Journal of Morphology最新文献

{"title":"Osteology of the Small-Sized Hyphessobrycon piabinhas Fowler 1941 (Characiformes, Characidae) With a Discussion on Developmentally Truncated Characters in the Family","authors":"Manoela Maria Ferreira Marinho,&nbsp;Yasmim De Santana Santos,&nbsp;José Igor Da Silva","doi":"10.1002/jmor.21778","DOIUrl":"10.1002/jmor.21778","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Evolutionary body size decrease has profound consequences for the morphology of an organism. In the evolution of the Characidae, the most species-rich family of Neotropical fishes, a prominent trend is the reduction of body size. The most typical effect is the simplification and reduction of morphological features through terminal deletion processes, resulting in the loss of skeletal elements and structures. To provide further information on the matter, we present a detailed description of the skeleton of <i>Hyphessobrycon piabinhas</i>, a poorly known, small representative of the largest genus of Characidae. We further discuss the identity and phylogenetic relationships of <i>H. piabinhas</i>. It belongs to the subfamily Stethaprioninae and exhibits considerable morphological similarity to other congeners from neighboring drainage systems. We identify several morphological simplifications in <i>H. piabinhas</i> and discuss them based on ontogenetic data available for Characiformes. These developmentally truncated elements are also present in many other small representatives of the family and seem to be among the first morphological modifications to occur in the context of body size reduction of Characidae. We argue that structural losses are not strictly correlated with sizes below 26 mm SL, although the most notable simplifications are typically observed in the miniatures.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":16528,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Morphology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2024-09-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142289469","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Precaudal Vertebrae in the Postcranial Region of Moray Eels Form Ventral Processes","authors":"Yuu Usui,&nbsp;Naoki Yamane,&nbsp;Akira Hanashima,&nbsp;Ken Hashimoto,&nbsp;Yuji Kanaoka,&nbsp;Satoshi Mohri","doi":"10.1002/jmor.21776","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jmor.21776","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Fish vertebrae are primarily morphologically classified into precaudal vertebrae jointed to the ribs and caudal vertebrae with hemal spines, through which the caudal artery and veins pass. Moray eels (family Muraenidae) capture prey by directly biting, combining oral and pharyngeal jaw. During feeding motions, they exhibit various head manipulations, such as neurocranial elevation, ventral flexion, and horizontal shaking, with their postcranial region acting like the neck of amniotes. However, the bone morphology supporting these movements remains unclear. In this study, the vertebral morphologies of the Kidako moray (<i>Gymnothorax kidako</i>), starry moray (<i>Echidna nebulosa</i>), pink-lipped moray (<i>Echidna rhodochilus</i>), tidepool snake moray (<i>Uropterygius micropterus</i>), and Seychelles moray (<i>Anarchias seychellensis</i>) were investigated using X-ray computed tomography. These five species exhibited longitudinal ventral processes in the second to approximately 12th precaudal vertebrae with canals for blood vessels, structurally similar to hemal spines. In addition, the morphology of the precaudal vertebrae in three Anguilliformes species closely related to moray eels and two Gasterosteiformes species, including a seahorse that flexes its head ventrally as a feeding motion, was compared with that of moray eels. However, no remarkable ventral processes were observed in their precaudal vertebrae in the postcranial region, suggesting that these structural features in the postcranial vertebrae were preserved in Muraenidae but not necessarily required for the fish to bend its head ventrally. Although the functional significance of the ventral process has yet to be determined, our findings highlight a novel aspect of fish vertebral morphology.</p>","PeriodicalId":16528,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Morphology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2024-09-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/jmor.21776","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142234776","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Ovary Structure in Terrestrial Parasitengona Mites: The Case of Trombidiidae (Acariformes: Parasitengona)","authors":"Anna Derdak,&nbsp;Izabela Jędrzejowska,&nbsp;Joanna Mąkol","doi":"10.1002/jmor.21774","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jmor.21774","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Species of mites (Chelicerata: Arachnida) show a great variety of structures of the female gonads. In both evolutionary lines, Acariformes and Parasitiformes, the panoistic ovary, in which all germline cysts differentiate into oocytes, and the meroistic ovary, in which the oocytes grow supported by the nurse cells, have been documented. A less pronounced variation in the gonad structure could be expected at lower systematic levels, hence, we ask about the degree of differences within the family that is subordinate to Acariformes and represents the cohort Parasitengona. Based on the members of Trombidiidae (Acariformes: Trombidiformes, Parasitengona, Trombidioidea), we test the hypothesis that the general ovary type is constant at the family level. Our previous