1
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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.
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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
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2
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Frýdlová P, Janovská V, Mrzílková J, Halašková M, Riegerová M, Dudák J, Tymlová V, Žemlička J, Zach P, Frynta D. The first description of dermal armour in snakes. Sci Rep 2023; 13:6405. [PMID: 37076516 PMCID: PMC10115820 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-33244-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2022] [Accepted: 04/10/2023] [Indexed: 04/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Osteoderms, also called dermal armour, often play a role in predator defence. The presence of osteoderms is highly irregularly distributed across the squamate phylogeny and they have not been found in snakes. In this study, we searched for candidate snake species that would benefit from such armour to protect their body, focusing primarily on fossorial species with defensive tail displays. We examined the tail morphology of 27 snake species from different families using micro-computed tomography (µCT) and micro- radiography. We discovered dermal armour in four species of sand boas (Erycidae) that also feature enlarged and highly modified caudal vertebrae. This is the first description of dermal armour in snakes. Ancestral state reconstructions revealed that osteoderms likely evolved once or multiple times in Erycidae. We have not found osteoderms in any other examined snake species. Nevertheless, similar structures are known from unrelated squamate clades, such as gerrhosaurids and geckos. This supports the idea of underlying deep developmental homology. We propose the hypothesis that osteoderms protect sand boas like the "brigandine armour" of medieval warriors. We interpret it as another component of the sand boas' rich defence strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Petra Frýdlová
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, 128 43, Prague, Czech Republic
- Department of Anatomy, Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, 100 00, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Veronika Janovská
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, 128 43, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Jana Mrzílková
- Department of Anatomy, Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, 100 00, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Milada Halašková
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, 100 00, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Markéta Riegerová
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, 100 00, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Dudák
- Institute of Experimental and Applied Physics, Czech Technical University in Prague, 110 00, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Veronika Tymlová
- Institute of Experimental and Applied Physics, Czech Technical University in Prague, 110 00, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Žemlička
- Institute of Experimental and Applied Physics, Czech Technical University in Prague, 110 00, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Petr Zach
- Department of Anatomy, Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, 100 00, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Daniel Frynta
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, 128 43, Prague, Czech Republic.
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3
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Jowers MJ, Simone Y, Herrel A, Cabezas MP, Xavier R, Holden M, Boistel R, Murphy JC, Santin M, Caut S, Auguste RJ, van der Meijden A, Andreone F, Ineich I. The Terrific Skink bite force suggests insularity as a likely driver to exceptional resource use. Sci Rep 2022; 12:4596. [PMID: 35301350 PMCID: PMC8930981 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-08148-6] [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: 11/26/2021] [Accepted: 02/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Natural history museum collections hold extremely rare, extinct species often described from a single known specimen. On occasions, rediscoveries open new opportunities to understand selective forces acting on phenotypic traits. Recent rediscovery of few individuals of Bocourt´s Terrific Skink Phoboscincus bocourti, from a small and remote islet in New Caledonia allowed to genetically identify a species of land crab in its diet. To explore this further, we CT- and MRI-scanned the head of the holotype, the only preserved specimen dated to about 1870, segmented the adductor muscles of the jaw and bones, and estimated bite force through biomechanical models. These data were compared with those gathered for 332 specimens belonging to 44 other skink species. Thereafter we recorded the maximum force needed to generate mechanical failure of the exoskeleton of a crab specimen. The bite force is greater than the prey hardness, suggesting that predation on hard-shelled crabs may be an important driver of performance. The high bite force seems crucial to overcome low or seasonal variations in resource availability in these extreme insular environments. Phoboscincus bocourti appears to be an apex predator in a remote and harsh environment and the only skink known to predate on hard-shelled land crabs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J Jowers
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal. .,BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal.
| | - Yuri Simone
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal.,BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal
| | - Anthony Herrel
- Département Adaptations du Vivant, UMR 7179 CNRS/MNHN, 57 Rue Cuvier, Case postale 55, 75231, Paris Cedex 5, France.,Evolutionary Morphology of Vertebrates, Ghent University, Campus Ledeganck, K.L. Ledeganckstraat 35, 9000, Gent, Belgium
| | - M Pilar Cabezas
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal.,BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal.,Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre s/n, 4169-007, Porto, Portugal
| | - Raquel Xavier
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal.,BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal
| | - Magaly Holden
- Centre d'Écologie Fonctionnelle et Évolutive (UMR CNRS 5175), École Pratique des Hautes Études, Biogéographie et Écologie des Vertébrés, Campus CNRS, Montpellier, France
| | - Renaud Boistel
- Département Adaptations du Vivant, UMR 7179 CNRS/MNHN, 57 Rue Cuvier, Case postale 55, 75231, Paris Cedex 5, France
| | - John C Murphy
- Science and Education, Field Museum, 1400 Lake Shore Dr., Chicago, IL, 60605, USA
| | - Mathieu Santin
- Inserm U 1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Centre for NeuroImaging Research, ICM (Brain and Spine Institute), Sorbonne University, Paris, France.,Institut du Cerveau - Paris Brain Institute - ICM, INSERM, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, 75013, Paris, France
| | - Stephane Caut
- ANIMAVEG Conservation, 58 Avenue Allende, 94800, Villejuif, France
| | - Renoir J Auguste
- Department of Life Science, The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago
