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Zhang Y, Ni X, Li Q, Stidham T, Lu D, Gao F, Zhang C, Harrison T. Lufengpithecus inner ear provides evidence of a common locomotor repertoire ancestral to human bipedalism. Innovation (N Y) 2024; 5:100580. [PMID: 38476202 PMCID: PMC10928440 DOI: 10.1016/j.xinn.2024.100580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/13/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Various lines of evidence have been used to infer the origin of human bipedalism, but the paucity of hominoid postcranial fossils and the diversity of inferred locomotor modes have tended to confound the reconstruction of ancestral morphotypes. Examination of the bony labyrinth morphology of the inner ear of extinct and living hominoids provides independent evidence for inferring the evolution of hominoid locomotor patterns. New computed tomography data and morphometric analyses of the Late Miocene ape Lufengpithecus indicate that it and other stem great apes possess labyrinths similar to one another and show that hominoids initially evolved from a positional repertoire that included orthogrady, below-branch forelimb suspension and progression, above-branch bipedalism, climbing, clambering, and leaping (hylobatid-like) to one that comprised above-branch quadrupedalism, below-branch forelimb suspension, vertical climbing, limited leaping, terrestrial quadrupedal running and walking, possibly with knuckle walking, and short bouts of bipedalism (chimpanzee-like). The bony labyrinth morphology of Lufengpithecus indicates that it probably conforms more closely to the last common ancestors of crown hominoids and hominids in its locomotor behavior than do other Miocene hominoids. Human bipedalism evolved from this common archetypal Lufengpithecus-like locomotor repertoire. The low evolutionary rate of semicircular canal morphology suggests that Lufengpithecus experienced a relative stasis in locomotor behavior, probably due to the uplift of the Tibetan Plateau, which created a stable environment in the Miocene of southwestern China.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yinan Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100044, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xijun Ni
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100044, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Qiang Li
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100044, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Thomas Stidham
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100044, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Dan Lu
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100044, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Feng Gao
- Yunnan Institute of Cultural Relics and Archeology, Kunming 650118, China
| | - Chi Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100044, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Terry Harrison
- Center for the Study of Human Origins, Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
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Taylor PJ, Nengovhela A, Denys C, Scott GR, Ivy CM. Adaptation in brain structure and respiratory and olfactory structures across environmental gradients in African and North American muroid rodents. Integr Zool 2024; 19:165-181. [PMID: 38044327 DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12788] [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: 12/05/2023]
Abstract
Morphometric studies of 3D micro CT-scanned images can provide insights into the evolution of the brain and sensory structures but such data are still scarce for the most diverse mammalian order of rodents. From reviewed and new data, we tested for convergence to extreme aridity and high elevation in the sensory and brain morphology of rodents, from morphometric data from micro-CT X-ray scans of 174 crania of 16 species of three distantly related African murid (soft-furred mice, Praomyini, laminate-toothed rats, Otomyini, and gerbils, Gerbillinae) clades and one North American cricetid (deer mice and white-footed mice, Peromyscus) clade. Recent studies demonstrated convergent evolution acting on the oval window area of the cochlea (enlarged in extremely arid-adapted species of Otomyini and Gerbillinae) and on endocranial volume (reduced in high elevation taxa of Otomyini and Peromyscus). However, contrary to our predictions, we did not find evidence of convergence in brain structure to aridity, or in the olfactory/respiratory system (turbinate bones) to high elevation. Brain structure differed, particularly in the petrosal lobules of the cerebellum and the olfactory bulbs, between Otomyini and Gerbillinae, with extreme arid-adapted species in each clade being highly divergent (not convergent) from other species in the same clade. We observed greater "packing" of the maxillary turbinate bones, which have important respiratory functions, in Peromyscus mice from high and low elevations compared to the high-elevation African Praomyini, but more complex patterns within Peromyscus, probably related to trade-offs in respiratory physiology and heat exchange in the nasal epithelium associated with high-elevation adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter J Taylor
- Department of Zoology, School of Natural and Mathematical Sciences, University of Venda, Thohoyandou, South Africa
- Afromontane Unit, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of the Free State, Phuthaditjhaba, South Africa
| | | | - Christiane Denys
- Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, EPHE, Université Des Antilles, Paris, France
| | - Graham R Scott
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Catherine M Ivy
- Guglielmo and Shoemaker Labs, Advanced Facility for Avian Research, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
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Smith CM, Curthoys IS, Laitman JT. First evidence of the link between internal and external structure of the human inner ear otolith system using 3D morphometric modeling. Sci Rep 2023; 13:4840. [PMID: 36964237 PMCID: PMC10039035 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-31235-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 03/08/2023] [Indexed: 03/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Our sense of balance is among the most central of our sensory systems, particularly in the evolution of human positional behavior. The peripheral vestibular system (PVS) comprises the organs responsible for this sense; the semicircular canals (detecting angular acceleration) and otolith organs (utricle and saccule; detecting linear acceleration, vibration, and head tilt). Reconstructing vestibular evolution in the human lineage, however, is problematic. In contrast to considerable study of the canals, relationships between external bone and internal membranous otolith organs (otolith system) remain largely unexplored. This limits our understanding of vestibular functional morphology. This study combines spherical harmonic modeling and landmark-based shape analyses to model the configuration of the human otolith system. Our approach serves two aims: (1) test the hypothesis that bony form covaries with internal membranous anatomy; and (2) create a 3D morphometric model visualizing bony and membranous structure. Results demonstrate significant associations between bony and membranous tissues of the otolith system. These data provide the first evidence that external structure of the human otolith system is directly related to internal anatomy, suggesting a basic biological relationship. Our results visualize this structural relationship, offering new avenues into vestibular biomechanical modeling and assessing the evolution of the human balance system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher M Smith
- Department of Anthropology, The Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York, NY, 10016, USA.
- Center for Anatomy and Functional Morphology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA.
