Neuroanatomical convergence between pterosaurs and non-avian paravians in the evolution of flight

Autores
Bronzati, Mario; Watanabe, Akinobu; Benson, Roger B.J.; Müller, Rodrigo T.; Witmer, Lawrence M.; Ezcurra, Martin Daniel; Montefeltro, Felipe C.; Belén von Baczko, M.; Bhullar, Bhart-Anjan S.; Desojo, Julia B.; Knoll, Fabien; Langer, Max C.; Lautenschlager, Stephan; Stocker, Michelle R.; Turner, Alan H.; Werneburg, Ingmar; Nesbitt, Sterling J.; Fabbri, Matteo
Año de publicación
2025
Idioma
inglés
Tipo de recurso
artículo
Estado
versión publicada
Descripción
The oldest known pterosaurs lived approximately 220 million years ago1 and were already animals capable of powered flight,2 an ability that later evolved independently among paravian dinosaurs, the group that includes living birds and their closest non-avian relatives.3 Flight is a complex locomotory mode that requires physiological adaptations4 and a dramatic transformation of the body plan, including changes in body proportions, specialized integument, and acquisition of novel neurosensory capabilities.5 Although pterosaurs and birds developed distinct skeletal and integumentary adaptations for flight, they are hypothesized to share neuroanatomical traits linked to aerial locomotion.6–9 Here, we use geometric morphometrics and phylogenetically informed analyses to assess the origin and evolution of brain shape and size in pterosaurs, tracing the transformation from their non-volant closest relatives (lagerpetids), and compare their trajectory with that in the dinosaur-bird transition. Pterosaurs have globular brains with moderately enlarged hemispheres, more closely resembling non-avian paravians such as troodontids and Archaeopteryx lithographica than living birds. Whereas birds inherited their basic brain structure from their dinosaurian ancestors,10–17 pterosaurs share only the ventrolateralization of the optic lobe with their closest non-volant relatives, the lagerpetids. This suggests that, in contrast to the bird-line archosaurs, where exaptation may have played a central role in the stepwise assembly of the avian brain configuration, brain evolution in pterosaurs seems to have unfolded rapidly at the origin of flight.
Fil: Bronzati, Mario. Universitat Tubingen; Alemania
Fil: Watanabe, Akinobu. American Museum of Natural History; Estados Unidos
Fil: Benson, Roger B.J.. American Museum of Natural History; Estados Unidos
Fil: Müller, Rodrigo T.. Universidade Federal de Santa Maria; Brasil
Fil: Witmer, Lawrence M.. Ohio Center For Ecological And Evolutionary Studies; Estados Unidos
Fil: Ezcurra, Martin Daniel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "Bernardino Rivadavia"; Argentina
Fil: Montefeltro, Felipe C.. Universidade Estadual de Sao Paulo; Brasil
Fil: Belén von Baczko, M.. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "Bernardino Rivadavia"; Argentina
Fil: Bhullar, Bhart-Anjan S.. University of Yale; Estados Unidos
Fil: Desojo, Julia B.. Museo de la Plata; Argentina
Fil: Knoll, Fabien. Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales; España
Fil: Langer, Max C.. Universidade de Sao Paulo; Brasil
Fil: Lautenschlager, Stephan. University Of Birmingham; Reino Unido
Fil: Stocker, Michelle R.. Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University; Estados Unidos
Fil: Turner, Alan H.. State University of New York; Estados Unidos
Fil: Werneburg, Ingmar. Universitat Tubingen; Alemania
Fil: Nesbitt, Sterling J.. Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University; Estados Unidos
Fil: Fabbri, Matteo. Johns Hopkins University School Of Medicine; Estados Unidos
Materia
Pterosauria
Flight
Evolution
Neuroanatomy
Nivel de accesibilidad
acceso abierto
Condiciones de uso
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/ar/
Repositorio
CONICET Digital (CONICET)
Institución
Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas
OAI Identificador
oai:ri.conicet.gov.ar:11336/291994
Acceder
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oai_identifier_str oai:ri.conicet.gov.ar:11336/291994
network_acronym_str CONICETDig
repository_id_str 3498
network_name_str CONICET Digital (CONICET)
