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Paiva CL, Hipsley CA, Müller J, Zaher H, Costa HC. Comparative skull osteology of Amphisbaena arda and Amphisbaena vermicularis (Squamata: Amphisbaenidae). J Morphol 2024; 285:e21702. [PMID: 38693678 DOI: 10.1002/jmor.21702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2023] [Revised: 04/15/2024] [Accepted: 04/21/2024] [Indexed: 05/03/2024]
Abstract
The skull anatomy of amphisbaenians directly influences their capacity to burrow and is crucial for the study of their systematics, which ultimately contributes to our comprehension of their evolution and ecology. In this study, we employed three-dimensional X-ray computed tomography to provide a detailed description and comprehensive comparison of the skull anatomy of two amphisbaenian species with similar external morphology, Amphisbaena arda and Amphisbaena vermicularis. Our findings revealed some differences between the species, especially in the sagittal crest of the parietal bone, the ascendant process, and the transverse occipital crest of the occipital complex. We also found intraspecific variation within A. vermicularis, with some specimens displaying morphology that differed from their conspecifics but not from A. arda. The observed intraspecific variation within A. vermicularis cannot be attributed to soil features because all specimens came from the same locality. Specimen size and soil type may play a role in the observed differences between A. arda and A. vermicularis, as the single A. arda specimen is the largest of our sample and soil type and texture differ between the collection sites of the two species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolina L Paiva
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biodiversidade e Conservação da Natureza, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Christy A Hipsley
- Section for Ecology and Evolution, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Johannes Müller
- Museum für Naturkunde, Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science, Berlin, Germany
| | - Hussam Zaher
- Museu de Zoologia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo City, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Henrique C Costa
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biodiversidade e Conservação da Natureza, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, Brazil
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2
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Tingle JL, Garner KL, Astley HC. Functional diversity of snake locomotor behaviors: A review of the biological literature for bioinspiration. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2024; 1533:16-37. [PMID: 38367220 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.15109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/19/2024]
Abstract
Organismal solutions to natural challenges can spark creative engineering applications. However, most engineers are not experts in organismal biology, creating a potential barrier to maximally effective bioinspired design. In this review, we aim to reduce that barrier with respect to a group of organisms that hold particular promise for a variety of applications: snakes. Representing >10% of tetrapod vertebrates, snakes inhabit nearly every imaginable terrestrial environment, moving with ease under many conditions that would thwart other animals. To do so, they employ over a dozen different types of locomotion (perhaps well over). Lacking limbs, they have evolved axial musculoskeletal features that enable their vast functional diversity, which can vary across species. Different species also have various skin features that provide numerous functional benefits, including frictional anisotropy or isotropy (as their locomotor habits demand), waterproofing, dirt shedding, antimicrobial properties, structural colors, and wear resistance. Snakes clearly have much to offer to the fields of robotics and materials science. We aim for this review to increase knowledge of snake functional diversity by facilitating access to the relevant literature.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kelsey L Garner
- Department of Biology, University of Akron, Akron, Ohio, USA
| | - Henry C Astley
- Department of Biology, University of Akron, Akron, Ohio, USA
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3
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Martín J, Rodríguez-Ruiz G, Navarro-Castilla Á, Barja I, López P. Blind date: female fossorial amphisbaenians prefer scent marks of large and healthy males. Integr Zool 2024. [PMID: 38247017 DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2024]
Abstract
Selecting a good mate is a decision with important fitness consequences. For this reason, mate choice has promoted the evolution of sexual ornaments signaling the quality of an individual. In fossorial animals, inhabiting visually restricted underground environments, chemical senses should be very important for mate choice. We examined whether sexual chemical signals (substrate scent marks) produced by males of the Iberian worm lizard, Blanus cinereus, a strictly fossorial blind amphisbaenian, provide information to females on morphological traits and health state. We administered corticosterone (CORT) to males simulating a continuous stressor affecting their health. Females preferred settling at sites scent-marked by males in comparison with similar sites with female scent or unmarked sites, but the attractiveness of males' scent differed between individuals. Females preferred scent marks of larger/older males and with a higher immune response, while their body condition and CORT treatment were unrelated to female preferences. Chemical analyses showed that proportions of some compounds in precloacal secretions of males (used to produce scent marks) were correlated with the morphological (body size) and health state (immune response and body condition, but not CORT treatment) of these males. These results suggest that females may make site-selection decisions based on assessing the chemical characteristics of males' scent marks, which were reliably related to some of the traits of the male that produced the scent. Therefore, females might use chemical senses to increase the opportunities to find and mate with males of high quality, coping with the restrictions of the subterranean environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- José Martín
- Departmento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, Madrid, Spain
| | - Gonzalo Rodríguez-Ruiz
- Departmento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, Madrid, Spain
| | - Álvaro Navarro-Castilla
- Etho-Physiology Group, Unit of Zoology, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Autonomous University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Investigación en Biodiversidad y Cambio Global (CIBC-UAM), Autonomous University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Isabel Barja
- Etho-Physiology Group, Unit of Zoology, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Autonomous University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Investigación en Biodiversidad y Cambio Global (CIBC-UAM), Autonomous University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Pilar López
- Departmento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, Madrid, Spain
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Hohl LDSL, Azorit C, Vassallo AI, Casinos A, Machado AS, Lopes RT, Rocha-Barbosa O. Ontogenetic skull variation in a shovel-headed amphisbaenian species. J Morphol 2023; 284:e21643. [PMID: 37856276 DOI: 10.1002/jmor.21643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2023] [Revised: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023]
Abstract
Leposternon microcephalum is a species belonging to the Amphisbaenia, a group of burrowing reptiles. Amphisbaenia present various morphological and physiological adaptations that allow them to penetrate the ground and live underground, through a system of galleries and permanent chambers that they build themselves. Among the morphological adaptations in this group, those of the skull stand out as it serves as the main excavation tool. Four basic skull shapes are recognized: rounded, keeled, shovel-shaped, and spade-shaped. The skull of L. microcephalum belongs to this last type, which is considered the most specialized. The species inhabits soils that are highly compacted and difficult to penetrate. Among the species of Leposternon present in South America, L. microcephalum has the widest distribution, being found in all Brazilian biomes and neighboring countries such as Bolivia, Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay. The analysis of the skull of this species was carried out using three-dimensional geometric morphometrics (3D-GMM), a technique that allows comparative analysis, through robust statistical methods, of shape and its variations, using Cartesian coordinate data from a configuration of homologous landmarks. The technique allows the size and shape components of a structure to be analyzed separately. From an ontogenetic point of view, this methodology had also been used to investigate variations in Cynisca leucura, a member of the Amphisbaenidae with a rounded head. Our hypothesis is that the patterns of morphological differentiation in the skull, mainly in the intermediate and occipital regions, are similar in different Amphisbaenia species. Therefore, the objective of this study was to analyze cranial morphological variations in an ontogenetic series of L. microcephalum using 3D-GMM. Computed Tomographic scans of 13 specimens were analyzed: juveniles (N = 8) and adults (N = 5), based on 20 landmarks that characterize the skull. Principal components and regression analyses between shape (dependent variable) and size (independent variable) showed a clear difference between the cranial morphological pattern of juvenile individuals and that of adults. For instance, young specimens tend to have a dorsoventrally tall neurocranium, with the tip of the snout more anteriorly oriented and its dorsal border subtly curved. Dorsally, the parietal region is thicker and smoothly dome-shaped in juveniles. As in C. leucura, the variation was strongly correlated with the size change from juvenile to adult, indicating a dominant role for ontogenetic allometry in determining skull shape.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leandro Dos S L Hohl
- Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Biologia Roberto Alcantara Gomes, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Laboratório de Zoologia de Vertebrados - Tetrapoda (LAZOVERTE), Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Concepción Azorit
- Department of Animal and Vegetal Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Experimental Sciences, University of Jaén, Jaén, Spain
| | - Aldo I Vassallo
- Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras IIMyC, FCEyN, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Mar del Plata, Provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Adrià Casinos
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Alessandra S Machado
- Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Laboratório de Instrumentação Nuclear (LIN), Centro de Tecnologia, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Ricardo T Lopes
- Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Laboratório de Instrumentação Nuclear (LIN), Centro de Tecnologia, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Oscar Rocha-Barbosa
- Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Biologia Roberto Alcantara Gomes, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Laboratório de Zoologia de Vertebrados - Tetrapoda (LAZOVERTE), Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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Allemand R, Abdul-Sater J, Macrì S, Di-Poï N, Daghfous G, Silcox MT. Endocast, brain, and bones: Correspondences and spatial relationships in squamates. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2023; 306:2443-2465. [PMID: 36602153 DOI: 10.1002/ar.25142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2022] [Revised: 12/05/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Vertebrate endocasts are widely used in the fields of paleoneurology and comparative neuroanatomy. The validity of endocranial studies is dependent upon the extent to which an endocast reflects brain morphology. Due to the variable neuroanatomical resolution of vertebrate endocasts, direct information about the brain morphology can be sometimes difficult to assess and needs to be investigated across lineages. Here, we employ X-ray computed tomography (CT), including diffusible iodine-based contrast-enhanced CT, to qualitatively compare brains and endocasts in different species of squamates. The relative position of the squamate brain within the skull, as well as the variability that may exist in such spatial relationships, was examined to help clarify the neurological regions evidence on their endocasts. Our results indicate that squamate endocasts provide variable representation of the brain, depending on species and neuroanatomical regions. The olfactory bulbs and peduncles, cerebral hemispheres, as well as the medulla oblongata represent the most easily discernable brain regions from squamate endocasts. In contrast, the position of the optic lobes, the ventral diencephalon and the pituitary may be difficult to determine depending on species. Finally, squamate endocasts provide very limited or no information about the cerebellum. The spatial relationships revealed here between the brain and the surrounding bones may help to identify each of the endocranial region. However, as one-to-one correspondences between a bone and a specific region appear limited, the exact delimitation of these regions may remain challenging according to species. This study provides a basis for further examination and interpretation of squamate endocast disparity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rémi Allemand
- Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jade Abdul-Sater
- Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Simone Macrì
- Institute of Biotechnology, Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Nicolas Di-Poï
- Institute of Biotechnology, Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | | | - Mary T Silcox
- Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Pandelis GG, Grundler MC, Rabosky DL. Ecological correlates of cranial evolution in the megaradiation of dipsadine snakes. BMC Ecol Evol 2023; 23:48. [PMID: 37679675 PMCID: PMC10485986 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-023-02157-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Dipsadine snakes represent one of the most spectacular vertebrate radiations that have occurred in any continental setting, with over 800 species in South and Central America. Their species richness is paralleled by stunning ecological diversity, ranging from arboreal snail-eating and aquatic eel-eating specialists to terrestrial generalists. Despite the ecological importance of this clade, little is known about the extent to which ecological specialization shapes broader patterns of phenotypic diversity within the group. Here, we test how habitat use and diet have influenced morphological diversification in skull shape across 160 dipsadine species using micro-CT and 3-D geometric morphometrics, and we use a phylogenetic comparative approach to test the contributions of habitat use and diet composition to variation in skull shape among species. RESULTS We demonstrate that while both habitat use and diet are significant predictors of shape in many regions of the skull, habitat use significantly predicts shape in a greater number of skull regions when compared to diet. We also find that across ecological groupings, fossorial and aquatic behaviors result in the strongest deviations in morphospace for several skull regions. We use simulations to address the robustness of our results and describe statistical anomalies that can arise from the application of phylogenetic generalized least squares to complex shape data. CONCLUSIONS Both habitat and dietary ecology are significantly correlated with skull shape in dipsadines; the strongest relationships involved skull shape in snakes with aquatic and fossorial lifestyles. This association between skull morphology and multiple ecological axes is consistent with a classic model of adaptive radiation and suggests that ecological factors were an important component in driving morphological diversification in the dipsadine megaradiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory G Pandelis
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109, USA.
- Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109, USA.
- Amphibian and Reptile Diversity Research Center, Department of Biology, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, Texas, 76019, USA.
| | - Michael C Grundler
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109, USA
- Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109, USA
| | - Daniel L Rabosky
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109, USA
- Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109, USA
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Lowie A, De Kegel B, Wilkinson M, Measey J, O'Reilly JC, Kley NJ, Gaucher P, Adriaens D, Herrel A. The anatomy of the head muscles in caecilians (Amphibia: Gymnophiona): Variation in relation to phylogeny and ecology? J Anat 2023; 242:312-326. [PMID: 36087281 PMCID: PMC9877473 DOI: 10.1111/joa.13763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2022] [Revised: 08/07/2022] [Accepted: 08/29/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
In limbless fossorial vertebrates such as caecilians (Gymnophiona), head-first burrowing imposes severe constraints on the morphology and overall size of the head. As such, caecilians developed a unique jaw-closing system involving the large and well-developed m. interhyoideus posterior, which is positioned in such a way that it does not significantly increase head diameter. Caecilians also possess unique muscles among amphibians. Understanding the diversity in the architecture and size of the cranial muscles may provide insights into how a typical amphibian system was adapted for a head-first burrowing lifestyle. In this study, we use dissection and non-destructive contrast-enhanced micro-computed tomography (μCT) scanning to describe and compare the cranial musculature of 13 species of caecilians. Our results show that the general organization of the head musculature is rather constant across extant caecilians. However, the early-diverging Rhinatrema bivittatum mainly relies on the 'ancestral' amphibian jaw-closing mechanism dominated by the m. adductores mandibulae, whereas other caecilians switched to the use of the derived dual jaw-closing mechanism involving the additional recruitment of the m. interhyoideus posterior. Additionally, the aquatic Typhlonectes show a greater investment in hyoid musculature than terrestrial caecilians, which is likely related to greater demands for ventilating their large lungs, and perhaps also an increased use of suction feeding. In addition to three-dimensional interactive models, our study provides the required quantitative data to permit the generation of accurate biomechanical models allowing the testing of further functional hypotheses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aurélien Lowie
- Ghent University, Department of Biology, Evolutionary Morphology of Vertebrates, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Barbara De Kegel
- Ghent University, Department of Biology, Evolutionary Morphology of Vertebrates, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Mark Wilkinson
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, UK
| | - John Measey
- Centre for Invasion Biology, Department of Botany & Zoology, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
| | - James C O'Reilly
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Ohio University, Cleveland Campus, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Nathan J Kley
- Department of Anatomical Sciences, Health Sciences Center, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA
| | - Philippe Gaucher
- USR 3456, CNRS, Centre de recherche de Montabo IRD, Cayenne, France
| | - Dominique Adriaens
- Ghent University, Department of Biology, Evolutionary Morphology of Vertebrates, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Anthony Herrel
- Ghent University, Department of Biology, Evolutionary Morphology of Vertebrates, Ghent, Belgium.,UMR 7179 C.N.R.S/M.N.H.N., Département d'Ecologie et de Gestion de la Biodiversité, Paris Cedex 5, France
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Martín J, Rodríguez-Ruiz G, Cuervo JJ, López P. Intersexual and body size-related variation in chemical constituents from feces and cloacal products involved in intraspecific communication of a fossorial amphisbaenian. PeerJ 2023; 11:e15002. [PMID: 36987455 PMCID: PMC10040184 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.15002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2022] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Many animals rely on chemical cues for intraspecific communication. This is especially important in fossorial animals because visual restrictions of the underground environment limit the opportunities for visual communication. Previous experiments showed the ability of the amphisbaenian Trogonophis wiegmanni to discriminate between several categories of conspecifics based on chemical cues alone. However, in contrast with many other reptile species, T. wiegmanni does not have external secretory glands, but uses uncharacterized secretions from the cloaca in intraspecific chemosensory communication. Methods Using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), we analyzed the lipophilic compounds from feces and cloacal products freshly extracted from the cloaca of male and female T. wiegmanni. We identified and estimated relative proportions of the compounds found, and tested for intersexual and body-size related differences. Results We found a total of 103 compounds, being some steroids (mainly cholesterol and cholestanol), some alkanes and squalene the most abundant and frequent. Further, we found intersexual differences, with males, especially larger ones, having higher proportions of several alkanes between C13 and C24 and of squalene than females, which had higher proportions of several steroids and also of nonacosane and methylnonacosane than males. We compared these findings with secretions of other animals and discuss the potential role of these compounds and their variations in intraspecific communication of amphisbaenians.
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Evans KM, Larouche O, West JL, Gartner SM, Westneat MW. Burrowing constrains patterns of skull shape evolution in wrasses. Evol Dev 2023; 25:73-84. [PMID: 35971630 DOI: 10.1111/ede.12415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2022] [Revised: 07/08/2022] [Accepted: 07/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
The evolution of behavioral and ecological specialization can have marked effects on the tempo and mode of phenotypic evolution. Head-first burrowing has been shown to exert powerful selective pressures on the head and body shapes of many vertebrate and invertebrate taxa. In wrasses, burrowing behaviors have evolved multiple times independently, and are commonly used in foraging and predator avoidance behaviors. While recent studies have examined the kinematics and body shape morphology associated with this behavior, no study to-date has examined the macroevolutionary implications of burrowing on patterns of phenotypic diversification in this clade. Here, we use three-dimensional geometric morphometrics and phylogenetic comparative methods to study the evolution of skull shape in fossorial wrasses and their relatives. We test for skull shape differences between burrowing and non burrowing wrasses and evaluate hypotheses of shape convergence among the burrowing wrasses. We also quantify rates of skull shape evolution between burrowing and non burrowing wrasses to test for whether burrowing constrains or accelerates rates of skull shape evolution in this clade. We find that while burrowing and non burrowing wrasses exhibit similar degrees of morphological disparity, for burrowing wrasses, it took nearly twice as long to amass this disparity. Furthermore, while the disparities between groups are evenly matched, we find that most burrowing species are confined to a particular region of shape space with most species exhibiting narrower heads than many non-burrowing species. These results suggest head-first burrowing constrains patterns of skull shape diversification in wrasses by potentially restricting the range of phenotypes that can perform this behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kory M Evans
- Department of Bioscience, Rice University, Houston, Texas, USA
| | | | - JoJo L West
- Department of Bioscience, Rice University, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Samantha M Gartner
- Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, University of Chicago Biological Sciences Division, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Mark W Westneat
- Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, University of Chicago Biological Sciences Division, Chicago, Illinois, USA
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10
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Martín J, Barja I, Rodríguez-Ruiz G, Recio P, Cuervo JJ. Hidden but Potentially Stressed: A Non-Invasive Technique to Quantify Fecal Glucocorticoid Levels in a Fossorial Amphisbaenian Reptile. Animals (Basel) 2022; 13:ani13010109. [PMID: 36611718 PMCID: PMC9817767 DOI: 10.3390/ani13010109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2022] [Revised: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 12/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
To understand wildlife responses to the changing environment, it is useful to examine their physiological responses and particularly their endocrine status. Here, we validated an enzyme immunoassay (EIA) to non-invasively quantify fecal corticosterone metabolites (FCM) in the fossorial amphisbaenian reptile Trogonophis wiegmanni from North Africa. We supplemented animals assigned to the treatment group with corticosterone dissolved in oil applied non-invasively on the skin for several days, while control groups received the oil-alone solution. Fresh feces were collected at the end of the supplementation period, and FCM levels were quantified by an EIA. Basal FCM levels were similar for both treatments and increased at the end of the test, but FCM increased significantly more in corticosterone-treated animals. A further examination of FCM levels in a wild population of this amphisbaenian did not find overall sexual, size or seasonal differences but showed a high range of variation among individuals. This suggests that different uncontrolled intrinsic or local environmental variables might increase the circulating glucocorticoid levels of different individuals. Our results confirmed the suitability of EIA for analyzing physiological changes in FCM in this amphisbaenian species. This technique may be useful for understanding and remediating the little-explored potential stressors of the soil environment that may negatively affect the health state of fossorial reptiles.
