| 121. |
- Pettersson, Johan, et al.
(författare)
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The fossil alga Chaetocladus gracilis revisited : new material from the Silurian of Sweden
- 2020
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Ingår i: GFF. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1103-5897 .- 2000-0863. ; 142:4, s. 304-308
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In 2006, a new species of non-calcified dasycladalean alga, Chaetocladus gracilis, from the upper Silurian of Skåne (Scania), southernmost Sweden, was erected. The original description was based on a single incomplete fossil recovered from the abandoned limestone quarry at Bjärsjölagård, a classic geologic locality in Scania. Here we present four additional and, importantly, more complete specimens from this same site and type stratum. This new material largely corroborates the general anatomical features of C. gracilis, but also adds some intricate details, most notably with regards to the external sheet-like phytoleim and organisation of the laterals. Elemental mapping confirmed an expected carbonaceous composition of the fossils, which are embedded in a calcareous mudstone. These additional fossils show that the originally described specimen was not a singular occurrence at this locality. Based on the state of preservation of our algal fossils, we note that the mudstone facies of the Ludlow Bjärsjölagård Limestone Member of the Klinta Formation (Öved-Ramsåsa Group), from which all C. gracilis have been recovered, share characteristics with deposits typically referred to as “algal-Lagerstätten”.
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| 122. |
- Qiao, Tuo, et al.
(författare)
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Early Gnathostome Phylogeny Revisited : Multiple Method Consensus
- 2016
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Ingår i: PLOS ONE. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 11:9
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- A series of recent studies recovered consistent phylogenetic scenarios of jawed vertebrates, such as the paraphyly of placoderms with respect to crown gnathostomes, and antiarchs as the sister group of all other jawed vertebrates. However, some of the phylogenetic relationships within the group have remained controversial, such as the positions of Entelognathus, ptyctodontids, and the Guiyu-lineage that comprises Guiyu, Psarolepis and Achoania. The revision of the dataset in a recent study reveals a modified phylogenetic hypothesis, which shows that some of these phylogenetic conflicts were sourced from a few inadvertent miscodings. The interrelationships of early gnathostomes are addressed based on a combined new dataset with 103 taxa and 335 characters, which is the most comprehensive morphological dataset constructed to date. This dataset is investigated in a phylogenetic context using maximum parsimony (MP), Bayesian inference (BI) and maximum likelihood (ML) approaches in an attempt to explore the consensus and incongruence between the hypotheses of early gnathostome interrelationships recovered from different methods. Our findings consistently corroborate the paraphyly of placoderms, all 'acanthodians' as a paraphyletic stem group of chondrichthyans, Entelognathus as a stem gnathostome, and the Guiyu-lineage as stem sarcopterygians. The incongruence using different methods is less significant than the consensus, and mainly relates to the positions of the placoderm Wuttagoonaspis, the stem chondrichthyan Ramirosuarezia, and the stem osteichthyan Lophosteus D the taxa that are either poorly known or highly specialized in character complement. Given that the different performances of each phylogenetic approach, our study provides an empirical case that the multiple phylogenetic analyses of morphological data are mutually complementary rather than redundant.
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| 123. |
- Qu, Qingming, et al.
(författare)
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The origin of novel features by changes in developmental mechanisms : ontogeny and three-dimensional microanatomy of polyodontode scales of two early osteichthyans
- 2017
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Ingår i: Biological Reviews. - : Wiley. - 1464-7931 .- 1469-185X. ; 92:2, s. 1189-1212
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Recent advances in synchrotron imaging allow us to study the three-dimensional (3D) histology of vertebrate fossils, including microfossils (e.g. teeth and scales) of early jawed vertebrates. These microfossils can often be scanned at submicron resolution (<1 µm) because of their small size. The resulting voxel (3D pixel) stacks can be processed into virtual thin sections revealing almost every internal detail of the samples, comparable to traditional thin sections. In addition, 3D models of the internal microanatomical structures, such as embedded odontodes and vasculature, can be assembled and examined in situ. Scales of two early osteichthyans, Psarolepis romeri from the Early Devonian of China and Andreolepis hedei from the Late Silurian of Sweden, were scanned using propagation phase-contrast synchrotron X-ray microtomography (PPC-SRµCT), and 3D models of internal canal systems and buried odontodes were created from the scans. Based on these new data, we review the evolutionary origin of cosmine and its associated pore-canal system, which has been long recognized as a synapomorphy of sarcopterygians. The first odontode that appeared during growth shows almost identical morphology in the two scales, but the second odontode of the Psarolepis scale shows a distinctive morphology with several pores on the surface. It is suggested that a shift from ridge-like odontode to pore-bearing odontode was the key step in the origin of cosmine, which was then elaborated further in more-derived sarcopterygians. We perform a detailed comparison between the two scales and propose a primary homology framework to generate microanatomical characters, which can be used in the phylogenetic analysis of early osteichthyans when more 3D data become available. Our results highlight the importance of 3D data for the study of histology and ontogeny of the dermal skeleton of early jawed vertebrates, especially scales of the polyodontode type. The traditional microvertebrate collection is not only useful for biostratigraphic studies, but also preserves invaluable biological information about the growth of vertebrate hard tissues. Today, we are only beginning to understand the biological meaning of the new 3D data. The increasing availability of such data will enable, and indeed require, a complete revision of traditional palaeohistological studies on early vertebrates.
