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Miller CV, Bright JA, Wang X, Zheng X, Pittman M. Synthetic analysis of trophic diversity and evolution in Enantiornithes with new insights from Bohaiornithidae. eLife 2024; 12:RP89871. [PMID: 38687200 PMCID: PMC11060716 DOI: 10.7554/elife.89871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Enantiornithines were the dominant birds of the Mesozoic, but understanding of their diet is still tenuous. We introduce new data on the enantiornithine family Bohaiornithidae, famous for their large size and powerfully built teeth and claws. In tandem with previously published data, we comment on the breadth of enantiornithine ecology and potential patterns in which it evolved. Body mass, jaw mechanical advantage, finite element analysis of the jaw, and traditional morphometrics of the claws and skull are compared between bohaiornithids and living birds. We find bohaiornithids to be more ecologically diverse than any other enantiornithine family: Bohaiornis and Parabohaiornis are similar to living plant-eating birds; Longusunguis resembles raptorial carnivores; Zhouornis is similar to both fruit-eating birds and generalist feeders; and Shenqiornis and Sulcavis plausibly ate fish, plants, or a mix of both. We predict the ancestral enantiornithine bird to have been a generalist which ate a wide variety of foods. However, more quantitative data from across the enantiornithine tree is needed to refine this prediction. By the Early Cretaceous, enantiornithine birds had diversified into a variety of ecological niches like crown birds after the K-Pg extinction, adding to the evidence that traits unique to crown birds cannot completely explain their ecological success.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jen A Bright
- School of Natural Sciences, University of HullHullUnited Kingdom
| | - Xiaoli Wang
- Institute of Geology and Paleontology, Linyi UniversityLinyiChina
- Shandong Tianyu Museum of NatureShandongChina
| | - Xiaoting Zheng
- Institute of Geology and Paleontology, Linyi UniversityLinyiChina
- Shandong Tianyu Museum of NatureShandongChina
| | - Michael Pittman
- School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong KongHong Kong SARChina
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Tse YT, Miller CV, Pittman M. Morphological disparity and structural performance of the dromaeosaurid skull informs ecology and evolutionary history. BMC Ecol Evol 2024; 24:39. [PMID: 38622512 PMCID: PMC11020771 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-024-02222-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Non-avialan theropod dinosaurs had diverse ecologies and varied skull morphologies. Previous studies of theropod cranial morphology mostly focused on higher-level taxa or characteristics associated with herbivory. To better understand morphological disparity and function within carnivorous theropod families, here we focus on the Dromaeosauridae, 'raptors' traditionally seen as agile carnivorous hunters.We applied 2D geometric morphometrics to quantify skull shape, performed mechanical advantage analysis to assess the efficiency of bite force transfer, and performed finite element analysis to examine strain distribution in the skull during biting. We find that dromaeosaurid skull morphology was less disparate than most non-avialan theropod groups. Their skulls show a continuum of form between those that are tall and short and those that are flat and long. We hypothesise that this narrower morphological disparity indicates developmental constraint on skull shape, as observed in some mammalian families. Mechanical advantage indicates that Dromaeosaurus albertensis and Deinonychus antirrhopus were adapted for relatively high bite forces, while Halszkaraptor escuilliei was adapted for high bite speed, and other dromaeosaurids for intermediate bite forces and speeds. Finite element analysis indicates regions of high strain are consistent within dromaeosaurid families but differ between them. Average strain levels do not follow any phylogenetic pattern, possibly due to ecological convergence between distantly-related taxa.Combining our new morphofunctional data with a re-evaluation of previous evidence, we find piscivorous reconstructions of Halszkaraptor escuilliei to be unlikely, and instead suggest an invertivorous diet and possible adaptations for feeding in murky water or other low-visibility conditions. We support Deinonychus antirrhopus as being adapted for taking large vertebrate prey, but we find that its skull is relatively less resistant to bite forces than other dromaeosaurids. Given the recovery of high bite force resistance for Velociraptor mongoliensis, which is believed to have regularly engaged in scavenging behaviour, we suggest that higher bite force resistance in a dromaeosaurid taxon may reflect a greater reliance on scavenging rather than fresh kills.Comparisons to the troodontid Gobivenator mongoliensis suggest that a gracile rostrum like that of Velociraptor mongoliensis is ancestral to their closest common ancestor (Deinonychosauria) and the robust rostra of Dromaeosaurus albertensis and Deinonychus antirrhopus are a derived condition. Gobivenator mongoliensis also displays a higher jaw mechanical advantage and lower resistance to bite force than the examined dromaeosaurids, but given the hypothesised ecological divergence of troodontids from dromaeosaurids it is unclear which group, if either, represents the ancestral condition. Future work extending sampling to troodontids would therefore be invaluable and provide much needed context to the origin of skull form and function in early birds. This study illustrates how skull shape and functional metrics can discern non-avialan theropod ecology at lower taxonomic levels and identify variants of carnivorous feeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuen Ting Tse
- School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Case Vincent Miller
- Department of Earth Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Michael Pittman
- School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China.
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Meade LE, Pittman M, Balanoff A, Lautenschlager S. Cranial functional specialisation for strength precedes morphological evolution in Oviraptorosauria. Commun Biol 2024; 7:436. [PMID: 38600295 PMCID: PMC11006937 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-06137-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Oviraptorosaurians were a theropod dinosaur group that reached high diversity in the Late Cretaceous. Within oviraptorosaurians, the later diverging oviraptorids evolved distinctive crania which were extensively pneumatised, short and tall, and had a robust toothless beak, interpreted as providing a powerful bite for their herbivorous to omnivorous diet. The present study explores the ability of oviraptorid crania to resist large mechanical stresses compared with other theropods and where this adaptation originated within oviraptorosaurians. Digital 3D cranial models were constructed for the earliest diverging oviraptorosaurian, Incisivosaurus gauthieri, and three oviraptorids, Citipati osmolskae, Conchoraptor gracilis, and Khaan mckennai. Finite element analyses indicate oviraptorosaurian crania were stronger than those of other herbivorous theropods (Erlikosaurus and Ornithomimus) and were more comparable to the large, carnivorous Allosaurus. The cranial biomechanics of Incisivosaurus align with oviraptorids, indicating an early establishment of distinctive strengthened cranial biomechanics in Oviraptorosauria, even before the highly modified oviraptorid cranial morphology. Bite modelling, using estimated muscle forces, suggests oviraptorid crania may have functioned closer to structural safety limits. Low mechanical stresses around the beaks of oviraptorids suggest a convergently evolved, functionally distinct rhamphotheca, serving as a cropping/feeding tool rather than for stress reduction, when compared with other herbivorous theropods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luke E Meade
- School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.
| | - Michael Pittman
- School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Amy Balanoff
- Center for Functional Anatomy and Evolution, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA
| | - Stephan Lautenschlager
- School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
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Pittman M, Wang Y. Paleoecology of extinct species. BMC Ecol Evol 2023; 23:59. [PMID: 37803274 PMCID: PMC10557349 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-023-02170-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent developments, including new imaging and ancient environmental DNA (aeDNA) technologies, are providing unprecedented insights into the past, which can also help researchers predict future ecological change. BMC Ecology and Evolution has launched a new article Collection on the "Paleoecology of extinct species" to provide an open-access resource for all interested in this multidisciplinary field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Pittman
- School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China.
| | - Yucheng Wang
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
- Group of Alpine Paleoecology and Human Adaptation (ALPHA), State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Resources and Environment (TPESRE), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
- Lundbeck Foundation GeoGenetics Centre, Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
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Miller CV, Pittman M, Wang X, Zheng X, Bright JA. Quantitative investigation of pengornithid enantiornithine diet reveals macrocarnivorous ecology evolved in birds by Early Cretaceous. iScience 2023; 26:106211. [PMID: 36923002 PMCID: PMC10009206 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.106211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Revised: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The diet of Mesozoic birds is poorly known, limiting evolutionary understanding of birds' roles in modern ecosystems. Pengornithidae is one of the best understood families of Mesozoic birds, hypothesized to eat insects or only small amounts of meat. We investigate these hypotheses with four lines of evidence: estimated body mass, claw traditional morphometrics, jaw mechanical advantage, and jaw finite element analysis. Owing to limited data, the diets of Eopengornis and Chiappeavis remain obscure. Pengornis, Parapengornis, and Yuanchuavis show adaptations for vertebrate carnivory. Pengornis also has talons similar to living raptorial birds like caracaras that capture and kill large prey, which represents the earliest known adaptation for macrocarnivory in a bird. This supports the appearance of this ecology ∼35 million years earlier than previously thought. These findings greatly increase the niche breadth known for Early Cretaceous birds, and shift the prevailing view that Mesozoic birds mainly occupied low trophic levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Case Vincent Miller
- Department of Earth Sciences, the University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Michael Pittman
- School of Life Sciences, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Xiaoli Wang
- Institute of Geology and Paleontology, Linyi University, Linyi, Shandong 276005, China.,Shandong Tianyu Museum of Nature, Pingyi, Shandong 273300, China
| | - Xiaoting Zheng
- Institute of Geology and Paleontology, Linyi University, Linyi, Shandong 276005, China.,Shandong Tianyu Museum of Nature, Pingyi, Shandong 273300, China
| | - Jen A Bright
- Department of Biological and Marine Sciences, University of Hull, Hull HU6 7RX, UK
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Roy A, Pittman M, Kaye TG, Saitta ET, Xu X. Correction statement for Recent advances in amniote palaeocolour reconstruction and a framework for future research (volume 95, issue 1, pp. 22-50). Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2023; 98:386-389. [PMID: 36320106 PMCID: PMC10117546 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2022] [Revised: 08/16/2022] [Accepted: 08/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Arindam Roy
- Department of Earth Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, SAR, China.,School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Wills Memorial Building, Queens Road, Bristol, BS8 1RJ, UK
| | - Michael Pittman
