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Synchrotron scanning reveals the palaeoneurology of the head-butting (Therapsida, Dinocephalia). | LitMetric

AI Article Synopsis

  • Dinocephalian therapsids, known for their large and sturdy skulls designed for fighting, show unique neural adaptations related to combat, as revealed by synchrotron scans of the tapinocephalid.
  • Their brain, inner ear, and certain nerves are unusually protected by bone, which is rare in non-mammaliaform therapsids, and their braincase structure allows for an unexpected high brain cavity volume relative to their size as herbivores.
  • The orientation of their inner ear structures suggests a head position suited for fighting, and the presence of a large parietal tube likely protected their pineal eye during combative encounters.

Article Abstract

Dinocephalian therapsids are renowned for their massive, pachyostotic and ornamented skulls adapted for head-to-head fighting during intraspecific combat. Synchrotron scanning of the tapinocephalid reveals, for the first time, numerous anatomical adaptations of the central nervous system related to this combative behaviour. Many neural structures (such as the brain, inner ear and ophthalmic branch of the trigeminal nerve) were completely enclosed and protected by bones, which is unusual for non-mammaliaform therapsids. The nearly complete ossification of the braincase enables precise determination of the brain cavity volume and encephalization quotient, which appears greater than expected for such a large and early herbivore. The practice of head butting is often associated with complex social behaviours and gregariousness in extant species, which are known to influence brain size evolution. Additionally, the plane of the lateral (horizontal) semicircular canal of the bony labyrinth is oriented nearly vertically if the skull is held horizontally, which suggests that the natural position of the head was inclined about 60-65°to the horizontal. This is consistent with the fighting position inferred from osteology, as well as ground-level browsing. Finally, the unusually large parietal tube may have been filled with thick conjunctive tissue to protect the delicate pineal eye from injury sustained during head butting.

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Source
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5554600PMC
http://dx.doi.org/10.7717/peerj.3496DOI Listing

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