Download or read book Functional Micromorphology of the Echinoderm Skeleton written by Przemyslaw Gorzelak and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2021-02-11 with total page 66 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Echinoderms elaborate a calcite skeleton composed of numerous plates with a distinct microstructure (stereom) that can be modelled into different shapes thanks to the use of a transient amorphous calcium carbonate (ACC) precursor phase and the incorporation of an intraorganic matrix during biomineralization. A variety of different types of stereom microarchitecture have been distinguished, each of them optimized for a specific function. For instance, a regular, galleried stereom typically houses collagenous ligaments, whereas an irregular, fine labyrinthic stereom commonly bears muscles. Epithelial tissues, in turn, are usually associated with coarse and dense stereom microfabrics. Stereom can be preserved in fossil echinoderms and a wide array of investigating methods are available. As many case studies have shown, a great deal of important paleobiological and paleoecological information can be decoded by studying the stereom microstructure of extinct echinoderms.
Download or read book Molecular Paleobiology of the Echinoderm Skeleton written by Jeffrey R. Thompson and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2022-12-01 with total page 120 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The echinoderms are an ideal group to understand evolution from a holistic, interdisciplinary framework. The genetic regulatory networks underpinning development in echinoderms are some of the best known for any model group. Additionally, the echinoderms have an excellent fossil record, elucidating in in detail the evolutionary changes underpinning morphological evolution. In this Element, the echinoderms are discussed as a model group for molecular palaeobiological studies, integrating what is known of their development, genomes, and fossil record. Together, these insights shed light on the molecular and morphological evolution underpinning the vast biodiversity of echinoderms, and the animal kingdom more generally.
Download or read book A Review of Blastozoan Echinoderm Respiratory Structures written by Sarah L. Sheffield and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2022-12-31 with total page 156 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Echinoderms have evolved diverse and disparate morphologies throughout the Phanerozoic. Among them, blastozoans, an extinct group of echinoderms that were an important component of Paleozoic marine ecosystems, are primarily subdivided into groups based on the morphology of respiratory structures. However, systematic and phylogenetic research from the past few decades have shown that respiratory structures in blastozoans are not group-defining and they have re-evolved throughout echinoderm evolution. This Element provides a review of the research involving blastozoan respiratory structures, along with research concerning the morphology, paleoecology, and ontogeny of each of the major groupings of blastozoans as it relates to their corresponding respiratory structures. Areas of future research in these groups are also highlighted.
Download or read book A Review and Evaluation of Homology Hypotheses in Echinoderm Paleobiology written by Colin D. Sumrall and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2023-04-13 with total page 91 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The extraxial-axial theory (EAT) and universal elemental homology (UEH) are often portrayed as mutually exclusive hypotheses of homology within pentaradiate Echinodermata. EAT describes homology upon the echinoderm bauplan, interpreted through early post-metamorphic growth and growth zones, dividing it into axial regions generally associated with elements of the ambulacral system and extraxial regions that are not. UEH describes the detailed construction of the axial skeleton, dividing it into homologous plates and plate series based on symmetry, early growth, and function. These hypotheses are not in conflict; the latter is rooted in refinement of the former. Some interpretive differences arise because many of the morphologies described from eleutherozoan development are difficult to reconcile with Paleozoic forms. Conversely, many elements described for Paleozoic taxa by UEH, such as the peristomial border plates, are absent in eleutherozoans. This Element recommends these two hypotheses be used together to generate a better understanding of homology across Echinodermata.
Download or read book The Taphonomy of Echinoids written by James H. Nebelsick and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2021-10-21 with total page 80 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The study of echinoid evolution, diversity, and ecology has always suffered from the fact that they are represented by taxa showing widely differing architectural designs of their multi-plated skeletons, inhabiting a large range of marine paleoenvironments, which result in highly varying taphonomic biases dictating their presence and recognition. This Element addresses the taphonomy of echinoids and includes: a general introduction to the morphological features of echinoids that play a role in their preservation; a review of processes which play an important role in the differential preservation of both regular and irregular echinoids including predation and transport; a summary of taphonomic pathways included in actualistic studies for recent sea urchins and then reconstructed for fossil taxa; and finally, a case study of the variation of echinoid taphonomy across a shelf gradient using the rich Miocene echinoid fauna of Sardinia.