| | - Arie van der Meijden
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal.,BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal
| | - Franco Andreone
- Museo Regionale di Scienze Naturali, Via G. Giolitti, 36, 10123, Turin, Italy
| | - Ivan Ineich
- Institut de Systématique, Évolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Sorbonne Université, École Pratique des Hautes Études, CNRS, Université des Antilles, CP 30, 57 Rue Cuvier, 75005, Paris, France
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4
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Isip JE, Jones MEH, Cooper N. Clade-wide variation in bite-force performance is determined primarily by size, not ecology. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20212493. [PMID: 35193399 PMCID: PMC8864353 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.2493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Performance traits are tightly linked to the fitness of organisms. However, because studies of variation in performance traits generally focus on just one or several closely related species, we are unable to draw broader conclusions about how and why these traits vary across clades. One important performance trait related to many aspects of an animal's life history is bite-force. Here, we use a clade-wide phylogenetic comparative approach to investigate relationships between size, head dimensions and bite-force among lizards and tuatara (lepidosaurs), using the largest bite-force dataset collated to date for any taxonomic group. We test four predictions: that bite-force will be greater in larger species, and for a given body size, bite-force will be greatest in species with acrodont tooth attachment, herbivorous diets, and non-burrowing habits. We show that bite-force is strongly related to body and head size across lepidosaurs and, as predicted, larger species have the greatest bite-forces. Contrary to our other predictions, tooth attachment, diet and habit have little predictive power when accounting for size. Herbivores bite more forcefully simply because they are larger. Our results also highlight priorities for future sampling to further enhance our understanding of broader evolutionary patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin E. Isip
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum London, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD, UK,Department of Life Sciences (Silwood Park), Imperial College London, Ascot, UK
| | - Marc E. H. Jones
- Research Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Anatomy Building, University College London, Gower Street, London WCIE 6BT, UK,Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Natalie Cooper
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum London, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD, UK
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5
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Lowie A, De Kegel B, Wilkinson M, Measey J, O'Reilly JC, Kley NJ, Gaucher P, Brecko J, Kleinteich T, Adriaens D, Herrel A. The relationship between head shape, head musculature and bite force in caecilians (Amphibia: Gymnophiona). J Exp Biol 2021; 225:273674. [PMID: 34897477 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.243599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2021] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Caecilians are enigmatic limbless amphibians that, with a few exceptions all have an at least partly burrowing lifestyle. Although it has been suggested that caecilian evolution resulted in sturdy and compact skulls as an adaptation to their head-first burrowing habits, no relationship between skull shape and burrowing performance has been demonstrated to date. However, the unique dual jaw-closing mechanism and the osteological variability of their temporal region suggest a potential relationship between skull shape and feeding mechanics. Here, we explored the relationships between skull shape, head musculature, and in vivo bite forces. Although there is a correlation between bite force and external head shape, no relationship between bite force and skull shape could be detected. Whereas our data suggest that muscles are the principal drivers of variation in bite force, the shape of the skull is constrained by factors other than demands for bite force generation. However, a strong covariation between the cranium and mandible exists. Moreover, both cranium and mandible shape covary with jaw muscle architecture. Caecilians show a gradient between species with a long retroarticular process associated with a large and pennate-fibered m. interhyoideus posterior and species with a short process but long and parallel-fibered jaw adductors. Our results demonstrate the complexity of the relationship between form and function of this jaw system. Further studies that focus on factors such as gape distance or jaw velocity will be needed in order to fully understand the evolution of feeding mechanics in caecilians.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aurélien Lowie
- Ghent University, Department of Biology, Evolutionary Morphology of Vertebrates, K.L. Ledeganckstraat 35, 9000 Gent, Belgium
| | - Barbara De Kegel
- Ghent University, Department of Biology, Evolutionary Morphology of Vertebrates, K.L. Ledeganckstraat 35, 9000 Gent, Belgium
| | - Mark Wilkinson
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London SW7 5BD, UK
| | - John Measey
- Centre for Invasion Biology, Department of Botany & Zoology, Stellenbosch University, Private Bag X1, 7602 Matieland, Stellenbosch, South Africa
| | - James C O'Reilly
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Ohio University, Cleveland Campus, SPS-334C, Cleveland, OH 45701, USA
| | - Nathan J Kley
- Department of Anatomical Sciences, Health Sciences Center, T8-082, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-8081, USA
| | - Philippe Gaucher
- USR 3456, CNRS, Centre de recherche de Montabo IRD, CNRS-Guyane, 97334 Cayenne, France
| | - Jonathan Brecko
- Royal Museum for Central Africa, Biological Collections and Data Management, 3080 Tervuren, Belgium
| | | | - Dominique Adriaens
- Ghent University, Department of Biology, Evolutionary Morphology of Vertebrates, K.L. Ledeganckstraat 35, 9000 Gent, Belgium
| | - Anthony Herrel
- Ghent University, Department of Biology, Evolutionary Morphology of Vertebrates, K.L. Ledeganckstraat 35, 9000 Gent, Belgium.,UMR 7179 C.N.R.S/M.N.H.N., Département d'Ecologie et de Gestion de la Biodiversité, 57 rue Cuvier, Case postale 55, 75231, Paris Cedex 5, France
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6