- School of Life Sciences, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong, SAR, China.,Foundation for Scientific Advancement, 7023 Alhambra Drive, Sierra Vista, AZ, 85650, USA
| | - Thomas G Kaye
- Foundation for Scientific Advancement, 7023 Alhambra Drive, Sierra Vista, AZ, 85650, USA
| | - Evan T Saitta
- Department of Organismal Biology & Anatomy, University of Chicago, 1027 E 57th St, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
| | - Xing Xu
- Chinese Academy of Sciences - Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Beijing, China
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Pittman M, Bell PR, Miller CV, Enriquez NJ, Wang X, Zheng X, Tsang LR, Tse YT, Landes M, Kaye TG. Exceptional preservation and foot structure reveal ecological transitions and lifestyles of early theropod flyers. Nat Commun 2022; 13:7684. [PMID: 36539437 PMCID: PMC9768147 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-35039-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2022] [Accepted: 11/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Morphology of keratinised toe pads and foot scales, hinging of foot joints and claw shape and size all inform the grasping ability, cursoriality and feeding mode of living birds. Presented here is morphological evidence from the fossil feet of early theropod flyers. Foot soft tissues and joint articulations are qualitatively assessed using laser-stimulated fluorescence. Pedal claw shape and size are quantitatively analysed using traditional morphometrics. We interpret these foot data among existing evidence to better understand the evolutionary ecology of early theropod flyers. Jurassic flyers like Anchiornis and Archaeopteryx show adaptations suggestive of relatively ground-dwelling lifestyles. Early Cretaceous flyers then diversify into more aerial lifestyles, including generalists like Confuciusornis and specialists like the climbing Fortunguavis. Some early birds, like the Late Jurassic Berlin Archaeopteryx and Early Cretaceous Sapeornis, show complex ecologies seemingly unique among sampled modern birds. As a non-bird flyer, finding affinities of Microraptor to a more specialised raptorial lifestyle is unexpected. Its hawk-like characteristics are rare among known theropod flyers of the time suggesting that some non-bird flyers perform specialised roles filled by birds today. We demonstrate diverse ecological profiles among early theropod flyers, changing as flight developed, and some non-bird flyers have more complex ecological roles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Pittman
- grid.10784.3a0000 0004 1937 0482School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR China
| | - Phil R. Bell
- grid.1020.30000 0004 1936 7371School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2351 Australia
| | - Case Vincent Miller
- grid.194645.b0000000121742757Department of Earth Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR China
| | - Nathan J. Enriquez
- grid.1020.30000 0004 1936 7371School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2351 Australia
| | - Xiaoli Wang
- grid.410747.10000 0004 1763 3680Institute of Geology and Paleontology, Linyi University, Linyi City, Shandong 276005 China ,Shandong Tianyu Museum of Nature, Pingyi, Shandong 273300 China
| | - Xiaoting Zheng
- grid.410747.10000 0004 1763 3680Institute of Geology and Paleontology, Linyi University, Linyi City, Shandong 276005 China ,Shandong Tianyu Museum of Nature, Pingyi, Shandong 273300 China
| | - Leah R. Tsang
- grid.1020.30000 0004 1936 7371School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2351 Australia ,grid.438303.f0000 0004 0470 8815Ornithology Collection, Australian Museum, William Street, Sydney, NSW 2010 Australia
| | - Yuen Ting Tse
- grid.10784.3a0000 0004 1937 0482School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR China
| | - Michael Landes
- grid.17063.330000 0001 2157 2938Department of Biology, University of Toronto Mississauga, 3359 Mississauga Road, Mississauga, ON L5L 1C6 Canada
| | - Thomas G. Kaye
- Foundation for Scientific Advancement, Sierra Vista, AZ 85650 USA
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Pittman M, Kaye TG, Wang X, Zheng X, Dececchi TA, Hartman SA. Preserved soft anatomy confirms shoulder-powered upstroke of early theropod flyers, reveals enhanced early pygostylian upstroke, and explains early sternum loss. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2205476119. [PMID: 36375073 PMCID: PMC9704744 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2205476119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Accepted: 09/29/2022] [Indexed: 10/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Anatomy of the first flying feathered dinosaurs, modern birds and crocodylians, proposes an ancestral flight system divided between shoulder and chest muscles, before the upstroke muscles migrated beneath the body. This ancestral flight system featured the dorsally positioned deltoids and supracoracoideus controlling the upstroke and the chest-bound pectoralis controlling the downstroke. Preserved soft anatomy is needed to contextualize the origin of the modern flight system, but this has remained elusive. Here we reveal the soft anatomy of the earliest theropod flyers preserved as residual skin chemistry covering the body and delimiting its margins. These data provide preserved soft anatomy that independently validate the ancestral theropod flight system. The heavily constructed shoulder and more weakly constructed chest in the early pygostylian Confuciusornis indicated by a preserved body profile, proposes the first upstroke-enhanced flight stroke. Slender ventral body profiles in the early-diverging birds Archaeopteryx and Anchiornis suggest habitual use of the pectoralis could not maintain the sternum through bone functional adaptations. Increased wing-assisted terrestrial locomotion potentially accelerated sternum loss through higher breathing requirements. Lower expected downstroke requirements in the early thermal soarer Sapeornis could have driven sternum loss through bone functional adaption, possibly encouraged by the higher breathing demands of a Confuciusornis-like upstroke. Both factors are supported by a slender ventral body profile. These data validate the ancestral shoulder/chest flight system and provide insights into novel upstroke-enhanced flight strokes and early sternum loss, filling important gaps in our understanding of the appearance of modern flight.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Pittman
- School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Thomas G. Kaye
- Foundation for Scientific Advancement, Sierra Vista, AZ 85650
| | - Xiaoli Wang
- Institute of Geology and Paleontology, Linyi University, Shandong 276005, China
| | - Xiaoting Zheng
- Institute of Geology and Paleontology, Linyi University, Shandong 276005, China
- Shandong Tianyu Museum of Nature, Shandong 273300, China
| | | | - Scott A. Hartman
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI 53706-1692
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9
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Abstract
Background In egg-laying amniotes, the developing embryo is tethered to a number of the extraembryonic membranes including the yolk sac and allantois that deliver oxygen and nutrients and remove metabolic waste products throughout embryonic development. Prior to, or soon after hatching, these membranes detach from the animal leaving a temporary or permanent umbilical scar (umbilicus) equivalent to the navel or ‘belly button’ in some placental mammals, including humans. Although ubiquitous in modern mammals and reptiles (including birds), at least early in their ontogeny, the umbilicus has not been identified in any pre-Cenozoic amniote. Results We report the oldest preserved umbilicus in a fossil amniote from a ~130-million-year-old early-branching ceratopsian dinosaur, Psittacosaurus. Under laser-stimulated fluorescence (LSF), the umbilicus is revealed as an elongate midline structure delimited by a row of paired scales on the abdomen. The relatively late ontogenetic stage (close to sexual maturity) estimated for the individual indicates that the umbilicus was probably retained throughout life. Conclusions Unlike most extant reptiles and birds that lose this scar within days to weeks after hatching, the umbilicus of Psittacosaurus persisted at least until sexual maturity, similar to some lizards and crocodylians with which it shares the closest morphological resemblance. This discovery is the oldest record of an amniote umbilicus and the first in a non-avian dinosaur. However, given the variability of this structure in extant reptilian analogues, a persistent umbilical scar may not have been present in all non-avian dinosaurs. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12915-022-01329-9.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phil R Bell
- School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia.
| | - Christophe Hendrickx
- Unidad Ejecutora Lillo, CONICET-Fundación Miguel Lillo, Miguel Lillo, San Miguel de Tucumán, Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Michael Pittman
- School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China. .,Department of Earth Sciences, University College London, London, UK. .,Foundation for Scientific Advancement, Sierra Vista, AZ, USA.
| | - Thomas G Kaye
- Foundation for Scientific Advancement, Sierra Vista, AZ, USA
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10
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Miller CV, Pittman M, Wang X, Zheng X, Bright JA. Diet of Mesozoic toothed birds (Longipterygidae) inferred from quantitative analysis of extant avian diet proxies. BMC Biol 2022; 20:101. [PMID: 35550084 PMCID: PMC9097364 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-022-01294-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Birds are key indicator species in extant ecosystems, and thus we would expect extinct birds to provide insights into the nature of ancient ecosystems. However, many aspects of extinct bird ecology, particularly their diet, remain obscure. One group of particular interest is the bizarre toothed and long-snouted longipterygid birds. Longipterygidae is the most well-understood family of enantiornithine birds, the dominant birds of the Cretaceous period. However, as with most Mesozoic birds, their diet remains entirely speculative. Results To improve our understanding of longipterygids, we investigated four proxies in extant birds to determine diagnostic traits for birds with a given diet: body mass, claw morphometrics, jaw mechanical advantage, and jaw strength via finite element analysis. Body mass of birds tended to correspond to the size of their main food source, with both carnivores and herbivores splitting into two subsets by mass: invertivores or vertivores for carnivores, and granivores + nectarivores or folivores + frugivores for herbivores. Using claw morphometrics, we successfully distinguished ground birds, non-raptorial perching birds, and raptorial birds from one another. We were unable to replicate past results isolating subtypes of raptorial behaviour. Mechanical advantage was able to distinguish herbivorous diets with particularly high values of functional indices, and so is useful for identifying these specific diets in fossil taxa, but overall did a poor job of reflecting diet. Finite element analysis effectively separated birds with hard and/or tough diets from those eating foods which are neither, though could not distinguish hard and tough diets from one another. We reconstructed each of these proxies in longipterygids as well, and after synthesising the four lines of evidence, we find all members of the family but Shengjingornis (whose diet remains inconclusive) most likely to be invertivores or generalist feeders, with raptorial behaviour likely in Longipteryx and Rapaxavis. Conclusions This study provides a 20% increase in quantitatively supported fossil bird diets, triples the number of diets reconstructed in enantiornithine species, and serves as an important first step in quantitatively investigating the origins of the trophic diversity of living birds. These findings are consistent with past hypotheses that Mesozoic birds occupied low trophic levels. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12915-022-01294-3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Case Vincent Miller
- Department of Earth Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, China.
| | - Michael Pittman
- School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong SAR, China. .,Department of Earth Sciences, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK.
