1
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Subaqueous foraging among carnivorous dinosaurs. Nature 2022; 603:852-857. [PMID: 35322229 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-04528-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2021] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Secondary aquatic adaptations evolved independently more than 30 times from terrestrial vertebrate ancestors1,2. For decades, non-avian dinosaurs were believed to be an exception to this pattern. Only a few species have been hypothesized to be partly or predominantly aquatic3-11. However, these hypotheses remain controversial12,13, largely owing to the difficulty of identifying unambiguous anatomical adaptations for aquatic habits in extinct animals. Here we demonstrate that the relationship between bone density and aquatic ecologies across extant amniotes provides a reliable inference of aquatic habits in extinct species. We use this approach to evaluate the distribution of aquatic adaptations among non-avian dinosaurs. We find strong support for aquatic habits in spinosaurids, associated with a marked increase in bone density, which precedes the evolution of more conspicuous anatomical modifications, a pattern also observed in other aquatic reptiles and mammals14-16. Spinosaurids are revealed to be aquatic specialists with surprising ecological disparity, including subaqueous foraging behaviour in Spinosaurus and Baryonyx, and non-diving habits in Suchomimus. Adaptation to aquatic environments appeared in spinosaurids during the Early Cretaceous, following their divergence from other tetanuran theropods during the Early Jurassic17.
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2
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Heck CT, Woodward HN. Intraskeletal bone growth patterns in the North Island Brown Kiwi (Apteryx mantelli): Growth mark discrepancy and implications for extinct taxa. J Anat 2021; 239:1075-1095. [PMID: 34258760 PMCID: PMC8546512 DOI: 10.1111/joa.13503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2021] [Revised: 06/15/2021] [Accepted: 06/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Osteohistology, the study of bone microstructure, provides an important avenue for assessing extinct and extant vertebrate growth and life history. Cortical vascularity and collagen fibre organization are direct reflections of growth rate, while bone growth marks are indicative of absolute age. However, each skeletal element has its own ontogenetic trajectory and microstructure of certain bones may not be a true representation of whole body growth. Extensive comparative study of modern taxa is required to resolve intraskeletal discrepancies among age, vascularity and tissue organization in extinct vertebrates. Despite their comparative utility, studies of bone microstructure in modern taxa are severely lacking. Here, we add to a growing comparative osteohistological database by describing (1) bone tissue organization, (2) growth mark count, (3) sexually dimorphic bone (e.g. medullary bone) and (4) secondary cortical reconstruction in the bone microstructure of a 14-year-old male and 5-year-old female North Island Brown Kiwi (Apteryx mantelli). Transverse and longitudinal histological ground sections were processed and described for femora, tibiotarsi, tarsometatarsi, humeri, ulnae and radii in both kiwis. Cortical bone can generally be described as parallel-fibered tissue, interrupted by cyclical growth marks, with vascular canals oriented longitudinally within primary and secondary osteons. Tissue morphologically resembling medullary bone is present in the hindlimbs of the female, and coarse compacted cancellous bone (CCCB) is found sporadically in the male and female hindlimbs. Lines of arrested growth (LAGs) are present in all hindlimb bones of both kiwi, but remodelling has obliterated all LAGs in the male ulnae and radii. LAG count varies intraskeletally, but large weight bearing elements such as femora and tibiotarsi have less remodelling and, thus, higher number of LAGs. LAG count did not match absolute age in any skeletal element; a maximum of seven LAGs are present in the male kiwi and a maximum of seven LAGs in the female kiwi. The tissue organization within the forelimbs and hindlimbs is reflective of the protracted growth strategy of the North Island Brown Kiwi and congruent with previous studies of the kiwi. LAGs were highly variable throughout the skeleton of the kiwi and a decoupling of age and LAG deposition is apparent from the male kiwi samples. Excess LAGs in the 5-year-old female kiwi may be a product of hatching, egg laying or captivity. Regardless, LAG count variation in the kiwi stresses the importance of intraskeletal sampling when assessing growth patterns of extinct taxa. An extensive ontogenetic sampling of kiwi is necessary for future investigations of bone growth patterns, CCCB formation, medullary bone and LAG deposition and obliteration in these elusive birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian T. Heck