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Lowie A, De Kegel B, Wilkinson M, Measey J, O'Reilly JC, Kley NJ, Gaucher P, Brecko J, Kleinteich T, Van Hoorebeke L, Herrel A, Adriaens D. Under pressure: the relationship between cranial shape and burrowing force in caecilians (Gymnophiona). J Exp Biol 2021; 224:272111. [PMID: 34494653 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.242964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2021] [Accepted: 08/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Caecilians are elongate, limbless and annulated amphibians that, with the exception of one aquatic family, all have an at least partly fossorial lifestyle. It has been suggested that caecilian evolution resulted in sturdy and compact skulls with fused bones and tight sutures, as an adaptation to their head-first burrowing habits. However, although their cranial osteology is well described, relationships between form and function remain poorly understood. In the present study, we explored the relationship between cranial shape and in vivo burrowing forces. Using micro-computed tomography (µCT) data, we performed 3D geometric morphometrics to explore whether cranial and mandibular shapes reflected patterns that might be associated with maximal push forces. The results highlight important differences in maximal push forces, with the aquatic Typhlonectes producing a lower force for a given size compared with other species. Despite substantial differences in head morphology across species, no relationship between overall skull shape and push force could be detected. Although a strong phylogenetic signal may partly obscure the results, our conclusions confirm previous studies using biomechanical models and suggest that differences in the degree of fossoriality do not appear to be driving the evolution of head shape.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aurélien Lowie
- Ghent University, Department of Biology, Evolutionary Morphology of Vertebrates, K.L. Ledeganckstraat 35, 9000 Gent, Belgium
| | - Barbara De Kegel
- Ghent University, Department of Biology, Evolutionary Morphology of Vertebrates, K.L. Ledeganckstraat 35, 9000 Gent, Belgium
| | - Mark Wilkinson
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London SW7 5BD, UK
| | - John Measey
- Centre for Invasion Biology, Department of Botany & Zoology, Stellenbosch University, Private Bag X1, 7602 Matieland, Stellenbosch, South Africa
| | - James C O'Reilly
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Ohio University, Cleveland Campus, SPS-334C, Cleveland, OH 45701, USA
| | - Nathan J Kley
- Department of Anatomical Sciences, Health Sciences Center, T8 (082), Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-8081, USA
| | - Philippe Gaucher
- USR 3456, CNRS, Centre de recherche de Montabo IRD, CNRS-Guyane, 97334 Cayenne, France
| | - Jonathan Brecko
- Royal Museum for Central Africa, Biological Collections and Data Management, 3080 Tervuren, Belgium
| | | | - Luc Van Hoorebeke
- UGCT - Department of Physics and Astronomy, Ghent University, Proeftuinstraat 86/N12, 9000 Gent, Belgium
| | - Anthony Herrel
- Ghent University, Department of Biology, Evolutionary Morphology of Vertebrates, K.L. Ledeganckstraat 35, 9000 Gent, Belgium.,UMR 7179 C.N.R.S./M.N.H.N., Département d'Ecologie et de Gestion de la Biodiversité, 57 rue Cuvier, Case postale 55, 75231 Paris Cedex 5, France
| | - Dominique Adriaens
- Ghent University, Department of Biology, Evolutionary Morphology of Vertebrates, K.L. Ledeganckstraat 35, 9000 Gent, Belgium
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7
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Terray L, Stoetzel E, Herrel A, Cornette R. The contribution of functional traits to the understanding of palaeoenvironmental changes. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blab057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Performance traits implicated in feeding interact directly with the environment and are consequently relevant ecological indicators. However, they have rarely been used to better understand palaeoenvironmental variation. Here, we evaluate the usefulness of a performance (i.e. functional) trait, estimated bite force, in reconstructing the palaeoecology of shrews. We investigate the relationships between mandible morphology, bite force estimates and the ecological context. We use geometric morphometrics to quantify mandible shape diversity in shrews of the archaeological site El Harhoura 2 (Rabat, Morocco), dated from the Late Pleistocene to the Holocene. Morphological groups were used instead of taxa as units of diversity. To explore how phenotypic traits are linked to their environment, they were compared with palaeoenvironmental inferences for the El Harhoura 2 site extracted from the literature. Morphological groups acted as phenotypic response units. Estimated bite force was related to palaeoenvironmental variation over the considered period, with a particular sensibility to arid/humid transitions. The complementarity of morphological and performance indicators allowed us to infer functional convergence and divergence among shrews. Our results suggest that functional traits may be relevant indicators of changes in palaeoenvironments. This approach opens up new possibilities to explore the impact of environmental changes on extinct organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Léa Terray
- Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, École Pratique des Hautes Études, Université des Antilles, CP50, 57 rue Cuvier, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Emmanuelle Stoetzel
- Histoire naturelle de l’Homme préhistorique (HNHP), Musée de l’Homme, Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Palais de Chaillot, 17 place du Trocadéro, 75016 Paris, France
| | - Anthony Herrel
- Mécanismes Adaptatifs et Evolution (MECADEV), Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, 55 rue Buffon, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Raphaël Cornette
- Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, École Pratique des Hautes Études, Université des Antilles, CP50, 57 rue Cuvier, 75005 Paris, France
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8
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Stepanova N, Bauer AM. Phylogenetic history influences convergence for a specialized ecology: comparative skull morphology of African burrowing skinks (Squamata; Scincidae). BMC Ecol Evol 2021; 21:86. [PMID: 33993867 PMCID: PMC8127277 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-021-01821-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2021] [Accepted: 05/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Skulls serve many functions and as a result, are subject to many different evolutionary pressures. In squamates, many fossorial species occupy a unique region of skull morphospace, showing convergence across families, due to modifications related to head-first burrowing. As different substrates have variable physical properties, particular skull shapes may offer selective advantages in certain substrates. Despite this, studies of variation within burrowers have been limited and are typically focused on a single origin of fossoriality. We focused on seven skink genera (Acontias, Typhlosaurus, Scelotes, Sepsina, Feylinia, Typhlacontias, and Mochlus; 39 sp.) from southern Africa, encompassing at least three independent evolutions of semi-fossoriality/fossoriality. We used microCT scans and geometric morphometrics to test how cranial and mandibular shape were influenced by phylogenetic history, size, and ecology. We also qualitatively described the skulls of four species to look at variation across phylogenetic and functional levels, and assess the degree of convergence. Results We found a strong effect of phylogenetic history on cranial and mandibular shape, with size and substrate playing secondary roles. There was a clear gradient in morphospace from less specialized to more specialized burrowers and burrowers in sand were significantly different from those in other substrates. We also created an anatomical atlas for four species with each element described in isolation. Every bone showed some variation in shape and relative scaling of features, with the skull roofing bones, septomaxilla, vomer, and palatine showing the most variation. We showed how broad-scale convergence in traits related to fossoriality can be the result of different anatomical changes. Conclusions Our study used geometric morphometrics and comparative anatomy to examine how skull morphology changes for a highly specialized and demanding lifestyle. Although there was broad convergence in both shape and qualitative traits, phylogenetic history played a large role and much of this convergence was produced by different anatomical changes, implying different developmental pathways or lineage-specific constraints. Even within a single family, adaptation for a specialized ecology does not follow a singular deterministic path. