化石 は 哺乳類 の 中耳 の 関節 の 進化 的 な 変化 を 記録 し て い ます
Fangyuan Mao1,2, Chi Zhang3, Jicheng Ren3
1Key Laboratory of Evolutionary Systematics of Vertebrates, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China. maofangyuan@ivpp.ac.cn.
Nature
|April 3, 2024
まとめ
化石の発見は 初期の哺乳類の関節の 漸進的な変化を明らかにし 聴覚性の中耳への移行を示しています この研究は,爬虫類のの構造から哺乳類の耳の進化の経路を明らかにしています.
科学分野:
- 古生物学
- 進化生物学
- 比較解剖学
背景:
- 爬虫類の関節からの哺乳類の中耳の進化は脊椎動物の進化における重要な領域です.
- この移行の化石の証拠は,特に初期の哺乳類の形態は稀であり,現在も議論が続いている.
- モルガヌコドンの双関節は この進化過程を理解するための 重要なモデルとして機能しています
研究 の 目的:
- ジュラ紀の哺乳類の2つの下の中耳を調査する. モルガンヌコドンタンのような種とシュオテリドの種.
- これまで知られていなかった歯後の骨の形状とその機能的影響を記録する.
- 関節-正方形の関節が 負荷を担う機能から 聴覚機能への段階的な移行を証明する.
主な方法:
- 化石標本における下中耳構造の分析
- ジュラ紀の哺乳類の形態学的比較研究
- 関節と中耳の解剖学における進化的変化の再構築
主要な成果:
- モルガヌコドンタンのような種は,関節四角関節と新しい歯後の骨の特徴で負荷を負う機能が低下しています.
- シュオテリド種は,聴覚機能に適応した中耳を持ち,歯の後部骨は歯に付着しています.
- 副骨と関節の関係で観測された中間的シフトは,下関節機能の進行的喪失を示しています.
結論:
- これらの発見は,関節-正方形の関節の負荷を負担する役割の漸進的な喪失の重要な証拠を提供します.
- この移行は歯後の骨の脱落と哺乳類の中耳の進化の前提条件です
- この研究は,哺乳類の特徴を定義する進化の重要なステップを明らかにしています.
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