A5022401892- Marine animal studies overview
- Ichthyology and Marine Biology
- Paleontology and Evolutionary Biology
- Evolution and Paleontology Studies
- Cephalopods and Marine Biology
- Underwater Acoustics Research
- Animal Vocal Communication and Behavior
- Pleistocene-Era Hominins and Archaeology
- Marine and coastal plant biology
- Bat Biology and Ecology Studies
- Turtle Biology and Conservation
- Computational Physics and Python Applications
- Paleontology and Stratigraphy of Fossils
- Morphological variations and asymmetry
- Metal Forming Simulation Techniques
- Echinoderm biology and ecology
- Radiomics and Machine Learning in Medical Imaging
- Metallurgy and Material Forming
- Genetic diversity and population structure
- Machine Learning and Data Classification
- Coral and Marine Ecosystems Studies
- Avian ecology and behavior
- Mechanics and Biomechanics Studies
- Amphibian and Reptile Biology
- Pacific and Southeast Asian Studies
Museums Victoria
2015-2025
Monash University
2006-2025
National Museum of Natural History
2012-2023
Smithsonian Institution
2012-2023
Natural History Museum
2016-2023
Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute
2022
Extant baleen whales (Cetacea, Mysticeti) are all large filter-feeding marine mammals that lack teeth as adults, instead possessing baleen, and feed on small animals in bulk. The early evolution of these superlative mammals, their unique feeding method, has hitherto remained enigmatic. Here, I report a new toothed mysticete from the Late Oligocene Australia is more archaic than any previously described. Unlike other mysticetes, this whale was small, had enormous eyes lacked derived...
Mammalodon colliveri is an unusual toothed archaic mysticete (Cetacea) from the Upper Oligocene Jan Juc Formation of south-east Australia. The morphology holotype skull and postcrania are described in detail. Superimposed on generally plesiomorphic archaeocete-like subtle synapomorphies. Derived features include a short bluntly rounded rostrum, reduced premaxillae, anterodorsally directed orbits. Within Mysticeti, this suite unique. aberrant rostral suggests specialization for suction...
How fast can a mammal evolve from the size of mouse to an elephant? Achieving such large transformation calls for major biological reorganization. Thus, speed at which this occurs has important implications extensive faunal changes, including adaptive radiations and recovery mass extinctions. To quantify pace large-scale evolution we developed metric, clade maximum rate, represents evolutionary rate trait within clade. We applied metric body in mammals over last 70 million years, during...
The striking resemblance of long-snouted aquatic mammals and reptiles has long been considered an example morphological convergence, yet the true cause this similarity remains untested. We addressed deficit through three-dimensional morphometric analysis full diversity crocodilian toothed whale (Odontoceti) skull shapes. Our focus on biomechanically important aspects shape allowed us to overcome difficulties involved in comparing reptiles, which have fundamental differences number position...
The evolution of biosonar (production high-frequency sound and reception its echo) was a key innovation toothed whales dolphins (Odontoceti) that facilitated phylogenetic diversification rise to ecological predominance. Yet exactly when hearing first evolved in odontocete history remains fundamental question cetacean biology. Here, we show archaic odontocetes had cochlea specialized for sensing sound, as exemplified by an Oligocene xenorophid, one the earliest diverging stem groups. This...
Suction feeding preceded filtering in baleen whale evolution.Memoirs of Museum Victoria 75: 71-
Since the Permian, Earth's aquatic ecosystems have been ecologically dominated by numerous lineages of predatory amniotes. Many these groups evolved elevated ridges enamel that run down apical–basal axis their teeth, referred to here as apicobasal ridges. This trait is commonly used a taxonomic tool identify fossil species and higher groupings, but function associated ecological significance are poorly understood. Here, we aim clarify phylogenetic distribution among amniotes examine how...
The origin of baleen whales (Mysticeti), the largest animals on Earth, is closely tied to their signature filter-feeding strategy. Unlike modern relatives, archaic possessed a well-developed, heterodont adult dentition. How these teeth were used, and what role function subsequent loss played in emergence filter feeding, an enduring mystery. In particular, it has been suggested that elaborate tooth crowns may have enabled stem mysticetes with postcanine manner analogous living crabeater...
