Teeth complexity, hypsodonty and body mass in Santacrucian (Early Miocene) notoungulates (Mammalia)

Notoungulates, native South American fossil mammals, have been recently objective of several palaeoecological studies. Ecomorphology and biomechanics of the masticatory apparatus, together with micro and mesowear analyses on tooth enamel, were applied in order to understand their palaeobiology. In particular, the relationship between some dental traits (hypsodonty, occlusal surface area and complexity) and body mass is still poorly understood. These features were measured by means of the hypsodonty index (HI), occlusal surface area (OSA) and tooth area (OTA), enamel crest complexity (ECC) and length (OEL). The relationships between these indices were evaluated in five pan-contemporaneous Santacrucian Notoungulata genera from Patagonia: Adinotherium and<em>Nesodon</em> (Toxodontia), <em>Interatherium</em>, <em>Protypotherium</em> and <em>Hegetotherium</em> (Typotheria). While OSA, OTA and OEL were size dependent and strongly correlated, HI and ECC were size independent. All notoungulates analysed have very hypsodont teeth, indicating high rates of tooth wear in response to an increase of abrasives consumed with the food; their tooth occlusal area and complexity could be related to chewing efforts associated with the toughness of the plants consumed. HI, OSA and ECC were considered useful for paleoecological reconstructions, but the results presented here show that these three features are integrated as a complex, so should not be evaluated separately

Mortality from gastrointestinal congenital anomalies at 264 hospitals in 74 low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries: a multicentre, international, prospective cohort study

Summary Background Congenital anomalies are the fifth leading cause of mortality in children younger than 5 years globally. Many gastrointestinal congenital anomalies are fatal without timely access to neonatal surgical care, but few studies have been done on these conditions in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). We compared outcomes of the seven most common gastrointestinal congenital anomalies in low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries globally, and identified factors associated with mortality. Methods We did a multicentre, international prospective cohort study of patients younger than 16 years, presenting to hospital for the first time with oesophageal atresia, congenital diaphragmatic hernia, intestinal atresia, gastroschisis, exomphalos, anorectal malformation, and Hirschsprung’s disease. Recruitment was of consecutive patients for a minimum of 1 month between October, 2018, and April, 2019. We collected data on patient demographics, clinical status, interventions, and outcomes using the REDCap platform. Patients were followed up for 30 days after primary intervention, or 30 days after admission if they did not receive an intervention. The primary outcome was all-cause, in-hospital mortality for all conditions combined and each condition individually, stratified by country income status. We did a complete case analysis. Findings We included 3849 patients with 3975 study conditions (560 with oesophageal atresia, 448 with congenital diaphragmatic hernia, 681 with intestinal atresia, 453 with gastroschisis, 325 with exomphalos, 991 with anorectal malformation, and 517 with Hirschsprung’s disease) from 264 hospitals (89 in high-income countries, 166 in middleincome countries, and nine in low-income countries) in 74 countries. Of the 3849 patients, 2231 (58·0%) were male. Median gestational age at birth was 38 weeks (IQR 36–39) and median bodyweight at presentation was 2·8 kg (2·3–3·3). Mortality among all patients was 37 (39·8%) of 93 in low-income countries, 583 (20·4%) of 2860 in middle-income countries, and 50 (5·6%) of 896 in high-income countries (p<0·0001 between all country income groups). Gastroschisis had the greatest difference in mortality between country income strata (nine [90·0%] of ten in lowincome countries, 97 [31·9%] of 304 in middle-income countries, and two [1·4%] of 139 in high-income countries; p≤0·0001 between all country income groups). Factors significantly associated with higher mortality for all patients combined included country income status (low-income vs high-income countries, risk ratio 2·78 [95% CI 1·88–4·11], p<0·0001; middle-income vs high-income countries, 2·11 [1·59–2·79], p<0·0001), sepsis at presentation (1·20 [1·04–1·40], p=0·016), higher American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score at primary intervention (ASA 4–5 vs ASA 1–2, 1·82 [1·40–2·35], p<0·0001; ASA 3 vs ASA 1–2, 1·58, [1·30–1·92], p<0·0001]), surgical safety checklist not used (1·39 [1·02–1·90], p=0·035), and ventilation or parenteral nutrition unavailable when needed (ventilation 1·96, [1·41–2·71], p=0·0001; parenteral nutrition 1·35, [1·05–1·74], p=0·018). Administration of parenteral nutrition (0·61, [0·47–0·79], p=0·0002) and use of a peripherally inserted central catheter (0·65 [0·50–0·86], p=0·0024) or percutaneous central line (0·69 [0·48–1·00], p=0·049) were associated with lower mortality. Interpretation Unacceptable differences in mortality exist for gastrointestinal congenital anomalies between lowincome, middle-income, and high-income countries. Improving access to quality neonatal surgical care in LMICs will be vital to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 3.2 of ending preventable deaths in neonates and children younger than 5 years by 2030