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Affiliation(s)
- José Martín
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, C/José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006 Madrid, Spain
- Correspondence:
| | - Isabel Barja
- Etho-Physiology Group, Unit of Zoology, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Autonomous University of Madrid, 28049 Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Investigación en Biodiversidad y Cambio Global (CIBC-UAM), Autonomous University of Madrid, C/Darwin 2, 28049 Madrid, Spain
| | - Gonzalo Rodríguez-Ruiz
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, C/José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006 Madrid, Spain
| | - Pablo Recio
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, C/José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006 Madrid, Spain
| | - José Javier Cuervo
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, C/José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006 Madrid, Spain
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de Fraga R, P. Santos-Jr A, P. Werneck F, C. Costa H, T. Guimarães J, Perez R, Graboski Mendes R, Mott T, Vaz-Silva W, Ribeiro S. The overlooked underground diversity: physical and chemical edaphic structure predict morphological variation in South American amphisbaenians (Squamata: Amphisbaenidae). STUDIES ON NEOTROPICAL FAUNA AND ENVIRONMENT 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/01650521.2022.2147046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Rafael de Fraga
- Laboratório de Ecologia e Comportamento Animal, Universidade Federal do Oeste do Pará, Santarém, Brazil
| | - Alfredo P. Santos-Jr
- Laboratório de Ecologia e Comportamento Animal, Universidade Federal do Oeste do Pará, Santarém, Brazil
| | - Fernanda P. Werneck
- Coordenação de Biodiversidade, Programa de Coleções Científicas Biológicas, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia (INPA), Manaus, Brazil
| | - Henrique C. Costa
- Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, Brazil
| | - Jéssica T. Guimarães
- Laboratório de Ecologia e Comportamento Animal, Universidade Federal do Oeste do Pará, Santarém, Brazil
| | - Renata Perez
- Laboratório de Herpetologia, Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Roberta Graboski Mendes
- School of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, the Steinhardt Museum of Natural History, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Tamí Mott
- Laboratório de Biologia Integrativa, Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Maceió, Brazil
| | - Wilian Vaz-Silva
- Centro de Estudos e Pesquisas Biológicas, Escola de Ciências Médicas e da Vida, Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Goiás, Goiânia, Brazil
| | - Síria Ribeiro
- Laboratório de Ecologia e Comportamento Animal, Universidade Federal do Oeste do Pará, Santarém, Brazil
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12
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Cabral H, Guedes TB, Santana DJ. Functional traits and phylogeny explain snake distribution in the world's largest dry forest ecoregion, the Gran Chaco. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9503. [PMID: 36407904 PMCID: PMC9666913 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2022] [Revised: 10/10/2022] [Accepted: 10/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Macroecological studies describe large‐scale diversity patterns through analyses of species distribution patterns and allows us to elucidate how species differing in ecology, physical requirements, and life histories are distributed in a multidimensional space. These patterns of distributions can be explained by vegetation, and climatic factors, and are determined by historical and current factors. The continuous accumulation of information on the distribution patterns of species is essential to understand the history and evolution of the biota. In this study, we aimed to identify functional and evolutionary drivers that explain the geographic patterns of vertical stratification. We compiled morphological, ecological, and distribution data of 140 species of Chacoan snakes and constructed null models to map their geographic pattern. We used a range of environmental variables to assess which drivers are influencing these biogeographic patterns. Lastly, we used evolutionary data to build the first map of the phylogenetic regions of Chacoan snakes. We found a latitudinal pattern, with a marked verticality in the snake assemblies in the Chaco. Verticality and long‐tailed species richness increased in areas with high stratified habitats and stable temperature. Fossoriality is driven mainly by soil conditions, especially soils with fewer sand particles and less stratified habitat. Phylogenetic regions in the Chaco showed a marked latitudinal pattern, like that observed in the geographic pattern of verticality. The distribution pattern of Chacoan snakes also reflects their evolutionary history, with a marked phylogenetic regionalization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hugo Cabral
- Programa de Pós‐Graduação em Biologia Animal Universidade Estadual Paulista São José do Rio Preto Brazil
- Instituto de Investigación Biológica del Paraguay Asunción Paraguay
- Mapinguari – Laboratório de Biogeografia e Sistemática de Anfíbios e Répteis, Instituto de Biociências Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul Campo Grande Brazil
| | - Thaís B. Guedes
- Departamento de Biologia Animal, Instituto de Biologia Universidade Estadual de Campinas Campinas Brazil
- Gothenburg Global Biodiversity Center and Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences University of Gothenburg Göteborg Sweden
| | - Diego J. Santana
- Mapinguari – Laboratório de Biogeografia e Sistemática de Anfíbios e Répteis, Instituto de Biociências Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul Campo Grande Brazil
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13
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Gong H, Adajar JB, Tessier L, Li S, Guzman L, Chen Y, Qi L. Discrete element models for understanding the biomechanics of fossorial animals. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9331. [PMID: 36177130 PMCID: PMC9481867 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2022] [Revised: 06/25/2022] [Accepted: 08/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The morphological features of fossorial animals have continuously evolved in response to the demands of survival. However, existing methods for animal burrowing mechanics are not capable of addressing the large deformation of substrate. The discrete element method (DEM) is able to overcome this limitation. In this study, we used DEM to develop a general model to simulate the motion of an animal body part and its interaction with the substrate. The DEM also allowed us to easily change the forms of animal body parts to examine how those different forms affected the biomechanical functions. These capabilities of the DEM were presented through a case study of modeling the burrowing process of North American Badger. In the case study, the dynamics (forces, work, and soil displacements) of burrowing were predicted for different forms of badger claw and manus, using the model. Results showed that when extra digits are added to a manus, the work required for a badger to dig increases considerably, while the mass of soil dug only increases gradually. According to the proposed efficiency index (ratio of the amount of soil dug to the work required), the modern manus with 5 digits has indeed biomechanical advantage for their fossorial lifestyle, and the current claw curvature (25.3 mm in radius) is indeed optimal. The DEM is able to predict biomechanical relationships between functions and forms for any fossorial animals. Results can provide biomechanical evidences for explaining how the selective pressures for functions influence the morphological evolution in fossorial animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Gong
- College of Engineering, South China Agricultural University Guangzhou Guangdong Province P. R. China
| | - Joash B Adajar
- Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture Guangzhou Guangdong Province P. R. China
| | - Léa Tessier
- Department of Biological Science University of Manitoba Winnipeg Manitoba Canada
| | - Shuai Li
- College of Engineering, South China Agricultural University Guangzhou Guangdong Province P. R. China
| | - Leno Guzman
- Department of Biosystems Engineering University of Manitoba Winnipeg Manitoba Canada
| | - Ying Chen
- Department of Biosystems Engineering University of Manitoba Winnipeg Manitoba Canada
| | - Long Qi
- College of Engineering, South China Agricultural University Guangzhou Guangdong Province P. R. China.,Department of Civil Engineering University of Manitoba Winnipeg Manitoba Canada
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14
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Easterling CM, Kolmann MA, O'Donnell MK. The Lesser-Known Transitions: Organismal Form and Function Across Abiotic Gradients. Integr Comp Biol 2022; 62:829-839. [PMID: 35927766 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icac133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2022] [Revised: 04/20/2022] [Accepted: 04/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
From minute-to-minute changes, or across daily, seasonal, or geological timescales, animals are forced to navigate dynamic surroundings. Their abiotic environment is continually changing. These changes could include alterations to the substrates animals locomote on, flow dynamics of the microhabitats they feed in, or even altitudinal shifts over migration routes. The only constancy in any organism's day-to-day existence is the heterogeneity of the habitats they move through and the gradients in the physical media (e.g., air, water) they live in. We explored a broad range of organismal transitions across abiotic gradients and investigated how these organisms modify their form, function, and behavior to accommodate their surrounding media. We asked the following questions: (1) What are some challenges common to animals in changing media or moving between media? (2) What are common solutions to these recurring problems? (3) How often are these common solutions instances of either convergence or parallelism? Our symposium speakers explored these questions through critical analysis of numerous datasets spanning multiple taxa, timescales, and levels of analysis. After discussions with our speakers, we suggest that the role of physical principles (e.g., drag, gravity, buoyancy, viscosity) in constraining morphology and shaping the realized niche has been underappreciated. We recommend that investigations of these transitions and corresponding adaptations should include comparisons at multiple levels of biological organization and timescale. Relatedly, studies of organisms that undergo habitat and substrate changes over ontogeny would be worthwhile to include in comparisons. Future researchers should ideally complement lab-based morphological and kinematic studies with observational and experimental approaches in the field. Synthesis of the findings of our speakers across multiple study systems, timescales, and transitional habitats suggests that behavioral modification and exaptation of morphology play key roles in modulating novel transitions between substrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- C M Easterling
- Northwest University, Science Department, Kirkland, WA 98033
| | - M A Kolmann
- University of Michigan, Museum of Paleontology, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
| | - M K O'Donnell
- Lycoming College, Biology Department, Williamsport, PA 17701
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15
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Isip JE, Jones MEH, Cooper N. Clade-wide variation in bite-force performance is determined primarily by size, not ecology. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20212493. [PMID: 35193399 PMCID: PMC8864353 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.2493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Performance traits are tightly linked to the fitness of organisms. However, because studies of variation in performance traits generally focus on just one or several closely related species, we are unable to draw broader conclusions about how and why these traits vary across clades. One important performance trait related to many aspects of an animal's life history is bite-force. Here, we use a clade-wide phylogenetic comparative approach to investigate relationships between size, head dimensions and bite-force among lizards and tuatara (lepidosaurs), using the largest bite-force dataset collated to date for any taxonomic group. We test four predictions: that bite-force will be greater in larger species, and for a given body size, bite-force will be greatest in species with acrodont tooth attachment, herbivorous diets, and non-burrowing habits. We show that bite-force is strongly related to body and head size across lepidosaurs and, as predicted, larger species have the greatest bite-forces. Contrary to our other predictions, tooth attachment, diet and habit have little predictive power when accounting for size. Herbivores bite more forcefully simply because they are larger. Our results also highlight priorities for future sampling to further enhance our understanding of broader evolutionary patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin E. Isip
