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Cárdenas-posada G, Iwaniuk AN, Fuxjager MJ. Extractive foraging behaviour in woodpeckers evolves in species that retain a large ancestral brain. Anim Behav 2023; 198:141-152. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2023.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/12/2023]
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Püffel F, Johnston R, Labonte D. A biomechanical model for the relation between bite force and mandibular opening angle in arthropods. R Soc Open Sci 2023; 10:221066. [PMID: 36816849 PMCID: PMC9929505 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.221066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2022] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Bite forces play a key role in animal ecology: they affect mating behaviour, fighting success, and the ability to feed. Although feeding habits of arthropods have a significant ecological and economical impact, we lack fundamental knowledge on how the morphology and physiology of their bite apparatus controls bite performance, and its variation with mandible gape. To address this gap, we derived a biomechanical model that characterizes the relationship between bite force and mandibular opening angle from first principles. We validate this model by comparing its geometric predictions with morphological measurements on the muscoloskeletal bite apparatus of Atta cephalotes leaf-cutter ants, using computed tomography (CT) scans obtained at different mandible opening angles. We then demonstrate its deductive and inductive utility with three examplary use cases: Firstly, we extract the physiological properties of the leaf-cutter ant mandible closer muscle from in vivo bite force measurements. Secondly, we show that leaf-cutter ants are specialized to generate extraordinarily large bite forces, equivalent to about 2600 times their body weight. Thirdly, we discuss the relative importance of morphology and physiology in determining the magnitude and variation of bite force. We hope that a more detailed quantitative understanding of the link between morphology, physiology, and bite performance will facilitate future comparative studies on the insect bite apparatus, and help to advance our knowledge of the behaviour, ecology and evolution of arthropods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frederik Püffel
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Richard Johnston
- School of Engineering, Materials Research Centre, Swansea University, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK
| | - David Labonte
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
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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] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [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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Lowie A, De Kegel B, Wilkinson M, Measey J, O'Reilly JC, Kley NJ, Gaucher P, Brecko J, Kleinteich T, Adriaens D, Herrel A. Is vertebral shape variability in caecilians (Amphibia: Gymnophiona) constrained by forces experienced during burrowing? J Exp Biol 2022; 225:275610. [PMID: 35662342 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.244288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2022] [Accepted: 05/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Caecilians are predominantly burrowing, elongate, limbless amphibians that remain relatively poorly studied. Although it has been suggested that the sturdy and compact skulls of caecilians are an adaptation to their head-first burrowing habits, no clear relationship between skull shape and burrowing performance appears to exist. However, the external forces encountered during burrowing are transmitted by the skull to the vertebral column, and as such, may impact vertebral shape. Additionally, the muscles that generate the burrowing forces attach onto the vertebral column and consequently may impact vertebral shape that way as well. Here, we explore the relationships between vertebral shape and maximal in vivo push forces in 13 species of caecilian amphibians. Our results show that the shape of the two most anterior vertebrae, as well as the shape of the vertebrae at 90% of the total body length, are not correlated with peak push forces. Conversely, the shape of the third vertebrae, and the vertebrae at 20% and 60% of the total body length, do show a relationship to push forces measured in vivo. Whether these relationships are indirect (external forces constraining shape variation) or direct (muscles forces constraining shape variation) remains unclear and will require quantitative studies of the axial musculature. Importantly, our data suggest that mid-body vertebrae may potentially be used as proxies to infer burrowing capacity in fossil representatives.
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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, French Guiana
| | - Jonathan Brecko
- Royal Museum for Central Africa, Biological Collections and Data Management, 3080 Tervuren, Belgium
| | | | - Dominique Adriaens
- Ghent University, Department of Biology, Evolutionary Morphology of Vertebrates, K.L. Ledeganckstraat 35, 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
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