research on the female gonad in <i>Allothrombium fuliginosum</i> revealed that the meroistic ovary occurs in these mites. Here, we proceed with a detailed insight into the ovary structure in <i>A. fuliginosum</i> and examine the structure of the female gonad in other members of Trombidiidae, focusing on the following representatives of its nominotypical genus <i>Trombidium</i>: <i>Trombidium brevimanum</i>, <i>Trombidium holosericeum</i>, <i>Trombidium heterotrichum</i>, and <i>Trombidium latum</i>. For all species, studied with light, fluorescence, and transmission electron microscopy, we could confirm the presence of the meroistic ovary that is highly similar with respect to general architecture. The germline cysts show similarities in general morphology and the mode of germline cell differentiation; they consist of a few nurse cells and one oocyte. The connection between the nurse cells and oocytes is maintained by trophic cords that serve for the transport of organelles and macromolecules. Our results confirm the constancy of the structure of the female gonad at the intrageneric level and provide further support for the hypothesis on the lack of differences at the intrafamily level.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":16528,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Morphology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2024-09-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142234775","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Postnatal Skull Development Reveals a Conservative Pattern in Living and Fossil Vizcachas Genus Lagostomus (Rodentia, Chinchillidae)","authors":"Valentina Segura,&nbsp;Luciano L. Rasia,&nbsp;Adriana M. Candela,&nbsp;David A. Flores","doi":"10.1002/jmor.21775","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jmor.21775","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The plains vizcacha, <i>Lagostomus maximus</i>, is the only living species in the genus, being notably larger than fossil congeneric species, such as <i>Lagostomus incisus</i>, from the Pliocene of Argentina and Uruguay. Here, we compare the skull growth allometric pattern and sexual dimorphism of <i>L. maximus</i> and <i>L. incisus</i>, relating shape and size changes with skull function. We also test whether the ontogenetic trajectories and allometric trends between both sexes of <i>L. maximus</i> follow the same pattern. A common allometric pattern between both species was the elongation of the skull, a product of the lengthening of rostrum, and chondrogenesis on the spheno-occipitalis synchondrosis and coronalis suture. We also detected a low proportion of skull suture fusion. In some variables, older male specimens did not represent a simple linear extension of female trajectory, and all dimorphic traits were related to the development of the masticatory muscles. Sexual dimorphism previously attributed to <i>L. incisus</i> would indicate that this phenomenon was present in the genus since the early Pliocene and suggests social behaviors such as polygyny and male-male competition. Ontogenetic changes in <i>L. incisus</i> were similar to <i>L. maximus</i>, showing a conservative condition of the genus. Only two changes were different in the ontogeny of both species, which appeared earlier in <i>L. incisus</i> compared to <i>L. maximus</i>: the development of the frontal process of the nasals in a square shape, and the straight shape of the occipital bone in lateral view. Juveniles of <i>L. maximus</i> were close to adult <i>L. incisus</i> in the morphospace, suggesting a peramorphic process. The sequence of suture and synchondroses fusion showed minor differences in temporozygomatica and frontonasalis sutures, indicating major mechanical stress in <i>L. maximus</i> related to size. We suggest a generalized growth path in Chinchillidae, but further analyses are necessary at an evolutionary level, including <i>Lagidium</i> and <i>Chinchilla</i>.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":16528,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Morphology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2024-09-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142169855","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Reconstructive evolutionary morphology: Tracing the historical process of modifications of complex systems driven by natural selection through changing ecological conditions","authors":"Dominique G. Homberger","doi":"10.1002/jmor.21763","DOIUrl":"10.1002/jmor.21763","url":null,"abstract":"<p>There is general consensus among evolutionary biologists that natural selection drives phenotypic modifications within populations over generational time. How to reconstruct this historical process, however, has been discussed mostly in theoretical terms, and recommendations and explanations on how to translate such theoretical insights into practice are needed. The present study aims at providing a theory-supported practical guide on how to reconstruct historical evolutionary processes by applying a morphology-centered approach through a series of interdependent steps of descriptive morphology, functional analysis, ecological observation, integration of paleoecological data, and evolutionary synthesis. Special attention is given to the development of tests regarding the accuracy, closeness to reality, and plausibility of the hypotheses at every level of the reconstructive process. This morphology-centered approach had its beginnings in the wake of the evolutionary synthesis and is part of the scientifically necessary process of reciprocal testing of hypotheses generated by different methods and data for the reconstruction of evolutionary history.