Sound production and mechanism in the cryptic cusk-eel Parophidion vassali.

This study investigates the sounds and the anatomy of the sound-producing organ in the male and female sand-dwelling cusk-eel Parophidion vassali. Although both sexes have similar external phenotype, they can be distinguished by their sonic apparatus and sounds. As in many Ophioidei, Parophidion vassali presents a panel of highly derived characters.

The Terrific Skink bite force suggests insularity as a likely driver to exceptional resource use.

Natural history museum collections hold extremely rare, extinct species often described from a single known specimen. On occasions, rediscoveries open new opportunities to understand selective forces acting on phenotypic traits. Recent rediscovery of few individuals of Bocourt´s Terrific Skink Phoboscincus bocourti, from a small and remote islet in New Caledonia allowed to genetically identify a species of land crab in its diet.

The development of hearing abilities in the shark Scyliorhinus canicula.

The few works on audition in sharks and rays concern only adult specimens. We report the hearing abilities in the dogfish Scyliorhinus canicula at different stages, from embryos that still have their yolk sac inside their egg, to juveniles. Hearing development corresponds to an increase in the frequency range from 100-300 Hz in early pre-hatching stages to 100-600 Hz in juveniles.

The only complete articulated early Miocene chameleon skull (Rusinga Island, Kenya) suggests an African origin for Madagascar's endemic chameleons.

We here present the first detailed study of the specimen KNM-RU 18340 from Rusinga Island (Kenya), the only known complete early Miocene chameleon skull, using micro-CT. This specimen represents one of the oldest chameleon fossils ever recovered. For the first time, the skull bone internal surfaces, their sutures, and elements contained inside the rocky matrix are observed.

New insights on basivenal sclerites using 3D tools and homology of wing veins in Odonatoptera (Insecta).

Being implied in flight, mimetism, communication, and protection, the insect wings were crucial organs for the mega diversification of this clade. Despite several attempts, the problem of wing evolution remains unresolved because the basal parts of the veins essential for vein identification are hidden in the basivenal sclerites. The homologies between wing characters thus cannot be accurately verified, while they are of primary importance to solve long-standing problems, such as the monophyly of the Palaeoptera, viz.

Comparative morphology of snake (Squamata) endocasts: evidence of phylogenetic and ecological signals.

Brain endocasts obtained from computed tomography (CT) are now widely used in the field of comparative neuroanatomy. They provide an overview of the morphology of the brain and associated tissues located in the cranial cavity. Through anatomical comparisons between species, insights on the senses, the behavior, and the lifestyle can be gained.

3-D imaging reveals four extraordinary cases of convergent evolution of acoustic communication in crickets and allies (Insecta).

When the same complex trait is exhibited by closely related species, a single evolutionary origin is frequently invoked. The complex stridulatory apparatus present in the forewings of extant crickets, mole crickets, katydids, and prophalangopsids, is currently interpreted as sharing a single common origin due to their similarity and unique function. An alternative hypothesis of convergent evolution in these ensiferan groups has challenged this common view, but remained controversial because of competing interpretations of wing venation.

A fossil Diploglossus (Squamata, Anguidae) lizard from Basse-Terre and Grande-Terre Islands (Guadeloupe, French West Indies).

Today, Diploglossine lizards (Anguidae) are common on the Greater Antillean Islands (West Indies), where they are represented by many endemic species. However these lizards are very rare on the Lesser Antillean Islands, where they are only represented by a single species, the Montserrat galliwasp (Diploglossus montisserrati). Here, we show that diploglossine lizards were present in the past on other Lesser Antillean islands, by reporting the discovery of Anguidae fossil remains in two Amerindian archaeological deposits and in a modern deposit.

Osteological Observations on the Alytid Anura Latonia nigriventer with Comments on Functional Morphology, Biogeography, and Evolutionary History.

The Hula Painted Frog (Latonia nigriventer) is a rare frog species endemic to the Hula Valley, Israel. The species is the sole relict of a clade that was widespread mainly in Europe from the Oligocene until the beginning of the Pleistocene. The osteological characteristics of L.

Experimental observation of ultrasound fast and slow waves through three-dimensional printed trabecular bone phantoms.

In this paper, ultrasound measurements of 1:1 scale three-dimensional (3D) printed trabecular bone phantoms are reported. The micro-structure of a trabecular horse bone sample was obtained via synchrotron x-ray microtomography, converted to a 3D binary data set, and successfully 3D-printed at scale 1:1. Ultrasound through-transmission experiments were also performed through a highly anisotropic version of this structure, obtained by elongating the digitized structure prior to 3D printing.

Bony labyrinth shape variation in extant Carnivora: a case study of Musteloidea.

The bony labyrinth provides a proxy for the morphology of the inner ear, a primary cognitive organ involved in hearing, body perception in space, and balance in vertebrates. Bony labyrinth shape variations often are attributed to phylogenetic and ecological factors. Here we use three-dimensional (3D) geometric morphometrics to examine the phylogenetic and ecological patterns of variation in the bony labyrinth morphology of the most species-rich and ecologically diversified traditionally recognized superfamily of Carnivora, the Musteloidea (e.

Frontoparietal Bone in Extinct Palaeobatrachidae (Anura): Its Variation and Taxonomic Value.

Palaeobatrachidae are extinct frogs from Europe closely related to the Gondwanan Pipidae, which includes Xenopus. Their frontoparietal is a distinctive skeletal element which has served as a basis for establishing the genus Albionbatrachus. Because little was known about developmental and individual variation of the frontoparietal, and its usefulness in delimiting genera and species has sometimes been doubted, we investigate its structure in Palaeobatrachus and Albionbatrachus by means of X-ray high resolution computer tomography (micro-CT).

