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Widrig KE, Bhullar BS, Field DJ. 3D atlas of tinamou (Neornithes: Tinamidae) pectoral morphology: Implications for reconstructing the ancestral neornithine flight apparatus. J Anat 2023; 243:729-757. [PMID: 37358291 PMCID: PMC10557402 DOI: 10.1111/joa.13919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2023] [Revised: 06/06/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Palaeognathae, the extant avian clade comprising the flightless ratites and flight-capable tinamous (Tinamidae), is the sister group to all other living birds, and recent phylogenetic studies illustrate that tinamous are phylogenetically nested within a paraphyletic assemblage of ratites. As the only extant palaeognaths that have retained the ability to fly, tinamous may provide key information on the nature of the flight apparatus of ancestral crown palaeognaths-and, in turn, crown birds-as well as insight into convergent modifications to the wing apparatus among extant ratite lineages. To reveal new information about the musculoskeletal anatomy of tinamous and facilitate development of computational biomechanical models of tinamou wing function, we generated a three-dimensional musculoskeletal model of the flight apparatus of the extant Andean tinamou (Nothoprocta pentlandii) using diffusible iodine-based contrast-enhanced computed tomography (diceCT). Origins and insertions of the pectoral flight musculature of N. pentlandii are generally consistent with those of other extant volant birds specialized for burst flight, and the entire suite of presumed ancestral neornithine flight muscles are present in N. pentlandii with the exception of the biceps slip. The pectoralis and supracoracoideus muscles are robust, similar to the condition in other extant burst-flying birds such as many extant Galliformes. Contrary to the condition in most extant Neognathae (the sister clade to Palaeognathae), the insertion of the pronator superficialis has a greater distal extent than the pronator profundus, although most other anatomical observations are broadly consistent with the conditions observed in extant neognaths. This work will help form a basis for future comparative studies of the avian musculoskeletal system, with implications for reconstructing the flight apparatus of ancestral crown birds and clarifying musculoskeletal modifications underlying the convergent origins of ratite flightlessness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Klara E. Widrig
- Department of Earth SciencesUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
| | - Bhart‐Anjan S. Bhullar
- Department of Earth and Planetary SciencesYale UniversityNew HavenConnecticutUSA
- Peabody Museum of Natural HistoryYale UniversityNew HavenConnecticutUSA
| | - Daniel J. Field
- Department of Earth SciencesUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
- Museum of ZoologyUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
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2
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Kuo PC, Benson RBJ, Field DJ. The influence of fossils in macroevolutionary analyses of 3D geometric morphometric data: A case study of galloanseran quadrates. J Morphol 2023; 284:e21594. [PMID: 37183494 DOI: 10.1002/jmor.21594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
In birds and other reptiles, the quadrate acts as a hinge between the lower jaw and the skull and plays an important role in avian cranial kinesis. Though previous studies have qualitatively described substantial variation in quadrate morphology among birds, none have attempted to quantify evolutionary changes in quadrate shape. Here, we investigate geometric evolution of the quadrate in Galloanserae, a major clade of extant birds uniting chicken-like (Galliformes) and duck-like (Anseriformes) fowl. We quantified morphological variation in the quadrate across 50 extant galloanseran species covering all major extant subclades using three-dimensional geometric morphometrics, and performed ancestral shape reconstructions in the context of an up-to-date neornithine phylogeny. We find that our results based only on extant quadrates may overlook plesiomorphic features captured by fossil taxa, resulting in an ancestral state reconstruction for Galloanserae that is seemingly an approximation of the average shape of the extant data set. By contrast, analyses incorporating early fossil galloanseran quadrates (from taxa such as Asteriornis, Presbyornis, and Conflicto) result in ancestral geometric reconstructions more similar to the morphology of extant galliforms, indicating that the quadrate of the last common ancestor of galloanserans may have been more morphologically and functionally similar to those of extant galliforms than to extant anseriforms. These results generally corroborate previous inferences of galloanseran quadrate plesiomorphies and identify several additional plesiomorphic features of the galloanseran quadrate for the first time. Our results illustrate the importance of incorporating fossil taxa into ancestral shape reconstructions and help elucidate important aspects of the morphology and function of the avian feeding apparatus early in crown bird evolutionary history.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pei-Chen Kuo
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Roger B J Benson
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- American Museum of Natural History, New York, New York, USA
| | - Daniel J Field