- Department of Biomedical SciencesOklahoma State University – Center for Health SciencesTulsaOKUSA
| | - Holly N. Woodward
- Department of Biomedical SciencesOklahoma State University – Center for Health SciencesTulsaOKUSA
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3
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Atterholt J, Woodward HN. A histological survey of avian post-natal skeletal ontogeny. PeerJ 2021; 9:e12160. [PMID: 34703663 PMCID: PMC8489414 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.12160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2020] [Accepted: 08/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Bone histology of crown-group birds is a research topic of great interest, permitting insight into the evolution of remarkably high growth rates in this clade and variation across the altricial-precocial spectrum. In this study, we describe microanatomical characteristics of the humerus and femur in partial growth series from 14 crown group birds representing ten major clades (Struthioniformes, Galliformes, Apodiformes, Columbiformes, Charadriiformes, Accipitriformes, Strigiformes, Psittaciformes, Falconiformes, and Passeriformes). Our goals were to: (1) describe the microanatomy of each individual; (2) make inter-and intra-taxonomic comparisons; (3) assess patterns that correspond with developmental mode; and (4) to further parse out phylogenetic, developmental, and functional constraints on avian osteological development. Across taxa, the femoral and humeral tissue of neonates can be broadly characterized as highly-vascularized, disorganized woven bone with great variation in cortical thickness (inter-and intrataxonomically, within an individual specimen, and within a single section). The tissue of precocial chicks is relatively more mature at hatching than in altricial, but other categories along the developmental spectrum were less easy to distinguish, thus we were unable to identify a definitive histological proxy for developmental mode. We did not find evidence to support hypotheses that precocial chicks exclusively have thicker cortices and more mature bone in the femur than the humerus at time of hatching; instead, this is a characteristic of nearly all taxa (regardless of developmental mode), suggesting deep evolutionary origins and the effects of developmental channeling. Bone tissue in adults exhibited unexpected variation, corresponding to differences in body size. Large-bodied birds have cortices of fibrolamellar bone, but organization of tissue increases and vascularity decreases with diminishing body size. The outer circumferential layer (OCL) also appears at earlier growth stages in small-bodied taxa. Thus, while the OCL is indicative of a cessation of appositional growth it is not always indicative of cortical maturity (that is, maximum organization of bony tissue for a given taxon). Small size is achieved by truncating the period of fast growth; manipulation of the timing of offset of bone growth is therefore an important factor in changing growth trajectories to alter adult body size.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessie Atterholt
- Graduate College of Biomedical Sciences, Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, California, United States
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California, United States
| | - Holly N. Woodward
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences, Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States
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4
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Monfroy QT, Kundrát M, O’Connor JK, Hai‐Lu Y, Marone F, Stampanoni M, Šmajda B. Synchrotron microtomography‐based osteohistology of
Gansus yumenensis
: new data on the evolution of uninterrupted bone deposition in basal birds. ACTA ZOOL-STOCKHOLM 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/azo.12402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Quentin T. Monfroy
- Department of Animal Physiology Institute of Biology and Ecology Faculty of Sciences Pavol Jozef Šafárik University in Košice Košice Slovakia