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12862-021-01821-w.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natasha Stepanova
- Department of Biology and Center for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Stewardship, Villanova University, Villanova, PA, USA. .,Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
| | - Aaron M Bauer
- Department of Biology and Center for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Stewardship, Villanova University, Villanova, PA, USA
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9
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de Barros FC, Grizante MB, Zampieri FAM, Kohlsdorf T. Peculiar relationships among morphology, burrowing performance and sand type in two fossorial microteiid lizards. ZOOLOGY 2020; 144:125880. [PMID: 33310388 DOI: 10.1016/j.zool.2020.125880] [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: 03/30/2020] [Revised: 11/09/2020] [Accepted: 11/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Associations among ecology, morphology and locomotor performance have been intensively investigated in several vertebrate lineages. Knowledge on how phenotypes evolve in natural environments likely benefits from identification of circumstances that might expand current ecomorphological equations. In this study, we used two species of Calyptommatus lizards from Brazilian Caatingas to evaluate if specific soil properties favor burrowing performance. As a derived prediction, we expected that functional associations would be easily detectable at the sand condition that favors low-resistance burrowing. We collected two endemic lizards and soil samples in their respective localities, obtained morphological data and recorded performance of both species in different sand types. As a result, the two species burrowed faster at the fine and homogeneous sand, the only condition where we detected functional associations between morphology and locomotion. In this sand type, lizards from both Calyptommatus species that have higher trunks and more concave heads were the ones that burrowed faster, and these phenotypic traits did not morphologically discriminate the two Calyptommatus populations studied. We discuss that integrative approaches comprising manipulation of environmental conditions clearly contribute to elucidate processes underlying phenotypic evolution in fossorial lineages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fábio C de Barros
- Department of Biology, FFCLRP, University of São Paulo, Avenida Bandeirantes, 3900, Ribeirão Preto, SP, 14040-901, Brazil; Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, ICAQF, Federal University of São Paulo, Rua Prof. Artur Riedel, 275, Diadema, SP, 09972-270, Brazil.
| | - Mariana B Grizante
- Department of Biology, FFCLRP, University of São Paulo, Avenida Bandeirantes, 3900, Ribeirão Preto, SP, 14040-901, Brazil; Instituto Dante Pazzanese de Cardiologia, Brazil
| | - Felipe A M Zampieri
- Department of Biology, FFCLRP, University of São Paulo, Avenida Bandeirantes, 3900, Ribeirão Preto, SP, 14040-901, Brazil
| | - Tiana Kohlsdorf
- Department of Biology, FFCLRP, University of São Paulo, Avenida Bandeirantes, 3900, Ribeirão Preto, SP, 14040-901, Brazil.
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10
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Bergmann PJ, Morinaga G, Freitas ES, Irschick DJ, Wagner GP, Siler CD. Locomotion and palaeoclimate explain the re-evolution of quadrupedal body form in Brachymeles lizards. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 287:20201994. [PMID: 33171093 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.1994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Evolutionary reversals, including re-evolution of lost structures, are commonly found in phylogenetic studies. However, we lack an understanding of how these reversals happen mechanistically. A snake-like body form has evolved many times in vertebrates, and occasionally a quadrupedal form has re-evolved, including in Brachymeles lizards. We use body form and locomotion data for species ranging from snake-like to quadrupedal to address how a quadrupedal form could re-evolve. We show that large, quadrupedal species are faster at burying and surface locomotion than snake-like species, indicating a lack of expected performance trade-off between these modes of locomotion. Species with limbs use them while burying, suggesting that limbs are useful for burying in wet, packed substrates. Palaeoclimatological data suggest that Brachymeles originally evolved a snake-like form under a drier climate probably with looser soil in which it was easier to dig. The quadrupedal clade evolved as the climate became humid, where limbs and large size facilitated fossorial locomotion in packed soils.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip J Bergmann
- Department of Biology, Clark University, 950 Main Street, Worcester, MA 01610, USA
| | - Gen Morinaga
- Department of Biology, Clark University, 950 Main Street, Worcester, MA 01610, USA
| | - Elyse S Freitas
- Department of Biology and Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History, University of Oklahoma, 2401 Chautauqua Ave., Norman, OK 73072, USA
| | - Duncan J Irschick
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Günter P Wagner
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Cameron D Siler
- Department of Biology and Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History, University of Oklahoma, 2401 Chautauqua Ave., Norman, OK 73072, USA
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11
