Nanomechanical variability in the early evolution of vertebrate dentition
Abstract Conodonts are an extinct group of primitive jawless vertebrates whose elements represent the earliest examples of a mineralized feeding apparatus in vertebrates. Their relative relationship within vertebrates remains unresolved. As teeth, conodont elements are not homologous with the dentit...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2022-06-01
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| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-14157-2 |
| _version_ | 1811241239390978048 |
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| author | Mohammad Shohel Kamal K. Ray Alexei V. Tivanski Neo E. B. McAdams Alyssa M. Bancroft Bradley D. Cramer Tori Z. Forbes |
| author_facet | Mohammad Shohel Kamal K. Ray Alexei V. Tivanski Neo E. B. McAdams Alyssa M. Bancroft Bradley D. Cramer Tori Z. Forbes |
| author_sort | Mohammad Shohel |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Conodonts are an extinct group of primitive jawless vertebrates whose elements represent the earliest examples of a mineralized feeding apparatus in vertebrates. Their relative relationship within vertebrates remains unresolved. As teeth, conodont elements are not homologous with the dentition of vertebrates, but they exhibit similarities in mineralization, growth patterns, and function. They clearly represent an early evolutionary experiment in mineralized dentition and offer insight into analogous dentition in other groups. Unfortunately, analysis of functional performance has been limited to a handful of derived morphologies and material properties that may inform ecology and functional analysis are virtually unknown. Here we applied a nanoscale approach to evaluate material properties of conodont bioapatite by utilizing Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) nanoindentation to determine Young’s modulus (E) along multiple elements representing different ontogenetic stages of development in the coniform-bearing apparatus of Dapsilodus obliquicostatus. We observed extreme and systematic variation in E along the length (oral to aboral) of each element that largely mirrors the spatial and ontogenetic variability in the crystalline structure of these specimens. Extreme spatial variability of E likely contributed to breakage of elements that were regularly repaired/regrown in conodonts but later vertebrate dentition strategies that lacked the ability to repair/regrow likely required the development of different material properties to avoid structural failure. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T13:32:36Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-13670ab9abd5433ebbda09a3545b1586 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T13:32:36Z |
| publishDate | 2022-06-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-13670ab9abd5433ebbda09a3545b15862022-12-22T03:31:07ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222022-06-011211810.1038/s41598-022-14157-2Nanomechanical variability in the early evolution of vertebrate dentitionMohammad Shohel0Kamal K. Ray1Alexei V. Tivanski2Neo E. B. McAdams3Alyssa M. Bancroft4Bradley D. Cramer5Tori Z. Forbes6Department of Chemistry, University of IowaDepartment of Chemistry, University of IowaDepartment of Chemistry, University of IowaDepartment of Geosciences, Texas Tech UniversityIowa Geological Survey, University of IowaDepartment of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of IowaDepartment of Chemistry, University of IowaAbstract Conodonts are an extinct group of primitive jawless vertebrates whose elements represent the earliest examples of a mineralized feeding apparatus in vertebrates. Their relative relationship within vertebrates remains unresolved. As teeth, conodont elements are not homologous with the dentition of vertebrates, but they exhibit similarities in mineralization, growth patterns, and function. They clearly represent an early evolutionary experiment in mineralized dentition and offer insight into analogous dentition in other groups. Unfortunately, analysis of functional performance has been limited to a handful of derived morphologies and material properties that may inform ecology and functional analysis are virtually unknown. Here we applied a nanoscale approach to evaluate material properties of conodont bioapatite by utilizing Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) nanoindentation to determine Young’s modulus (E) along multiple elements representing different ontogenetic stages of development in the coniform-bearing apparatus of Dapsilodus obliquicostatus. We observed extreme and systematic variation in E along the length (oral to aboral) of each element that largely mirrors the spatial and ontogenetic variability in the crystalline structure of these specimens. Extreme spatial variability of E likely contributed to breakage of elements that were regularly repaired/regrown in conodonts but later vertebrate dentition strategies that lacked the ability to repair/regrow likely required the development of different material properties to avoid structural failure.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-14157-2 |
| spellingShingle | Mohammad Shohel Kamal K. Ray Alexei V. Tivanski Neo E. B. McAdams Alyssa M. Bancroft Bradley D. Cramer Tori Z. Forbes Nanomechanical variability in the early evolution of vertebrate dentition Scientific Reports |
| title | Nanomechanical variability in the early evolution of vertebrate dentition |
| title_full | Nanomechanical variability in the early evolution of vertebrate dentition |
| title_fullStr | Nanomechanical variability in the early evolution of vertebrate dentition |
| title_full_unstemmed | Nanomechanical variability in the early evolution of vertebrate dentition |
| title_short | Nanomechanical variability in the early evolution of vertebrate dentition |
| title_sort | nanomechanical variability in the early evolution of vertebrate dentition |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-14157-2 |
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