The rangeomorph Pectinifrons abyssalis: hydrodynamic function at the dawn of animal life
Rangeomorphs are among the oldest putative eumetazoans known from the fossil record. Establishing how they fed is thus key to understanding the structure and function of the earliest animal ecosystems. Here, we use computational fluid dynamics to test hypothesized feeding modes for the fence-like ra...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Journal article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Cell Press
2023
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| _version_ | 1826310481185341440 |
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| author | Darroch, SAF Gutarra, S Masaki, H Olaru, A Gibson, BM Dunn, FS Mitchell, EG Racicot, RA Burzynski, G Rahman, IA |
| author_facet | Darroch, SAF Gutarra, S Masaki, H Olaru, A Gibson, BM Dunn, FS Mitchell, EG Racicot, RA Burzynski, G Rahman, IA |
| author_sort | Darroch, SAF |
| collection | OXFORD |
| description | Rangeomorphs are among the oldest putative eumetazoans known from the fossil record. Establishing how they fed is thus key to understanding the structure and function of the earliest animal ecosystems. Here, we use computational fluid dynamics to test hypothesized feeding modes for the fence-like rangeomorph Pectinifrons abyssalis, comparing this to the morphologically similar extant carnivorous sponge Chondrocladia lyra. Our results reveal complex patterns of flow around P. abyssalis unlike those previously reconstructed for any other Ediacaran taxon. Comparisons with C. lyra reveal substantial differences between the two organisms, suggesting they converged on a similar fence-like morphology for different functions. We argue that the flow patterns recovered for P. abyssalis do not support either a suspension feeding or osmotrophic feeding habit. Instead, our results indicate that rangeomorph fronds may represent organs adapted for gas exchange. If correct, this interpretation could require a dramatic reinterpretation of the oldest macroscopic animals |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T07:52:37Z |
| format | Journal article |
| id | oxford-uuid:2ecc139c-db2d-433f-8cb6-6140d63e465b |
| institution | University of Oxford |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T07:52:37Z |
| publishDate | 2023 |
| publisher | Cell Press |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | oxford-uuid:2ecc139c-db2d-433f-8cb6-6140d63e465b2023-07-27T10:00:13ZThe rangeomorph Pectinifrons abyssalis: hydrodynamic function at the dawn of animal lifeJournal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:2ecc139c-db2d-433f-8cb6-6140d63e465bEnglishSymplectic ElementsCell Press2023Darroch, SAFGutarra, SMasaki, HOlaru, AGibson, BMDunn, FSMitchell, EGRacicot, RABurzynski, GRahman, IARangeomorphs are among the oldest putative eumetazoans known from the fossil record. Establishing how they fed is thus key to understanding the structure and function of the earliest animal ecosystems. Here, we use computational fluid dynamics to test hypothesized feeding modes for the fence-like rangeomorph Pectinifrons abyssalis, comparing this to the morphologically similar extant carnivorous sponge Chondrocladia lyra. Our results reveal complex patterns of flow around P. abyssalis unlike those previously reconstructed for any other Ediacaran taxon. Comparisons with C. lyra reveal substantial differences between the two organisms, suggesting they converged on a similar fence-like morphology for different functions. We argue that the flow patterns recovered for P. abyssalis do not support either a suspension feeding or osmotrophic feeding habit. Instead, our results indicate that rangeomorph fronds may represent organs adapted for gas exchange. If correct, this interpretation could require a dramatic reinterpretation of the oldest macroscopic animals |
| spellingShingle | Darroch, SAF Gutarra, S Masaki, H Olaru, A Gibson, BM Dunn, FS Mitchell, EG Racicot, RA Burzynski, G Rahman, IA The rangeomorph Pectinifrons abyssalis: hydrodynamic function at the dawn of animal life |
| title | The rangeomorph Pectinifrons abyssalis: hydrodynamic function at the dawn of animal life |
| title_full | The rangeomorph Pectinifrons abyssalis: hydrodynamic function at the dawn of animal life |
| title_fullStr | The rangeomorph Pectinifrons abyssalis: hydrodynamic function at the dawn of animal life |
| title_full_unstemmed | The rangeomorph Pectinifrons abyssalis: hydrodynamic function at the dawn of animal life |
| title_short | The rangeomorph Pectinifrons abyssalis: hydrodynamic function at the dawn of animal life |
| title_sort | rangeomorph pectinifrons abyssalis hydrodynamic function at the dawn of animal life |
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