</p>","PeriodicalId":16528,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Morphology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2024-09-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/jmor.21763","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142154401","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Remodeling of Uterine Tissues During Gestation of Potamotrygon wallacei (Elasmobranchii), a Neotropical Freshwater Stingray Endemic to the Negro River, Central Amazonia","authors":"Michelly Siqueira-Souza,&nbsp;Maria Glauciney Amazonas,&nbsp;Kedma Cristine Yamamoto,&nbsp;Wallice Paxiúba Duncan","doi":"10.1002/jmor.21772","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jmor.21772","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Neotropical freshwater stingrays of the subfamily Potamotrygoninae exhibit aplacental viviparity with uterine trophonemata. In this reproductive mode, females nourish and provide oxygenation to the embryo via the mucosa of the uterine wall. The aim of this study was to describe and histologically quantify the tissue components of the gravid uterus in an Amazonian freshwater stingray. Adult females of <i>Potamotrygon wallacei</i> were studied in different reproductive periods: resting stage, pregnant, and postpartum. During reproductive rest, the left ovary has numerous follicles compared to the right side. Therefore, uterine fertility is usually higher on the left side. The presence of an embryo in the right uterus suggests that the right ovary is also functional, although this only occurs in larger females. In females at reproductive rest, the wall of the uterus is formed by a mucosal layer (without the trophonemata) that contributes 16.7% to the thickness, while the myometrium accounts for 83.3% of the thickness. The mass-specific volume of the mucosal layer, inner circular, and outer longitudinal smooth muscle sheets tend to increase in the gravid uterus, indicating hypertrophy and hyperplasia of these components. During pregnancy, the trophonemata undergo marked tissue remodeling. Epithelial cells are organized into glandular acini and have apical secretory vesicles; furthermore, peripheral blood vessels proliferate and become dilated. These characteristics demonstrate that the gravid uterus of <i>P. wallacei</i> presents intense uterolactation activity and provides oxygenation to the fetus. Tissue remodeling occurs only in the uterus with the presence of an embryo. During postpartum, females have low body condition factor indicating a high reproductive cost. This study contributes to the knowledge of the reproductive biology of this species and will help us understand the impacts of climate change on the breeding areas of potamotrygonids.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":16528,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Morphology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2024-09-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142165608","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Radular Tooth Coating in Members of Dendronotidae and Flabellinidae (Nudibranchia, Gastropoda, Mollusca)","authors":"Wencke Krings,&nbsp;Stanislav N. Gorb,&nbsp;Charlotte Neumann,&nbsp;Heike Wägele","doi":"10.1002/jmor.21773","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jmor.21773","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Nudibranchs, with their mesmerizing diversity and ecological significance, play crucial roles in marine ecosystems. Central to their feeding prowess is the radula, a chitinous structure with diverse morphologies adapted to prey preferences and feeding strategies. This study focuses on elucidating wear coping mechanisms in radular teeth of carnivorous molluscs, employing <i>Dendronotus lacteus</i> (Dendronotidae) and <i>Flabellina affinis</i> (Flabellinidae) as model species. Both species forage on hydrozoans. Through scanning electron microscopy, confocal laser scanning microscopy, nanoindentation, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, the biomechanical and compositional properties of their teeth were analyzed. Notably, tooth coatings, composed of calcium (Ca) or silicon (Si) and high hardness and stiffness compared to the internal tooth structure, with varying mineral contents across tooth regions and ontogenetic zones, were found. The presence of the hard and stiff tooth coatings highlight their role in enhancing wear resistance. The heterogeneities in the autofluorescence patterns related to the distribution of Ca and Si of the coatings. Overall, this study provides into the biomechanical adaptations of nudibranch radular teeth, shedding light on the intricate interplay between tooth structure, elemental composition, and ecological function in marine molluscs.</p>","PeriodicalId":16528,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Morphology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2024-09-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/jmor.21773","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142165606","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Corrigendum to “Bee Morphology: A Skeletomuscular Anatomy of Thyreus (Hymenoptera: Apidae)”","authors":"","doi":"10.1002/jmor.21777","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jmor.21777","url":null,"abstract":"<p>O. M. Meira, R. G. Beutel, H. Pohl, et al. 2024. “Bee Morphology: A Skeletomuscular Anatomy of <i>Thyreus</i> (Hymenoptera: Apidae).” <i>Journal of Morphology</i>, 285, e21751.