A NEW PTEROSAUR FROM THE LIAONING PROVINCE OF CHINA, THE PHYLOGENY OF THE PTERODACTYLOIDEA, AND CONVERGENCE IN THEIR CERVICAL VERTEBRAE

Abstract:  The largest known flying organisms are the azhdarchid pterosaurs, a pterodactyloid clade previously diagnosed by the characters of their extremely elongate middle-series cervical vertebrae. The named species of the Azhdarchidae are from the Late Cretaceous. However, isolated mid-cervical vertebrae with similar dimensions and characters have been referred to this group that date back to the Late Jurassic, implying an almost 60 million year gap in the fossil record of this group and an unrecorded radiation in the Jurassic of all the major clades of the Pterodactyloidea. A new pterosaur from the Early Cretaceous of Liaoning Province of China, Elanodactylus prolatus gen. et sp. nov., is described with mid-cervical vertebrae that bear these azhdarchid characters but has other postcranial material that are distinct from the members of this group. Phylogenetic analysis of the new species and the Pterodactyloidea places it with the Late Jurassic vertebrae in the Late Jurassic–Early Cretaceous Ctenochasmatidae and reveals that the characters of the elongate azhdarchid vertebrae appeared independently in both groups. These results are realized though the large taxon sampling in the analysis demonstrating that the homoplastic character states present in these two taxa were acquired in a different order in their respective lineages. Some of these homoplastic characters were previously thought to appear once in the history of pterosaurs and may be correlated to the extension of the neck regions in both groups. Because the homoplastic character states in the Azhdarchidae and Ctenochasmatidae are limited to the mid-cervical vertebrae, these states are termed convergent based on a definition of the term in a phylogenetic context. A number of novel results from the analysis presented produce a reorganization in the different species and taxa of the Pterodactyloidea.     

三个种群有尾和断尾丽斑麻蜥的选择体温、表面活动和摄食量

用2006年4-6月捕自长安(陕西)、共和(青海)、哈尔滨(黑龙江)三个地理隔离种群尾部完整的丽斑麻蜥(Eremias argus)成年雄体检测断尾对选择体温、表面活动(表面调温个体数)和摄食量的影响。各种群个体均分为实验和对照组,在距尾基部10 mm处切除实验组蜥蜴尾部,获得断尾个体。实验和对照组个体饲养在相同的实验室条件下收集相关数据,历时四周。表面活动的种群间差异是不同种群个体对其所处区域热环境长期适应的结果。断尾个体减少表面活动见于所有三个种群,表明尾自切能导致丽斑麻蜥活动水平的改变。同一种群断尾和有尾个体表面活动的时间格局无显著差异,不同种群表面活动的时间格局无显著差异,这些结果表明丽斑麻蜥白天活动节律具有种的特异性,不受断尾影响。丽斑麻蜥选择体温随纬度或海拔升高而降低,这种变化趋势可能是热环境制约的结果。所有三个种群断尾个体的选择体温均低于有尾个体,表明断尾可改变丽斑麻蜥的体温调定点。丽斑麻蜥摄食量存在种群间差异,长安种群蜥蜴的摄食量显著大于共和种群蜥蜴。三个种群断尾个体均未增加摄食以满足尾再生的额外能量需求,表明增加摄食不是该种蜥蜴补偿断尾能量代价的对     

Postcranial stem tetrapod remains from the Devonian of Scat Craig, Morayshire, Scotland

The postcranial stem tetrapod remains from Scat Craig include a neural arch, humerus, tibia, femur, and incomplete pectoral girdles and ilia. These elements are all large or very large compared with the corresponding bones of other stem tetrapods. They correlate well in size with the proportions of Elginerpeton , the known stem tetrapod from Scat Craig, and probably belong to this genus. The neural arch has weak zygapophyses, and the ilia and shoulder girdles resemble those of Ichthyostega . The femur is strongly twisted, with the intercondylar fossa facing anteroventrally, so the hind limb probably functioned as a paddle. The tibia is broad, as in Acanthostega and Ichthyostega . The humerus is approximately intermediate in shape between those of osteolepiforms and later stem tetrapods, but seems to have a ventral radial facet like Ichthyostega . Overall, the postcranial bones combine apparent synapomorphies with Ichthyostega and characters which are uniquely primitive among stemgroup tetrapods. This character combination is incongruent. A recently discovered postorbital bone from the site is, strictly speaking, indeterminable but may belong to Elginerpeton ; it broadly resembles the postorbitals of Ichthyostega and Acanthostega , and demonstrates that the typical stem tetrapod facial morphology had evolved before the end of the Frasnian.     

Identification of a new mineralized tissue in the notochord of reared Siberian sturgeon (Acipenser baerii)

In a study aiming to improve knowledge on the mineralization of the axial skeleton in reared Siberian sturgeon (Acipenser baerii Brandt, 1869), we discovered a new mineralized tissue within the notochord. To our knowledge, such a structure has never been reported in any vertebrate species with the exception of the pathological mineralization of the notochord remains in degenerative intervertebral disks of mammals. Here, we describe this enigmatic tissue using X‐ray microtomography, histological analyses and solid state NMR‐spectroscopy. We also performed a 1‐year monitoring of the mineral content (MC) of the notochord in relation with seasonal variations of temperature. In all specimens studied from 2‐year‐old juveniles onwards, this mineralized structure was found within a particular region of the notochord called funiculus . This feature first appears in the abdominal region then extends posteriorly with ageing, while the notochord MC also increases. The mineral phase is mainly composed of amorphous calcium phosphate, a small amount of which changes into hydroxyapatite with ageing. The putative role of this structure is discussed as either a store of minerals available for the phosphocalcic metabolism, or a mechanical support in a species with a poorly mineralized axial skeleton. A pathological feature putatively related to rearing conditions is also discussed.     

