Articles producció científica> Enginyeria Mecànica

Cephalic biomechanics underpins the evolutionary success of trilobites

  • Datos identificativos

    Identificador: imarina:9207346
    Autores:
    Esteve JMarcé-Nogué JPérez-Peris FRayfield E
    Resumen:
    Arthropods (i.e. insects, spiders, crustaceans, myriapods and others), are the most successful Phanerozoic animals. The group is characterized by the possession of a segmented body, jointed limbs and a hard cuticle that is episodically moulted. One highly successful but now extinct group of arthropods is the trilobites. Trilobites underwent episodic moulting (ecdysis), and most trilobites possess facial sutures, lines of weakness in the cephalon, via which the exuviae is shed and the animal emerges. However, zones of weakness appear to represent a structural trade-off or constraint, particularly during burrowing; sacrificing a consolidated head region useful in burrowing for the ability to moult. Here we reconcile this trade-off by using biomechanical modelling to demonstrate that facial sutures exist in regions of low stress during the application of burrowing loads. Furthermore, facial sutures and the structure of the cephalon enable sutured trilobites to withstand greater stresses than their non-suture counterparts. We suggest that this ability to withstand greater burrowing loads enabled trilobites to successfully invade bioturbated and more consolidated sediments of the Cambrian Sediment Revolution, thus facilitating their diversification in the Cambrian and Ordovician and contributing to the evolutionary success of this iconic arthropod group.
  • Otros:

    Autor según el artículo: Esteve J; Marcé-Nogué J; Pérez-Peris F; Rayfield E
    Departamento: Enginyeria Mecànica
    Autor/es de la URV: Marcé Nogué, Jordi
    Palabras clave: Trilobite Substrate Record Predation Moulting Finite-element models Exuviation Evolution Early cambrian trilobites Biomechanics Arthropod
    Resumen: Arthropods (i.e. insects, spiders, crustaceans, myriapods and others), are the most successful Phanerozoic animals. The group is characterized by the possession of a segmented body, jointed limbs and a hard cuticle that is episodically moulted. One highly successful but now extinct group of arthropods is the trilobites. Trilobites underwent episodic moulting (ecdysis), and most trilobites possess facial sutures, lines of weakness in the cephalon, via which the exuviae is shed and the animal emerges. However, zones of weakness appear to represent a structural trade-off or constraint, particularly during burrowing; sacrificing a consolidated head region useful in burrowing for the ability to moult. Here we reconcile this trade-off by using biomechanical modelling to demonstrate that facial sutures exist in regions of low stress during the application of burrowing loads. Furthermore, facial sutures and the structure of the cephalon enable sutured trilobites to withstand greater stresses than their non-suture counterparts. We suggest that this ability to withstand greater burrowing loads enabled trilobites to successfully invade bioturbated and more consolidated sediments of the Cambrian Sediment Revolution, thus facilitating their diversification in the Cambrian and Ordovician and contributing to the evolutionary success of this iconic arthropod group.
    Áreas temáticas: Planejamento urbano e regional / demografia Paleontology Materiais Geociências Ecology, evolution, behavior and systematics Ciências biológicas i Ciências ambientais Biodiversidade Astronomia / física
    Acceso a la licencia de uso: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/es/
    Direcció de correo del autor: jordi.marce@urv.cat
    Identificador del autor: 0000-0001-9852-7027
    Fecha de alta del registro: 2024-07-27
    Versión del articulo depositado: info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
    URL Documento de licencia: https://repositori.urv.cat/ca/proteccio-de-dades/
    Referencia al articulo segun fuente origial: Palaeontology. 64 (4): 519-530
    Referencia de l'ítem segons les normes APA: Esteve J; Marcé-Nogué J; Pérez-Peris F; Rayfield E (2021). Cephalic biomechanics underpins the evolutionary success of trilobites. Palaeontology, 64(4), 519-530. DOI: 10.1111/pala.12541
    Entidad: Universitat Rovira i Virgili
    Año de publicación de la revista: 2021
    Tipo de publicación: Journal Publications
  • Palabras clave:

    Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics,Paleontology
    Trilobite
    Substrate
    Record
    Predation
    Moulting
    Finite-element models
    Exuviation
    Evolution
    Early cambrian trilobites
    Biomechanics
    Arthropod
    Planejamento urbano e regional / demografia
    Paleontology
    Materiais
    Geociências
    Ecology, evolution, behavior and systematics
    Ciências biológicas i
    Ciências ambientais
    Biodiversidade
    Astronomia / física
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