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| 124. |
- Qvarnström, Martin, et al.
(författare)
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Beetle-bearing coprolites possibly reveal the diet of a Late Triassic dinosauriform
- 2019
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Ingår i: Royal Society Open Science. - : The Royal Society. - 2054-5703. ; 6:3
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Diets of extinct animals can be difficult to analyse if no direct evidence, such as gut contents, is preserved in association with body fossils. Inclusions from coprolites (fossil faeces), however, may also reflect the diet of the host animal and become especially informative if the coprolite producer link can be established. Here we describe, based on propagation phase-contrast synchrotron microtomography (PPC-SRμCT), the contents of five morphologically similar coprolites collected from two fossil-bearing intervals from the highly fossiliferous Upper Triassic locality at Krasiejow in Silesia, Poland. Beetle remains, mostly elytra, and unidentified exoskeleton fragments of arthropods are the most conspicuous inclusions found in the coprolites. The abundance of these inclusions suggests that the coprolite producer deliberately targeted beetles and similar small terrestrial invertebrates as prey, but the relatively large size of the coprolites shows that it was not itself a small animal. The best candidate from the body fossil record of the locality is the dinosauriform Silesaurus opolensis Dzik, 2003, which had an anatomy in several ways similar to those of bird-like neotheropod dinosaurs and modern birds. We hypothesize that the beak-like jaws of S. opolensis were used to efficiently peck small insects off the ground, a feeding behaviour analogous to some extant birds.
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| 125. |
- Qvarnström, Martin, et al.
(författare)
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Non-marine palaeoenvironment associated to the earliest tetrapod tracks
- 2018
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Ingår i: Scientific Reports. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2045-2322. ; 8
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Opinions differ on whether the evolution of tetrapods (limbed vertebrates) from lobe-finned fishes was directly linked to terrestrialization. The earliest known tetrapod fossils, from the Middle Devonian (approximately 390 million years old) of Zachelmie Quarry in Poland, are trackways made by limbs with digits; they document a direct environmental association and thus have the potential to help answer this question. However, the tetrapod identity of the tracks has recently been challenged, despite their well-preserved morphology, on account of their great age and supposedly shallow marine (intertidal or lagoonal) depositional environment. Here we present a new palaeoenvironmental interpretation of the track-bearing interval from Zachelmie, showing that it represents a succession of ephemeral lakes with a restricted and non-marine biota, rather than a marginal marine environment as originally thought. This context suggests that the trackmaker was capable of terrestrial locomotion, consistent with the appendage morphology recorded by the footprints, and thus provides additional support for a tetrapod identification.
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| 126. |
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| 127. |
- Sanchez, Sophie, et al.
(författare)
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3D Microstructural Architecture of Muscle Attachments in Extant and Fossil Vertebrates Revealed by Synchrotron Microtomography
- 2013
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Ingår i: PLOS ONE. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 8:2, s. e56992-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Firm attachments binding muscles to skeleton are crucial mechanical components of the vertebrate body. These attachments (entheses) are complex three-dimensional structures, containing distinctive arrangements of cells and fibre systems embedded in the bone, which can be modified during ontogeny. Until recently it has only been possible to obtain 2D surface and thin section images of entheses, leaving their 3D histology largely unstudied except by extrapolation from 2D data. Entheses are frequently preserved in fossil bones, but sectioning is inappropriate for rare or unique fossil material.Methodology/Principal Findings: Here we present the first non-destructive 3D investigation, by propagation phase contrast synchrotron microtomography (PPC-SR mu CT), of enthesis histology in extant and fossil vertebrates. We are able to identify entheses in the humerus of the salamander Desmognathus from the organization of bone-cell lacunae and extrinsic fibres. Statistical analysis of the lacunae differentiates types of attachments, and the orientation of the fibres, reflect the approximate alignment of the muscle. Similar histological structures, including ontogenetically related pattern changes, are perfectly preserved in two 380 million year old fossil vertebrates, the placoderm Compagopiscis croucheri and the sarcopterygian fish Eusthenopteron foordi.Conclusions/Significance: We are able to determine the position of entheses in fossil vertebrates, the approximate orientation of the attached muscles, and aspects of their ontogenetic histories, from PPC-SRmCT data. Sub-micron microtomography thus provides a powerful tool for studying the structure, development, evolution and palaeobiology of muscle attachments.