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DeLorenzo L, Vander Linden A, Bergmann PJ, Wagner GP, Siler CD, Irschick DJ. Using 3D-digital photogrammetry to examine scaling of the body axis in burrowing skinks. J Morphol 2020; 281:1382-1390. [PMID: 32815588 DOI: 10.1002/jmor.21253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2020] [Revised: 07/02/2020] [Accepted: 07/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Three-dimensional (3D) modeling techniques have been increasingly utilized across disciplines for the visualization and analysis of complex structures. We employ 3D-digital photogrammetry for understanding the scaling of the body axis of 12 species of scincid lizards in the genus Brachymeles. These skinks represent a diverse radiation which shows tremendous variation in body size and degree of axial elongation. Because of the complex nature of the body axis, 3D-methods are important for understanding how the body axis evolves. 3D-digital photogrammetry presents a flexible, inexpensive, and portable system for the reconstruction of biological forms. As body size increased among species, the cross-sectional area and circumference of the head and other portions of the body axis increased isometrically, which indicates that species of differing sizes possess proportionally similar head and body shapes. These results suggest that there are no substantial head and body shape changes with body size among the sampled species, but further comparative studies with larger sample sizes and functional studies of size and morphology effects on burrowing or above-ground locomotion are needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leah DeLorenzo
- Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina, USA
| | - Abby Vander Linden
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Philip J Bergmann
- Department of Biology, Clark University, Worcester, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Gunter P Wagner
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Cameron D Siler
- Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History and Department of Biology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Duncan J Irschick
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA
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12
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De Meyer J, Verhelst P, Adriaens D. Saving the European Eel: How Morphological Research Can Help in Effective Conservation Management. Integr Comp Biol 2020; 60:467-475. [PMID: 32108900 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icaa004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The European eel (Anguilla anguilla) is a critically endangered species, whose recruitment stocks have declined to nearly 1% compared to the late 70s. An amalgam of factors is responsible for this, among them migration barriers, pollution, habitat loss, parasite infection, and overfishing. A lot of recent studies focus on aspects that can increase the mature silver eel escapement rate, such as identifying migration barriers and developing passageways or addressing the impact of pollution on the eel's health. However, little attention is given to the eel's morphology in function of management measures. Worryingly, less than 50% of the currently installed management plans reach their goals, strongly indicating that more information is needed about the eel's ecology and behavior. Functional morphological studies provide insights on how species perform behaviors crucial for survival, such as feeding and locomotion, but also in how environmental changes can affect or limit such behaviors. Consequently, functional morphology represents an important biotic component that should be taken into account when making conservation decisions. Hence, here, we provide an overview of studies on the eel's morphology that do not only demonstrate its relation with ecology and behavior, but also provide information for developing and installing proper and more specific management measures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jens De Meyer
- Evolutionary Morphology of Vertebrates, Ghent University, K.L. Ledeganckstraat 35, Ghent 9000, Belgium
| | | | - Dominique Adriaens
- Evolutionary Morphology of Vertebrates, Ghent University, K.L. Ledeganckstraat 35, Ghent 9000, Belgium
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13
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Cyriac VP, Kodandaramaiah U. Warning signals promote morphological diversification in fossorial uropeltid snakes (Squamata: Uropeltidae). Zool J Linn Soc 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlaa062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Many species possess warning colourations that signal unprofitability to predators. Warning colourations are also thought to provide prey with a ‘predator-free space’ and promote niche expansion. However, how such strategies release a species from environmental constraints and facilitate niche expansion is not clearly understood. Fossoriality in reptiles imposes several morphological limits on head and body size to facilitate burrowing underground, but many fossorial snakes live close to the surface and occasionally move above ground, exposing them to predators. In such cases, evolving antipredator defences that reduce predation on the surface could potentially relax the morphological constraints associated with fossoriality and promote morphological diversification. Fossorial uropeltid snakes possess varying degrees of conspicuous warning colourations that reduce avian predation when active above ground. We predicted that species with more conspicuous colourations will exhibit more robust body forms and show faster rates of morphological evolution because constraints imposed by fossoriality are relaxed. Using a comparative phylogenetic approach on the genus Uropeltis, we show that more conspicuous species tend to have more robust morphologies and have faster rates of head-shape evolution. Overall, we find that the evolution of warning colourations in Uropeltis can facilitate niche expansion by influencing rates of morphological diversification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vivek Philip Cyriac
- IISER-TVM Centre for Research and Education in Ecology and Evolution (ICREEE) and School of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Thiruvananthapuram, Maruthamala P.O., Vithura, Thiruvananthapuram, India
| | - Ullasa Kodandaramaiah
- IISER-TVM Centre for Research and Education in Ecology and Evolution (ICREEE) and School of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Thiruvananthapuram, Maruthamala P.O., Vithura, Thiruvananthapuram, India
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14
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Abstract
Abstract
Trade-offs are thought to be important in constraining evolutionary divergence as they may limit phenotypic diversification. The cranial system plays a vital role in many functions including defensive, territorial, predatory and feeding behaviours in addition to housing the brain and sensory systems. Consequently, the morphology of the cranial system is affected by a combination of selective pressures that may induce functional trade-offs. Limbless, head-first burrowers are thought to be constrained in their cranial morphology as narrow heads may provide a functional advantage for burrowing. However, having a wide and large head is likely beneficial in terms of bite performance. We used 15 skink species to test for the existence of trade-offs between maximal push and bite forces, and explored the patterns of covariation between external head and body morphology and performance. Our data show that there is no evidence of a trade-off between bite and burrowing in terms of maximal force. Species that generate high push forces also generate high bite forces. Our data also show that overall head size covaries with both performance traits. However, future studies exploring trade-offs between force and speed or the energetic cost of burrowing may reveal other trade-offs.
