Extreme Anatomy: The Lottery Winners, Specialists, and Extreme Adaptations That Are No More

Abstract

This special issue of The Anatomical Record explores extravagant adaptions that vertebrates have evolved from their base groups to survive in the most challenging environments. It stems from a symposium entitled “Extreme Anatomy: Living beyond the edge,” which was held April 23, 2017, at the annual meeting of the American Association for Anatomy, in Chicago, IL. In Part 1 of this issue, we examined extreme morphologies that allow exploration of new niches. In this issue, we return to the evolution of terrestriality by digging deeply into the fossil history of the piscine antecedent of tetrapods. These were truly “lottery winners” among vertebrates. This issue also bears on extreme specialists that once thrived but are now long extinct and some extant species that thrive in the hottest terrestrial niches. Herein, several contributions discuss developmental strategies that facilitate later demanding locomotor regimens and feeding strategies for accessing nutrients from less than ideal food sources. From mole‐rats to short‐faced breeds of domestic dogs, we encounter another host of the most unusual of earth's creatures, who have much to teach us about our world. Anat Rec, 2019. © 2019 American Association for Anatomy Anat Rec, 303:214–217, 2020. © 2019 American Association for Anatomy

Bats of all types fly through the pages of The Anatomical Record in a novel special issue

“…Besides, the many scientific reports that he has published in The Anatomical Record , Tim has also been a creative engine behind some of our most extraordinary Special Issues, such as those: exploring new models and approaches exploring primate functional anatomy and biomechanics (Laitman, 2010; Laitman & Albertine, 2010; Organ et al, 2010) (his Special Issue cover is J L's favorite! ); the novel issue exploring the world of the vertebrate nose (Laitman, 2014; Laitman & Albertine, 2014; van Valkenburgh et al, 2014); the incomparable, two volume Special Issue exploring nature's “extreme species” (Laitman & Albertine, 2020a, 2020b; Smith & Laitman, 2020a, 2020b) (maybe these covers are J L's favorites); or fido's all‐time favorite, the issue delving into the anatomy and history of the domestic dog (Laitman, 2021; Laitman & Albertine, 2021; Smith & van Valkenburgh, 2021) (ok, maybe this cover is J L's favorite cover!) Suffice it to say that The Anatomical Record has been graced with both the science and scholarship and creativity that our Tim has brought to its pages.…”

A human's best friend comes to The Anatomical Record: A special issue explores the world of the dog

“…As anyone who has worked with Tim will attest to, he is a tinderbox of creative, often novel, questions and ideas that push the limits of our current understandings. Along these lines can be seen his recent special issues of The Anatomical Record exploring the extremes of anatomical and behavioral forms in the animal world (Laitman & Albertine, 2020a, 2020b; Smith & Laitman, 2020a, 2020b). Receiving a call from Tim would invariably contain the phrase “…hey, I was thinking, could we do an issue on….” And we would be off on a new adventure, exploring monkeys swinging from trees, the world of naked mole rats, the demise of Gigantopithecus …or, the unique relationships between humans and our canine kin.…”