Cranial anatomy and phylogenetic affinities of Bolosaurus major, with new information on the unique bolosaurid feeding apparatus and evolution of the impedance-matching ear.

Resolving the phylogenetic relationships of early amniotes, in particular stem reptiles, remains a difficult problem. Three-dimensional morphological analysis of well-preserved stem-reptile specimens can reveal important anatomical data and clarify regions of phylogeny. Here, we present the first thorough description of the unusual early Permian stem reptile Bolosaurus major, including the first comprehensive description of a bolosaurid braincase.

Orbital Foraminal Morphometrics in Nonsyndromic Unilateral Coronal Craniosynostosis.

Nonsyndromic unilateral coronal craniosynostosis (UCS) is a rare congenital disorder that results from premature fusion of either coronal suture. The result is growth restriction across the suture, between the ipsilateral frontal and parietal bones, leading to bony dysmorphogenesis affecting the calvarium, orbit, and skull base. Prior studies have reported associations between UCS and visual abnormalities.

Craniofacial Dysmorphology in Infants With Non-Syndromic Unilateral Coronal Craniosynostosis.

Background: Unilateral coronal craniosynostosis (UCS) is a congenital disorder resulting from the premature suture fusion, leading to complex primary and compensatory morphologic changes in the shape of not only the calvarium and but also into the skull base. This deformity typically requires surgery to correct the shape of the skull and prevent neurologic sequelae, including increased intracranial pressure, sensory deficits, and cognitive impairment.

Methods: The present multicenter study sought to reverse-engineer the bone dysmorphogenesis seen in non-syndromic UCS using a geometric morphometric approach.

The Expanding Role of Geometric Morphometrics in Craniofacial Surgery.

Introduction: Geometric morphometrics (GM) is an advanced landmark-based quantitative method used to study biological shape and form. Historically, GM has been limited to non-biomedical fields such as comparative biology; however, this technique confers advantages over traditional cephalometric methods, warranting a review of current applications of GM to human craniofacial disorders.

Methods: The RISmed package was used to extract metadata associated with PubMed publications referencing GM analysis techniques in craniofacial and reconstructive surgery.

How to Render Species Comparable Taxonomic Units Through Deep Time: A Case Study on Intraspecific Osteological Variability in Extant and Extinct Lacertid Lizards.

Generally, the species is considered to be the only naturally occurring taxon. However, species recognized and defined using different species delimitation criteria cannot readily be compared, impacting studies of biodiversity through Deep Time. This comparability issue is particularly marked when comparing extant with extinct species because the only available data for species delimitation in fossils are derived from their preserved morphology, which is generally restricted to osteology in vertebrates.

Sphenotemporal and Fronto-Orbital Dysmorphology in Unilateral Coronal Synostosis Using Geometric Morphometric Curve-Based Analysis.

Background: Geometric morphometric analysis with Procrustes superimposition is a commonly used method to characterize and study complex dysmorphology. The present study employs an advanced Procrustes-based approach to studying craniofacial dysmorphology in unilateral coronal synostosis and quantitatively describe bony patterns in this disorder, in order to better understand the associated fronto-orbital and sphenotemporal deformities.

Methods: Forty-one unilateral coronal synostosis (UCS) patients and 41 age- and sex-matched controls underwent high-resolution computed tomography imaging.

Craniofacial Dysmorphology in Unilateral Coronal Synostosis Using Three-Dimensional Landmark-Based Analysis With Generalized Procrustes Superimposition.

Background: Geometric morphometric analysis with Procrustes superimposition is an advanced computational tool that can be used to quantify dynamic changes in complex three-dimensional structures. The present study couples high resolution CT imaging with a Geometric Morphometric approach in order to further understand the complex dysmorphology that occurs in unilateral coronal synostosis (UCS).

Methods: Forty-one UCS patients and 41 age- and sex-matched controls received high-resolution CT imaging.

Palaeophysiology of pH regulation in tetrapods.

The involvement of mineralized tissues in acid-base homeostasis was likely important in the evolution of terrestrial vertebrates. Extant reptiles encounter hypercapnia when submerged in water, but early tetrapods may have experienced hypercapnia on land due to their inefficient mode of lung ventilation (likely buccal pumping, as in extant amphibians). Extant amphibians rely on cutaneous carbon dioxide elimination on land, but early tetrapods were considerably larger forms, with an unfavourable surface area to volume ratio for such activity, and evidence of a thick integument.

A Digital Endocranial Cast of the Early Paleocene (Puercan) 'Archaic' Mammal (Eutheria: Taeniodonta).

Eutherian mammals-placentals and their closest extinct relatives-underwent a major radiation following the end-Cretaceous extinction, during which they evolved disparate anatomy and established new terrestrial ecosystems. Much about the timing, pace, and causes of this radiation remain unclear, in large part because we still know very little about the anatomy, phylogenetic relationships, and biology of the so-called 'archaic' eutherians that prospered during the ~10 million years after the extinction. We describe the first digital endocranial cast of a taeniodont, a bizarre group of eutherians that flourished in the early Paleogene, reconstructed from a computed tomography (CT) scan of a late Puercan (65.