Structural analysis of the tongue and hyoid apparatus in a woodpecker

Jung, Jae‐Young; Naleway, Steven E.; Yaraghi, Nicholas A.; Herrera, Steven; Sherman, Vincent; Bushong, Eric A.; Ellisman, Mark H.; Kisailus, David; McKittrick, Joanna

doi:10.1016/j.actbio.2016.03.030

Cited by 45 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 41 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…There are a number of cases where this is exemplified. For example, woodpecker beaks and sheep horns are composed of an outer sheath of soft keratinous material and an inner core of hard cancellous bone to resist multiple impacts; the high toughness and strength of teeth under fatigue are provided by the combination of an outer brittle enamel and an inner tough dentin having a tubular architecture; penetration resistant fish scales consist of rigid mineral layers on their surface together with an underlying region of collagen‐based fibers 32,61b,75a,87. It has been shown a junction/interface between the different regions of biological structures could provide fracture toughness to the whole structure.…”

Section: Microscalementioning

confidence: 99%

Multiscale Toughening Mechanisms in Biological Materials and Bioinspired Designs

et al. 2019

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Biological materials found in Nature such as nacre and bone are well recognized as light-weight, strong, and tough structural materials. The remarkable toughness and damage tolerance of such biological materials are conferred through hierarchical assembly of their multiscale (i.e., atomicto macroscale) architectures and components. Herein, the toughening mechanisms of different organisms at multilength scales are identified and summarized: macromolecular deformation, chemical bond breakage, and biomineral crystal imperfections at the atomic scale; biopolymer fibril reconfiguration/deformation and biomineral nanoparticle/nanoplatelet/ nanorod translation, and crack reorientation at the nanoscale; crack deflection and twisting by characteristic features such as tubules and lamellae at the microscale; and structure and morphology optimization at the macroscale. In addition, the actual loading conditions of the natural organisms are different, leading to energy dissipation occurring at different time scales. These toughening mechanisms are further illustrated by comparing the experimental results with computational modeling. Modeling methods at different length and time scales are reviewed. Examples of biomimetic designs that realize the multiscale toughening mechanisms in engineering materials are introduced. Indeed, there is still plenty of room mimicking the strong and tough biological designs at the multilength and time scale in Nature.

show abstract

Section: Microscalementioning

confidence: 99%

Multiscale Toughening Mechanisms in Biological Materials and Bioinspired Designs

et al. 2019

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Elongation of hyoid elements in Aves is directly associated with tongue protrusion and its increased control, with extreme morphologies noted for the taxa such as woodpeckers and hummingbirds ([23], p., 53, [78]). The cassowary employs the ‘catch and throw’ feeding method; a method of feeding which requires a reduced tongue to prevent injury during the feeding process [28, 79].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The phylogenetic significance of the morphology of the syrinx, hyoid and larynx, of the southern cassowary, Casuarius casuarius (Aves, Palaeognathae)

et al. 2019

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

BackgroundPalaeognathae is a basal clade within Aves and include the large and flightless ratites and the smaller, volant tinamous. Although much research has been conducted on various aspects of palaeognath morphology, ecology, and evolutionary history, there are still areas which require investigation. This study aimed to fill gaps in our knowledge of the Southern Cassowary, Casuarius casuarius, for which information on the skeletal systems of the syrinx, hyoid and larynx is lacking - despite these structures having been recognised as performing key functional roles associated with vocalisation, respiration and feeding. Previous research into the syrinx and hyoid have also indicated these structures to be valuable for determining evolutionary relationships among neognath taxa, and thus suggest they would also be informative for palaeognath phylogenetic analyses, which still exhibits strong conflict between morphological and molecular trees.ResultsThe morphology of the syrinx, hyoid and larynx of C. casuarius is described from CT scans. The syrinx is of the simple tracheo-bronchial syrinx type, lacking specialised elements such as the pessulus; the hyoid is relatively short with longer ceratobranchials compared to epibranchials; and the larynx is comprised of entirely cartilaginous, standard avian anatomical elements including a concave, basin-like cricoid and fused cricoid wings. As in the larynx, both the syrinx and hyoid lack ossification and all three structures were most similar to Dromaius. We documented substantial variation across palaeognaths in the skeletal character states of the syrinx, hyoid, and larynx, using both the literature and novel observations (e.g. of C. casuarius). Notably, new synapomorphies linking Dinornithiformes and Tinamidae are identified, consistent with the molecular evidence for this clade. These shared morphological character traits include the ossification of the cricoid and arytenoid cartilages, and an additional cranial character, the articulation between the maxillary process of the nasal and the maxilla.ConclusionSyrinx, hyoid and larynx characters of palaeognaths display greater concordance with molecular trees than do other morphological traits. These structures might therefore be less prone to homoplasy related to flightlessness and gigantism, compared to typical morphological traits emphasised in previous phylogenetic studies.

show abstract

“…1, Video S1). There have been few studies, like the one presented here, that merged microCT, light, and electron microscopy in order to examine morphological features by linking them across disparate spatial scales (Handschuh et al 2013;Jung et al 2016). for all the species (see below), the results presented here are descriptive, and it is not the aim of this paper (see introduction).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Peer Review #2 of "Relating form to function in the hummingbird feeding apparatus (v0.1)"

Rayfield¹

2017

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

A complete understanding of the feeding structures is fundamental in order to study how animals survive. Some birds use long and protrusible tongues as the main tool to collect their central caloric source (e.g. woodpeckers and nectarivores). Hummingbirds are the oldest and most diverse clade of nectarivorous vertebrates, being a perfect subject to study tongue specializations. Their tongue functions to intraorally transport arthropods through their long bills and enables them to exploit the nectarivorous niche by collecting small amounts of liquid, therefore it is of vital importance to study its anatomy and structure at various scales. I focused on the portions of the hummingbird tongue that have been shown to be key for understanding their feeding mechanisms. I used histology, transmission and scanning electron microscopy, microCT, and ex-vivo experiments in order to advance the comprehension of the morphology and functioning of the hummingbird feeding apparatus. I found that hummingbird tongues are composed mainly of thin cornified epithelium, lack papillae, and completely fill the internal cast of the rostral oropharyngeal cavity. Understanding this puzzle-piece match between bill and tongue will be essential for the study of intraoral transport of nectar. Likewise, I found that the structural composition and tissue architecture of the tongue groove walls provide the rostral portion of the tongue with elastic properties that are central to the study of tonguenectar interactions during the feeding process. Detailed studies on hummingbirds set the basis for comparisons with other nectar-feeding birds and contribute to comprehend the natural solutions to collecting liquids in the most efficient way possible.

show abstract

Structural analysis of the tongue and hyoid apparatus in a woodpecker

Cited by 45 publications

References 41 publications

Multiscale Toughening Mechanisms in Biological Materials and Bioinspired Designs

Multiscale Toughening Mechanisms in Biological Materials and Bioinspired Designs

The phylogenetic significance of the morphology of the syrinx, hyoid and larynx, of the southern cassowary, Casuarius casuarius (Aves, Palaeognathae)

Peer Review #2 of "Relating form to function in the hummingbird feeding apparatus (v0.1)"

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About