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Schwarz D, Heiss E, Pierson TW, Konow N, Schoch RR. Using salamanders as model taxa to understand vertebrate feeding constraints during the late Devonian water-to-land transition. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2023; 378:20220541. [PMID: 37839447 PMCID: PMC10577038 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2022.0541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2023] [Accepted: 07/23/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The vertebrate water-to-land transition and the rise of tetrapods brought about fundamental changes for the groups undergoing these evolutionary changes (i.e. stem and early tetrapods). These groups were forced to adapt to new conditions, including the distinct physical properties of water and air, requiring fundamental changes in anatomy. Nutrition (or feeding) was one of the prime physiological processes these vertebrates had to successfully adjust to change from aquatic to terrestrial life. The basal gnathostome feeding mode involves either jaw prehension or using water flows to aid in ingestion, transportation and food orientation. Meanwhile, processing was limited primarily to simple chewing bites. However, given their comparatively massive and relatively inflexible hyobranchial system (compared to the more muscular tongue of many tetrapods), it remains fraught with speculation how stem and early tetrapods managed to feed in both media. Here, we explore ontogenetic water-to-land transitions of salamanders as functional analogues to model potential changes in the feeding behaviour of stem and early tetrapods. Our data suggest two scenarios for terrestrial feeding in stem and early tetrapods as well as the presence of complex chewing behaviours, including excursions of the jaw in more than one dimension during early developmental stages. Our results demonstrate that terrestrial feeding may have been possible before flexible tongues evolved. This article is part of the theme issue 'Food processing and nutritional assimilation in animals'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Schwarz
- Department of Palaeontology, State Museum of Natural History Stuttgart, Rosenstein 1, 70191 Stuttgart, Germany
- Institute of Zoology and Evolutionary Research, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Erbertstrasse 1, 07743 Jena, Germany
| | - Egon Heiss
- Institute of Zoology and Evolutionary Research, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Erbertstrasse 1, 07743 Jena, Germany
| | - Todd W. Pierson
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, GA 30144, USA
| | - Nicolai Konow
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Massachusetts Lowell, 198 Riverside Street, Lowell, MA 01854, USA
| | - Rainer R. Schoch
- Department of Palaeontology, State Museum of Natural History Stuttgart, Rosenstein 1, 70191 Stuttgart, Germany
- Institute for Biology, Department of Palaeontology, University of Hohenheim, Wollgrasweg 23, 70599 Stuttgart, Germany
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Bonett RM, Ledbetter NM. Paedomorphic salamanders are larval in form and patterns of limb emergence inform life cycle evolution. Dev Dyn 2022; 251:934-941. [PMID: 35443096 DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2021] [Revised: 04/02/2022] [Accepted: 04/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Amphibians undergo a variety of post-embryonic transitions (PETr) that are partly governed by thyroid hormone (TH). Transformation into a terrestrial form follows an aquatic larval stage (biphasic) or precedes hatching (direct development). Some salamanders maintain larval characteristics and an aquatic lifestyle into adulthood (paedomorphosis), which obscures the conclusion of their larval period. Paedomorphic axolotls exhibit elevated TH during early development that is concomitant with transcriptional reprogramming and limb emergence. A recent perspective suggested this cryptic TH-based PETr is uncoupled from metamorphosis in paedomorphs and concludes the larval period. This led to their question: "Are paedomorphs actual larvae?". To clarify, paedomorphs are only considered larval in form, even though they possess some actual larval characteristics. However, we strongly agree that events during larval development inform amphibian life cycle evolution. We build upon their perspective by considering the evolution of limb emergence and metamorphosis. Limbless hatchling larval salamanders are generally associated with ponds, while limbed larvae are common to streams and preceded the evolution of direct development. Permian amphibians had limbed larvae, so their PETr was likely uncoupled from metamorphosis, equivalent to most extant biphasic and paedomorphic salamanders. Coupling of these events was likely derived in frogs and direct developing salamanders. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ronald M Bonett
- Department of Biological Science, The University of Tulsa, Tulsa, OK, USA
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Salamander braincase morphology as revealed by micro‐computed tomography. J Morphol 2022; 283:462-501. [DOI: 10.1002/jmor.21454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2021] [Revised: 01/13/2022] [Accepted: 01/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