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Museum of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Fossil Reptiles, Amphibians and Birds Section, Natural History Museum, London, UK
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3
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Demuth OE, Herbst E, Polet DT, Wiseman ALA, Hutchinson JR. Modern three-dimensional digital methods for studying locomotor biomechanics in tetrapods. J Exp Biol 2023; 226:jeb245132. [PMID: 36810943 PMCID: PMC10042237 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.245132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/24/2023]
Abstract
Here, we review the modern interface of three-dimensional (3D) empirical (e.g. motion capture) and theoretical (e.g. modelling and simulation) approaches to the study of terrestrial locomotion using appendages in tetrapod vertebrates. These tools span a spectrum from more empirical approaches such as XROMM, to potentially more intermediate approaches such as finite element analysis, to more theoretical approaches such as dynamic musculoskeletal simulations or conceptual models. These methods have much in common beyond the importance of 3D digital technologies, and are powerfully synergistic when integrated, opening a wide range of hypotheses that can be tested. We discuss the pitfalls and challenges of these 3D methods, leading to consideration of the problems and potential in their current and future usage. The tools (hardware and software) and approaches (e.g. methods for using hardware and software) in the 3D analysis of tetrapod locomotion have matured to the point where now we can use this integration to answer questions we could never have tackled 20 years ago, and apply insights gleaned from them to other fields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oliver E. Demuth
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EQ, UK
| | - Eva Herbst
- Palaeontological Institute and Museum, University of Zurich, 8006 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Delyle T. Polet
- Structure and Motion Laboratory, Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Royal Veterinary College, North Mymms, AL9 7TA, UK
| | - Ashleigh L. A. Wiseman
- McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3ER, UK
| | - John R. Hutchinson
- Structure and Motion Laboratory, Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Royal Veterinary College, North Mymms, AL9 7TA, UK
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4
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Hedrick BP. Dots on a screen: The past, present, and future of morphometrics in the study of nonavian dinosaurs. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2023. [PMID: 36922704 DOI: 10.1002/ar.25183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2022] [Revised: 10/28/2022] [Accepted: 02/12/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023]
Abstract
Using morphometrics to study nonavian dinosaur fossils is a practice that predates the origin of the word "dinosaur." By the 1970s, linear morphometrics had become established as a valuable tool for analyzing intra- and interspecific variation in nonavian dinosaurs. With the advent of more recent techniques such as geometric morphometrics and more advanced statistical approaches, morphometric analyses of nonavian dinosaurs have proliferated, granting unprecedented insight into many aspects of their biology and evolution. I outline the past, present, and future of morphometrics as applied to the study of nonavian dinosaurs zeroing in on five aspects of nonavian dinosaur paleobiology where morphometrics has been widely utilized to advance our knowledge: systematics, sexual dimorphism, locomotion, macroevolution, and trackways. Morphometric methods are especially susceptible to taphonomic distortion. As such, the impact of taphonomic distortion on original fossil shape is discussed as are current and future methods for quantifying and accounting for distortion with the goal of reducing the taphonomic noise to biological signal ratio. Finally, the future of morphometrics in nonavian dinosaur paleobiology is discussed as paleobiologists move into a "virtual paleobiology" framework, whereby digital renditions of fossils are captured via methods such as photogrammetry and computed tomography. These primary data form the basis for three-dimensional (3D) geometric morphometric analyses along with a slew of other forms of analyses. These 3D specimen data form part of the extended specimen and help to democratize paleobiology, unlocking the specimen from the physical museum and making the specimen available to researchers across the world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brandon P Hedrick
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
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5
