Taxonomic status of the hominid mandible KNM-ER TI 13150 from the middle pliocene of tabarin,in Kenya

A partial mandible with two molars intact was recovered between 1981 and 1984 from deposits of the Middle Pliocene at Tabarin, in Kenya. It has been described and assigned toAustralopithecus cf.afarensis Johanson, White, andCoppens, 1978, with the condition that if ‘A. afarensis’ is revised, then the attribution may change. The taxon ‘A. afarensis’ was found to be invalid and was revised. The smaller specimens of ‘A. afarensis,’ to which the Tabarin mandible was said to be similar, were redescribed asHomo antiquus Ferguson, 1984. Since the Tabarin mandible andH. antiquus are successive transients of the same gens and are allopatric, the Tabarin hominid population is described as an earlier chronosubspecies,Homo antiquus praegens ssp. n.     

TGF-β type I receptor Alk5 regulates tooth initiation and mandible patterning in a type II receptor-independent manner

TGF-β superfamily members signal through a heteromeric receptor complex to regulate craniofacial development. TGF-β type II receptor appears to bind only TGF-β, whereas TGF-β type I receptor (ALK5) also binds to ligands in addition to TGF-β. Our previous work has shown that conditional inactivation of Tgfbr2 in the neural crest cells of mice leads to severe craniofacial bone defects. In this study, we examine and compare the defects of TGF-β type II receptor (Wnt1-Cre;Tgfbr2^fl/fl) and TGF-β type I receptor/Alk5 (Wnt1-Cre;Alk5^fl/fl) conditional knockout mice. Loss of Alk5 in the neural crest tissue resulted in phenotypes not seen in the Tgfbr2 mutant, including delayed tooth initiation and development, defects in early mandible patterning and altered expression of key patterning genes including Msx1, Bmp4, Bmp2, Pax9, Alx4, Lhx6/7 and Gsc. Alk5 controls the survival of CNC cells by regulating expression of Gsc and other genes in the proximal aboral region of the developing mandible. We conclude that ALK5 regulates tooth initiation and early mandible patterning through a pathway independent of Tgfbr2. There is an intrinsic requirement for Alk5 signal in regulating the fate of CNC cells during tooth and mandible development.     

Imaging analysis of mineralocorticoid receptor and importins in single living cells by using GFP color variants

Signaling from the endothelin-A (Ednra) receptor is responsible for initiating multiple signaling pathways within neural crest cells (NCCs). Loss of this initiation is presumably the basis for the craniofacial defects observed in Ednra^–/– embryos. However, it is not known whether continued Ednra signaling in NCC derivatives is required for subsequent development of the lower jaw. To address this question, mice containing loxP recombination sequences flanking a portion of the Ednra gene were bred with transgenic mice that express Cre recombinase under control of a Dlx5/6 enhancer element. We find that while Ednra gene inactivation within the mandibular arch of these Ednra conditional knockout embryos is detectable by embryonic day (E) 10.5, mandibular arch-specific gene expression is normal, as is overall mandible development. These results suggest that while Ednra receptor signaling is crucial for early NCC patterning, subsequent Ednra signaling is not essential for mandible bone development.This work was supported in part by grants from the National Institutes of Health and the American Heart Association to D.E.C.     

Validation of a device for accurate timing of feeding events in marine animals

Two acceleration data loggers, each measuring surging and heaving acceleration, were attached to the head and mandible of three captive hooded seals, Cystophora cristata, for detection of underwater feeding events. Three sizes of prey: Atlantic herring (large), capelin (medium), and half a capelin (small) were tested. A highpass frequency-filtering method at 3 Hz provided more distinct prey ingestion signals for both head and mandible acceleration. The surge-axis signals from head acceleration suggested that the seals ingested their prey not only by biting, but also by thrusting. Moreover, prey ingestion movements showed higher surging acceleration from mandible than from head (mean ± SD from head: 5.37 ± 4.45 m s⁻², from mandible: 8.43 ± 5.15 m s⁻², n = 153), indicating that the data from the head is not required for precise identification of feeding events. Thus, our mandible acceleration device provides a practical method for the timing of underwater feeding events in seals.     

