarly toothless pangolins show a weaker correlation between the anterior rostral modules, resembling the pattern of toothed placentals. Conclusions These results reveal that despite some integration shifts related to extreme functional and morphological features of myrmecophagous skulls, cranial modular architectures have conserved the typical mammalian scheme. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12862-022-02030-9.
Collapse
|
12
|
Law CJ, Blackwell EA, Curtis AA, Dickinson E, Hartstone-Rose A, Santana SE. Decoupled evolution of the cranium and mandible in carnivoran mammals. Evolution 2022; 76:2959-2974. [PMID: 35875871 DOI: 10.1111/evo.14578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2022] [Revised: 06/06/2022] [Accepted: 06/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
The relationship between skull morphology and diet is a prime example of adaptive evolution. In mammals, the skull consists of the cranium and the mandible. Although the mandible is expected to evolve more directly in response to dietary changes, dietary regimes may have less influence on the cranium because additional sensory and brain-protection functions may impose constraints on its morphological evolution. Here, we tested this hypothesis by comparing the evolutionary patterns of cranium and mandible shape and size across 100+ species of carnivoran mammals with distinct feeding ecologies. Our results show decoupled modes of evolution in cranial and mandibular shape; cranial shape follows clade-based evolutionary shifts, whereas mandibular shape evolution is linked to broad dietary regimes. These results are consistent with previous hypotheses regarding hierarchical morphological evolution in carnivorans and greater evolutionary lability of the mandible with respect to diet. Furthermore, in hypercarnivores, the evolution of both cranial and mandibular size is associated with relative prey size. This demonstrates that dietary diversity can be loosely structured by craniomandibular size within some guilds. Our results suggest that mammal skull morphological evolution is shaped by mechanisms beyond dietary adaptation alone.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chris J Law
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas, Austin, Texas, 78712.,Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, 98105.,Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, 98105.,Richard Gilder Graduate School, American Museum of Natural History, New York, New York, 10024.,Department of Mammalogy, American Museum of Natural History, New York, New York, 10024.,Division of Paleontology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, New York, 10024
| | - Emily A Blackwell
- Richard Gilder Graduate School, American Museum of Natural History, New York, New York, 10024.,Department of Mammalogy, American Museum of Natural History, New York, New York, 10024.,Division of Paleontology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, New York, 10024.,Department of Biological Sciences, Smith College, Northampton, Massachusetts, 01063
| | - Abigail A Curtis
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, 98105.,Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, 98105
| | - Edwin Dickinson
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, 27695.,Department of Anatomy, New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine, New York, New York, 11545
| | - Adam Hartstone-Rose
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, 27695
| | - Sharlene E Santana
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, 98105.,Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, 98105
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Sansalone G, Paolo C, Riccardo C, Stephen W, Silvia C, Pasquale R. Trapped in the morphospace: The relationship between morphological integration and functional performance. Evolution 2022; 76:2020-2031. [PMID: 35864587 PMCID: PMC9542761 DOI: 10.1111/evo.14575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2021] [Revised: 05/02/2022] [Accepted: 05/04/2022] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
The evolution of complex morphological structures can be characterized by the interplay between different anatomical regions evolving under functional integration in response to shared selective pressures. Using the highly derived humeral morphology of talpid moles as a model, here we test whether functional performance is linked to increased levels of evolutionary integration between humerus subunits and, if so, what the strength is of the relationship. Combining two-dimensional geometric morphometrics, phylogenetic comparative methods, and functional landscape modeling, we demonstrate that the high biomechanical performance of subterranean moles' humeri is coupled with elevated levels of integration, whereas taxa with low-performance values show intermediate or low integration. Theoretical morphs occurring in high-performance areas of the functional landscape are not occupied by any species, and show a marked drop in covariation levels, suggesting the existence of a strong relationship between integration and performance in the evolution of talpid moles' humeri. We argue that the relative temporal invariance of the subterranean environment may have contributed to stabilize humeral morphology, trapping subterranean moles in a narrow region of the landscape and impeding any attempt to reposition on a new ascending slope.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gabriele Sansalone