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15
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Morinaga G, Bergmann PJ. Evolution of fossorial locomotion in the transition from tetrapod to snake-like in lizards. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 287:20200192. [PMID: 32183623 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.0192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Dramatic evolutionary transitions in morphology are often assumed to be adaptive in a new habitat. However, these assumptions are rarely tested because such tests require intermediate forms, which are often extinct. In vertebrates, the evolution of an elongate, limbless body is generally hypothesized to facilitate locomotion in fossorial and/or cluttered habitats. However, these hypotheses remain untested because few studies examine the locomotion of species ranging in body form from tetrapod to snake-like. Here, we address these functional hypotheses by testing whether trade-offs exist between locomotion in surface, fossorial and cluttered habitats in Australian Lerista lizards, which include multiple intermediate forms. We found that snake-like species penetrated sand substrates faster than more lizard-like species, representing the first direct support of the adaptation to fossoriality hypothesis. By contrast, body form did not affect surface locomotion or locomotion through cluttered leaf litter. Furthermore, all species with hindlimbs used them during both fossorial and surface locomotion. We found no evidence of a trade-off between fossorial and surface locomotion. This may be either because Lerista employed kinematic strategies that took advantage of both axial- and limb-based propulsion. This may have led to the differential occupation of their habitat, facilitating diversification of intermediate forms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gen Morinaga
- Department of Biology, Clark University, Worcester, MA 01610, USA
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16
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Hohl LSL, Barros-Filho JD, Rocha-Barbosa O. Skull variation in a shovel-headed amphisbaenian genus, inferred from the geometric morphometric analysis of five South American Leposternon species. J Morphol 2019; 279:1665-1678. [PMID: 30461040 DOI: 10.1002/jmor.20899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2018] [Revised: 08/15/2018] [Accepted: 08/31/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Amphisabenia is a group of squamates adapted for a fossorial lifestyle. The skull is the animal's the main digging tool, and can present one of four principal shapes. The shovel-headed shape is considered to be the most specialized for digging. The South American genus Leposternon presents a shovel-headed morphotype, and is widely distributed on this continent. The general shovel-headed skull pattern may vary considerably, even within the same genus, and we hypothesized that this variation may be influenced primarily by body size and geographical factors. This study investigated the variation in skull size and shape among five Leposternon species, and examined the potential relationship between this variation and the size of the specimens and bioclimatic variables, through a geometric morphometric approach. Significant morphological variation was found among the species, and was also related systematically to body size and the geographical distribution of the specimens. As even subtle differences in the skull size or shape may represent significant modification in bite force and digging capacity and digging speed, the cranial variation found among the Leposternon species and specimens may have a direct influence on their diet and locomotor performance. Our results, together with direct observations of some of these species, suggest that shovel-headed amphisbaenians may be able to penetrate different soil types under a range of climatic conditions, especially considering the ample, but often sympatric distribution of the species studied here.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leandro S L Hohl
- Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Biologia Roberto Alcantara Gomes, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Laboratório de Zoologia de Vertebrados Tetrapoda-LAZOVERTE, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.,Departamento de Ecologia, Instituto de Biologia Roberto Alcantara Gomes, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia e Evolução, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.,Departamento de Ensino Médio e Técnico, Coordenação de Biologia, Centro Federal de Educação Tecnológica Celso Suckow da Fonseca-CEFET/RJ, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - José D Barros-Filho
- Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Biologia Roberto Alcantara Gomes, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Laboratório de Zoologia de Vertebrados Tetrapoda-LAZOVERTE, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Oscar Rocha-Barbosa
- Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Biologia Roberto Alcantara Gomes, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Laboratório de Zoologia de Vertebrados Tetrapoda-LAZOVERTE, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.,Departamento de Ecologia, Instituto de Biologia Roberto Alcantara Gomes, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia e Evolução, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
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17
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Zhao Z, Verdú‐Ricoy J, Mohlakoana S, Jordaan A, Conradie W, Heideman N. Unexpected phylogenetic relationships within the world's largest limbless skink species (
Acontias plumbeus
) highlight the need for a review of the taxonomic status of
Acontias poecilus. J ZOOL SYST EVOL RES 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/jzs.12263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Zhongning Zhao
- Department of Zoology & EntomologyUniversity of the Free State Bloemfontein South Africa
| | - Joaquín Verdú‐Ricoy
- Department of Zoology & EntomologyUniversity of the Free State Bloemfontein South Africa
| | - Setjhaba Mohlakoana
- Department of Zoology & EntomologyUniversity of the Free State Bloemfontein South Africa
| | - Adriaan Jordaan
- Department of Zoology & EntomologyUniversity of the Free State Bloemfontein South Africa
| | - Werner Conradie
- Port Elizabeth Museum (Bayworld) Port Elizabeth South Africa
- School of Natural Resource ManagementNelson Mandela University George South Africa
| | - Neil Heideman
- Department of Zoology & EntomologyUniversity of the Free State Bloemfontein South Africa
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18
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Kazi S, Hipsley CA. Conserved evolution of skull shape in Caribbean head-first burrowing worm lizards (Squamata: Amphisbaenia). Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2018. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/bly086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Sakib Kazi
- University of Melbourne, School of BioSciences, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- Museums Victoria, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Christy A Hipsley
- University of Melbourne, School of BioSciences, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- Museums Victoria, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
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19
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Cyriac VP, Kodandaramaiah U. Digging their own macroevolutionary grave: fossoriality as an evolutionary dead end in snakes. J Evol Biol 2018; 31:587-598. [DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2017] [Accepted: 01/23/2018] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- V. P. Cyriac
- IISER-TVM Centre for Research and Education in Ecology and Evolution (ICREEE) and School of Biology; Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Thiruvananthapuram; Thiruvananthapuram India
| | - U. Kodandaramaiah
- IISER-TVM Centre for Research and Education in Ecology and Evolution (ICREEE) and School of Biology; Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Thiruvananthapuram; Thiruvananthapuram India
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20
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Singleton JM, Garland T. Among-Individual Variation in Desert Iguanas (Squamata: Dipsosaurus dorsalis): Endurance Capacity Is Positively Related to Home Range Size. Physiol Biochem Zool 2017; 91:725-730. [PMID: 29200361 DOI: 10.1086/695692] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Among species of lizards, endurance capacity measured on a motorized treadmill is positively related to daily movement distance and time spent moving, but few studies have addressed such relationships at the level of individual variation within a sex and age category in a single population. Both endurance capacity and home range size show substantial individual variation in lizards, rendering them suitable for such studies. We predicted that these traits would be positively related because endurance capacity is one of the factors that has the potential to limit home range size. We measured the endurance capacity and home range size of adult male desert iguanas (Dipsosaurus dorsalis). Lizards were field captured for measurements of endurance, and home range data were gathered using visual identification of previously marked individuals. Endurance was significantly repeatable between replicate trials, conducted 1-17 d apart ([Formula: see text] for log-transformed values, [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text]). The log of the higher of two endurance trials was positively but not significantly related to log body mass. The log of home range area was positively but not significantly related to log body mass, the number of sightings, or the time span from first to last sighting. As predicted, log endurance was positively correlated with log home range area ([Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], one-tailed [Formula: see text]; for body-mass residual endurance values: [Formula: see text], one-tailed [Formula: see text]). These results suggest that endurance capacity may have a permissive effect on home range size. Alternatively, individuals with larger home ranges may experience training effects (phenotypic plasticity) that increase their endurance.
