Article
Geology
Xu Dai, Dieter Korn, Haijun Song
Summary: Ammonoids suffered a diversity bottleneck during the Permian-Triassic mass extinction and rapidly diversified in the Early Triassic. The survivors of the extinction were mainly smooth and weakly ornamented forms, contrasting with the coarsely ornamented forms dominating before the extinction. The morphological shift from coarsely ornamented to smooth forms during the extinction possibly indicates an ecological turnover of ammonoids.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Laura Carman, Thor F. Besier, Julie Choisne
Summary: There are two methods for generating paediatric musculoskeletal geometry: scaling generic adult geometry, which is widely accessible but inaccurate, and obtaining geometry from medical imaging, which is accurate but time-consuming and costly. A population-based shape model was developed to generate accurate and accessible musculoskeletal geometry in a paediatric population. The model accurately predicted bone geometry without the need for medical imaging.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Hylke van der Wel, Bingjiang Qiu, Fred K. L. Spijkervet, Johan Jansma, Rutger H. Schepers, Joep Kraeima
Summary: The aim of this study was to investigate the value of 3D Statistical Shape Modelling for orthognathic surgery planning. The study demonstrated that statistical shape modelling can provide relevant information about mandible shape variations and differences between male and female patients, which can improve surgical planning for mandibular shape manipulations.
JOURNAL OF PERSONALIZED MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Zachary M. Lewin, Francisca Astorga, Luis E. Escobar, Scott Carver
Summary: Most pathogens infect multiple host species, but the variation in individual-level impacts of infection remains poorly understood. Using the ectoparasitic mite Sarcoptes scabiei as a model, this study assessed individual-level variation in pathogen impacts across different host species. The study compiled impacts from 77 host species, generated a standardized metric to compare impacts, and identified the most impacted host species.
TRANSBOUNDARY AND EMERGING DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Yesenia Margarita Vega-Sanchez, Luis Mendoza-Cuenca, Antonio Gonzalez-Rodriguez
Summary: This study analyzes the morphological, behavioral, and genetic differences between two cryptic species of the genus Hetaerina to understand the reproductive isolation and the effect of behavior interference. The results show that divergence in the shape of the caudal appendages is the main premating barrier that prevents interspecific mating.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Erynn H. Johnson, Briana M. DiMarco, David J. Peterman, Aja M. Carter, Warren D. Allmon
Summary: The authors conducted the first physical compression experiments on model ammonoid septa and found that increasing complexity of septal margins does not increase compression resistance. They also proposed the hypothesis that the evolution of septal shape may be closely tied to the placement of the siphuncle foramen.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
James D. Witts, Corinne E. Myers, Matthew P. Garb, Kayla M. Irizarry, Ekaterina Larina, Anastasia Rashkova, Neil H. Landman
Summary: This study examines the temporal and spatial variation in the morphology of the ammonoid cephalopod Discoscaphites iris. The results suggest that there is no net accumulation of evolutionary change in morphology within this species. However, there may be limited population-scale ecophenotypic plasticity. The lack of directional changes in morphology before the K/Pg boundary supports a model of dynamic evolutionary stasis.