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Bonett RM, Ledbetter NM, Hess AJ, Herrboldt MA, Denoël M. Repeated ecological and life cycle transitions make salamanders an ideal model for evolution and development. Dev Dyn 2021; 251:957-972. [PMID: 33991029 DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2021] [Revised: 04/16/2021] [Accepted: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Observations on the ontogeny and diversity of salamanders provided some of the earliest evidence that shifts in developmental trajectories have made a substantial contribution to the evolution of animal forms. Since the dawn of evo-devo there have been major advances in understanding developmental mechanisms, phylogenetic relationships, evolutionary models, and an appreciation for the impact of ecology on patterns of development (eco-evo-devo). Molecular phylogenetic analyses have converged on strong support for the majority of branches in the Salamander Tree of Life, which includes 764 described species. Ancestral reconstructions reveal repeated transitions between life cycle modes and ecologies. The salamander fossil record is scant, but key Mesozoic species support the antiquity of life cycle transitions in some families. Colonization of diverse habitats has promoted phenotypic diversification and sometimes convergence when similar environments have been independently invaded. However, unrelated lineages may follow different developmental pathways to arrive at convergent phenotypes. This article summarizes ecological and endocrine-based causes of life cycle transitions in salamanders, as well as consequences to body size, genome size, and skeletal structure. Salamanders offer a rich source of comparisons for understanding how the evolution of developmental patterns has led to phenotypic diversification following shifts to new adaptive zones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ronald M Bonett
- Department of Biological Science, The University of Tulsa, Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA
| | | | - Alexander J Hess
- Department of Biological Science, The University of Tulsa, Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Madison A Herrboldt
- Department of Biological Science, The University of Tulsa, Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Mathieu Denoël
- Laboratory of Ecology and Conservation of Amphibians (LECA), Freshwater and Oceanic science Unit of reSearch (FOCUS), University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
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Tribondeau A, Sachs LM, Buisine N. Are paedomorphs actual larvae? Dev Dyn 2021; 250:779-787. [DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2020] [Revised: 01/05/2021] [Accepted: 01/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Alicia Tribondeau
- UMR7221 Physiologie Moléculaire et Adaptation, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Muséum National d'Historie Naturelle Paris Cedex 05 France
| | - Laurent M. Sachs
- UMR7221 Physiologie Moléculaire et Adaptation, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Muséum National d'Historie Naturelle Paris Cedex 05 France
| | - Nicolas Buisine
- UMR7221 Physiologie Moléculaire et Adaptation, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Muséum National d'Historie Naturelle Paris Cedex 05 France
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Bonett RM, Hess AJ, Ledbetter NM. Facultative Transitions Have Trouble Committing, But Stable Life Cycles Predict Salamander Genome Size Evolution. Evol Biol 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s11692-020-09497-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
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Denoël M, Drapeau L, Winandy L. Reproductive fitness consequences of progenesis: Sex-specific pay-offs in safe and risky environments. J Evol Biol 2019; 32:629-637. [PMID: 30927549 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2018] [Revised: 02/16/2019] [Accepted: 03/22/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Progenesis is considered to have an important role in evolution because it allows the retention of both a larval body size and shape in an adult morphology. However, the cost caused by the adoption of a progenetic process in both males and females remains to be explored to explain the success of progenesis and particularly its biased prevalence across the sexes and environments. Here, through an experimental approach, we used a facultative progenetic species, the palmate newt (Lissotriton helveticus) that can either mature at a small size and retain gills or mature after metamorphosis, to test three hypotheses for sex-specific pay-offs of progenesis in safe versus risky habitats. Goldfish were used because they caused a higher decline in progenetic than metamorphic newts. We determined that progenetic newts have a lower reproductive fitness than metamorphic newts. We also found that, when compared to metamorphs, progenetic males have lower reproductive activity than progenetic females and that predatory risk affects more progenetic than metamorphic newts. By identifying ultimate causes of the female-biased sex ratios found in nature, these results support the male escape hypothesis, that is the higher metamorphosis rate of progenetic males. They also highlight that although progenesis is advantageous in advancing the age at first reproduction, it also brings an immediate fitness cost and this, particularly, in hostile predatory environments. This means that whereas some environmental constraints could favour facultative progenesis, some others, such as predation, can ultimately counter-select progenesis. Altogether, these results improve our understanding of how developmental processes can affect the sexes differently and how species invasions can impair the success of alternative developmental phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathieu Denoël
