How to build a dinosaur: Musculoskeletal modeling and simulation of locomotor biomechanics in extinct animals

Paleobiology, Journal Year: 2020, Volume and Issue: 47(1), P. 1 - 38

Published: Oct. 27, 2020

Abstract The intersection of paleontology and biomechanics can be reciprocally illuminating, helping to improve paleobiological knowledge extinct species furthering our understanding the generality biomechanical principles derived from study extant species. However, working with data gleaned primarily fossil record has its challenges. Building on decades prior research, we outline critically discuss a complete workflow for analysis species, using locomotor in Triassic theropod dinosaur Coelophysis as case study. We progress digital capture bone morphology creating rigged skeletal models, reconstructing musculature soft tissue volumes, development computational musculoskeletal finally execution simulations. Using three-dimensional model comprising 33 muscles, static inverse simulation mid-stance running shows that probably used more upright (extended) hindlimb postures was likely capable withstanding vertical ground reaction force magnitude than 2.5 times body weight. identify muscle force-generating capacity key source uncertainty simulations, highlighting need refined methods estimating intrinsic parameters such fiber length. Our approach emphasizes explicit application quantitative techniques physics-based principles, which helps maximize results robustness reproducibility. Although focus one specific taxon question, many philosophies explored here have much them, so they applied investigation other organisms.

Language: Английский

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A new phylogeny of cerapodan dinosaurs

Historical Biology, Journal Year: 2020, Volume and Issue: 33(10), P. 2335 - 2355

Published: July 20, 2020

This work attempts at providing a revised framework for ornithischian phylogeny, based on an exhaustive data compilation of already published analyses, critical re-evaluation osteological characters and in-depth checking scoring to fix mistakes that have accumulated in previous analyses; we also included recently described basal ornithischians, marginocephalians ornithopods. 'Heterodontosaurids' are recovered as paraphyletic group Marginocephalia progressively lead the dome-headed 'true' pachycephalosaurs. consequently fall within Pachycephalosauria sensu Sereno, 1998. The reconfiguration cerapodan relationships pulls origins ornithopods earliest stages Jurassic. Based present analysis, discuss ornithopod relationships, with particular focus Iguanodontia. Tenontosaurus is found basalmost iguanodontian. monophyly Rhabdodontomorpha position more derived than supported by analysis.

Language: Английский

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Challenges and advances in measuring phenotypic convergence

Evolution, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 78(8), P. 1355 - 1371

Published: May 20, 2024

Abstract Tests of phenotypic convergence can provide evidence adaptive evolution, and the popularity such studies has grown in recent years due to development novel, quantitative methods for identifying measuring convergence. These include commonly applied C1–C4 measures Stayton (2015a), which measure morphological distances between lineages, Ornstein–Uhlenbeck (OU) model-fitting analyses, test whether lineages converged on shared peaks. We performance C-measures other under various evolutionary scenarios reveal a critical issue with C-measures: they often misidentify divergent as convergent. address this by developing novel measures—Ct1–Ct4-measures—that calculate at specific points time, minimizing possibility misidentifying taxa Ct-measures are most appropriate when focal same or similar geologic ages (e.g., extant taxa), meaning that lineages’ histories considerable overlap time. Beyond C-measures, we find all influenced position space, outliers statistically more likely be measured strongly Further, mimic researchers assess using OU models priori regime assignments classifying ecological traits) multiple-regime phenotypically assigned selective outperform simpler models. This highlights model support these should not assumed always reflect among regime. Our new Ct1–Ct4-measures an improved comparative tool, but emphasize available imperfect, recognize limitations use multiple lines hypotheses.

Language: Английский

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Diet of Mesozoic toothed birds (Longipterygidae) inferred from quantitative analysis of extant avian diet proxies

BMC Biology, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 20(1)

Published: May 12, 2022

Birds are key indicator species in extant ecosystems, and thus we would expect extinct birds to provide insights into the nature of ancient ecosystems. However, many aspects bird ecology, particularly their diet, remain obscure. One group particular interest is bizarre toothed long-snouted longipterygid birds. Longipterygidae most well-understood family enantiornithine birds, dominant Cretaceous period. as with Mesozoic diet remains entirely speculative.

Language: Английский

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Multiple evolutionary origins and losses of tooth complexity in squamates

Nature Communications, Journal Year: 2021, Volume and Issue: 12(1)

Published: Oct. 14, 2021

Teeth act as tools for acquiring and processing food, thus holding a prominent role in vertebrate evolution. In mammals, dental-dietary adaptations rely on tooth complexity variations controlled by cusp number pattern. Complexity increase through addition has dominated the diversification of mammals. However, studies Mammalia alone cannot reveal patterns conserved throughout Here, we use morphometric phylogenetic comparative methods across fossil extant squamates to show they also repeatedly evolved increasingly complex teeth, but with more flexibility than Since Late Jurassic, multiple-cusped teeth over 20 times independently from single-cusped common ancestor. Squamates frequently lost cusps varied morphologies at heterogeneous rates. Tooth correlation changes plant consumption, resulting several major increases speciation. Complex played critical evolution outside Mammalia, exemplifying labile system

Language: Английский

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Macroevolutionary trends in theropod dinosaur feeding mechanics

Current Biology, Journal Year: 2021, Volume and Issue: 32(3), P. 677 - 686.e3

Published: Dec. 16, 2021

Language: Английский

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Multiple pathways to herbivory underpinned deep divergences in ornithischian evolution

Current Biology, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 33(3), P. 557 - 565.e7