Morphology and development of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pteromalus cerealellae</Emphasis> (Ashmead) (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) on <Emphasis Type="Italic">Callosobruchus maculatus</Emphasis> (F.) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)

Pteromalus cerealellae (Ashmead) (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) is an ectoparasitoid of several stored-product insect pests. Very little information has been published on its biology and development in host larvae, which typically are concealed within seeds. We documented the development of P. cerealellae within fourth instar larvae of its concealed host, Callosobruchus maculatus (F.) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) infesting cowpea seeds. The preimaginal life stages of the parasitoid were characterized for the first time using morphological structures revealed by microscopic techniques including scanning electron microscopy. Pteromalus cerealellae produces hymenopteriform eggs and larvae. Eggs hatch into 13-segmented first instar larvae with peripneustic condition of spiracles. The larvae have simple, tusk-like mandibles, whereas the mandibles of the pupae and the adults are of the conventional toothed types. Using statistical analyses of the sizes of the larval mandibles and head capsules in conjunction with reliable characters such as the number of exuviae on the body of parasitoid larvae, cuticular folding, and excretion of the meconium, we recorded four larval instars for P. cerealellae. The data showed significant positive correlations between larval mandible lengths and widths of larval head capsules, as well as between mandible lengths and larval instars, suggesting that mandible length is a good predictor of the number of instars in P. cerealellae. Developmental time from egg to adult emergence was ∼12 d for females and ∼11 days for males at 30 ± 1°C, 70 ± 5% r.h. and 12L:12D photoperiod.     

Are the ratios of bill crossing morphs in crossbills the result of frequency-dependent selection?

Summary The direction the lower mandible curves in crossbills (Loxia) is an example of a discrete polymorphism. The lower mandible crosses with equal frequency to the left and to the right in several crossbill populations. I hypothesize that the 1:1 ratio results from negative frequency-dependent selection favouring the rarer morph. A crossbill always orients toward closed conifer cones so that its lower mandible is directed towards the cone axis. Thus, only part of the cone can be reached easily when crossbills have few perch sites and the cone cannot be removed from the branch or otherwise turned round. Since crossbills may visit cones which have previously been foraged on by other individuals, an equal frequency of left-to-right mandible crossings may minimize overlap in the use of cones and enhance foraging efficiency. Experimental data support this hypothesis. Moreover, the variation in the ratio of mandible crossing directions among crossbill populations is consistent with this hypothesis.     

Supernumerary teeth in a subadult rhino mandible (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Stephanorhinus hundsheimensis</Emphasis>) from the middle Pleistocene of Mosbach in Wiesbaden (Germany)

A well preserved subadult rhino mandible from Mosbach 2 can be attributed toStephanorhinus hundsheimensis based on a metrical and morphological analysis. A comparison to tooth eruption of livingDiceros bicornis suggests an individual age for the animal of about 7 years at death. The described mandible shows a significant tooth anomaly: two teeth occupy the p3 position on each side of the mandible. Comparisons with three younger juvenileStephanorhinus hundsheimensis from Mosbach 2 show the sequence of tooth eruption for the species and allow us to determine that the anomalous teeth are not persistent milk teeth but are supernumerary teeth, which are morphologically intermediate between normal p2 and p3. The animal’s occlusion was compromised to some degree by the anomaly, and the functional disadvantage may have been critical during a harsh period.      

Post‐weaning ontogeny of the mandible in fossorial water voles: ecological and evolutionary implications

Ventura, J. and Casado‐Cruz, M. 2011. Post‐weaning ontogeny of the mandible in fossorial water voles: ecological and evolutionary implications. —Acta Zoologica (Stockholm) 92 : 12–20. Geometric morphometrics was applied to the mandible of fossorial water voles (Arvicola terrestris monticola) to determine size and shape variations in this structure during post‐weaning ontogeny. The sample consisted of collection specimens obtained in the Aran Valley (Spain), which were grouped into six age classes. Mandible size and shape did not differ significantly between sexes, but between age classes. Mandible size accounted significantly for the shape variation. After the size‐related differences were removed, the mandible shape did not show significant sexual dimorphism but differences by age remained significant. The main shape changes occur between the third and tenth weeks of life and are related to the shift from suckling to a herbivorous diet. Although mandible shape was less remodelled after that age, an appreciable variation also occurs during adulthood. Age‐related changes lead to enhancing the digging potential of the mandible, which in adults becomes a robust structure with an increased surface and stronger crests for muscle insertion. As part of the mandible shape variation was not related to the size‐dependent adjustment and diet does not vary significantly between juvenile and adult voles, shape changes that occur during adulthood can be related to the mechanical stress derived from digging activities.     

