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Deakin WJ, Anderson PSL, den Boer W, Smith TJ, Hill JJ, Rücklin M, Donoghue PCJ, Rayfield EJ. Increasing morphological disparity and decreasing optimality for jaw speed and strength during the radiation of jawed vertebrates. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabl3644. [PMID: 35302857 PMCID: PMC8932669 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abl3644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2021] [Accepted: 01/28/2022] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
The Siluro-Devonian adaptive radiation of jawed vertebrates, which underpins almost all living vertebrate biodiversity, is characterized by the evolutionary innovation of the lower jaw. Multiple lines of evidence have suggested that the jaw evolved from a rostral gill arch, but when the jaw took on a feeding function remains unclear. We quantified the variety of form in the earliest jaws in the fossil record from which we generated a theoretical morphospace that we then tested for functional optimality. By drawing comparisons with the real jaw data and reconstructed jaw morphologies from phylogenetically inferred ancestors, our results show that the earliest jaw shapes were optimized for fast closure and stress resistance, inferring a predatory feeding function. Jaw shapes became less optimal for these functions during the later radiation of jawed vertebrates. Thus, the evolution of jaw morphology has continually explored previously unoccupied morphospace and accumulated disparity through time, laying the foundation for diverse feeding strategies and the success of jawed vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- William J. Deakin
- School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Life Sciences Building, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
| | - Philip S. L. Anderson
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behavior, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL, USA
| | - Wendy den Boer
- Swedish Museum of Natural History, Department of Palaeobiology, Frescativägen 40, 114 18 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Thomas J. Smith
- School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Life Sciences Building, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
| | - Jennifer J. Hill
- Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC 20013-7012, USA
| | - Martin Rücklin
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Postbus 9517, 2300 RA Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Philip C. J. Donoghue
- School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Life Sciences Building, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
| | - Emily J. Rayfield
- School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Life Sciences Building, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
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2
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Gee BM. Returning to the roots: resolution, reproducibility, and robusticity in the phylogenetic inference of Dissorophidae (Amphibia: Temnospondyli). PeerJ 2021; 9:e12423. [PMID: 34820181 PMCID: PMC8582317 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.12423] [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] [Received: 03/24/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The phylogenetic relationships of most Paleozoic tetrapod clades remain poorly resolved, which is variably attributed to a lack of study, the limitations of inference from phenotypic data, and constant revision of best practices. While refinement of phylogenetic methods continues to be important, any phylogenetic analysis is inherently constrained by the underlying dataset that it analyzes. Therefore, it becomes equally important to assess the accuracy of these datasets, especially when a select few are repeatedly propagated. While repeat analyses of these datasets may appear to constitute a working consensus, they are not in fact independent, and it becomes especially important to evaluate the accuracy of these datasets in order to assess whether a seeming consensus is robust. Here I address the phylogeny of the Dissorophidae, a speciose clade of Paleozoic temnospondyls. This group is an ideal case study among temnospondyls for exploring phylogenetic methods and datasets because it has been extensively studied (eight phylogenetic studies to date) but with most (six studies) using a single matrix that has been propagated with very little modification. In spite of the conserved nature of the matrix, dissorophid studies have produced anything but a conserved topology. Therefore, I analyzed an independently designed matrix, which recovered less resolution and some disparate nodes compared to previous studies. In order to reconcile these differences, I carefully examined previous matrices and analyses. While some differences are a matter of personal preference (e.g., analytical software), others relate to discrepancies with respect to what are currently considered as best practices. The most concerning discovery was the identification of pervasive dubious scorings that extend back to the origins of the widely propagated matrix. These include scores for skeletal features that are entirely unknown in a given taxon (e.g., postcrania in Cacops woehri) and characters for which there appear to be unstated working assumptions to scoring that are incompatible with the character definitions (e.g., scoring of taxa with incomplete skulls for characters based on skull length). Correction of these scores and other pervasive errors recovered a distinctly less resolved topology than previous studies, more in agreement with my own matrix. This suggests that previous analyses may have been compromised, and that the only real consensus of dissorophid phylogeny is the lack of one.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bryan M. Gee