- New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, NY, 10016, USA.
| | - Ian S Curthoys
- Vestibular Research Laboratory, School of Psychology, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
| | - Jeffrey T Laitman
- Department of Anthropology, The Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York, NY, 10016, USA
- Center for Anatomy and Functional Morphology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, NY, 10016, USA
- Department of Otolaryngology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
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Velez AD, Quam R, Conde-Valverde M, Martínez I, Lorenzo C, Arsuaga JL. Geometric morphometric analysis of the bony labyrinth of the Sima de los Huesos hominins. J Hum Evol 2023; 174:103280. [PMID: 36455404 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2022.103280] [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: 10/03/2021] [Revised: 10/05/2022] [Accepted: 10/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The bony labyrinth contains phylogenetic information that can be used to determine interspecific differences between fossil hominins. The present study conducted a comparative 3D geometric morphometric analysis on the bony labyrinth of the Middle Pleistocene Sima de los Huesos (SH) hominins. The findings of this study corroborate previous multivariate analyses of the SH hominin bony labyrinth. The analysis of the semicircular canals revealed the SH hominin canal morphologies appear closer to those of the Neandertals than to those of Homo sapiens. This is attributable to a Neandertal-like ovoid anterior canal, and mediolaterally expanded, circular posterior canal. However, the SH hominins lack the increased torsion in the anterior canal and the inferior orientation of the lateral canal seen in Neandertals. The results of the cochlear analysis indicated that, although there is some overlap, there are notable differences between the SH hominins and the Neandertals. In particular, the SH hominin cochlea appears more constricted than in Neandertals in the first and second turns. A principal component analysis of the full bony labyrinth separated most SH hominins from the Neandertals, which largely clustered with modern humans. A covariance ratio analysis found a significant degree of modularity within the bony labyrinth of all three groups, with the SH hominins and Neandertals displaying the highest modularity. This modular signal in the bony labyrinth may be attributable to different selective pressures related to locomotion and audition. Overall, the results of this study confirm previous suggestions that the semicircular canals in the SH hominins are somewhat derived toward Neandertals, while their cochlea is largely primitive within the genus Homo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex D Velez
- Department of Anthropology, State University of New York at Oswego, Oswego, NY 13126, USA; Department of Anthropology, Binghamton University (SUNY), Binghamton, NY 13902-6000, USA.
| | - Rolf Quam
- Department of Anthropology, Binghamton University (SUNY), Binghamton, NY 13902-6000, USA; Centro Mixto (UCM-ISCIII) de Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Avda. Monforte de Lemos 5, 28029 Madrid, Spain; Universidad de Alcalá, Cátedra de Otoacústica Evolutiva y Paleoantropología (HM Hospitales-Universidad de Alcalá), Departamento de Ciencias de la Vida, Campus Universitario, Ctra. Madrid-Barcelona Km 33,600, 28871 Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain; Division of Anthropology, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West, 79th St., New York, NY 10024, USA
| | - Mercedes Conde-Valverde
- Universidad de Alcalá, Cátedra de Otoacústica Evolutiva y Paleoantropología (HM Hospitales-Universidad de Alcalá), Departamento de Ciencias de la Vida, Campus Universitario, Ctra. Madrid-Barcelona Km 33,600, 28871 Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain; Centro de Investigación Francisco Javier Muñiz, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Calle Paraguay 2155, Primer piso, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, 1121, Argentina; Department of Anthropology, Binghamton University (SUNY), Binghamton, NY 13902-6000, USA
| | - Ignacio Martínez
- Centro Mixto (UCM-ISCIII) de Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Avda. Monforte de Lemos 5, 28029 Madrid, Spain; Universidad de Alcalá, Cátedra de Otoacústica Evolutiva y Paleoantropología (HM Hospitales-Universidad de Alcalá), Departamento de Ciencias de la Vida, Campus Universitario, Ctra. Madrid-Barcelona Km 33,600, 28871 Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain; Centro de Investigación Francisco Javier Muñiz, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Calle Paraguay 2155, Primer piso, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, 1121, Argentina
| | - Carlos Lorenzo
- Centro de Investigación Francisco Javier Muñiz, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Calle Paraguay 2155, Primer piso, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, 1121, Argentina; Àrea de Prehistòria, Departament d'Història i Història de l'Art, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Av. Catalunya 35, 43002 Tarragona, Spain; Institut Català de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social, Campus Sescelades URV, Zona Educacional 4, 43007 Tarragona, Spain
| | - Juan Luis Arsuaga
- Centro Mixto (UCM-ISCIII) de Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Avda. Monforte de Lemos 5, 28029 Madrid, Spain; Departamento de Geodinámica, Estratigrafía y Paleontología, Facultad de Ciencias Geológicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
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Shofner WP. Cochlear tuning and the peripheral representation of harmonic sounds in mammals. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2023; 209:145-161. [PMID: 35867137 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-022-01560-3] [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: 02/16/2022] [Revised: 06/24/2022] [Accepted: 07/01/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Albert Feng was a prominent comparative neurophysiologist whose research provided numerous contributions towards understanding how the spectral and temporal characteristics of vocalizations underlie sound communication in frogs and bats. The present study is dedicated to Al's memory and compares the spectral and temporal representations of stochastic, complex sounds which underlie the perception of pitch strength in humans and chinchillas. Specifically, the pitch strengths of these stochastic sounds differ between humans and chinchillas, suggesting that humans and chinchillas may be using different cues. Outputs of auditory filterbank models based on human and chinchilla cochlear tuning were examined. Excitation patterns of harmonics are enhanced in humans as compared with chinchillas. In contrast, summary correlograms are degraded in humans as compared with chinchillas. Comparing summary correlograms and excitation patterns with corresponding behavioral data on pitch strength suggests that the dominant cue for pitch strength in humans is spectral (i.e., harmonic) structure, whereas the dominant cue for chinchillas is temporal (i.e., envelope) structure. The results support arguments that the broader cochlear tuning in non-human mammals emphasizes temporal cues for pitch perception, whereas the sharper cochlear tuning in humans emphasizes spectral cues.
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Affiliation(s)
- William P Shofner
- Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences, Indiana University, 2631 East Discovery Parkway, Bloomington, IN, 47408, USA.
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6
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A scalable Matérn Gaussian process for learning spatial curves distributions. Inf Sci (N Y) 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ins.2022.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
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7
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New fossils from Kromdraai and Drimolen, South Africa, and their distinctiveness among Paranthropus robustus. Sci Rep 2022; 12:13956. [PMID: 35977986 PMCID: PMC9385619 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-18223-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Most fossil hominin species are sampled with spatial, temporal or anatomical biases that can hinder assessments of their paleodiversity, and may not yield genuine evolutionary signals. We use new fossils from the Kromdraai (Unit P) and Drimolen sites (South Africa) to provide insights into the paleodiversity of the Lower Pleistocene robust australopith, Paranthropus robustus. Our focus is the morphology of the temporal bone and the relationships between size and shape (allometry) of the semi-circular canals (SCC), an aspect that has not yet been investigated among southern African australopiths. We find significant size and shape SCC differences between P. robustus from Kromdraai, Drimolen and Swartkrans. This site-related variation is consistent with other differences observed on the temporal bone. P. robustus from Kromdraai Unit P is distinctive because of its smaller temporal bone and SCC, and its proportionally less developed posterior SCC, independently of age and sex. We emphasize the importance of allometry to interpret paleodiversity in P. robustus as either the consequence of differences in body size, or as yet unknown factors. Some features of the inner ear of P. robustus represent directional selection soon after its origin, whereas the size and shape variations described here may result from evolutionary changes.