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum London, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD, UK,Department of Life Sciences (Silwood Park), Imperial College London, Ascot, UK
| | - Marc E. H. Jones
- Research Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Anatomy Building, University College London, Gower Street, London WCIE 6BT, UK,Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Natalie Cooper
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum London, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD, UK
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16
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17
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Reiche H, Hohl LSL, Rocha-Barbosa O. Food capture and escape behavior of Leposternon microcephalum Wagler, 1824 (Squamata: Amphisbaenia). BRAZ J BIOL 2021; 84:e251255. [PMID: 34909919 DOI: 10.1590/1519-6984.251255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2021] [Accepted: 09/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Amphisbaenians are fossorial reptiles that have a cylindrical and elongated body covered with scales arranged in rings, and are all apodal, except for the three species of the genus Bipes. The amphisbaenian diet consists of a variety of invertebrates and small vertebrates. As these animals live underground, many aspects of their natural history are difficult to study. Most feeding studies of amphisbaenians have focused on the composition of the diet and feeding ecology, and the data available on feeding behavior are based on precursory observations. The present study describes the food capture behavior of Leposternon microcephalum Wagler, 1824 in captivity. In this experiment we used non-live bait (moist cat food), which was placed near a burrow opening, on the surface of the substrate. Three animals were monitored visually and filmed using cellphone cameras deployed at fixed points, to capture images from the dorsal and lateral perspectives of the study subjects. Two principal types of behavior were observed: the capture of food and defense mechanisms. The strategies used to capture the food were similar to those observed in other fossorial species. Although the backward movement has already been observed and described, we were able to record this movement being used as an escape strategy. These findings enrich our knowledge on different aspects of the natural history of the amphisbaenians.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Reiche
- Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro - UERJ, Instituto de Biologia Roberto Alcantara Gomes - IBRAG, Departamento de Zoologia, Laboratório de Zoologia de Vertebrados-Tetrapoda - LAZOVERTE, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil
| | - L S L Hohl
- Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro - UERJ, Instituto de Biologia Roberto Alcantara Gomes - IBRAG, Departamento de Zoologia, Laboratório de Zoologia de Vertebrados-Tetrapoda - LAZOVERTE, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.,Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro - UERJ, Instituto de Biologia Roberto Alcantara Gomes - IBRAG, Departamento de Ecologia, Programa de Pós-graduação em Ecologia e Evolução, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.,Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro - UERJ, Instituto de Aplicação Fernando Rodrigues da Silveira - CAp, Departamento de Ciências da Natureza, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil
| | - O Rocha-Barbosa
- Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro - UERJ, Instituto de Biologia Roberto Alcantara Gomes - IBRAG, Departamento de Zoologia, Laboratório de Zoologia de Vertebrados-Tetrapoda - LAZOVERTE, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.,Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro - UERJ, Instituto de Biologia Roberto Alcantara Gomes - IBRAG, Departamento de Ecologia, Programa de Pós-graduação em Ecologia e Evolução, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil
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18
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Martín J, Barja I, Rodríguez-Ruiz G, Recio P, García LV. Soil pollution by heavy metals correlates with levels of faecal glucocorticoid metabolites of a fossorial amphisbaenian reptile. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2021; 9:coab085. [PMID: 34804536 PMCID: PMC8599815 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coab085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2021] [Revised: 09/22/2021] [Accepted: 10/19/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Soil degradation may have strong negative consequences for soil biodiversity, but these potential effects are understudied and poorly understood. Concentration of nesting seabirds may be a source of soil pollution by heavy metals, which are incorporated into the food chain and may have toxicological effects in vertebrates, especially in fossorial animals with low dispersal ability. We examined whether contamination by heavy metals, derived from seagull depositions, and other soil characteristics, may affect the levels of faecal glucocorticoid metabolites (as a potential indicator of physiological stress) of the fossorial amphisbaenian reptile Trogonophis wiegmanni. We found a relationship between soil pollution by heavy metals and increased levels of faecal corticosterone metabolite of the amphisbaenians that live buried in those soils. This can be due to the strong endocrine disruption effect of heavy metals. In addition, there was an independent effect of the soil texture, with amphisbaenians showing higher levels of faecal corticosterone metabolite in soils with less sand and more silt and clay, which are more energetically costly to dig. Long-term exposure to high glucocorticoid levels might have serious effects on health state and fitness of fossorial animals that may be unnoticed. Our study emphasizes that, to prevent future conservation problems, we need to perform periodic surveys on the physiological health state of the little-known subterranean biodiversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- José Martín
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, Madrid, Spain
| | - Isabel Barja
- Etho-Physiology Group, Unidad de Zoología, Facultad de Biología, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Investigación en Biodiversidad y Cambio Global (CIBC-UAM), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Gonzalo Rodríguez-Ruiz
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, Madrid, Spain
| | - Pablo Recio
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, Madrid, Spain
| | - Luis V García
- Departamento de Biogeoquímica, Ecología Vegetal y Microbiana, Instituto de Recursos Naturales y Agrobiología de Sevilla, CSIC, Sevilla, Spain
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19
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Diversity and Systematics of Limbless Skinks (Anomalopus) from Eastern Australia and the Skeletal Changes that Accompany the Substrate Swimming Body Form. J HERPETOL 2021. [DOI: 10.1670/20-137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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20
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Lowie A, De Kegel B, Wilkinson M, Measey J, O'Reilly JC, Kley NJ, Gaucher P, Brecko J, Kleinteich T, Van Hoorebeke L, Herrel A, Adriaens D. Under pressure: the relationship between cranial shape and burrowing force in caecilians (Gymnophiona). J Exp Biol 2021; 224:272111. [PMID: 34494653 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.242964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2021] [Accepted: 08/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Caecilians are elongate, limbless and annulated amphibians that, with the exception of one aquatic family, all have an at least partly fossorial lifestyle. It has been suggested that caecilian evolution resulted in sturdy and compact skulls with fused bones and tight sutures, as an adaptation to their head-first burrowing habits. However, although their cranial osteology is well described, relationships between form and function remain poorly understood. In the present study, we explored the relationship between cranial shape and in vivo burrowing forces. Using micro-computed tomography (µCT) data, we performed 3D geometric morphometrics to explore whether cranial and mandibular shapes reflected patterns that might be associated with maximal push forces. The results highlight important differences in maximal push forces, with the aquatic Typhlonectes producing a lower force for a given size compared with other species. Despite substantial differences in head morphology across species, no relationship between overall skull shape and push force could be detected. Although a strong phylogenetic signal may partly obscure the results, our conclusions confirm previous studies using biomechanical models and suggest that differences in the degree of fossoriality do not appear to be driving the evolution of head shape.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aurélien Lowie
- Ghent University, Department of Biology, Evolutionary Morphology of Vertebrates, K.L. Ledeganckstraat 35, 9000 Gent, Belgium
| | - Barbara De Kegel
- Ghent University, Department of Biology, Evolutionary Morphology of Vertebrates, K.L. Ledeganckstraat 35, 9000 Gent, Belgium
| | - Mark Wilkinson
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London SW7 5BD, UK
| | - John Measey
- Centre for Invasion Biology, Department of Botany & Zoology, Stellenbosch University, Private Bag X1, 7602 Matieland, Stellenbosch, South Africa
| | - James C O'Reilly
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Ohio University, Cleveland Campus, SPS-334C, Cleveland, OH 45701, USA
| | - Nathan J Kley
- Department of Anatomical Sciences, Health Sciences Center, T8 (082), Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-8081, USA
| | - Philippe Gaucher
- USR 3456, CNRS, Centre de recherche de Montabo IRD, CNRS-Guyane, 97334 Cayenne, France
| | - Jonathan Brecko
- Royal Museum for Central Africa, Biological Collections and Data Management, 3080 Tervuren, Belgium
| | | | - Luc Van Hoorebeke
- UGCT - Department of Physics and Astronomy, Ghent University, Proeftuinstraat 86/N12, 9000 Gent, Belgium
| | - Anthony Herrel
- Ghent University, Department of Biology, Evolutionary Morphology of Vertebrates, K.L. Ledeganckstraat 35, 9000 Gent, Belgium.,UMR 7179 C.N.R.S./M.N.H.N., Département d'Ecologie et de Gestion de la Biodiversité, 57 rue Cuvier, Case postale 55, 75231 Paris Cedex 5, France
| | - Dominique Adriaens
- Ghent University, Department of Biology, Evolutionary Morphology of Vertebrates, K.L. Ledeganckstraat 35, 9000 Gent, Belgium
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21
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Abstract
Relationships between the complexity of the cranial sutures and the inferred ecology of dicynodont synapsids are explored. Simple complexity indices based on degree of sutural interdigitation were calculated for 70 anomodont species and indicate that the naso-frontal sutures of Cistecephalidae, a clade inferred to be dedicated fossors based on aspects of postcranial morphology, are substantially more complex than those of other dicynodonts. The elevated complexity of the naso-frontal suture in this clade is interpreted as being related to compressive forces sustained during burrowing, paralleling the condition in some other fossorial vertebrate groups (e.g., amphisbaenians). The most highly interdigitated sutures in the cistecephalid skull are those oriented transversely to its long axis, which would experience the greatest longitudinal stresses from contact with the substrate. Although it is uncertain to what degree cistecephalid burrowing was based on scratch vs. head-lift digging, it is argued that the head played an important role during locomotion in this group. Increased sutural complexity, rather than cranial fusion, as an adaptation to resisting compressive forces during burrowing may be related to indeterminate growth in dicynodonts.
