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Kelly CD. Alternative mating strategies in the Wellington tree weta expressed via genetic polymorphism for precocial male maturation. R Soc Open Sci 2024; 11:240100. [PMID: 38384776 PMCID: PMC10878824 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.240100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2024] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024]
Abstract
The expression of alternative mating strategies is generally hypothesized to be a plastic response of the genome to the environment or a genetic polymorphism. The Wellington tree weta (Hemideina crassidens) is an orthopteran insect in which males express three alternative mating morphotypes related to the size of mandibular weaponry. My common garden experiment in the laboratory shows that male weapon size at maturity in this species is nether condition- nor environment-dependent; therefore, supporting the hypothesis that it is genetically polymorphic. Males that matured at the 8th instar had the shortest development time and the smallest weaponry, males that matured at the 10th instar had the longest development time and the largest weaponry, and males that matured at the 9th instar were intermediate to the other two morphs. These morph-related differences in development time suggest that male alternative mating strategies in this species are expressed via precocial male maturation, a rare mode of strategy expression in insects. Additionally, adult lifespans differed significantly among morphs with 8th instar males having the shortest, and 9th instar males having the longest lifespans. I discuss how these differences in lifespan align with morph-specific investment in pre- and post-copulatory processes to equalize fitnesses among morphs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clint D. Kelly
- Département des Sciences biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3C 3P8
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2
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Smith TD, Prufrock KA, DeLeon VB. How to make a vampire. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2023; 306:2872-2887. [PMID: 36806921 DOI: 10.1002/ar.25179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2023] [Revised: 02/01/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2023] [Indexed: 02/23/2023]
Abstract
Herein, we compared the developmental maturity of the cranium, limbs, and feeding apparatus in a perinatal common vampire bat relative to its mother. In addition, we introduce a method for combining two computed tomographic imaging techniques to three-dimensionally reconstruct endocasts in poorly ossified crania. The Desmodus specimens were scanned using microcomputed tomography (microCT) and diffusible iodine-based contrast-enhanced CT to image bone and soft tissues. Muscles of the jaw and limbs, and the endocranial cavity were segmented using imaging software. Endocranial volume (ECV) of the perinatal Desmodus is 74% of adult ECV. The facial skeletal is less developed (e.g., palatal length 60% of adult length), but volumes for alveolar crypts/sockets of permanent teeth are nearly identical. The forelimb skeleton is uniformly less ossified than the distal hind limb, with no secondary centers ossified and an entirely cartilaginous carpus. All epiphyseal growth zones are active in the brachium and antebrachium, with the distal radius exhibiting the greatest number of proliferating chondrocytes arranged in columns. The hind limb skeleton is precociously ossified from the knee distally. The musculature of the fore limb, temporalis, and masseter muscles appear weakly developed (6-11% of the adult volume). In contrast, the leg and foot musculature is better developed (23-25% of adult volume), possibly enhancing the newborn's capability to grip the mother's fur. Desmodus is born relatively large, and our results suggest they are born neurally and dentally precocious, with generally underdeveloped limbs, especially the fore limb.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy D Smith
- School of Physical Therapy, Slippery Rock University, Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Kristen A Prufrock
- Department of Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Valerie B DeLeon
- Department of Anthropology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
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3
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Mota-Rojas D, Marcet-Rius M, Domínguez-Oliva A, Buenhombre J, Daza-Cardona EA, Lezama-García K, Olmos-Hernández A, Verduzco-Mendoza A, Bienboire-Frosini C. Parental behavior and newborn attachment in birds: life history traits and endocrine responses. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1183554. [PMID: 37599744 PMCID: PMC10434784 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1183554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 07/14/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023] Open
Abstract