- Function, Evolution and Anatomy Research Lab, Zoology Division, School of Environmental and Rural ScienceUniversity of New EnglandArmidaleNSW2351Australia,Institute for Marine Biological Resources and Biotechnology (IRBIM)National Research CouncilMessina98122Italy
| | - Colangelo Paolo
- Research Institute on Terrestrial EcosystemsNational Research CouncilMontelibretti00015Italy
| | - Castiglia Riccardo
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology “Charles Darwin,”“La Sapienza” University of RomeRoma00161Italy
| | - Wroe Stephen
- Function, Evolution and Anatomy Research Lab, Zoology Division, School of Environmental and Rural ScienceUniversity of New EnglandArmidaleNSW2351Australia
| | - Castiglione Silvia
- Department of Earth Sciences, Environment and ResourcesUniversità degli Studi di Napoli Federico IINaples80138Italy
| | - Raia Pasquale
- Department of Earth Sciences, Environment and ResourcesUniversità degli Studi di Napoli Federico IINaples80138Italy
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Convergence, divergence, and macroevolutionary constraint as revealed by anatomical network analysis of the squamate skull, with an emphasis on snakes. Sci Rep 2022; 12:14469. [PMID: 36008512 PMCID: PMC9411180 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-18649-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Traditionally considered the earliest-diverging group of snakes, scolecophidians are central to major evolutionary paradigms regarding squamate feeding mechanisms and the ecological origins of snakes. However, quantitative analyses of these phenomena remain scarce. Herein, we therefore assess skull modularity in squamates via anatomical network analysis, focusing on the interplay between ‘microstomy’ (small-gaped feeding), fossoriality, and miniaturization in scolecophidians. Our analyses reveal distinctive patterns of jaw connectivity across purported ‘microstomatans’, thus supporting a more complex scenario of jaw evolution than traditionally portrayed. We also find that fossoriality and miniaturization each define a similar region of topospace (i.e., connectivity-based morphospace), with their combined influence imposing further evolutionary constraint on skull architecture. These results ultimately indicate convergence among scolecophidians, refuting widespread perspectives of these snakes as fundamentally plesiomorphic and morphologically homogeneous. This network-based examination of skull modularity—the first of its kind for snakes, and one of the first to analyze squamates—thus provides key insights into macroevolutionary trends among squamates, with particular implications for snake origins and evolution.
Collapse
|
15
|
High-Density Three-Dimensional Morphometric Analyses Reveal Predation-Based Disparity and Evolutionary Modularity in Spider ‘Jaws’. Evol Biol 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s11692-022-09576-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
|
16
|
Abstract
AbstractEvolvability is best addressed from a multi-level, macroevolutionary perspective through a comparative approach that tests for among-clade differences in phenotypic diversification in response to an opportunity, such as encountered after a mass extinction, entering a new adaptive zone, or entering a new geographic area. Analyzing the dynamics of clades under similar environmental conditions can (partially) factor out shared external drivers to recognize intrinsic differences in evolvability, aiming for a macroevolutionary analog of a common-garden experiment. Analyses will be most powerful when integrating neontological and paleontological data: determining differences among extant populations that can be hypothesized to generate large-scale, long-term contrasts in evolvability among clades; or observing large-scale differences among clade histories that can by hypothesized to reflect contrasts in genetics and development observed directly in extant populations. However, many comparative analyses can be informative on their own, as explored in this overview. Differences in clade-level evolvability can be visualized in diversity-disparity plots, which can quantify positive and negative departures of phenotypic productivity from stochastic expectations scaled to taxonomic diversification. Factors that evidently can promote evolvability include modularity—when selection aligns with modular structure or with morphological integration patterns; pronounced ontogenetic changes in morphology, as in allometry or multiphase life cycles; genome size; and a variety of evolutionary novelties, which can also be evaluated using macroevolutionary lags between the acquisition of a trait and phenotypic diversification, and dead-clade-walking patterns that may signal a loss of evolvability when extrinsic factors can be excluded. High speciation rates may indirectly foster phenotypic evolvability, and vice versa. Mechanisms are controversial, but clade evolvability may be higher in the Cambrian, and possibly early in the history of clades at other times; in the tropics; and, for marine organisms, in shallow-water disturbed habitats.
