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Area of Science:

  • Marine Biology
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Paleontology

Background:

  • Gigantism has evolved multiple times in elasmobranchs (sharks and rays), with large species exhibiting unique specializations.
  • Filter feeding and mesothermy (warm-bloodedness) are two such specializations observed in the largest elasmobranchs, but they do not overlap.
  • Studying these contrasting lifestyles offers insights into the evolutionary drivers of marine gigantism.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the evolutionary pathways leading to gigantism in elasmobranchs.
  • To analyze the relationship between body size, trophic level, and specializations like filter feeding and mesothermy.
  • To understand the factors contributing to the extreme sizes of certain elasmobranch species.

Main Methods:

  • Phylogenetic analysis of a global dataset comprising 459 elasmobranch taxa.
  • Comparative analysis of body size, trophic level, and physiological traits (filter feeding, mesothermy).
  • Reconstruction of the evolutionary history of gigantism, filter feeding, and mesothermy.

Main Results:

  • Filter feeders and mesotherms are significantly larger than ectothermic-macropredators, deviating from typical size-trophic level relationships.
  • Filter feeding evolved multiple times during the Paleogene period.
  • Mesothermy may have originated as a single event during the Cretaceous period.
  • Ancestrally large clades followed mesothermic or filter-feeding pathways, enhancing prey intake for extreme sizes.

Conclusions:

  • Two primary evolutionary pathways, mesothermy and filter feeding, facilitate gigantism in elasmobranchs.
  • These pathways involve specializations for increased prey intake, enabling extreme body sizes.
  • While advantageous for growth, these adaptive strategies may also increase susceptibility to extinction.