Observations on the Number of Thoracic Vertebrae and the Presence of Notarium in Birds

Samejima, Masamichi; Otsuka, Junichi

doi:10.3838/jjo1915.33.29

Cited by 5 publications

(15 citation statements)

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“…-Samejima and Otsuka (1984: figure 10) figured a notarium consisting of three fully fused thoracic vertebrae in a male Little Weaver (Ploceus luteolus) but found no fusion in a female of the same species. I found no fusion in nine skeletons representing eight other species of Ploceidae.…”

Section: Systematic Osteologymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Three previous surveys of the distribution of notaria in birds gave scant attention to the Passeriformes. Rydzewski (1935) reported finding fused vertebrae in three species of larks; Storer (1982) found the trait to be absent in his family-level survey of the Passeriformes; and Samejima and Otsuka (1984) found it present only in a species of weaver finch. Being familiar with Storer's paper, I was surprised to find a fully fused notarium involving three to four thoracic vertebrae in the penduline tits (Remizidae), including the Verdin (Auriparus flaviceps).…”

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Repeated Evolution of Fused Thoracic Vertebrae in Songbirds

James¹

2009

The Auk

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Resumen.-La fusión de dos o más vértebras torácicas, independientemente del sinsacro, es un fenómeno que está más ampliamente distribuido entre los paseriformes que lo que se había documentado previamente. El hueso que se forma de este modo se llama notario. Hice una evaluación de esqueletos de aves paserinas y observé la presencia de un notario con vértebras completamente fusionadas en Leptopterus chabert, algunos Artamidae y Laniidae, Rhipidura leucophrys, Phainopepla nitens, los Remizidae incluyendo a Auriparus flaviceps, varios Alaudidae, Sturnus vulgaris y las especies de los géneros Toxostoma y Loxia. El mapeo de la evolución de este rasgo sobre un superárbol sugiere que un notario completamente fusionado ha evolucionado independientemente al menos 12 veces en los paseriformes oscinos y que notarios con fusión menos completa de las vértebras (por ejemplo, con sólo los procesos espinosos fusionados) están aún más ampliamente distribuidos filogenéticamente. La expresión fenotípica de un notario está fija en algunas especies y grupos taxonómicos mayores, pero varía entre individuos en otras especies. Ontogenéticamente, el notario completamente fusionado se forma cuando el ave es inmadura. El desarrollo evolutivo de los notarios probablemente depende de mutaciones que alteran los patrones de expresión de genes de transición (los genes Pax y Hox son candidatos probables) que controlan la diferenciación embriológica de las vértebras. Entre las implicaciones sistemáticas de este estudio se encuentran el apoyo adicional para la ubicación de Auriparus en la familia Remizidae y para la monofilia de un grupo de mímidos occidentales (Toxostoma spp.) con picos fuertemente decurvados.-862 - Abstract.-The fusion of two or more thoracic vertebrae, independent of the synsacrum, is more widespread in the Passeriformes than has previously been reported. The bone thus formed is known as a "notarium." I surveyed oscine passerine skeletons and found a notarium with fully fused vertebrae in Chabert's Vanga (Leptopterus chabert), certain woodswallows (Artamidae) and shrikes (Laniidae), the Willie Wagtail (Rhipiduridae, Rhipidura leucophrys), the Phainopepla (Bombycillidae, Phainopepla nitens), the penduline tits (Remizidae) including the Verdin (Auriparus flaviceps), various larks (Alaudidae), the Common Starling (Sturnus vulgaris), the sicklebilled thrashers (Toxostoma spp.), and the crossbills (Loxia spp.). Mapping of character evolution on a supertree suggests that a fully fused notarium has evolved independently at least 12 times in the oscine passerines and that notaria with less extensive fusion of the vertebrae (only the spinous processes fused, for example) are even more widespread phylogenetically. Phenotypic expression of a notarium is fixed in some species and higher taxonomic groups but varies within the species in others. Ontogenetically, the fully fused notarium forms when the bird is immature. The evolutionary development of notaria probably depends on mutations that alter expression patterns of transcription genes...

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Section: Systematic Osteologymentioning

confidence: 99%

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confidence: 99%

Repeated Evolution of Fused Thoracic Vertebrae in Songbirds

James¹

2009

The Auk

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“…Complete fusion of spinal processes in the T2-T6 segment led to the formation of a notarium, an uncommon feature in Psittaciformes, albeit extremely common in Galliformes, Columbiformes and Passeriiformes. The anatomical features of this structure may vary according to species and gender (Cavinatto et al, 2016;James, 2009;Samejima & Otsuka, 1984;Storer, 1982).…”

Section: Different Numbers Of Vertebrae Between and Within Speciesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Radiographic anatomy of the cockatiel (Nymphicus hollandicus) axial and appendicular skeleton

Silva

Vieira

Mancini

et al. 2019

Anat Histol Embryol

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Cockatiels are popular pets. Still, despite medical and surgical relevance, the radiographic anatomy of the cockatiel (Nymphicus hollandicus) skeleton, like that of different wild and exotic bird species, has seldom been described. This study set out to describe the radiographic anatomy of the cockatiel skeleton. Twelve adult male and nine adult female specimens were radiographed using a digital X‐ray system and different views. The radiographic anatomy of these birds was similar to that of other Psittacidae. However, some particularities inherent to the target species were detected, such as the presence of four flexion zones in the skull (craniofacial, nasal, jugal arch and palatine), complete bony orbit comprising a suborbital arch, 34–38 vertebrae (10 or 11 cervical, 8 or 9 thoracic, 9 or 10 lumbosacral, 5 or 6 caudal vertebrae and a pygostyle comprising 2 fused vertebrae), eight or nine pairs of ribs and a notarium made up of fused T2–T6 vertebrae. Poor radiopacity of the notarium, ribs and respective uncinate processes, and synsacral vertebrae made demarcation of these structures difficult. The appendicular skeleton of the cockatiel was very similar to that of other Psittacidae, and there were no gender‐related differences.

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“…As structurally complex elements, the nature of the fusion between notarial vertebrae is highly diverse, in both birds and pterosaurs (Figure 2). Vertebral fusion can be observed among contiguous centra, neural spines, and transverse processes, sometimes forming a ventral plate (Storer, 1982; Samejima and Otsuka, 1984).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Some studies focus on the development of bird notarium, in order to provide a map of key individual changes during growth (e.g. Rydzewski, 1935, Hogg, 1982, Storer, 1982, Samejima and Otsuka, 1984 and James, 2009). This is important because Aves is the only living group that can be used as a model in the understanding of the pterosaur notarium, as this structure is absent in other reptiles, preventing the use of the Extant Phylogenetic Bracket (EPB) protocols (Witmer, 1995).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%