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8
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Boucherie A, Polet C, Salesse K, Lefèvre P, Vercauteren M. The burning maze: The potential value of the human bony labyrinth in estimating sex of calcined remains. J Forensic Sci 2022; 67:1948-1961. [PMID: 35880730 DOI: 10.1111/1556-4029.15103] [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: 07/02/2022] [Accepted: 07/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Estimating sex from burnt human remains is a challenging task in bioanthropology, mainly due to their high level of alteration and fragmentation. Protected within the petrous part of the temporal bone, the bony labyrinth may be particularly valuable for assessing the sex of burnt remains. This prospective study aims at testing predictive models, already found reliable on unburnt bony labyrinths, to burnt specimens. Six discriminant functions were applied on six bony labyrinths of donated adult cadavers of known sex, before and after outdoor burning experiments. Comparisons between unburnt and burnt measurements were executed using Mann-Whitney U tests while shape and size differences induced by fire exposure were examined through a geometric morphometrics (GM) analysis. Predicted sex on unburnt bony labyrinths was consistent with known sex in five cases while a systematic misclassification for males was highlighted on burnt specimens. Higher values of shrinkage were found in males for two measurements included in the equations. GM analysis revealed significant differences in centroid size among males after calcination. Visualization of mean consensus of both female and male bony labyrinths evidenced a reduction in cochlear size and variations in the width and length of semicircular canals of burnt specimens. This exploratory study seems to confirm that designing sex estimation standards specifically for burnt bony labyrinth may be advisable. Understanding how the burning process could impact its morphology is highly recommended through further experiments on larger samples and in controlled environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Boucherie
- CReA-Patrimoine, Faculty of Philosophy and Social Sciences, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium.,Anthropological and Human Genetics Laboratory, Faculty of Sciences, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Caroline Polet
- Operational Direction Earth and History of Life, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (RBINS), Brussels, Belgium.,Biological Anthropology Unit (UAB), Université Libre de Bruxelles/Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Kevin Salesse
- Department of Anthropology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Philippe Lefèvre
- Laboratory of Anatomy, Biomechanics and Organogenesis (LABO), Forensic Anthropology Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Martine Vercauteren
- Anthropological and Human Genetics Laboratory, Faculty of Sciences, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium.,Biological Anthropology Unit (UAB), Université Libre de Bruxelles/Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Brussels, Belgium
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9
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Fradi A, Samir C. Bayesian cluster analysis for registration and clustering homogeneous subgroups in multidimensional functional data. COMMUN STAT-THEOR M 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/03610926.2020.1772979] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Anis Fradi
- CNRS-LIMOS (UMR 6158), UCA, Clermont-Ferrand, France
- Faculty of Sciences of Monastir, Monastir, Tunisia
| | - Chafik Samir
- CNRS-LIMOS (UMR 6158), UCA, Clermont-Ferrand, France
- Institut de Mathématiques de Toulouse, Toulouse, France
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Zedda M, Brunetti A, Palombo MR. First Attempt to Infer Sound Hearing and Its Paleoenvironmental Implications in the Extinct Insular Canid Cynotherium sardous Studiati, 1857 (Sardinia, Italy). Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12070833. [PMID: 35405823 PMCID: PMC8996844 DOI: 10.3390/ani12070833] [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: 01/20/2022] [Revised: 03/10/2022] [Accepted: 03/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary The microtomographic approach allows nondestructive acquisition of anatomical details of the bone labyrinth that houses the inner ear. The petrosal bone can be a gold mine of information for a variety of questions in different research fields, including taxonomic, behavioral, and genetic studies. The semicircular canals provide information on head posture and locomotor ability, whereas the cochlea provides data on hearing ability. The petrosal bone is the hardest structure in the skeleton and could be well preserved in fossil specimens. As a result, it is becoming more and more popular in current archaeological and paleontological studies. In this study, petrosal microtomographic analysis was applied for the first time to Cynotherium sardous, a highly modified endemic canid that inhabited Sardinia during the Middle to Late Pleistocene. Indications about its hearing ability may provide interesting insights to better understand the new lifestyle and behavior this canid acquired during the long evolutionary process it underwent in the peculiar insular ecosystem with a depleted fauna. The poor hearing and echolocalization capabilities of Cynotherium sardous would have been the outcome of reduced competition pressure due to the absence of predators and the abundance of prey, such as the large ochotonid Prolagus sardus, while the high-frequency hearing could be interpreted as an adaptation to detect sounds emitted by its preferred prey. Abstract This is the first study on the bony labyrinth of Cynotherium sardous, an intriguing extinct canid that inhabited Sardinia in the late Middle and Late Pleistocene. The morphological features of the cochlea indicate that C. sardous had a lower number of cochlear turns (2.25) than all extant canids. This feature, as well as the reduced length of the spiral canal, the cochlear curvature rate, and the narrow basal membrane, indicates that C. sardous had poor hearing abilities limited to high-frequency sounds with a low limit of 250 Hz and poor echolocalization skills. From the data available, it is not possible to infer whether C. sardous was unable to echolocalize its prey and relied on other senses (e.g., smell and sight) to locate them or whether the acoustic range of C. sardous was specialized for identifying the sounds produced by its most common prey to transmit signals for predator warnings or group communication. All things considered, the results obtained confirm the utility of cochlea morphological studies in reconstructing the hearing abilities of this species and in providing some suggestions about its ethology, but they fall short of providing any new sound evidence regarding the ecological role of C. sardous in the Late Pleistocene Sardinian ecosystem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Zedda
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-079-229-583
| | - Antonio Brunetti
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy;
| | - Maria Rita Palombo
- CNR-IGAG c/o Department of Earth Sciences, Sapienza University, 00185 Rome, Italy;
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11
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Urciuoli A, Kubat J, Schisanowski L, Schrenk F, Zipfel B, Tawane M, Bam L, Alba DM, Kullmer O. Cochlear morphology of Indonesian Homo erectus from Sangiran. J Hum Evol 2022; 165:103163. [PMID: 35299091 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2022.103163] [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: 08/30/2021] [Revised: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Homo erectus s.l. is key for deciphering the origin and subsequent evolution of genus Homo. However, the characterization of this species is hindered by the existence of multiple variants in both mainland and insular Asia, as a result of divergent chronogeographical evolutionary trends, genetic isolation, and interbreeding with other human species. Previous research has shown that cochlear morphology embeds taxonomic and phylogenetic information that may help infer the phylogenetic relationships among hominin species. Here we describe the cochlear morphology of two Indonesian H. erectus individuals (Sangiran 2 and 4), and compare it with a sample of australopiths, Middle to Late Pleistocene humans, and extant humans by means of linear measurements and both principal components and canonical variates analyses performed on shape ratios. Our results indicate that H. erectus displays a mosaic morphology that combines plesiomorphic (australopithlike) features (such as a chimplike round cochlear cross section and low cochlear thickness), with derived characters of later humans (a voluminous and long cochlea, possibly related to hearing abilities)-consistent with the more basal position of H. erectus. Our results also denote substantial variation between the two studied individuals, particularly in the length and radius of the first turn, as well as cross-sectional shape. Given the small size of the available sample, it is not possible to discern whether such differences merely reflect intraspecific variation among roughly coeval H. erectus individuals or whether they might result from greater age differences between them than currently considered. However, our results demonstrate that most characters found in later humans were already present in Indonesian H. erectus, with the exception of Neanderthals, which display an autapomorphic condition relative to other Homo species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Urciuoli
- Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Edifici ICTA-ICP, c/Columnes s/n, Campus de la UAB, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, 08193, Spain.