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Lowi-Merri TM, Demuth OE, Benito J, Field DJ, Benson RBJ, Claramunt S, Evans DC. Reconstructing locomotor ecology of extinct avialans: a case study of Ichthyornis comparing sternum morphology and skeletal proportions. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20222020. [PMID: 36883281 PMCID: PMC9993061 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.2020] [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: 10/11/2022] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Avian skeletal morphology is associated with locomotor function, including flight style, swimming and terrestrial locomotion, and permits informed inferences on locomotion in extinct taxa. The fossil taxon Ichthyornis (Avialae: Ornithurae) has long been regarded as highly aerial, with flight similar to terns or gulls (Laridae), and skeletal features resembling foot-propelled diving adaptations. However, rigorous testing of locomotor hypotheses has yet to be performed on Ichthyornis, despite its notable phylogenetic position as one of the most crownward stem birds. We analysed separate datasets of three-dimensional sternal shape (geometric morphometrics) and skeletal proportions (linear measurements across the skeleton), to examine how well these data types predict locomotor traits in Neornithes. We then used this information to infer locomotor capabilities of Ichthyornis. We find strong support for both soaring and foot-propelled swimming capabilities in Ichthyornis. Further, sternal shape and skeletal proportions provide complementary information on avian locomotion: skeletal proportions allow better predictions of the capacity for flight, whereas sternal shape predicts variation in more specific locomotor abilities such as soaring, foot-propelled swimming and escape burst flight. These results have important implications for future studies of extinct avialan ecology and underscore the importance of closely considering sternum morphology in investigations of fossil bird locomotion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Talia M. Lowi-Merri
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, 25 Willcocks Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 3B2
- Department of Natural History, Royal Ontario Museum, 100 Queen's Park, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 2C6
| | - Oliver E. Demuth
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Structure and Motion Laboratory, Royal Veterinary College, Hatfield, UK
| | - Juan Benito
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, Milner Centre for Evolution, University of Bath, Bath, UK
| | - Daniel J. Field
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Museum of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Roger B. J. Benson
- Division of Paleontology, American Museum of Natural History, 200 Central Park West, New York, NY 12004, USA
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3AN, UK
| | - Santiago Claramunt
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, 25 Willcocks Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 3B2
- Department of Natural History, Royal Ontario Museum, 100 Queen's Park, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 2C6
| | - David C. Evans
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, 25 Willcocks Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 3B2
- Department of Natural History, Royal Ontario Museum, 100 Queen's Park, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 2C6
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6
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Clark EG, Jenkins KM, Brodersen CR. Back to life: Techniques for developing high-quality 3D reconstructions of plants and animals from digitized specimens. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0283027. [PMID: 36989314 PMCID: PMC10058149 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0283027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2022] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Expanded use of 3D imaging in organismal biology and paleontology has substantially enhanced the ability to visualize and analyze specimens. These techniques have improved our understanding of the anatomy of many taxa, and the integration of downstream computational tools applied to 3D datasets have broadened the range of analyses that can be performed (e.g., finite element analyses, geometric morphometrics, biomechanical modeling, physical modeling using 3D printing). However, morphological analyses inevitably present challenges, particularly in fossil taxa where taphonomic or preservational artifacts distort and reduce the fidelity of the original morphology through shearing, compression, and disarticulation, for example. Here, we present a compilation of techniques to build high-quality 3D digital models of extant and fossil taxa from 3D imaging data using freely available software for students and educators. Our case studies and associated step-by-step supplementary tutorials present instructions for working with reconstructions of plants and animals to directly address and resolve common issues with 3D imaging data. The strategies demonstrated here optimize scientific accuracy and computational efficiency and can be applied to a broad range of taxa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth G Clark
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California, United States of America
| | - Kelsey M Jenkins
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Craig R Brodersen
- School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
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7