- Laboratory of Fish and Amphibian Ethology, Behavioural Biology Group, Freshwater and OCeanic science Unit of reSearch (FOCUS), University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Laura Drapeau
- Laboratory of Fish and Amphibian Ethology, Behavioural Biology Group, Freshwater and OCeanic science Unit of reSearch (FOCUS), University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Laurane Winandy
- Laboratory of Fish and Amphibian Ethology, Behavioural Biology Group, Freshwater and OCeanic science Unit of reSearch (FOCUS), University of Liège, Liège, Belgium.,Laboratoire Evolution et Diversité Biologique, CNRS-Université Paul Sabatier-UMR 5174, Toulouse, France.,Station d'Ecologie Théorique et Expérimentale, CNRS UMR 5321, Moulis, France
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Bonett RM, Phillips JG, Ledbetter NM, Martin SD, Lehman L. Rapid phenotypic evolution following shifts in life cycle complexity. Proc Biol Sci 2019; 285:rspb.2017.2304. [PMID: 29343600 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2017.2304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2017] [Accepted: 12/11/2017] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Life cycle strategies have evolved extensively throughout the history of metazoans. The expression of disparate life stages within a single ontogeny can present conflicts to trait evolution, and therefore may have played a major role in shaping metazoan forms. However, few studies have examined the consequences of adding or subtracting life stages on patterns of trait evolution. By analysing trait evolution in a clade of closely related salamander lineages we show that shifts in the number of life cycle stages are associated with rapid phenotypic evolution. Specifically, salamanders with an aquatic-only (paedomorphic) life cycle have frequently added vertebrae to their trunk skeleton compared with closely related lineages with a complex aquatic-to-terrestrial (biphasic) life cycle. The rate of vertebral column evolution is also substantially lower in biphasic lineages, which may reflect the functional compromise of a complex cycle. This study demonstrates that the consequences of life cycle evolution can be detected at very fine scales of divergence. Rapid evolutionary responses can result from shifts in selective regimes following changes in life cycle complexity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ronald M Bonett
- Department of Biological Science, University of Tulsa, Tulsa, OK 74104, USA
| | - John G Phillips
- Department of Biological Science, University of Tulsa, Tulsa, OK 74104, USA
| | | | - Samuel D Martin
- Department of Biological Science, University of Tulsa, Tulsa, OK 74104, USA
| | - Luke Lehman
- Department of Biological Science, University of Tulsa, Tulsa, OK 74104, USA
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Beachy CK. Effects of Growth Rate and Temperature on Metamorphosis inEurycea wilderae(Caudata, Plethodontidae, Hemidactyliinae, Spelerpini; Blue Ridge Two-lined Salamander). SOUTHEAST NAT 2018. [DOI: 10.1656/058.017.0307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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Beachy CK, Ryan TJ, Bonett RM. How Metamorphosis Is Different in Plethodontids: Larval Life History Perspectives on Life-Cycle Evolution. HERPETOLOGICA 2017; 73:252-258. [PMID: 29269959 PMCID: PMC5736161 DOI: 10.1655/herpetologica-d-16-00083.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Plethodontid salamanders exhibit biphasic, larval form paedomorphic, and direct developing life cycles. This diversity of developmental strategies exceeds that of any other family of terrestrial vertebrate. Here we compare patterns of larval development among the three divergent lineages of biphasic plethodontids and other salamanders. We discuss how patterns of life-cycle evolution and larval ecology might have produced a wide array of larval life histories. Compared with many other salamanders, most larval plethodontids have relatively slow growth rates and sometimes exceptionally long larval periods (up to 60 mo). Recent phylogenetic analyses of life-cycle evolution indicate that ancestral plethodontids were likely direct developers. If true, then biphasic and paedomorphic lineages might have been independently derived through different developmental mechanisms. Furthermore, biphasic plethodontids largely colonized stream habitats, which tend to have lower productivity than seasonally ephemeral ponds. Consistent with this, plethodontid larvae grow very slowly, and metamorphic timing does not appear to be strongly affected by growth history. On the basis of this, we speculate that feeding schedules and stress hormones might play a comparatively reduced role in governing the timing of metamorphosis of stream-dwelling salamanders, particularly plethodontids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher K. Beachy
- Department of Biological Sciences, Southeastern Louisiana University, Hammond, LA 70402, USA
| | - Travis J. Ryan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Butler University, Indianapolis, IN 46208, USA
| | - Ronald M. Bonett
- Department of Biological Science, University of Tulsa, Tulsa, OK 74104, USA
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