| | - Xiaoli Wang
- Institute of Geology and Paleontology, Linyi University, Linyi City, Shandong, 276005, China.,Shandong Tianyu Museum of Nature, Pingyi, Shandong, 273300, China
| | - Xiaoting Zheng
- Institute of Geology and Paleontology, Linyi University, Linyi City, Shandong, 276005, China.,Shandong Tianyu Museum of Nature, Pingyi, Shandong, 273300, China
| | - Jen A Bright
- Department of Biological and Marine Sciences, University of Hull, Hull, HU6 7RX, UK
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11
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Jain FA, Okereke O, Gitlin L, Pedrelli P, Onnela JP, Nyer M, Ramirez Gomez LA, Pittman M, Sikder A, Ursal DJ, Mischoulon D. Mentalizing imagery therapy to augment skills training for dementia caregivers: Protocol for a randomized, controlled trial of a mobile application and digital phenotyping. Contemp Clin Trials 2022; 116:106737. [PMID: 35331943 PMCID: PMC9133149 DOI: 10.1016/j.cct.2022.106737] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2021] [Revised: 03/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
More than 50 million people worldwide live with a dementia, and most are cared for by family members. Family caregivers often experience chronic stress and insomnia, resulting in decreased mental and physical health. Accessibility of in-person stress reduction therapy is limited due to caregiver time constraints and distance from therapy sites. Mentalizing imagery therapy (MIT) provides mindfulness and guided imagery tools to reduce stress, promote self and other understanding, and increase feelings of interconnectedness. Combining MIT with caregiver skills training might enable caregivers to both reduce stress and better utilize newly learned caregiving skills, but this has never been studied. Delivering MIT through a smartphone application (App) has the potential to overcome difficulties with scalability and dissemination and offers caregivers an easy-to-use format. Harnessing passive smartphone data provides an important opportunity to study behavioral changes continuously and with higher granularity than routine clinical assessments. This protocol describes a randomized, controlled, superiority trial in which 120 family dementia caregivers, aged 60 years or older, will be assigned to smartphone App delivery of caregiver skills with MIT (experimental condition) or without MIT (control condition). The primary objectives of the trial are to assess whether the experimental condition is superior to control on reducing family caregiver stress, insomnia and related outcomes and to demonstrate the feasibility of developing behavioral markers from passive smartphone data that predict health outcomes in older adults. Trial outcomes may inform the suitability of our intervention for caregivers and provide new methods for assessment of older adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felipe A Jain
- Depression Clinical and Research Program, Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Olivia Okereke
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Massachusetts Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Laura Gitlin
- College of Nursing and Health Professions, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Paola Pedrelli
- Depression Clinical and Research Program, Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jukka-Pekka Onnela
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Maren Nyer
- Depression Clinical and Research Program, Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Liliana A Ramirez Gomez
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Massachusetts Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Multicultural Alzheimer's Prevention Program, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Michael Pittman
- Depression Clinical and Research Program, Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Abu Sikder
- Innovation Studio, Children's Hospital, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - D J Ursal
- Depression Clinical and Research Program, Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - David Mischoulon
- Depression Clinical and Research Program, Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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12
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Hendrickx C, Bell PR, Pittman M, Milner ARC, Cuesta E, O'Connor J, Loewen M, Currie PJ, Mateus O, Kaye TG, Delcourt R. Morphology and distribution of scales, dermal ossifications, and other non-feather integumentary structures in non-avialan theropod dinosaurs. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2022; 97:960-1004. [PMID: 34991180 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12829] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2020] [Revised: 12/10/2021] [Accepted: 12/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Modern birds are typified by the presence of feathers, complex evolutionary innovations that were already widespread in the group of theropod dinosaurs (Maniraptoriformes) that include crown Aves. Squamous or scaly reptilian-like skin is, however, considered the plesiomorphic condition for theropods and dinosaurs more broadly. Here, we review the morphology and distribution of non-feathered integumentary structures in non-avialan theropods, covering squamous skin and naked skin as well as dermal ossifications. The integumentary record of non-averostran theropods is limited to tracks, which ubiquitously show a covering of tiny reticulate scales on the plantar surface of the pes. This is consistent also with younger averostran body fossils, which confirm an arthral arrangement of the digital pads. Among averostrans, squamous skin is confirmed in Ceratosauria (Carnotaurus), Allosauroidea (Allosaurus, Concavenator, Lourinhanosaurus), Compsognathidae (Juravenator), and Tyrannosauroidea (Santanaraptor, Albertosaurus, Daspletosaurus, Gorgosaurus, Tarbosaurus, Tyrannosaurus), whereas dermal ossifications consisting of sagittate and mosaic osteoderms are restricted to Ceratosaurus. Naked, non-scale bearing skin is found in the contentious tetanuran Sciurumimus, ornithomimosaurians (Ornithomimus) and possibly tyrannosauroids (Santanaraptor), and also on the patagia of scansoriopterygids (Ambopteryx, Yi). Scales are surprisingly conservative among non-avialan theropods compared to some dinosaurian groups (e.g. hadrosaurids); however, the limited preservation of tegument on most specimens hinders further interrogation. Scale patterns vary among and/or within body regions in Carnotaurus, Concavenator and Juravenator, and include polarised, snake-like ventral scales on the tail of the latter two genera. Unusual but more uniformly distributed patterning also occurs in Tyrannosaurus, whereas feature scales are present only in Albertosaurus and Carnotaurus. Few theropods currently show compelling evidence for the co-occurrence of scales and feathers (e.g. Juravenator, Sinornithosaurus), although reticulate scales were probably retained on the mani and pedes of many theropods with a heavy plumage. Feathers and filamentous structures appear to have replaced widespread scaly integuments in maniraptorans. Theropod skin, and that of dinosaurs more broadly, remains a virtually untapped area of study and the appropriation of commonly used techniques in other palaeontological fields to the study of skin holds great promise for future insights into the biology, taphonomy and relationships of these extinct animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christophe Hendrickx
- Unidad Ejecutora Lillo, CONICET-Fundación Miguel Lillo, 251 Miguel Lillo, San Miguel de Tucumán, Tucumán, 4000, Argentina
| | - Phil R Bell
- School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, 2351, Australia
| | - Michael Pittman
- Vertebrate Palaeontology Laboratory, Department of Earth Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, SAR, China.,Department of Earth Sciences, University College London, WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew R C Milner
- St. George Dinosaur Discovery Site at Johnson Farm, 2180 East Riverside Drive, St. George, UT, U.S.A
| | - Elena Cuesta
- Bayerische Staatssammlung für Paläontologie und Geologie, Richard-Wagner-Str. 10, Munich, 80333, Germany
| | - Jingmai O'Connor
- Field Museum of Natural History, 1400 S Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL, 60605, U.S.A
| | - Mark Loewen
- Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Utah, Frederick Albert Sutton Building, 115 South 1460 East, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, U.S.A.,Natural History Museum of Utah, 301 Wakara Way, Salt Lake City, UT, 84108, U.S.A
| | - Philip J Currie
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Octávio Mateus
- GeoBioTec, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Caparica, Portugal.,Museu da Lourinhã, 95 Rua João Luis de Moura, Lourinhã, 2530-158, Portugal
| | - Thomas G Kaye
- Foundation for Scientific Advancement, 7023 Alhambra Dr., Sierra Vista, AZ, 85650, U.S.A
| | - Rafael Delcourt
- Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), Instituto de Geociências, Cidade Universitária, Rua Carlos Gomes, 250, Campinas, SP, 13083-855, Brazil
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13
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Ma W, Pittman M, Butler RJ, Lautenschlager S. Macroevolutionary trends in theropod dinosaur feeding mechanics. Curr Biol 2021; 32:677-686.e3. [PMID: 34919807 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.11.060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2021] [Revised: 09/03/2021] [Accepted: 11/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Theropod dinosaurs underwent some of the most remarkable dietary changes in vertebrate evolutionary history, shifting from ancestral carnivory1-3 to hypercarnivory4,5 and omnivory/herbivory,6-9 with some taxa eventually reverting to carnivory.10-12 The mandible is an important tool for food acquisition in vertebrates and reflects adaptations to feeding modes and diets.13,14 The morphofunctional modifications accompanying the dietary changes in theropod dinosaurs are not well understood because most of the previous studies focused solely on the cranium and/or were phylogenetically limited in scope,12,15-21 while studies that include multiple clades are usually based on linear measurements and/or discrete osteological characters.8,22 Given the potential relationship between macroevolutionary change and ontogenetic pattern,23 we explore whether functional morphological patterns observed in theropod mandibular evolution show similarities to the ontogenetic trajectory. Here, we use finite element analysis to study the mandibles of non-avialan coelurosaurian theropods and demonstrate how feeding mechanics vary between dietary groups and major clades. We reveal an overall reduction in feeding-induced stresses along all theropod lineages through time. This is facilitated by a post-dentary expansion and the development of a downturned dentary in herbivores and an upturned dentary in carnivores likely via the "curved bone effect." We also observed the same reduction in feeding-induced stress in an ontogenetic series of jaws of the tyrannosaurids Tarbosaurus and Tyrannosaurus, which is best attributed to bone functional adaptation. This suggests that this common tendency for structural strengthening of the theropod mandible through time, irrespective of diet, is linked to "functional peramorphosis" of bone functional adaptations acquired during ontogeny.
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Affiliation(s)
- Waisum Ma
- School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.
| | - Michael Pittman
- Department of Earth Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, China; Department of Earth Sciences, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Richard J Butler
- 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
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14
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Barlow LA, Pittman M, Butcher A, Martill DM, Kaye TG. Laser-stimulated fluorescence reveals unseen details in fossils from the Upper Jurassic Solnhofen Limestones. R Soc Open Sci 2021; 8:211601. [PMID: 34950496 PMCID: PMC8692964 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.211601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2021] [Accepted: 11/25/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Laser-stimulated fluorescence (LSF) has seen increased use in palaeontological investigations in recent years. The method uses the high flux of laser light of visible wavelengths to reveal details sometimes missed by traditional long-wave ultraviolet (UV) methods using a lamp. In this study, we compare the results of LSF with UV-A-generated fluorescence on a range of fossils from the Upper Jurassic Solnhofen Limestone Konservat-Lagerstätte of Bavaria, Germany. The methodology follows previous protocols of LSF with modifications made to enhance laser beam intensity, namely keeping the laser at a constant distance from the specimen, using a camera track. Our experiments show that along with making surface details more vivid than UV-A or revealing them for the first time, LSF has the additional value of revealing shallow subsurface specimen detail. Fossil decapods from the Solnhofen Limestone reveal full body outlines, even under the matrix, along with details of segmentation within the appendages such as limbs and antennae. The results indicate that LSF can be used on invertebrate fossils along with vertebrates and may often surpass the information provided by traditional UV methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luke A. Barlow
- Vertebrate Palaeontology Laboratory, Department of Earth Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong
- School of the Environment, Geography and Geosciences, University of Portsmouth, Burnaby Building, Portsmouth, UK
| | - Michael Pittman
- Vertebrate Palaeontology Laboratory, Department of Earth Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong
| | - Anthony Butcher
- School of the Environment, Geography and Geosciences, University of Portsmouth, Burnaby Building, Portsmouth, UK
| | - David M. Martill
- School of the Environment, Geography and Geosciences, University of Portsmouth, Burnaby Building, Portsmouth, UK
| | - Thomas G. Kaye
- Foundation for Scientific Advancement, Sierra Vista, AZ 85650, USA
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15