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Xavier JC, Golikov AV, Queirós JP, Perales-Raya C, Rosas-Luis R, Abreu J, Bello G, Bustamante P, Capaz JC, Dimkovikj VH, González AF, Guímaro H, Guerra-Marrero A, Gomes-Pereira JN, Hernández-Urcera J, Kubodera T, Laptikhovsky V, Lefkaditou E, Lishchenko F, Luna A, Liu B, Pierce GJ, Pissarra V, Reveillac E, Romanov EV, Rosa R, Roscian M, Rose-Mann L, Rouget I, Sánchez P, Sánchez-Márquez A, Seixas S, Souquet L, Varela J, Vidal EAG, Cherel Y. The significance of cephalopod beaks as a research tool: An update. Front Physiol 2022; 13:1038064. [PMID: 36467695 PMCID: PMC9716703 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2022.1038064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The use of cephalopod beaks in ecological and population dynamics studies has allowed major advances of our knowledge on the role of cephalopods in marine ecosystems in the last 60 years. Since the 1960's, with the pioneering research by Malcolm Clarke and colleagues, cephalopod beaks (also named jaws or mandibles) have been described to species level and their measurements have been shown to be related to cephalopod body size and mass, which permitted important information to be obtained on numerous biological and ecological aspects of cephalopods in marine ecosystems. In the last decade, a range of new techniques has been applied to cephalopod beaks, permitting new kinds of insight into cephalopod biology and ecology. The workshop on cephalopod beaks of the Cephalopod International Advisory Council Conference (Sesimbra, Portugal) in 2022 aimed to review the most recent scientific developments in this field and to identify future challenges, particularly in relation to taxonomy, age, growth, chemical composition (i.e., DNA, proteomics, stable isotopes, trace elements) and physical (i.e., structural) analyses. In terms of taxonomy, new techniques (e.g., 3D geometric morphometrics) for identifying cephalopods from their beaks are being developed with promising results, although the need for experts and reference collections of cephalopod beaks will continue. The use of beak microstructure for age and growth studies has been validated. Stable isotope analyses on beaks have proven to be an excellent technique to get valuable information on the ecology of cephalopods (namely habitat and trophic position). Trace element analyses is also possible using beaks, where concentrations are significantly lower than in other tissues (e.g., muscle, digestive gland, gills). Extracting DNA from beaks was only possible in one study so far. Protein analyses can also be made using cephalopod beaks. Future challenges in research using cephalopod beaks are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- José C. Xavier
- Department of Life Sciences, Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre/ ARNET–Aquatic Research Network, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | | | - José P. Queirós
- Department of Life Sciences, Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre/ ARNET–Aquatic Research Network, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | | | | | - José Abreu
- Department of Life Sciences, Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre/ ARNET–Aquatic Research Network, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | | | - Paco Bustamante
- Littoral Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, La Rochelle, France
- Institut Universitaire de France (IUF), Paris, France
| | - Juan C. Capaz
- Center of Marine Sciences, University of Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, Faro, Portugal
| | - Valerie H. Dimkovikj
- Department of Marine Science, Coastal Carolina University, Conway, SC, United States
| | | | - Hugo Guímaro
- Department of Life Sciences, Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre/ ARNET–Aquatic Research Network, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Airam Guerra-Marrero
- IU-ECOAQUA, University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Edf. Ciencias Básicas, Campus de Tafira, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain
| | | | | | | | - Vladimir Laptikhovsky
- Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS), Lowestoft, United Kingdom
| | | | - Fedor Lishchenko
- Laboratory for Ecology and Morphology of Marine Invertebrates, A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Amanda Luna
- Department of Ecology and Animal Biology, Faculty of Marine Sciences, University of Vigo, Vigo, Spain
| | - Bilin Liu
- College of Marine Sciences, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, China
| | | | - Vasco Pissarra
- MARE—Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre/ARNET–Aquatic Research Network, Laboratório Marítimo da Guia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Cascais, Portugal
| | - Elodie Reveillac
- Littoral Environnement et Sociétés (LIENSs), UMR 7266 CNRS-La Rochelle Université, La Rochelle, France
| | - Evgeny V. Romanov
- Centre Technique de Recherche et de Valorisation des Milieux Aquatiques (CITEB), Le Port, Île de la Réunion, France
| | - Rui Rosa
- MARE—Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre/ARNET–Aquatic Research Network, Laboratório Marítimo da Guia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Cascais, Portugal
| | - Marjorie Roscian
- Centre de Recherche en Paléontologie-Paris (CR2P), CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - Lisa Rose-Mann
- University of South Florida, College of Marine Science, St. Petersburg, FL, United States
| | - Isabelle Rouget
- Centre de Recherche en Paléontologie-Paris (CR2P), CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - Pilar Sánchez
- Institut de Ciènces del Mar, CSIC, Psg. Marítim de la Barceloneta, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Sónia Seixas
- Department of Life Sciences, Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre/ ARNET–Aquatic Research Network, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- Universidade Aberta, Rua Escola Politécnica, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Louise Souquet