- PaleoBioImaging Lab, Evolutionary Biodiversity Research Group Centre for Interdisciplinary Biosciences, Technology and Innovation Park Pavol Jozef Šafárik University in Košice Košice Slovakia
| | - Martin Kundrát
- PaleoBioImaging Lab, Evolutionary Biodiversity Research Group Centre for Interdisciplinary Biosciences, Technology and Innovation Park Pavol Jozef Šafárik University in Košice Košice Slovakia
| | | | - You Hai‐Lu
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment Beijing China
- College of Earth and Planetary Sciences University of Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
| | - Federica Marone
- Swiss Light Source Paul Scherrer Institut Villigen Switzerland
| | - Marco Stampanoni
- Swiss Light Source Paul Scherrer Institut Villigen Switzerland
- Institute for Biomedical Engineering ETH Zürich Zurich Switzerland
| | - Beňadik Šmajda
- Department of Animal Physiology Institute of Biology and Ecology Faculty of Sciences Pavol Jozef Šafárik University in Košice Košice Slovakia
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5
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Monfroy QT, Kundrát M. The osteohistological variability in the evolution of basal avialans. ACTA ZOOL-STOCKHOLM 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/azo.12396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Quentin T. Monfroy
- Department of Animal Physiology Institute of Biology and Ecology Faculty of Sciences Pavol Jozef Šafárik University Šrobárova 2Košice Slovakia
- PaleoBioImaging Lab, Evolutionary Biodiversity Research Group Center for Interdisciplinary Biosciences, Technology and Innovation Park Pavol Jozef Šafárik University Jesenná 5Košice Slovakia
| | - Martin Kundrát
- PaleoBioImaging Lab, Evolutionary Biodiversity Research Group Center for Interdisciplinary Biosciences, Technology and Innovation Park Pavol Jozef Šafárik University Jesenná 5Košice Slovakia
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6
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Griffin CT, Stocker MR, Colleary C, Stefanic CM, Lessner EJ, Riegler M, Formoso K, Koeller K, Nesbitt SJ. Assessing ontogenetic maturity in extinct saurian reptiles. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2020; 96:470-525. [PMID: 33289322 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12666] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2020] [Revised: 10/09/2020] [Accepted: 10/28/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Morphology forms the most fundamental level of data in vertebrate palaeontology because it is through interpretations of morphology that taxa are identified, creating the basis for broad evolutionary and palaeobiological hypotheses. Assessing maturity is one of the most basic aspects of morphological interpretation and provides the means to study the evolution of ontogenetic changes, population structure and palaeoecology, life-history strategies, and heterochrony along evolutionary lineages that would otherwise be lost to time. Saurian reptiles (the least-inclusive clade containing Lepidosauria and Archosauria) have remained an incredibly diverse, numerous, and disparate clade through their ~260-million-year history. Because of the great disparity in this group, assessing maturity of saurian reptiles is difficult, fraught with methodological and terminological ambiguity. We compiled a novel database of literature, assembling >900 individual instances of saurian maturity assessment, to examine critically how saurian maturity has been diagnosed. We review the often inexact and inconsistent terminology used in saurian maturity assessment (e.g. 'juvenile', 'mature') and provide routes for better clarity and cross-study coherence. We describe the various methods that have been used to assess maturity in every major saurian group, integrating data from both extant and extinct taxa to give a full account of the current state of the field and providing method-specific pitfalls, best practices, and fruitful directions for future research. We recommend that a new standard subsection, 'Ontogenetic Assessment', be added to the Systematic Palaeontology portions of descriptive studies to provide explicit ontogenetic diagnoses with clear criteria. Because the utility of different ontogenetic criteria is highly subclade dependent among saurians, even for widely used methods (e.g. neurocentral suture fusion), we recommend that phylogenetic context, preferably in the form of a phylogenetic bracket, be used to justify the use of a maturity assessment method. Different methods should be used in conjunction as independent lines of evidence when assessing maturity, instead of an ontogenetic diagnosis resting entirely on a single criterion, which is common in the literature. Critically, there is a need for data from extant taxa with well-represented growth series to be integrated with the fossil record to ground maturity assessments of extinct taxa in well-constrained, empirically tested methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher T Griffin
