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Comparative cranial morphology in living and extinct platypuses: Feeding behavior, electroreception, and loss of teeth.
Sci Adv. 2016 Oct; 2(10):e1601329.SA

Abstract

The modern platypus, Ornithorhynchus anatinus, has an eye structure similar to aquatic mammals; however, platypuses also have a "sixth sense" associated with the bill electro- and mechanoreception that they use without opening their eyes underwater. We hypothesize that Ornithorhynchus and the Miocene taxon Obdurodon have different sensory capacities, which may have resulted from differences in foraging behavior. To estimate differences in foraging, sensory systems, and anatomical divergence between these monotremes, we compared their skull morphologies. Results indicate that the bill of Obdurodon is more dorsally deflected than that of Ornithorhynchus, suggesting a pelagic foraging behavior in Obdurodon compared to the bottom-feeding behavior in Ornithorhynchus. The infraorbital foramen of Obdurodon, through which the maxillary nerve passes sensory data from the bill to the brain, is relatively less developed than that of Ornithorhynchus. Whereas bill-focused sensory perception was likely shared among Mesozoic monotremes, the highly developed electrosensory system of Ornithorhynchus may represent an adaptation to foraging in cloudy water. Computed tomography imagery indicates that the enlarged infraorbital canal of Ornithorhynchus restricts the space available for maxillary tooth roots. Hence, loss of functional teeth in Ornithorhynchus may possibly have resulted from a shift in foraging behavior and coordinate elaboration of the electroreceptive sensory system. Well-developed electroreceptivity in monotremes is known at least as far back as the early Cretaceous; however, there are differences in the extent of elaboration of the feature among members of the ornithorhynchid lineage.

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Authors+Show Affiliations

Asahara M
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Mie University, Kurima-machiya-cho 1577, Tsu, Mie 514-8507, Japan.
Koizumi M
Department of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Tokyo Ariake University of Medical and Health Sciences, 2-9-1 Ariake, Koto-ku, Tokyo 135-0063, Japan.
Macrini TE
Department of Biological Sciences, St. Mary's University, One Camino Santa Maria, San Antonio, TX 78228, USA.
Hand SJ
Palaeontology, Geobiology and Earth Archives Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia.
Archer M
Palaeontology, Geobiology and Earth Archives Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia.

MeSH

AnimalsEvolution, MolecularFeeding BehaviorPlatypus

Pub Type(s)

Comparative Study
Journal Article

Language

eng

PubMed ID

27757425

Citation

Asahara, Masakazu, et al. "Comparative Cranial Morphology in Living and Extinct Platypuses: Feeding Behavior, Electroreception, and Loss of Teeth." Science Advances, vol. 2, no. 10, 2016, pp. e1601329.
Asahara M, Koizumi M, Macrini TE, et al. Comparative cranial morphology in living and extinct platypuses: Feeding behavior, electroreception, and loss of teeth. Sci Adv. 2016;2(10):e1601329.
Asahara, M., Koizumi, M., Macrini, T. E., Hand, S. J., & Archer, M. (2016). Comparative cranial morphology in living and extinct platypuses: Feeding behavior, electroreception, and loss of teeth. Science Advances, 2(10), e1601329.
Asahara M, et al. Comparative Cranial Morphology in Living and Extinct Platypuses: Feeding Behavior, Electroreception, and Loss of Teeth. Sci Adv. 2016;2(10):e1601329. PubMed PMID: 27757425.
* Article titles in AMA citation format should be in sentence-case
TY - JOUR T1 - Comparative cranial morphology in living and extinct platypuses: Feeding behavior, electroreception, and loss of teeth. AU - Asahara,Masakazu, AU - Koizumi,Masahiro, AU - Macrini,Thomas E, AU - Hand,Suzanne J, AU - Archer,Michael, Y1 - 2016/10/12/ PY - 2016/06/12/received PY - 2016/09/08/accepted PY - 2016/10/21/pubmed PY - 2018/7/10/medline PY - 2016/10/21/entrez KW - Monotremes KW - evolution KW - ornithorhynchids KW - trigeminal nerve SP - e1601329 EP - e1601329 JF - Science advances JO - Sci Adv VL - 2 IS - 10 N2 - The modern platypus, Ornithorhynchus anatinus, has an eye structure similar to aquatic mammals; however, platypuses also have a "sixth sense" associated with the bill electro- and mechanoreception that they use without opening their eyes underwater. We hypothesize that Ornithorhynchus and the Miocene taxon Obdurodon have different sensory capacities, which may have resulted from differences in foraging behavior. To estimate differences in foraging, sensory systems, and anatomical divergence between these monotremes, we compared their skull morphologies. Results indicate that the bill of Obdurodon is more dorsally deflected than that of Ornithorhynchus, suggesting a pelagic foraging behavior in Obdurodon compared to the bottom-feeding behavior in Ornithorhynchus. The infraorbital foramen of Obdurodon, through which the maxillary nerve passes sensory data from the bill to the brain, is relatively less developed than that of Ornithorhynchus. Whereas bill-focused sensory perception was likely shared among Mesozoic monotremes, the highly developed electrosensory system of Ornithorhynchus may represent an adaptation to foraging in cloudy water. Computed tomography imagery indicates that the enlarged infraorbital canal of Ornithorhynchus restricts the space available for maxillary tooth roots. Hence, loss of functional teeth in Ornithorhynchus may possibly have resulted from a shift in foraging behavior and coordinate elaboration of the electroreceptive sensory system. Well-developed electroreceptivity in monotremes is known at least as far back as the early Cretaceous; however, there are differences in the extent of elaboration of the feature among members of the ornithorhynchid lineage. SN - 2375-2548 UR - https://www.unboundmedicine.com/medline/citation/27757425/Comparative_cranial_morphology_in_living_and_extinct_platypuses:_Feeding_behavior_electroreception_and_loss_of_teeth_ DB - PRIME DP - Unbound Medicine ER -