Morphometric analysis of chameleon fossil fragments from the Early Pliocene of South Africa: a new piece of the chamaeleonid history.

The evolutionary history of chameleons has been predominantly studied through phylogenetic approaches as the fossil register of chameleons is limited and fragmented. The poor state of preservation of these fossils has moreover led to the origin of numerous nomen dubia, and the identification of many chameleon fossils remains uncertain. We here examine chameleon fossil fragments from the Early Pliocene Varswater formation, exposed at the locality of Langebaanweg "E" Quarry along the southwestern coast of South Africa.

The atlas-axis complex in chamaeleonids (Squamata: Chamaeleonidae), with description of a new anatomical structure of the skull.

The comparative vertebral morphology of different chamaeleonid genera has been generally neglected and some aspects such as the comparative anatomy of the neck region remain poorly known. The atlas and axis of all chamaeleonid genera (Brookesia, Rieppeleon, Archaius, Rhampholeon, Nadzikambia, Bradypodion, Chamaeleo, Calumma, Furcifer, Kinyongia, and Trioceros) are studied here. Considerable morphological differences are revealed.

Is Bocourt's terrific skink really so terrific? Trophic myth and reality.

Many scientists argue that our planet is undergoing a mass extinction event that is largely due to human influences. In this context, rediscoveries of species presumed to be extinct are encouraging and of great potential interest. During a 2003 expedition to New Caledonia, Bocourt's terrific skink, Phoboscincus bocourti, was unexpectedly rediscovered on a small islet by one of us.

Jack-of-all-trades master of all? Snake vertebrae have a generalist inner organization.

Snakes are a very speciose group of squamates that adapted to various habitats and ecological niches. Their ecological diversity is of particular interest and functional demands associated with their various styles of locomotion are expected to result in anatomical specializations. In order to explore the potential adaptation of snakes to their environment we here analyze variation in vertebral structure at the microanatomical level in species with different locomotor adaptations.

A re-interpretation of the Eocene anuran Thaumastosaurus based on microCT examination of a 'mummified' specimen.

What originally appeared to be only an external cast of an anuran 'mummy' from the Quercy Phosphorites (southwestern France) was described as Rana plicata during the 19th century. Its geographical provenance is only vaguely known; therefore its precise age within the Paleogene was uncertain. The taxon was erected on the basis of the external morphology of the specimen, which includes few diagnostic characters.

How minute sooglossid frogs hear without a middle ear.

Acoustic communication is widespread in animals. According to the sensory drive hypothesis [Endler JA (1993) Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 340(1292):215-225], communication signals and perceptual systems have coevolved. A clear illustration of this is the evolution of the tetrapod middle ear, adapted to life on land.

Prospective in (Primate) dental analysis through tooth 3D topographical quantification.

The occlusal morphology of the teeth is mostly determined by the enamel-dentine junction morphology; the enamel-dentine junction plays the role of a primer and conditions the formation of the occlusal enamel reliefs. However, the accretion of the enamel cap yields thickness variations that alter the morphology and the topography of the enamel-dentine junction (i.e.

The rediscovered Hula painted frog is a living fossil.

Amphibian declines are seen as an indicator of the onset of a sixth mass extinction of life on earth. Because of a combination of factors such as habitat destruction, emerging pathogens and pollutants, over 156 amphibian species have not been seen for several decades, and 34 of these were listed as extinct by 2004. Here we report the rediscovery of the Hula painted frog, the first amphibian to have been declared extinct.

Slow but tenacious: an analysis of running and gripping performance in chameleons.

Chameleons are highly specialized and mostly arboreal lizards characterized by a suite of derived characters. The grasping feet and tail are thought to be related to the arboreal lifestyle of chameleons, yet specializations for grasping are thought to exhibit a trade-off with running ability. Indeed, previous studies have demonstrated a trade-off between running and clinging performance, with faster species being poorer clingers.

Functional morphology and bite performance of raptorial chelicerae of camel spiders (Solifugae).

Solifugae are an understudied group of relatively large arachnids with well over 1000 species distributed on almost all major continents. These highly active predators utilize their large chelicerae for feeding, defense, burrowing and mating. We investigated the differences in cheliceral morphology and performance of two ecologically divergent species from North Africa; the cursorial Galeodes sp.

Whispering to the deaf: communication by a frog without external vocal sac or tympanum in noisy environments.

Atelopus franciscus is a diurnal bufonid frog that lives in South-American tropical rain forests. As in many other frogs, males produce calls to defend their territories and attract females. However, this species is a so-called "earless" frog lacking an external tympanum and is thus anatomically deaf.

Shake rattle and roll: the bony labyrinth and aerial descent in squamates.

Controlled aerial descent has evolved many times independently in vertebrates. Squamates (lizards and snakes) are unusual in that respect due to the large number of independent origins of the evolution of this behavior. Although some squamates such as flying geckos of the genus Ptychozoon and the flying dragons of the genus Draco show obvious adaptations including skin flaps or enlarged ribs allowing them to increase their surface area and slow down their descent, many others appear unspecialized.

Vertebral microanatomy in squamates: structure, growth and ecological correlates.

The histological study of vertebrae in extant squamates shows that the internal vertebral structure in this group differs from that of other tetrapods. Squamate vertebrae are lightly built and basically composed of two roughly concentric osseous tubes--one surrounding the neural canal and the other constituting the peripheral cortex of the vertebra--connected by few thin trabeculae. This structure, which characteristically evokes that of a tubular bone, results from a peculiar remodelling process characterised by an imbalance between local bone resorption and redeposition; in both periosteal and endosteo-endochondral territories, bone is extensively resorbed but not reconstructed in the same proportion by secondary deposits.