Journal article
Evolution of vision and hearing modalities in theropod dinosaurs
Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science), Vol.372(6542), pp.610-613
05/07/2021
DOI: 10.1126/science.abe7941
PMID: 33958472
Abstract
Owls and nightbirds are nocturnal hunters of active prey that combine visual and hearing adaptations to overcome limits on sensory performance in low light. Such sensory innovations are unknown in nonavialan theropod dinosaurs and are poorly characterized on the line that leads to birds. We investigate morphofunctional proxies of vision and hearing in living and extinct theropods and demonstrate deep evolutionary divergences of sensory modalities. Nocturnal predation evolved early in the nonavialan lineage Alvarezsauroidea, signaled by extreme low-light vision and increases in hearing sensitivity. The Late Cretaceous alvarezsauroid
had even further specialized hearing acuity, rivaling that of today's barn owl. This combination of sensory adaptations evolved independently in dinosaurs long before the modern bird radiation and provides a notable example of convergence between dinosaurs and mammals.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Evolution of vision and hearing modalities in theropod dinosaurs
- Creators
- Jonah N Choiniere - University of the WitwatersrandJames M Neenan - University of the WitwatersrandLars Schmitz - Natural History Museum of Los Angeles CountyDavid P Ford - University of the WitwatersrandKimberley E J Chapelle - American Museum of Natural HistoryAmy M Balanoff - Johns Hopkins UniversityJustin S Sipla - Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of MedicineJustin A Georgi - Midwestern UniversityStig A Walsh - University of EdinburghMark A Norell - American Museum of Natural HistoryXing Xu - Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and PaleoanthropologyJames M Clark - George Washington UniversityRoger B J Benson - University of Oxford
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science), Vol.372(6542), pp.610-613
- DOI
- 10.1126/science.abe7941
- PMID
- 33958472
- ISSN
- 0036-8075
- eISSN
- 1095-9203
- Grant note
- DOI: 10.13039/100000001, name: National Science Foundation, award: DEB 1801224; DOI: 10.13039/100000001, name: National Science Foundation, award: DEB 1801224; DOI: 10.13039/100000001, name: National Science Foundation, award: EAR 1636753; DOI: 10.13039/100008668, name: NERC Environmental Bioinformatics Centre, award: NE/H012176/1; DOI: 10.13039/100011512, name: National Research Foundation, award: 118794; DOI: 10.13039/100011512, name: National Research Foundation, award: 98800; DOI: 10.13039/501100001809, name: National Natural Science Foundation of China, award: 41688103; name: Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, award: XDB18000000; DOI: 10.13039/100016207, name: Palaeontological Scientific Trust; name: Kalbfleish Fellowship through the Richard Gilder Graduate School of the American Museum of Natural History; name: DSI/NSF Centre of Excellence in Palaeosciences; name: Kalbfleisch Fellowship through the Richard Gilder Graduate School of the American Museum of Natural History; DOI: 10.13039/100016207, name: Palaeontological Scientific Trust; name: DSI/NSF Centre of Excellence in Palaeosciences; DOI: 10.13039/100012199, name: Jurassic Foundation; name: European Union Horizon 2020, award: 677774; DOI: 10.13039/100012199, name: Jurassic Foundation; DOI: 10.13039/501100000275, name: Leverhulme Trust, award: ECF-2017-360
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 05/07/2021
- Academic Unit
- Neurology; Anatomy and Cell Biology
- Record Identifier
- 9984284338702771
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