Article
Entomology
Carolina Vilaseca, Marco A. Mendez, Carlos F. Pinto, Darija Lemic, Hugo A. Benitez
Summary: This research focused on analyzing the biological adaptation of the Triatoma infestans vector species from two different regions in Bolivia, using advanced geometric morphometric tools. The study revealed the morphological variation of T. infestans and provided insights into its biological adaptation.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Willemina A. van Veldhuizen, Richte C. L. Schuurmann, Frank F. A. IJpma, Rogier H. J. Kropman, George A. Antoniou, Jelmer M. Wolterink, Jean-Paul P. M. de Vries
Summary: This study uses a statistical shape model (SSM) to analyze and describe the morphology of the infra-abdominal aortic neck, identifying five important shape features. The SSM model provides an objective and quantitative description of the neck morphology in individual patients.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Shanmei Cheng, Weidong Zeng, Jing Wang, Lei Liu, Hua Liang, Yixuan Kou, Hengchang Wang, Dengmei Fan, Zhiyong Zhang
Summary: This study used geometric morphometrics to investigate leaf variation, DNA barcoding and phylogenetic reconstruction to search for genetic gaps, and population genetic methods to compare predicted ecological niches of two species within the Asteropyrum genus. The results revealed overlapping leaf forms, lack of genetic differentiation, and minimal ecological and geographical differences between the two taxa.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Agronomy
Marcella Nunes de Freitas, Marcos Altomani Neves Dias, Francisco Guilhien Gomes-Junior, Haynna Fernandes Abud, Lucio Borges de Araujo, Thiago Finotti de Moraes
Summary: The study focused on differentiating Urochloa seeds using image analysis techniques, showing that the Tomato Analyzer achieved an accuracy level of over 80% in distinguishing the seeds, while the Groundeye system displayed high efficiency in differentiating the seeds of most Urochloa varieties, with the exception of Piata and Xaraes.
Article
Agronomy
Jorge Aleman-Baez, Jian Qin, Chengcheng Cai, Chunmei Zou, Johan Bucher, Maria-Joao Paulo, Roeland E. Voorrips, Guusje Bonnema
Summary: Correlations between the morphological traits of cabbage rosette leaves and heads were identified, and 50 robust quantitative trait loci (QTLs) were found through genome-wide association studies. Half of these loci affect both organs. This study provides valuable insights into the relationship and genetic basis of leaf development and leafy head formation in cabbage.
THEORETICAL AND APPLIED GENETICS
(2022)
Article
Acoustics
Si-Si Shen, Jie Yao, Wei-Xuan Zhang, Da-Jian Wu
Summary: A complete model in the frequency domain is developed to analyze the photoacoustic (PA) response of core-shell particles. The study reveals that core-shell particles exhibit pronounced resonant modes, which vary with the thickness of the shell and the radius of the core. The structure can be monitored by analyzing the PA signals.
JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Anthropology
Hester Hanegraef, Romain David, Fred Spoor
Summary: The study explores the variations and differences in maxillary morphology among modern humans and African apes, providing a taxonomically up-to-date framework for interpreting hominin fossil records. Significant differences in maxillary shapes exist between extant hominine species and subspecies, with complete separation observed only at the genus level. Interestingly, sexual shape dimorphism patterns differ among Pan, Gorilla, and Homo.
JOURNAL OF HUMAN EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Multidisciplinary
Loic Crouzier, Frederic Pailloux, Alexandra Delvallee, Laurent Devoille, Nicolas Feltin, Christophe Tromas
Summary: The study analyzes the morphology of amorphous silica NPs in 3D space using Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy with HAADF-STEM imaging mode. A method of adjusting the signal strength is developed to determine the height of nano-objects, emphasizing their spheroidal shape and preferential orientation on the substrate.
Article
Zoology
Nicholas Hebdon, P. David Polly, David Joseph Peterman, Kathleen A. Ritterbush
Summary: Technological advancements in the past two decades have led to a diversification and enhancement of analytical tools used in biomechanical and functional morphology research. However, the complexity of organisms means that often only one functional narrative is considered at a time. Joint performance landscapes determined by maximum likelihood offer a valuable tool to synthesize multiple functional hypotheses and explore an organism's ecology. Using the example of the morphological transition of ammonoids, this study finds that hydrodynamic measures of performance do little to explain the shift in morphological occupation, emphasizing the need for more robust investigation of alternative functional hypotheses.
INTEGRATIVE AND COMPARATIVE BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Kathleen Anita Ritterbush, Nicholas Hebdon
Summary: We investigated the hydrodynamic costs and advantages of different conch geometries using computational fluid dynamics simulations. We found that small ammonoids could travel 1-3 diameters per second, while larger ones could achieve faster speeds. These velocities are proposed for short bursts of jet propulsion to escape predators or rivals.
Article
Paleontology
Nicholas Hebdon, Kathleen A. Ritterbush, YunJi Choi
PALAEONTOLOGIA ELECTRONICA
(2020)
