Evolution of vision and hearing modalities in theropod dinosaurs.

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 Shuvuuia deserti 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.

The endocranium and trophic ecology of Velociraptor mongoliensis.

Neuroanatomical reconstructions of extinct animals have long been recognized as powerful proxies for palaeoecology, yet our understanding of the endocranial anatomy of dromaeosaur theropod dinosaurs is still incomplete. Here, we used X-ray computed microtomography (µCT) to reconstruct and describe the endocranial anatomy, including the endosseous labyrinth of the inner ear, of the small-bodied dromaeosaur, Velociraptor mongoliensis. The anatomy of the cranial endocast and ear were compared with non-avian theropods, modern birds, and other extant archosaurs to establish trends in agility, balance, and hearing thresholds in order to reconstruct the trophic ecology of the taxon. Our results indicate that V. mongoliensis could detect a wide and high range of sound frequencies (2,368-3,965 Hz), was agile, and could likely track prey items with ease. When viewed in conjunction with fossils that suggest scavenging-like behaviours in V. mongoliensis, a complex trophic ecology that mirrors modern predators becomes apparent. These data suggest that V. mongoliensis was an active predator that would likely scavenge depending on the age and health of the individual or during prolonged climatic events such as droughts.

Structure and composition of the Trinil femora: functional and taxonomic implications.

The original hominin femur (Femur I) and calotte discovered at Trinil, Java by Eugene Dubois in 1891/1892 played a key role in the early history of human paleontology by purportedly demonstrating the contemporaneity of archaic cranial form with modern human erect (bipedal) posture. On this basis, both specimens were subsequently assigned to Pithecanthropus erectus, later transferred to Homo erectus. However, chronological and phylogenetic links between the two have been questioned from the beginning. Four additional hominin partial femora (Femora II-V) from Trinil were subsequently described but have played a relatively minor part in evolutionary scenarios. Here we present the results of a new analysis of structural and density characteristics of the Trinil femora obtained using computed tomography. Trinil Femur I shows none of the characteristics typical of early Homo femora from elsewhere in Asia or Africa, including a relatively long neck, increased mediolateral bending rigidity of the mid-proximal shaft, or a low position of minimum mediolateral breath on the shaft. In contrast, Femora II-V all demonstrate features that are more consistent with this pattern. In addition, material density distributions within the specimens imply more recent and less complete fossilization of Femur I than Femora II-V. Thus, it is very likely that Trinil Femur I derives from a much more recent time period than the calotte, while the less famous and less complete Femora II-V may represent H. erectus at Trinil. The morphological variation within the Trinil femora can be attributed to broader changes in pelvic morphology occurring within the Homo lineage between the Early and late Middle Pleistocene.

Turning semicircular canal function on its head: dinosaurs and a novel vestibular analysis.

Previous investigations have correlated vestibular function to locomotion in vertebrates by scaling semicircular duct radius of curvature to body mass. However, this method fails to discriminate bipedal from quadrupedal non-avian dinosaurs. Because they exhibit a broad range of relative head sizes, we use dinosaurs to test the hypothesis that semicircular ducts scale more closely with head size. Comparing the area enclosed by each semicircular canal to estimated body mass and to two different measures of head size, skull length and estimated head mass, reveals significant patterns that corroborate a connection between physical parameters of the head and semicircular canal morphology. Head mass more strongly correlates with anterior semicircular canal size than does body mass and statistically separates bipedal from quadrupedal taxa, with bipeds exhibiting relatively larger canals. This morphologic dichotomy likely reflects adaptations of the vestibular system to stability demands associated with terrestrial locomotion on two, versus four, feet. This new method has implications for reinterpreting previous studies and informing future studies on the connection between locomotion type and vestibular function.