Article
Zoology
Rodrigo Pegas, Fabiana R. Costa, Alexander W. A. Kellner
Summary: Studying the muscle structure of extinct groups without descendants is challenging, but reconstructing the jaw muscles of pterosaurs offers a new direction. By using osteological correlates and the extant phylogenetic bracketing method, researchers can estimate bite force and investigate potential dietary habits of pterosaurs.
ZOOLOGICAL JOURNAL OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Juan I. Canale, Sebastian Apesteguia, Pablo A. Gallina, Jonathan Mitchell, Nathan D. Smith, Thomas M. Cullen, Akiko Shinya, Alejandro Haluza, Federico A. Gianechini, Peter J. Makovicky
Summary: This research report introduces a new species of giant carnivorous dinosaur called Meraxes gigas, which has almost complete forelimbs and provides new evidence for the trend of forelimb reduction in theropod dinosaurs. The research also reveals that the diversity of carcharodontosaurids reached its peak before extinction, and the evolution rate of facial ornamentation may be linked to social signaling.
Article
Biology
Leidy Azucena Ramirez-Francel, Leidy Viviana Garcia-Herrera, Sergio Losada-Prado, Gladys Reinoso-Florez, Burton K. Lim, Francisco Sanchez, Alfonso Sanchez-Hernandez, Giovany Guevara
Summary: Studies in Colombia and other tropical regions have shown that skull size significantly contributes to bite force for insect-eating bats. The combined action of cranial traits and jaw morphology gives certain species a biomechanical advantage for feeding on hard prey. The close correlation between skull morphology, bite force, and diet in Neotropical insect-eating bats suggest key interactions within the species and with their prey.
Article
Ecology
Leidy Viviana Garcia-Herrera, Leidy Azucena Ramirez-Francel, Giovany Guevara, Gladys Reinoso-Florez, Alfonso Sanchez-Hernandez, Burton K. Lim, Sergio Losada-Prado
Summary: By analyzing craniodental traits and bite force in Stenodermatinae bats, it was found that skull size is a key determinant of bite force, with feeding habits and certain cranial features playing roles in bite force performance. This study provides insights into the evolutionary adaptations of this highly diverse Neotropical bat group.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Frederik Pueffel, Richard Johnston, David Labonte
Summary: Bite forces are crucial for various aspects of animal ecology, including mating behavior, fighting success, and feeding ability. However, there is a lack of fundamental knowledge about how the morphology and physiology of arthropods' bite apparatus control bite performance and its variation with mandible gape. To fill this gap, researchers developed a biomechanical model that characterizes the relationship between bite force and mandibular opening angle, which was validated using morphological measurements on leaf-cutter ants. This model's deductive and inductive utility was demonstrated through examples, highlighting the physiological properties of the ant mandible muscle, the ants' extraordinary bite forces, and the importance of morphology and physiology in determining bite force magnitude and variation.
ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Biology
Colline Brassard, Marilaine Merlin, Elodie Monchatre-Leroy, Claude Guintard, Jacques Barrat, Helene Gares, Arnaud Larralle, Raymond Triquet, Celine Houssin, Cecile Callou, Raphael Cornette, Anthony Herrel
Summary: This study explored the variability and interrelationships of the jaw system in the red fox, revealing strong associations between cranial and mandible shape, muscle architecture, and bite force, driven largely by size. Compared to dogs, foxes exhibit lower variation in cranial and mandible shape but similar variation in muscle physiological cross-sectional area, with domestication not disrupting the functional links of the jaw system.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Philip G. G. Cox, Peter J. J. Watson
Summary: Feeding in red and grey squirrels was simulated using multi-body dynamics analysis (MDA) to determine the contribution of each jaw-closing muscle in bite force generation. The study found that bite force increased with wider jaw gapes, with the superficial and anterior deep masseter being the main contributors and the temporalis playing a minor role. The analysis also suggested that the temporalis is more important in jaw stabilization than bite force generation. This study demonstrates the usefulness of MDA in understanding squirrel feeding biomechanics, complementing in vivo experimentation.
ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE
(2023)
Editorial Material
Medicine, General & Internal
Adam S. Cifu, Sarah L. Stein
Summary: A 53-year-old woman presented with pain, swelling, and discoloration of her finger after being bitten by a yellow sac spider.
NEW ENGLAND JOURNAL OF MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Hussain Nayef Hussain Alsharif, Kiran Kumar Ganji, Mohammad Khursheed Alam, Srinivas Munisekhar Manay, Vinod Bandela, Mohammed Ghazi Sghaireen, Mohammed Assayed Mousa
Summary: The study found that there are variations in bite force in different stages of periodontitis, but the stage of periodontitis does not significantly affect bite force. Bite force shows a strong positive correlation with the percentage of remaining alveolar bone support and negative correlation with mobility, attachment loss, and gingival recession.
BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL
(2021)
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Jongjin Park, Saeyoung Lee, Minkun Kim, Hyohoon Jeong, Youngmin Yun, Woo-Jin Song
Summary: A 6-year-old neutered male Siamese cat with hindlimb ataxia and blindness for 2 weeks was diagnosed with primary pyomyositis and secondary uveitis. The cat showed improvement after treatment with clindamycin and eye drops containing tobramycin, atropine, and prednisolone. No recurrence and complete resolution of clinical signs were observed during the 6-month follow-up period.