- Burke Museum and Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States of America
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Jobbins M, Rücklin M, Argyriou T, Klug C. A large Middle Devonian eubrachythoracid 'placoderm' (Arthrodira) jaw from northern Gondwana. SWISS JOURNAL OF PALAEONTOLOGY 2021; 140:2. [PMID: 33488510 PMCID: PMC7809001 DOI: 10.1186/s13358-020-00212-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2020] [Accepted: 11/18/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
For the understanding of the evolution of jawed vertebrates and jaws and teeth, 'placoderms' are crucial as they exhibit an impressive morphological disparity associated with the early stages of this process. The Devonian of Morocco is famous for its rich occurrences of arthrodire 'placoderms'. While Late Devonian strata are rich in arthrodire remains, they are less common in older strata. Here, we describe a large tooth-bearing jaw element of Leptodontichthys ziregensis gen. et sp. nov., an eubrachythoracid arthrodire from the Middle Devonian of Morocco. This species is based on a large posterior superognathal with a strong dentition. The jawbone displays features considered synapomorphies of Late Devonian eubrachythoracid arthrodires, with one posterior and one lateral row of conical teeth oriented postero-lingually. μCT-images reveal internal structures including pulp cavities and dentinous tissues. The posterior orientation of the teeth and the traces of a putative occlusal contact on the lingual side of the bone imply that these teeth were hardly used for feeding. Similar to Compagopiscis and Plourdosteus, functional teeth were possibly present during an earlier developmental stage and have been worn entirely. The morphological features of the jaw element suggest a close relationship with plourdosteids. Its size implies that the animal was rather large.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melina Jobbins
- Paläontologisches Institut und Museum, Universität Zürich, Karl-Schmid-Strasse 4, 8006 Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | - Thodoris Argyriou
- UMR 7207 (MNHN – Sorbonne Université – CNRS) Centre de Recherche en Paléontologie, Muséum National D’Histoire Naturelle, 57 rue Cuvier, 75231 Paris cedex 05, France
| | - Christian Klug
- Paläontologisches Institut und Museum, Universität Zürich, Karl-Schmid-Strasse 4, 8006 Zurich, Switzerland
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4
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Webster M. Morphological homeostasis in the fossil record. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2018; 88:91-104. [PMID: 29787861 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2018.05.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2017] [Revised: 03/31/2018] [Accepted: 05/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Morphological homeostasis limits the extent to which genetic and/or environmental variation is translated into phenotypic variation, providing generation-to-generation fitness advantage under a stabilizing selection regime. Depending on its lability, morphological homeostasis might also have a longer-term impact on evolution by restricting the variation-and thus the response to directional selection-of a trait. The fossil record offers an inviting opportunity to investigate whether and how morphological homeostasis constrained trait evolution in lineages or clades on long timescales (thousands to millions of years) that are not accessible to neontological studies. Fossils can also reveal insight into the nature of primitive developmental systems that might not be predictable from the study of modern organisms. The ability to study morphological homeostasis in fossils is strongly limited by taphonomic processes that can destroy, blur, or distort the original biological signal: genetic data are unavailable; phenotypic data can be modified by tectonic or compaction-related deformation; time-averaging limits temporal resolution; and environmental variation is hard to study and impossible to control. As a result of these processes, neither allelic sensitivity (and thus genetic canalization) nor macroenvironmental sensitivity (and thus environmental canalization) can be unambiguously assessed in the fossil record. However, homeorhesis-robustness against microenvironmental variation (developmental noise)-can be assessed in ancient developmental systems by measuring the level of fluctuating asymmetry (FA) in a nominally symmetric trait. This requires the analysis of multiple, minimally time-averaged samples of exquisite preservational quality. Studies of FA in fossils stand to make valuable contributions to our understanding of the deep-time significance of homeorhesis. Few empirical studies have been conducted to date, and future paleontological research focusing on how homeorhesis relates to evolutionary rate (including stasis), species survivorship, and purported macroevolutionary trends in evolvability would reap high reward.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark Webster
- Department of the Geophysical Sciences, University of Chicago, 5734 South Ellis Avenue, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA.
