Anatomical Record-Advances in Integrative Anatomy and Evolutionary Biology最新文献

{"title":"Developmental sequence of the chondrocranium in the obligate carnivorous larvae of Lepidobatrachus laevis (Amphibia: Ceratophryidae)","authors":"Sebastián Hernández-Nieto,&nbsp;Janine M. Ziermann-Canabarro,&nbsp;Paul Lukas","doi":"10.1002/ar.25535","DOIUrl":"10.1002/ar.25535","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The vertebrate head and its skull represent a significant innovation that has played a key role in the evolutionary and ecological success of vertebrates. For a global and integral understanding of the evolution of the head skeleton, it is essential to have reliable information on the development of chondrocranium in a wide range of vertebrate species. Therefore, we studied the cranial chondrogenesis of the larva of the Budgett frog, <i>Lepidobatrachus laevis</i> (Ceratophryidae, Neobatrachia). We studied the development using several methods, including histological preparation of transverse sections of the chondrocranium, morphological analysis of three different states of development (mesenchymal aggregation, differentiation, and chondrification), and three-dimensional digital reconstructions. As a result, we observed that the Anlage of the chondrocranium at Gosner stage 19 is laterally compressed, that is, it is initially higher than wide. It gradually flattens, enlarges, and differentiates until reaching a very wide and flat shape at Gosner stage 26. Furthermore, we show that the chondrocranial development of <i>L. laevis</i> takes place in a mosaic pattern, which differs to nontetrapod vertebrates in which an anterior to posterior gradient of chondrification is observed. We identified 19 developmental stages in <i>L. laevis</i> according to the chondrification state of its cranial structures. The first element reaching the differentiation-into-chondroblast stage is the hypobranchial plate of the branchial basket, and chondrification, that is, final differentiation, occurs simultaneously in several structures of the neurocranium and viscerocranium. We hypothesize that the rapid chondrification of <i>L. laevis</i>' chondrocranium is an adaptation to the semi-arid climate conditions from its type locality, El Gran Chaco in South America. Due to the only temporary availability of suitable water accumulations this apparent accelerated development would make sense to ensure the tadpoles are froglets by the time the water body disappears. Here, we provide novel information on chondrocranial development in <i>L. laevis</i>. We compare our results to the developmental sequences, previously known from other vertebrate taxa, particularly within the amphibian phylogeny, in an attempt to understand developmental variability and the evolutionary history of the vertebrate head skeleton.</p>","PeriodicalId":50965,"journal":{"name":"Anatomical Record-Advances in Integrative Anatomy and Evolutionary Biology","volume":"308 1","pages":"26-44"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2024-07-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11622196/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141731545","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":"Ultrastructure of the mesonephros of whitefishes from the Lake Baikal basin","authors":"Ekaterina A. Flerova,&nbsp;Yulia P. Sapozhnikova,&nbsp;Alexey A. Morozov,&nbsp;Victoria V. Yurchenko","doi":"10.1002/ar.25541","DOIUrl":"10.1002/ar.25541","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The article presents a study of the mesonephros ultrastructure of Baikal omul <i>Coregonus migratorius</i>, Baikal whitefish <i>Coregonus baicalensis</i>, and a cross between Baikal whitefish and humpback whitefish (<i>C. baicalensis</i> × <i>Coregonus pidschian</i>). The mesonephros ultrastructure was studied using electron microscopy methods. The results of the study show that the number of mature granulocytes is a systematic feature and does not depend on the ecology of fish. The quantitative characteristics of blood cells and the ultrastructural features of leukocytes in the mesonephros are associated with the functioning of the nonspecific defence system in fish. Morphological diversity of epithelial cells in nephron tubules is the ancestral characteristic of the modern omul population, associated with geological and climatic events in the history of Lake Baikal. The development of haematopoietic tissue in the mesonephros, the ultrafine structure of ion-transporting interstitial cells, as well as some ultrastructural features found in the nephron, reflect the adaptive capabilities of the species to live in the ultra-deep Lake Baikal.