| Insights into the Ecology and Evolutionary Success of Crocodilians Revealed through Bite-Force and Tooth-Pressure Experimentation. | |
| | |
MedLine Citation:
|
PMID: 22431965 Owner: NLM Status: In-Data-Review |
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
|
BACKGROUND: Crocodilians have dominated predatory niches at the water-land interface for over 85 million years. Like their ancestors, living species show substantial variation in their jaw proportions, dental form and body size. These differences are often assumed to reflect anatomical specialization related to feeding and niche occupation, but quantified data are scant. How these factors relate to biomechanical performance during feeding and their relevance to crocodilian evolutionary success are not known. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We measured adult bite forces and tooth pressures in all 23 extant crocodilian species and analyzed the results in ecological and phylogenetic contexts. We demonstrate that these reptiles generate the highest bite forces and tooth pressures known for any living animals. Bite forces strongly correlate with body size, and size changes are a major mechanism of feeding evolution in this group. Jaw shape demonstrates surprisingly little correlation to bite force and pressures. Bite forces can now be predicted in fossil crocodilians using the regression equations generated in this research. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Critical to crocodilian long-term success was the evolution of a high bite-force generating musculo-skeletal architecture. Once achieved, the relative force capacities of this system went essentially unmodified throughout subsequent diversification. Rampant changes in body size and concurrent changes in bite force served as a mechanism to allow access to differing prey types and sizes. Further access to the diversity of near-shore prey was gained primarily through changes in tooth pressure via the evolution of dental form and distributions of the teeth within the jaws. Rostral proportions changed substantially throughout crocodilian evolution, but not in correspondence with bite forces. The biomechanical and ecological ramifications of such changes need further examination. |
| | |
Authors:
|
Gregory M Erickson; Paul M Gignac; Scott J Steppan; A Kristopher Lappin; Kent A Vliet; John D Brueggen; Brian D Inouye; David Kledzik; Grahame J W Webb |
Related Documents
:
|
10854885 - A mathematical model of umbilical venous pulsation. 16717105 - Beneficial effects of metolazone in a rat model of preeclampsia. 6894915 - Effects of phrenic nerve section on the respiratory system of fetal lambs. 2010385 - Fetal breathing and pressures in the trachea and amniotic sac during oligohydramnios in... 12214025 - Blood pressure and dementia in persons 75+ years old: 3-year follow-up results from the... 14767585 - Hyperventilation impairs brain function in acute cerebral air embolism in pigs. |
Publication Detail:
|
Type: Journal Article Date: 2012-03-14 |
Journal Detail:
|
Title: PloS one Volume: 7 ISSN: 1932-6203 ISO Abbreviation: PLoS ONE Publication Date: 2012 |
Date Detail:
|
Created Date: 2012-03-20 Completed Date: - Revised Date: - |
Medline Journal Info:
|
Nlm Unique ID: 101285081 Medline TA: PLoS One Country: United States |
Other Details:
|
Languages: eng Pagination: e31781 Citation Subset: IM |
Affiliation:
|
Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, United States of America. |
Export Citation:
|
APA/MLA Format Download EndNote Download BibTex |
| MeSH Terms | |
Descriptor/Qualifier:
|
|
From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine
Previous Document: Male × Female Interaction for a Pre-Copulatory Trait, but Not a Post-Copulatory Trait, among Cosmop...
Next Document: DNA methylation patterns in cord blood DNA and body size in childhood.