Non-linear ontogenetic shape change in Cryptolithus tesselatus (Trilobita) using three-dimensional geometric morphometrics

作者：Hopkins Melanie J^*; Pearson J Kirk

来源：Palaeontologia Electronica, 2016, 19(3): 42A.

DOI：10.26879/665

• trilobites
• CT scanning
• silicification
• functional morphology
• ontogeny

A decrease in the rate of cephalic shape change late in ontogeny has been documented for several species of trilobites, possibly associated with the cessation of segment release into the thorax. Qualitative descriptions of the ontogeny of Cryptolithus tesselatus Green, 1832, suggest that shape change in the cephalon was strongly influenced by the progressive accommodation of large funnel-shaped perforations ("fringepits") over several molts. The number and arrangement of fringe-pits was established early in ontogeny, however, before thoracic segment release was completed. Due to the unusual and highly convex shape of the cephalon, we use three-dimensional (3D) geometric morphometrics to quantify shape change in this species and determine if there is a rate shift, and at what point in development this shift occurred. Three-dimensional morphometrics was made possible by extracting fixed and semi-landmarks from surface reconstructions of C. tesselatus rendered from CT scans of silicified specimens. Results show that the cephalon continued to change shape into adulthood, but that a threshold model with a rate shift associated with the cessation of new fringe-pits is best supported. 2D landmarks taken from the dorsal view fail to capture the dramatic change in convexity of the cephalon during development, but model comparison results are consistent with those based on the 3D landmark dataset, allowing comparison of this aspect of ontogenetic change with other species. Based on these comparisons, it appears that 1) trajectories are often better characterized by threshold models than simple linear regression models; 2) the timing of shifts may not be phylogenetically conserved.

• 出版日期2016