In birds, parental care and attachment period differ widely depending on the species (altricial or precocial), developmental strategies, and life history traits. In most bird species, parental care can be provided by both female and male individuals and includes specific stages such as nesting, laying, and hatching. During said periods, a series of neuroendocrine responses are triggered to motivate parental care and attachment. These behaviors are vital for offspring survival, development, social bonding, intergenerational learning, reproductive success, and ultimately, the overall fitness and evolution of bird populations in a variety of environments. Thus, this review aims to describe and analyze the behavioral and endocrine systems of parental care and newborn attachment in birds during each stage of the post-hatching period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Mota-Rojas
- Neurophysiology, Behavior and Animal Welfare Assessment, DPAA, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Míriam Marcet-Rius
- Department of Animal Behaviour and Welfare, Research Institute in Semiochemistry and Applied Ethology, Apt, France
| | - Adriana Domínguez-Oliva
- Neurophysiology, Behavior and Animal Welfare Assessment, DPAA, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Jhon Buenhombre
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Antonio Nariño University, Bogotá, Colombia
| | | | - Karina Lezama-García
- Neurophysiology, Behavior and Animal Welfare Assessment, DPAA, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Adriana Olmos-Hernández
- Division of Biotechnology—Bioterio and Experimental Surgery, Instituto Nacional de Rehabilitación-Luis Guillermo Ibarra Ibarra, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Antonio Verduzco-Mendoza
- Division of Biotechnology—Bioterio and Experimental Surgery, Instituto Nacional de Rehabilitación-Luis Guillermo Ibarra Ibarra, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Cécile Bienboire-Frosini
- Department of Molecular Biology and Chemical Communication, Research Institute in Semiochemistry and Applied Ethology, Apt, France
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Magrini SH, Mossor AM, German RZ, Young JW. Developmental factors influencing bone strength in precocial mammals: An infant pig model. J Anat 2023; 243:174-181. [PMID: 36815568 PMCID: PMC10273336 DOI: 10.1111/joa.13848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Revised: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Most vertebrates are precocial in locomotion, able to walk and run soon after birth. Precociality requires a bony skeleton of sufficient strength to resist mechanical loading during early locomotor efforts. The aim of this study was to use an animal model-the preterm infant pig-to investigate some of the proximate factors that might determine variation in bone strength in precocial animals. Based on the prior literature, we tested the null predictions that skeletal integrity would be significantly compromised by truncated gestation (i.e., preterm birth) and reduced body mass at birth. We generated a suite of both morphometric measures (tissue mineral density and cross-sectional geometry) and performance-related metrics (ability to resist loading, deformation, and fracture during three-point bending tests) of the appendicular skeleton of preterm and full-term infant pigs. Results showed that very few measures in our ontogenetic infant pig sample significantly varied with either gestation length or birth mass. Overall, our results contribute to a growing body of literature demonstrating the early functional capacity of the precocial infant musculoskeletal system and suggest that bone strength in perinatal precocial mammals may be robust to the factors shown to compromise skeletal integrity in more altricial taxa.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Angela M. Mossor
- School of Biomedical SciencesKent State UniversityKentOhioUSA
- Department of Anatomy and NeurobiologyNortheast Ohio Medical University (NEOMED)RootstownOhioUSA
| | - Rebecca Z. German
- School of Biomedical SciencesKent State UniversityKentOhioUSA
- Department of Anatomy and NeurobiologyNortheast Ohio Medical University (NEOMED)RootstownOhioUSA
| | - Jesse W. Young
- School of Biomedical SciencesKent State UniversityKentOhioUSA
- Department of Anatomy and NeurobiologyNortheast Ohio Medical University (NEOMED)RootstownOhioUSA
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5
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Bienboire-Frosini C, Wang D, Marcet-Rius M, Villanueva-García D, Gazzano A, Domínguez-Oliva A, Olmos-Hernández A, Hernández-Ávalos I, Lezama-García K, Verduzco-Mendoza A, Gómez-Prado J, Mota-Rojas D. The Role of Brown Adipose Tissue and Energy Metabolism in Mammalian Thermoregulation during the Perinatal Period. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:2173. [PMID: 37443971 DOI: 10.3390/ani13132173] [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: 05/22/2023] [Revised: 06/21/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Hypothermia is one of the most common causes of mortality in neonates, and it could be developed after birth because the uterus temperature is more elevated than the extrauterine temperature. Neonates use diverse mechanisms to thermoregulate, such as shivering and non-shivering thermogenesis. These strategies can be more efficient in some species, but not in others, i.e., altricials, which have the greatest difficulty with achieving thermoneutrality. In addition, there are anatomical and neurological differences in mammals, which may present different distributions and amounts of brown fat. This article aims to discuss the neuromodulation mechanisms of thermoregulation and the importance of brown fat in the thermogenesis of newborn mammals, emphasizing the analysis of the biochemical, physiological, and genetic factors that determine the distribution, amount, and efficiency of this energy resource in newborns of different species. It has been concluded that is vital to understand and minimize hypothermia causes in newborns, which is one of the main causes of mortality in neonates. This would be beneficial for both animals and producers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cécile Bienboire-Frosini