MORPHOLOGICAL INTEGRATION OF NATIVE SOUTH AMERICAN UNGULATE MANDIBLES. A TRIBUTE TO D’ARCY THOMPSON IN THE CENTENNIAL OF “ON GROWTH AND FORM”

South American native ungulates include several extinct lineages that evolved within the context of South American Cenozoic geographic isolation. By the late early Miocene Santacrucian Age, the orders Notoungulata, Litopterna, and Astrapotheria were differentiated. Recent ecomorphological studies highlighted complex functional patterns between their habitat/diet and hypsodonty. In order to understand these relationships in an evolutionary context we used geometric morphometrics methods (27 3-D landmarks) to evaluate the morphological integration of two of the primary functional units of the mandible: the alveolar region and the ascending ramus. Principal component analyses (PCA) and two blocks Partial Least Squares analyses (PLS) were used to explore the patterns of variation and covariation between these two modules. The main variation in shape is related to the robusticity and curvature of the mandibular corpus, and the relative size of the angular and coronoid process. The PLS analyses show a very strong morphological integration within the Litopterna, but a pattern of modularity in the Notoungulata. There is a common pattern of covariation in Astrapotheria and Litopterna, which might be due to similar constraints. The different covariation patterns in notoungulates with respect to litopterns are in concordance with both the taxonomic and morphological diversity of the clades, particularly in the typotheres. The modularity present in notoungulates could have allowed specializations in each module of the mandible, related to crown height or muscle attachments, without a high morphological constrain. This could have resulted in their high morphological diversity, in contrast with the more conservative morphology present in litopterns

Ulnar articular surface 3-D landmarks and ecomorphology of small mammals : a case study of two early Miocene typotheres (Notoungulata) from Patagonia

Fil: Muñoz, Nahuel A.. División Paleontología Vertebrados. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. Universidad Nacional de La Plata; ArgentinaFil: Cassini, Guillermo Hernán. División Mastozoología. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales Bernardino Rivadavia. CABA; ArgentinaFil: Candela, Adriana Magdalena. División Paleontología Vertebrados. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. Universidad Nacional de La Plata; ArgentinaFil: Vizcaíno, Sergio Fabián. División Paleontología Vertebrados. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. Universidad Nacional de La Plata; Argentin

Teeth complexity, hypsodonty and body mass in Santacrucian (Early Miocene) notoungulates (Mammalia)

Fil: Cassini, Guillermo H.. División Mastozoología. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales Bernardino Rivadavia. CABA, ArgentinaFil: Hernández Del Pino, Santiago. Paleontología. Instituto de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales. Centro Científico Tecnológico. Mendoza; ArgentinaFil: Muñoz, Nahuel A.. División Paleontología Vertebrados. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. Universidad Nacional de La Plata; ArgentinaFil: Acosta, Walter G.. Cátedra de Semiología. Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias. Universidad Nacional de La Plata; ArgentinaFil: Fernández, Mercedes. División Paleontología de Vertebrados. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales Bernardino Rivadavia. CABA; ArgentinaFil: Bargo, María Susana. División Paleontología Vertebrados. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. Universidad Nacional de La Plata; ArgentinaFil: Vizcaíno, Sergio Fabián. División Paleontología Vertebrados. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. Universidad Nacional de La Plata; Argentin

Genomic-based multiple-trait evaluation in Eucalyptus grandis using dominant DArT markers