VETERINARY MEDICINE AND SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Eva C. Herbst, Luke E. Meade, Stephan Lautenschlager, Niccolo Fioritti, Torsten M. Scheyer
Summary: This paper introduces a new interactive tool for three-dimensional modelling of muscles in Blender software and provides a guide on reconstructing distorted or incomplete specimens using Blender tools. These methods can be applied to paleontological and human biomechanics research.
ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Paleontology
Debarati Mukherjee, Sanghamitra Ray
Summary: The study of the external morphology and microanatomy of Hyperodapedon premaxillae revealed significant neurovascular features associated with potential specialized feeding behaviors in shallow water environments. The premaxillae showed varying bone compactness along its length, with specialized osteosclerotic conditions at the anterior end. The presence of highly vascularized and dense bone microstructure, along with sensory capabilities and feeding adaptations, suggests unique functional attributes of early-diverging archosauromorphs.
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Veronika Mlitz, Marcela Hermann, Maria Buchberger, Erwin Tschachler, Leopold Eckhart
Summary: In this study, scaffoldin was found to play an important role in the development of the avian beak, particularly in the morphogenesis of the egg tooth. The mRNA levels of scaffoldin and cornulin were investigated in the beaks and other embryonic tissues of chickens and quails, showing that both proteins are expressed in these tissues. Immunohistochemistry revealed the localization of scaffoldin in the peridermal compartment of the egg tooth and a multilayered structure on the lower beak.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Bartosz Borczyk, Tomasz Skawinski
Summary: We dissected the cephalic musculature of 28 snake species and found that the pattern of their musculature is conservative. There is no interspecific variation in the intermandibular muscles or in the posterior jaw adductors. Variation within the dorsal constrictors and lateral jaw adductors is relatively low, possibly due to morphological limitations and functional constraints.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Rahul K. Gajbhiye, Itta Krishna Chaaithanya, Hrishikesh Munshi, Ranjan Kumar Prusty, Amarendra Mahapatra, Subrata Kumar Palo, Sanghamitra Pati, Arun Yadav, Manohar Bansode, Shashikant Shambharkar, Kanna Madavi, Himmatrao S. Bawaskar, Smita D. Mahale
Summary: India is the snakebite capital of the world, yet there is limited information on awareness and knowledge about snakebite. The National Snakebite Project aims to build capacity in the healthcare system and empower communities in preventing and managing snakebite envenomation. Through a multi-sectoral approach and five phases of research and intervention, the project seeks to reduce the burden of snakebite and provide critical inputs for revising the National Snakebite Treatment protocol.
Article
Paleontology
Damiano Landi, Logan King, Qi Zhao, Emily J. Rayfield, Michael J. Benton, Laura Porro
Summary: The research revealed that Psittacosaurus lujiatunensis underwent posture and dietary shifts between hatchlings and adults, but differences in jaw systems between adults and hatchlings were found to be modest.
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Peter J. Bishop, Krijn B. Michel, Antoine Falisse, Andrew R. Cuff, Vivian R. Allen, Friedl De Groote, John R. Hutchinson
Summary: This study combined a detailed musculoskeletal model of a small ground bird's hindlimb with experimental motion and force data to explore muscle function during walking and running. The results provided insights into muscle function across different muscles and can help refine approaches used to study extinct species. Computational models like this one can be useful in understanding musculoskeletal function and whole-organismal performance.
PLOS COMPUTATIONAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Anatomy & Morphology
Jordan Bestwick, Andrew S. Jones, Sterling J. Nesbitt, Stephan Lautenschlager, Emily J. Rayfield, Andrew R. Cuff, David J. Button, Paul M. Barrett, Laura B. Porro, Richard J. Butler
Summary: The study focused on the skull morphology and function of the pseudosuchian reptile Effigia, revealing it to be a specialist herbivore likely feeding on softer plant material, a unique niche among the study taxa. The research found limited functional convergence with Ornithomimus and Struthio despite morphological similarities, emphasizing that superficial morphological similarity does not always imply functional and ecological convergence.
ANATOMICAL RECORD-ADVANCES IN INTEGRATIVE ANATOMY AND EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Anatomy & Morphology
Stephen M. Gatesy, Armita R. Manafzadeh, Peter J. Bishop, Morgan L. Turner, Robert E. Kambic, Andrew R. Cuff, John R. Hutchinson
Summary: This paper discusses the dominance of the last common ancestor of birds and crocodylians in terrestrial Mesozoic ecosystems and the importance of studying archosaur skeletal structure using 3-D digital models. The authors propose a standard methodological approach for measuring the position and orientation of the major segments of the archosaur pelvis and hindlimb in 3-D, providing examples with extant guineafowl and alligator. These proposed conventions can also be applied to different vertebrate clades to compare posture and movement.