</p>","PeriodicalId":50965,"journal":{"name":"Anatomical Record-Advances in Integrative Anatomy and Evolutionary Biology","volume":"308 1","pages":"211-229"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2024-07-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141629252","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":"Predicting ecology and hearing sensitivities in Parapontoporia-An extinct long-snouted dolphin.","authors":"Joyce Sanks, Rachel Racicot","doi":"10.1002/ar.25538","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ar.25538","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Analyses of the cetacean (whale and dolphin) inner ear provide glimpses into the ecology and evolution of extinct and extant groups. The paleoecology of the long-snouted odontocete (toothed whale) group, Parapontoporia, is primarily marine with its depositional context also suggesting freshwater tolerance. As an extinct relative of the exclusively riverine Lipotes vexillifer, Parapontoporia provides insight into a transition from marine to freshwater environments. High-resolution X-ray CT scans (~3 microns or less) of three individual specimens from two species, P. sternbergi and P. pacifica, were acquired. Digital endocasts of the inner ear labyrinths were extracted non-destructively. Nine measurements of the inner ear were compared with an existing dataset covering 125 terrestrial and aquatic artiodactyls. These measurements were then subjected to a principal component analysis to interpret hearing sensitivities among other artiodactyls. Based on our analyses, Parapontoporia was likely to have been able to hear within narrow-band high frequency (NBHF) ranges. This finding indicates another convergence of NBHF-style hearing, or, more intriguingly, suggests that it may be an ancestral characteristic present among the longirostrine dolphins that dominated in the Miocene prior to the evolution of more modern lineages.</p>","PeriodicalId":50965,"journal":{"name":"Anatomical Record-Advances in Integrative Anatomy and Evolutionary Biology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2024-07-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141621743","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":"Development of the pulmonary vasculature in the gray short-tailed opossum (Monodelphis domestica)—3D reconstruction by microcomputed tomography","authors":"Kirsten Ferner","doi":"10.1002/ar.25542","DOIUrl":"10.1002/ar.25542","url":null,"abstract":"<p>In the marsupial gray short-tailed opossum (<i>Monodelphis domestica</i>), the majority of lung development, including the maturation of pulmonary vasculature, takes place in ventilated functioning state during the postnatal period. The current study uses X-ray computed tomography (μCT) to three-dimensionally reconstruct the vascular trees of the pulmonary artery and pulmonary vein in 15 animals from neonate to postnatal day 57. The final 3D reconstructions of the pulmonary artery and pulmonary vein in the neonate and at 21, 35, and 57 dpn were transformed into a centerline model of the vascular trees. Based on the reconstructions, the generation of end-branching vessels, the median and maximum generation, and the number of vessels were calculated for the lungs. The pulmonary vasculature follows the lung anatomy with six pulmonary lobes indicated by the bronchial tree. The pulmonary arteries follow the bronchial tree closely, in contrast to the pulmonary veins, which run between the pulmonary segments. At birth the pulmonary vasculature has a simple branching pattern with a few vessel generations. Compared with the bronchial tree, the pulmonary vasculature appears to be more developed and extends to the large terminal air spaces. The pulmonary vasculature shows a marked gain in volume and a progressive increase in vascular complexity and density. The gray short-tailed opossum resembles the assumed mammalian ancestor and is suitable to inform on the evolution of the mammalian lung. Vascular genesis in the marsupial bears resemblance to developmental patterns described in eutherians. Lung development in general seems to be highly conservative within mammalian evolution.</p>","PeriodicalId":50965,"journal":{"name":"Anatomical Record-Advances in Integrative Anatomy and Evolutionary Biology","volume":"308 4","pages":"1144-1163"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2024-07-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ar.25542","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141591980","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":"Appendicular myology of Skorpiovenator bustingorryi: A first attempt to reconstruct pelvic and hindlimb musculature in an abelisaurid theropod","authors":"Mauricio A. Cerroni,&nbsp;Alejandro Otero,&nbsp;Fernando E. Novas","doi":"10.1002/ar.25532","DOIUrl":"10.1002/ar.25532","url":null,"abstract":"<p>We present the pelvic and hindlimb musculature of the abelisaurid <i>Skorpiovenator bustingorryi</i>, constituting the most comprehensive muscle reconstruction to date in ceratosaur theropods. Using extant phylogenetic bracket method, we reconstructed 39 muscles that can commonly found in extant archosaurs. Through the identification of bone correlates, we recognized thigh and hindlimb muscles including knee extensors, <i>m. iliofibularis</i>, <i>m. flexor tibialis externus</i>, <i>mm. caudofemorales</i>, <i>mm. puboischiofemorales</i>, and crus muscles