Collapse
|
17
|
Flury JM, Hilgers L, Herder F, Spanke T, Misof B, Wowor D, Boneka F, Wantania LL, Mokodongan DF, Mayer C, Nolte AW, Schwarzer J. The genetic basis of a novel reproductive strategy in Sulawesi ricefishes: How modularity and a low number of loci shape pelvic brooding. Evolution 2022; 76:1033-1051. [PMID: 35334114 DOI: 10.1111/evo.14475] [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: 06/20/2021] [Revised: 01/21/2022] [Accepted: 01/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
The evolution of complex phenotypes like reproductive strategies is challenging to understand, as they often depend on multiple adaptations that only jointly result in a specific functionality. Sulawesi ricefishes (Adrianichthyidae) evolved a reproductive strategy termed as pelvic brooding. In contrast to the more common transfer brooding, female pelvic brooders carry an egg bundle connected to their body for weeks until the fry hatches. To examine the genetic architecture of pelvic brooding, we crossed the pelvic brooding Oryzias eversi and the transfer brooding Oryzias nigrimas (species divergence time: ∼3.6 my). We hypothesize, that a low number of loci and modularity have facilitated the rapid evolution of pelvic brooding. Traits associated to pelvic brooding, like rib length, pelvic fin length, and morphology of the genital papilla, were correlated in the parental species but correlations were reduced or lost in their F1 and F2 hybrids. Using the Castle-Wright estimator, we found that generally few loci underlie the studied traits. Further, both parental species showed modularity in their body plans. In conclusion, morphological traits related to pelvic brooding were based on a few loci and the mid-body region likely could evolve independently from the remaining body parts. Both factors presumably facilitated the evolution of pelvic brooding.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jana M Flury
- Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change, Zoological Research Museum Alexander Koenig, Bonn, Germany
| | - Leon Hilgers
- Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change, Zoological Research Museum Alexander Koenig, Bonn, Germany.,LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Fabian Herder
- Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change, Zoological Research Museum Alexander Koenig, Bonn, Germany
| | - Tobias Spanke
- Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change, Zoological Research Museum Alexander Koenig, Bonn, Germany
| | - Bernhard Misof
- Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change, Zoological Research Museum Alexander Koenig, Bonn, Germany
| | - Daisy Wowor
- Museum Zoologicum Bogoriense, Research Center for Biosystematic and Evolution, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Cibinong, West Java, Indonesia
| | - Farnis Boneka
- Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Science, Sam Ratulangi University, Manado, Indonesia
| | - Letha Louisiana Wantania
- Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change, Zoological Research Museum Alexander Koenig, Bonn, Germany.,Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Science, Sam Ratulangi University, Manado, Indonesia
| | - Daniel F Mokodongan
- Museum Zoologicum Bogoriense, Research Center for Biosystematic and Evolution, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Cibinong, West Java, Indonesia
| | - Christoph Mayer
- Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change, Zoological Research Museum Alexander Koenig, Bonn, Germany
| | - Arne W Nolte
- Carl von Ossietzky Universität, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Julia Schwarzer
- Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change, Zoological Research Museum Alexander Koenig, Bonn, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Ontogenetic shift in diet of a large elapid snake is facilitated by allometric change in skull morphology. Evol Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s10682-022-10164-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
AbstractAs snakes are limbless, gape-limited predators, their skull is the main feeding structure involved in prey handling, manipulation and feeding. Ontogenetic changes in prey type and size are likely to be associated with distinct morphological changes in the skull during growth. We investigated ontogenetic variation in diet from stomach contents of 161 Dugite specimens (Pseudonaja affinis, Elapidae) representing the full range of body size for the species, and skull morphology of 46 specimens (range 0.25–1.64 m snout-vent-length; SVL). We hypothesised that changes in prey type throughout postnatal ontogeny would coincide with distinct changes in skull shape. Dugites demonstrate a distinct size-related shift in diet: the smallest individuals ate autotomised reptile tails and reptiles, medium-sized individuals predominantly ate mammals, and the largest individuals had the most diverse diet, including large reptiles. Morphometric analysis revealed that ~40% of the variation in skull shape was associated with body size (SVL). Through ontogeny, skulls changed from a smooth, bulbous cranium with relatively small trophic bones (upper and lower jaws and their attachments), to more rugose bones (as a likely reflection of muscle attachment) and relatively longer trophic bones that would extend gape. Individual shape variation in trophic bone dimensions was greater in larger adults and this likely reflects natural plasticity of individuals feeding on different prey sizes/types. Rather than a distinct morphological shift with diet, the ontogenetic changes were gradual, but positive allometry of individual trophic bones resulted in disproportionate growth of the skull, reflected in increased gape size and mobility of jaw bones in adults to aid the ingestion of larger prey and improve manipulation and processing ability. These results indicate that allometric scaling is an important mechanism by which snakes can change their dietary niche.