Download or read book Virtual Paleontology written by Jennifer E. Bauer and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2021-11-11 with total page 67 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Imaging and visualizing fossils in three dimensions with tomography is a powerful approach in paleontology. Here, the authors introduce select destructive and non-destructive tomographic techniques that are routinely applied to fossils and review how this work has improved our understanding of the anatomy, function, taphonomy, and phylogeny of fossil echinoderms. Building on this, this Element discusses how new imaging and computational methods have great promise for addressing long-standing paleobiological questions. Future efforts to improve the accessibility of the data underlying this work will be key for realizing the potential of this virtual world of paleontology.
Download or read book Testing Character Evolution Models in Phylogenetic Paleobiology written by April Wright and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2021-08-26 with total page 80 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Macroevolutionary inference has historically been treated as a two-step process, involving the inference of a tree, and then inference of a macroevolutionary model using that tree. Newer models blend the two steps. These methods make more complete use of fossils than the previous generation of Bayesian phylogenetic models. They also involve many more parameters than prior models, including parameters about which empiricists may have little intuition. In this Element, we set forth a framework for fitting complex, hierarchical models. The authors ultimately fit and use a joint tree and diversification model to estimate a dated phylogeny of the Cincta (Echinodermata), a morphologically distinct group of Cambrian echinoderms that lack the fivefold radial symmetry characteristic of extant members of the phylum. Although the phylogeny of cinctans remains poorly supported in places, this Element shows how models of character change and diversification contribute to understanding patterns of phylogenetic relatedness and testing macroevolutionary hypotheses.
Download or read book Expanded Sampling Across Ontogeny in Deltasuchus motherali Neosuchia Crocodyliformes written by Stephanie K. Drumheller and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2021-06-03 with total page 75 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: New material attributable to Deltasuchus motherali, a neosuchian from the Cenomanian of Texas, provides sampling across much of the ontogeny of this species. Detailed descriptions provide information about the paleobiology of this species, particularly with regards to how growth and development affected diet. Overall snout shape became progressively wider and more robust with age, suggesting that dietary shifts from juvenile to adult were not only a matter of size change, but of functional performance as well. These newly described elements provide additional characters upon which to base more robust phylogenetic analyses. The authors provide a revised diagnosis of this species, describing the new material and discussing incidents of apparent ontogenetic variation across the sampled population. The results of the ensuing phylogenetic analyses both situate Deltasuchus within an endemic clade of Appalachian crocodyliforms, separate and diagnosable from goniopholidids and pholidosaurs, herein referred to as Paluxysuchidae. This title is also available as Open Access on Cambridge Core.
Download or read book Elements of Paleontology Crinoid Feeding Strategies New Insights from Subsea Video and Time Lapse written by Meyer, David L. and published by . This book was released on with total page 34 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Phylogenetic Comparative Methods A User s Guide for Paleontologists written by Laura C. Soul and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2021-05-27 with total page 77 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Recent advances in statistical approaches called phylogenetic comparative methods (PCMs) have provided paleontologists with a powerful set of analytical tools for investigating evolutionary tempo and mode in fossil lineages. However, attempts to integrate PCMs with fossil data often present workers with practical challenges or unfamiliar literature. This Element presents guides to the theory behind and the application of PCMs with fossil taxa. Based on an empirical dataset of Paleozoic crinoids, example analyses are presented to illustrate common applications of PCMs to fossil data, including investigating patterns of correlated trait evolution and macroevolutionary models of morphological change. The authors emphasize the importance of accounting for sources of uncertainty and discuss how to evaluate model fit and adequacy. Finally, the authors discuss several promising methods for modeling heterogeneous evolutionary dynamics with fossil phylogenies. Integrating phylogeny-based approaches with the fossil record provides a rigorous, quantitative perspective on understanding key patterns in the history of life.
Download or read book Follow the Fossils written by Samantha B. Ocon and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2021-12-09 with total page 51 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The ability for people to connect, learn, and communicate about science has been enhanced through the Internet, specifically through social media platforms. Facebook and Twitter are well-studied, while Instagram is understudied. This Element provides insight into using Instagram as a science education platform by pioneering a set of calculated metrics, using a paleontology-focused account as a case study. Framed by the theory of affinity spaces, the authors conducted year-long analyses of 455 posts and 139 stories that were created as part of an informal science learning project. They found that team activity updates and posts outside of their other categories perform better than their defined categories. For Instagram stories, the data show that fewer slides per story hold viewers' attention longer, and stories using the poll tool garnered the most interaction. This Element provides a baseline to assess the success of Instagram content for science communicators and natural science institutions.