- Department of Geosciences, Virginia Tech, 926 West Campus Drive, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, U.S.A
| | - Michelle R Stocker
- Department of Geosciences, Virginia Tech, 926 West Campus Drive, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, U.S.A
| | - Caitlin Colleary
- Department of Geosciences, Virginia Tech, 926 West Campus Drive, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, U.S.A
- Department of Vertebrate Paleontology, Cleveland Museum of Natural History, 1 Wade Oval Drive, Cleveland, OH, 44106, U.S.A
| | - Candice M Stefanic
- Department of Geosciences, Virginia Tech, 926 West Campus Drive, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, U.S.A
- Department of Anatomical Sciences, Stony Brook University, 100 Nicolls Road, Stony Brook, NY, 11794, U.S.A
| | - Emily J Lessner
- Department of Geosciences, Virginia Tech, 926 West Campus Drive, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, U.S.A
- Department of Pathology and Anatomical Sciences, University of Missouri, 1 Hospital Drive, Columbia, MO, 65212, U.S.A
| | - Mitchell Riegler
- Department of Geosciences, Virginia Tech, 926 West Campus Drive, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, U.S.A
- Department of Geological Sciences, University of Florida, 241 Williamson Hall, Gainesville, FL, 32611, U.S.A
| | - Kiersten Formoso
- Department of Geosciences, Virginia Tech, 926 West Campus Drive, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, U.S.A
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Southern California, 3651 Trousdale Pkwy, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, U.S.A
- Dinosaur Institute, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, 900 W Exposition Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA, 90007, U.S.A
| | - Krista Koeller
- Department of Geosciences, Virginia Tech, 926 West Campus Drive, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, U.S.A
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, 220 Bartram Hall, Gainesville, FL, 32611, U.S.A
| | - Sterling J Nesbitt
- Department of Geosciences, Virginia Tech, 926 West Campus Drive, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, U.S.A
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7
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Bell A, Chiappe LM. Anatomy of Parahesperornis: Evolutionary Mosaicism in the Cretaceous Hesperornithiformes (Aves). Life (Basel) 2020; 10:life10050062. [PMID: 32422986 PMCID: PMC7281208 DOI: 10.3390/life10050062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2020] [Revised: 05/09/2020] [Accepted: 05/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The Hesperornithiformes constitute the first known avian lineage to secondarily lose flight in exchange for the evolution of a highly derived foot-propelled diving lifestyle, thus representing the first lineage of truly aquatic birds. First unearthed in the 19th century, and today known from numerous Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian-Maastrichtian) sites distributed across the northern hemisphere, these toothed birds have become icons of early avian evolution. Initially erected as a taxon in 1984 by L. D. Martin, Parahesperornis alexi is known from the two most complete hesperornithiform specimens discovered to date and has yet to be fully described. P. alexi thus contributes significantly to our understanding of hesperornithiform birds, despite often being neglected in favor of the iconic Hesperornis. Here, we present a full anatomical description of P. alexi based upon the two nearly complete specimens in the collections of the University of Kansas Natural History Museum, as well as an extensive comparison to other hesperornithiform taxa. This study reveals P. alexi to possess a mosaic of basal and derived traits found among other hesperornithiform taxa, indicating a transitional form in the evolution of these foot-propelled diving birds. This study describes broad evolutionary patterns within the Hesperornithiformes, highlighting the significance of these birds as not only an incredible example of the evolution of ecological specializations, but also for understanding modern bird evolution, as they are the last known divergence of pre-modern bird diversification.