- Department of Molecular Biology and Chemical Communication, Research Institute in Semiochemistry and Applied Ethology (IRSEA), 84400 Apt, France
| | - Dehua Wang
- School of Life Sciences, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, China
| | - Míriam Marcet-Rius
- Animal Behaviour and Welfare Department, Research Institute in Semiochemistry and Applied Ethology (IRSEA), 84400 Apt, France
| | - Dina Villanueva-García
- Division of Neonatology, Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gómez, Mexico City 06720, Mexico
| | - Angelo Gazzano
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Pisa, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Adriana Domínguez-Oliva
- Neurophysiology, Behavior and Animal Welfare Assessment, DPAA, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Xochimilco Campus, Mexico City 04960, Mexico
| | - Adriana Olmos-Hernández
- Division of Biotechnology-Bioterio and Experimental Surgery, Instituto Nacional de Rehabilitación Luis Guillermo Ibarra Ibarra (INR-LGII), Mexico City 14389, Mexico
| | - Ismael Hernández-Ávalos
- Clinical Pharmacology and Veterinary Anesthesia, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Cuautitlán, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Cuautitlán Izcalli 54714, Mexico
| | - Karina Lezama-García
- Neurophysiology, Behavior and Animal Welfare Assessment, DPAA, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Xochimilco Campus, Mexico City 04960, Mexico
| | - Antonio Verduzco-Mendoza
- Division of Biotechnology-Bioterio and Experimental Surgery, Instituto Nacional de Rehabilitación Luis Guillermo Ibarra Ibarra (INR-LGII), Mexico City 14389, Mexico
| | - Jocelyn Gómez-Prado
- Neurophysiology, Behavior and Animal Welfare Assessment, DPAA, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Xochimilco Campus, Mexico City 04960, Mexico
| | - Daniel Mota-Rojas
- Neurophysiology, Behavior and Animal Welfare Assessment, DPAA, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Xochimilco Campus, Mexico City 04960, Mexico
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Kalusa M, Heinrich MD, Sauerland C, Morawski M, Fietz SA. Developmental Differences in Neocortex Neurogenesis and Maturation Between the Altricial Dwarf Rabbit and Precocial Guinea Pig. Front Neuroanat 2021; 15:678385. [PMID: 34135738 PMCID: PMC8200626 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2021.678385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2021] [Accepted: 05/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Mammals are born on a precocial-altricial continuum. Altricial species produce helpless neonates with closed distant organs incapable of locomotion, whereas precocial species give birth to well-developed young that possess sophisticated sensory and locomotor capabilities. Previous studies suggest that distinct patterns of cortex development differ between precocial and altricial species. This study compares patterns of neocortex neurogenesis and maturation in the precocial guinea pig and altricial dwarf rabbit, both belonging to the taxon of Glires. We show that the principal order of neurodevelopmental events is preserved in the neocortex of both species. Moreover, we show that neurogenesis starts at a later postconceptional day and takes longer in absolute gestational days in the precocial than the altricial neocortex. Intriguingly, our data indicate that the dwarf rabbit neocortex contains a higher abundance of highly proliferative basal progenitors than the guinea pig, which might underlie its higher encephalization quotient, demonstrating that the amount of neuron production is determined by complex regulation of multiple factors. Furthermore, we show that the guinea pig neocortex exhibits a higher maturation status at birth, thus providing evidence for the notions that precocial species might have acquired the morphological machinery required to attain their high functional state at birth and that brain expansion in the precocial newborn is mainly due to prenatally initiating processes of gliogenesis and neuron differentiation instead of increased neurogenesis. Together, this study reveals important insights into the timing and cellular differences that regulate mammalian brain growth and maturation and provides a better understanding of the evolution of mammalian altriciality and presociality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mirjam Kalusa
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Institute of Veterinary Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Maren D Heinrich
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Institute of Veterinary Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Christine Sauerland
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Institute of Veterinary Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Markus Morawski
- Medical Faculty, Paul Flechsig Institute of Brain Research, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Simone A Fietz