| | - Jülide Kubat
- CNRS UMR 8045 Babel, Université de Paris, Faculté de chirurgie dentaire, 1 rue Maurice Arnoux, Montrouge, 92120, France; Division of Palaeoanthropology, Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Lisa Schisanowski
- Division of Palaeoanthropology, Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Friedemann Schrenk
- Division of Palaeoanthropology, Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany; Department of Paleobiology and Environment, Institute of Ecology, Evolution, and Diversity, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Bernhard Zipfel
- Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Mirriam Tawane
- Ditsong National Museum of Natural History, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Lunga Bam
- Department of Radiation Science, South African Nuclear Energy Corporation (Necsa), Pretoria 0001, South Africa
| | - David M Alba
- Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Edifici ICTA-ICP, c/Columnes s/n, Campus de la UAB, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, 08193, Spain
| | - Ottmar Kullmer
- Division of Palaeoanthropology, Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany; Department of Paleobiology and Environment, Institute of Ecology, Evolution, and Diversity, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
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12
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Trigila AP, Pisciottano F, Franchini LF. Hearing loss genes reveal patterns of adaptive evolution at the coding and non-coding levels in mammals. BMC Biol 2021; 19:244. [PMID: 34784928 PMCID: PMC8594068 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-021-01170-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2020] [Accepted: 10/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Mammals possess unique hearing capacities that differ significantly from those of the rest of the amniotes. In order to gain insights into the evolution of the mammalian inner ear, we aim to identify the set of genetic changes and the evolutionary forces that underlie this process. We hypothesize that genes that impair hearing when mutated in humans or in mice (hearing loss (HL) genes) must play important roles in the development and physiology of the inner ear and may have been targets of selective forces across the evolution of mammals. Additionally, we investigated if these HL genes underwent a human-specific evolutionary process that could underlie the evolution of phenotypic traits that characterize human hearing. Results We compiled a dataset of HL genes including non-syndromic deafness genes identified by genetic screenings in humans and mice. We found that many genes including those required for the normal function of the inner ear such as LOXHD1, TMC1, OTOF, CDH23, and PCDH15 show strong signatures of positive selection. We also found numerous noncoding accelerated regions in HL genes, and among them, we identified active transcriptional enhancers through functional enhancer assays in transgenic zebrafish. Conclusions Our results indicate that the key inner ear genes and regulatory regions underwent adaptive evolution in the basal branch of mammals and along the human-specific branch, suggesting that they could have played an important role in the functional remodeling of the cochlea. Altogether, our data suggest that morphological and functional evolution could be attained through molecular changes affecting both coding and noncoding regulatory regions. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12915-021-01170-6.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anabella P Trigila
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular (INGEBI), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), C1428, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Francisco Pisciottano
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular (INGEBI), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), C1428, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Current address: Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental (IBYME), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), C1428, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Lucía F Franchini
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular (INGEBI), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), C1428, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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13
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Braga J, Samir C, Fradi A, Feunteun Y, Jakata K, Zimmer VA, Zipfel B, Thackeray JF, Macé M, Wood BA, Grine FE. Cochlear shape distinguishes southern African early hominin taxa with unique auditory ecologies. Sci Rep 2021; 11:17018. [PMID: 34426640 PMCID: PMC8382707 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-96543-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2021] [Accepted: 08/11/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Insights into potential differences among the bony labyrinths of Plio-Pleistocene hominins may inform their evolutionary histories and sensory ecologies. We use four recently-discovered bony labyrinths from the site of Kromdraai to significantly expand the sample for Paranthropus robustus. Diffeomorphometry, which provides detailed information about cochlear shape, reveals size-independent differences in cochlear shape between P. robustus and Australopithecus africanus that exceed those among modern humans and the African apes. The cochlea of P. robustus is distinctive and relatively invariant, whereas cochlear shape in A. africanus is more variable, resembles that of early Homo, and shows a degree of morphological polymorphism comparable to that evinced by modern species. The curvature of the P. robustus cochlea is uniquely derived and is consistent with enhanced sensitivity to low-frequency sounds. Combined with evidence for selection, our findings suggest that sound perception shaped distinct ecological adaptations among southern African early hominins.