Halastatic demineralization in the vertebrae of Atlantic salmon, during their spawning migration

There was a significant decrease ( c . 10%) in the mineralization of the vertebrae, determined by analysis of quantitative microradiographs, of both sexes of Atlantic salmon Salmo salar during their ascending spawning migration. The decrease was hypothesized to be the result of halastatic demineralization, i.e. the removal of mineral substance with no degradation of the organic matrix of the bone.     

Notochordal Signals Establish Phylogenetic Identity of the Teleost Spine

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Expression pattern of the single-minded gene in zebrafish embryos.

Recently we isolated a homolog of the Drosophila single-minded (sim) gene from a zebrafish cDNA library. The 4380-bp of zebrafish sim cDNA encodes a polypeptide of 585 amino acids with strikingly conserved bHLH and PAS A/B domains in the amino-terminal region. During embryogenesis, sim mRNA appears in the animal hemisphere as early as 3 h post-fertilization and is expressed in a widespread pattern throughout the epiblast at the 75% epiboly stage. During the segmentation stage, sim mRNA is prominently expressed in the primordium of the hindbrain and appears as a transverse stripe in the epithelial layers of the mid-diencephalic boundary (MDB). During the pharyngula stage, sim is no longer expressed in the hindbrain, but continues to be expressed in the MDB and extends to the caudal diencephalon along the ventral midline. In addition, sim mRNA is prominent in the two pharyngeal arches. During the larval stage, sim mRNA is transcribed in the esophagus, liver, pancreas, and intestine. In contrast, sim mRNA is no longer detectable in the forebrain after hatching. In adult fish, sim is widely expressed in brain, eyes, gill, heart, liver, and intestine.     

A new dwarf boa (Serpentes, Booidea, 'Tropidophiidae') from the Early Oligocene of Belgium: a case of the isolation of Western European snake faunas

Falseryx neervelpensis sp. nov. (Booid-grade, 'Tropidophiidae') from the earliest Oligocene (MP 21) of Belgium is described on the basis of vertebrae coming from all major portions of the vertebral column. In its peculiar caudal osteology, the snake approaches the unique morphological pattern characteristic of the living Neotropical Tropidophiinae. This is the first time such a complete and informative vertebral column of a dwarf boa has been described. The genus Falseryx was absent from Western Europe in younger parts of the Oligocene, but reappeared at the end of the Early Miocene. This dispersal pattern provides additional evidence that in most phases of the Oligocene and Early Miocene Western European snake faunas were effectively isolated from possible influences from the East.  © 2008 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society , 2008, 152 , 393–406.     

颈椎后路单开门椎管扩大椎板成形术对颈椎矢状面平衡的影响

目的:探讨颈椎后路单开门椎管扩大椎板成形术对颈椎矢状面平衡的影响。方法:收集2012年1月至2015年1月在我院接受治疗的85例脊髓型脊椎病患者,均行颈椎后路单开门椎管扩大椎板成形术。观察比较手术前后患者的日本骨科协会(JOA)评分、生活质量评分(SF-36)、颈椎功能障碍指数(NDI)以及疼痛视觉模拟评分(VAS)情况,手术前及末次随访时患者的X线侧位片C2椎体与颅底连线的夹角(Cobb)、C2椎体矢状面的垂直轴线与C7椎体上缘的长度(SVA)、T1椎体上缘线和水平线的夹角(T1-Slope)以及三者间的相关性。结果:患者术后JOA评分较术前显著升高,升高量为(2.6±0.2)分(P0.05),神经功能改善率为50.1%,术后SF-36、NDI及VAS评分均有显著改善(P0.05)。相较于手术前,患者末次随访时的C2-C7 SVA、C0-2 Cobb夹角以及T1-Slope均有显著升高,C2-C7 SVA升高量与C0-2 Cobb夹角、T1-Slope的升高量呈显著正相关性(r=0.475,P0.001;r=0.327,P=0.003)。手术前,患者的JOA评分与C2-C7 SVA呈一定负相关(r=-0.229,P=0.032),手术后两者间无明显相关性(P0.05)。结论:颈椎后路单开门椎管扩大椎板成形术显著影响颈椎矢状面平衡,以颈椎前倾为主要表现,而引起患者颈椎肌肉持续性收缩、上颈椎过度前凸。     

大黄鱼仔稚鱼脊柱、胸鳍及尾鳍骨骼系统的发育观察

研究采用二重染色法对3-28日龄人工培育的大黄鱼Larimichthys crocea(Richardson)仔稚鱼的部分骨骼系统的发育进行观察。结果显示,仔鱼的脊索从6日龄(平均全长MTL3.9mm)开始分节,8-10日龄髓弓、脉弓先后开始发育,14日龄(MTL7.5mm)脊椎骨、髓棘、脉棘均已形成,至28日龄(MTL19.5mm)已发生骨化;大黄鱼仔鱼孵化时,胸鳍的上匙骨、匙骨、后匙骨、支鳍骨原基已形成,27日龄(MTL19.0mm)稚鱼具5块支鳍骨,鳍条发育完整;尾鳍发育以8日龄仔鱼脊索后端腹部2块尾下骨的形成开始,至14日龄仔鱼尾鳍已初具雏形,尾杆骨、尾上骨和尾下骨均发育完全,21日龄稚鱼尾下骨排列成弧状,第三与第四块尾下骨之间的缝隙增大,把尾鳍鳍条分为上下两部分,鳍条分节明显,28日龄稚鱼尾鳍尾杆骨及鳍条发生钙化。