Topic
Raptorial
About: Raptorial is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 113 publications have been published within this topic receiving 1987 citations.
Papers published on a yearly basis
Papers
TL;DR: A new form from the Lower Cambrian Maotianshan Shale of southern China is regarded as the possible latest offshoot, whereas the other ‘great appendages’ arthropods with similar short grasping limbs were derivatives of the stem lineage of the crown-group Chelicerata.
Abstract: The uniramous ‘great appendages’ of several arthropods from the Early to Middle Cambrian are a characteristic pair of pre-oral limbs, which served for prey capture. It has been assumed that the morphological differences between the ‘great-appendage’ arthropods indicate that raptorial antero-ventral and anteriorly pointing appendages evolved more than once in arthropod phylogeny. One set of Cambrian ‘great-appendage’ arthropods has, however, very similar short antero-ventral appendages with a peduncle of two segments angled against each other (elbowed) and with stout distally or medio-distally directed spines or long flexible flagellate spines on each of the four distal segments. Moreover, the head appendages of all these forms comprise the ‘great appendages’ and three pairs of biramous limbs. To this set of taxa we can add a new form from the Lower Cambrian Maotianshan Shale of southern China, Haikoucaris ercaiensis n. gen. and n. sp. It is known from three specimens, possibly being little abundant in the faunal community. It can be distinguished from all other taxa by the prominence of the proximal claw segment of its ‘great appendages’ and by only three distal spines (one on each of the distal segments). The similarity of the short, spiky ‘great appendages’ of Haikoucaris with the chelicera of the Chelicerata leads us to hypothesize that this particular type of ‘great appendages’ was the actual precursor of the chelicera. Homeobox gene and developmental data recently demonstrated the homology between the antenna of ateloceratans and the antennula of crustaceans on one side and the chelicera of chelicerates on the other. To this we add palaeontological evidence for the homology between the chelicerae of chelicerates and the ‘short great appendages’ of certain Cambrian arthropods, which leads us to hypothesize that the evolutionary path went from the ‘short great appendages’, by progressive compaction, toward the chelicera with only a two-spined chela. The new form from China is regarded as the possible latest offshoot, whereas the other ‘great appendages’ arthropods with similar short grasping limbs were derivatives of the stem lineage of the crown-group Chelicerata. Consequently, the chelicera with a chela with one fixed and one mobile finger is an autapomorphy of the crown group of Chelicerata, whereas a raptorial, but more limb-like antenna, with more distal spine-bearing segments, characterized the ground pattern of Chelicerata. Further taxa having ‘great appendages’, including the large Anomalocarididae, are also discussed in the light of their possible affinities to the Chelicerata and possible monophyly of all of these arthropods with raptorial anterior appendages.
214 citations
TL;DR: After molting, stomatopods can be evicted easily from home cavities by conspecifics because these marine crustaceans lose temporarily their body armor and the use of their raptorial appendages.
Abstract: After molting, stomatopods can be evicted easily from home cavities by conspecifics because these marine crustaceans lose temporarily their body armor and the use of their raptorial appendages Some newly molted stomatopods defend their cavities with a meral spread display, a signal correlated with attack when used by animals between molts The use of the meral spread display actually increases after molting Since new molts cannot fight, their use of meral spread appears to be a bluff
133 citations
TL;DR: Observations of annual, near-synchronised, mass emergences of adults of the drepanicine, Ditaxis biseriata, within a well-established Macadamia orchard in northern New South Wales, Australia infer that the immature component of the life cycle takes place underground in forested habitats.