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New morphological information on, and species of placoderm fish Africanaspis (Arthrodira, Placodermi) from the Late Devonian of South Africa. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0173169. [PMID: 28379973 PMCID: PMC5381866 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0173169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2016] [Accepted: 02/11/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Here we present a new species of placoderm fish, Africanaspis edmountaini sp. nov., and redescribe Africanaspis doryssa on the basis of new material collected from the type locality of Africanaspis. The new material includes the first head shields of Africanaspis doryssa in addition to soft anatomy for both taxa. Hitherto Africanaspis was entirely described from trunk armour and no record of body and fin outlines had been recorded. In addition the first record of embryonic and juvenile specimens of Africanaspis doryssa is presented and provides a growth series from presumed hatchlings to presumed adults. The presence of a greater number of juveniles compared to adults indicates that the Waterloo Farm fossil site in South Africa represents the first nursery site of arthrodire placoderms known from a cold water environment. The preservation of an ontogenetic series demonstrates that variation within the earlier known sample, initially considered to have resulted from ontogenetic change, instead indicates the presence of a second, less common species Africanaspis edmountaini sp. nov. There is some faunal overlap between the Waterloo Farm fossil site and faunas described from Strud in Belgium and Red Hill, Pennsylvania, in north America, supporting the concept of a more cosmopolitan vertebrate fauna in the Famennian than earlier in the Devonian.
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Olive S, Clément G, Daeschler EB, Dupret V. Placoderm Assemblage from the Tetrapod-Bearing Locality of Strud (Belgium, Upper Famennian) Provides Evidence for a Fish Nursery. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0161540. [PMID: 27552196 PMCID: PMC4994939 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0161540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2016] [Accepted: 08/08/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The placoderm fauna of the upper Famennian tetrapod-bearing locality of Strud, Belgium, includes the antiarch Grossilepis rikiki, the arthrodire groenlandaspidid Turrisaspis strudensis and the phyllolepidid Phyllolepis undulata. Based on morphological and morphometric evidence, the placoderm specimens from Strud are predominantly recognised as immature specimens and this locality as representing a placoderm nursery. The Strud depositional environment corresponds to a channel in an alluvial plain, and the presence of a nursery in such environment could have provided nutrients and protection to the placoderm offspring. This represents one of the earliest pieces of evidence for this sort of habitat partitioning in vertebrate history, with adults living more distantly from the nursery and using the nursery only to spawn or give live birth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sébastien Olive
- OD Earth and Life History, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Brussels, Belgium
- Evolution & Diversity Dynamics Lab, Department of Geology, Liège University, Liège, Belgium
| | - Gaël Clément
- Centre de Recherche sur la Paléobiodiversité et les Paléoenvironnements, UMR CR2P 7207, Sorbonne Universités, MNHN, CNRS, UPMC-Paris6, Muséum national d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France
| | - Edward B. Daeschler
- Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Vincent Dupret
- Subdepartment of Evolution and Development, Department of Organismal Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
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Oyston JW, Hughes M, Wagner PJ, Gerber S, Wills MA. What limits the morphological disparity of clades? Interface Focus 2015; 5:20150042. [PMID: 26640649 DOI: 10.1098/rsfs.2015.0042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The morphological disparity of species within major clades shows a variety of trajectory patterns through evolutionary time. However, there is a significant tendency for groups to reach their maximum disparity relatively early in their histories, even while their species richness or diversity is comparatively low. This pattern of early high-disparity suggests that there are internal constraints (e.g. developmental pleiotropy) or external restrictions (e.g. ecological competition) upon the variety of morphologies that can subsequently evolve. It has also been demonstrated that the rate of evolution of new character states decreases in most clades through time (character saturation), as does the rate of origination of novel bodyplans and higher taxa. Here, we tested whether there was a simple relationship between the level or rate of character state exhaustion and the shape of a clade's disparity profile: specifically, its centre of gravity (CG). In a sample of 93 extinct major clades, most showed some degree of exhaustion, but all continued to evolve new states up until their extinction. Projection of states/steps curves suggested that clades realized an average of 60% of their inferred maximum numbers of states. Despite a weak but significant correlation between overall levels of homoplasy and the CG of clade disparity profiles, there were no significant relationships between any of our indices of exhaustion curve shape and the clade disparity CG. Clades showing early high-disparity were no more likely to have early character saturation than those with maximum disparity late in their evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack W Oyston