Ontogeny of material stiffness heterogeneity in the macaque mandibular corpus

Evidence is accumulating that bone material stiffness increases during ontogeny, and the role of elastic modulus in conditioning attributes of strength and toughness is therefore a focus of ongoing investigation. Developmental changes in structural properties of the primate mandible have been documented, but comparatively little is known about changes in material heterogeneity and their impact on biomechanical behavior. We examine a cross‐sectional sample of Macaca fascicularis (N = 14) to investigate a series of hypotheses that collectively evaluate whether the patterning of material stiffness (elastic modulus) heterogeneity in the mandible differs among juvenile, subadult and adult individuals. Because differences in age‐related activity patterns are known to influence bone stiffness and strength, these data are potentially useful for understanding the relationship between feeding behavior on the one hand and material and structural properties of the mandible on the other. Elastic modulus is shown to be spatially dependent regardless of age, with this dependence being explicable primarily by differences in alveolar versus basal cortical bone. Elastic modulus does not differ consistently between buccal and lingual cortical plates, despite likely differences in the biomechanical milieu of these regions. Since we found only weak support for the hypothesis that the spatial patterning of heterogeneity becomes more predictable with age, accumulated load history may not account for regional differences in bone material properties in mature individuals with respect to the mandibular corpus. Am J Phys Anthropol 153:297–304, 2014. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Cuticular microstructure of Australian ant mandibles confirms common appendage construction

Exoskeletons characterise Arthropoda and have allowed the morphological and taxonomic diversity of the phylum. Exoskeletal sclerotisation occurs in genetically designated regions, and mandibles represent one such area of high sclerotisation. Mandible morphology reflects dietary preferences and niche partitioning and has therefore been well documented. However, mandibular cuticular microstructure has been under-documented. Here we use scanning electron microscopy to explore mandible microstructure in four disparate Australian Formicidae taxa (ants) with different life modes and diets: Camponotus nigriceps, Iridomyrmex purpureus, Odontomachus simillimus and Rhytidoponera aciculata. We test the hypothesis that mandible construction is highly conserved across these species, as would be expected for arthropod cuticle. We show broadly similar mandible microstructure but report that pore canals and cuticular indentations are not ubiquitous among all studied taxa. Our preliminary results demonstrate that ant taxa have morphologically plastic mandibles with a highly conserved construction, potentially reflecting an interesting record of evolutionary stasis.     

Dental variability inSaimiri and the taxonomic status ofNeosaimiri fieldsi,an early squirrel monkey from La Venta,Colombia

Neosaimiri fieldsi, from the South American middle Miocene locality of La Venta, is represented by a relatively complete mandible and dentition that strongly resembles that of extantSaimiri. Comparison with a large sample of mandibles ofSaimiri indicates that this specimen cannot be distinguished from modern populations on the basis of any reportedly diagnostic feature, such as cingulid development, molar length ratio, trigonic/talonid ratio, or mandibular depth. The fossil is best considered an extinct species of the modern genusSaimiri until further material indicates otherwise.     

The Substrate Vibration Generating Behavior of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Aphaenogaster carolinensis</Emphasis> (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Aphaenogaster carolinensis Wheeler produces substrate vibrations by striking a substrate with its mandible and dragging its mandible across the surface. We have described this behavior and conducted laboratory trials to isolate some of the conditions under which it may occur. Individual strikes were consistent in pattern and duration, but there was great variation in the duration of, and the number of strikes associated with, a single substrate vibration generating event. In laboratory trials, this behavior occurred most frequently in response to confrontation with non-nest mate con-specifics and did not require the presence of a food source or colony territory to be initiated.     

Metrical dental analysis on golden monkey (Rhinopithecus roxellana)

Dental variation in the Chinese golden monkey (Rhinopithecus roxellana) is here evaluated by univariate, bivariate, and multivariate analyses. Allometric analyses indicate that canines and P3s are positively, but other dimensions negatively scaled to mandible and maxilla, and to body size. With the exception of the mesiodistal dimensions of I₁ and M₃, and the buccolingual dimension of P₄, mandibular dental variables show similar scaling relative to body size. Analysis of residuals shows that males have significantly larger canine, P³ and buccolingual dimensions of the postcanine teeth (M² and M³) than females. A significant difference in shape between the sexes is found in the buccolingual dimension of the upper teeth, but not in the mandible. Unlike the situation in some other species, female golden monkeys do not exhibit relatively larger postcanine teeth than males. In fact, the reverse is true, expecially for M²s and M³s. The fact that most of the dental variables show low negative allometry to body size might be related a cold environment that has led to the development of larger body size with reduced energy loss. When the raw data are examined by Discriminant Function Analysis the sexes are clearly distinguishable.     

