Find research datasets worth reusing

opencc-zeroDec 2016View details →

Data from: Malagasy cichlids differentially limit impacts of body shape evolution on oral jaw functional morphology

Patterns of trait covariation, like integration and modularity, are vital factors that influence the evolution of vertebrate body plans. In functional systems, decoupling of morphological modules buffers functional change in one trait by reducing correlated variation with another. However, for complex morphologies with many-to-one mapping of form to function (MTOM), resistance to functional change may also be achieved by constraining morphological variation within a functionally stable region of morphospace. For this research, we used geometric morphometrics to evaluate the evolution of body shape and its relationship to jaw functional morphology in two independent radiations of endemic Malagasy cichlid (Teleostei: Cichlidae). Our results suggested that the two subfamilies used different strategies to mitigate impacts of body shape variation on a metric of jaw function, maxillary kinematic transmission (MKT): (1) modularity between cranial and postcranial morphologies, and (2) integration of body and jaw evolution, with jaw morphologies varying in a manner that limits change in MKT. This research shows that, unlike modularity, MTOM allows traits to retain strong evolutionary covariation while still reducing impacts on functionality. These results suggest that MTOM, and its influence on the evolution of correlated traits, is likely much more widespread than is currently understood.

opencc-zeroFeb 2024View details →

Data from: Coordinated ARP2/3 and glycolytic activities regulate the morphological and functional fitness of human CD8+ T cells

CD8+ T cells rely on actin cytoskeleton remodeling to search for target cells and assemble the immunological synapse (IS) for lethal hit delivery. We here investigated how the energy expenditure related to actin remodeling might influence the fitness of human cytotoxic T cells. We first established that the spreading ability of CD8+ T cells in conditions of LFA-1 and TCR engagement mirrored the cytotoxic potential of these cells. Morphological and functional fitness were both potentiated by IL-2, which co-stimulated the transcription of glycolytic enzymes, actin isoforms and the subunits of the ARP2/3 complex. This molecular program scaled with F-actin content and cell spreading. Blockade of glycolysis impaired F-actin remodeling at the lamellipodium, chemokine-driven motility and synaptic adhesion, while blockade of mitochondrial OXPHOS affected F-actin less severely and selectively reduced cell elongation during confined migration. Although T cells deficient for the ARP2/3 subunit ARPC1B increased their ATP content upon IL-2 exposure, their morphological and functional defects were only partially corrected, pointing to the pivotal position of ARP2/3 mediated actin polymerization as integrator of T cell energetic state. Our study therefore highlights that the ability of effector T cells to migrate, form IS and ultimately kill target cells depends on a tight coordination of their metabolic and actin remodeling activities.

Figs 12–14 in Functional morphology of the male genitalia of the family Autostichidae (Lepidoptera) with description of a new genus and a new species from the Russian Far East

Figs 12–14. Autosticha modicella, functional morphology of the male genitalia. 12 –

Fig. 11 in Functional morphology of the male genitalia of the family Autostichidae (Lepidoptera) with description of a new genus and a new species from the Russian Far East

Fig. 11. Laszlogozmanya eclecticus sp. n., functional morphology of the male genitalia,

Figs 8–10 in Functional morphology of the male genitalia of the family Autostichidae (Lepidoptera) with description of a new genus and a new species from the Russian Far East

Figs 8–10. Laszlogozmanya eclecticus sp. n., functional morphology of the male geni-

Figs 4–7 in Functional morphology of the male genitalia of the family Autostichidae (Lepidoptera) with description of a new genus and a new species from the Russian Far East

Figs 4–7. Laszlogozmanya eclecticus sp. n., genitalia. 4 – male genitalia without aedeagus,

Figs 1–3 in Functional morphology of the male genitalia of the family Autostichidae (Lepidoptera) with description of a new genus and a new species from the Russian Far East

Figs 1–3. Laszlogozmanya eclecticus sp. n., male 1 – adult, holotype; 2 – wing venation;

opencc-by-4.0Jun 2024View details →

DEM data for Functional morphology of the Ediacaran organism Tribrachidium heraldicum

