scholarly journals Comparative limb proportions reveal differential locomotor morphofunctions of alligatoroids and crocodyloids

2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 171774 ◽  
Author(s):  
Masaya Iijima ◽  
Tai Kubo ◽  
Yoshitsugu Kobayashi
Keyword(s):  
Early Stage ◽  
Ecological Opportunity ◽  
Functional Differences ◽  
Fossil Evidence ◽  
Trophic Function ◽  
Cretaceous Period ◽  
Limb Proportions

Although two major clades of crocodylians (Alligatoroidea and Crocodyloidea) were split during the Cretaceous period, relatively few morphological and functional differences between them have been known. In addition, interaction of multiple morphofunctional systems that differentiated their ecology has barely been assessed. In this study, we examined the limb proportions of crocodylians to infer the differences of locomotor functions between alligatoroids and crocodyloids, and tested the correlation of locomotor and feeding morphofunctions. Our analyses revealed crocodyloids including Gavialis have longer stylopodia (humerus and femur) than alligatoroids, indicating that two groups may differ in locomotor functions. Fossil evidence suggested that alligatoroids have retained short stylopodia since the early stage of their evolution. Furthermore, rostral shape, an indicator of trophic function, is correlated with limb proportions, where slender-snouted piscivorous taxa have relatively long stylopodia and short overall limbs. In combination, trophic and locomotor functions might differently delimit the ecological opportunity of alligatoroids and crocodyloids in the evolution of crocodylians.

Locomotor diversity within past and present guilds of large predatory mammals

Paleobiology ◽  
1985 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 406-428 ◽  
Author(s):  
Blaire Van Valkenburgh
Keyword(s):  
Temperate Forest ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Habitat Choice ◽  
Locomotor Behavior ◽  
Adaptive Divergence ◽  
Great Density ◽  
Hunting Mode ◽  
Large Predators ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Limb Proportions

The impact of environment, interspecific competition, and, to a lesser extent history, on the structure of the guild of large predatory mammals is explored in one fossil and four Recent communities. Two aspects are emphasized: (1) the number of species within each guild and (2) the extent of locomotor convergence as inferred from morphology among the constituent species. Locomotor behavior reflects habitat choice, hunting mode, and escape strategy, all of which appear to be important avenues of adaptive divergence among coexisting predators.Locomotor behavior in extinct and extant predators is determined from body weight and five measured characteristics of the postcranial skeleton, including ungual shape, elbow shape, and limb proportions. Results indicate that levels of morphologic and inferred ecologic similarity between large predators are higher in the tropical grassland guild of East Africa than in the equivalent guilds of either tropical or temperate forest. This may be due to the great density and diversity of terrestrial herbivores in the productive grasslands. The fossil guild, from the Late Chadron–Orellan (Oligocene) of North America, appears most similar to the tropical forest guilds, but the predators seem to have been slower and more robust than their modern counterparts. Since the Orellan represents an early stage in the evolution of large, fissiped carnivores, both ancestry and time could have influenced Orellan guild structure.

Breeding system in the cleistogamous species Centaurea melitensis (Asteraceae)

2000 ◽  
Vol 77 (11) ◽  
pp. 1632-1640 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rafael Porras ◽  
Jesús Miguel Muñoz Álvarez
Keyword(s):  
Breeding System ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Morphological Characteristics ◽  
Fruit Production ◽  
Selfing Rate ◽  
Stigma Receptivity ◽  
Functional Differences ◽  
Theoretical Predictions ◽  
Chasmogamous Flowers ◽  
Very High

Cleistogamy involves structural, developmental, and functional differences between the open (chasmogamous) and closed (cleistogamous) floral forms produced by a species. Functional differences relate to the breeding system: progeny is obtained partly by obligate selfing, cleistogamous flowers and, at least potentially, by outcrossing, chasmogamous flowers. This study addresses theoretical predictions about the breeding system in Centaurea melitensis L. Comparative analysis of cleistogamous and chasmogamous flower heads produced by this species was based on studies of the morphological features of floral capitula, fruit production, pollen/ovule ratio, pollinators, stigma receptivity, and pollen-tube growth in the absence of pollinators. As expected, cleistogamous heads displayed characteristics typical of an obligate selfing flower. However, two apparently contradictory trends were discerned in chasmogamous heads: (i) a very high selfing rate and own-pollen germination at a very early stage in floral ontogeny, both of which are characteristic of an autogamous breeding system, and (ii) pollinator presence, morphological characteristics, and pollen/ovule ratio consistent with a xenogamous breeding system. Further study is required to determine the outcrossing rate in these capitula.

scholarly journals Basal Dinantian miospores from the Cockermouth area, West Cumbria

1983 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 13-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. A. Butterworth ◽  
C. E. Butcher
Keyword(s):  
Early Stage ◽  
Northern Margin ◽  
North East ◽  
The North ◽  
Fossil Evidence