important in foot extension and flexion (e.g., <i>m. tibialis anterior</i>, <i>mm. gastrocnemii</i>). Also, autopodial intrinsic muscles were reconstructed whose function involve extension (<i>m. extensor digiti 2–4</i>), flexion (<i>mm. flexor digitorum brevis superficialis</i>), interdigital adduction (<i>m. interosseus dorsalis</i>) and abduction (<i>m. interosseous plantaris</i>, <i>m. abductor 4</i>). Abelisaurids like <i>Skorpiovenator</i> show a deep pre- and postacetabular blade of the ilia and enlarged cnemial crests, which would have helped increasing the moment arm of muscles related to hip flexion and hindlimb extension. Also, pedal muscles related to pronation were probably present but reduced (e.g., <i>m. pronator profundus</i>). Despite some gross differences in the autopodial morphology in extant outgroups (e.g., crocodilian metatarsus and avian tarsometatarsus), the present study allows us to hypothesize several pedal muscles in <i>Skorpiovenator</i>. These muscles would not be arranged in tendinous bundles as in Neornithes, but rather the condition would be similar to that of crocodilians with several layers formed by fleshy bellies on the plantar and dorsal aspects of the metatarsus. The musculature of <i>Skorpiovenator</i> is key for future studies concerning abelisaurid biomechanics, including the integration of functional morphology and ichnological data.</p>","PeriodicalId":50965,"journal":{"name":"Anatomical Record-Advances in Integrative Anatomy and Evolutionary Biology","volume":"308 1","pages":"114-162"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2024-07-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141581474","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":"Embryonic development and cranial ossification of the Japanese Aodaishō, Elaphe climacophora (Serpentes: Colubridae): with special reference to the prootic bone and auditory evolution in snakes","authors":"Taro Nojiri,&nbsp;Ingmar Werneburg,&nbsp;Atsushi Sakai,&nbsp;Toshiko Furutera,&nbsp;Takako Negishi-Koga,&nbsp;Muneaki Ishijima,&nbsp;Koichiro Ichimura,&nbsp;Masaki Takechi","doi":"10.1002/ar.25539","DOIUrl":"10.1002/ar.25539","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Snakes show remarkably deviated “body plan” from other squamate reptiles. In addition to limb loss, they have accomplished enormous anatomical specialization of the skull associated with the pit organs and the reduction of the tympanic membranes and auditory canals in the outer ears. Despite being the most diverse group of snakes, our knowledge of the embryonic staging for organogenesis and cranial ossification has been minimal for Colubridae. Therefore, in the present observation, we provide the first embryonic description of the Japanese rat snake <i>Elaphe climacophora</i>. We based our study on the Standard Event System (SES) for external anatomical characters and on a description of the cranial ossification during post-ovipositional development. We further estimated the relative ossification timing of each cranial bony element and compared it with that of selected other snakes, lizards, turtles, and crocodilians. The present study shows that the relative ossification timing of the palatine and pterygoid bones is relatively early in squamates when compared to other reptiles, implying the developmental integration as the palate–pterygoid complex in this clade and functional demands for the unique feeding adaptation to swallow large prey with the help of their large palatine and pterygoid teeth. Furthermore, unlike in species with pit organs, the prootic bone of <i>Ela. climacophora</i> is expanded to provide articulation with the supratemporal, thereby contributing to the hearing system by detecting substrate vibration. We also demonstrate that the relative timing of the prootic ossification is significantly accelerated in colubrids compared to snakes with pit organs. Our finding suggests that the temporal changes of the prootic ossification underpin the evolution of the perception of the ground-bourne sound signals among snakes.</p>","PeriodicalId":50965,"journal":{"name":"Anatomical Record-Advances in Integrative Anatomy and Evolutionary Biology","volume":"308 1","pages":"5-25"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2024-07-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141591981","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":"Pseudopus pannonicus (Squamata), the largest known anguid lizard—Redescription of the type material and new specimens from the Neogene and Quaternary of Hungary and Poland","authors":"Erwan Loréal,&nbsp;Georgios L. Georgalis,&nbsp;Andrej Čerňanský","doi":"10.1002/ar.25525","DOIUrl":"10.1002/ar.25525","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Herein, we revise the material of the extinct taxon <i>Pseudopus pannonicus</i> from Central Europe, the largest known anguid lizard and iconic member of herpetofaunas from the Upper Cenozoic of Europe. The geographical position of Polgárdi 2, the type locality of <i>P</i>. <i>pannonicus</i>, as well