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21
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Dos Santos Lima Hohl L, Loguercio MFDC, Sicuro FL, Duarte de Barros-Filho J, Rocha-Barbosa O. Body and skull morphometric variations between two shovel-headed species of Amphisbaenia (Reptilia: Squamata) with morphofunctional inferences on burrowing. PeerJ 2017; 5:e3581. [PMID: 30057857 PMCID: PMC6062821 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.3581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2017] [Accepted: 06/24/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Morphological descriptions comparing Leposternon microcephalum and L. scutigerum have been made previously. However, these taxa lack a formal quantitative morphological characterization, and comparative studies suggest that morphology and burrowing performance are be related. The excavatory movements of L. microcephalum have been described in detail. However, there is a lack of studies comparing locomotor patterns and/or performance among different amphisbaenids sharing the same skull shape. This paper presents the first study of comparative morphometric variations between two closely related amphisbaenid species, L. microcephalum and L. scutigerum, with functional inferences on fossorial locomotion efficiency. Methods Inter-specific morphometric variations were verified through statistical analyses of body and cranial measures of L. microcephalum and L. scutigerum specimens. Their burrowing activity was assessed through X-ray videofluoroscopy and then compared. The influence of morphological variation on the speed of digging was tested among Leposternon individuals. Results Leposternon microcephalum and L. scutigerum are morphometrically distinct species. The first is shorter and robust with a wider head while the other is more elongated and slim with a narrower head. They share the same excavatory movements. The animals analyzed reached relatively high speeds, but individuals with narrower skulls dug faster. A negative correlation between the speed and the width of skull was determined, but not with total length or diameter of the body. Discussion The morphometric differences between L. microcephalum and L. scutigerum are in accord with morphological variations previously described. Since these species performed the same excavation pattern, we may infer that closely related amphisbaenids with the same skull type would exhibit the same excavatory pattern. The negative correlation between head width and excavation speed is also observed in others fossorial squamates. The robustness of the skull is also related to compression force in L. microcephalum. Individuals with wider heads are stronger. Thus, we suggest trade-offs between excavation speed and compression force during burrowing in this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leandro Dos Santos Lima Hohl
- Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Biologia Roberto Alcantara Gomes, Laboratório de Zoologia de Vertebrados Tetrapoda-LAZOVERTE, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.,Instituto de Biologia Roberto Alcantara Gomes, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia e Evolução, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.,Coordenação de Biologia, Centro Federal de Educação Tecnológica Celso Suckow da Fonseca-CEFET/RJ - Unidade Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Mariana Fiuza de Castro Loguercio
- Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Biologia Roberto Alcantara Gomes, Laboratório de Zoologia de Vertebrados Tetrapoda-LAZOVERTE, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Fernando Lencastre Sicuro
- Departamento de Ciências Fisiológicas, Instituto de Biologia Roberto Alcantara Gomes, BIOVASC, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - José Duarte de Barros-Filho
- Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Biologia Roberto Alcantara Gomes, Laboratório de Zoologia de Vertebrados Tetrapoda-LAZOVERTE, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Oscar Rocha-Barbosa
- Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Biologia Roberto Alcantara Gomes, Laboratório de Zoologia de Vertebrados Tetrapoda-LAZOVERTE, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.,Instituto de Biologia Roberto Alcantara Gomes, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia e Evolução, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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22
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PENNING DA. The scaling of bite force and constriction pressure in kingsnakes (Lampropeltis getula): Proximate determinants and correlated performance. Integr Zool 2017; 12:121-131. [DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- David A. PENNING
- Department of Biology; University of Louisiana at Lafayette; Lafayette Louisiana USA
- Department of Biology & Environmental Health; Missouri Southern State University; Joplin Missouri USA
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23
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Edwards S, Herrel A, Vanhooydonck B, Measey GJ, Tolley KA. Diving in head first: trade-offs between phenotypic traits and sand-diving predator escape strategy inMerolesdesert lizards. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/bij.12856] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Shelley Edwards
- South African National Biodiversity Institute; Claremont 7735 Cape Town South Africa
- Department of Botany and Zoology; University of Stellenbosch; Private Bag X1 Matieland 7602 South Africa
| | - Anthony Herrel
- Département d'Ecologie et de Gestion de la Biodiversité; UMR 7179 CNRS/MNHN; 57 rue Cuvier Case postale 55 75231 Paris France
- Evolutionary Morphology of Vertebrates; Ghent University; K.L. Ledeganckstraat 35 B-9000 Ghent Belgium
| | - Bieke Vanhooydonck
- Department of Biology; University of Antwerp; Universiteitsplein 1 B-2610 Wilrijk Belgium
| | - G. John Measey
- Centre for Invasion Biology; Stellenbosch University; Private Bag X1 Matieland 7602 South Africa
| | - Krystal A. Tolley
- South African National Biodiversity Institute; Claremont 7735 Cape Town South Africa
- Department of Botany and Zoology; University of Stellenbosch; Private Bag X1 Matieland 7602 South Africa
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24
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Bergmann PJ, McElroy EJ. Many-to-Many Mapping of Phenotype to Performance: An Extension of the F-Matrix for Studying Functional Complexity. Evol Biol 2014. [DOI: 10.1007/s11692-014-9288-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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25
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Konuma J, Sota T, Chiba S. A maladaptive intermediate form: a strong trade-off revealed by hybrids between two forms of a snail-feeding beetle. Ecology 2014; 94:2638-44. [PMID: 24400515 DOI: 10.1890/12-2041.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Although trade-off curves between fitness components are essential in theoretical studies of ecological specialization, few empirical studies have actually determined these curves experimentally. Using the snail-feeding carabid beetle Damaster blaptoides, which is endemic to the Japanese archipelago, we estimated the trade-off curve for feeding success with alternative foraging behaviors that are linked to varying morphology. First, we crossed a stout-bodied and a slender-bodied subspecies and produced their F1 and backcross hybrids, which exhibited intermediate body shapes. Then we compared the snail-feeding success of these beetles. Stout beetles could eat small snails by crushing shells, whereas slender beetles could eat large snails by inserting their heads into shells. Although hybrids with intermediate body shapes attempted to employ both strategies, they frequently failed at both. The relationship between feeding success rate and beetle body shape was represented by an inward bending curve, which implies a strong trade-off that can cause disruptive selection, leading to ecological specialization. We suggest that the intermediately shaped beetles were maladapted for snail-feeding and that disruptive selection may have played an important role in the morphological divergence of these beetles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junji Konuma
- Department of Zoology, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa-oiwake, Sakyo, Kyoto 6068502, Japan.