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering Science, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Jaquelino Varela
- MARE—Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre/ARNET–Aquatic Research Network, Laboratório Marítimo da Guia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Cascais, Portugal
| | - Erica A. G. Vidal
- Center for Marine Studies—Federal University of Parana (UFPR), Pontal do Paraná, PR, Brazil
| | - Yves Cherel
- Centre d’Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, UMR 7372 du CNRS-La Rochelle Université, Villiers-en-Bois, France
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8
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Herbst EC, Meade LE, Lautenschlager S, Fioritti N, Scheyer TM. A toolbox for the retrodeformation and muscle reconstruction of fossil specimens in Blender. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2022. [PMID: 36039284 DOI: 10.5061/dryad.qjq2bvqk2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Accurate muscle reconstructions can offer new information on the anatomy of fossil organisms and are also important for biomechanical analysis (multibody dynamics and finite-element analysis (FEA)). For the sake of simplicity, muscles are often modelled as point-to-point strands or frustra (cut-off cones) in biomechanical models. However, there are cases in which it is useful to model the muscle morphology in three dimensions, to better examine the effects of muscle shape and size. This is especially important for fossil analyses, where muscle force is estimated from the reconstructed muscle morphology (rather than based on data collected in vivo). The two main aims of this paper are as follows. First, we created a new interactive tool in the free open access software Blender to enable interactive three-dimensional modelling of muscles. This approach can be applied to both palaeontological and human biomechanics research to generate muscle force magnitudes and lines of action for FEA. Second, we provide a guide on how to use existing Blender tools to reconstruct distorted or incomplete specimens. This guide is aimed at palaeontologists but can also be used by anatomists working with damaged specimens or to test functional implication of hypothetical morphologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva C Herbst
- Palaeontological Institute and Museum, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Luke E Meade
- School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Stephan Lautenschlager
- School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Niccolo Fioritti
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Torsten M Scheyer
- Palaeontological Institute and Museum, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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9
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Herbst EC, Meade LE, Lautenschlager S, Fioritti N, Scheyer TM. A toolbox for the retrodeformation and muscle reconstruction of fossil specimens in Blender. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2022. [PMID: 36039284 DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.c.6145965] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Accurate muscle reconstructions can offer new information on the anatomy of fossil organisms and are also important for biomechanical analysis (multibody dynamics and finite-element analysis (FEA)). For the sake of simplicity, muscles are often modelled as point-to-point strands or frustra (cut-off cones) in biomechanical models. However, there are cases in which it is useful to model the muscle morphology in three dimensions, to better examine the effects of muscle shape and size. This is especially important for fossil analyses, where muscle force is estimated from the reconstructed muscle morphology (rather than based on data collected in vivo). The two main aims of this paper are as follows. First, we created a new interactive tool in the free open access software Blender to enable interactive three-dimensional modelling of muscles. This approach can be applied to both palaeontological and human biomechanics research to generate muscle force magnitudes and lines of action for FEA. Second, we provide a guide on how to use existing Blender tools to reconstruct distorted or incomplete specimens. This guide is aimed at palaeontologists but can also be used by anatomists working with damaged specimens or to test functional implication of hypothetical morphologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva C Herbst
- Palaeontological Institute and Museum, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Luke E Meade
- School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Stephan Lautenschlager
- School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Niccolo Fioritti
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Torsten M Scheyer
- Palaeontological Institute and Museum, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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10