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Affiliation(s)
- J. Braga
- grid.15781.3a0000 0001 0723 035XCentre d’Anthropobiologie et de Génomique de Toulouse, Université Paul Sabatier Toulouse III, Faculté de Médecine Purpan, 37 allées Jules Guesde, Toulouse, France ,grid.11951.3d0000 0004 1937 1135Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, PO WITS, Johannesburg, 2050 South Africa
| | - C. Samir
- grid.503317.30000 0000 9971 4898LIMOS, UMR 6158 CNRS-Université Clermont Auvergne, 63173 Aubière, France
| | - A. Fradi
- grid.503317.30000 0000 9971 4898LIMOS, UMR 6158 CNRS-Université Clermont Auvergne, 63173 Aubière, France
| | - Y. Feunteun
- grid.503317.30000 0000 9971 4898LIMOS, UMR 6158 CNRS-Université Clermont Auvergne, 63173 Aubière, France
| | - K. Jakata
- grid.11951.3d0000 0004 1937 1135Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, PO WITS, Johannesburg, 2050 South Africa
| | - V. A. Zimmer
- grid.6936.a0000000123222966Faculty of Informatics, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - B. Zipfel
- grid.11951.3d0000 0004 1937 1135Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, PO WITS, Johannesburg, 2050 South Africa
| | - J. F. Thackeray
- grid.11951.3d0000 0004 1937 1135Evolutionary Studies Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, PO WITS, Johannesburg, 2050 South Africa
| | - M. Macé
- Véto 31, 73 Avenue du Général de Gaulle, 47000 Agen, France
| | - B. A. Wood
- grid.253615.60000 0004 1936 9510Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052 USA
| | - F. E. Grine
- grid.36425.360000 0001 2216 9681Department of Anthropology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794 USA ,grid.36425.360000 0001 2216 9681Department of Anatomical Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794 USA
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Conde-Valverde M, Martínez I, Quam R, Arsuaga JL, Daura J, Sanz M, Zilhão J. The cochlea of the Aroeira 3 Middle Pleistocene cranium-a comparative study. J Hum Evol 2020; 148:102887. [PMID: 33065482 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2020.102887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2020] [Revised: 09/10/2020] [Accepted: 09/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mercedes Conde-Valverde
- Cátedra de Bioacústica Evolutiva y Paleoantropología (HM Hospitales - Universidad de Alcalá), Área de Antropología Física, Departamento de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad de Alcalá, 28871 Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Ignacio Martínez
- Cátedra de Bioacústica Evolutiva y Paleoantropología (HM Hospitales - Universidad de Alcalá), Área de Antropología Física, Departamento de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad de Alcalá, 28871 Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain
| | - Rolf Quam
- Cátedra de Bioacústica Evolutiva y Paleoantropología (HM Hospitales - Universidad de Alcalá), Área de Antropología Física, Departamento de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad de Alcalá, 28871 Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain; Department of Anthropology, Binghamton University (SUNY) Binghamton, NY, 13902-6000, USA; Centro Mixto (UCM-ISCIII) de Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Av. Monforte de Lemos 5, 28029, Madrid, Spain; Division of Anthropology, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West-79th St., New York, NY, 10024, USA
| | - Juan-Luis Arsuaga
- Cátedra de Bioacústica Evolutiva y Paleoantropología (HM Hospitales - Universidad de Alcalá), Área de Antropología Física, Departamento de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad de Alcalá, 28871 Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain; Centro Mixto (UCM-ISCIII) de Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Av. Monforte de Lemos 5, 28029, Madrid, Spain; Departamento de Geodinámica, Estratigrafía y Paleontología, Facultad de Ciencias Geológicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Joan Daura
- Grup de Recerca del Quaternari (GRQ)-SERP, Departament d'Història i Arqueologia, C/ Montalegre 6-8, 08001 Barcelona, Spain; UNIARQ-Centro de Arqueologia da Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Letras, Universidade de Lisboa, Alameda da Universidades, 1600-214, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Montserrat Sanz
- Grup de Recerca del Quaternari (GRQ)-SERP, Departament d'Història i Arqueologia, C/ Montalegre 6-8, 08001 Barcelona, Spain; UNIARQ-Centro de Arqueologia da Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Letras, Universidade de Lisboa, Alameda da Universidades, 1600-214, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - João Zilhão
- UNIARQ-Centro de Arqueologia da Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Letras, Universidade de Lisboa, Alameda da Universidades, 1600-214, Lisbon, Portugal; Department d'Història i Arqueologia, Universitat de Barcelona, 08007, Barcelona, Spain; Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Passeig Lluís Companys 23, 08010, Barcelona, Spain
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Morimoto N, Kunimatsu Y, Nakatsukasa M, Ponce de León MS, Zollikofer CPE, Ishida H, Sasaki T, Suwa G. Variation of bony labyrinthine morphology in Mio−Plio−Pleistocene and modern anthropoids. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2020; 173:276-292. [DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2019] [Revised: 03/06/2020] [Accepted: 05/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Naoki Morimoto
- Laboratory of Physical Anthropology Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University Kyoto Japan
| | - Yutaka Kunimatsu
- Faculty of Business Administration Ryukoku University Fushimi, Kyoto Japan
| | - Masato Nakatsukasa
- Laboratory of Physical Anthropology Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University Kyoto Japan
| | | | | | | | | | - Gen Suwa
- University Museum, University of Tokyo Hongo, Bunkyo‐ku, Tokyo Japan
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16
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Conde-Valverde M, Martínez I, Quam RM, Bonmatí A, Lorenzo C, Velez AD, Martínez-Calvo C, Arsuaga JL. The cochlea of the Sima de los Huesos hominins (Sierra de Atapuerca, Spain): New insights into cochlear evolution in the genus Homo. J Hum Evol 2019; 136:102641. [PMID: 31569005 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2019.102641] [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: 03/11/2019] [Revised: 07/16/2019] [Accepted: 07/16/2019] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
The cochlea contains taxonomic and phylogenetic information and its morphology is related with hearing abilities among fossil hominins. Data for the genus Homo is presently limited to early Homo and the early Neandertals from Krapina. The present study of the middle Pleistocene hominins from the Sima de los Huesos (SH) provides new evidence on cochlear evolution in the genus Homo. We compared the absolute length, proportional lengths of each turn, number of turns, size and shape of the cross-section of the basal turn, volume, curvature gradient, and thickness of the cochlea between extant Pan troglodytes, extant Homo sapiens, Homo neanderthalensis and the SH hominins. The SH hominins resemble P. troglodytes in the proportionally long basal turn, the small size and round shape of the cross-section of the basal turn, the small cochlear volume and the low cochlear thickness. The SH hominins resemble Neandertals and H. sapiens in their long cochlear length and in the proportionally short third turn. Homo neanderthalensis and H. sapiens share several features, not present in the SH hominins, and that likely represent homoplasies: a larger volume, larger size and oval shape of the cross-section of the basal turn and higher cochlear thickness. Later Neandertals show a derived proportionally shorter apical turn. Changes in cochlear volume in Homo cannot be fully explained by variation in body mass or cochlear length but are more directly related to changes in the cross-sectional area of the basal turn. Based on previous studies of the outer and middle ear in SH hominins, changes in the outer and middle ear preceded changes in the inner ear, and the cochlea and semicircular canals seem to have evolved independently in the Neandertal clade. Finally, the small cochlear volume in the SH hominins suggests a slightly higher upper limit of hearing compared with modern humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mercedes Conde-Valverde
- Cátedra de Otoacústica Evolutiva y Paleoantropología (HM Hospitales-Universidad de Alcalá), Área de Antropología Física, Departamento de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad de Alcalá, 28871 Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Ignacio Martínez
- Cátedra de Otoacústica Evolutiva y Paleoantropología (HM Hospitales-Universidad de Alcalá), Área de Antropología Física, Departamento de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad de Alcalá, 28871 Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain; Centro Mixto (UCM-ISCIII) de Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Av. Monforte de Lemos 5, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Rolf M Quam