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8
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Chinsamy A, Marugán-Lobón J, Serrano FJ, Chiappe L. Osteohistology and Life History of the Basal Pygostylian, Confuciusornis sanctus. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2019; 303:949-962. [PMID: 31751500 DOI: 10.1002/ar.24282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2018] [Revised: 07/03/2019] [Accepted: 07/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
More than a thousand specimens of Confuciusornis sanctus have been recovered from the Early Cretaceous Jehol Group of Northeastern China. Here, we investigate the bone microstructure of 33 long bones sampled from 14 C. sanctus specimens in an attempt to assess the life history patterns of this basal pygostylian bird. Analysis of the histology of various skeletal elements (femur, humerus, tibia, radius, and ulna) revealed differences in the histology of their bone walls. Based on the osteohistology, we coded the examined specimens into five histology age classes. We found that histological age was not strictly correlated with body size. The variability in the histology of multiple bones from single skeletons suggests differences in the growth rate of the skeleton in response to allometry, functional demands, and pathology. We show that although fibrolamellar bone is widespread across birds, the extent and duration of this rapid phase of bone deposition is highly variable. Comparisons among Mesozoic birds confirm that early ontogenetic growth was rapid, but that later post-hatching growth was strongly influenced by the ontogenetic age of the individual, body size, and local environment, as well as taxonomy. Our findings indicate that C. sanctus experienced rapid growth from early ontogeny until almost fully grown, and thereafter transitioned to slow, episodic growth (for at least 3-4 years) to reach skeletal maturity. Anat Rec, 303:949-962, 2020. © 2019 American Association for Anatomy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anusuya Chinsamy
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Jesús Marugán-Lobón
- Unidad de Paleontología, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.,Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Los Angeles, California
| | - Francisco J Serrano
- Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Los Angeles, California.,Spanish Royal Academy of Sciences, Madrid, Spain
| | - Luis Chiappe
- Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Los Angeles, California
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9
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Prondvai E, Witten PE, Abourachid A, Huysseune A, Adriaens D. Extensive chondroid bone in juvenile duck limbs hints at accelerated growth mechanism in avian skeletogenesis. J Anat 2019; 236:463-473. [PMID: 31670843 PMCID: PMC7018642 DOI: 10.1111/joa.13109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Modern altricial birds are the fastest growing vertebrates, whereas various degrees of precocity (functional maturity) result in slower growth. Diaphyseal osteohistology, the best proxy for inferring relative growth rates in fossils, suggests that in the earliest birds, posthatching growth rates were more variable than in modern representatives, with some showing considerably slow growth that was attributed to their assumed precocial flight abilities. For finding clues how precocial or altricial skeletogenesis and related growth acceleration could be traced in avian evolution, as a case study we investigated the growing limb diaphyseal histology in an ontogenetic series of ducks which, among several other avian taxa, show a combination of altricial wing and precocial leg development. Here we report the unexpected discovery that chondroid bone, a skeletal tissue family intermediate between cartilage and bone, extensively contributes to the development of limb bone shaft in ducks up to at least 30 days posthatching age. To our knowledge, chondroid bone has never been reported in such quantities and with an ontogenetically extended deposition period in post‐embryonic, non‐pathological periosteal bone formation of any tetrapod limb. It shows transitional cellular/lacunar morphologies and matrix staining properties between cartilage and woven bone and takes a significant part in the diametric growth of the limb bone shaft. Its amount and distribution through duckling ontogeny seems to be associated with the disparate functional and growth trajectories of the altricial wings vs. precocial legs characteristic of duck limb development. The presence of isogenous cell groups in the periosteal chondroid bone implies that cartilage‐like interstitial growth took place before matrix mineralization complementing appositional bone growth. Based on these characteristics and on its fast formation rate in all previously reported normal as well as pathological cases, we suggest that chondroid bone in ducks significantly accelerates diametric limb bone growth. Related to this growth acceleration, we hypothesize that chondroid bone may be generally present in the growing limb bones of modern birds and hence may have key skeletogenic importance in achieving extreme avian growth rates and placing birds among the fastest growing vertebrates. Thus, we encourage future studies to test this hypothesis by investigating the occurrence of chondroid bone in a variety of precocial and altricial bird species, and to explore the presence of similar tissues in the growing limbs of other extant and extinct tetrapods in order to understand the evolutionary significance of chondroid bone in accelerated appendicular skeletogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edina Prondvai
- Department of Biology, Evolutionary Morphology of Vertebrates, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.,MTA-MTM-ELTE Research Group for Paleontology, Budapest, Hungary
| | - P Eckhard Witten
- Department of Biology, Evolutionary Developmental Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Anick Abourachid
- Département Adaptations du Vivant, UMR 7179 Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle - CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Ann Huysseune
- Department of Biology, Evolutionary Developmental Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Dominique Adriaens
- Department of Biology, Evolutionary Morphology of Vertebrates, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
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10
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Voeten DFAE, Cubo J, de Margerie E, Röper M, Beyrand V, Bureš S, Tafforeau P, Sanchez S. Wing bone geometry reveals active flight in Archaeopteryx. Nat Commun 2018. [PMID: 29535376 PMCID: PMC5849612 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-03296-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Archaeopteryx is an iconic fossil taxon with feathered wings from the Late Jurassic of Germany that occupies a crucial position for understanding the early evolution of avian flight. After over 150 years of study, its mosaic anatomy unifying characters of both non-flying dinosaurs and flying birds has remained challenging to interpret in a locomotory context. Here, we compare new data from three Archaeopteryx specimens obtained through phase-contrast synchrotron microtomography to a representative sample of archosaurs employing a diverse array of locomotory strategies. Our analyses reveal that the architecture of Archaeopteryx's wing bones consistently exhibits a combination of cross-sectional geometric properties uniquely shared with volant birds, particularly those occasionally utilising short-distance flapping. We therefore interpret that Archaeopteryx actively employed wing flapping to take to the air through a more anterodorsally posteroventrally oriented flight stroke than used by modern birds. This unexpected outcome implies that avian powered flight must have originated before the latest Jurassic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dennis F A E Voeten
- European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, 71 Avenue des Martyrs, CS-40220, 38043, Grenoble Cedex, France. .,Department of Zoology and Laboratory of Ornithology, Palacký University, 17. listopadu 50, 771 46, Olomouc, Czech Republic.