This is the dataset for DEM particles from CFD-DEM simulations for tribrachidium.

opencc-by-4.0Jun 2008View details →

Fig. 1 in Morphological requirements in limulid and decapod gills: A case study in deducing the function of lamellipedian exopod lamellae

Fig. 1. Dorsal (A) and ventral (B) morphology of Limulus polyphemus.

opencc-by-4.0Oct 2024View details →

Supplementary material for "Quantitative morphological analysis of skulls of pterosaurs and early birds highlight a functional shift during the Mesozoic" by Gauweiler J. et al.

This data repository contains additional information and supplemental material for the publication "Quantitative morphological analysis of skulls of pterosaurs and early birds highlight a functional shift during the Mesozoic". For information on the authors, see the original publication. The folder "Prehistoric_Ornithodira_BMPs.zip" contains outline images in .bmp format of all skulls used for the analysis. The file "Groups.csv" contains the grouping variables for all data points. The file "PC_Scores.csv" contaisn the principal component scores of the SHAPE analysis for all individuals used in the analysis. The file "Pterosaur_Avian_Script.R" contaisn the R code used for statistical analysis and plotting of the data.

opencc-zeroDec 2019View details →

Functional assessment of morphological homoplasy in stem-gnathostomes

The Osteostraci and Galeaspida are stem gnathostomes, occupying a key phylogenetic position for resolving the nature of the jawless ancestor from which jawed vertebrates evolved more than 400 million years ago. Both groups are characterized by the presence of rigid headshields that share a number of common morphological traits, in some cases hindering the resolution of their interrelationships and the exact nature of their affinities with jawed vertebrates. Here, we explore the morphological and functional diversity of osteostracan and galeaspid headshields using an innovative approach that combines geometric morphometrics and computational fluid dynamics, thereby constraining the underlying factors that promoted the evolution of their similar morphologies and informing on the ecological scenario under which jawed vertebrates emerged. Phylomorphospace, Mantel analysis and Stayton metrics demonstrate a high degree of homoplasy. Computational fluid dynamics reveals similar hydrodynamic performance among morphologically convergent species, indicating the independent acquisition of the same morphofunctional traits and, potentially, equivalent lifestyles. This confirms that a number of the characters typically used to infer the evolutionary relationships among galeaspids, osteostracans and jawed vertebrates are convergent in nature, potentially obscuring understanding of the assembly of the gnathostome bodyplan. Ultimately, our results reveal that while the jawless relatives of the earliest jawed vertebrates were ecologically diverse, widespread convergence on the same hydrodynamic adaptations suggests they had reached the limits of their potential ecological diversity – overcome by jawed vertebrates and their later innovations.

opencc-by-4.0Jul 2021View details →

Predation, functional response and demographic parameters of Orius albidipennis (Hemiptera:Anthocoridae) on Schizaphis graminum (Hemiptera:Aphididae): effect of host plant morphological attributes

Plant attributes like leaf hairiness and trichome compactness diversely affect the biocontrol agents of phytophagous insect pests. In the current study, effect of physical plant features on life table characteristics and functional response of Orius albidipennis (Rueter) females feeding on Schizaphis graminum (Rondani) was investigated on two common wheat cultivars (Falat and Pishtaz) differing in leaf morphological features. The trichome density of wheat cultivars considerably influenced a broad spectrum of attributes related to the performance of O. albidipennis. The intrinsic rate of increase (rm) was significantly greater on Falat (0.09±0.006) than on Pishtaz (0.06±0.008) cultivar. Similarly, the net reproductive rate and finite rate of increase were greater on Falat (16.72±3.38 and 1.083±7.54) than on Pishtaz (8.08±2.04 and 1.067±9.49). Although Orius predators exhibited type III of functional response on both wheat cultivars, they had lesser searching efficiencies and higher handling times on Pishtaz than those on Falat cultivar. Moreover, the maximum attack rate (T/Th) was greater on Falat than on Pishtaz. Lesser maximum predation and greater handling time of the Orius predators on Pishtaz cultivar might be imputed to the significantly more condensed surface trichomes of its leaves than that of Falat leaves, which physically prevented movement of the Orius bugs and decreased prey encounter rate. Moreover, increase of trichome density negatively influenced on foraging behavior of the predatory bug. Females were also found to prefer wheat leaves with fewer trichomes as oviposition hosts. It seems that trichomes provided hinderance to the orius bug. To recapitulate, it could be stated that the efficiency of O. albidipennis in controlling S. graminum on wheat may be more beneficial in cultivars with lower trichome density.