- Cátedra de Otoacústica Evolutiva y Paleoantropología (HM Hospitales-Universidad de Alcalá), Área de Antropología Física, Departamento de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad de Alcalá, 28871 Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain; Centro Mixto (UCM-ISCIII) de Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Av. Monforte de Lemos 5, 28029 Madrid, Spain; Department of Anthropology, Binghamton University (SUNY), Binghamton, NY 13902-6000, USA; Division of Anthropology, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West-79th St., New York, NY 10024, USA
| | - Alejandro Bonmatí
- Centro Mixto (UCM-ISCIII) de Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Av. Monforte de Lemos 5, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Carlos Lorenzo
- Àrea de Prehistòria, Departament d'Història i Història de l'Art, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Av. Catalunya 35, 43002 Tarragona, Spain; Institut Català de Paleoecologia Humana i Evolució Social, Campus Sescelades URV, Zona Educacional 4, 43007 Tarragona, Spain
| | - Alex D Velez
- Department of Anthropology, Binghamton University (SUNY), Binghamton, NY 13902-6000, USA
| | - Carolina Martínez-Calvo
- Cátedra de Otoacústica Evolutiva y Paleoantropología (HM Hospitales-Universidad de Alcalá), Área de Antropología Física, Departamento de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad de Alcalá, 28871 Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain
| | - Juan Luis Arsuaga
- Centro Mixto (UCM-ISCIII) de Evolución y Comportamiento Humanos, Av. Monforte de Lemos 5, 28029 Madrid, Spain; Departamento de Geodinámica, Estratigrafía y Paleontología, Facultad de Ciencias Geológicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
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Cochlear shape reveals that the human organ of hearing is sex-typed from birth. Sci Rep 2019; 9:10889. [PMID: 31350421 PMCID: PMC6659711 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-47433-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2019] [Accepted: 07/17/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Sex differences in behavioral and neural characteristics can be caused by cultural influences but also by sex-based differences in neurophysiological and sensorimotor features. Since signal-response systems influence decision-making, cooperative and collaborative behaviors, the anatomical or physiological bases for any sex-based difference in sensory mechanisms are important to explore. Here, we use uniform scaling and nonparametric representations of the human cochlea, the main organ of hearing that imprints its adult-like morphology within the petrosal bone from birth. We observe a sex-differentiated torsion along the 3D cochlear curve in samples of 94 adults and 22 juvenile skeletons from cross-cultural contexts. The cochlear sexual dimorphism measured in our study allows sex assessment from the human skeleton with a mean accuracy ranging from 0.91 to 0.93 throughout life. We conclude that the human cochlea is sex-typed from an early post-natal age. This, for the first time, allows nondestructive sex determination of juveniles' skeletal remains in which the biomolecules are too degraded for study but in which the petrosal is preserved, one of the most common bone within archaeological assemblages. Our observed sex-typed cochlear shape from birth is likely associated with complex evolutionary processes in modern humans for reasons not yet fully understood.
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18
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Beaudet A. The inner ear of the Paranthropus specimen DNH 22 from Drimolen, South Africa. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2019; 170:439-446. [PMID: 31290572 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2019] [Revised: 06/27/2019] [Accepted: 06/27/2019] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Morphological variation within the southern African hypodigm of Paranthropus has been the focus of major interest since the earliest discoveries in the "Cradle of Humankind." Given the relevance of the bony labyrinth for investigating fossil primate paleobiodiversity, this article aims to provide additional evidence for assessing the degree of regional variation within Paranthropus through the comparative analysis of the inner ear of DNH 22. MATERIALS AND METHODS As comparative material, 18 southern African hominin specimens from Sterkfontein, Swartkrans, and Makapansgat (plus published data from Kromdraai B), attributed to Australopithecus, early Homo or Paranthropus, as well as 10 extant human and 10 extant common chimpanzee specimens are investigated. A landmark-based geometric morphometric method is applied for quantitatively assessing labyrinthine morphology. Additionally, cochlear parameters and oval window area are measured. RESULTS In terms of semicircular canal and cochlear shape, DNH 22 most resembles the Paranthropus specimen SKW 18 from Swartkrans. Both specimens differ from the other Paranthropus specimens investigated in this study by an anteroposteriorly large posterior semicircular canal and a cochlea with loose turns in the apical portion. Conversely, the oval window area in DNH 22 closely fits the range observed in Paranthropus from Swartkrans and Kromdraai B. DISCUSSION The inner ear of the DNH 22 specimen represents a unique opportunity to provide further insight into the early hominin labyrinthine variation pattern. In particular, the description of DNH 22 raises critical questions on the diversity of the vestibular system and evolutionary pattern of the auditory apparatus in Paranthropus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amélie Beaudet
- School of Geography, Archaeology and Environmental Studies, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.,Department of Anatomy, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
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Abstract
This review summarizes paleontological data as well as studies on the morphology, function, and molecular evolution of the cochlea of living mammals (monotremes, marsupials, and placentals). The most parsimonious scenario is an early evolution of the characteristic organ of Corti, with inner and outer hair cells and nascent electromotility. Most remaining unique features, such as loss of the lagenar macula, coiling of the cochlea, and bony laminae supporting the basilar membrane, arose later, after the separation of the monotreme lineage, but before marsupial and placental mammals diverged. The question of when hearing sensitivity first extended into the ultrasonic range (defined here as >20 kHz) remains speculative, not least because of the late appearance of the definitive mammalian middle ear. The last significant change was optimizing the operating voltage range of prestin, and thus the efficiency of the outer hair cells' amplifying action, in the placental lineage only.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine Köppl
- Cluster of Excellence "Hearing4all" and Research Centre Neurosensory Science, Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine and Health Science, Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, 26129 Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Geoffrey A Manley
- Cluster of Excellence "Hearing4all" and Research Centre Neurosensory Science, Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine and Health Science, Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, 26129 Oldenburg, Germany
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Rina Evasoa M, Zimmermann E, Hasiniaina AF, Rasoloharijaona S, Randrianambinina B, Radespiel U. Sources of variation in social tolerance in mouse lemurs (Microcebus spp.). BMC Ecol 2019; 19:20. [PMID: 31101046 PMCID: PMC6525410 DOI: 10.1186/s12898-019-0236-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2018] [Accepted: 05/10/2019] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Social tolerance strongly influences the patterns of affiliation and aggression in animal societies. However, not much is known about the variation of social tolerance in species living in dispersed social systems that combine solitary foraging activities with the need of coordinating social interactions with conspecifics on a regular basis. This study aims to investigate the sources of variation in social tolerance within a Malagasy primate radiation with dispersed social systems, the mouse lemurs (Microcebus spp.). Six mouse lemur species were selected as model species that belong to three different taxonomic clades, live in two types of forest environments (dry and humid), and differed in this study with respect to their reproductive activity. Six male-female and six male-male dyads of each species were tested temporarily in a standardized social encounter paradigm in Madagascar to collect data on joint use of space, non-agonistic body contacts, aggression rates, the number of conflicts and the establishment of intra- and intersexual dominance. RESULTS Male-female dyads of the six species differed significantly in the frequency of affiliative and agonistic behaviors. In contrast, the variations between male-male dyads could not be explained by one parameter only, but clade membership, forest type, reproductive state as well as species were all suggested to be partially influential. Only one species (Microcebus mamiratra) showed signals of unambiguous female dominance in all male-female dyads, whereas the others had no or only a few dyads with female dominance. CONCLUSIONS Variations in social tolerance and its consequences are most likely influenced by two factors, ecology (via forest type) and physiology (via reproductive activity), and only to a lesser extent by clade membership. The study suggests that mouse lemur females have higher aggression rates and more agonistic conflicts with males when females in the population are reproducing, at least in resource-rich humid forests. The study confirms a high degree of social plasticity between species in these small solitary foragers that supports their taxonomic distinctiveness and requires further scientific attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mamy Rina Evasoa