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22
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Bergmann PJ, Berry DS. How head shape and substrate particle size affect fossorial locomotion in lizards. J Exp Biol 2021; 224:269100. [PMID: 34109985 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.242244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2021] [Accepted: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Granular substrates ranging from silt to gravel cover much of the Earth's land area, providing an important habitat for fossorial animals. Many of these animals use their heads to penetrate the substrate. Although there is considerable variation in head shape, how head shape affects fossorial locomotor performance in different granular substrates is poorly understood. Here, head shape variation for 152 species of fossorial lizards was quantified for head diameter, slope and pointiness of the snout. The force needed to penetrate different substrates was measured using 28 physical models spanning this evolved variation. Ten substrates were considered, ranging in particle size from 0.025 to 4 mm in diameter and consisting of spherical or angular particles. Head shape evolved in a weakly correlated manner, with snouts that were gently sloped being blunter. There were also significant clade differences in head shape among fossorial lizards. Experiments with physical models showed that as head diameter increased, absolute penetration force increased but force normalized by cross-sectional area decreased. Penetration force decreased for snouts that tapered more gradually and were pointier. Larger and angular particles required higher penetration forces, although intermediate size spherical particles, consistent with coarse sand, required the lowest force. Particle size and head diameter effect were largest, indicating that fossorial burrowers should evolve narrow heads and bodies, and select relatively fine particles. However, variation in evolved head shapes and recorded penetration forces suggests that kinematics of fossorial movement are likely an important factor in explaining evolved diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip J Bergmann
- Department of Biology, Clark University, 950 Main Street, Worcester, MA 01602, USA
| | - David S Berry
- Department of Biology, Clark University, 950 Main Street, Worcester, MA 01602, USA
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23
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Herrel A, Lowie A, Miralles A, Gaucher P, Kley NJ, Measey J, Tolley KA. Burrowing in blindsnakes: A preliminary analysis of burrowing forces and consequences for the evolution of morphology. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2021; 304:2292-2302. [PMID: 34089306 DOI: 10.1002/ar.24686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2021] [Revised: 04/18/2021] [Accepted: 04/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Burrowing is a common behavior in vertebrates. An underground life-style offers many advantages but also poses important challenges including the high energetic cost of burrowing. Scolecophidians are a group of morphologically derived subterranean snakes that show great diversity in form and function. Although it has been suggested that leptotyphlopids and anomalepidids mostly use existing underground passageways, typhlopids are thought to create their own burrows. However, the mechanisms used to create burrows and the associated forces that animals may be able to generate remain unknown. Here, we provide the first data on push forces in scolecophidians and compare them with those in some burrowing alethinophidian snakes. Our results show that typhlopids are capable of generating higher forces for a given size than other snakes. The observed differences are not due to variation in body diameter or length, suggesting fundamental differences in the mechanics of burrowing or the way in which axial muscles are used. Qualitative observations of skull and vertebral shape suggest that the higher forces exerted by typhlopids may have impacted the evolution of their anatomy. Our results provide the basis for future studies exploring the diversity of form and function in this fascinating group of animals. Quantitative comparisons of the cranial and vertebral shape in addition to collecting functional and ecological data on a wider array of species would be particularly important to test the patterns described here.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony Herrel
- Département Adaptations du Vivant, UMR 7179 C.N.R.S/M.N.H.N, Bâtiment d'Anatomie Comparée, Paris, France.,Department of Biology, Evolutionary Morphology of Vertebrates, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Aurélien Lowie
- Department of Biology, Evolutionary Morphology of Vertebrates, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Aurélien Miralles
- Institut de Systématique, Évolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, EPHE, Université des Antilles, Paris, France
| | - Philippe Gaucher
- Laboratoire Ecologie, Evolution, Interactions des Systèmes amazoniens Centre de Recherche de Montabo, Cayenne cédex, France
| | - Nathan J Kley
- Department of Anatomical Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA
| | - John Measey
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Center for Invasion Biology, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
| | - Krystal A Tolley
- Kirstenbosch Research Center, South African National Biodiversity Institute, Cape Town, South Africa.,School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
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24
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Martín J, Recio P, Rodríguez-Ruiz G, Barja I, Gutiérrez E, García LV. Relationships between soil pollution by heavy metals and melanin-dependent coloration of a fossorial amphisbaenian reptile. Integr Zool 2021; 17:596-607. [PMID: 34047065 DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Melanin is the basis of coloration in many animals, and although it is often used in communication, thermoregulation, or camouflage, melanin has many other physiological functions. For example, in polluted habitats, melanin can have a detoxifying function. Melanic coloration would help to sequester in the skin the heavy metal contaminants from inside the body, which will be expelled to the exterior when the skin is sloughed. Moreover, animals should have evolved more melanic colorations in more polluted habitats ("industrial melanism" hypothesis). We examined whether the fossorial amphisbaenian reptile, Trogonophis wiegmanni, is able to eliminate heavy metals, derived from soil pollution by seagull depositions, through sloughing its skin. Our results suggest a covariation between levels of soil pollution by heavy metals and the concentration of heavy metals in the sloughed skins of amphisbaenians. This suggests that amphisbaenians may expel heavy metals from their bodies when they slough the skins. We also tested whether amphisbaenians inhabiting soils with higher levels of heavy metal pollution had darker (melanin-dependent) body colorations. However, contrary to predictions from the "industrial melanization" hypothesis, we found a negative relationship between soil pollution and proportions of melanic coloration. This contradictory result could, however, be explained because heavy metals have endocrine disruption effects that increase physiological stress, and higher stress levels could result in decreased melanogenesis. We suggest that although amphisbaenians might have some detoxifying mechanism linked to melanin in the skin, this process might be negatively affected by stress and result ineffective under conditions of high soil pollution.
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Affiliation(s)
- José Martín
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, Madrid, Spain
| | - Pablo Recio
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, Madrid, Spain
| | - Gonzalo Rodríguez-Ruiz
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, Madrid, Spain
| | - Isabel Barja
- Departamento de Zoología, Facultad de Biología, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.,Centro de Investigación en Biodiversidad y Cambio Global (CIBC-UAM), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Eduardo Gutiérrez
- Departamento de Biogeoquímica, Ecología Vegetal y Microbiana, Instituto de Recursos Naturales y Agrobiología de Sevilla, CSIC, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Luis V García
- Departamento de Biogeoquímica, Ecología Vegetal y Microbiana, Instituto de Recursos Naturales y Agrobiología de Sevilla, CSIC, Sevilla, Spain
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Martín J, Ortega J, García-Roa R, Jiménez-Robles O, Rodríguez-Ruiz G, Recio P, Cuervo JJ. Going underground: short- and long-term movements may reveal the fossorial spatial ecology of an amphisbaenian. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2021; 9:14. [PMID: 33757594 PMCID: PMC7988982 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-021-00253-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2020] [Accepted: 03/16/2021] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The movement and spatial ecology of an animal depends on its morphological and functional adaptations to its environment. In fossorial animals, adaptations to the underground life help to face peculiar ecological challenges, very different from those of epigeal species, but may constrain their movement ability. METHODS We made a long-term capture-recapture study of the strictly fossorial amphisbaenian reptile Trogonophis wiegmanni to analyze its long-term movement patterns. We also used passive integrated transponder (PIT) telemetry to detect and follow undisturbed individuals underground, obtaining data of their short-term movement patterns. RESULTS Amphisbaenians showed a high site fidelity, moving short distances and over small areas, and spending some days without any noticeable movement, even under favorable conditions. We also found differences in movements between sexes and age classes. CONCLUSIONS This movement and spatial strategy can be related to the energetic constrains of underground burrowing, or to the low metabolic requirements of fossorial reptiles, as distances and areas covered were much smaller than for epigeal reptiles of similar size. Individual differences probably reflect differential reproductive and social requirements of males and females, and that younger individuals might show more floating behavior until they can settle in a territory. This study is a rare example describing the movement ecology of a fossorial species and may contribute to the general understanding of the factors that affect space use and movement decisions in animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- José Martín
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Jesús Ortega
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, Madrid, Spain
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Roberto García-Roa
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, Madrid, Spain
- Ethology Lab, Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - Octavio Jiménez-Robles
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
| | - Gonzalo Rodríguez-Ruiz
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, Madrid, Spain
| | - Pablo Recio
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, Madrid, Spain
| | - José Javier Cuervo
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, Madrid, Spain
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26
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Martín J, Raya-García E, Ortega J, López P. Offspring and adult chemosensory recognition by an amphisbaenian reptile may allow maintaining familiar links in the fossorial environment. PeerJ 2021; 9:e10780. [PMID: 33604182 PMCID: PMC7866894 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.10780] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2020] [Accepted: 12/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Kin recognition is a phenomenon with an important function in maintaining cohesive social groups in animals. Several studies have examined parent–offspring recognition in species with direct parental care. Few studies have, however, explored parent–offspring recognition in animals that, at best, only show apparent indirect parental care, such as some reptiles. In this study, we investigated reciprocal parent–offspring recognition in the fossorial amphisbaenian Trogonophis wiegmanni, a viviparous species that shows potential stable ‘family groups’ in the form of parent-offspring long-term associations. We examined whether adult males and females could discriminate via chemical cues between familiar juveniles which associate with them within their family groups, and are potentially their offspring, to that of unfamiliar juveniles, and whether juveniles could discriminate between familiar adult males and females of their family group (probably their parents) and unfamiliar unrelated adults. We measured tongue flick behavior to study chemosensory responses to the scent of conspecifics. We found that adult female amphisbaenians, but not males, could discriminate between scents of familiar and unfamiliar juveniles. Juvenile amphisbaenians did not discriminate between familiar and unfamiliar adult females, but recognize familiar from unfamiliar males. We discuss our results of parent–offspring recognition according to its potential social function in an ecological fossorial context where visibility is limited and chemosensory kin recognition may contribute to the establishment of stable family groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- José Martín
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ernesto Raya-García
- Laboratorio de Herpetología, Instituto de Investigaciones Sobre los Recursos Naturales, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico
| | - Jesús Ortega
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, Madrid, Spain
| | - Pilar López
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, Madrid, Spain
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Camaiti M, Evans AR, Hipsley CA, Chapple DG. A farewell to arms and legs: a review of limb reduction in squamates. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2021; 96:1035-1050. [PMID: 33538028 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12690] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2020] [Revised: 01/21/2021] [Accepted: 01/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Elongated snake-like bodies associated with limb reduction have evolved multiple times throughout vertebrate history. Limb-reduced squamates (lizards and snakes) account for the vast majority of these morphological transformations, and thus have great potential for revealing macroevolutionary transitions and modes of body-shape transformation. Here we present a comprehensive review on limb reduction, in which we examine and discuss research on these dramatic morphological transitions. Historically, there have been several approaches to the study of squamate limb reduction: (i) definitions of general anatomical principles of snake-like body shapes, expressed as varying relationships between body parts and morphometric measurements; (ii) framing of limb reduction from an evolutionary perspective using morphological comparisons; (iii) defining developmental mechanisms involved in the ontogeny of limb-reduced forms, and their genetic basis; (iv) reconstructions of the evolutionary history of limb-reduced lineages using phylogenetic comparative methods; (v) studies of functional and biomechanical aspects of limb-reduced body shapes; and (vi) studies of ecological and biogeographical correlates of limb reduction. For each of these approaches, we highlight their importance in advancing our understanding, as well as their weaknesses and limitations. Lastly, we provide suggestions to stimulate further studies, in which we underscore the necessity of widening the scope of analyses, and of bringing together different perspectives in order to understand better these morphological transitions and their evolution. In particular, we emphasise the importance of investigating and comparing the internal morphology of limb-reduced lizards in contrast to external morphology, which will be the first step in gaining a deeper insight into body-shape variation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Camaiti
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, 19 Rainforest Walk, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia
| | - Alistair R Evans
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, 19 Rainforest Walk, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia
| | - Christy A Hipsley
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia.,Department of Sciences, Museums Victoria, 11 Nicholson St, Carlton, Melbourne, VIC, 3053, Australia
| | - David G Chapple
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, 19 Rainforest Walk, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia
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de Barros FC, Grizante MB, Zampieri FAM, Kohlsdorf T. Peculiar relationships among morphology, burrowing performance and sand type in two fossorial microteiid lizards. ZOOLOGY 2020; 144:125880. [PMID: 33310388 DOI: 10.1016/j.zool.2020.125880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2020] [Revised: 11/09/2020] [Accepted: 11/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Associations among ecology, morphology and locomotor performance have been intensively investigated in several vertebrate lineages. Knowledge on how phenotypes evolve in natural environments likely benefits from identification of circumstances that might expand current ecomorphological equations. In this study, we used two species of Calyptommatus lizards from Brazilian Caatingas to evaluate if specific soil properties favor burrowing performance. As a derived prediction, we expected that functional associations would be easily detectable at the sand condition that favors low-resistance burrowing. We collected two endemic lizards and soil samples in their respective localities, obtained morphological data and recorded performance of both species in different sand types. As a result, the two species burrowed faster at the fine and homogeneous sand, the only condition where we detected functional associations between morphology and locomotion. In this sand type, lizards from both Calyptommatus species that have higher trunks and more concave heads were the ones that burrowed faster, and these phenotypic traits did not morphologically discriminate the two Calyptommatus populations studied. We discuss that integrative approaches comprising manipulation of environmental conditions clearly contribute to elucidate processes underlying phenotypic evolution in fossorial lineages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fábio C de Barros
- Department of Biology, FFCLRP, University of São Paulo, Avenida Bandeirantes, 3900, Ribeirão Preto, SP, 14040-901, Brazil; Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, ICAQF, Federal University of São Paulo, Rua Prof. Artur Riedel, 275, Diadema, SP, 09972-270, Brazil.
| | - Mariana B Grizante
- Department of Biology, FFCLRP, University of São Paulo, Avenida Bandeirantes, 3900, Ribeirão Preto, SP, 14040-901, Brazil; Instituto Dante Pazzanese de Cardiologia, Brazil
| | - Felipe A M Zampieri
- Department of Biology, FFCLRP, University of São Paulo, Avenida Bandeirantes, 3900, Ribeirão Preto, SP, 14040-901, Brazil
| | - Tiana Kohlsdorf
- Department of Biology, FFCLRP, University of São Paulo, Avenida Bandeirantes, 3900, Ribeirão Preto, SP, 14040-901, Brazil.