Living true seals (phocids) are the most widely dispersed semi-aquatic marine mammals, and comprise geographically separate northern (phocine) southern (monachine) groups. Both thought to have evolved in North Atlantic, with only two monachine lineages—elephant lobodontins—subsequently crossing equator. The third basal tribe, monk seals, hitherto been interpreted as exclusively (sub)tropical throughout their entire history. Here, we describe a new species of extinct seal from Pliocene New...
As teeth develop, their mineralised composition is a bio-recorder of diet, environment, and growth. High-resolution elemental mapping provides tool to reveal records life history within teeth. The relative concentrations range trace elements change between in utero development, birth, weaning eutherian mammals. Marsupials, however, have different mode development: altricial birth growth the pouch facilitated by compositional transitions milk. How these differences alter patterns...
Abstract The structure of the olfactory apparatus is not well known in both archaic and extant whales; result poor preservation most fossils locational isolation deep within skulls fossil Recent taxa. Several specimens now shed additional light on subject. A partial skull an cetacean reported from Pamunkey River, Virginia, USA. specimen probably derives upper middle Eocene (Piney Point Formation) tentatively assigned to Protocetidae. Uncrushed cranial cavities associated with were devoid...
Abstract When hunting at sea, pinnipeds should adapt their foraging behaviors to suit the prey they are targeting. We performed captive feeding trials with two species of otariid seal, Australian fur seals ( Arctocephalus pusillus doriferus ) and subantarctic tropicalis ). This allowed us record detailed observations how vary when presented items that cover full range body shapes sizes encountered in wild. Small were captured using suction alone, while larger caught teeth raptorial biting....
Studies have suggested that the proportions of rostrum and mandible (from short broad to elongate narrow) in toothed whales (odontocetes) may be associated with size prey they consume, yet quantitative data on relationships between skull shape diet been lacking. Here, we quantified variation extant using 3D geometric morphometric analysis. We then used Phylogenetic Generalized Least Squares (PGLS) regression examine minimum, average maximum size. When examining all odontocetes, there were...
Living baleen whales (mysticetes) produce and hear the lowest-frequency (infrasonic) sounds among mammals. There is currently debate over whether ancestor of crown cetaceans (Neoceti) was able to detect low frequencies. However, lack information on most archaic fossil mysticetes has prevented us from determining earliest evolution their extreme acoustic biology. Here, we report first anatomical analyses frequency range estimation inner ear in Oligocene (34-23 Ma) fossils toothed Australia...
The evolution of baleen whales (Mysticeti), the largest animals on Earth, was punctuated by a pivotal turnover event.Following their emergence around 36 million years (Ma), mysticetes diversified into disparate range toothed and toothless species until 23 Ma, but then nearly vanished from global fossil record for next five years.Following this early Miocene "dark age", spectacularly reappeared 18-17 whereas had gone entirely extinct.Here, we suggest that event reflects change in mysticete...
A major goal of evolutionary developmental biology is to discover general models and mechanisms that create the phenotypes organisms. However, universal such fundamental growth form are rare, presumably due limited number physical laws biological processes influence growth. One model logarithmic spiral, which has been purported explain structures as teeth, claws, horns, beaks. spiral only describes path structure through space, cannot generate these shapes.Here we show a new based on power...
The titanic baleen whales (Cetacea, Mysticeti) have a bizarre skull morphology, including an elastic mandibular symphysis, which permits dynamic oral cavity expansion during bulk feeding. How this key innovation evolved from the sutured symphysis of archaeocetes has remained unclear. Now, mandibles Oligocene toothed mysticete Janjucetus hunderi show that basal mysticetes had archaeocete-like symphysis. This archaic morphology was paired with wide rostrum typical later-diverging whales....
Foraging behaviours used by two female Australian fur seals (Arctocephalus pusillus doriferus) were documented during controlled feeding trials. During these trials the presented with prey either free-floating in open water or concealed within a mobile ball static box device. When targeting both subjects primarily raptorial biting combination suction, which was to draw range of teeth. device, able use suction out items that could not be reached biting. Suction followed lateral expulsion,...
Balaenidae (right and bowhead whales) are a key group in understanding baleen whale evolution, because they the oldest surviving lineage of crown Mysticeti, with fossil record that dates back ∼20 million years. However, this is mostly Pliocene younger, most Miocene history clade remaining practically unknown. The earliest recognized balaenid early Morenocetus parvus Cabrera, 1926 from Argentina. M. was originally briefly described two incomplete crania, mandible some cervical vertebrae...