Forerunners of Mammals: Radiation Histology Biology

372 Pages·2011·123.84 MB·English

by  Anusuya Chinsamy-Turan

“Ever since Nick Hotton’s book from the 1980s SCIENCE · PALEONTOLOGY
we have needed an update on the biology of
therapsids, and it has been Anusuya Chinsamy-
C R ADIATION HISTOLOGY BIOLOGY About 320 million years ago a
Turan and her students and associates who
H
group of reptiles known as the synapsids
through their bone histological I
N emerged and forever changed Earth’s
work have made the
S
greatest progress in A F O R E R U N N E R S ecological landscapes. This book discusses
M the origin and radiation of the synapsids
this fi eld.”
Y from their sail-backed pelycosaur ancestor
Martin Sander, -
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to their diverse descendants, the therapsids
Steinmann U
O F
R or mammal-like reptiles, which eventually
Institute, A
N gave rise to mammals. It further showcases
University
the remarkable evolutionary history of the
of Bonn
F synapsids in the Karoo Basin of South Africa
M A M M A L S
O
and the environments that existed at the
R
E time. By highlighting studies of synapsid
R
Anusuya Chinsamy-Turan is a U bone microstructure, it offers a unique
N perspective of how such studies are utilized
paleobiologist and global expert on fossil
N EDITED BY ANUSUYA CHINSA MY-TUR AN
to reconstruct various aspects of biology,
bone microstructure. She is Professor and
E
R such as growth dynamics, biomechanical
Fellow of the University of Cape Town and
S
function, and the attainment of sexual and
is former director of the National History
O
skeletal maturity. A series of chapters outline
Collections, Iziko Museums of Cape Town. F
the radiation and phylogenetic relationships
She is author of The Microstructure of M
of major synapsid lineages and provide
Dinosaur Bone: Deciphering Biology through A
M direct insight into how bone histological
Fine Scale Analysis and Famous Dinosaurs
M
analyses have led to an appreciation of these
of Africa.
A
enigmatic animals as once-living creatures.
L
S The penultimate chapter examines the early
radiation of mammals from their nonmam-
malian cynodont ancestors, and the book
concludes by engaging the intriguing ques-
tion of when and where endothermy evolved
among the therapsids.
I
N
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Bloomington & Indianapolis
iupress.indiana.edu
Jacket illustrations: Luis Rey 1-800-842-6796 Life of the Past James O. Farlow, editor
ForerunnersMmec.indd 1 9/21/11 10:39 AM
Forerunners oF M a MM als
Life of the Past James O. Farlow, editor
Forerunners oF M a MM als
Radiation · Histology · Biology
Edited by Anusuya Chinsamy-Turan
Indiana University Press
Bloomington and Indianapolis
This book is a publication of Manufactured in the
United States of America
Indiana University Press
601 North Morton Street Library of Congress
Bloomington, Indiana 47404-3797 USA Cataloging-in-Publication Data
iupress.indiana.edu Forerunners of mammals : radiation,
histology, biology / edited by Anusuya
Telephone orders 800-842-6796 Chinsamy-Turan.
Fax orders 812-855-7931 p. cm. — (Life of the past)
Includes bibliographical references and
© 2012 by Indiana University Press index.
ISBN 978-0-253-35697-0 (cloth : alk.
All rights reserved paper)
1. Reptiles, Fossil. 2. Mammals—Evolution.
No part of this book may be reproduced 3. Bones—Histology. I. Chinsamy-Turan,
or utilized in any form or by any means, Anusuya.
electronic or mechanical, including QE861.F67 2012
photocopying and recording, or by any 567.9’3—dc23
information storage and retrieval system, 2011016622
without permission in writing from the
publisher. The Association of American 1 2 3 4 5 17 16 15 14 13 12
University Presses’ Resolution on Permissions
constitutes the only exception to this
prohibition.
The paper used in this publication
meets the minimum requirements of the
American National Standard for Information
Sciences—Permanence of Paper for Printed
Library Materials, ANSI Z39.48-1992.
This book is dedicated to the memory of
James W. Kitching
(1922–2003)
Gondwanan Paleontologist
An Exceptional Fossil Hunter and an Inspiration to Many