</p><p>In published article, the <i>Thyreus</i> used for our study is incorrect, and is likely <i>T. quinquefasciatus</i> (Smith, F., 1879). This error was due to the switching of two specimen records in a flatfile database. Whereas we reported the scanned <i>Thyreus</i> (scan code BB311) as <i>T. albomaculatus</i> (specimen code: USNMENT01900218), the specimen that was the focal subject of our study is in fact <i>T. quinquefasciatus</i> (specimen code: SMFHYM0005662). Unfortunately, the specific epithet “<i>albomaculatus</i>” is used throughout the text; where this occurs, this should be read as “<i>quinquefasciatus</i>.” Fortunately, no conclusions from the study are affected by this mistake as only one species of <i>Thyreus</i> was used for the study. The revised identification is based on: (1) comparison of the voucher specimen of the present study with the type specimen (NHMUK014022685), which is preserved at the Natural History Museum London, and (2) the limited diversity of <i>Thyreus</i> in Madagascar, which is represented by a single known species. We thank Dr. Michael C. Orr for bringing our attention to this mistake.</p>","PeriodicalId":16528,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Morphology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2024-09-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/jmor.21777","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142165263","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Thecal and Epithecal Ossifications of the Turtle Shell: Ontogenetic And Phylogenetic Aspects","authors":"Gennady Cherepanov,&nbsp;Igor Danilov","doi":"10.1002/jmor.21768","DOIUrl":"10.1002/jmor.21768","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The problem of the origin of the bony shell in turtles has a two-century history and still has not lost its relevance. First, this concerns the issues of the homology, the sources of formation and the ratio of bones of different nature, that is, thecal and epithecal, in particular. This article analyzes various views on the nature of the shell elements, and proposes their typification, based on modern data on developmental biology. It is proposed that the defining characteristic of the types of shell ossifications is not the level of their anlage in the dermis (thecality or epithecality), but, first of all, the primary sources of their formation: (1) neural crest (nuchal and plastral plates); (2) vertebral and rib periosteum (neural and costal plates); and (3) dermal mesenchyme (peripheral, suprapygal and pygal plates, as well as epithecal elements). In addition, there is complete correspondence between these types of ossifications and the sequence of their appearance in the turtle ontogenesis. The data show fundamental coincidence of the modifications of the ontogenetic development and evolutionary formation of the shell ossifications and are in agreement with a stepwise model for the origin of the turtle body plan. Particular attention is paid to the origin of the epithecal elements of the turtle shell, which correspond to the additional or supernumerary ossifications and seem to have wider distribution among turtles, than previously thought.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":16528,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Morphology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2024-09-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142120069","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Morphology of the Digestive Tube of the Amazonian Freshwater Stingray Potamotrygon wallacei (Elasmobranchii: Potamotrygonidae): A Stereological Approach","authors":"Rubia Neris Machado,&nbsp;Wallice Paxiúba Duncan","doi":"10.1002/jmor.21771","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/jmor.21771","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This work aimed to describe and quantify the tissue components of the digestive tube of the neotropical freshwater stingray, <i>Potamotrygon wallacei</i>. For this, conventional histology and stereological methods were used to estimate tissue volume. The volumes of the four fundamental layers and the tissue components in the stomach (cardiac and pyloric) and spiral intestine were also estimated. In the cardiac stomach, the mucosa layer occupies 44.7% of the total volume of the organ wall. The gastric glands are the main components, and these structures alone represent 49.7% of this layer. This large number of gastric glands suggests a high potential for processing food items with a high protein content. The stereological methods were sensitive enough to show a reduction in the volume of the gastric glands from the cardiac region toward the pyloric region. Gastric glands are absent in the pyloric region of the stomach. However, the muscularis becomes thicker towards the pyloric region. The increase in smooth muscle thickness is due to the thickening of the inner muscular layer. This suggests that the role of the pyloric stomach may be related to the mixing of the chyme and assisting its passage to the spiral intestine. In the spiral intestine, data on the volume of the mucosa layer (and epithelial lining) suggest that the spiral valve has a large absorptive area. In several respects, the morphology of the digestive tube of <i>P. wallacei</i> is similar to that of other batoids. However, its slight morphological variations may be related to the habitat specificity of this species.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":16528,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Morphology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2024-08-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142100238","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}