- Institute of Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Bünteweg 17, 30559 Hannover, Germany
| | - Elke Zimmermann
- Institute of Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Bünteweg 17, 30559 Hannover, Germany
| | | | | | | | - Ute Radespiel
- Institute of Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Bünteweg 17, 30559 Hannover, Germany
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The bony labyrinth of StW 573 (“Little Foot”): Implications for early hominin evolution and paleobiology. J Hum Evol 2019; 127:67-80. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2018.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2018] [Revised: 12/01/2018] [Accepted: 12/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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Nengovhela A, Braga J, Denys C, de Beer F, Tenailleau C, Taylor PJ. Associated tympanic bullar and cochlear hypertrophy define adaptations to true deserts in African gerbils and laminate-toothed rats (Muridae: Gerbillinae and Murinae). J Anat 2019; 234:179-192. [PMID: 30474264 PMCID: PMC6326829 DOI: 10.1111/joa.12906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/11/2018] [Indexed: 10/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Hearing capabilities in desert rodents such as gerbils and heteromyids have been inferred from both anatomical and ecological aspects and tested with experiments and theoretical models. However, very few studies have focused on other desert-adapted species. In this study, a refined three-dimensional morphometric approach was used on three African rodent tribes (Otomyini, Taterillini and Gerbillini) to describe the cochlear and tympanic bullar morphology, and to explore the role of phylogeny, allometry and ecology to better understand the underlying mechanism of any observed trends of hypertrophy in the bulla and associated changes in the cochlea. As a result, desert-adapted species could be distinguished from mesic and semi-arid taxa by the gross cochlear dimensions, particularly the oval window, which is larger in desert species. Bullar and cochlear modifications between species could be explained by environment (bulla and oval window), phylogeny (cochlear curvature gradient) and/or allometry (cochlear relative length, oval window and bulla) with some exceptions. Based on their ear anatomy, we predict that Desmodillus auricularis and Parotomys brantsii should be sensitive to low-frequency sounds, with D. auricularis sensitive to high-frequency sounds, too. This study concludes that in both arid and semi-arid adapted laminate-toothed rats and gerbils there is bulla and associated cochlea hypertrophy, particularly in true desert species. Gerbils also show tightly coiled cochlea but the significance of this is debatable and may have nothing to do with adaptations to any specific acoustics in the desert environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aluwani Nengovhela
- Laboratoire d'Anthropologie Moléculaire et Imagerie de SynthèseUMR 5288CNRSUniversité de Toulouse (Paul Sabatier)ToulouseFrance
- South African Research Chair in Biodiversity and Change and Centre for Invasion BiologySchool of Mathematical and Natural SciencesUniversity of VendaThohoyandouSouth Africa
| | - José Braga
- Laboratoire d'Anthropologie Moléculaire et Imagerie de SynthèseUMR 5288CNRSUniversité de Toulouse (Paul Sabatier)ToulouseFrance
- Evolutionary Studies InstituteUniversity of the WitwatersrandJohannesburgSouth Africa
| | - Christiane Denys
- Institut de Systématique, Evolution, BiodiversitéUMR 7205, CNRS, MNHN, UPMC, EPHESorbonne UniversitésParisFrance
| | - Frikkie de Beer
- South African Nuclear Energy CorporationPelindabaNorth West ProvinceSouth Africa
| | - Christophe Tenailleau
- Centre Inter‐Universitaire de Recherche et d'Ingénierie des MatériauxUMR 5085CNRSUniversité de Toulouse (Paul Sabatier)ToulouseFrance
| | - Peter J. Taylor
- South African Research Chair in Biodiversity and Change and Centre for Invasion BiologySchool of Mathematical and Natural SciencesUniversity of VendaThohoyandouSouth Africa
- Core Team Member of the Centre of Invasion BiologyStellenbosch UniversityStellenboschSouth Africa
- School of Life SciencesUniversity of KwaZulu‐NatalDurbanSouth Africa
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Verschooten E, Desloovere C, Joris PX. High-resolution frequency tuning but not temporal coding in the human cochlea. PLoS Biol 2018; 16:e2005164. [PMID: 30321166 PMCID: PMC6201958 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.2005164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2017] [Revised: 10/25/2018] [Accepted: 09/25/2018] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Frequency tuning and phase-locking are two fundamental properties generated in the cochlea, enabling but also limiting the coding of sounds by the auditory nerve (AN). In humans, these limits are unknown, but high resolution has been postulated for both properties. Electrophysiological recordings from the AN of normal-hearing volunteers indicate that human frequency tuning, but not phase-locking, exceeds the resolution observed in animal models. The coding of sounds by the cochlea depends on two primary properties: frequency selectivity, which refers to the ability to separate sounds into their different frequency components, and phase-locking, which refers to the neural coding of the temporal waveform of these components. These properties have been well characterized in animals using neurophysiological recordings from single neurons of the auditory nerve (AN), but this approach is not feasible in humans. As a result, there is considerable controversy as to how these two properties may differ between humans and the small animals typically used in neurophysiological studies. It has been proposed that humans excel both in frequency selectivity and in the range of frequencies over which they have phase-locking. We developed a technique to quantify these properties using mass potentials from the AN, recorded via the middle ear in human volunteers with normal hearing. We find that humans have unusually sharp frequency tuning but that the upper frequency limit of phase-locking is at best similar to—and more likely lower than—that of the nonhuman animals conventionally used in experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Verschooten
- Laboratory of Auditory Neurophysiology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Christian Desloovere
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Philip X. Joris
- Laboratory of Auditory Neurophysiology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- * E-mail:
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Beaudet A. The Emergence of Language in the Hominin Lineage: Perspectives from Fossil Endocasts. Front Hum Neurosci 2017; 11:427. [PMID: 28878641 PMCID: PMC5572361 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2017.00427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2017] [Accepted: 08/09/2017] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Amélie Beaudet
- School of Geography, Archaeology and Environmental Studies, University of the WitwatersrandJohannesburg, South Africa.,Department of Anatomy, University of PretoriaPretoria, South Africa
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Spiral Form of the Human Cochlea Results from Spatial Constraints. Sci Rep 2017; 7:7500. [PMID: 28790422 PMCID: PMC5548794 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-07795-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2017] [Accepted: 06/29/2017] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The human inner ear has an intricate spiral shape often compared to shells of mollusks, particularly to the nautilus shell. It has inspired many functional hearing theories. The reasons for this complex geometry remain unresolved. We digitized 138 human cochleae at microscopic resolution and observed an astonishing interindividual variability in the shape. A 3D analytical cochlear model was developed that fits the analyzed data with high precision. The cochlear geometry neither matched a proposed function, namely sound focusing similar to a whispering gallery, nor did it have the form of a nautilus. Instead, the innate cochlear blueprint and its actual ontogenetic variants were determined by spatial constraints and resulted from an efficient packing of the cochlear duct within the petrous bone. The analytical model predicts well the individual 3D cochlear geometry from few clinical measures and represents a clinical tool for an individualized approach to neurosensory restoration with cochlear implants.