Abstract. Miospore assemblages are described from basal Dinantian argillaceous strata lying below and above the Cockermouth Lavas, and within the Seventh Limestone in the area to the north east of Cockermouth, West Cumbria. The strata enclosing the Lavas are assigned to the Schopfites claviger-Auroraspora macra miospore zone, indicating the Ivorian stage (Tournaisian, Tn3). The Lavas are thus shown to be of similar age to the Solway Plateau Lavas to the north which represent an early stage in the formation of the Solway Basin.Shales from below the Seventh Limestone are assigned to the Lycospora pusilla miospore zone and from this and other fossil evidence are presumed to be of Chadian or early Arundian age. Shales from within the Seventh Limestone are assigned to the Perotrilites tessellatus – Schulzospora campyloptera miospore zone (Asbian stage)It is concluded that the Ivorian-Asbian sequence in this area is greatly attenuated compared with its development on the northern margin of the Solway Basin.

scholarly journals A potential cephalopod from the early Cambrian of eastern Newfoundland, Canada

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne Hildenbrand ◽  
Gregor Austermann ◽  
Dirk Fuchs ◽  
Peter Bengtson ◽  
Wolfgang Stinnesbeck
Keyword(s):  
Lower Cambrian ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Early Cambrian ◽  
Shallow Marine ◽  
Fossil Evidence ◽  
Molecular Studies ◽  
First Occurrence

AbstractAlthough an early Cambrian origin of cephalopods has been suggested by molecular studies, no unequivocal fossil evidence has yet been presented. Septate shells collected from shallow-marine limestone of the lower Cambrian (upper Terreneuvian, c. 522 Ma) Bonavista Formation of southeastern Newfoundland, Canada, are here interpreted as straight, elongate conical cephalopod phragmocones. The material documented here may push the origin of cephalopods back in time by about 30 Ma to an unexpected early stage of the Cambrian biotic radiation of metazoans, i.e. before the first occurrence of euarthropods.

Alterations in the number of motoneurons containing immunoreactive calcitonin gene-related peptide(CGRP)& choline acetyltransferase(ChAT) in the cervical spinal cord of the wobbler mouse during the development of the motoneuron disease

1995 ◽  
Vol 53 ◽  
pp. 970-971
Author(s):  
L. Vacca-Galloway ◽  
Y.Q. Zhang ◽  
P. Bose ◽  
S.H. Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Cervical Spinal Cord ◽  
Wild Type Mouse ◽  
Reflex Response ◽  
Mouse Strains ◽  
Behavioral Tests ◽  
Wobbler Mouse ◽  
Stage 4 ◽  
Stage 1

The Wobbler mouse (wr) has been studied as a model for inherited human motoneuron diseases (MNDs). Using behavioral tests for forelimb power, walking, climbing, and the “clasp-like reflex” response, the progress of the MND can be categorized into early (Stage 1, age 21 days) and late (Stage 4, age 3 months) stages. Age-and sex-matched normal phenotype littermates (NFR/wr) were used as controls (Stage 0), as well as mice from two related wild-type mouse strains: NFR/N and a C57BI/6N. Using behavioral tests, we also detected pre-symptomatic Wobblers at postnatal ages 7 and 14 days. The mice were anesthetized and perfusion-fixed for immunocytochemical (ICC) of CGRP and ChAT in the spinal cord (C3 to C5).Using computerized morphomety (Vidas, Zeiss), the numbers of IR-CGRP labelled motoneurons were significantly lower in 14 day old Wobbler specimens compared with the controls (Fig. 1). The same trend was observed at 21 days (Stage 1) and 3 months (Stage 4). The IR-CGRP-containing motoneurons in the Wobbler specimens declined progressively with age.

Automated high-resolution microscopy: the approaches so far

1987 ◽  
Vol 45 ◽  
pp. 58-61
Author(s):  
W. O. Saxton
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Automatic Recording ◽  
Microprocessor Control ◽  
Alternative Systems ◽  
Electron Image ◽  
Complete Automation ◽  
Analysis System ◽  
High Resolution Microscopy

Recent commercial microscopes with internal microprocessor control of all major functions have already demonstrated some of the benefits anticipated from such systems, such as continuous magnification, rotation-free diffraction and magnification, automatic recording of mutually registered focal series, and fewer control knobs. Complete automation of the focusing, stigmating and alignment of a high resolution microscope, allowing focal series to be recorded at preselected focus values as well, is still imminent rather than accomplished, however; some kind of image pick-up and analysis system, fed with the electron image via a TV camera, is clearly essential for this, but several alternative systems and algorithms are still being explored. This paper reviews the options critically in turn, and stresses the need to consider alignment and focusing at an early stage, and not merely as an optional extension to a basic proposal.

