Search results for "heterochrony"

Summer air temperature, reconstructions from the last glacial stage based on rodents from the site Taillis-des-Coteaux (Vienne), Western France.

2014

AbstractThe oxygen isotope composition of phosphate from tooth enamel of rodents (δ18Op) constitutes a valuable proxy to reconstruct past air temperatures in continental environments. This method has been applied to rodent dental remains from three genera, Arvicola sp., Microtus sp. and Dicrostonyx sp., coming from Taillis-des-Coteaux, Vienne, France. This archaeological site contains an exceptionally preserved sedimentary sequence spanning almost the whole Upper Palaeolithic, including seven stratigraphic layers dated from 35 to 17 cal ka BP. The abundant presence of rodent remains offers the opportunity to quantify the climatic fluctuations coeval of the various stages of human occupation…

Biomechanical insights into the dentition of megatooth sharks (Lamniformes: Otodontidae)

2021

AbstractThe evolution of gigantism in extinct otodontid sharks was paralleled by a series of drastic modifications in their dentition including widening of the crowns, loss of lateral cusplets, and acquisition of serrated cutting edges. These traits have generally been interpreted as key functional features that enabled the transition from piscivory to more energetic diets based on marine mammals, ultimately leading to the evolution of titanic body sizes in the most recent forms (including the emblematic Otodus megalodon). To investigate this hypothesis, we evaluate the biomechanics of the anterior, lateral, and posterior teeth of five otodontid species under different loading conditions by…

Eucynodont teeth from the Late Triassic of Krasiejów, Southern Poland

2021

Recent discoveries of Mammaliamorph teeth in the Keuper of southern Poland have extended the global record of eucynodonts in the Late Triassic and revealed a significant diversity of the group at that time. Here,we expand on this record with the description of new cynodont postcanine teeth from the Krasiejów bone bed. They show the dental morphology typical for Dromatheriidae, with a single root and crown without cingulum. We assigned them to Polonodon woznikensis, described from Woźniki. None of the 38 teeth from Krasiejów and Woźniki exhibit signs of serious wear, potentially indicating a very fast rate of tooth replacement in Polonodon.

Major trends in stem anatomy and growth forms in the perianth-bearing Piperales, with special focus on Aristolochia.

2014

International audience; BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The order Piperales has the highest diversity of growth forms among the earliest angiosperm lineages, including trees, shrubs, climbers and herbs. However, within the perianth-bearing Piperales (Asarum, Saruma, Lactoris, Hydnora, Prosopanche, Thottea and Aristolochia), climbing species only occur in the most species-rich genus Aristolochia. This study traces anatomical and morphological traits among these lineages, to detect trends in growth form evolution and developmental processes. METHODS: Transverse stem sections of different developmental stages of representatives of Asarum, Saruma, Lactoris, Hydnora, Thottea and Aristolochia were compared …

The role of heterochrony in Schizanthus flower evolution- a quantitative analysis

2021

Abstract Changes in the timing of development within a lineage (heterochrony) have an enormous impact on floral diversification. However, comparative quantitative studies in a broad range of ontogenetic stages are still needed to identify the role of different heterochronic processes shaping diversification patterns. In this study, changes in petal development were compared across species in the genus Schizanthus showing floral diversification mediated by pollinators. In this genus, transitions from bee- to hummingbird- and moth- pollination are associated with lower lip diversification. Variation in size and shape of petals was quantified at key ontogenetic stages by using a traditional an…

2017

Diversification in flower shape and function is triggered by the high plasticity of flower meristems. Minute changes in space and time can profoundly affect the formation of adult structures. Dipsacoideae provides an excellent model system to investigate the evolutionary aspects of temporal and spatial changes in flower development due to its small size, the resolved phylogenetic framework, and significant diversity of perianth form and merosity. In the present study, we investigated the sequence of floral organ initiation and quantified the interactions between flower meristem expansion and petal primordium size in eight species representing two major clades of Dipsacoideae. Our quantitati…

Heterochronic differentiation of sexual dimorphs among Jurassic ammonite species

1997

Ontogenetic and then heterochronic approaches are used here to analyze sexual differentiation within two well-known Jurassic dimorphic species. This analysis compares two ways of determining the relative biological age of ammonites, one using size (diameter) and the other the number of septa as a proxy of age. The shape standard is established from factor analysis of morphological and growth parameters. Size-age-shape relationships are analyzed on the basis of a new heterochronic representation. When diameter is used as a proxy of age, microconch morphs are globally considered to be progenetic compared with macroconch morphs. When size and age are determined separately and shape is included…

Existe-t-il une crise au passage Lias-Dogger chez les ammonites? Approche morphometrique par quantification de la disparite morphologique

2001

Abstract Morphological changes observed in ammonites at the Lias-Dogger (Toarcian-Aalenian) boundary are analyzed here. The study covers all known ammonites worldwide over some 2 m.y. (the last two biozones of the Toarcian: Pseudoradiosa and Aalensis and the first biozone of the Aalenian: Opalinum). Ammonite taxonomy at this boundary is still open to question, the main disagreements being over groupings at family or super-family level. The evolutionary schema developed by Tintant and Mouterde [1981] shows two main sets of Ammonitina for the time: (1) the dominant Hammatocerataceae (Graphoceratidae+Hammatoceratidae) and (2) the final representatives of the Hildocerataceae. Two conservative a…

L'ontogenèse complexe du spatangue Echinocardium cordatum: Un test des standards des trajectoires hétérochroniques

1991

The growth of the spatangoid echinoid Echinocardium cordatum is described by using the three standards (size,shape and age) that are classicaly involved in analyses of heterochronies. A population from Normandy, including all the growth stages, allows an ontogenetic reference to be established, while comparisons are performed with adult samples from other localities (Brittany, Aquitaine, and New-Zealand). The morphology of E. cordatum is characterized by 23 measured parameters and 13 calculated indexes. The ontogenetic trajectory of the species is depicted from the measurements of the size increments, from the analysis of the shape changes, and from an estimate of age. An estimate of the ag…

Vers une approche globale de l'évolution des Hominidés

1998

Abstract Two models of diversification of the common ancestor of gorillas, chimpanzees and men can be proposed on the basis of the distribution of chromosomal rearrangements in extant species and reconsideration of the role played by climate. The small genetic divergence between chimpanzees and humans is greatly amplified at the morphological level, thus constituting the ‘human paradox’. This paradox is resolved by the economical and flexible evolutionary mechanism of mutations in regulator genes and the heterochronies they control, which are the true internal clocks of evolution. Changes in cranial morphology are quantified and used to analyse and explain the steps in the transition from g…