JOURNAL OF ANATOMY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Antonio Ballell, Emily J. Rayfield, Michael J. Benton
Summary: This study describes the osteological features and provides a complete reconstruction of the forelimb and hindlimb musculature of the Late Triassic sauropodomorph Thecodontosaurus antiquus. The results suggest that Thecodontosaurus was an agile biped, shedding light on the timing of important modifications in the appendicular musculature during the evolution of sauropodomorphs and their transition to quadrupedalism.
ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Zoology
A. R. Cuff, O. E. Demuth, K. Michel, A. Otero, R. Pintore, D. T. Polet, A. L. A. Wiseman, J. R. Hutchinson
Summary: This study integrates experimental data from locomotion in extant archosaurs with predictive simulations using musculoskeletal models, to understand how these animals walked, ran, and jumped. The simulations also provide insights into the locomotion of extinct archosaurs. The results suggest that early dinosaurs had some quantifiable differences in locomotor function and performance compared to other archosaurs.
INTEGRATIVE AND COMPARATIVE BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Paleontology
Samuel R. R. Cross, Benjamin C. Moon, Thomas L. Stubbs, Emily J. Rayfield, Michael J. Benton
Summary: The study investigates the macroevolution of mosasauroid feeding and locomotory disparity using continuous characters measured from the mandible and forelimb as proxies. It finds that innovation and niche partitioning play important roles in driving morphological disparity. The early evolution of Mosasauroidea is characterized by large shifts in morphology, while the later diversification is associated with the acquisition of novel feeding and locomotory strategies. Major morphological innovations are not associated with evolutionary rate shifts, suggesting constant and greater niche occupation in Late Cretaceous oceans. Biological drivers are found to be the primary sculptors of mosasauroid morphological disparity.
Article
Anatomy & Morphology
Andrew R. Cuff, Ashleigh L. A. Wiseman, Peter J. Bishop, Krijn B. Michel, Raphaelle Gaignet, John R. Hutchinson
Summary: In vertebrates, muscle forces acting on bones drive active movement. This study investigates the relationship between physiological cross-sectional area (PCSA) and muscular attachment areas (AAs) in hindlimb muscles of Nile crocodiles and bird species. Findings show variations in the ratio between AAs and PCSA within and across species, but muscle fascicle lengths are consistent within individual species. Equations can predict the ratio of muscle AA to PCSA, and this method can be used to estimate muscle sizes in archosaurian muscles.
JOURNAL OF ANATOMY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
James R. G. Rawson, Borja Esteve-Altava, Laura B. Porro, Hugo Dutel, Emily J. Rayfield
Summary: The developmental underpinnings and functional consequences of modifications to the limbs during the origin of the tetrapod body plan are well characterized. However, the evolution of the tetrapod skull is less understood. This study quantifies topological changes to cranial anatomy in fossil and living taxa to investigate the impact of bone loss on morphological diversification and identifies a time offset between fin-limb and cranial morphological evolution.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Antonio Ballell, Michael J. Benton, Emily J. Rayfield
Summary: This study investigates the dental morphofunctional diversity of early dinosaurs and predicts their diets using biomechanical and morphometric methods. The results suggest that early saurischians/theropods were carnivores, while sauropodomorphs underwent a dietary shift from carnivory to herbivory. Early ornithischians were likely omnivores. This early dietary diversity played a fundamental role in the rise of dinosaurs to ecological dominance.
Article
Biology
Zichuan Qin, Chun-Chi Liao, Michael J. Benton, Emily J. Rayfield
Summary: This study investigates the functions and formation process of the hand claws of early-branching maniraptoran dinosaurs using finite element analysis and functional-space analysis. The results show distinct functional divergence among the hand claws, with early-branching ones being used for digging and late-branching ones for display. The study also confirms that most therizinosaurians were herbivores.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Leanne A. A. Melbourne, Juliet Brodie, Emily J. J. Rayfield, Danna Titelboim, Oliver T. T. Lord, Daniela N. N. Schmidt
Summary: Coralline algae form complex habitats and are biodiversity hotspots. Climate change may decrease their structural integrity, particularly for southern species. Cellular and mineral properties vary greatly within species, between sites, and over time, with smaller temporal differences compared to spatial differences. Future anthropogenic climate change may result in a loss of habitat complexity in the south and expansion of weaker southern species into northern sites.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Meeting Abstract
Zoology
A. R. Cuff, A. L. A. Wiseman, D. T. Polet, J. R. Hutchinson
INTEGRATIVE AND COMPARATIVE BIOLOGY
(2023)
Meeting Abstract
Zoology
A. L. A. Wiseman, P. J. Bishop, O. E. Demuth, A. R. Cuff, K. B. Michel, J. R. Hutchinson
INTEGRATIVE AND COMPARATIVE BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
William J. Deakin, Philip S. L. Anderson, Wendy den Boer, Thomas J. Smith, Jennifer J. Hill, Martin Rucklin, Philip C. J. Donoghue, Emily J. Rayfield
Summary: The study shows that the earliest jaw shapes were optimized for fast closure and stress resistance, indicating a predatory feeding function. As jawed vertebrates evolved, the optimization of jaw shapes for these functions decreased over time. This continual exploration of previously unoccupied morphospace laid the foundation for diverse feeding strategies and the success of jawed vertebrates.