| | - Jorge Cubo
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS-INSU, Institut des Sciences de la Terre Paris, ISTeP UMR 7193, F-75005, Paris, France
| | - Emmanuel de Margerie
- CNRS, Laboratoire d'éthologie animale et humaine, Université de Rennes 1, Université de Caen Normandie, 263 Avenue du Général Leclerc, 35042, Rennes, France
| | - Martin Röper
- Bürgermeister-Müller-Museum, Bahnhofstrasse 8, 91807, Solnhofen, Germany.,Bayerische Staatssammlung für Paläontologie und Geologie, Richard-Wagner-Str. 10, D-80333, München, Germany
| | - Vincent Beyrand
- European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, 71 Avenue des Martyrs, CS-40220, 38043, Grenoble Cedex, France.,Department of Zoology and Laboratory of Ornithology, Palacký University, 17. listopadu 50, 771 46, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Stanislav Bureš
- Department of Zoology and Laboratory of Ornithology, Palacký University, 17. listopadu 50, 771 46, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Paul Tafforeau
- European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, 71 Avenue des Martyrs, CS-40220, 38043, Grenoble Cedex, France
| | - Sophie Sanchez
- European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, 71 Avenue des Martyrs, CS-40220, 38043, Grenoble Cedex, France.,Science for Life Laboratory and Uppsala University, Subdepartment of Evolution and Development, Department of Organismal Biology, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Norbyvägen 18A, 752 36, Uppsala, Sweden
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11
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Woodward HN, Rich TH, Vickers-Rich P. The bone microstructure of polar "hypsilophodontid" dinosaurs from Victoria, Australia. Sci Rep 2018; 8:1162. [PMID: 29348463 PMCID: PMC5773672 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-19362-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2017] [Accepted: 12/29/2017] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
High-latitude (i.e., “polar”) Mesozoic fauna endured months of twilight and relatively low mean annual temperatures. Yet non-avian dinosaurs flourished in this taxing environment. Fossils of basal ornithopod dinosaurs (“hypsilophodontids”) are common in the Early Cretaceous high-latitude sediments of Victoria, Australia, and four taxa have been described; although their ontogenetic histories are largely unexplored. In the present study, eighteen tibiae and femora were utilized in the first multi-specimen ontogenetic histological analysis of Australian polar hypsilophodontids. The sample consists of eleven individuals from the Flat Rocks locality (Late Valanginian or Barremian), and five from the Dinosaur Cove locality (Albian). In both groups, growth was most rapid during the first three years, and skeletal maturity occurred between five and seven years. There is a weak asymptotic trend in a plot of growth mark count versus femur length, with considerable individual variation. Histology suggests two genera are present within the Dinosaur Cove sample, but bone microstructure alone could not distinguish genera within the Flat Rocks sample, or across the two geologically separate (~ 26 Ma) localities. Additional histologic sampling, combined with morphological analyses, may facilitate further differentiation between ontogenetic, individual, and species variation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Holly N Woodward
- Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences, Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States of America.