Free body analysis,beam mechanics,and finite element modeling of the mandible of Alligator mississippiensis

The mechanical behavior of mammalian mandibles is well‐studied, but a comprehensive biomechanical analysis (incorporating detailed muscle architecture, accurate material properties, and three‐dimensional mechanical behavior) of an extant archosaur mandible has never been carried out. This makes it unclear how closely models of extant and extinct archosaur mandibles reflect reality and prevents comparisons of structure–function relationships in mammalian and archosaur mandibles. We tested hypotheses regarding the mechanical behavior of the mandible of Alligator mississippiensis by analyzing reaction forces and bending, shear, and torsional stress regimes in six models of varying complexity. Models included free body analysis using basic lever arm mechanics, 2D and 3D beam models, and three high‐resolution finite element models of the Alligator mandible, incorporating, respectively, isotropic bone without sutures, anisotropic bone with sutures, and anisotropic bone with sutures and contact between the mandible and the pterygoid flange. Compared with the beam models, the Alligator finite element models exhibited less spatial variability in dorsoventral bending and sagittal shear stress, as well as lower peak values for these stresses, suggesting that Alligator mandibular morphology is in part designed to reduce these stresses during biting. However, the Alligator models exhibited greater variability in the distribution of mediolateral and torsional stresses than the beam models. Incorporating anisotropic bone material properties and sutures into the model reduced dorsoventral and torsional stresses within the mandible, but led to elevated mediolateral stresses. These mediolateral stresses were mitigated by the addition of a pterygoid‐mandibular contact, suggesting important contributions from, and trade‐offs between, material properties and external constraints in Alligator mandible design. Our results suggest that beam modeling does not accurately represent the mechanical behavior of the Alligator mandible, including important performance metrics such as magnitude and orientation of reaction forces, and mediolateral bending and torsional stress distributions. J.Morphol. 2011. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Effects of forest-floor avalanche disturbance on the structure and dynamics of a subalpine forest near the forest limit on Mt. Fuji

In subalpine forests near the forest limit on Mt. Fuji in central Japan, slush avalanches occasionally destroy forest-floor vegetation through an influx of volcanic gravel from bare upper sites. The vegetation structure of Larix kaempferi–Abies veitchii forests near and distant from avalanche paths was investigated to determine the effects of forest-floor disturbance on successional processes. The Larix population in a forest near an avalanche path, where there had been signs of forest-floor disturbance by avalanches, had a discontinuous age structure with three age groups, indicating that Larix seedlings established under the Larix canopy after the forest-floor disturbance. In contrast, the Larix population in a forest distant from avalanche paths, where there had been no forest-floor disturbance, had a continuous age structure, with no plants younger than the 90-year-old trees, indicating that this population had established on bare ground over a long period. These data suggest that the primary requirement for the regeneration of L. kaempferi on the forest floor is a mineral substrate. Conversely, A. veitchii had a continuous age structure in both forests. However, forest-floor disturbances by avalanche(s) may exclude A. veitchii from the forest because A. veitchii is very sensitive to scoria deposition. In conclusion, forest-floor disturbance by avalanche(s) provides L. kaempferi with an opportunity to establish on the forest floor, resulting in the maintenance of Larix forests alongside avalanche paths in the upper subalpine area on Mt. Fuji.     

The larval development of an Australian limnadiid clam shrimp (Crustacea, Branchiopoda, Spinicaudata), and a comparison with other Limnadiidae