An ultrastructural analysis of the sympathetic innervation of the rabbit ear artery and middle cerebral artery and their branches

1992 ◽  
Vol 50 (1) ◽  
pp. 934-935
Author(s):  
John T. Dodge ◽  
John A. Bevan
Keyword(s):  
Middle Cerebral Artery ◽  
Cerebral Artery ◽  
Sympathetic Innervation ◽  
Electrical Field Stimulation ◽  
Rabbit Ear Artery ◽  
Electrical Field ◽  
Functional Differences ◽  
Ear Artery ◽  
Rabbit Ear ◽  
Vascular Beds

Unlike many peripheral vascular beds, the sympathetic nervous system exerts little control on cerebral blood flow. The contractile response of isolated rabbit middle cerebral artery (MCA) segments to electrical field stimulation of its intramural nerves is less than in a similar-sized artery from the ear. This study was undertaken to characterize and compare the perivascular neuromuscular relationships and innervation density of similar-sized arteries varying in diameter from these two different regional arterial beds to see if there were structural correlates for these functional differences.

A morphological and energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS) investigation of separator-grade cellophane

1994 ◽  
Vol 52 ◽  
pp. 430-431
Author(s):  
Michael E. Rock ◽  
Vern Kennedy ◽  
Bhaskar Deodhar ◽  
Thomas G. Stoebe
Keyword(s):  
Extrusion Process ◽  
Morphological Characterization ◽  
Energy Dispersive ◽  
Regenerated Cellulose ◽  
Battery System ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Functional Differences ◽  
Transmission Electron ◽  
Separator Material ◽  
Underwater Target

Cellophane is a composite polymer material, made up of regenerated cellulose (usually derived from wood pulp) which has been chemically transformed into "viscose", then formed into a (1 mil thickness) transparent sheet through an extrusion process. Although primarily produced for the food industry, cellophane's use as a separator material in the silver-zinc secondary battery system has proved to be another important market. We examined 14 samples from five producers of cellophane, which are being evaluated as the separator material for a silver/zinc alkaline battery system in an autonomous underwater target vehicle. Our intent was to identify structural and/or chemical differences between samples which could be related to the functional differences seen in the lifetimes of these various battery separators. The unused cellophane samples were examined by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). Cellophane samples were cross sectioned (125-150 nm) using a diamond knife on a RMC MT-6000 ultramicrotome. Sections were examined in a Philips 430-T TEM at 200 kV. Analysis included morphological characterization, and EDS (for chemical composition). EDS was performed using an EDAX windowless detector.

Direct observation of Fe-Al-Zn ternary intermetallic compound and its transformation during the early stage of hot-dip galvanizing

1993 ◽  
Vol 51 ◽  
pp. 1116-1117
Author(s):  
C. S. Lin ◽  
W. A. Chiou ◽  
M. Meshii
Keyword(s):  
Intermetallic Compound ◽  
Reaction Rate ◽  
Diffusion Rate ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Zinc Bath ◽  
Steel Sheets ◽  
Direct Observations ◽  
Solid Iron ◽  
Iron And Zinc ◽  
Ternary Intermetallic Compound

The galvannealed steel sheets have received ever increased attention because of their excellent post-painting corrosion resistance and good weldability. However, its powdering and flaking tendency during press forming processes strongly impairs its performance. In order to optimize the properties of galvanneal coatings, it is critical to control the reaction rate between solid iron and molten zinc.In commercial galvannealing line, aluminum is added to zinc bath to retard the diffusion rate between iron and zinc by the formation of a thin layer of Al intermetallic compound on the surface of steel at initial hot-dip galvanizing. However, the form of this compound and its transformation are still speculated. In this paper, we report the direct observations of this compound and its transformation.The specimens were prepared in a hot-dip simulator in which the steel was galvanized in the zinc bath containing 0.14 wt% of Al at a temperature of 480 °C for 5 seconds and was quenched by liquid nitrogen.

Anisotropy of interfacial defects in the initial stage of MOVPE GaAs growth On Si

1990 ◽  
Vol 48 (4) ◽  
pp. 592-593
Author(s):  
C. Vannuffel ◽  
C. Schiller ◽  
J. P. Chevalier
Keyword(s):  
Early Stage ◽  
Threading Dislocations ◽  
Mbe Growth ◽  
Detailed Mechanism ◽  
Si Substrates ◽  
Initial Stage ◽  
Interfacial Defects ◽  
Interfacial Dislocations ◽  
Step Growth ◽  
Essential Problem

Recently, interest has focused on the epitaxy of GaAs on Si as a promising material for electronic applications, potentially for integration of optoelectronic devices on silicon wafers. The essential problem concerns the 4% misfit between the two materials, and this must be accommodated by a network of interfacial dislocations with the lowest number of threading dislocations. It is thus important to understand the detailed mechanism of the formation of this network, in order to eventually reduce the dislocation density at the top of the layers.MOVPE growth is carried out on slightly misoriented, (3.5°) from (001) towards , Si substrates. Here we report on the effect of this misorientation on the interfacial defects, at a very early stage of growth. Only the first stage, of the well-known two step growth process, is thus considered. Previously, we showed that full substrate coverage occured for GaAs thicknesses of 5 nm in contrast to MBE growth, where substantially greater thicknesses are required.

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