| | - Thomas H Rich
- Museums Victoria, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.,Swinburne University of Science and Technology, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Patricia Vickers-Rich
- Museums Victoria, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.,Swinburne University of Science and Technology, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.,School of Earth, Atmosphere and Environment, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.,Deakin University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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12
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Angst D, Chinsamy A, Steel L, Hume JP. Bone histology sheds new light on the ecology of the dodo (Raphus cucullatus, Aves, Columbiformes). Sci Rep 2017; 7:7993. [PMID: 28839147 PMCID: PMC5570941 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-08536-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2016] [Accepted: 07/14/2017] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The dodo, Raphus cucullatus, a flightless pigeon endemic to Mauritius, became extinct during the 17th century due to anthropogenic activities. Although it was contemporaneous with humans for almost a century, little was recorded about its ecology. Here we present new aspects of the life history of the dodo based on our analysis of its bone histology. We propose that the dodo bred around August and that the rapid growth of the chicks enabled them to reach a robust size before the austral summer or cyclone season. Histological evidence of molting suggests that after summer had passed, molt began in the adults that had just bred; the timing of molt derived from bone histology is also corroborated by historical descriptions of the dodo by mariners. This research represents the only bone histology analysis of the dodo and provides an unprecedented insight into the life history of this iconic bird.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Angst
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Private Bag X3, Rhodes Gift, 7701, South Africa.
| | - A Chinsamy
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Private Bag X3, Rhodes Gift, 7701, South Africa
| | - L Steel
- Department of Earth Sciences, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 5BD, United Kingdom
| | - J P Hume
- Bird Group, Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, Akeman Street, Tring, Herts, HP23 6AP, United Kingdom
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13
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Houssaye A, Martin Sander P, Klein N. Adaptive Patterns in Aquatic Amniote Bone Microanatomy-More Complex than Previously Thought. Integr Comp Biol 2016; 56:1349-1369. [PMID: 27794536 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icw120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Numerous amniote groups adapted to an aquatic life. This change of habitat naturally led to numerous convergences. The various adaptive traits vary depending on the degree of adaptation to an aquatic life, notably between shallow water taxa still able to occasionally locomote on land and open-marine forms totally independent from the terrestrial environment, but also between surface swimmers and deep divers. As a consequence, despite convergences, there is a high diversity within aquatic amniotes in e.g., shape, size, physiology, swimming mode. Bone microanatomy is considered to be strongly associated with bone biomechanics and is thus a powerful tool to understand bone adaptation to functional constraints and to make functional inferences on extinct taxa. Two opposing major microanatomical specializations have been described in aquatic amniotes, referred to as bone mass increase and a spongious organization, respectively. They are assumed to be essentially linked with the hydrostatic or hydrodynamic control of buoyancy and body trim and with swimming abilities and velocity. However, between extremes in these specializations, a wide range of intermediary patterns occurs. The present study provides a state-of-the-art review of these inner bone adaptations in semi-aquatic and aquatic amniotes. The analysis of the various microanatomical patterns observed in long bones, vertebrae, and ribs of a large sample of (semi-)aquatic extant and extinct amniotes reveals the wide diversity in microanatomical patterns and the variation in combination of these different patterns within a single skeleton. This enables us to discuss the link between microanatomical features and habitat, swimming abilities, and thus functional requirements in the context of amniote adaptation to an aquatic lifestyle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Houssaye
- *Département Ecologie et Gestion de la Biodiversité, UMR 7179 CNRS/Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, 57 rue Cuvier CP-55, Paris 75000, France;
| | - P Martin Sander
- Division of Paleontology, Steinmann-Institute, University of Bonn, Nußallee 8, Bonn 53115, Germany
| | - Nicole Klein
- Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde Stuttgart, Rosenstein 1, Stuttgart 70191, Germany
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14