as several other closely located important localities make Central Europe a valuable area of high interest for studies regarding European Cenozoic palaeoherpetological assemblages. We clarified the nature of the type material of <i>Pseudopus pannonicus</i>, showing that it consisted not only of the five specimens originally figured. Instead, the syntype series also includes a considerable number of specimens from Polgárdi 2 that were only described or figured 12 years after the original description of <i>P</i>. <i>pannonicus</i>. Detailed osteological descriptions are provided for specimens from the type series and Polish specimens, with the aid of high-resolution imaging (SEM and μCT scanning), and intraspecific variability is discussed. The articular surface with the lappet of the parietal overlapping the frontal is discussed as a character potentially relevant for the diagnosis of <i>P</i>. <i>pannonicus</i>. We updated the identification of several specimens of <i>P</i>. <i>pannonicus</i> and discussed the biogeographic implications of such revisions. In Poland, <i>P</i>. <i>pannonicus</i> is an abundant component of Neogene and early Quaternary herpetofaunas, known with certainty from the Middle Miocene of Przeworno (the oldest known occurrence of the species globally), the Early–Late Pliocene of Węże I, the Late Pliocene of Rębielice Królewskie I, the Late Pliocene of Węże II, and the Early Pleistocene of Kadzielnia (one of the youngest occurrences documented globally). An indeterminate anguine with <i>Anguis</i> affinities is newly reported from Rębielice Królewskie II. The taxonomic status of other large anguids from the Neogene of Europe is discussed and we conclude that most are junior synonyms of <i>P</i>. <i>pannonicus</i>. We also show that another purported synonym, that is, <i>Ophisaurus intermedius</i> from the Early Pleistocene of Romania, is instead a nomen nudum. We conducted phylogenetic analyses (18 taxa, 65 characters) to understand the relationship of <i>P</i>. <i>pannonicus</i> relative to other anguid representatives and anguid-related group (i.e., glyptosaurids). A single most parsimonious tree (length: 134 steps) was recovered. The clade <i>Pseudopus</i> is stable, comprising the two distinct sister subclades [<i>Pseudopus laurillardi</i> + <i>Pseudopus ahnikoviensis</i>] and [<i>Pseudopus pannonicus</i> + <i>Pseudopus apodus</i>]. These phylogenetic results are in accordance with previously published works.</p>","PeriodicalId":50965,"journal":{"name":"Anatomical Record-Advances in Integrative Anatomy and Evolutionary Biology","volume":"308 1","pages":"45-113"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2024-07-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141565058","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":"A new semi-fossorial thescelosaurine dinosaur from the Cenomanian-age Mussentuchit Member of the Cedar Mountain Formation, Utah","authors":"Haviv M. Avrahami,&nbsp;Peter J. Makovicky,&nbsp;Ryan T. Tucker,&nbsp;Lindsay E. Zanno","doi":"10.1002/ar.25505","DOIUrl":"10.1002/ar.25505","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Thescelosaurines are a group of early diverging, ornithischian dinosaurs notable for their conservative bauplans and mosaic of primitive features. Although abundant within the latest Cretaceous ecosystems of North America, their record is poor to absent in earlier assemblages, leaving a large gap in our understanding of their evolution, origins, and ecological roles. Here we report a new small bodied thescelosaurine—<i>Fona herzogae</i> gen. et sp. nov.—from the Mussentuchit Member of the Cedar Mountain Formation, Utah, USA. <i>Fona herzogae</i> is represented by multiple individuals, representing one of the most comprehensive skeletal assemblages of a small bodied, early diverging ornithischian described from North America to date. Phylogenetic analysis recovers <i>Fona</i> as the earliest member of Thescelosaurinae, minimally containing <i>Oryctodromeus</i>, and all three species of <i>Thescelosaurus</i>, revealing the clade was well-established in North America by as early as the Cenomanian, and distinct from, yet continental cohabitants with, their sister clade, Orodrominae. To date, orodromines and thescelosaurines have not been found together within a single North American ecosystem, suggesting different habitat preferences or competitive exclusion. Osteological observations reveal extensive intraspecific variation across cranial and postcranial elements, and a number of anatomical similarities with <i>Oryctodromeus</i>, suggesting a shared semi-fossorial lifestyle.