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29
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Ebel R, Müller J, Ramm T, Hipsley C, Amson E. First evidence of convergent lifestyle signal in reptile skull roof microanatomy. BMC Biol 2020; 18:185. [PMID: 33250048 PMCID: PMC7702674 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-020-00908-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2020] [Accepted: 10/23/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The study of convergently acquired adaptations allows fundamental insight into life's evolutionary history. Within lepidosaur reptiles-i.e. lizards, tuatara, and snakes-a fully fossorial ('burrowing') lifestyle has independently evolved in most major clades. However, despite their consistent use of the skull as a digging tool, cranial modifications common to all these lineages are yet to be found. In particular, bone microanatomy, although highly diagnostic for lifestyle, remains unexplored in the lepidosaur cranium. This constitutes a key gap in our understanding of their complexly interwoven ecology, morphology, and evolution. In order to bridge this gap, we reconstructed the acquisition of a fossorial lifestyle in 2813 lepidosaurs and assessed the skull roof compactness from microCT cross-sections in a representative subset (n = 99). We tested this and five macroscopic morphological traits for their convergent evolution. RESULTS We found that fossoriality evolved independently in 54 lepidosaur lineages. Furthermore, a highly compact skull roof, small skull diameter, elongate cranium, and low length ratio of frontal and parietal were repeatedly acquired in concert with a fossorial lifestyle. CONCLUSIONS We report a novel case of convergence that concerns lepidosaur diversity as a whole. Our findings further indicate an early evolution of fossorial modifications in the amphisbaenian 'worm-lizards' and support a fossorial origin for snakes. Nonetheless, our results suggest distinct evolutionary pathways between fossorial lizards and snakes through different contingencies. We thus provide novel insights into the evolutionary mechanisms and constraints underlying amniote diversity and a powerful tool for the reconstruction of extinct reptile ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roy Ebel
- Museum für Naturkunde, Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science, Berlin, Germany.
- Institute for Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Johannes Müller
- Museum für Naturkunde, Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science, Berlin, Germany
- Institute for Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Till Ramm
- Museum für Naturkunde, Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science, Berlin, Germany
- Institute for Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, 3052, Australia
- Sciences Department, Museums Victoria, Carlton, Victoria, 3053, Australia
| | - Christy Hipsley
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, 3052, Australia
- Sciences Department, Museums Victoria, Carlton, Victoria, 3053, Australia
| | - Eli Amson
- Museum für Naturkunde, Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science, Berlin, Germany
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30
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Martín J, Raya García E, Ortega J, López P. How to maintain underground social relationships? Chemosensory sex, partner and self recognition in a fossorial amphisbaenian. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0237188. [PMID: 32813706 PMCID: PMC7437723 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0237188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2020] [Accepted: 07/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Maintaining social relationships depends on the ability to recognize partners or group members against other individuals. This is especially important in animals with relatively stable social groups. The amphisbaenian Trogonophis wiegmanni is a semi blind fossorial reptile that spends its entire life underground where it interacts with mates and social partners. In this environment, visual cues are limited. Chemosensory cues may rather allow conspecific social and partner recognition. We recorded the number of tongue-flick (TF) rates of T. wiegmanni amphisbaenians to scents of both sexes with different pairing social bonds (familiar vs. unfamiliar) presented on cotton swabs to test discrimination of social groups. As seen from a rise in the number of TFs, males discriminated unfamiliar females from unfamiliar males. This suggests that chemical cues may be used by males to locate new mates. In contrast, females detected scent of unfamiliar conspecifics, but did not show sex discrimination. Both males and females discriminated the scent of an individual with which they had formed a pair bond from an unfamiliar individual of the same sex as the partner. Also, males, but not females, were capable of self-recognition, suggesting that scent marks of males in home ranges may provide individual information in intrasexual relationships. We conclude that conspecific discrimination based on chemical cues may allow the maintenance of social relationships and relatively stable pairs in fossorial reptiles inhabiting visually restricted environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- José Martín
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, Madrid, Spain
- * E-mail:
| | - Ernesto Raya García
- Laboratorio de Herpetología, Instituto de Investigaciones sobre los Recursos Naturales, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Morelia Michoacán, México
| | - Jesús Ortega
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Pilar López
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, Madrid, Spain
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31
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Cyriac VP, Kodandaramaiah U. Warning signals promote morphological diversification in fossorial uropeltid snakes (Squamata: Uropeltidae). Zool J Linn Soc 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlaa062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Many species possess warning colourations that signal unprofitability to predators. Warning colourations are also thought to provide prey with a ‘predator-free space’ and promote niche expansion. However, how such strategies release a species from environmental constraints and facilitate niche expansion is not clearly understood. Fossoriality in reptiles imposes several morphological limits on head and body size to facilitate burrowing underground, but many fossorial snakes live close to the surface and occasionally move above ground, exposing them to predators. In such cases, evolving antipredator defences that reduce predation on the surface could potentially relax the morphological constraints associated with fossoriality and promote morphological diversification. Fossorial uropeltid snakes possess varying degrees of conspicuous warning colourations that reduce avian predation when active above ground. We predicted that species with more conspicuous colourations will exhibit more robust body forms and show faster rates of morphological evolution because constraints imposed by fossoriality are relaxed. Using a comparative phylogenetic approach on the genus Uropeltis, we show that more conspicuous species tend to have more robust morphologies and have faster rates of head-shape evolution. Overall, we find that the evolution of warning colourations in Uropeltis can facilitate niche expansion by influencing rates of morphological diversification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vivek Philip Cyriac
- IISER-TVM Centre for Research and Education in Ecology and Evolution (ICREEE) and School of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Thiruvananthapuram, Maruthamala P.O., Vithura, Thiruvananthapuram, India
| | - Ullasa Kodandaramaiah
- IISER-TVM Centre for Research and Education in Ecology and Evolution (ICREEE) and School of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Thiruvananthapuram, Maruthamala P.O., Vithura, Thiruvananthapuram, India
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Abstract
Abstract
Trade-offs are thought to be important in constraining evolutionary divergence as they may limit phenotypic diversification. The cranial system plays a vital role in many functions including defensive, territorial, predatory and feeding behaviours in addition to housing the brain and sensory systems. Consequently, the morphology of the cranial system is affected by a combination of selective pressures that may induce functional trade-offs. Limbless, head-first burrowers are thought to be constrained in their cranial morphology as narrow heads may provide a functional advantage for burrowing. However, having a wide and large head is likely beneficial in terms of bite performance. We used 15 skink species to test for the existence of trade-offs between maximal push and bite forces, and explored the patterns of covariation between external head and body morphology and performance. Our data show that there is no evidence of a trade-off between bite and burrowing in terms of maximal force. Species that generate high push forces also generate high bite forces. Our data also show that overall head size covaries with both performance traits. However, future studies exploring trade-offs between force and speed or the energetic cost of burrowing may reveal other trade-offs.
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Moore Crisp A, Barnes CJ, Lee DV. Tunnel-tube and Fourier methods for measuring three-dimensional medium reaction force in burrowing animals. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019; 222:jeb.213553. [PMID: 31704897 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.213553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2019] [Accepted: 11/01/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Subterranean digging behaviors provide opportunities for protection, access to prey, and predator avoidance for a diverse array of vertebrates, yet studies of the biomechanics of burrowing have been limited by the technical challenges of measuring kinetics and kinematics of animals moving within a medium. We describe a new system for measuring 3D reaction forces during burrowing, called a 'tunnel-tube', which is composed of two, separately instrumented plastic tubes: an 'entry tube' with no medium, in series with a 'digging tube' filled with medium. Mean reaction forces are measured for a digging bout and Fourier analysis is used to quantify the amplitude of oscillatory digging force as a function of frequency. In sample data from pocket gophers digging in artificial and natural media, the mean ground reaction force is constant, whereas Fourier analysis resolves a reduced amplitude of oscillatory force in the artificial medium with lower compaction strength.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Clinton J Barnes
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Box 454004, Las Vegas, NV 89154, USA
| | - David V Lee
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Box 454004, Las Vegas, NV 89154, USA
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Comparative analysis of squamate brains unveils multi-level variation in cerebellar architecture associated with locomotor specialization. Nat Commun 2019; 10:5560. [PMID: 31804475 PMCID: PMC6895188 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-13405-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2019] [Accepted: 11/07/2019] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Ecomorphological studies evaluating the impact of environmental and biological factors on the brain have so far focused on morphology or size measurements, and the ecological relevance of potential multi-level variations in brain architecture remains unclear in vertebrates. Here, we exploit the extraordinary ecomorphological diversity of squamates to assess brain phenotypic diversification with respect to locomotor specialization, by integrating single-cell distribution and transcriptomic data along with geometric morphometric, phylogenetic, and volumetric analysis of high-definition 3D models. We reveal significant changes in cerebellar shape and size as well as alternative spatial layouts of cortical neurons and dynamic gene expression that all correlate with locomotor behaviours. These findings show that locomotor mode is a strong predictor of cerebellar structure and pattern, suggesting that major behavioural transitions in squamates are evolutionarily correlated with mosaic brain changes. Furthermore, our study amplifies the concept of ‘cerebrotype’, initially proposed for vertebrate brain proportions, towards additional shape characters. The cerebellum is critical in sensory-motor control and is structurally diverse across vertebrates. Here, the authors investigate the evolutionary relationship between locomotory mode and cerebellum architecture across squamates by integrating study of gene expression, cell distribution, and 3D morphology.