Collapse
|
19
|
Brocklehurst N, Ford DP, Benson RBJ. Early origins of divergent patterns of morphological evolution on the mammal and reptile stem-lineages. Syst Biol 2022; 71:1195-1209. [PMID: 35274702 PMCID: PMC9366456 DOI: 10.1093/sysbio/syac020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Revised: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 03/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The origin of amniotes 320 million years ago signaled independence from water in vertebrates and was closely followed by divergences within the mammal and reptile stem lineages (Synapsida and Reptilia). Early members of both groups had highly similar morphologies, being superficially “lizard-like” forms with many plesiomorphies. However, the extent to which they might have exhibited divergent patterns of evolutionary change, with the potential to explain the large biological differences between their living members, is unresolved. We use a new, comprehensive phylogenetic dataset to quantify variation in rates and constraints of morphological evolution among Carboniferous–early Permian amniotes. We find evidence for an early burst of evolutionary rates, resulting in the early origins of morphologically distinctive subgroups that mostly persisted through the Cisuralian. Rates declined substantially through time, especially in reptiles. Early reptile evolution was also more constrained compared with early synapsids, exploring a more limited character state space. Postcranial innovation in particular was important in early synapsids, potentially related to their early origins of large body size. In contrast, early reptiles predominantly varied the temporal region, suggesting disparity in skull and jaw kinematics, and foreshadowing the variability of cranial biomechanics seen in reptiles today. Our results demonstrate that synapsids and reptiles underwent an early divergence of macroevolutionary patterns. This laid the foundation for subsequent evolutionary events and may be critical in understanding the substantial differences between mammals and reptiles today. Potential explanations include an early divergence of developmental processes or of ecological factors, warranting cross-disciplinary investigation. [Amniote; body size; constraint; phylogeny; rate.]
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Neil Brocklehurst
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, UK
| | - David P Ford
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, UK
| | - Roger B J Benson
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, UK
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Edie SM, Khouja SC, Collins KS, Crouch NMA, Jablonski D. Evolutionary modularity, integration and disparity in an accretionary skeleton: analysis of venerid Bivalvia. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20211199. [PMID: 35042422 PMCID: PMC8767195 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.1199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Modular evolution, the relatively independent evolution of body parts, may promote high morphological disparity in a clade. Conversely, integrated evolution via stronger covariation of parts may limit disparity. However, integration can also promote high disparity by channelling morphological evolution along lines of least resistance-a process that may be particularly important in the accumulation of disparity in the many invertebrate systems having accretionary growth. We use a time-calibrated phylogenetic hypothesis and high-density, three-dimensional semilandmarking to analyse the relationship between modularity, integration and disparity in the most diverse extant bivalve family: the Veneridae. In general, venerids have a simple, two-module parcellation of their body that is divided into features of the calcium carbonate shell and features of the internal soft anatomy. This division falls more along developmental than functional lines when placed in the context of bivalve anatomy and biomechanics. The venerid body is tightly integrated in absolute terms, but disparity appears to increase with modularity strength among subclades and ecologies. Thus, shifts towards more mosaic evolution beget higher morphological variance in this speciose family.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stewart M. Edie
- Department of Paleobiology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20013, USA
| | - Safia C. Khouja
- Department of the Geophysical Sciences, University of Chicago, 5734 South Ellis Ave, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Katie S. Collins
- Department of Earth Sciences, Invertebrates and Plants Palaeobiology Division, Natural History Museum, London SW7 5BD, UK
| | - Nicholas M. A. Crouch
- Department of the Geophysical Sciences, University of Chicago, 5734 South Ellis Ave, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - David Jablonski
- Department of the Geophysical Sciences, University of Chicago, 5734 South Ellis Ave, Chicago, IL 60637, USA,Committee on Evolutionary Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
|
22
|
Geometric Morphometry of the Breast-Shoulder Apparatus of Greater Antillean Anolis Lizards: In Situ Investigation of a Composite Skeletal Assemblage and Its Relationship to Ecomorphological Categorization. Evol Biol 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s11692-021-09556-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
|
23
|
