Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39163982›Full record

ArticleProceedings. Biological sciences2024

Widespread convergence towards functional optimization in the lower jaws of crocodile-line archosaurs.

James R G Rawson, William J Deakin, Thomas L Stubbs, Thomas J Smith, Emily J Rayfield, Phillip C J Donoghue

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Proceedings. Biological sciences, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

James R G RawsonSchool of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol , Bristol, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-0332-0275
William J DeakinSchool of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol , Bristol, UK.ORCID 0000-0001-5612-7738
Thomas L StubbsSchool of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol , Bristol, UK.ORCID 0000-0001-7358-1051
Thomas J SmithSchool of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol , Bristol, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-2083-7452
Emily J RayfieldSchool of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol , Bristol, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-2618-750X
Phillip C J DonoghueSchool of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol , Bristol, UK.ORCID 0000-0003-3116-7463

Funding

John Templeton FoundationLeverhulme Trust
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Extant crocodilian jaws are subject to functional demands induced by feeding and hydrodynamics. However, the morphological and ecological diversity of extinct crocodile-line archosaurs is far greater than that of living crocodilians, featuring repeated convergence towards disparate ecologies including armoured herbivores, terrestrial macropredators and fully marine forms. Crocodile-line archosaurs, therefore, present a fascinating case study for morphological and functional divergence and convergence within a clade across a wide range of ecological scenarios. Here, we build performance landscapes of two-dimensional theoretical jaw shapes to investigate the influence of strength, speed and hydrodynamics in the morphological evolution of crocodile-line archosaur jaws, and test whether ecologically convergent lineages evolved similarly optimal jaw function. Most of the 243 sampled jaw morphologies occupy optimized regions of theoretical morphospace for either rotational efficiency, resistance to Von Mises stress, hydrodynamic efficiency or a trade-off between multiple functions, though some seemingly viable shapes remain unrealized. Jaw speed is optimized only in a narrow region of morphospace whereas many shapes possess optimal jaw strength, which may act as a minimum boundary rather than a strong driver for most taxa. This study highlights the usefulness of theoretical morphology in assessing functional optimality, and for investigating form-function relationships in diverse clades.

Indexed as

Alligators and CrocodilesBiological EvolutionJawAnimalsBiomechanical PhenomenaFossilsHydrodynamicsMandiblebiomechanicsCrocodylomorphaCrurotarsifunctional landscapeoptimality

Identifiers

PMID39163982
PMCPMC11335402

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.