Modified skulls but conservative brains? The palaeoneurology and endocranial anatomy of baryonychine dinosaurs (Theropoda: Spinosauridae).
Modified skulls but conservative brains? The palaeoneurology and endocranial anatomy of baryonychine dinosaurs (Theropoda: Spinosauridae).
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对脑颅内铸件的数字化重建阐明了许多化石类群的大体脑结构和潜在的生态属性，包括巴西白垩纪中期的激龙，一种来自白垩纪中期的棘龙。凭借平凡的听力能力，这种分类群被推断为整合了头部快速而可控的俯仰运动，这可能有助于捕食小型而灵活的猎物，如鱼类。然而，脊龙重甲的神经解剖学仍有待描述，并有可能为早期棘龙的情况提供信息。利用微电子计算机断层扫描(μCT)技术，对英格兰下白垩世韦尔登超群中的重爪龙乌龟和低等脊椎动物的脑壳内铸型进行了重建。我们表明，大体内颅骨形态与其他非脊椎动物足目动物相似，并证实了先前观察到的更基础的兽脚亚目动物中整体内颅骨的保守性。这两个物种之间存在着一些未知的分类效用的差异。重甲鱼的神经感觉能力包括低频听力和正常的嗅觉，而绒毛小叶的不同形态初步表明，相对于棘龙，凝视稳定机制较不发达。鉴于与其他基本破伤风动物在形态上的相似之处，重甲很可能具有类似的行为复杂性，这表明在棘龙科进化过程中，从陆栖超级食肉祖先向半水栖“多面手”的转变不需要对大脑和感觉系统进行实质性的修改。棘龙是一种特殊的大型破伤风兽脚亚目恐龙，生活在半水生态环境中。棘龙甲壳动物的神经解剖学还有待研究，可能会为棘龙大脑和感觉能力的早期进化提供信息。由于没有异常的听力和嗅觉，甲壳动物的内铸型与其他基础破伤风动物在形态上有相似之处，我们的结果表明，在棘龙科的进化过程中，从陆地超级肉食性祖先到半水栖“多面手”的转变不需要对大脑和感觉系统进行实质性的修改。
The digital reconstruction of neurocranial endocasts has elucidated the gross brain structure and potential ecological attributes of many fossil taxa, including Irritator, a spinosaurine spinosaurid from the “mid” Cretaceous (Aptian) of Brazil. With unexceptional hearing capabilities, this taxon was inferred to integrate rapid and controlled pitch‐down movements of the head that perhaps aided in the predation of small and agile prey such as fish. However, the neuroanatomy of baryonychine spinosaurids remains to be described, and potentially informs on the condition of early spinosaurids. Using micro‐computed tomographic scanning (μCT), we reconstruct the braincase endocasts of Baryonyx walkeri and Ceratosuchops inferodios from the Wealden Supergroup (Lower Cretaceous) of England. We show that the gross endocranial morphology is similar to other non‐maniraptoriform theropods, and corroborates previous observations of overall endocranial conservatism amongst more basal theropods. Several differences of unknown taxonomic utility are noted between the pair. Baryonychine neurosensory capabilities include low‐frequency hearing and unexceptional olfaction, whilst the differing morphology of the floccular lobe tentatively suggests less developed gaze stabilisation mechanisms relative to spinosaurines. Given the morphological similarities observed with other basal tetanurans, baryonychines likely possessed comparable behavioural sophistication, suggesting that the transition from terrestrial hypercarnivorous ancestors to semi‐aquatic “generalists” during the evolution of Spinosauridae did not require substantial modification of the brain and sensory systems. Spinosaurids were unusual large‐bodied tetanuran theropods with semi‐aquatic ecologies. The neuroanatomy of baryonychine spinosaurids has yet to be studied, and may inform about the early evolution of the spinosaurid brain and sensory capabilities. With unexceptional hearing and olfaction, baryonychine endocasts share morphological similarities with other basal tetanurans, and our results suggest that the transition from terrestrial hypercarnivorous ancestors to semi‐aquatic “generalists” during the evolution of Spinosauridae did not require substantial modification of the brain and sensory systems.
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