The adult morphology of the Australian Limnadopsis shows some remarkable differences to that of other Limnadiidae. These differences are not reflected in its larval development. In Limnadopsis parvispinus, larval development comprises six stages. In stages I and II only the three naupliar appendages are present: the antennule as a small bud, the biramous antenna as the main swimming organ, and the mandible. The antennal protopod bears two endites, the proximal naupliar process and a more distal endite. In stage III a bifid naupliar process (in earlier stages not bifid) and the first signs of the carapace and trunk limb anlagen (undifferentiated rudiments) appear. In stage IV the carapace anlagen become more pronounced. The number of trunk limb anlagens increases to five, and differentiation has commenced. In stage V the first five pairs of trunk limbs are differentiated to varying degrees. The anterior-most four pairs of trunk limbs are subdivided into five endites, a small endopod, an exopod and an epipod. The bivalved carapace covers the anterior-most limbs. In larval stage VI the carapace is larger and the trunk limbs are further differentiated. A general pattern in the sequence of larval stages is the increasing number of sensilla on the antennules. From the last larval to the first postlarval stage, a significant change in morphology takes place. The trunk limbs are now used for swimming. Typical larval organs are much smaller than in the last larval stage. A comparison with other representatives of the Limnadiidae shows a high degree of correspondence, with most differences explained by the heterochronous appearance of characters during development. Five to seven stages are described for all studied Limnadiidae, including one particular stage in which four fully developed setae, a bifid naupliar process and the first signs of carapace anlagen are present. These characters are found in stage III in L. parvispinus, Limnadia stanleyana, Eulimnadia texana, and Imnadia yeyetta but in stage IV in E. braueriana and L. lenticularis. Based on a comparison of the larval stages of six limnadiid and one cyzicid species, we conclude that at least six naupliar stages belong to the limnadiid ground pattern.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Sebastapistes taeniophrys</Emphasis> (Fowler 1943): a valid scorpionfish (Scorpaenidae) from the Philippines

The poorly known scorpionfish, Scorpaena taeniophrys, originally described from two specimens from the Philippines, is redescribed as a valid species of Sebastapistes. Sebastapistes taeniophrys differs from all other congeners in having a combination of 15 pectoral-fin rays, 31–33 scale rows in longitudinal series, 11–14 pored lateral-line scales, 3 predorsal scale rows, 12 gill rakers, 3 suborbital spines, absence of coronal spines, lower opercular spine with a median ridge and not covered with scales, ctenoid body scales, several dark transverse bands on ventral surface of mandible, a distinct elongate black blotch distally between the second or third and seventh dorsal-fin spines, and no black blotch on the nape.     

Mandible wear in the carabid beetle Pterostichus melanarius in relation to diet and burrowing behaviour

The effects of food texture and burrowing on mandible wear in the predatory carabid beetle Pterostichus melanarius Illiger were investigated by feeding adults soft or hard food in jars with or without soil. Both the incisor cusp (mandible tip) and cutting surface of the mandibles erode more in response to the combination of hard food and burrowing than to hard food alone. Females were found to erode their mandibles more than males in the hard-food-only treatment, whereas males wore down their mandibles more than females in the soil-only treatment. Female P. melanarius collected in a cereal field contained signficantly more solid food items compared with males. Differences in behaviour apparently resulted in differential wear patterns between the sexes.It is shown that the process of mandible wear in P. melanarius will result in worn mandibles in their first year as adults. However, mandible size of field-sampled females were found to be best correlated with females (of similar age) in the experiment exhibiting extensive wear (foraged hard food and burrowed in soil). The mandibles of field-sampled males were similar to those of males in the hard-food-only and the soil-only treatments, which showed only slight to moderate wear. The influence of mandible wear on fecundity and survival in P. melanarius as well as in other carabid species is discussed.

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Usure des mandibules du carabe, Pterostichus melanarius Illiger, en fonction de l'alimentation et du comportement de fouissage

Résumé L'analyse de l'influence de la texture des aliments et du fouissage, sur l'usure des mandibules a été effectuée en nourrissant P. melanarius avec des aliments de différentes duretés dans des récipients contenant ou non du sol. Les aliments durs seuls usent moins le bord incisif (extrémité de la mandibule) et la surface coupante, que leur association avec le fouissage. En présence exclusive d'aliments durs, les femelles avaient érodé plus vite leurs mandibules que les mâles, tandis que chez ceux-ci le fouissage seul les avaient usé plus vite que chez les femelles. Des femelles récoltées dans un champ de céréales contenaient plus d'aliments durs que les mâles. Les différences de comportement avaient provoqué apparemment des types d'usure différents suivant les sexes.Les adultes usent leurs mandibules au cours de leur première année de vie imaginale. Cependant, la taille des mandibules des femelles échantillonnées dans la nature correspondait mieux à celle des femelles (de même âge) provenant des expériences ayant provoqué une forte usure (aliment dur et fouissage du sol). Les mandibules des mâles échantillonnés présentaient seulement une usure modérée et ressemblaient à celles des mâles ayant consommé soit des aliments durs, soit foui le sol. La discussion a traité des relations entre l'usure des mandibules, la fécondité et la longévité de P. melanarius et d'autres espèces de carabes.