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Herbst EC, Meade LE, Lautenschlager S, Fioritti N, Scheyer TM. A toolbox for the retrodeformation and muscle reconstruction of fossil specimens in Blender. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2022; 9:220519. [PMID: 36039284 PMCID: PMC9399692 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.220519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2022] [Accepted: 07/27/2022] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Accurate muscle reconstructions can offer new information on the anatomy of fossil organisms and are also important for biomechanical analysis (multibody dynamics and finite-element analysis (FEA)). For the sake of simplicity, muscles are often modelled as point-to-point strands or frustra (cut-off cones) in biomechanical models. However, there are cases in which it is useful to model the muscle morphology in three dimensions, to better examine the effects of muscle shape and size. This is especially important for fossil analyses, where muscle force is estimated from the reconstructed muscle morphology (rather than based on data collected in vivo). The two main aims of this paper are as follows. First, we created a new interactive tool in the free open access software Blender to enable interactive three-dimensional modelling of muscles. This approach can be applied to both palaeontological and human biomechanics research to generate muscle force magnitudes and lines of action for FEA. Second, we provide a guide on how to use existing Blender tools to reconstruct distorted or incomplete specimens. This guide is aimed at palaeontologists but can also be used by anatomists working with damaged specimens or to test functional implication of hypothetical morphologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva C. Herbst
- Palaeontological Institute and Museum, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Luke E. Meade
- School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Stephan Lautenschlager
- School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Niccolo Fioritti
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Torsten M. Scheyer
- Palaeontological Institute and Museum, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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11
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Benito J, Chen A, Wilson LE, Bhullar BAS, Burnham D, Field DJ. Forty new specimens of Ichthyornis provide unprecedented insight into the postcranial morphology of crownward stem group birds. PeerJ 2022; 10:e13919. [PMID: 36545383 PMCID: PMC9762251 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.13919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2021] [Accepted: 07/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Ichthyornis has long been recognized as a pivotally important fossil taxon for understanding the latest stages of the dinosaur-bird transition, but little significant new postcranial material has been brought to light since initial descriptions of partial skeletons in the 19th Century. Here, we present new information on the postcranial morphology of Ichthyornis from 40 previously undescribed specimens, providing the most complete morphological assessment of the postcranial skeleton of Ichthyornis to date. The new material includes four partially complete skeletons and numerous well-preserved isolated elements, enabling new anatomical observations such as muscle attachments previously undescribed for Mesozoic euornitheans. Among the elements that were previously unknown or poorly represented for Ichthyornis, the new specimens include an almost-complete axial series, a hypocleideum-bearing furcula, radial carpal bones, fibulae, a complete tarsometatarsus bearing a rudimentary hypotarsus, and one of the first-known nearly complete three-dimensional sterna from a Mesozoic avialan. Several pedal phalanges are preserved, revealing a remarkably enlarged pes presumably related to foot-propelled swimming. Although diagnosable as Ichthyornis, the new specimens exhibit a substantial degree of morphological variation, some of which may relate to ontogenetic changes. Phylogenetic analyses incorporating our new data and employing alternative morphological datasets recover Ichthyornis stemward of Hesperornithes and Iaceornis, in line with some recent hypotheses regarding the topology of the crownward-most portion of the avian stem group, and we establish phylogenetically-defined clade names for relevant avialan subclades to help facilitate consistent discourse in future work. The new information provided by these specimens improves our understanding of morphological evolution among the crownward-most non-neornithine avialans immediately preceding the origin of crown group birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Benito
- Department of Biology & Biochemistry, Milner Centre for Evolution, University of Bath, Bath, United Kingdom.,Department of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom
| | - Albert Chen
- Department of Biology & Biochemistry, Milner Centre for Evolution, University of Bath, Bath, United Kingdom.,Department of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom
| | - Laura E Wilson
- Fort Hays State University, Sternberg Museum of Natural History and Department of Geosciences, Hays, Kansas, United States
| | - Bhart-Anjan S Bhullar
- Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History, New Haven, Conneticut, United States.,Department of Earth & Planetary Sciences, Yale University, New Haven, Conneticut, United States
| | - David Burnham
- University of Kansas, Biodiversity Institute and Natural History Museum, Lawrence, Kansas, United States
| | - Daniel J Field
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom.,University Museum of Zoology, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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