Published: Jan. 5, 2023

The extent to which evolution is deterministic a key question in biology,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9 with intensive debate on how adaptation6,10,11,12,13 and constraints14,15,16 might canalize solutions ecological challenges.4,5,6 Alternatively, unique adaptations1,9,17 phylogenetic contingency1,3,18 may render fundamentally unpredictable.3 Information from the fossil record critical this debate,1,2,11 but performance data for extinct taxa are limited.7 This knowledge gap significant, as general morphology be poor predictor of biomechanical performance.17,19,20 High-fiber herbivory originated multiple times within ornithischian dinosaurs,21 making them an ideal clade investigating evolutionary responses similar pressures.22 However, previous modeling studies crania17,23,24,25 have not compared early-diverging spanning independent acquisitions herbivory. Here, we perform finite-element analysis skull five members major clades characterize morphofunctional pathways Results reveal limited functional convergence among clades, each instead achieving comparable performance, terms reconstructed patterns magnitudes functionally induced stress, through different adaptations feeding apparatus. Thyreophorans compensated plesiomorphic low increased absolute size, heterodontosaurids expanded jaw adductor muscle volume, ornithopods system efficiency, ceratopsians combined these approaches. These distinct challenges Ornithischia underpinned success diverse clade. Furthermore, resolution equivalent problems single macroevolutionary time demonstrates that phenotypic necessarily predictable, arising interplay adaptation, innovation, contingency, constraints.1,2,3,7,8,9,18.

Language: Английский

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Locomotion and the early Mesozoic success of Archosauromorpha

Royal Society Open Science, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 11(2)

Published: Feb. 1, 2024

The Triassic was a time of ecological upheaval as life recovered from the Permian-Triassic mass extinction. Archosauromorphs were key component recovery, diversifying substantially during and encompassing origins dinosaurs, pterosaurs crocodylomorphs. Here, we explore evolution locomotion in Archosauromorpha to test whether dinosaurs show any distinctive locomotory features that might explain their success. We implement geometric morphometrics on limb bone shapes use ratios calculate bipedality cursoriality metrics. find Avemetatarsalia (dinosaurs, relatives) exhibit more variable form than other group, indicating wider range modes. earliest avemetatarsalians bipedal cursorial, increased through with notable diversification shifts following extinction events. This is especially true even though these changes cannot be discriminated stochastic process. By contrast, Pseudosuchia (crocodilians restricted locomotor mode disparity decreasing time, suggesting limited adaptation vulnerability Perhaps greater plasticity gave them competitive advantage changing climates Late Triassic.

Language: Английский

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The macroevolutionary landscape of short-necked plesiosaurians

Scientific Reports, Journal Year: 2020, Volume and Issue: 10(1)

Published: Oct. 2, 2020

Abstract Throughout their evolution, tetrapods have repeatedly colonised a series of ecological niches in marine ecosystems, producing textbook examples convergent evolution. However, this evolutionary phenomenon has typically been assessed qualitatively and broad-brush frameworks that imply simplistic macroevolutionary landscapes. We establish protocol to visualize the density trait space occupancy thoroughly test for existence apply new phenotypic dataset describing morphology short-necked plesiosaurians, major component Mesozoic food webs (ca. 201 66 Mya). Plesiosaurians evolved body plan multiple times during 135-million-year history, making them an ideal case find ample evidence bimodal craniodental landscape separating latirostrines from longirostrine taxa, providing first phylogenetically-explicit quantitative assessment trophic diversity extinct reptiles. This pattern was established as early Middle Jurassic maintained patterns plesiosaurians until Late Cretaceous (Turonian) collapse unimodal comprising forms with novel morphologies. study highlights potential severe environmental perturbations profoundly alter dynamics animals occupying top chains.

Language: Английский

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The diet of early birds based on modern and fossil evidence and a new framework for its reconstruction

Biological reviews/Biological reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society, Journal Year: 2021, Volume and Issue: 96(5), P. 2058 - 2112

Published: July 8, 2021

Birds are some of the most diverse organisms on Earth, with species inhabiting a wide variety niches across every major biome. As such, birds vital to our understanding modern ecosystems. Unfortunately, evolutionary history ecosystems is hampered by knowledge gaps in origin bird diversity and ecosystem ecology. A crucial part addressing these shortcomings improving earliest birds, non-avian avialans (i.e. non-crown birds), particularly their diet. The diet has been matter debate, large because ambiguous qualitative approaches that have used reconstruct it. Here we review methods for determining fossil avians crown birds) as well theropods, comment usefulness when applied avialans. We use this propose set comparable, quantitative ascertain basis provide consensus what currently know about While no single approach can precisely predict each exclude diets narrow dietary possibilities. recommend combining (i) dental microwear, (ii) landmark-based muscular reconstruction, (iii) stable isotope geochemistry, (iv) body mass estimations, (v) traditional and/or geometric morphometric analysis, (vi) lever modelling, (vii) finite element analysis accurately. Our provides specific methodologies implement discusses complications future researchers should keep mind. note current forms assessment mesowear, skull morphometrics, certain systems yet be proven effective at discerning On report state avialan which remains very incomplete. ancestral condition unclear due scarce data contradictory evidence Archaeopteryx. Among early pygostylians, Confuciusornis mechanical advantage pointing herbivory, whilst Sapeornis only indicating granivory, agreeing fossilised ingested material known taxon. enantiornithine ornithothoracine Shenqiornis pedal carnivory. In hongshanornithid ornithuromorph Hongshanornis indicates but agrees gastrolith ingestion Mechanical fish support carnivory songlingornithid Yanornis. Due sparsity robust assignments, clear trends evolution emerged. Dietary seems increase through time, preservational bias associated predominance from Early Cretaceous Jehol Lagerstätte. With new framework synthesis diet, expect become much clearer coming years, especially fossils other locations climates found. This will allow deeper more role played Mesozoic how developed into pivotal

Language: Английский

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