Abstract: The Mantispidae are a distinctive group of Neuroptera known for the adults' possession of raptorial forelegs. There are four recognised, extant subfamilies of Mantispidae: the Mantispinae, Symphrasinae, Calomantispinae and Drepanicinae. The life history and larval behaviour of the subfamily Mantispinae is best known: the immatures are spider egg predators. Among the three remaining subfamilies, larval Symphrasinae and Calomantispinae most likely predate on other small arthropods, while the immature life history of Drepanicinae, until now, remained completely unknown. Here we provide observations of annual, near-synchronised, mass emergences of adults of the drepanicine, Ditaxis biseriata (Westwood), within a well-established Macadamia orchard in northern New South Wales, Australia. A female deposited fertile eggs, allowing this first report of egg batch and first instar morphology. The mass emergence of mobile pharate adults from the ground was observed in the same month in two consecutive years. The pharates climbed tree-trunks for a distance before undergoing eclosion. The newly-hatched first instar larvae are campodeiform and prognathous; a typical morphology among Mantispidae. After hatching, they drop to the ground and burrow into soil. They are unpigmented and appear to lack stemmata. Together, the observations infer that the immature component of the life cycle takes place underground in forested habitats. If this feature is common among the Drepanicinae, it might explain why so little is known of the biology of the immature stages.
112 citations
1 Jan 2013
TL;DR: It is shown that many morphological characters, e.g. the head processes, enlarged lateral lobes of the pronotum, lobes on the legs and on the abdomen, evolved convergently several times during the evolution of the praying mantises (Mantodea).
Abstract: For the first time a large morphological
dataset, comprising 152 morphological characters for 122 taxa of
all recognized families of the group, has been used to reconstruct
the phylogeny of the praying mantises (Mantodea). The intraordinal
relationships found were only partially similar to the results of
earlier molecular studies, in many cases they differed
considerably. Only a third of the families (Acanthopidae,
Empusidae, Eremiaphilidae, Thespidae, and Toxoderidae) and
subfamilies (Amorphoscelinae, Angelinae, Chroicopterinae,
Empusinae, Haaniinae, Hymenopodinae, Oxypilinae, Paraoxypilinae,
Perlamantinae, Toxoderinae, and Tropidomantinae) studied were
recovered monophyletic. The remaining families and subfamilies
recognized by traditional taxonomy were found to be para- or
polyphyletic. Chaeteessa was recovered to be the sistergroup
of all remaining Mantodea. The second dichotomy of the phylogenetic
tree was found between Metallyticus and the remaining
mantises, followed by Mantoida. These phylogenetic
relationships at the base of the phylogenetic tree of Mantodea were
previously not found. The present study was able to show that many
morphological characters, e.g. the head processes, enlarged lateral
lobes of the pronotum, lobes on the legs and on the abdomen,
evolved convergently several times during the evolution of the
group. This corroborates the findings of the molecular studies
which indicate that characteristic ecomorphs evolved independently
in Mantodea. Apart from the discussion of the individual
morphological characters, several characteristic character
complexes were reconsidered and discussed in detail. The
metathoracic hearing organ ("cyclopean ear") may have evolved
several times. The study of first instar nymphs of
Metallyticus led to the finding that discoidal spines are
present in this genus and even persist in adult specimens. A
detailed study of the raptorial legs of Chaeteessa showed
that the tibial spur is not missing primarily but my have been
secondarily reduced. Both results contradict doctrines that have
been postulated for about 150 years. The study of digging devices
of female Mantodea from arid habitats indicated that these
structures evolved at least four times independently, most likely
as an adaptation to living in desert-like habitats.
96 citations
TL;DR: Quantitative analyses demonstrate that patterns in bone fragmentation may assist in the identification of particular raptor species as depositional agents in small mammal assemblages.
Abstract: Seven taxa of raptorial birds were experimentally fed a controlled sample of 50 house mice ( Mus musculus ). Bones recovered from the pellets were examined for interspecies variability in preservation to assess the potential contribution of specific raptors to patterning in fossil assemblages. Quantitative analyses demonstrate that patterns in bone fragmentation may assist in the identification of particular raptor species as depositional agents in small mammal assemblages.
88 citations
Related Topics (5)
Performance Metrics
| Year | Papers |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 8 |
| 2020 | 6 |
| 2019 | 6 |
| 2018 | 4 |
| 2017 | 3 |
| 2016 | 6 |