Heads, Jaws, and Muscles (eBook)

Janine Ziermann is an Assistant Professor at the Howard University College of Medicine in Washington, DC. She received her PhD in Germany studying the evolution and development of head muscles in larval amphibians. This was followed by a postdoc in the Netherlands and one in the USA to further study vertebrates. Her research focuses on the evolution and development of the cardiopharyngeal field, a field that gives rise to head, neck, and heart musculature. Additionally, she aims to use the knowledge from her research to understand the pathology of congenital defects, which often affect both head and heart structures. She won several awards, including the ‘American Association of Anatomists (AAA) and the Keith and Marion Moore Young Anatomist’s Publication Award’ (YAPA). Furthermore, she single-authored or co-authored more than 30 papers in top journals such as Nature, Biological Reviews, books, book chapters, and commentaries. Raul E. Diaz, Jr. is an Assistant Professor at Southeastern Louisiana University and a Research Associate at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. He received his BS from the University of California at Berkeley and his MA from the University of Kansas where he studied frog skeletal development through metamorphosis. His PhD was completed through the University of Kansas Medical Center though his research was conducted at the Stowers Institute for Medical Research where he developed the veiled chameleon as a useful model for studying squamates reptile embryonic development. His research has meandered through his academic career from tropical field biology and systematics to anatomy and cell biology, development and genomics of reptiles and amphibians and now combines all these disciplines (as well as modern techniques in microscopy and imaging) to bridge the disciplines of comparative morphology, development and biomedical research.Rui Diogo, Associate Professor at the Howard University College of Medicine, was one of the youngest researchers to be nominated as Fellow of the American Association of Anatomists, and won several prestigious awards, being the only researcher selected for first/second places for best article of the year in the top anatomical journal, two times in just three years (2013/2015). He is single-author or co-author of more than 100 papers in top journals such as Nature, and of numerous book chapters. Furthermore, he is the co-editor of five books and the sole or first author of thirteen books covering subjects as diverse as fish evolution, chordate development, human medicine and pathology, and the links between evolution and behavioral ecology. One of these books was adopted at medical schools worldwide, "Learning and understanding human anatomy and pathology: an evolutionary and developmental guide for medical students", and another one has been often listed as one of the best ten books on evolutionary biology in 2017, "Evolution driven by organismal behavior: a unifying view of life, function, form, mismatches, and trends".

Table of contents: Introduction – Ziermann, Diaz, Diogo -        Janine M. Ziermann: Howard University College of Medicine, Dept. Anatomy, -        Rui Diogo: Howard University College of Medicine, Dept. Anatomy, -        Raul E. Diaz Jr.: La Sierra University, Dept. Biology; Why is this book interesting for a broad audience? -        Presenting, some extreme cases of heads: o   size: elephant – largest land mammal, blue whale – largest mammal in general; Paedophryne amauensis – smallest vertebrate and smallest amphibian; smallest fish is Paedocypris progenetica o   feeding adaptations: §  filter feeder (e.g., amphioxus, most forage fish, baleen whales, flamingos) §  herbivores, carnivore, omnivore (e.g., giraffe, lion, bear; or cow, alligator, rhea) §  microphagues, megalophagues (e.g., filter feeders vs. Lepidobatrachus – can eat prey its own size!)    -        Diversity of not only feeding modes but also sensory adaptations (e.g., large orbits for nocturnal or deep see specimens) -        All vertebrates are linked – evo-devo! o   recent discoveries show that some developmental mechanisms are conserved from earliest chordate to humans (e.g., cardiopharyngeal field) -        This book is for everyone that has interest in the diversification, evolution and development of “Heads, Jaws and Muscles”. o   Present idea about emergence of new head at end BUT with Amphioxus and urochordates having already many components of vertebrate head, such as branchiomeric muscles, gills in amphioxus, etc. o   So emerging question (for the purpose of the story) Where / When did the head evolve? Include fossils, etc.   Chapters 1.                Cephalochordates –Daniel Aldea, Stephanie Bertrand & Hector Escriva UPMC Univ Paris 06, UMR 7232, BIOM, Observatoire Océanologique de Banyuls sur Mer Amphioxus already has a head (branchiomeric) muscles and other head structures (gills etc.) refer to recent studies of muscle development of Yasui et al., of Hector's team on anterior somites, etc. Urochordates and their importance for understanding the evolution of the vertebrate head and head muscles  – Rui Diogo; Howard University College of Medicine Urochordates closest relatives to vertebrates What do they teach us about evolution and development in vertebrates? cardiopharyngeal field, etc. Early vertebrate and gnathostome fossils, and the emergence of jaws: You three, any order of names is ok for us Zerina Johanson; Dept. Earth Sciences, Natural History Museum London, Kate Trinajstic; Dept. Environment and Agriculture, Curtin University, Bentley, Western Australia; Per E. Ahlberg; Department of Organismal Biology, Uppsala University What are the main “innovations” towards vertebrates, and then towards gnathostomes? Summary of fossils, etc. Where did the jaw come from? Fossils and associated muscles, etc.Transitions to vertebrates, including fossils? – Cyclostomes – Janine Ziermann; Howard University College of Medicine, Dept. Anatomy) Ziermann & Diogo's suggested ideas to head/neck muscle evolution in cyclostomes and compared to gnathostomes inferred plesiomorphic muscle repertoire Miyashita's idea about derived similarity of mandibular and other branchial arches Chondrichthyans - Peter Johnston; Department of Anatomy with Radiology, University of Auckland & Catherine Boisvert; Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute (ARMI), EMBL Monash University What makes them so special? Actinopterygians – Allesia Huby & Eric Parmentier; Laboratoire Morphologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive Institut de Chimie Actinopterygians are the most diverse vertebrates, diverse – some with highly specialized heads and jaws and associated muscles Sarcopterygians - Alice Clement; Flinders University, Biological Sciences Adaptations that come in handy for water-land-transition? Focus on head/neck and head/neck muscles. Include transition to tetrapods Amphibians – Janine Ziermann; Howard University College of Medicine, Dept. Anatomy Present diversity of head / neck structures as adaptation to feeding types, size, and/or other factors First on land – “challenges” with new environment (holding head above ground – neck; feeding – jaw musculature”) Specializations: biphasic lifestyle vs. direct development; burrowing (Gymniophiona) vs. diversity in salamander and frogs Chelonians – Ingmar Werneburg + Gabriel S. Ferreira; Senckenberg Center for Human Evolution and Palaeoenvironment (HEP) at Eberhard Karls Universität Present diversity of head / neck structures as adaptation to feeding types, size, and/or other factors How to turtles contribute to the understanding of head / head muscle development and evolution? Lepidosaurians (Squamata and Rhynchocephalia) – Raul E. Diaz Jr; La Sierra University, Dept. Biology; Present diversity of head / neck structures as adaptation to feeding types, size, and/or other factors Archosaurs (Crocodylians and Aves, Dinosaurs) – Arkhat Abzhanov; Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London Present diversity of head / neck structures as adaptation to feeding types, size, and/or other factors Include dinosaurs’, particularly comparing their heads/jaws with crocodilians and birds, and including head/jaw muscles if possible Mammals, incl. Primates and Humans – Rui Diogo; Howard University College of Medicine, Dept. Anatomy Major innovations related to transition to mammals – licking, suckling, closure of post-orbital foramina due to growth of sphenoid bone – resulting changes in musculature? General development of mammalian muscles, based on mice Include human birth defects of the head   Conclusions/summary/outlook: Ziermann, Diogo, Diaz Conclusion -        Summary -        Major open questions that are currently under investigation -        Where to go from here: Outlook