Ratites 和 Tyrannosaurus rex 的性别特定的生殖组织
Mary H Schweitzer1, Jennifer L Wittmeyer, John R Horner
1Department of Marine, Earth, and Atmospheric Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA. schweitzer@ncsu.edu
概括
研究人员在Tyrannosaurus rex化石中发现了骨髓骨,这是雌鸟独有的组织. 这一发现为确定恐龙性别提供了一种新方法,并加强了恐龙-鸟类的进化联系.
科学领域:
- 古生物学的古生物学
- 进化生物学 进化生物学
- 生殖生物学 生殖生物学
背景情况:
- 化石化通常导致软组织解剖学的丧失,使得灭绝物种的性别确定具有挑战性.
- 由于缺乏明确的指标,对非鸟类恐龙的性二态性知之甚少.
- 骨髓骨是专门的生殖组织,只在雌鸟中发现.
研究的目的:
- 为了调查Tyrannosaurus rex后肢元素中内骨来源的骨组织的存在.
- 为了确定这些组织是否同类于鸟类髓骨.
- 建立一种潜在的客观方法,用于灭绝的恐龙的性别差异化.
主要方法:
- 从Tyrannosaurus rex后肢元素 (MOR 1125) 的骨组织的组织学检查.
- 化石骨微结构与已知的鸟类骨髓骨组织的比较.
- 对内骨来源的骨位置和来源的分析.
主要成果:
- 鉴定出由内骨来源的骨组织在Tyrannosaurus rex后肢骨的骨髓腔内.
- 这些化石骨组织表现出与现代雌鸟中发现的骨髓骨相一致的特征.
- 这种组织的存在表明,热足恐龙和鸟类之间有共同的繁殖策略.
结论:
- 在Tyrannosaurus rex中发现的骨髓骨提供了强有力的证据,证明它与鸟类骨髓骨相同.
- 这一发现巩固了恐龙和鸟类之间的进化联系.
- 骨髓骨提供了一种可靠,客观的方法来确定灭绝的恐龙的性别.
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