Pleistocene seabirds from Shiriya, northeast Japan: systematics and oceanographic context

Watanabe, Junya; Matsuoka, Hiroaki; Hasegawa, Yoshikazu

doi:10.1080/08912963.2018.1529764

Cited by 3 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 160 publications

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“…Two genera are currently recognized: Miomancalla is known from the Miocene–Pliocene of California (~∼10–4.9 Ma), and Mancalla is known from the Pliocene (perhaps extending into the Miocene)–Pleistocene of the Pacific coasts of North America and Japan (approximately 5.0–0.12 Ma; e.g., Lucas 1901 ; Miller and Howard 1949 ; Chandler 1990 ; Smith 2011 ; Smith and Clarke 2015 ; Watanabe et al. 2020 a, 2020 b). Plotopteridae is an extinct lineage of Suliformes (although there is some dispute about their exact phylogenetic position; Smith 2010 ; Mayr et al.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Wing Musculature Reconstruction in Extinct Flightless Auks (PinguinusandMancalla) Reveals Incomplete Convergence with Penguins (Spheniscidae) Due to Differing Ancestral States

Watanabe

Field

Matsuoka

2020

Integrative Organismal Biology

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Despite longstanding interest in convergent evolution, factors that result in deviations from fully convergent phenotypes remain poorly understood. In birds, the evolution of flightless wing-propelled diving has emerged as a classic example of convergence, having arisen in disparate lineages including penguins (Sphenisciformes) and auks (Pan-Alcidae, Charadriiformes). Nevertheless, little is known about the functional anatomy of the wings of flightless auks because all such taxa are extinct, and their morphology is almost exclusively represented by skeletal remains. Here, in order to re-evaluate the extent of evolutionary convergence among flightless wing-propelled divers, wing muscles and ligaments were reconstructed in two extinct flightless auks, representing independent transitions to flightlessness: Pinguinus impennis (a crown-group alcid), and Mancalla (a stem-group alcid). Extensive anatomical data were gathered from dissections of 12 species of extant charadriiforms and 4 aequornithine waterbirds including a penguin. The results suggest that the wings of both flightless auk taxa were characterized by an increased mechanical advantage of wing elevator/retractor muscles, and decreased mobility of distal wing joints, both of which are likely advantageous for wing-propelled diving and parallel similar functional specializations in penguins. However, the conformations of individual muscles and ligaments underlying these specializations differ markedly between penguins and flightless auks, instead resembling those in each respective group’s close relatives. Thus, the wings of these flightless wing-propelled divers can be described as convergent as overall functional units, but are incompletely convergent at lower levels of anatomical organization—a result of retaining differing conditions from each group’s respective volant ancestors. Detailed investigations such as this one may indicate that, even in the face of similar functional demands, courses of phenotypic evolution are dictated to an important degree by ancestral starting points.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Wing Musculature Reconstruction in Extinct Flightless Auks (PinguinusandMancalla) Reveals Incomplete Convergence with Penguins (Spheniscidae) Due to Differing Ancestral States

Watanabe

Field

Matsuoka

2020

Integrative Organismal Biology

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“…Mancalline auks are an extinct lineage of flightless auks representing the sister group to crown-group Alcidae (Smith 2011). Two genera are currently recognized: Miomancalla is known from the Miocene-Pliocene of California (~10-4.9 Ma), and Mancalla is known from the Pliocene (perhaps extending into the Miocene) -Pleistocene of the Pacific coasts of North America and Japan (~5.0-0.12 Ma; e.g., Lucas 1901;Miller and Howard 1949;Chandler 1990;Smith 2011; Smith and Clarke 2015;Watanabe et al 2020aWatanabe et al , 2020b. Plotopteridae is an extinct lineage of Suliformes (although there is some dispute about their exact phylogenetic position; Smith 2010;Mayr et al 2015Mayr et al , 2020a.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Wing musculature reconstruction in extinct flightless auks (PinguinusandMancalla) reveals incomplete convergence with penguins (Spheniscidae) due to differing ancestral states

Watanabe

Field

Matsuoka

2020

Preprint

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Despite longstanding interest in convergent evolution, factors that result in deviations from fully convergent phenotypes remain poorly understood. In birds, the evolution of flightless wing-propelled diving has emerged as a classic example of convergence, having arisen in disparate lineages including penguins (Sphenisciformes) and auks (Pan-Alcidae, Charadriiformes). Nevertheless, little is known about the functional anatomy of the wings of flightless auks because all such taxa are extinct, and their morphology is almost exclusively represented by skeletal remains. Here, in order to re-evaluate the extent of evolutionary convergence among flightless wing-propelled divers, wing muscles and ligaments were reconstructed in two extinct flightless auks, representing independent transitions to flightlessness: Pinguinus impennis (a crown-group alcid), and Mancalla (a stem-group alcid). Extensive anatomical data were gathered from dissections of 12 species of extant charadriiforms and 4 aequornithine waterbirds including a penguin. It was found that the wings of both flightless auk taxa were characterized by an increased mechanical advantage of wing elevator/retractor muscles, and decreased mobility of distal wing joints, both of which are likely advantageous for wing-propelled diving and parallel similar functional specializations in penguins. However, the conformations of individual muscles and ligaments underlying these specializations differ markedly between penguins and flightless auks, instead resembling those in each respective group’s close relatives. Thus, the wings of these flightless wing-propelled divers can be described as convergent as overall functional units, but are incompletely convergent at lower levels of anatomical organization—a result of retaining differing conditions from each group’s respective volant ancestors. Detailed investigations such as this one may indicate that, even in the face of similar functional demands, courses of phenotypic evolution are dictated to an important degree by ancestral starting points.

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Seabirds (Aves) from the Pleistocene Kazusa and Shimosa groups, central Japan

Watanabe

Koizumi

Nakagawa³

et al. 2019

Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology

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Pleistocene seabirds from Shiriya, northeast Japan: systematics and oceanographic context

Cited by 3 publications

References 160 publications

Wing Musculature Reconstruction in Extinct Flightless Auks (PinguinusandMancalla) Reveals Incomplete Convergence with Penguins (Spheniscidae) Due to Differing Ancestral States

Wing Musculature Reconstruction in Extinct Flightless Auks (PinguinusandMancalla) Reveals Incomplete Convergence with Penguins (Spheniscidae) Due to Differing Ancestral States

Wing musculature reconstruction in extinct flightless auks (PinguinusandMancalla) reveals incomplete convergence with penguins (Spheniscidae) due to differing ancestral states

Seabirds (Aves) from the Pleistocene Kazusa and Shimosa groups, central Japan

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