| | - Teiji Sota
- Department of Zoology, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa-oiwake, Sakyo, Kyoto 6068502, Japan
| | - Satoshi Chiba
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Aobayama, Sendai 980 8578, Japan
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26
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da Silva JM, Herrel A, Measey GJ, Tolley KA. Sexual dimorphism in bite performance drives morphological variation in chameleons. PLoS One 2014; 9:e86846. [PMID: 24475183 PMCID: PMC3903609 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0086846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2013] [Accepted: 12/14/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Phenotypic performance in different environments is central to understanding the evolutionary and ecological processes that drive adaptive divergence and, ultimately, speciation. Because habitat structure can affect an animal’s foraging behaviour, anti-predator defences, and communication behaviour, it can influence both natural and sexual selection pressures. These selective pressures, in turn, act upon morphological traits to maximize an animal’s performance. For performance traits involved in both social and ecological activities, such as bite force, natural and sexual selection often interact in complex ways, providing an opportunity to understand the adaptive significance of morphological variation with respect to habitat. Dwarf chameleons within the Bradypodion melanocephalum-Bradypodion thamnobates species complex have multiple phenotypic forms, each with a specific head morphology that could reflect its use of either open- or closed-canopy habitats. To determine whether these morphological differences represent adaptations to their habitats, we tested for differences in both absolute and relative bite performance. Only absolute differences were found between forms, with the closed-canopy forms biting harder than their open-canopy counterparts. In contrast, sexual dimorphism was found for both absolute and relative bite force, but the relative differences were limited to the closed-canopy forms. These results indicate that both natural and sexual selection are acting within both habitat types, but to varying degrees. Sexual selection seems to be the predominant force within the closed-canopy habitats, which are more protected from aerial predators, enabling chameleons to invest more in ornamentation for communication. In contrast, natural selection is likely to be the predominant force in the open-canopy habitats, inhibiting the development of conspicuous secondary sexual characteristics and, ultimately, enforcing their overall diminutive body size and constraining performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica M. da Silva
- Applied Biodiversity Research Division, South African National Biodiversity Institute, Cape Town, Western Cape Province, South Africa
- Department of Conservation Ecology and Entomology, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, Western Cape Province, South Africa
- * E-mail:
| | - Anthony Herrel
- Département d’Ecologie et de Gestion de la Biodiversité, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique/Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris, Île-de-France, France
- Evolutionary Morphology of Vertebrates Research Group, Department of Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, East Flanders, Belgium
| | - G. John Measey
- Applied Biodiversity Research Division, South African National Biodiversity Institute, Cape Town, Western Cape Province, South Africa
- Department of Zoology, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa
| | - Krystal A. Tolley
- Applied Biodiversity Research Division, South African National Biodiversity Institute, Cape Town, Western Cape Province, South Africa
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, Western Cape Province, South Africa
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Lappin AK, Jones ME. Reliable quantification of bite-force performance requires use of appropriate biting substrate and standardization of bite out-lever. J Exp Biol 2014; 217:4303-12. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.106385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Bite-force performance is an ecologically important measure of whole-organism performance that shapes dietary breadth and feeding strategies and, in some taxa, determines reproductive success. It also is a metric critical to testing and evaluating biomechanical models. We reviewed nearly one-hundred published studies of a range of taxa that incorporate direct in vivo measurements of bite force. Problematically, methods of data collection and processing vary considerably among studies. In particular, there is little consensus on the appropriate substrate to use on the biting surface of force transducers. In addition, the bite out-lever, defined as the distance from the fulcrum (i.e. jaw joint) to the position along the jawline at which the jaws engage the transducer, is rarely taken into account. We examined the effect of bite substrate and bite out-lever on bite-force estimates in a diverse sample of lizards. Results indicate that both variables have a significant impact on the accuracy of measurements. Maximum bite force is significantly greater using leather as the biting substrate, as compared to a metal substrate. Less forceful bites on metal are likely due to inhibitory feedback from mechanoreceptors that prevent damage to the feeding apparatus. Standardization of bite out-lever affected which trial produced maximum performance for a given individual. Indeed, maximum bite force usually is underestimated without standardization because it is expected to be greatest at the minimum out-lever (i.e. back of jaws), which in studies is rarely targeted with success. We assert that future studies should use a pliable substrate, such as leather, and employ appropriate standardization for bite out-lever.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Marc E.H. Jones
- University of Adelaide, Australia; University College London, UK; South Australian Museum, Australia
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BARROS FC, HERREL A, KOHLSDORF T. Head shape evolution in Gymnophthalmidae: does habitat use constrain the evolution of cranial design in fossorial lizards? J Evol Biol 2011; 24:2423-33. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1420-9101.2011.02372.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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