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Institute of Veterinary Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
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Körner M, Vogelweith F, Libbrecht R, Foitzik S, Feldmeyer B, Meunier J. Offspring reverse transcriptome responses to maternal deprivation when reared with pathogens in an insect with facultative family life. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 287:20200440. [PMID: 32345162 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.0440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Offspring of species with facultative family life are able to live with and without parents (i.e. to adjust to extreme changes in their social environment). While these adjustments are well understood on a phenotypic level, their genetic underpinnings remain surprisingly understudied. Investigating gene expression changes in response to parental absence may elucidate the genetic constraints driving evolutionary transitions between solitary and family life. Here, we manipulated maternal presence to observe gene expression changes in the fat body of juvenile European earwigs, an insect with facultative family life. Because parents typically protect offspring against pathogens, expression changes were recorded in pathogen-free and pathogen-exposed environments. We found that manipulating maternal presence changed the expression of 154 genes, including several metabolism and growth-related genes, and that this change depended on pathogen presence. Specifically, localization and cell transporter genes were downregulated in maternal absence without pathogens but upregulated with pathogens. At least one immunity gene (pathogenesis-related protein 5) was affected by pathogen exposure regardless of maternal presence. Overall, our findings explicate how offspring adjust to parental deprivation on a molecular level and reveal that such adjustments heavily depend on pathogens in the environment. This emphasizes the central role of pathogens in family life evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maximilian Körner
- Evolutionary Animal Ecology, University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany
| | | | - Romain Libbrecht
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes-Gutenberg University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Susanne Foitzik
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes-Gutenberg University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Barbara Feldmeyer
- Molecular Ecology, Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (SBiK-F), Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Joël Meunier
- Institut de Recherche sur la Biologie de l'Insecte (IRBI), UMR 7261, CNRS, University of Tours, Tours, France
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8
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Lees D, Schmidt T, Sherman CDH, Maguire GS, Dann P, Weston MA. Equitable Chick Survival in Three Species of the Non-Migratory Shorebird Despite Species-Specific Sexual Dimorphism of the Young. Animals (Basel) 2019; 9:E271. [PMID: 31126098 DOI: 10.3390/ani9050271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2019] [Revised: 05/13/2019] [Accepted: 05/21/2019] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary We aimed to determine whether seasonal brood sex-ratio, sex-biased chick survival, and sex specific dimorphism at hatching or during growth occurs among three species of resident Australian shorebird. Our results describe no sex-bias in chick production, survival or growth rates between sexes for any of the three species studied. Abstract Sex-biases in populations can have important implications for species’ social biology, population demography and mating systems. It has recently been suggested that in some shorebirds, sex-specific bias in survival of precocial young may occur. This may be driven by variation in the brood sex-ratio and/or the sexual size dimorphism of young birds, which may influence predator escape capacity. Understanding the survival of young birds remains a significant knowledge gap for many taxa, especially when young birds are mobile and cryptic. Our aims were to estimate the sex-ratio variation in three species of Australian resident shorebird, specifically to determine: (1) whether seasonal brood sex-ratio variation at hatching is occurring, (2) the extent of any sex-biased chick survival, (3) if sex specific dimorphism at hatching or during growth occurs; and, (4) whether escape capacity differs between the sexes. We radio-tracked 50 Masked Lapwing Vanellus miles, 42 Red-capped Plover Charadrius ruficapillus and 27 Hooded Plover Thinornis cucullatus chicks from individual broods, examined the likelihood of hatchlings being male or female based on the hatching date within the breeding season, and compared size at hatching, growth and mortality of chicks of different sexes. There was no sex-bias with the hatching date across the breeding season, nor were there differences in survival or growth rates between sexes for any of the three species studied. In one species, male hatchlings had longer tarsi than females, but this did not result in differential escape propensity or improved survival. In conclusion, the hatching date, survival and growth of chicks from three species of resident shorebird was not influenced by their sex.