opencc-zeroDec 2004View details →

FIG. 4 in Middle Devonian Calceola sandalina (Linnaeus, 1771) (Anthozoa, Rugosa) from Moravia (Czech Republic): aspects of functional morphology, gerontic growth patterns, and epibionts

FIG. 4. — Calceola with calice facing downstream (A) and upstream (B).

opencc-by-4.0Jul 2005View details →

Figure 2 in Aspects of the functional morphology in the cranial and cervical skeleton of the sabre-toothed cat Paramachairodus ogygia (Kaup, 1832) (Felidae, Machairodontinae) from the Late Miocene of Spain: implications for the origins of the machairodont killing bite

Figure 2. Inferred areas of muscular attachment on the skull of Paramachairodus ogygia.

opencc-zeroSep 2021View details →

Adding the third dimension to studies of parallel evolution of morphology and function: an exploration based on parapatric lake-stream stickleback

Recent methodological advances have led to a rapid expansion of evolutionary studies employing three-dimensional landmark-based geometric morphometrics (GM). GM methods generally enable researchers to capture and compare complex shape phenotypes, and to quantify their relationship to environmental gradients. However, some recent studies have shown that the common, inexpensive, and relatively rapid two-dimensional GM methods can distort important information and produce misleading results because they cannot capture variation in the depth (Z) dimension. We use micro-CT scanned threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus Linnaeus, 1758) from six parapatric lake-stream populations on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, to test whether the loss of the depth dimension in 2D GM studies results in misleading interpretations of parallel evolution. Using joint locations described with 2D or 3D landmarks, we compare results from separate 2D and 3D shape spaces, from a combined 2D-3D shape space, and from estimates of biomechanical function. We show that, although shape is distorted enough in 2D projections to strongly influence the interpretation of morphological parallelism, estimates of biomechanical function are relatively robust to the loss of the Z dimension.

opencc-zeroDec 2022View details →

Integrative taxonomy, larval biology and functional morphology of the little known gall-forming coral endoparasite Petrarca (Thecostraca: Ascothoracida)

Petrarca is an ascothoracidan endoparasite in scleratinian dendrophyllid corals. Petrarca can stimulate coral growth, forming a gall chamber to house itself inside the coral skeleton. The diversity, molecular phylogeny and feeding ecology of Petrarca are understudied. This is the first study of Petrarca to be based on light and scanning electron microscopy to document the fine-scale external and functional morphology of its trophi and other structures. A combined molecular and morphological approach revealed at least four closely related species of Petrarca, P. goanna, P. morula, Petrarca nozawai sp. nov. and Petrarca rubus sp. nov in Turbinaria and Astreopora corals in Asia. Carapace shape and fine morphology, ultrastructure of the antennular aesthetasc, morphological characteristics of the trophi and the shape and size of the penis rami are diagnostic characters. Several morphological characters, which are all probably synapomorphies, have been proposed to distinguish the genus Petrarca from other Ascothoracida. Mouthparts morphology of Petrarca are developed for cutting and chewing, rather than for piercing and sucking as in many other Ascothoracida. The external surface of the carapace of Petrarca is ornamented with densely packed secretory papillae used putatively for the chemical dissolution of the substrate necessary for the formation of the gall chamber.