We investigated the impact of combining the pedigree- and genomic-based relationship matrices in a multiple-trait individual-tree mixed model (a.k.a., multiple-trait combined approach) on the estimates of heritability and on the genomic correlations between growth and stem straightness in an open-pollinated Eucalyptus grandis population. Additionally, the added advantage of incorporating genomic information on the theoretical accuracies of parents and offspring breeding values was evaluated. Our results suggested that the use of the combined approach for estimating heritabilities and additive genetic correlations in multiple-trait evaluations is advantageous and including genomic information increases the expected accuracy of breeding values. Furthermore, the multiple-trait combined approach was proven to be superior to the single-trait combined approach in predicting breeding values, in particular for low-heritability traits. Finally, our results advocate the use of the combined approach in forest tree progeny testing trials, specifically when a multiple-trait individual-tree mixed model is considered.Inst. de Recursos BiológicosFil: Cappa, Eduardo Pablo. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Recursos Biológicos; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: El-Kassaby, Yousry A. University of British Columbia. Faculty of Forestry. Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences; CanadaFil: Muñoz, Facundo. Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique . Unité Amélioration, Génétique et Physiologie Forestières; FranciaFil: Garcia, Martin Nahuel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Biotecnología; ArgentinaFil: Villalba, Pamela Victoria. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Biotecnología; ArgentinaFil: Klapste, Jaroslav. University of British Columbia. Faculty of Forestry. Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences; Canada. Czech University of Life Sciences. Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences. Department of Genetics and Physiology of Forest Trees; República ChecaFil: Marcucci Poltri, Susana Noemi. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Biotecnología; Argentin

Improving accuracy of breeding values by incorporating genomic information in spatial-competition mixed models

Climate change and the increasing demand for sustainable energy resources require urgent strategies to increase the accuracy of selection in tree breeding (associated with higher gain). We investigated the combined pedigree and genomic-based relationship approach and its impact on the accuracy of predicted breeding values using data from 5-year-old Eucalyptus grandis progeny trial. The number of trees that can be genotyped in a tree breeding population is limited; therefore, the combined approach can be a feasible and efficient strategy to increase the genetic gain and provide more accurate predicted breeding values. We calculated the accuracy of predicted breeding values for two growth traits, diameter at breast height and total height, using two evaluation approaches: the combined approach and the classical pedigree-based approach. We also investigated the influence of two different trait heritabilities as well as the inclusion of competition genetic effects or environmental heterogeneity in an individual-tree mixed model on the estimated variance components and accuracy of breeding values. The genomic information of genotyped trees is automatically propagated to all trees with the combined approach, including the non-genotyped mothers. This increased the accuracy of overall breeding values, except for the non-genotyped trees from the competition model. The increase in the accuracy was higher for the total height, the trait with low heritability. The combined approach is a simple, fast, and accurate genomic selection method for genetic evaluation of growth traits in E. grandis and tree species in general. It is simple to implement in a traditional individual-tree mixed model and provides an easy extension to individual-tree mixed models with competition effects and/or environmental heterogeneity.Fil: Cappa, Eduardo Pablo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro de Investigación de Recursos Naturales. Instituto de Recursos Biológicos; ArgentinaFil: El-Kassaby, Yousry A.. University of British Columbia; CanadáFil: Muñoz, Facundo. Centre de Recherche de Nantes. Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique; FranciaFil: Garcia, Martín Nahuel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro de Investigación en Ciencias Veterinarias y Agronómicas; ArgentinaFil: Villalba, Pamela Victoria. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro de Investigación en Ciencias Veterinarias y Agronómicas; ArgentinaFil: Klápste, Jaroslav. University of British Columbia; Canadá. Czech University of Life Sciences Prague; República ChecaFil: Marcucci Poltri, Susana Noemí. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro de Investigación en Ciencias Veterinarias y Agronómicas; Argentin

<i>Tracheria troyana</i> (Krapovickas and Nasif, 2011): Redefinition, Environmental Distribution, and Heritage Conservation

<p>The South American caviomorph ichnogenus <i>Tracheria troyana</i> is reevaluated here based on recently discovered specimens that allow a more thorough investigation of footprint taphonomy and ichnotaxonomy. The footprints include detailed autopodium morphology and more complete gait patterns than previously reported. The redefinition of <i>T. troyana</i> involves key aspects as digit impressions of the <i>manus</i> asymmetrically arranged and digit V being the shortest and at times do not print. It generally lacks metacarpal pads, resulting in almost digitigrade impressions and regularly preserved as tridactyl footprints. In the <i>pes</i> imprints, digits have a symmetrical arrangement. Phalangeal and metapodial pad impressions are preserved, occasionally showing the presence of two heel pads. Trackways denote a marked overstep in which the <i>pes</i> impressions are placed in front of the <i>manus</i>. New data about <i>T. troyana</i> environmental distribution shows that typically characterizes overbank facies of anastomosing and meandering fluvial systems, which may be reflecting a habitat preference the producer. Here, we also present new digitized 3D images of the original type material of <i>T. troyana</i>, in order to preserve these materials, which were previously only available for viewing in the field.</p