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Miller CV, Pittman M. The diet of early birds based on modern and fossil evidence and a new framework for its reconstruction. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2021; 96:2058-2112. [PMID: 34240530 PMCID: PMC8519158 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2020] [Revised: 05/07/2021] [Accepted: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Birds are some of the most diverse organisms on Earth, with species inhabiting a wide variety of niches across every major biome. As such, birds are vital to our understanding of modern ecosystems. Unfortunately, our understanding of the evolutionary history of modern ecosystems is hampered by knowledge gaps in the origin of modern bird diversity and ecosystem ecology. A crucial part of addressing these shortcomings is improving our understanding of the earliest birds, the non-avian avialans (i.e. non-crown birds), particularly of their diet. The diet of non-avian avialans has been a matter of debate, in large part because of the ambiguous qualitative approaches that have been used to reconstruct it. Here we review methods for determining diet in modern and fossil avians (i.e. crown birds) as well as non-avian theropods, and comment on their usefulness when applied to non-avian avialans. We use this to propose a set of comparable, quantitative approaches to ascertain fossil bird diet and on this basis provide a consensus of what we currently know about fossil bird diet. While no single approach can precisely predict diet in birds, each can exclude some diets and narrow the dietary possibilities. We recommend combining (i) dental microwear, (ii) landmark-based muscular reconstruction, (iii) stable isotope geochemistry, (iv) body mass estimations, (v) traditional and/or geometric morphometric analysis, (vi) lever modelling, and (vii) finite element analysis to reconstruct fossil bird diet accurately. Our review provides specific methodologies to implement each approach and discusses complications future researchers should keep in mind. We note that current forms of assessment of dental mesowear, skull traditional morphometrics, geometric morphometrics, and certain stable isotope systems have yet to be proven effective at discerning fossil bird diet. On this basis we report the current state of knowledge of non-avian avialan diet which remains very incomplete. The ancestral dietary condition in non-avian avialans remains unclear due to scarce data and contradictory evidence in Archaeopteryx. Among early non-avian pygostylians, Confuciusornis has finite element analysis and mechanical advantage evidence pointing to herbivory, whilst Sapeornis only has mechanical advantage evidence indicating granivory, agreeing with fossilised ingested material known for this taxon. The enantiornithine ornithothoracine Shenqiornis has mechanical advantage and pedal morphometric evidence pointing to carnivory. In the hongshanornithid ornithuromorph Hongshanornis only mechanical advantage evidence indicates granivory, but this agrees with evidence of gastrolith ingestion in this taxon. Mechanical advantage and ingested fish support carnivory in the songlingornithid ornithuromorph Yanornis. Due to the sparsity of robust dietary assignments, no clear trends in non-avian avialan dietary evolution have yet emerged. Dietary diversity seems to increase through time, but this is a preservational bias associated with a predominance of data from the Early Cretaceous Jehol Lagerstätte. With this new framework and our synthesis of the current knowledge of non-avian avialan diet, we expect dietary knowledge and evolutionary trends to become much clearer in the coming years, especially as fossils from other locations and climates are found. This will allow for a deeper and more robust understanding of the role birds played in Mesozoic ecosystems and how this developed into their pivotal role in modern ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Case Vincent Miller
- Vertebrate Palaeontology Laboratory, Research Division for Earth and Planetary ScienceThe University of Hong KongPokfulamHong Kong SARChina
| | - Michael Pittman
- Vertebrate Palaeontology Laboratory, Research Division for Earth and Planetary ScienceThe University of Hong KongPokfulamHong Kong SARChina
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16
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Jain FA, Chernyak S, Nickerson L, Abrams M, Iacoboni M, Christov-Moore L, Connolly CG, Fisher LB, Sakurai H, Bentley K, Tan E, Pittman M, Lavretsky H, Leuchter AF. Mentalizing imagery therapy for depressed family dementia caregivers: Feasibility, clinical outcomes and brain connectivity changes. J Affect Disord Rep 2021; 5. [PMID: 34498016 PMCID: PMC8423372 DOI: 10.1016/j.jadr.2021.100155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Family dementia caregivers experience high rates of depression and anxiety that often go untreated due to time demands. We aimed to determine the feasibility of a brief, 4-week Mentalizing Imagery Therapy intervention, which couples mindfulness with guided imagery practices aimed at bolstering mentalizing capacity, to reduce caregiver psychological symptoms and to explore potential impact on dorsolateral prefrontal cortex connectivity. Methods Twenty-four family dementia caregivers with moderate depression symptoms (a score of 10 in Patient Health Questionnaire-9) were assigned to either group Mentalizing Imagery Therapy (MIT, n = 12) or a waitlist augmented by optional relaxation exercises (n = 12). Participants completed questionnaires to measure depression and anxiety at baseline and followup, and those eligible also underwent resting state functional magnetic resonance (fMRI) brain imaging at these time points. Results Eleven of 12 caregivers assigned to MIT completed the intervention and attended weekly groups 98% of the time. MIT home practice logs indicated average practice of 5 ± 2 sessions per week for 23 ± 8 min per session. All participants in waitlist completed the post-assessment. MIT participants exhibited significantly greater improvement than waitlist on self-reported depression and anxiety symptoms (p<.05) after 4 weeks. Neuroimaging results revealed increased dorsolateral prefrontal cortex connectivity with a putative emotion regulation network in the MIT group (p = .05) but not in waitlist (p = 1.0). Limitations Sample size limitations necessitate validation of findings in larger, randomized controlled trials. Conclusions A 4-week group MIT program was feasible for caregivers, with high levels of participation in weekly group meetings and home practice exercises.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felipe A Jain
- Depression Clinical and Research Program, Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Sergey Chernyak
- Depression Clinical and Research Program, Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Lisa Nickerson
- Applied Neuroimaging Statistics Laboratory, McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Belmont, MA, United States
| | - Michelle Abrams
- Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Marco Iacoboni
- Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Leonardo Christov-Moore
- Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Colm G Connolly
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, United States
| | - Lauren B Fisher
- Depression Clinical and Research Program, Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Hitoshi Sakurai
- Depression Clinical and Research Program, Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Kate Bentley
- Depression Clinical and Research Program, Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Emily Tan
- Depression Clinical and Research Program, Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Michael Pittman
- Depression Clinical and Research Program, Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Helen Lavretsky
- Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Andrew F Leuchter
- Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
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17
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Bi S, Amiot R, Peyre de Fabrègues C, Pittman M, Lamanna MC, Yu Y, Yu C, Yang T, Zhang S, Zhao Q, Xu X. An oviraptorid preserved atop an embryo-bearing egg clutch sheds light on the reproductive biology of non-avialan theropod dinosaurs. Sci Bull (Beijing) 2021; 66:947-954. [PMID: 36654242 DOI: 10.1016/j.scib.2020.12.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2020] [Revised: 12/02/2020] [Accepted: 12/03/2020] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Recent studies demonstrate that many avialan features evolved incrementally prior to the origin of the group, but the presence of some of these features, such as bird-like brooding behaviours, remains contentious in non-avialan dinosaurs. Here we report the first non-avialan dinosaur fossil known to preserve an adult skeleton atop an egg clutch that contains embryonic remains. The preserved positional relationship of the adult to the clutch, coupled with the advanced growth stages of the embryos and their high estimated incubation temperatures, provides strong support for the brooding hypothesis. Furthermore, embryos in the clutch are at different developmental stages, suggesting the presence of asynchronous hatching-a derived feature even among crown-group birds-in non-avialan theropods. These findings demonstrate that the evolution of reproductive biology along bird-line archosaurs was a complex rather than a linear and incremental process, and suggest that some aspects of non-avialan theropod reproduction were unique to these dinosaurs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shundong Bi
- Centre for Vertebrate Evolutionary Biology, Institute of Palaeontology, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, China; Department of Biology, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Indiana, PA 15705, USA.
| | - Romain Amiot
- Univ Lyon, Univ Lyon 1, ENSL, CNRS, LGL-TPE, Villeurbanne, F-69622, France
| | - Claire Peyre de Fabrègues
- Centre for Vertebrate Evolutionary Biology, Institute of Palaeontology, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, China
| | - Michael Pittman
- Vertebrate Palaeontology Laboratory, Division of Earth and Planetary Science, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Matthew C Lamanna
- Section of Vertebrate Paleontology, Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Yilun Yu
- Yuanpei College, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Congyu Yu
- Division of Paleontology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY 10024, USA
| | - Tzuruei Yang
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100044, China; Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100044, China
| | - Shukang Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100044, China; Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100044, China
| | - Qi Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100044, China; Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100044, China
| | - Xing Xu
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100044, China; Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100044, China.
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18
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Pittman M, Habib MB, Dececchi TA, Larsson HCE, Pei R, Kaye TG, Norell MA, Brusatte SL, Xu X. Response to Serrano and Chiappe. Curr Biol 2021; 31:R372-R373. [PMID: 33905690 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.03.059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
In the recent study in Current Biology by Pei and colleagues1, we used two proxies - wing loading and specific lift - to reconstruct powered flight potential across the vaned feathered fossil pennaraptorans. The results recovered multiple origins of powered flight. We respectfully disagree with the criticism raised by Serrano and Chiappe2 that wing loading and specific lift, used in sequence, fail to discriminate between powered flight and gliding. We will explain this in reference to our original conservative approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Pittman
- Vertebrate Palaeontology Laboratory, Research Division for Earth and Planetary Science, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, China.
| | - Michael B Habib
- Dinosaur Institute, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Los Angeles, CA 90007, USA
| | | | | | - Rui Pei
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100044, China
| | - Thomas G Kaye
- Foundation for Scientific Advancement, Sierra Vista, AZ 85650, USA
| | - Mark A Norell
- Division of Paleontology, American Museum of Natural History, New York City, NY 10024, USA
| | | | - Xing Xu
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100044, China
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19
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Dececchi TA, Roy A, Pittman M, Kaye TG, Xu X, Habib MB, Larsson HC, Wang X, Zheng X. Aerodynamics Show Membrane-Winged Theropods Were a Poor Gliding Dead-end. iScience 2020; 23:101574. [PMID: 33376962 PMCID: PMC7756141 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2020.101574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2020] [Revised: 07/30/2020] [Accepted: 09/14/2020] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The bizarre scansoriopterygid theropods Yi and Ambopteryx had skin stretched between elongate fingers that form a potential membranous wing. This wing is thought to have been used in aerial locomotion, but this has never been tested. Using laser-stimulated fluorescence imaging, we re-evaluate their anatomy and perform aerodynamic calculations covering flight potential, other wing-based behaviors, and gliding capabilities. We find that Yi and Ambopteryx were likely arboreal, highly unlikely to have any form of powered flight, and had significant deficiencies in flapping-based locomotion and limited gliding abilities. Our results show that Scansoriopterygidae are not models for the early evolution of bird flight, and their structurally distinct wings differed greatly from contemporaneous paravians, supporting multiple independent origins of flight. We propose that Scansoriopterygidae represents a unique but failed flight architecture of non-avialan theropods and that the evolutionary race to capture vertebrate aerial morphospace in the Middle to Late Jurassic was dynamic and complex.