- The Milner Centre for Evolution , Department of Biology & Biochemistry, University of Bath , Bath BA2 7AY , UK
| | - Martin Hughes
- Department of Life Sciences , The Natural History Museum , London SW7 5BD , UK
| | - Peter J Wagner
- Department of Paleobiology, National Museum of Natural History , Smithsonian Institution , Washington, DC 20013-7012 , USA
| | - Sylvain Gerber
- Department of Earth Sciences , University of Cambridge , Cambridge CB2 3EQ , UK
| | - Matthew A Wills
- The Milner Centre for Evolution , Department of Biology & Biochemistry, University of Bath , Bath BA2 7AY , UK
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8
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Zhu YA, Zhu M, Wang JQ. Redescription ofYinostius major(Arthrodira: Heterostiidae) from the Lower Devonian of China, and the interrelationships of Brachythoraci. Zool J Linn Soc 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/zoj.12356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- You-An Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins of Chinese Academy of Sciences; Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology; Chinese Academy of Sciences; Beijing 100044 China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences; Beijing 100049 China
| | - Min Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins of Chinese Academy of Sciences; Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology; Chinese Academy of Sciences; Beijing 100044 China
| | - Jun-Qing Wang
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins of Chinese Academy of Sciences; Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology; Chinese Academy of Sciences; Beijing 100044 China
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9
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Zhu YA, Zhu M. A redescription ofKiangyousteus yohii(Arthrodira: Eubrachythoraci) from the Middle Devonian of China, with remarks on the systematics of the Eubrachythoraci. Zool J Linn Soc 2013. [DOI: 10.1111/zoj.12089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- You-An Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins of Chinese Academy of Sciences; Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology; Chinese Academy of Sciences; Beijing 100044 China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences; Beijing 100049 China
| | - Min Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins of Chinese Academy of Sciences; Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology; Chinese Academy of Sciences; Beijing 100044 China
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10
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Anderson PSL. Using linkage models to explore skull kinematic diversity and functional convergence in arthrodire placoderms. J Morphol 2010; 271:990-1005. [PMID: 20623651 DOI: 10.1002/jmor.10850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Biomechanical models offer a powerful set of tools for quantifying the diversity of function across fossil taxa. A computer-based four-bar linkage model previously developed to describe the potential feeding kinematics of Dunkleosteus terrelli is applied here to several other arthrodire placoderm taxa from different lineages. Arthrodire placoderms are a group of basal gnathostomes showing one of the earliest diversifications of jaw structures. The linkage model allows biomechanical variation to be compared across taxa, identify trends in skull morphology among arthrodires that potentially influence function and explore the role of linkage systems in the early evolution of jaw structures. The linkage model calculates various kinematic metrics including gape angle, effective mechanical advantage, and kinematic transmission coefficients. Results indicate that the arthrodire feeding system may be more diverse and complex than previously thought. A range of potential kinematic profiles among arthrodire taxa illustrate a diversity of feeding function comparable with modern teleost fishes. Previous estimates of bite force in Dunkleosteus are revised based on new morphological data. High levels of kinematic transmission among arthrodires suggest the potential for rapid gape expansion and possible suction feeding. Morphological comparisons indicate that there were several morphological solutions for obtaining these fast kinematics, which allowed different taxa to achieve similar kinematic profiles while varying other aspects of the feeding apparatus. Mapping of key morphological components of the linkage system on a general placoderm phylogeny illustrates the potential importance of four-bar systems to the early evolution of jaw structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip S L Anderson
- Geophysical Sciences Department, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
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11
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The fossil record of fish ontogenies: Insights into developmental patterns and processes. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2010; 21:400-13. [DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2009.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2009] [Revised: 11/04/2009] [Accepted: 11/04/2009] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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