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Abstract
The diminutive middle ear ossicles (malleus, incus, stapes) housed in the tympanic cavity of the temporal bone play an important role in audition. The few known ossicles of Neandertals are distinctly different from those of anatomically modern humans (AMHs), despite the close relationship between both human species. Although not mutually exclusive, these differences may affect hearing capacity or could reflect covariation with the surrounding temporal bone. Until now, detailed comparisons were hampered by the small sample of Neandertal ossicles and the unavailability of methods combining analyses of ossicles with surrounding structures. Here, we present an analysis of the largest sample of Neandertal ossicles to date, including many previously unknown specimens, covering a wide geographic and temporal range. Microcomputed tomography scans and 3D geometric morphometrics were used to quantify shape and functional properties of the ossicles and the tympanic cavity and make comparisons with recent and extinct AMHs as well as African apes. We find striking morphological differences between ossicles of AMHs and Neandertals. Ossicles of both Neandertals and AMHs appear derived compared with the inferred ancestral morphology, albeit in different ways. Brain size increase evolved separately in AMHs and Neandertals, leading to differences in the tympanic cavity and, consequently, the shape and spatial configuration of the ossicles. Despite these different evolutionary trajectories, functional properties of the middle ear of AMHs and Neandertals are largely similar. The relevance of these functionally equivalent solutions is likely to conserve a similar auditory sensitivity level inherited from their last common ancestor.
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Manley GA. Comparative Auditory Neuroscience: Understanding the Evolution and Function of Ears. J Assoc Res Otolaryngol 2016; 18:1-24. [PMID: 27539715 DOI: 10.1007/s10162-016-0579-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2016] [Accepted: 08/01/2016] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Comparative auditory studies make it possible both to understand the origins of modern ears and the factors underlying the similarities and differences in their performance. After all lineages of land vertebrates had independently evolved tympanic middle ears in the early Mesozoic era, the subsequent tens of millions of years led to the hearing organ of lizards, birds, and mammals becoming larger and their upper frequency limits higher. In extant species, lizard papillae remained relatively small (<2 mm), but avian papillae attained a maximum length of 11 mm, with the highest frequencies in both groups near 12 kHz. Hearing-organ sizes in modern mammals vary more than tenfold, up to >70 mm (made possible by coiling), as do their upper frequency limits (from 12 to >200 kHz). The auditory organs of the three amniote groups differ characteristically in their cellular structure, but their hearing sensitivity and frequency selectivity within their respective hearing ranges hardly differ. In the immediate primate ancestors of humans, the cochlea became larger and lowered its upper frequency limit. Modern humans show an unusual trend in frequency selectivity as a function of frequency. It is conceivable that the frequency selectivity patterns in humans were influenced in their evolution by the development of speech.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geoffrey A Manley
- Cochlear and Auditory Brainstem Physiology, Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Cluster of Excellence "Hearing4all", Research Centre Neurosensory Science, Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, Carl von Ossietzky Strasse 9-11, 26129, Oldenburg, Germany.
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Boyer DM, Kirk EC, Silcox MT, Gunnell GF, Gilbert CC, Yapuncich GS, Allen KL, Welch E, Bloch JI, Gonzales LA, Kay RF, Seiffert ER. Internal carotid arterial canal size and scaling in Euarchonta: Re-assessing implications for arterial patency and phylogenetic relationships in early fossil primates. J Hum Evol 2016; 97:123-44. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2016.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2016] [Revised: 06/03/2016] [Accepted: 06/04/2016] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
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Upper third molar internal structural organization and semicircular canal morphology in Plio-Pleistocene South African cercopithecoids. J Hum Evol 2016; 95:104-20. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2016.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2015] [Revised: 04/19/2016] [Accepted: 04/20/2016] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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Manley GA, van Dijk P. Frequency selectivity of the human cochlea: Suppression tuning of spontaneous otoacoustic emissions. Hear Res 2016; 336:53-62. [PMID: 27139323 DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2016.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2016] [Revised: 03/25/2016] [Accepted: 04/15/2016] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Frequency selectivity is a key functional property of the inner ear and since hearing research began, the frequency resolution of the human ear has been a central question. In contrast to animal studies, which permit invasive recording of neural activity, human studies must rely on indirect methods to determine hearing selectivity. Psychophysical studies, which used masking of a tone by other sounds, indicate a modest frequency selectivity in humans. By contrast, estimates using the phase delays of stimulus-frequency otoacoustic emissions (SFOAE) predict a remarkably high selectivity, unique among mammals. An alternative measure of cochlear frequency selectivity are suppression tuning curves of spontaneous otoacoustic emissions (SOAE). Several animal studies show that these measures are in excellent agreement with neural frequency selectivity. Here we contribute a large data set from normal-hearing young humans on suppression tuning curves (STC) of spontaneous otoacoustic emissions (SOAE). The frequency selectivities of human STC measured near threshold levels agree with the earlier, much lower, psychophysical estimates. They differ, however, from the typical patterns seen in animal auditory nerve data in that the selectivity is remarkably independent of frequency. In addition, SOAE are suppressed by higher-level tones in narrow frequency bands clearly above the main suppression frequencies. These narrow suppression bands suggest interactions between the suppressor tone and a cochlear standing wave corresponding to the SOAE frequency being suppressed. The data show that the relationship between pre-neural mechanical processing in the cochlea and neural coding at the hair-cell/auditory nerve synapse needs to be reconsidered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geoffrey A Manley
- Cochlear and Auditory Brainstem Physiology, Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Cluster of Excellence "Hearing4all", Research Centre Neurosensory Science, Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, 26129 Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Pim van Dijk
- University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Department of Otorhinolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, P.O. Box 30.001, 9700 RB Groningen, The Netherlands; University of Groningen, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Research School of Behavioural and Cognitive Neuroscience, The Netherlands.
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