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Affiliation(s)
- T. Alexander Dececchi
- Department of Biology, Division of Natural Sciences, Mount Marty University, Yankton, SD, USA
| | - Arindam Roy
- Vertebrate Palaeontology Laboratory, Division of Earth and Planetary Science, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Michael Pittman
- Vertebrate Palaeontology Laboratory, Division of Earth and Planetary Science, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Thomas G. Kaye
- Foundation for Scientific Advancement, Sierra Vista, AZ, USA
| | - Xing Xu
- Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology & Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Michael B. Habib
- Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | | | - Xiaoli Wang
- Institute of Geology and Paleontology, Linyi University, Linyi City, Shandong, China
| | - Xiaoting Zheng
- Institute of Geology and Paleontology, Linyi University, Linyi City, Shandong, China
- Shandong Tianyu Museum of Nature, Pingyi, Shandong, China
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20
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Yang Z, Jiang B, McNamara ME, Kearns SL, Pittman M, Kaye TG, Orr PJ, Xu X, Benton MJ. Reply to: No protofeathers on pterosaurs. Nat Ecol Evol 2020; 4:1592-1593. [PMID: 32989267 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-020-01309-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2019] [Accepted: 08/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Zixiao Yang
- Center for Research and Education on Biological Evolution and Environments, School of Earth Sciences and Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Baoyu Jiang
- Center for Research and Education on Biological Evolution and Environments, School of Earth Sciences and Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China.
| | - Maria E McNamara
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Stuart L Kearns
- School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Michael Pittman
- Vertebrate Palaeontology Laboratory, Department of Earth Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Thomas G Kaye
- Foundation for Scientific Advancement, Sierra Vista, AZ, USA
| | - Patrick J Orr
- UCD School of Earth Sciences, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Xing Xu
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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21
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Sanson F, Pandey AK, Papagiannouli I, Harms F, Dovillaire G, Baynard E, Demailly J, Guilbaud O, Lucas B, Neveu O, Pittman M, Ros D, Richardson M, Johnson E, Li W, Balcou P, Kazamias S. Highly multimodal structure of high topological charge extreme ultraviolet vortex beams. Opt Lett 2020; 45:4790-4793. [PMID: 32870858 DOI: 10.1364/ol.397206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2020] [Accepted: 07/28/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Optical beams carrying orbital angular momentum are a very active field of research for their prospective applications, especially at short wavelengths. We consider here such beams produced through high-harmonic generation (HHG) in a rare gas and analyze the characterization of their high-charge vortex structure by an extreme ultraviolet Hartmann wavefront sensor. We show that such HHG beams are generally composed of a set of numerous vortex modes. The sensitivity of the intensity and phase of the HHG beam to the infrared laser aberrations is investigated using a deformable mirror.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Pittman
- Vertebrate Palaeontology Laboratory Division of Earth and Planetary Science The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Xing Xu
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology & Paleoanthropology and CAS Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Beijing
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23
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas G. Kaye
- Foundation for Scientific Advancement Sierra Vista AZ USA
- Laboratory for Space Research The University of Hong Kong Hong Kong SAR China
| | - Michael Pittman
- Laboratory for Space Research The University of Hong Kong Hong Kong SAR China
- Vertebrate Palaeontology Laboratory Division of Earth and Planetary Science The University of Hong Kong Hong Kong SAR China
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24
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Roy A, Pittman M, Saitta ET, Kaye TG, Xu X. Recent advances in amniote palaeocolour reconstruction and a framework for future research. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2020; 95:22-50. [PMID: 31538399 PMCID: PMC7004074 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2019] [Revised: 08/12/2019] [Accepted: 08/15/2019] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Preserved melanin pigments have been discovered in fossilised integumentary appendages of several amniote lineages (fishes, frogs, snakes, marine reptiles, non-avialan dinosaurs, birds, and mammals) excavated from lagerstätten across the globe. Melanisation is a leading factor in organic integument preservation in these fossils. Melanin in extant vertebrates is typically stored in rod- to sphere-shaped, lysosome-derived, membrane-bound vesicles called melanosomes. Black, dark brown, and grey colours are produced by eumelanin, and reddish-brown colours are produced by phaeomelanin. Specific morphotypes and nanostructural arrangements of melanosomes and their relation to the keratin matrix in integumentary appendages create the so-called 'structural colours'. Reconstruction of colour patterns in ancient animals has opened an exciting new avenue for studying their life, behaviour and ecology. Modern relationships between the shape, arrangement, and size of avian melanosomes, melanin chemistry, and feather colour have been applied to reconstruct the hues and colour patterns of isolated feathers and plumages of the dinosaurs Anchiornis, Sinosauropteryx, and Microraptor in seminal papers that initiated the field of palaeocolour reconstruction. Since then, further research has identified countershading camouflage patterns, and informed subsequent predictions on the ecology and behaviour of these extinct animals. However, palaeocolour reconstruction remains a nascent field, and current approaches have considerable potential for further refinement, standardisation, and expansion. This includes detailed study of non-melanic pigments that might be preserved in fossilised integuments. A common issue among existing palaeocolour studies is the lack of contextualisation of different lines of evidence and the wide variety of techniques currently employed. To that end, this review focused on fossil amniotes: (i) produces an overarching framework that appropriately reconstructs palaeocolour by accounting for the chemical signatures of various pigments, morphology and local arrangement of pigment-bearing vesicles, pigment concentration, macroscopic colour patterns, and taphonomy; (ii) provides background context for the evolution of colour-producing mechanisms; and (iii) encourages future efforts in palaeocolour reconstructions particularly of less-studied groups such as non-dinosaur archosaurs and non-archosaur amniotes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arindam Roy
- Vertebrate Palaeontology Laboratory, Department of Earth SciencesThe University of Hong KongPokfulamHong Kong SARChina
| | - Michael Pittman
- Vertebrate Palaeontology Laboratory, Department of Earth SciencesThe University of Hong KongPokfulamHong Kong SARChina
| | - Evan T. Saitta
- Integrative Research Center, Section of Earth SciencesField Museum of Natural History1400 S. Lake Shore Drive, ChicagoIL60605U.S.A.
| | - Thomas G. Kaye
- Foundation for Scientific Advancement7023 Alhambra Drive, Sierra VistaAZ85650U.S.A.
| | - Xing Xu
- Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and PaleoanthropologyChinese Academy of Sciences142 Xizhimenwai Street.Beijing100044China
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25
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Cook N, Banerji U, Evans J, Biondo A, Germetaki T, Randhawa M, Godfrey L, Leslie S, Jeffrey P, Rigby M, Bennett G, Blakemore S, Koehler M, Niewiarowski A, Pittman M, Symeonides S. Pharmacokinetic (PK) assessment of BT1718: A phase I/II a study of BT1718, a first in class bicycle toxin conjugate (BTC), in patients (pts) with advanced solid tumours. Ann Oncol 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/annonc/mdz244.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
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26
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Goloboff PA, Pittman M, Pol D, Xu X. Morphological Data Sets Fit a Common Mechanism Much More Poorly than DNA Sequences and Call Into Question the Mkv Model. Syst Biol 2019; 68:494-504. [PMID: 30445627 DOI: 10.1093/sysbio/syy077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2018] [Revised: 11/11/2018] [Accepted: 11/13/2018] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The Mkv evolutionary model, based on minor modifications to models of molecular evolution, is being increasingly used to infer phylogenies from discrete morphological data, often producing different results from parsimony. The critical difference between Mkv and parsimony is the assumption of a "common mechanism" in the Mkv model, with branch lengths determining that probability of change for all characters increases or decreases at the same tree branches by the same exponential factor. We evaluate whether the assumption of a common mechanism applies to morphology, by testing the implicit prediction that branch lengths calculated from different subsets of characters will be significantly correlated. Our analysis shows that DNA (38 data sets tested) is often compatible with a common mechanism, but morphology (86 data sets tested) generally is not, showing very disparate branch lengths for different character partitions. The low levels of branch length correlation demonstrated for morphology (fitting models without a common mechanism) suggest that the Mkv model is too unrealistic and inadequate for the analysis of most morphological data sets. [Bayesian analysis; Mkv model; morphological data; phylogenetics.].
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo A Goloboff
- Unidad Ejecutora Lillo (UEL), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), S.M. Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Michael Pittman
- Vertebrate Palaeontology Laboratory, Department of Earth Sciences, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong
| | - Diego Pol
- Museo Egidio Feruglio, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Trelew, Argentina
| | - Xing Xu
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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27
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Kaye TG, Pittman M, Marugán-Lobón J, Martín-Abad H, Sanz JL, Buscalioni AD. Fully fledged enantiornithine hatchling revealed by Laser-Stimulated Fluorescence supports precocial nesting behavior. Sci Rep 2019; 9:5006. [PMID: 30899080 PMCID: PMC6428842 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-41423-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2018] [Accepted: 03/08/2019] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Laser-Stimulated Fluorescence (LSF) is used to identify fully fledged feathering in the hatchling enantiornithine bird specimen MPCM-LH-26189, supporting precocial nesting behavior in this extinct group. The LSF results include the detection of a long pennaceous wing feather as well as cover feathers around the body. The LSF technique showed improved detection limits over and above synchrotron and UV imaging which had both been performed on this specimen. The findings underscore the value of using a wide range of analytical techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas G Kaye
- Foundation for Scientific Advancement, Sierra Vista, Arizona, 85650, United States of America.
| | - Michael Pittman
- Vertebrate Palaeontology Laboratory, Department of Earth Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Jesús Marugán-Lobón
- Facultad de Ciencias, Departamento de Biología, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049, Madrid, Spain
| | - Hugo Martín-Abad
- Facultad de Ciencias, Departamento de Biología, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049, Madrid, Spain
| | - José Luis Sanz
- Facultad de Ciencias, Departamento de Biología, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049, Madrid, Spain
| | - Angela D Buscalioni
- Facultad de Ciencias, Departamento de Biología, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049, Madrid, Spain
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28
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Yang Z, Jiang B, McNamara ME, Kearns SL, Pittman M, Kaye TG, Orr PJ, Xu X, Benton MJ. Pterosaur integumentary structures with complex feather-like branching. Nat Ecol Evol 2018; 3:24-30. [DOI: 10.1038/s41559-018-0728-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2018] [Accepted: 10/23/2018] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
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29
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Sanson F, Pandey AK, Harms F, Dovillaire G, Baynard E, Demailly J, Guilbaud O, Lucas B, Neveu O, Pittman M, Ros D, Richardson M, Johnson E, Li W, Balcou P, Kazamias S. Hartmann wavefront sensor characterization of a high charge vortex beam in the extreme ultraviolet spectral range. Opt Lett 2018; 43:2780-2783. [PMID: 29905687 DOI: 10.1364/ol.43.002780] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2018] [Accepted: 05/02/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
We demonstrate for the first time, to the best of our knowledge, the ability of extreme ultraviolet (XUV) Hartmann wavefront sensors to characterize high charge vortex beams produced by high-order harmonic generation up to the order of 25. We also show that phase matched absorption limited high harmonic generation is able to maintain the high charge vortex structure of the XUV beam even in a rather long (1 cm) generation medium.