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Kramer J, Meunier J. The other facets of family life and their role in the evolution of animal sociality. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2019; 94:199-215. [PMID: 29989333 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2017] [Revised: 06/12/2018] [Accepted: 06/15/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Family life forms an integral part of the life history of species across the animal kingdom and plays a crucial role in the evolution of animal sociality. Our current understanding of family life, however, is almost exclusively based on studies that (i) focus on parental care and associated family interactions (such as those arising from sibling rivalry and parent-offspring conflict), and (ii) investigate these phenomena in the advanced family systems of mammals, birds, and eusocial insects. Here, we argue that these historical biases have fostered the neglect of key processes shaping social life in ancestral family systems, and thus profoundly hamper our understanding of the (early) evolution of family life. Based on a comprehensive survey of the literature, we first illustrate that the strong focus on parental care in advanced social systems has deflected scrutiny of other important social processes such as sibling cooperation, parent-offspring competition and offspring assistance. We then show that accounting for these neglected processes - and their changing role over time - could profoundly alter our understanding of the origin and subsequent evolution of family life. Finally, we outline how this 'diachronic' perspective on the evolution of family living provides novel insights into general processes driving the evolution of animal sociality. Overall, we infer that the explicit consideration of thus-far neglected facets of family life, together with their study across the whole diversity of family systems, are crucial to advance our understanding of the processes that shape the evolution of social life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jos Kramer
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology (IPMB), University of Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Joël Meunier
- Institut de Recherche sur la Biologie de l'Insecte (IRBI), UMR 726, CNRS, Université de Tours, Avenue Monge, 37200 Tours, France
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10
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Álvarez-Hernán G, Sánchez-Resino E, Hernández-Núñez I, Marzal A, Rodríguez-León J, Martín-Partido G, Francisco-Morcillo J. Retinal histogenesis in an altricial avian species, the zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata, Vieillot 1817). J Anat 2018; 233:106-120. [PMID: 29582431 DOI: 10.1111/joa.12809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/27/2018] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Comparative developmental studies have shown that the retina of altricial fish and mammals is incompletely developed at birth, and that, during the first days of life, maturation proceeds rapidly. In contrast, precocial fish and mammals are born with fully differentiated retinas. Concerning birds, knowledge about retinal development is generally restricted to a single order of precocial birds, Galliformes, due to the fact that both the chicken and the Japanese quail are considered model systems. However, comparison of embryonic pre-hatchling retinal development between altricial and precocial birds has been poorly explored. The purpose of this study was to examine the morphogenesis and histogenesis of the retina in the altricial zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata, Vieillot 1817) and compare the results with those from previous studies in the precocial chicken. Several maturational features (morphogenesis of the optic vesicle and optic cup, appearance of the first differentiated neurons, the period in which the non-apical cell divisions are observable, and the emergence of the plexiform layers) were found to occur at later stages in the zebra finch than in the chicken. At hatching, the retina of T. guttata showed the typical cytoarchitecture of the mature tissue, although features of immaturity were still observable, such as a ganglion cell layer containing many thick cells, very thin plexiform layers, and poorly developed photoreceptors. Moreover, abundant mitotic activity was detected in the entire retina, even in the regions where the layering was complete. The circumferential marginal zone was very prominent and showed abundant mitotic activity. The partially undifferentiated stage of maturation at hatching makes the T. guttata retina an appropriate model with which to study avian postnatal retinal neurogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guadalupe Álvarez-Hernán
- Área de Biología Celular, Departamento de Anatomía, Biología Celular y Zoología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Extremadura, Badajoz, Spain
| | - Elena Sánchez-Resino
- Área de Biología Celular, Departamento de Anatomía, Biología Celular y Zoología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Extremadura, Badajoz, Spain
| | - Ismael Hernández-Núñez
- Área de Biología Celular, Departamento de Anatomía, Biología Celular y Zoología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Extremadura, Badajoz, Spain
| | - Alfonso Marzal
- Área de Zoología, Departamento de Anatomía, Biología Celular y Zoología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Extremadura, Badajoz, Spain
| | - Joaquín Rodríguez-León
- Área de Anatomía Humana, Departamento de Anatomía, Biología Celular y Zoología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Extremadura, Badajoz, Spain
| | - Gervasio Martín-Partido
- Área de Biología Celular, Departamento de Anatomía, Biología Celular y Zoología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Extremadura, Badajoz, Spain
| | - Javier Francisco-Morcillo