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Martin-Silverstone E, Witton MP, Arbour VM, Currie PJ. A small azhdarchoid pterosaur from the latest Cretaceous, the age of flying giants. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2016; 3:160333. [PMID: 27853614 PMCID: PMC5108964 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.160333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2016] [Accepted: 07/20/2016] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Pterosaur fossils from the Campanian-Maastrichtian of North America have been reported from the continental interior, but few have been described from the west coast. The first pterosaur from the Campanian Northumberland Formation (Nanaimo Group) of Hornby Island, British Columbia, is represented here by a humerus, dorsal vertebrae (including three fused notarial vertebrae), and other fragments. The elements have features typical of Azhdarchoidea, an identification consistent with dominance of this group in the latest Cretaceous. The new material is significant for its size and ontogenetic stage: the humerus and vertebrae indicate a wingspan of ca 1.5 m, but histological sections and bone fusions indicate the individual was approaching maturity at time of death. Pterosaurs of this size are exceedingly rare in Upper Cretaceous strata, a phenomenon commonly attributed to smaller pterosaurs becoming extinct in the Late Cretaceous as part of a reduction in pterosaur diversity and disparity. The absence of small juveniles of large species-which must have existed-in the fossil record is evidence of a preservational bias against small pterosaurs in the Late Cretaceous, and caution should be applied to any interpretation of latest Cretaceous pterosaur diversity and success.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Martin-Silverstone
- Ocean and Earth Science, National Oceanography Centre, University of Southampton, European Way, Southampton SO14 3ZH, UK
- School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Wills Memorial Building, Bristol BS8 1RJ, UK
| | - Mark P. Witton
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Portsmouth, Burnaby Building, Burnaby Road, Portsmouth PO1 3QL, UK
| | - Victoria M. Arbour
- Paleontology Research Lab, North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, Raleigh, NC, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Philip J. Currie
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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15
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Ksepka DT, Werning S, Sclafani M, Boles ZM. Bone histology in extant and fossil penguins (Aves: Sphenisciformes). J Anat 2015; 227:611-30. [PMID: 26360700 DOI: 10.1111/joa.12367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/17/2015] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Substantial changes in bone histology accompany the secondary adaptation to life in the water. This transition is well documented in several lineages of mammals and non-avian reptiles, but has received relatively little attention in birds. This study presents new observations on the long bone microstructure of penguins, based on histological sections from two extant taxa (Spheniscus and Aptenodytes) and eight fossil specimens belonging to stem lineages (†Palaeospheniscus and several indeterminate Eocene taxa). High bone density in penguins results from compaction of the internal cortical tissues, and thus penguin bones are best considered osteosclerotic rather than pachyostotic. Although the oldest specimens sampled in this study represent stages of penguin evolution that occurred at least 25 million years after the loss of flight, major differences in humeral structure were observed between these Eocene stem taxa and extant taxa. This indicates that the modification of flipper bone microstructure continued long after the initial loss of flight in penguins. It is proposed that two key transitions occurred during the shift from the typical hollow avian humerus to the dense osteosclerotic humerus in penguins. First, a reduction of the medullary cavity occurred due to a decrease in the amount of perimedullary osteoclastic activity. Second, a more solid cortex was achieved by compaction. In extant penguins and †Palaeospheniscus, most of the inner cortex is formed by rapid osteogenesis, resulting an initial latticework of woven-fibered bone. Subsequently, open spaces are filled by slower, centripetal deposition of parallel-fibered bone. Eocene stem penguins formed the initial latticework, but the subsequent round of compaction was less complete, and thus open spaces remained in the adult bone. In contrast to the humerus, hindlimb bones from Eocene stem penguins had smaller medullary cavities and thus higher compactness values compared with extant taxa. Although cortical lines of arrested growth have been observed in extant penguins, none was observed in any of the current sampled specimens. Therefore, it is likely that even these 'giant' penguin taxa completed their growth cycle without a major pause in bone deposition, implying that they did not undergo a prolonged fasting interval before reaching adult size.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel T Ksepka
- Bruce Museum, Greenwich, CT, USA.,Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Sarah Werning
- Department of Anatomical Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | - Michelle Sclafani
- North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Zachary M Boles
- Department of Biology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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