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30
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Pei R, Norell MA, Barta DE, Bever G, Pittman M, Xu X. Osteology of a New Late Cretaceous Troodontid Specimen from Ukhaa Tolgod, Ömnögovi Aimag, Mongolia. American Museum Novitates 2017. [DOI: 10.1206/3889.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Rui Pei
- Department of Earth Sciences, the University of Hong Kong, and Division of Paleontology, American Museum of Natural History, New York
| | - Mark A. Norell
- Macaulay Family Curator, Division of Paleontology, American Museum of Natural History, New York
| | - Daniel E. Barta
- Richard Gilder Graduate School and Division of Paleontology, American Museum of Natural History, New York
| | - G.S. Bever
- Division of Paleontology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, and Center for Functional Anatomy & Evolution, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore
| | - Michael Pittman
- Vertebrate Palaeontology Laboratory, Department of Earth Sciences, the University of Hong Kong
| | - Xing Xu
- Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing
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31
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Ma W, Wang J, Pittman M, Tan Q, Tan L, Guo B, Xu X. Functional anatomy of a giant toothless mandible from a bird-like dinosaur: Gigantoraptor and the evolution of the oviraptorosaurian jaw. Sci Rep 2017; 7:16247. [PMID: 29176627 PMCID: PMC5701234 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-15709-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2017] [Accepted: 10/31/2017] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The Oviraptorosauria are a group of theropod dinosaurs that diverged from the typical carnivorous theropod diet. It includes two main lineages – Caenagnathidae and Oviraptoridae – that display a number of differences in mandibular morphology, but little is known about their functional consequences, hampering our understanding of oviraptorosaurian dietary evolution. This study presents the first in-depth description of the giant toothless mandible of Gigantoraptor, the only well-preserved stemward caenagnathid mandible. This mandible shows the greatest relative beak depth among caenagnathids, which is an adaptation seen in some modern birds for processing harder seeds. The presence of a lingual triturating shelf in caenagnathids more crownward than Gigantoraptor suggests a possible increased specialization towards shearing along this lineage. Like other oviraptorosaurs, the possession of a dorsally convex articular glenoid in Gigantoraptor indicates that propalinal jaw movement was probably an important mechanism for food processing, as in Sphenodon and dicynodonts. Oviraptorid mandibles were more suited for producing powerful bites (e.g. crushing-related) compared to caenagnathids: oviraptorids generally possess a deeper, more downturned beak, a taller coronoid process prominence and a larger medial mandibular fossa. This disparity in caenagnathid and oviraptorid mandible morphology potentially suggests specialization towards two different feeding styles – shearing and crushing-related mechanisms respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Waisum Ma
- Vertebrate Palaeontology Laboratory, Department of Earth Sciences, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China
| | - Junyou Wang
- Longhao Institute of Geology and Paleontology, Hohhot, Nei Mongol, 010011, China
| | - Michael Pittman
- Vertebrate Palaeontology Laboratory, Department of Earth Sciences, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China.
| | - Qingwei Tan
- Nei Mongol Museum of Nature, Hohhot, Nei Mongol, 010011, China
| | - Lin Tan
- Longhao Institute of Geology and Paleontology, Hohhot, Nei Mongol, 010011, China
| | - Bin Guo
- Nei Mongol Museum of Nature, Hohhot, Nei Mongol, 010011, China
| | - Xing Xu
- 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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32
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Vinther J, Nicholls R, Lautenschlager S, Pittman M, Kaye TG, Rayfield E, Mayr G, Cuthill IC. 3D Camouflage in an Ornithischian Dinosaur. Curr Biol 2016; 26:2456-2462. [PMID: 27641767 PMCID: PMC5049543 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2016.06.065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2016] [Revised: 05/20/2016] [Accepted: 06/28/2016] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Countershading was one of the first proposed mechanisms of camouflage [1, 2]. A dark dorsum and light ventrum counteract the gradient created by illumination from above, obliterating cues to 3D shape [3-6]. Because the optimal countershading varies strongly with light environment [7-9], pigmentation patterns give clues to an animal's habitat. Indeed, comparative evidence from ungulates [9] shows that interspecific variation in countershading matches predictions: in open habitats, where direct overhead sunshine dominates, a sharp dark-light color transition high up the body is evident; in closed habitats (e.g., under forest canopy), diffuse illumination dominates and a smoother dorsoventral gradation is found. We can apply this approach to extinct animals in which the preservation of fossil melanin allows reconstruction of coloration [10-15]. Here we present a study of an exceptionally well-preserved specimen of Psittacosaurus sp. from the Chinese Jehol biota [16, 17]. This Psittacosaurus was countershaded [16] with a light underbelly and tail, whereas the chest was more pigmented. Other patterns resemble disruptive camouflage, whereas the chin and jugal bosses on the face appear dark. We projected the color patterns onto an anatomically accurate life-size model in order to assess their function experimentally. The patterns are compared to the predicted optimal countershading from the measured radiance patterns generated on an identical uniform gray model in direct versus diffuse illumination. These studies suggest that Psittacosaurus sp. inhabited a closed habitat such as a forest with a relatively dense canopy. VIDEO ABSTRACT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jakob Vinther
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Life Sciences Building, 24 Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK; School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Wills Memorial Building, Queens Road, Bristol BS8 1RJ, UK.
| | - Robert Nicholls
- Palaeocreations, 35 Hopps Road, Kingswood, Bristol BS15 9QQ, UK
| | - Stephan Lautenschlager
- School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Wills Memorial Building, Queens Road, Bristol BS8 1RJ, UK
| | - Michael Pittman
- Vertebrate Palaeontology Laboratory, Department of Earth Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong
| | - Thomas G Kaye
- Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, 4331 Memorial Way Northeast, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Emily Rayfield
- School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Wills Memorial Building, Queens Road, Bristol BS8 1RJ, UK
| | - Gerald Mayr
- Department of Ornithology, Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum, Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Innes C Cuthill
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Life Sciences Building, 24 Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK.
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33
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Pittman M, Pei R, Tan Q, Xu X. The first dromaeosaurid (Dinosauria: Theropoda) from the Lower Cretaceous Bayan Gobi Formation of Nei Mongol, China. PeerJ 2015; 3:e1480. [PMID: 26664809 PMCID: PMC4675113 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.1480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2015] [Accepted: 11/16/2015] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The first dromaeosaurid theropod from the Lower Cretaceous Bayan Gobi Formation is identified based on an incompletely preserved partially-articulated left leg, increasing the known diversity of its understudied ecosystem. The leg belongs to specimen IVPP V22530 and includes a typical deinonychosaurian pedal phalanx II-2 with a distinct constriction between the enlarged proximal end and the distal condyle as well as a typical deinonychosaurian enlarged pedal phalanx II-3. It possesses a symmetric metatarsus and a slender and long MT V that together suggest it is a dromaeosaurid. Two anatomical traits suggest the leg is microraptorine-like, but a more precise taxonomic referral was not possible: metatarsals II, III and IV are closely appressed distally and the ventral margin of the medial ligament pit of phalanx II-2 is close to the centre of the rounded distal condyle. This taxonomic status invites future efforts to discover additional specimens at the study locality because—whether it is a microraptorine or a close relative—this animal is expected to make important contributions to our understanding of dromaeosaurid evolution and biology. IVPP V22530 also comprises of an isolated dromaeosaurid manual ungual, a proximal portion of a right theropod anterior dorsal rib and an indeterminate bone mass that includes a collection of ribs. Neither the rib fragment nor the bone mass can be confidently referred to Dromaeosauridae, although they may very well belong to the same individual to whom the left leg belongs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Pittman
- Vertebrate Palaeontology Laboratory, Department of Earth Sciences, The University of Hong Kong , Pokfulam , Hong Kong, China
| | - Rui Pei
- Vertebrate Palaeontology Laboratory, Department of Earth Sciences, The University of Hong Kong , Pokfulam , Hong Kong, China
| | - Qingwei Tan
- Long Hao Institute of Geology and Paleontology , Hohhot, Nei Mongol , China
| | - Xing Xu
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology & Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing , China
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34
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Novitsky Y, Fayezizadeh M, Majumder A, Yee S, Petro C, Orenstein S, Woeste G, Reinisch A, Bechstein WO, Rosen M, Carbonell A, Cobb W, Bauer J, Selzer D, Chao J, Harmaty M, Poulose B, Matthews B, Goldblatt M, Jacobsen G, Rosman C, Hansson B, Prabhu A, Fathi A, Skipworth J, Younis I, Floyd D, Shankar A, Olmi S, Cesana G, Ciccarese F, Uccelli M, Carrieri D, Castello G, Legnani G, Lyo V, Irwin C, Xu X, Harris H, Zuvela M, Galun D, Petrovic J, Palibrk I, Koncar I, Basaric D, Tian W, Fei Y, Pittman M, Jones E, Schwartz J, Mikami D, Perrakis A, Knüttel D, Klein P, Croner RS, Hohenberger W, Perrakis E, Müller V, Grande M, Villa M, Lisi G, Esser A, De Sanctis F, Petrella G, Birolini C, Miranda JS, Tanaka EY, Utiyama EM, Rasslan S, Shi Y, Guo XB, Zhuo HQ, Li LP, Liu HJ, Bauder A, Gerety P, Epps G, Pannucci C, Fischer J, Kovach S. Incisional Hernia: Difficult Cases 2. Hernia 2015; 19 Suppl 1:S105-11. [PMID: 26518784 DOI: 10.1007/bf03355335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Y Novitsky
- Case Comprehensive Hernia Center, Cleveland, USA
| | | | - A Majumder
- Case Comprehensive Hernia Center, Cleveland, USA
| | - S Yee
- Case Comprehensive Hernia Center, Cleveland, USA
| | - C Petro
- Case Comprehensive Hernia Center, Cleveland, USA
| | - S Orenstein
- Case Comprehensive Hernia Center, Cleveland, USA
| | - G Woeste
- Department of Surgery, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - A Reinisch
- Department of Surgery, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - W O Bechstein
- Department of Surgery, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - M Rosen
- Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - A Fathi
- Case Comprehensive Hernia Center, Cleveland, USA
| | - J Skipworth
- Hospital Complex Hernia Unit, Royal Free and University College London, London, UK
| | - I Younis
- Hospital Complex Hernia Unit, Royal Free and University College London, London, UK
| | - D Floyd
- Hospital Complex Hernia Unit, Royal Free and University College London, London, UK
| | - A Shankar
- Hospital Complex Hernia Unit, Royal Free and University College London, London, UK
| | - S Olmi
- School of General Surgery, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.,General and Oncologic Surgery Department, S. Marco Hospital, Zingonia, BG, Italy
| | - G Cesana
- School of General Surgery, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.,General and Oncologic Surgery Department, S. Marco Hospital, Zingonia, BG, Italy
| | - F Ciccarese
- School of General Surgery, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.,General and Oncologic Surgery Department, S. Marco Hospital, Zingonia, BG, Italy
| | - M Uccelli
- School of General Surgery, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.,General and Oncologic Surgery Department, S. Marco Hospital, Zingonia, BG, Italy
| | - D Carrieri
- General and Oncologic Surgery Department, S. Marco Hospital, Zingonia, BG, Italy
| | - G Castello
- General and Oncologic Surgery Department, S. Marco Hospital, Zingonia, BG, Italy
| | - G Legnani
- General and Oncologic Surgery Department, S. Marco Hospital, Zingonia, BG, Italy
| | - V Lyo
- Division of General Surgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, USA
| | - C Irwin
- Division of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, USA
| | - X Xu
- Division of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, USA
| | - H Harris
- Division of General Surgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, USA
| | - M Zuvela
- Clinical center of Serbia, University Clinic for Digestive Surgery, Belgrade, Serbia.,Medical School, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - D Galun
- Clinical center of Serbia, University Clinic for Digestive Surgery, Belgrade, Serbia.,Medical School, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - J Petrovic
- Clinical center of Serbia, University Clinic for Digestive Surgery, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - I Palibrk
- Medical School, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia.,Clinical center of Serbia, Clinic for vascular and endovascular surgery, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - I Koncar
- Clinical center of Serbia, University Clinic for Digestive Surgery, Belgrade, Serbia.,Medical School, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - D Basaric
- Clinical center of Serbia, University Clinic for Digestive Surgery, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - W Tian
- Department of General Surgery, 1st affiliated hospital of PLA general hospital, Beijing, China
| | | | - M Pittman
- The Ohio State University Medical Center, Columbus, USA
| | | | | | | | - A Perrakis
- Department of Surgery, University Hospital of Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany
| | - D Knüttel
- Department of Surgery, University Hospital of Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany
| | - P Klein
- Department of Surgery, University Hospital of Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany
| | - R S Croner
- Department of Surgery, University Hospital of Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany
| | - W Hohenberger
- Department of Surgery, University Hospital of Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany
| | - E Perrakis
- Department of Surgery, Omilos Iatrikoo Kentrou Athinon, Iatriko Kentro Peristeriou, Athens, Greece
| | - V Müller
- Department of Surgery, University Hospital of Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany
| | - M Grande
- University Hospital of Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - M Villa
- University Hospital of Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - G Lisi
- University Hospital of Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - A Esser
- University Hospital of Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | | | - G Petrella
- University Hospital of Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - C Birolini
- Abdominal Wall and Hernia Surgery, University of São Paulo, School of Medicine, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - J S Miranda
- Abdominal Wall and Hernia Surgery, University of São Paulo, School of Medicine, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - E Y Tanaka
- Abdominal Wall and Hernia Surgery, University of São Paulo, School of Medicine, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - E M Utiyama
- Abdominal Wall and Hernia Surgery, University of São Paulo, School of Medicine, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - S Rasslan
- Abdominal Wall and Hernia Surgery, University of São Paulo, School of Medicine, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Y Shi
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | | | | | | | | | - A Bauder
- Division of Plastic Surgery, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA
| | - P Gerety
- Division of Plastic Surgery, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA
| | - G Epps
- Division of Plastic Surgery, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA
| | - C Pannucci
- Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, USA
| | - J Fischer
- Division of Plastic Surgery, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA
| | - S Kovach
- Division of Plastic Surgery, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA
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Guilbaud O, Cojocaru GV, Li L, Delmas O, Ungureanu RG, Banici RA, Kazamias S, Cassou K, Neveu O, Demailly J, Baynard E, Pittman M, Le Marec A, Klisnick A, Zeitoun P, Ursescu D, Ros D. Gain dynamics in quickly ionized plasma for seeded operated soft x-ray lasers. Opt Lett 2015; 40:4775-4778. [PMID: 26469617 DOI: 10.1364/ol.40.004775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Harmonic seeded operation of a neon-like titanium plasma-based soft x-ray laser is described. The plasma amplifier is pumped with a variation of the grazing incidence technique involving a fast and localized ionization step. We discuss its effect on gain dynamics by measuring the amplifying factor as a function of the delay between pump pulse and harmonic seed. Two different regimes are pointed out, following the pumping scheme used. For one of them, a delay in the gain generation compared with the pumping laser pulse is observed.
