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Endocranial development in non-avian dinosaurs reveals an ontogenetic brain trajectory distinct from extant archosaurs

Author

Listed:
  • Logan King

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences
    Tyndall Avenue)

  • Qi Zhao

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • David L. Dufeau

    (Marian University College of Osteopathic Medicine)

  • Soichiro Kawabe

    (Eiheiji
    Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum)

  • Lawrence Witmer

    (Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine
    Ohio University)

  • Chang-Fu Zhou

    (Shandong University of Science and Technology)

  • Emily J. Rayfield

    (Tyndall Avenue)

  • Michael J. Benton

    (Tyndall Avenue)

  • Akinobu Watanabe

    (New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine
    American Museum of Natural History
    Natural History Museum)

Abstract

Modern birds possess highly encephalized brains that evolved from non-avian dinosaurs. Evolutionary shifts in developmental timing, namely juvenilization of adult phenotypes, have been proposed as a driver of head evolution along the dinosaur-bird transition, including brain morphology. Testing this hypothesis requires a sufficient developmental sampling of brain morphology in non-avian dinosaurs. In this study, we harness brain endocasts of a postnatal growth series of the ornithischian dinosaur Psittacosaurus and several other immature and mature non-avian dinosaurs to investigate how evolutionary changes to brain development are implicated in the origin of the avian brain. Using three-dimensional characterization of neuroanatomical shape across archosaurian reptiles, we demonstrate that (i) the brain of non-avian dinosaurs underwent a distinct developmental trajectory compared to alligators and crown birds; (ii) ornithischian and non-avialan theropod dinosaurs shared a similar developmental trajectory, suggesting that their derived trajectory evolved in their common ancestor; and (iii) the evolutionary shift in developmental trajectories is partly consistent with paedomorphosis underlying overall brain shape evolution along the dinosaur-bird transition; however, the heterochronic signal is not uniform across time and neuroanatomical region suggesting a highly mosaic acquisition of the avian brain form.

Suggested Citation

  • Logan King & Qi Zhao & David L. Dufeau & Soichiro Kawabe & Lawrence Witmer & Chang-Fu Zhou & Emily J. Rayfield & Michael J. Benton & Akinobu Watanabe, 2024. "Endocranial development in non-avian dinosaurs reveals an ontogenetic brain trajectory distinct from extant archosaurs," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-10, December.
  • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:15:y:2024:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-024-51627-9
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-51627-9
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Patricio Domínguez Alonso & Angela C. Milner & Richard A. Ketcham & M. John Cookson & Timothy B. Rowe, 2004. "The avian nature of the brain and inner ear of Archaeopteryx," Nature, Nature, vol. 430(7000), pages 666-669, August.
    2. J. Gower, 1975. "Generalized procrustes analysis," Psychometrika, Springer;The Psychometric Society, vol. 40(1), pages 33-51, March.
    3. Amy M. Balanoff & Gabe S. Bever & Timothy B. Rowe & Mark A. Norell, 2013. "Evolutionary origins of the avian brain," Nature, Nature, vol. 501(7465), pages 93-96, September.
    4. Bhart-Anjan S. Bhullar & Jesús Marugán-Lobón & Fernando Racimo & Gabe S. Bever & Timothy B. Rowe & Mark A. Norell & Arhat Abzhanov, 2012. "Birds have paedomorphic dinosaur skulls," Nature, Nature, vol. 487(7406), pages 223-226, July.
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