Rhoda D, Segall M, Larouche O, Evans K, Angielczyk KD. Local superimpositions facilitate morphometric analysis of complex articulating structures. Integr Comp Biol 2021; 61:1892-1904. [PMID: 33905523 PMCID: PMC8699094 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icab031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Articulating structures, such as the vertebrate skeleton or the segmented arthropod exoskeleton, comprise a majority of the morphological diversity across the eukaryotic tree of life. Quantifying the form of articulating structures is therefore imperative for a fuller understanding of the factors influencing biological form. A wealth of freely available 3D data capturing this morphological diversity is stored in online repositories such as Morphosource, but the geometric morphometric analysis of an articulating structure is impeded by arbitrary differences in the resting positions of its individual articulating elements. In complex articulating structures, where the angles between articulating elements cannot be standardized, landmarks on articulating elements must be Procrustes superimposed independently (locally) and then recombined to quantify variation in the entire articulating structure simultaneously. Here, we discuss recent advances in local superimposition techniques, namely the “matched local superimpositions” approach, which incorporates anatomically accurate relative sizes, positions, and orientations of locally-superimposed landmarks, enabling clearer biological interpretation. We also use simulations to evaluate the consequences of choice of superimposition approach. Our results show that local superimpositions will isolate shape variation within locally-superimposed landmark subsets by sacrificing size and positional variation. They may also create morphometric “modules” when there are none by increasing integration within the locally-superimposed subsets; however, this effect is no greater than the spurious between-module integration created when superimposing landmark subsets (i.e., articulating elements) together. Taken together, our results show that local superimposition techniques differ from conventional Procrustes superimpositions in predictable ways. Finally, we use empirical datasets of the skulls of wrasses and colubriform snakes to highlight the promise of local superimpositions and their utility. Complex articulating structures must be studied, and the only current solution to do so is local superimpositions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Rhoda
- Committee on Evolutionary Biology, University of Chicago, 5801 S Ellis Ave, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Marion Segall
- Department of Herpetology, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th Street, New York, NY 10024, USA
| | - Olivier Larouche
- Department of BioSciences, Rice University, 6100 Main St, Houston, TX 77005, USA
| | - Kory Evans
- Department of BioSciences, Rice University, 6100 Main St, Houston, TX 77005, USA
| | - Kenneth D Angielczyk
- Negaunee Integrative Research Center, Field Museum of Natural History, 1400 South Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60605, USA
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Ryerson WG, Van Valkenburg T. Linking Tooth Shape to Strike Mechanics in the Boa constrictor. Integr Comp Biol 2021; 61:759-771. [PMID: 33713127 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icab009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Snakes, with the obvious exception of the fangs, are considered to lack the regional specialization of tooth shape and function which are exemplified by mammals. Recent work in fishes has suggested that the definition of homodont and heterodont are incomplete without a full understanding of the morphology, mechanics, and behavior of feeding. We investigated this idea further by examining changes in tooth shape along the jaw of Boa constrictor and integrating these data with the strike kinematics of boas feeding on rodent prey. We analyzed the shape of every tooth in the skull, from a combination of anesthetized individuals and CT scanned museum specimens. For strike kinematics, we filmed eight adult boas striking at previously killed rats. We determined the regions of the jaws that made first contact with the prey, and extrapolated the relative positions of those teeth at that moment. We further determined the roles of all the teeth throughout the prey capture process, from the initiation of the strike until constriction began. We found that the teeth in the anterior third of the mandible are the most upright, and that teeth become progressively more curved posteriorly. Teeth on the maxilla are more curved than on the mandible, and the anterior teeth are more linear or recurved than the posterior teeth. In a majority of strikes, boas primarily made contact with the anterior third of the mandible first. The momentum from the strike caused the upper jaws and skull to rotate over the rat. The more curved teeth of the upper jaw slid over the rat unimpeded until the snake began to close its jaws. In the remaining strikes, boas made contact with the posterior third of both jaws simultaneously, driving through the prey and quickly retracting, ensnaring the prey on the curved posterior teeth of both jaws. The curved teeth of the palatine and pterygoid bones assist in the process of swallowing.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- William G Ryerson
- Department of Biology, Saint Anselm College, 100 Saint Anselm Drive, Manchester, NH 03102, USA
| | - Tate Van Valkenburg
- Department of Biology, Saint Anselm College, 100 Saint Anselm Drive, Manchester, NH 03102, USA
| |
Collapse
|