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Pittman M, Xu X, Stiegler JB. The taxonomy of a new parvicursorine alvarezsauroid specimen IVPP V20341 (Dinosauria: Theropoda) from the Upper Cretaceous Wulansuhai Formation of Bayan Mandahu, Inner Mongolia, China. PeerJ 2015; 3:e986. [PMID: 26082871 PMCID: PMC4465946 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.986] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2014] [Accepted: 05/08/2015] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
A new parvicursorine alvarezsauroid theropod specimen IVPP V20341 from the Upper Cretaceous Wulansuhai Formation of Bayan Mandahu, Inner Mongolia, China is described. IVPP V20341 appears to be distinguishable amongst alvarezsauroids by possible cervical procoely and relatively larger semi-circular caudal neural canals, but these features are not proposed as autapomorphies because current knowledge of alvarezsauroid necks and tails remains sparse. IVPP V20341 is distinguishable from Linhenykus—the sole parvicursorine at Bayan Mandahu—by the location of the origination points of the anterior caudal transverse processes; in IVPP V20341 this is the anterodorsal corner of the centra, whereas in Linhenykus it is the posterior end of the prezygapophyses. A number of additional tentative differences between IVPP V20341 and Linhenykus are also identified, but cannot be confirmed until further details of anatomical variation along the neck and tail are revealed by future finds. Thus, following the study of IVPP V20341 there are still seven parvicursorine species from the Upper Cretaceous Gobi Basin, but future finds could increase this to eight species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Pittman
- Vertebrate Palaeontology Laboratory, Life and Planetary Evolution Research Group, Department of Earth Sciences, The University of Hong Kong , Pokfulam , Hong Kong
| | - Xing Xu
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology & Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing , China
| | - Josef B Stiegler
- Department of Biological Sciences, George Washington University , Washington, DC , USA
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Kaye TG, Falk AR, Pittman M, Sereno PC, Martin LD, Burnham DA, Gong E, Xu X, Wang Y. Laser-stimulated fluorescence in paleontology. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0125923. [PMID: 26016843 PMCID: PMC4446324 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0125923] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2015] [Accepted: 03/26/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Fluorescence using ultraviolet (UV) light has seen increased use as a tool in paleontology over the last decade. Laser-stimulated fluorescence (LSF) is a next generation technique that is emerging as a way to fluoresce paleontological specimens that remain dark under typical UV. A laser's ability to concentrate very high flux rates both at the macroscopic and microscopic levels results in specimens fluorescing in ways a standard UV bulb cannot induce. Presented here are five paleontological case histories that illustrate the technique across a broad range of specimens and scales. Novel uses such as back-lighting opaque specimens to reveal detail and detection of specimens completely obscured by matrix are highlighted in these examples. The recent cost reductions in medium-power short wavelength lasers and use of standard photographic filters has now made this technique widely accessible to researchers. This technology has the potential to automate multiple aspects of paleontology, including preparation and sorting of microfossils. This represents a highly cost-effective way to address paleontology's preparatory bottleneck.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas G. Kaye
- Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Amanda R. Falk
- Southwestern Oklahoma State University, Department of Biology, Weatherford, Oklahoma, United States of America
| | - Michael Pittman
- Vertebrate Palaeontology Laboratory, Department of Earth Sciences, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China
| | - Paul C. Sereno
- Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Larry D. Martin
- Division of Vertebrate Paleontology, Biodiversity Institute, Natural History Museum, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, United States of America
| | - David A. Burnham
- Division of Vertebrate Paleontology, Biodiversity Institute, Natural History Museum, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, United States of America
| | - Enpu Gong
- Department of Geology, Northeastern University, Shenyang, Liaoning, China
| | - Xing Xu
- Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Beijing, China
| | - Yinan Wang
- 1111 Army Navy Drive, Arlington, Virginia, United States of America
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Tse TK, Pittman M, Chang MM. A specimen of Paralycoptera Chang & Chou 1977 (Teleostei: Osteoglossoidei) from Hong Kong (China) with a potential Late Jurassic age that extends the temporal and geographical range of the genus. PeerJ 2015; 3:e865. [PMID: 25834774 PMCID: PMC4380157 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2014] [Accepted: 03/09/2015] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
We describe a Mesozoic fish Paralycoptera sp. (Teleostei: Osteoglossoidei), on the basis of a postcranial skeleton collected from the volcaniclastic mudstones of the Lai Chi Chong Formation of Hong Kong, China. The new finding—representing the city’s first Mesozoic fish—extends the geographical distribution of Paralycoptera from eastern mainland China into Hong Kong, demonstrating a wider distribution than previously appreciated for this genus. A radiometric age for the Lai Chi Chong Formation of 146.6 ± 0.2 Ma implies a temporal range expansion for Paralycoptera of approximately 40 million years back from the Early Cretaceous (∼110 Ma). However, spores found in the Formation suggest an Early Cretaceous age that is consistent with the existing age assignment to Paralycoptera. We argue that the proposed temporal range extension is genuine because it is based on recent high precision radiometric age data, but given the discrepancies with the biostratigraphic ages further investigation is needed to confirm this. This study provides an important step towards revealing Hong Kong’s Mesozoic vertebrate fauna and understanding its relationship to well-studied mainland Chinese ones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tze-Kei Tse
- Vertebrate Palaeontology Laboratory, Life and Planetary Evolution Research Group, Department of Earth Sciences, The University of Hong Kong , Pokfulam, Hong Kong , China
| | - Michael Pittman
- Vertebrate Palaeontology Laboratory, Life and Planetary Evolution Research Group, Department of Earth Sciences, The University of Hong Kong , Pokfulam, Hong Kong , China
| | - Mee-Mann Chang
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origin of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology & Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing , China
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Pittman M, Mason M, Packer D, Chadwick R, Clutterbuck-James A, Fynn S, Quinnell T. P292 Validation Of The Stop-bang Questionnaire As A Screening Tool For Sleep Apnoea In Patients Undergoing Ablation For Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation. Thorax 2014. [DOI: 10.1136/thoraxjnl-2014-206260.410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
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40
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Gelvez-Zapata S, Wilkinson A, Thomas D, Pittman M, Parmar J. P247 Management Of Airway Stenosis And Bronchomalacia With Biodegradable Stents After Lung Transplantation. Single Institution Experience. Thorax 2014. [DOI: 10.1136/thoraxjnl-2014-206260.375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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41
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Pittman M, Gatesy SM, Upchurch P, Goswami A, Hutchinson JR. Shake a tail feather: the evolution of the theropod tail into a stiff aerodynamic surface. PLoS One 2013; 8:e63115. [PMID: 23690987 PMCID: PMC3655181 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0063115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2012] [Accepted: 04/02/2013] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Theropod dinosaurs show striking morphological and functional tail variation; e.g., a long, robust, basal theropod tail used for counterbalance, or a short, modern avian tail used as an aerodynamic surface. We used a quantitative morphological and functional analysis to reconstruct intervertebral joint stiffness in the tail along the theropod lineage to extant birds. This provides new details of the tail's morphological transformation, and for the first time quantitatively evaluates its biomechanical consequences. We observe that both dorsoventral and lateral joint stiffness decreased along the non-avian theropod lineage (between nodes Theropoda and Paraves). Our results show how the tail structure of non-avian theropods was mechanically appropriate for holding itself up against gravity and maintaining passive balance. However, as dorsoventral and lateral joint stiffness decreased, the tail may have become more effective for dynamically maintaining balance. This supports our hypothesis of a reduction of dorsoventral and lateral joint stiffness in shorter tails. Along the avian theropod lineage (Avialae to crown group birds), dorsoventral and lateral joint stiffness increased overall, which appears to contradict our null expectation. We infer that this departure in joint stiffness is specific to the tail's aerodynamic role and the functional constraints imposed by it. Increased dorsoventral and lateral joint stiffness may have facilitated a gradually improved capacity to lift, depress, and swing the tail. The associated morphological changes should have resulted in a tail capable of producing larger muscular forces to utilise larger lift forces in flight. Improved joint mobility in neornithine birds potentially permitted an increase in the range of lift force vector orientations, which might have improved flight proficiency and manoeuvrability. The tail morphology of modern birds with tail fanning capabilities originated in early ornithuromorph birds. Hence, these capabilities should have been present in the early Cretaceous, with incipient tail-fanning capacity in the earliest pygostylian birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Pittman
- Department of Earth Sciences, University College London, London, United Kingdom.
