Life history and ossification patterns in Miguashaia bureaui reveal the early evolution of osteogenesis in coelacanths

PeerJ

article

Jorge Mondéjar Fernández¹  François J. Meunier³  Richard Cloutier⁴  Gaël Clément²  Michel Laurin² 

[1] Division Paleontology and Historical Geology, Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum;Centre de Recherche en Paléontologie—Paris ,(CR2P), UMR 7207, MNHN, CNRS, SU, Département Origines et Évolution, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle;Laboratoire de Biologie des Organismes et des Écosystèmes Aquatiques ,(BOREA), UMR 8067, MNHN, CNRS, SU, Département Adaptations du Vivant, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle;Département de Biologie, Chimie et Géographie, Université du Québec à Rimouski

关键词: Bone;    Cartilage;    Evolution;    Palaeobiology;    Skeletochronology;    Sarcopterygii;    Devonian;    Vertebrate;   

DOI  :  10.7717/peerj.13175

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: Inra

【 摘 要 】

The study of development is critical for revealing the evolution of major vertebrate lineages. Coelacanths have one of the longest evolutionary histories among osteichthyans, but despite access to extant representatives, the onset of their weakly ossified endoskeleton is still poorly understood. Here we present the first palaeohistological and skeletochronological study of Miguashaia bureaui from the Upper Devonian of Canada, pivotal for exploring the palaeobiology and early evolution of osteogenesis in coelacanths. Cross sections of the caudal fin bones show that the cortex is made of layers of primary bone separated by lines of arrested growth, indicative of a cyclical growth. The medullary cavity displays remnants of calcified cartilage associated with bony trabeculae, characteristic of endochondral ossification. A skeletochronological analysis indicates that rapid growth during a short juvenile period was followed by slower growth in adulthood. Our new analysis highlights the life history and palaeoecology of Miguashaia bureaui and reveals that, despite differences in size and habitat, the poor endoskeletal ossification known in the extant Latimeria chalumnae can be traced back at least 375 million years ago.

【 授权许可】

CC BY