Contents C
ix Preface
xi Acknowledgments
xiii List of Contributors
1 The Origin and Radiation of Therapsids
3 Tom S. Kemp
Therapsid Biodiversity Patterns and Paleoenvironments
2 of the Karoo Basin, South Africa
31 Roger Smith, Bruce Rubidge, and Merrill van der Walt
The Microstructure of Bones and Teeth
3 of Nonmammalian Therapsids
65 Anusuya Chinsamy-Turan
The Paleobiology and Bone Microstructure
4 of Pelycosaurian-Grade Synapsids
91 Adam K. Huttenlocker and Elizabeth Rega
5 Dicynodont Growth Dynamics and Lifestyle Adaptations
121 Sanghamitra Ray, Jennifer Botha-Brink, and Anusuya Chinsamy-Turan
Biological Inferences of the Cranial Microstructure of
6 the Dicynodonts Oudenodon and Lystrosaurus
149 Sandra C. Jasinoski and Anusuya Chinsamy-Turan
Bone and Dental Histology of Late Triassic
7 Dicynodonts from North America
179 Jeremy L. Green
Bone Histology of Some Therocephalians and Gorgonopsians,
8 and Evidence of Bone Degradation by Fungi
199 Anusuya Chinsamy-Turan and Sanghamitra Ray
The Radiation and Osteohistology of
9 Nonmammaliaform Cynodonts
223 Jennifer Botha-Brink, Fernando Abdala, and Anusuya Chinsamy-Turan
10 The Radiation, Bone Histology, and Biology of Early Mammals
249 Jørn H. Hurum and Anusuya Chinsamy-Turan
11 The Evolution of Mammalian Endothermy
273 John A. Ruben, Willem J. Hillenius, Tom S. Kemp, and Devon E. Quick
289 References
321 Index
Preface P
This book brings together a group that has over many years researched
various aspects of the evolution and paleobiology of the synapsids. Many
of us have collaborated in our research endeavors, and all of us have at
some stage shared information and had many hearty discussions about
the biology of our distant relatives.
The book comprises eleven chapters. The first two chapters provide
an introduction to the predecessors of mammals and their relatives, and
an assessment of the ancient world in which they radiated. The opening
chapter sets the scene, providing a guide of “who” the synapsids were and
how they are related to one another. In this chapter, Tom Kemp provides
an up to date assessment of the radiation of the synapsids from their earli-
est pelycosaur members, to the diverse nonmammalian therapsids, and
later to the increasingly more mammal-like cynodonts. All this is done
from a global perspective.
The second chapter of this book deals more specifically with the Ka-
roo Basin of South Africa and documents an unparalleled track record of
the evolution and radiation of the therapsids. Here, Karoo paleontologists,
Roger Smith and Bruce Rubidge, together with a recent PhD graduate
Merrill van der Walt, provide a unique perspective of therapsid biodiver-
sity and paleoenvironmental analysis of the Karoo Basin of South Africa.
For the first time, faunal turnover in the Karoo Basin is provided through
a lens of absolute numbers of genera and have permitted detailed trophic
level analyses for each of the biozones.
The third chapter by yours truly sets the scene for the bone microstruc-
ture chapters that follow. The first part of this chapter takes the form of an
atlas of bone microstructure that will enable a novice to identify particular
types of bone tissues in synapsids. The second part examines the biologi-
cal implications of particular types of bone microstructures and how these
can be utilized to deduce various aspects of the biology of extinct animals.
The next seven chapters focus on particular synapsid lineages. Each
of these chapters is structured to provide a phylogenetic and paleobio-
logical context before delving into the bone microstructure of that par-
ticular group. The first in this series of chapters (chapter 4) predictably
deals with the earliest members of the Synapsida, the pelycosaurs. Here,
Adam Huttenlocker and Elizabeth Rega present an overview of the bone
microstructure of pelycosaurian-grade synapsids from both “normal” and
pathological skeletal elements.
The fifth chapter is by Sanghamitra Ray, my former postdoctoral
fellow, Jennifer Botha-Brink, my former PhD student, and me. Here we
ix