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Banerjee S, Pittman M, Chadwick R, Packer D, Oscroft N, Davies M, Shneerson J, Quinnell T, Smith I. P228 Referral Patterns and Outcomes For Patients Treated in a National Centre Specialising in Weaning From Invasive Mechanical Ventilation. Thorax 2012. [DOI: 10.1136/thoraxjnl-2012-202678.289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
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43
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Wilson LA, Tallents GJ, Pasley J, Whittaker DS, Rose SJ, Guilbaud O, Cassou K, Kazamias S, Daboussi S, Pittman M, Delmas O, Demailly J, Neveu O, Ros D. Energy transport in short-pulse-laser-heated targets measured using extreme ultraviolet laser backlighting. Phys Rev E 2012; 86:026406. [PMID: 23005868 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.86.026406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2011] [Revised: 06/26/2012] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
The accurate characterization of thermal electron transport and the determination of heating by suprathermal electrons in laser driven solid targets are both issues of great importance to the current experiments being performed at the National Ignition Facility, which aims to achieve thermonuclear fusion ignition using lasers. Ionization, induced by electronic heat conduction, can cause the opacity of a material to drop significantly once bound-free photoionization is no longer energetically possible. We show that this drop in opacity enables measurements of the transmission of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) laser pulses at 13.9 nm to act as a signature of the heating of thin (50 nm) iron layers with a 50-nm thick parylene-N (CH) overlay irradiated by 35-fs pulses at irradiance 3×10(16) Wcm(-2). Comparing EUV transmission measurements at different times after irradiation to fluid code simulations shows that the target is instantaneously heated by hot electrons (with approximately 10% of the laser energy), followed by thermal conduction with a flux limiter of ≈0.05.
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Affiliation(s)
- L A Wilson
- York Plasma Institute, The Department of Physics, The University of York, York, UK.
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Pittman M, Sakai L, Craig R, Joehl R, Milner R. Primary aortoenteric fistula following disseminated bacillus Calmette-Guérin infection: a case report. Vascular 2012; 20:221-4. [PMID: 22871545 DOI: 10.1258/vasc.2011.cr0315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
The aim of this paper is to illustrate a rare case of primary aortoenteric fistula in the presence of disseminated infection and review the critical decision-making process. A clinical case was reviewed for its initial presentation, planning of treatment strategy and outcome. A secondary literature search for discussion on current accepted recommendations for primary aortoenteric fistula was then completed. Aortoenteric fistulas are rare pathologies with highly morbid potential. Their diagnosis requires a high index of suspicion and prompt intervention is critical to patient survival. In conclusion, aortoenteric fistula most commonly arises from large atherosclerotic aneurysms but can be caused by systemic infection. In the case of the latter, extra-anatomic repair appears to be the treatment of choice.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Pittman
- Department of Vascular Surgery, Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood, IL 60153, USA.
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45
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Habib J, Guilbaud O, Zielbauer B, Zimmer D, Pittman M, Kazamias S, Montet C, kuehl T, Ros D. Low energy prepulse for 10 Hz operation of a soft-x-ray laser. Opt Express 2012; 20:10128-10137. [PMID: 22535105 DOI: 10.1364/oe.20.010128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
The influence on Nickel-like Molybdenum soft-x-ray laser performance and stability of a low energy laser prepulse arriving prior to the main laser pumping pulses is experimentally investigated. A promising regime for 10 Hz operation has been observed. A four times increase in soft-x-ray laser operation time with a same target surface is demonstrated. This soft-x-ray laser operation mode corresponds to an optimum delay between the prepulse and the main pulses and to a prepulse energy greater than 20 mJ. We also show that this regime is not associated with a weaker degradation of the target or any reduced ablation rate. Therefore the role of preplasma density gradient in this effect is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Habib
- LASERIX, Univ. Paris-Sud, bat 210 campus d’Orsay, 91405 Orsay, France.
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46
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Fisichella P, Davis C, Pittman M, Ramirez L, Lowery E, Gagermeier J, Love R, Kovacs E. Pulmonary Immune Changes Early After Laparoscopic Antireflux Surgery in Lung Transplant Patients with Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease. J Surg Res 2012. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jss.2011.11.792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
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47
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Stuart J, Secura G, Zhao Q, Pittman M, Peipert J. Factors associated with 12-month continuation among oral contraceptive pill and contraceptive vaginal ring users. Contraception 2011. [DOI: 10.1016/j.contraception.2011.05.136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Abstract
During the course of a study of different strains of influenza bacilli, fifteen strains have been found to form colonies of a different appearance from that usually considered typical of influenza bacilli. These colonies are smooth, more opaque, and are iridescent in oblique transmitted light. Most of these strains were isolated from patients in whom these organisms seemed to play a pathogenic rô1e. When these strains were grown repeatedly on blood agar, other colonies appeared which were smaller, less smooth, less opaque, and not iridescent, and when subcultures were made from these rough colonies, all of the colonies were of this character. Further study of the cultures obtained from these smooth and rough colonies have shown that one is a variant of the other. The strain from the smooth colony has been called an S strain, that from the rough colony an R strain. Certain differences in the morphology of the organisms in the R and S strains have been observed. Of special importance is the fact that the bacteria of the S strains are possessed of capsules. It has also been found that the S strains are somewhat more virulent for laboratory animals than are the R strains. In the supernatant fluid of broth cultures of S strains, and in the washing fluid of S bacteria grown on agar, there is present a soluble substance which, in the presence of homologous immune serum, gives rise to a precipitate. No reaction of this kind, however, occurs with the cultures of the R strains. By means of cross precipitin reactions, employing antisera against the different S strains, it has been found that the fifteen strains studied may be divided into two distinct immunological groups. Three of these strains belong in one group, Type a, and the remaining twelve in another group, Type b. Seven of the strains studied were isolated from the spinal fluid in cases of meningitis, and all of these strains are of Type b. Agglutination tests performed at 37 degrees C. with these fifteen S strains have revealed the same specific type relationships among the organisms as did the precipitin tests. The R strains on the other hand, exhibit no similar type agglutinations. If the agglutination tests are made at a higher temperature, 47 degrees C., the S strains also fail to show the specific type reactions which occur at 37 degrees C. Certain differences between other biochemical reactions exhibited by the two types of strains have been noted, but it is not believed that they are sufficiently constant to be of great significance. When S strains are grown on artificial media outside the animal body, they tend to be converted into the R form. The rapidity and the readiness with which this conversion occurs depend on certain conditions, such as the kind of media employed, the temperature at which the cultures are kept, and the atmospheric conditions under which they are cultivated. The rate of conversion is increased when the S strains are grown in media containing anti-S immune serum of the homologous type. On the other hand, conversion of R strains into the S form occurs with much less readiness, and then only if very particular conditions are present. On one occasion conversion occurred when an R strain was grown in a medium containing anti-R immune serum. On two other occasions this same strain changed from the R to the S form during passage through animals. With other R strains it has so far been impossible to bring about this transformation. These studies indicate that the bacteria belonging in the group Hemophilus influenzae exhibit changes in pathogenicity and immunological specificity, which are analogous to those shown by the bacteria of the pneumococcus group. It is important to continue this study, with the technique which has been developed, to include a much larger number of strains. On account of the readiness with which the S strains of influenza bacilli lose their type specificity when grown on artificial culture media, it is important that the organisms be studied as soon as possible after removal from their pathological sources. It is not impossible that many strains lose their specificity immediately after removal from the host, and that the specific immunological differentiation of many strains may, for that reason, be very difficult, if not impossible.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Pittman
- Hospital of The Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research
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50
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Abstract
In this communication, further evidence has been given which supports the view that the majority of the strains of Hemophilus influenzae giving rise to meningitis are of the same serological type. Forty strains have now been examined, and thirty-seven have been of Type b. A horse has been artificially immunized with Type b strains isolated from the spinal fluid of patients. By precipitation tests with the capsular carbohydrate, the serum has been shown to be highly typespecific. For the first 3(1/2) months of immunization, the type-specific antibody content of the serum increased steadily. Later, in spite of continued immunization, there occurred no apparent increase. By means of animal inoculations, it has been shown that the anti-serum has an anti-infectious action. If mice, inoculated intraperitoneally with Type b organisms, were also given serum, the bacteria did not invade the blood, or did so to only a limited degree. But the recovery of the treated mice was found to be inconstant. In rabbits infected intravenously and later treated by the same route, the number of bacteria in the blood stream was quickly reduced and sterilization followed. In the experiments it was necessary that the dosage of the culture be not too large, as influenza bacilli contain a substance which, artificially introduced into mice and rabbits, gives rise to marked toxic reactions. This substance is apparently not neutralized by the antiserum. However, it was found that among the surviving animals, those treated with immune serum returned to the normal state more quickly than did the animals not so treated. The anti-infectious action of the serum has further been demonstrated by a study of its effect on the lesions which follow inoculations of type-specific bacteria into the skin of rabbits. Again it was found that for any effect of the serum to be manifested it is necessary that the dosage of bacteria be limited, since if large numbers of bacteria are introduced into the skin the development of lesions cannot be completely inhibited, no matter how large doses of serum are employed. As the number of living S organisms which cannot be neutralized is roughly equivalent to the number of R or heat-killed bacteria which may produce a lesion, it seems that there is some preformed irritating substance in the bacterial cells which may give rise to lesions, even if the bacteria are killed or inhibited in their growth. In order to demonstrate the protective action of immune serum, therefore, it has been found necessary to employ a dosage of culture so small that if the bacteria are immediately killed, or their growth inhibited, no lesion results. Employing immune serum under these conditions, it has been found that the ability of the serum to prevent the occurrence of skin lesions has progressively increased with continuing immunization of the horse. A series of eighteen patients suffering from influenzal meningitis has been treated with Type b antiserum. Following the use of serum, recovery occurred in one patient of the series, and in two, although the patients ultimately died, the spinal fluid cultures became sterile and remained so for periods of 7 to 14 days. In four other cases, the spinal fluid cultures showed, temporarily, either no growth of bacteria, or a reduction of their number. Among five patients in whom septicemia was present before treatment, in four the blood cultures, after treatment with serum, became sterile. The number of patients treated has been small, and the treatments were carried out under widely varying conditions. It is difficult, therefore, to draw conclusions regarding the actual value of this form of therapy, or the best methods of procedure. The clinical results, however, indicate, as do the experimental, that the serum has a definite anti-infectious action. The experience is too limited to permit final conclusions regarding the importance of the addition of fresh (complement-containing) serum to the immune serum. Further experience, under more accurately controlled conditions, may show that the serum has greater practical value in treatment than is shown by the mortality results in this series of cases.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Pittman
- Hospital of The Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research
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