- Área de Biología Celular, Departamento de Anatomía, Biología Celular y Zoología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Extremadura, Badajoz, Spain
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11
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Ferner K, Schultz JA, Zeller U. Comparative anatomy of neonates of the three major mammalian groups (monotremes, marsupials, placentals) and implications for the ancestral mammalian neonate morphotype. J Anat 2017; 231:798-822. [PMID: 28960296 PMCID: PMC5696127 DOI: 10.1111/joa.12689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/08/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The existing different modes of reproduction in monotremes, marsupials and placentals are the main source for our current understanding of the origin and evolution of the mammalian reproduction. The reproductive strategies and, in particular, the maturity states of the neonates differ remarkably between the three groups. Monotremes, for example, are the only extant mammals that lay eggs and incubate them for the last third of their embryonic development. In contrast, marsupials and placentals are viviparous and rely on intra-uterine development of the neonates via choriovitelline (mainly marsupials) and chorioallantoic (mainly placentals) placentae. The maturity of a newborn is closely linked to the parental care strategy once the neonate is born. The varying developmental degrees of neonates are the main focus of this study. Monotremes and marsupials produce highly altricial and nearly embryonic offspring. Placental mammals always give birth to more developed newborns with the widest range from altricial to precocial. The ability of a newborn to survive and grow in the environment it was born in depends highly on the degree of maturation of vital organs at the time of birth. Here, the anatomy of four neonates of the three major extant mammalian groups is compared. The basis for this study is histological and ultrastructural serial sections of a hatchling of Ornithorhynchus anatinus (Monotremata), and neonates of Monodelphis domestica (Marsupialia), Mesocricetus auratus (altricial Placentalia) and Macroscelides proboscideus (precocial Placentalia). Special attention was given to the developmental stages of the organs skin, lung, liver and kidney, which are considered crucial for the maintenance of vital functions. The state of the organs of newborn monotremes and marsupials are found to be able to support a minimum of vital functions outside the uterus. They are sufficient to survive, but without capacities for additional energetic challenges. The organs of the altricial placental neonate are further developed, able to support the maintenance of vital functions and short-term metabolic increase. The precocial placental newborn shows the most advanced state of organ development, to allow the maintenance of vital functions, stable thermoregulation and high energetic performance. The ancestral condition of a mammalian neonate is interpreted to be similar to the state of organ development found in the newborns of marsupials and monotremes. In comparison, the newborns of altricial and precocial placentals are derived from the ancestral state to a more mature developmental degree associated with advanced organ systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirsten Ferner
- Leibniz‐Institut für Evolutions‐ und BiodiversitätsforschungMuseum für NaturkundeBerlinGermany
| | - Julia A. Schultz
- Department of Organismal Biology and AnatomyUniversity of ChicagoChicagoILUSA
| | - Ulrich Zeller
- Lebenswissenschaftliche FakultätFG Spezielle ZoologieAlbrecht Daniel Thaer‐Institut für Agrar‐ und GartenbauwissenschaftenHumboldt‐Universität zu BerlinBerlinGermany
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Abstract
A major life stage transition in birds and other oviparous sauropsids is the hatching of the cleidoic egg. Not unlike amphibian metamorphosis, hatching in these species can be regarded as a transition from a relatively well-protected "aqueous" environment to a more hazardous and terrestrial life outside the egg, a transition in which thyroid hormones (THs) (often in concert with glucocorticoids) play an important role. In precocial birds such as the chicken, the perihatch period is characterized by peak values of THs. THs are implicated in the control of muscle development, lung maturation and the switch from chorioallantoic to pulmonary respiration, yolk sac retraction, gut development and induction of hepatic genes to accommodate the change in dietary energy source, initiation of thermoregulation, and the final stages of brain maturation as well as early post-hatch imprinting behavior. There is evidence that, at least for some of these processes, THs may have similar roles in non-avian sauropsids. In altricial birds such as passerines on the other hand, THs do not rise significantly until well after hatching and peak values coincide with the development of endothermy. It is not known how hatching-associated processes are regulated by hormones in these animals or how this developmental mode evolved from TH-dependent precocial hatching.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bert De Groef
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- AgriBio, Centre for AgriBioscience, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Sylvia V.H. Grommen
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- AgriBio, Centre for AgriBioscience, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Veerle M. Darras
- Department of Biology, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- *Correspondence: Veerle M. Darras, Laboratory of Comparative Endocrinology, Department of Biology, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Naamsestraat 61, PB 2464, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium e-mail:
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