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Hohl LSL, Barros-Filho JD, Rocha-Barbosa O. Skull variation in a shovel-headed amphisbaenian genus, inferred from the geometric morphometric analysis of five South American Leposternon species. J Morphol 2019; 279:1665-1678. [PMID: 30461040 DOI: 10.1002/jmor.20899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2018] [Revised: 08/15/2018] [Accepted: 08/31/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Amphisabenia is a group of squamates adapted for a fossorial lifestyle. The skull is the animal's the main digging tool, and can present one of four principal shapes. The shovel-headed shape is considered to be the most specialized for digging. The South American genus Leposternon presents a shovel-headed morphotype, and is widely distributed on this continent. The general shovel-headed skull pattern may vary considerably, even within the same genus, and we hypothesized that this variation may be influenced primarily by body size and geographical factors. This study investigated the variation in skull size and shape among five Leposternon species, and examined the potential relationship between this variation and the size of the specimens and bioclimatic variables, through a geometric morphometric approach. Significant morphological variation was found among the species, and was also related systematically to body size and the geographical distribution of the specimens. As even subtle differences in the skull size or shape may represent significant modification in bite force and digging capacity and digging speed, the cranial variation found among the Leposternon species and specimens may have a direct influence on their diet and locomotor performance. Our results, together with direct observations of some of these species, suggest that shovel-headed amphisbaenians may be able to penetrate different soil types under a range of climatic conditions, especially considering the ample, but often sympatric distribution of the species studied here.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leandro S L Hohl
- Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Biologia Roberto Alcantara Gomes, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Laboratório de Zoologia de Vertebrados Tetrapoda-LAZOVERTE, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.,Departamento de Ecologia, Instituto de Biologia Roberto Alcantara Gomes, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia e Evolução, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.,Departamento de Ensino Médio e Técnico, Coordenação de Biologia, Centro Federal de Educação Tecnológica Celso Suckow da Fonseca-CEFET/RJ, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - José D Barros-Filho
- Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Biologia Roberto Alcantara Gomes, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Laboratório de Zoologia de Vertebrados Tetrapoda-LAZOVERTE, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Oscar Rocha-Barbosa
- Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Biologia Roberto Alcantara Gomes, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Laboratório de Zoologia de Vertebrados Tetrapoda-LAZOVERTE, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.,Departamento de Ecologia, Instituto de Biologia Roberto Alcantara Gomes, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia e Evolução, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
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36
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Čerňanský A. The first potential fossil record of a dibamid reptile (Squamata: Dibamidae): a new taxon from the early Oligocene of Central Mongolia. Zool J Linn Soc 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlz047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Dibamid reptiles have a known current distribution on two continents (Asia and North America). Although this clade represents an early-diverging group in the Squamata and thus should have a long evolutionary history, no fossil record of these peculiar burrowing squamate reptiles has been documented so far. The fossil material described here comes from the early Oligocene of the Valley of Lakes in Central Mongolia. This material consists of jaws and is placed in the clade Dibamidae on the basis of its morphology, which is further confirmed by phylogenetic analyses. In spite of the fragmentary nature of this material, it thus forms the first, but putative, fossil evidence of this clade. If correctly interpreted, this material demonstrates the occurrence of Dibamidae in East Asia in the Palaeogene, indicating its distribution in higher latitudes than today. The preserved elements possess a unique combination of character states, and a new taxon name is therefore erected: Hoeckosaurus mongoliensis sp. nov. The dentary of Hoeckosaurus exhibits some characters of the two extant dibamid taxa. However, the open Meckel’s groove, together with other characters, show that this group was morphologically much more diverse in the past.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrej Čerňanský
- Department of Ecology, Laboratory of Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University in Bratislava, Ilkovičova, Bratislava, Slovakia
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37
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Kazi S, Hipsley CA. Conserved evolution of skull shape in Caribbean head-first burrowing worm lizards (Squamata: Amphisbaenia). Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2018. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/bly086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Sakib Kazi
- University of Melbourne, School of BioSciences, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- Museums Victoria, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Christy A Hipsley
- University of Melbourne, School of BioSciences, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- Museums Victoria, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
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38
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Cyriac VP, Kodandaramaiah U. Digging their own macroevolutionary grave: fossoriality as an evolutionary dead end in snakes. J Evol Biol 2018; 31:587-598. [DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2017] [Accepted: 01/23/2018] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- V. P. Cyriac
- IISER-TVM Centre for Research and Education in Ecology and Evolution (ICREEE) and School of Biology; Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Thiruvananthapuram; Thiruvananthapuram India
| | - U. Kodandaramaiah
- IISER-TVM Centre for Research and Education in Ecology and Evolution (ICREEE) and School of Biology; Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Thiruvananthapuram; Thiruvananthapuram India
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Tingle JL, Gartner GEA, Jayne BC, Garland T. Ecological and phylogenetic variability in the spinalis muscle of snakes. J Evol Biol 2017; 30:2031-2043. [PMID: 28857331 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2017] [Revised: 08/03/2017] [Accepted: 08/18/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the origin and maintenance of functionally important subordinate traits is a major goal of evolutionary physiologists and ecomorphologists. Within the confines of a limbless body plan, snakes are diverse in terms of body size and ecology, but we know little about the functional traits that underlie this diversity. We used a phylogenetically diverse group of 131 snake species to examine associations between habitat use, sidewinding locomotion and constriction behaviour with the number of body vertebrae spanned by a single segment of the spinalis muscle, with total numbers of body vertebrae used as a covariate in statistical analyses. We compared models with combinations of these predictors to determine which best fit the data among all species and for the advanced snakes only (N = 114). We used both ordinary least-squares models and phylogenetic models in which the residuals were modelled as evolving by the Ornstein-Uhlenbeck process. Snakes with greater numbers of vertebrae tended to have spinalis muscles that spanned more vertebrae. Habitat effects dominated models for analyses of all species and advanced snakes only, with the spinalis length spanning more vertebrae in arboreal species and fewer vertebrae in aquatic and burrowing species. Sidewinding specialists had shorter muscle lengths than nonspecialists. The relationship between prey constriction and spinalis length was less clear. Differences among clades were also strong when considering all species, but not for advanced snakes alone. Overall, these results suggest that muscle morphology may have played a key role in the adaptive radiation of snakes.
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Affiliation(s)
- J L Tingle
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - G E A Gartner
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - B C Jayne
- Department of Biological Sciences, ML006, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - T Garland
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
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Deufel A. Burrowing with a kinetic snout in a snake (Elapidae: Aspidelaps scutatus). J Morphol 2017; 278:1706-1715. [PMID: 28914463 DOI: 10.1002/jmor.20743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2017] [Revised: 07/27/2017] [Accepted: 07/30/2017] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Of the few elongate, fossorial vertebrates that have been examined for their burrowing mechanics, all were found to use an akinetic, reinforced skull to push into the soil, powered mostly by trunk muscles. Reinforced skulls were considered essential for head-first burrowing. In contrast, I found that the skull of the fossorial shield-nosed cobra (Aspidelaps scutatus) is not reinforced and retains the kinetic potential typical of many non-fossorial snakes. Aspidelaps scutatus burrows using a greatly enlarged rostral scale that is attached to a kinetic snout that is independently mobile with respect to the rest of the skull. Two mechanisms of burrowing are used: (1) anteriorly directed head thrusts from a loosely bent body that is anchored against the walls of the tunnel by friction, and (2) side-to-side shovelling using the head and rostral scale. The premaxilla, to which the rostral scale is attached, lacks any direct muscle attachments. Rostral scale movements are powered by, first, retractions of the palato-pterygoid bar, mediated by a ligament that connects the anterior end of the palatine to the transverse process of the premaxilla and, second, by contraction of a previously undescribed muscle slip of the m. retractor pterygoidei that inserts on the skin at the edge of the rostral scale. In derived snakes, palatomaxillary movements are highly conserved and power prey capture and transport behaviors. Aspidelaps scutatus has co-opted those mechanisms for the unrelated function of burrowing without compromising the original feeding functions, showing the potential for evolution of functional innovations in highly conserved systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Deufel
- Department of Biology, Minot State University, 500 University Avenue W, Minot, North Dakota, 58707
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Dos Santos Lima Hohl L, Loguercio MFDC, Sicuro FL, Duarte de Barros-Filho J, Rocha-Barbosa O. Body and skull morphometric variations between two shovel-headed species of Amphisbaenia (Reptilia: Squamata) with morphofunctional inferences on burrowing. PeerJ 2017; 5:e3581. [PMID: 30057857 PMCID: PMC6062821 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.3581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2017] [Accepted: 06/24/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Morphological descriptions comparing Leposternon microcephalum and L. scutigerum have been made previously. However, these taxa lack a formal quantitative morphological characterization, and comparative studies suggest that morphology and burrowing performance are be related. The excavatory movements of L. microcephalum have been described in detail. However, there is a lack of studies comparing locomotor patterns and/or performance among different amphisbaenids sharing the same skull shape. This paper presents the first study of comparative morphometric variations between two closely related amphisbaenid species, L. microcephalum and L. scutigerum, with functional inferences on fossorial locomotion efficiency. Methods Inter-specific morphometric variations were verified through statistical analyses of body and cranial measures of L. microcephalum and L. scutigerum specimens. Their burrowing activity was assessed through X-ray videofluoroscopy and then compared. The influence of morphological variation on the speed of digging was tested among Leposternon individuals. Results Leposternon microcephalum and L. scutigerum are morphometrically distinct species. The first is shorter and robust with a wider head while the other is more elongated and slim with a narrower head. They share the same excavatory movements. The animals analyzed reached relatively high speeds, but individuals with narrower skulls dug faster. A negative correlation between the speed and the width of skull was determined, but not with total length or diameter of the body. Discussion The morphometric differences between L. microcephalum and L. scutigerum are in accord with morphological variations previously described. Since these species performed the same excavation pattern, we may infer that closely related amphisbaenids with the same skull type would exhibit the same excavatory pattern. The negative correlation between head width and excavation speed is also observed in others fossorial squamates. The robustness of the skull is also related to compression force in L. microcephalum. Individuals with wider heads are stronger. Thus, we suggest trade-offs between excavation speed and compression force during burrowing in this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leandro Dos Santos Lima Hohl
- Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Biologia Roberto Alcantara Gomes, Laboratório de Zoologia de Vertebrados Tetrapoda-LAZOVERTE, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.,Instituto de Biologia Roberto Alcantara Gomes, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia e Evolução, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.,Coordenação de Biologia, Centro Federal de Educação Tecnológica Celso Suckow da Fonseca-CEFET/RJ - Unidade Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Mariana Fiuza de Castro Loguercio
- Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Biologia Roberto Alcantara Gomes, Laboratório de Zoologia de Vertebrados Tetrapoda-LAZOVERTE, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Fernando Lencastre Sicuro
- Departamento de Ciências Fisiológicas, Instituto de Biologia Roberto Alcantara Gomes, BIOVASC, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - José Duarte de Barros-Filho
- Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Biologia Roberto Alcantara Gomes, Laboratório de Zoologia de Vertebrados Tetrapoda-LAZOVERTE, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Oscar Rocha-Barbosa
- Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Biologia Roberto Alcantara Gomes, Laboratório de Zoologia de Vertebrados Tetrapoda-LAZOVERTE, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.,Instituto de Biologia Roberto Alcantara Gomes, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia e Evolução, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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Baeckens S, García-Roa R, Martín J, Ortega J, Huyghe K, Van Damme R. Fossorial and durophagous: implications of molluscivory for head size and bite capacity in a burrowing worm lizard. J Zool (1987) 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- S. Baeckens
- Laboratory of Functional Morphology; Department of Biology; University of Antwerp, Wilrijk Belgium
| | - R. García-Roa
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva; Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, C.S.I.C.; Madrid Spain
| | - J. Martín
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva; Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, C.S.I.C.; Madrid Spain
| | - J. Ortega
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva; Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, C.S.I.C.; Madrid Spain
| | - K. Huyghe
- Laboratory of Functional Morphology; Department of Biology; University of Antwerp, Wilrijk Belgium
| | - R. Van Damme
- Laboratory of Functional Morphology; Department of Biology; University of Antwerp, Wilrijk Belgium
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Khalid Al-Sadoon M, Ahmad Paray B, Rudayni HA. Diet of the Worm Lizard, Diplometopon zarudnyi (Nikolsky, 1907), in Riyadh province, Saudi Arabia (Reptilia: Trogonophidae). ZOOLOGY IN THE MIDDLE EAST 2016. [DOI: 10.1080/09397140.2016.1226243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Bilal Ahmad Paray
- Zoology Department, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Hassan A. Rudayni
- Zoology Department, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
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Pardo JD, Anderson JS. Cranial Morphology of the Carboniferous-Permian Tetrapod Brachydectes newberryi (Lepospondyli, Lysorophia): New Data from µCT. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0161823. [PMID: 27563722 PMCID: PMC5001628 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0161823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2016] [Accepted: 08/14/2016] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Lysorophians are a group of early tetrapods with extremely elongate trunks, reduced limbs, and highly reduced skulls. Since the first discovery of this group, general similarities in outward appearance between lysorophians and some modern lissamphibian orders (specifically Urodela and Gymnophiona) have been recognized, and sometimes been the basis for hypotheses of lissamphibian origins. We studied the morphology of the skull, with particular emphasis on the neurocranium, of a partial growth series of the lysorophian Brachydectes newberryi using x-ray micro-computed tomography (μCT). Our study reveals similarities between the braincase of Brachydectes and brachystelechid recumbirostrans, corroborating prior work suggesting a close relationship between these taxa. We also describe the morphology of the epipterygoid, stapes, and quadrate in this taxon for the first time. Contra the proposals of some workers, we find no evidence of expected lissamphibian synapomorphies in the skull morphology in Brachydectes newberryi, and instead recognize a number of derived amniote characteristics within the braincase and suspensorium. Morphology previously considered indicative of taxonomic diversity within Lysorophia may reflect ontogenetic rather than taxonomic variation. The highly divergent morphology of lysorophians represents a refinement of morphological and functional trends within recumbirostrans, and is analogous to morphology observed in many modern fossorial reptiles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason D. Pardo
- Department of Comparative Biology and Experimental Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- * E-mail:
| | - Jason S. Anderson
- Department of Comparative Biology and Experimental Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
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45
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Hipsley CA, Rentinck MN, Rödel MO, Müller J. Ontogenetic allometry constrains cranial shape of the head-first burrowing worm lizardCynisca leucura(Squamata: Amphisbaenidae). J Morphol 2016; 277:1159-67. [DOI: 10.1002/jmor.20564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2016] [Revised: 03/24/2016] [Accepted: 05/03/2016] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Christy A. Hipsley
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne; Parkville Victoria Australia
- Museum Victoria; Melbourne Victoria Australia
- Museum Für Naturkunde; Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science; Berlin Germany
| | - Marc-Nicolas Rentinck
- Museum Für Naturkunde; Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science; Berlin Germany
| | - Mark-Oliver Rödel
- Museum Für Naturkunde; Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science; Berlin Germany
| | - Johannes Müller
- Museum Für Naturkunde; Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science; Berlin Germany
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46
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Maschio GF, Santos-Costa MC, Prudente AL. Road-Kills of Snakes in a Tropical Rainforest in the Central Amazon Basin, Brazil. SOUTH AMERICAN JOURNAL OF HERPETOLOGY 2016. [DOI: 10.2994/sajh-d-15-00026.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
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Fabre AC, Bickford D, Segall M, Herrel A. The impact of diet, habitat use, and behaviour on head shape evolution in homalopsid snakes. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/bij.12753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Anne-Claire Fabre
- Evolutionary Anthropology; Duke University; Durham NC 27708-0383 USA
| | - David Bickford
- Department of Biological Sciences; Faculty of Science; National University of Singapore; 14 Science Drive 4 Block S3 Singapore 117543 Singapore
| | - Marion Segall
- UMR7179 CNRS/MNHN; “Mécanismes adaptatifs: des organismes aux communautés»; 55 Rue Buffon 75005 Paris France
- Université Paris Descartes; Paris France
| | - Anthony Herrel
- UMR7179 CNRS/MNHN; “Mécanismes adaptatifs: des organismes aux communautés»; 55 Rue Buffon 75005 Paris France
- Evolutionary Morphology of Vertebrates; Ghent University; K.L. Ledeganckstraat 35 B-9000 Ghent Belgium
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48
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VanBuren CS, Evans DC. Evolution and function of anterior cervical vertebral fusion in tetrapods. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2016; 92:608-626. [DOI: 10.1111/brv.12245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2015] [Revised: 11/07/2015] [Accepted: 11/11/2015] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Collin S. VanBuren
- Department of Earth Sciences; University of Cambridge; Downing Street CB2 3EQ Cambridge U.K
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; University of Toronto; 25 Willcocks St. Toronto M5S 3B2 Ontario Canada
| | - David C. Evans
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; University of Toronto; 25 Willcocks St. Toronto M5S 3B2 Ontario Canada
- Department of Natural History; Royal Ontario Museum; 100 Queens Park Rd Toronto M5S 2C6 Ontario Canada
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49
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Pardo JD, Szostakiwskyj M, Anderson JS. Cranial Morphology of the Brachystelechid 'Microsaur' Quasicaecilia texana Carroll Provides New Insights into the Diversity and Evolution of Braincase Morphology in Recumbirostran 'Microsaurs'. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0130359. [PMID: 26107260 PMCID: PMC4479878 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0130359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2015] [Accepted: 05/18/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Recumbirostran ‘microsaurs,’ a group of early tetrapods from the Late Carboniferous and Early Permian, are the earliest known example of adaptation to head-first burrowing in the tetrapod fossil record. However, understanding of the diversity of fossorial adaptation within the Recumbirostra has been hindered by poor anatomical knowledge of the more divergent forms within the group. Here we report the results of μCT study of Quasicaecilia texana, a poorly-known recumbirostran with a unique, broad, shovel-like snout. The organization of the skull roof and braincase of Quasicaecilia is found to be more in line with that of other recumbirostrans than previously described, despite differences in overall shape. The braincase is found to be broadly comparable to Carrolla craddocki, with a large presphenoid that encompasses much of the interorbital septum and the columella ethmoidalis, and a single compound ossification encompassing the sphenoid, otic, and occipital regions. The recumbirostran braincase conserves general structure and topology of braincase regions and cranial nerve foramina, but it is highly variable in the number of ossifications and their extent, likely associated with the reliance on braincase ossifications to resist compression during sediment compaction and mechanical manipulation by epaxial and hypaxial musculature. Expansion of the deep ventral neck musculature in Quasicaecilia, autapomorphic among recumbirostrans, may reflect unique biomechanical function, and underscores the importance of future attention to the role of the cervical musculature in contextualizing the origin and evolution of fossoriality in recumbirostrans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason D. Pardo
- Department of Comparative Biology and Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- * E-mail:
| | - Matt Szostakiwskyj
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Jason S. Anderson
- Department of Comparative Biology and Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
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Li C, Pullin AO, Haldane DW, Lam HK, Fearing RS, Full RJ. Terradynamically streamlined shapes in animals and robots enhance traversability through densely cluttered terrain. BIOINSPIRATION & BIOMIMETICS 2015; 10:046003. [PMID: 26098002 DOI: 10.1088/1748-3190/10/4/046003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Many animals, modern aircraft, and underwater vehicles use fusiform, streamlined body shapes that reduce fluid dynamic drag to achieve fast and effective locomotion in air and water. Similarly, numerous small terrestrial animals move through cluttered terrain where three-dimensional, multi-component obstacles like grass, shrubs, vines, and leaf litter also resist motion, but it is unknown whether their body shape plays a major role in traversal. Few ground vehicles or terrestrial robots have used body shape to more effectively traverse environments such as cluttered terrain. Here, we challenged forest-floor-dwelling discoid cockroaches (Blaberus discoidalis) possessing a thin, rounded body to traverse tall, narrowly spaced, vertical, grass-like compliant beams. Animals displayed high traversal performance (79 ± 12% probability and 3.4 ± 0.7 s time). Although we observed diverse obstacle traversal strategies, cockroaches primarily (48 ± 9% probability) used a novel roll maneuver, a form of natural parkour, allowing them to rapidly traverse obstacle gaps narrower than half their body width (2.0 ± 0.5 s traversal time). Reduction of body roundness by addition of artificial shells nearly inhibited roll maneuvers and decreased traversal performance. Inspired by this discovery, we added a thin, rounded exoskeletal shell to a legged robot with a nearly cuboidal body, common to many existing terrestrial robots. Without adding sensory feedback or changing the open-loop control, the rounded shell enabled the robot to traverse beam obstacles with gaps narrower than shell width via body roll. Such terradynamically 'streamlined' shapes can reduce terrain resistance and enhance traversability by assisting effective body reorientation via distributed mechanical feedback. Our findings highlight the need to consider body shape to improve robot mobility in real-world terrain often filled with clutter, and to develop better locomotor-ground contact models to understand interaction with 3D, multi-component terrain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Li
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley 5130 Valley Life Sciences Building, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720-3140, USA. Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences, University of California, Berkeley 317 Cory Hall, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720-1770, USA
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