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| 128. |
- Sanchez, Sophie, et al.
(författare)
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Life history of the stem tetrapod Acanthostega revealed by synchrotron microtomography
- 2016
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Ingår i: Nature. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0028-0836 .- 1476-4687. ; 537:7620, s. 408-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The transition from fish to tetrapod was arguably the most radical series of adaptive shifts in vertebrate evolutionary history. Data are accumulating rapidly for most aspects of these events(1-5), but the life histories of the earliest tetrapods remain completely unknown, leaving a major gap in our understanding of these organisms as living animals. Symptomatic of this problem is the unspoken assumption that the largest known Devonian tetrapod fossils represent adult individuals. Here we present the first, to our knowledge, life history data for a Devonian tetrapod, from the Acanthostega mass-death deposit of Stensio Bjerg, East Greenland(6,7). Using propagation phase-contrast synchrotron microtomography (PPC-SR mu CT)(8) to visualize the histology of humeri (upper arm bones) and infer their growth histories, we show that even the largest individuals from this deposit are juveniles. A long early juvenile stage with unossified limb bones, during which individuals grew to almost final size, was followed by a slow-growing late juvenile stage with ossified limbs that lasted for at least six years in some individuals. The late onset of limb ossification suggests that the juveniles were exclusively aquatic, and the predominance of juveniles in the sample suggests segregated distributions of juveniles and adults at least at certain times. The absolute size at which limb ossification began differs greatly between individuals, suggesting the possibility of sexual dimorphism, adaptive strategies or competition-related size variation.
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| 129. |
- Sanchez, Sophie, et al.
(författare)
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The humerus of Eusthenopteron : a puzzling organization presaging the establishment of tetrapod limb bone marrow
- 2014
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Ingår i: Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Biological Sciences. - : The Royal Society. - 0962-8452 .- 1471-2954. ; 281:1782, s. 20140299-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Because of its close relationship to tetrapods, Eusthenopteron is an important taxon for understanding the establishment of the tetrapod body plan. Notably, it is one of the earliest sarcopterygians in which the humerus of the pectoral fin skeleton is preserved. The microanatomical and histological organization of this humerus provides important data for understanding the evolutionary steps that built up the distinctive architecture of tetrapod limb bones. Previous histological studies showed that Eusthenopteron's long-bone organization was established through typical tetrapod ossification modalities. Based on a threedimensional reconstruction of the inner microstructure of Eusthenopteron's humerus, obtained from propagation phase-contrast X-ray synchrotron microtomography, we are now able to show that, despite ossification mechanisms and growth patterns similar to those of tetrapods, it also retains plesiomorphic characters such as a large medullary cavity, partly resulting from the perichondral ossification around a large cartilaginous bud as in actinopterygians. It also exhibits a distinctive tubular organization of bone-marrow processes. The connection between these processes and epiphyseal structures highlights their close functional relationship, suggesting that either bone marrow played a crucial role in the long-bone elongation processes or that trabecular bone resulting from the erosion of hypertrophied cartilage created a microenvironment for haematopoietic stem cell niches.
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| 130. |
- Sanchez, Sophie, et al.
(författare)
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Three-Dimensional Synchrotron Virtual Paleohistology : A New Insight into the World of Fossil Bone Microstructures
- 2012
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Ingår i: Microscopy and Microanalysis. - 1431-9276 .- 1435-8115. ; 18:5, s. 1095-1105
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The recent developments of phase-contrast synchrotron imaging techniques have been of great interest for paleontologists, providing three-dimensional (3D) tomographic images of anatomical structures, thereby leading to new paleobiological insights and the discovery of new species. However, until now, it has not been used on features smaller than 57 mu m voxel size in fossil bones. Because much information is contained within the 3D histological architecture of bone, including an ontogenetic record, crucial for understanding the paleobiology of fossil species, the application of phase-contrast synchrotron tomography to bone at higher resolutions is potentially of great interest. Here we use this technique to provide new 3D insights into the submicron-scale histology of fossil and recent bones, based on the development of new pink-beam configurations, data acquisition strategies, and improved processing tools. Not only do the scans reveal by nondestructive means all of the major features of the histology at a resolution comparable to that of optical microscopy, they provide 3D information that cannot be obtained by any other method.
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