</p>","PeriodicalId":50965,"journal":{"name":"Anatomical Record-Advances in Integrative Anatomy and Evolutionary Biology","volume":"307 12","pages":"3717-3781"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2024-07-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ar.25505","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141560277","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":"A morphometric comparison of the ductus reuniens in humans and guinea pigs, with a note on its evolutionary importance.","authors":"Christopher M Smith, Ian S Curthoys, Jeffrey T Laitman","doi":"10.1002/ar.25534","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ar.25534","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The mammalian inner ear contains the sensory organs responsible for balance (semicircular canals, utricle, and saccule) and hearing (cochlea). While these organs are functionally distinct, there exists a critical structural connection between the two: the ductus reuniens (DR). Despite its functional importance, comparative descriptions of DR morphology are limited, hindering our understanding of the evolutionary diversification of hearing and balance systems among mammals. Using virtual 3D models derived from micro-CT, we examine the morphology of the DR and its relationship to the bony labyrinth in humans compared to that in a commonly used animal model, the guinea pig. Anatomical reconstructions and univariate measurements were carried out in the software 3D Slicer. Data indicate similarities in DR morphology between humans and guinea pigs in terms of overall shape. However, there are considerable differences in relative DR length and width between humans and guinea pigs. Humans possess a relatively shorter and narrower DR but with wider openings to the saccule and cochlear duct. This results in a relatively more constricted DR lumen in humans which may differentially limit fluid transfer between the saccule and cochlea. Our results reveal previously hidden morphological diversity in the communication between the hearing and balance systems of the mammalian inner ear which may indicate alternative strategies for isolating the Organ of Corti from the peripheral vestibular system throughout mammalian evolution.</p>","PeriodicalId":50965,"journal":{"name":"Anatomical Record-Advances in Integrative Anatomy and Evolutionary Biology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2024-07-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141535921","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":"Headbutting through time: A review of this hypothesized behavior in \"dome-headed\" fossil taxa.","authors":"D Cary Woodruff, Nicole L Ackermans","doi":"10.1002/ar.25526","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ar.25526","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Headbutting is a combative behavior most popularly portrayed and exemplified in the extant bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis). When behaviorally proposed in extinct taxa, these organisms are oft depicted Ovis-like as having used modified cranial structures to combatively slam into one another. The combative behavioral hypothesis of headbutting has a long and rich history in the vertebrate fossil literature (not just within Dinosauria), but the core of this behavioral hypothesis in fossil terrestrial vertebrates is associated with an enlarged osseous cranial dome-an osteological structure with essentially no current counterpart. One confounding issue found in the literature is that while the term \"headbutting\" sounds simplistic enough, little terminology has been used to describe this hypothesized behavior. And pertinent to this special issue, potential brain trauma and the merits of such proposed pugilism have been assessed largely from the potential deformation of the overlying osseous structure; despite the fact that extant taxa readily show that brain damage can and does occur without osteological compromise. Additionally, the extant taxa serving as the behavioral counterpart for comparison are critical, not only because of the combative behaviors and morphologies they display, but also the way they engage in such behavior. Sheep (Ovis), warthogs (Phacochoerus), and bison (Bison) all engage in various forms of \"headbutting\", but the cranial morphologies and the way each engages in combat is markedly different. To hypothesize that an extinct organism engaged in headbutting like an extant counterpart in theory implies specific striking:contacting surfaces, speed, velocity, and overall how that action was executed. This review examines the history and usage of the headbutting behavioral hypothesis in these dome-headed fossil taxa, their respective extant behavioral counterparts, and proposes a protocol for specific behavioral terms relating to headbutting to stem future confusion. We also discuss the disparate morphology of combative cranial structures in the fossil record, and the implications of headbutting-induced brain injury in extinct taxa. Finally, we conclude with some potential implications for artistic reconstructions of fossil taxa regarding this behavioral repertoire.</p>","PeriodicalId":50965,"journal":{"name":"Anatomical Record-Advances in Integrative Anatomy and Evolutionary Biology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2024-07-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141535922","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}