Download or read book Stereom Microstructure of the Echinoid Test written by Andrew B. Smith and published by . This book was released on 1980 with total page 88 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Virtual Paleontology written by Jennifer E. Bauer and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2021-09-30 with total page 75 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Imaging and visualizing fossils in three dimensions with tomography is a powerful approach in paleontology. Here, the authors introduce select destructive and non-destructive tomographic techniques that are routinely applied to fossils and review how this work has improved our understanding of the anatomy, function, taphonomy, and phylogeny of fossil echinoderms. Building on this, this Element discusses how new imaging and computational methods have great promise for addressing long-standing paleobiological questions. Future efforts to improve the accessibility of the data underlying this work will be key for realizing the potential of this virtual world of paleontology.
Download or read book Testing Character Evolution Models in Phylogenetic Paleobiology written by April Wright and published by . This book was released on 2021 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Progress in Heritable Soft Connective Tissue Diseases written by Jaroslava Halper and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2014-01-18 with total page 246 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume is a reference handbook focusing on diseases like Marfan syndrome, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, Loeys-Dietz syndrome and other heritable soft connective tissue diseases. The book presents detailed information for both basic scientists and for clinicians seeing patients. It is also a stepping stone for new investigations and studies that goes beyond the facts about the composition and biochemistry of the connective tissue and extracellular matrix, as the authors connect individual components to specific aspects of various soft tissue disorders and to the actual or potential treatment of them. Progress in Heritable Soft Connective Tissue Diseases features very prominent physicians and scientists as contributors who bring their most recent discoveries to the benefit of readers. Their expertise will help clinicians with proper diagnosis of sometimes elusive and uncommon heritable diseases of soft connective tissues. This book also offers an update on the pathophysiology of these diseases, including an emphasis on unifying aspects such as connections between embryonic development of the different types of connective tissues and systems, and the role of TGF-beta in development and physiology of soft tissues. This new set of data explains, at least in part, why many of these disorders are interconnected, though the primary pathophysiological events, such as gene mutations, may be different for each disorder.
Download or read book Early Palaeozoic Biogeography and Palaeogeography written by D.A.T. Harper and published by Geological Society of London. This book was released on 2014-01-27 with total page 485 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Early Palaeozoic was a critical interval in the evolution of marine life on our planet. Through a window of some 120 million years, the Cambrian Explosion, Great Ordovician Biodiversification Event, End Ordovician Extinction and the subsequent Silurian Recovery established a steep trajectory of increasing marine biodiversity that started in the Late Proterozoic and continued into the Devonian. Biogeography is a key property of virtually all organisms; their distributional ranges, mapped out on a mosaic of changing palaeogeography, have played important roles in modulating the diversity and evolution of marine life. This Memoir first introduces the content, some of the concepts involved in describing and interpreting palaeobiogeography, and the changing Early Palaeozoic geography is illustrated through a series of time slices. The subsequent 26 chapters, compiled by some 130 authors from over 20 countries, describe and analyse distributional and in many cases diversity data for all the major biotic groups plotted on current palaeogeographic maps. Nearly a quarter of a century after the publication of the ‘Green Book’ (Geological Society, London, Memoir12, edited by McKerrow and Scotese), improved stratigraphic and taxonomic data together with more accurate, digitized palaeogeographic maps, have confirmed the central role of palaeobiogeography in understanding the evolution of Early Palaeozoic ecosystems and their biotas.
Download or read book Biological Adhesives written by Andrew M. Smith and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2006-04-20 with total page 314 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Many creatures use adhesive polymers and structures to attach to inert substrates, to each other, or to other organisms. This is the first major review that brings together research on many of the well-known biological adhesives dealing with bacteria, fungi, algae, and marine and terrestrial animals. As we learn more about their molecular and mechanical properties we begin to understand why they adhere so well and with this comes broad applications in areas such as medicine, dentistry, and biotechnology.