spelling Neuroanatomical convergence between pterosaurs and non-avian paravians in the evolution of flightBronzati, MarioWatanabe, AkinobuBenson, Roger B.J.Müller, Rodrigo T.Witmer, Lawrence M.Ezcurra, Martin DanielMontefeltro, Felipe C.Belén von Baczko, M.Bhullar, Bhart-Anjan S.Desojo, Julia B.Knoll, FabienLanger, Max C.Lautenschlager, StephanStocker, Michelle R.Turner, Alan H.Werneburg, IngmarNesbitt, Sterling J.Fabbri, MatteoPterosauriaFlightEvolutionNeuroanatomyhttps://purl.org/becyt/ford/1.5https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1The oldest known pterosaurs lived approximately 220 million years ago1 and were already animals capable of powered flight,2 an ability that later evolved independently among paravian dinosaurs, the group that includes living birds and their closest non-avian relatives.3 Flight is a complex locomotory mode that requires physiological adaptations4 and a dramatic transformation of the body plan, including changes in body proportions, specialized integument, and acquisition of novel neurosensory capabilities.5 Although pterosaurs and birds developed distinct skeletal and integumentary adaptations for flight, they are hypothesized to share neuroanatomical traits linked to aerial locomotion.6–9 Here, we use geometric morphometrics and phylogenetically informed analyses to assess the origin and evolution of brain shape and size in pterosaurs, tracing the transformation from their non-volant closest relatives (lagerpetids), and compare their trajectory with that in the dinosaur-bird transition. Pterosaurs have globular brains with moderately enlarged hemispheres, more closely resembling non-avian paravians such as troodontids and Archaeopteryx lithographica than living birds. Whereas birds inherited their basic brain structure from their dinosaurian ancestors,10–17 pterosaurs share only the ventrolateralization of the optic lobe with their closest non-volant relatives, the lagerpetids. This suggests that, in contrast to the bird-line archosaurs, where exaptation may have played a central role in the stepwise assembly of the avian brain configuration, brain evolution in pterosaurs seems to have unfolded rapidly at the origin of flight.Fil: Bronzati, Mario. Universitat Tubingen; AlemaniaFil: Watanabe, Akinobu. American Museum of Natural History; Estados UnidosFil: Benson, Roger B.J.. American Museum of Natural History; Estados UnidosFil: Müller, Rodrigo T.. Universidade Federal de Santa Maria; BrasilFil: Witmer, Lawrence M.. Ohio Center For Ecological And Evolutionary Studies; Estados UnidosFil: Ezcurra, Martin Daniel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "Bernardino Rivadavia"; ArgentinaFil: Montefeltro, Felipe C.. Universidade Estadual de Sao Paulo; BrasilFil: Belén von Baczko, M.. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "Bernardino Rivadavia"; ArgentinaFil: Bhullar, Bhart-Anjan S.. University of Yale; Estados UnidosFil: Desojo, Julia B.. Museo de la Plata; ArgentinaFil: Knoll, Fabien. Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales; EspañaFil: Langer, Max C.. Universidade de Sao Paulo; BrasilFil: Lautenschlager, Stephan. University Of Birmingham; Reino UnidoFil: Stocker, Michelle R.. Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University; Estados UnidosFil: Turner, Alan H.. State University of New York; Estados UnidosFil: Werneburg, Ingmar. Universitat Tubingen; AlemaniaFil: Nesbitt, Sterling J.. Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University; Estados UnidosFil: Fabbri, Matteo. Johns Hopkins University School Of Medicine; Estados UnidosCell Press2025-12info:eu-repo/semantics/articleinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersionhttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501info:ar-repo/semantics/articuloapplication/pdfapplication/pdfhttp://hdl.handle.net/11336/291994Bronzati, Mario; Watanabe, Akinobu; Benson, Roger B.J.; Müller, Rodrigo T.; Witmer, Lawrence M.; et al.; Neuroanatomical convergence between pterosaurs and non-avian paravians in the evolution of flight; Cell Press; Current Biology; 35; 24; 12-2025; 6191-61980960-9822CONICET DigitalCONICETenginfo:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/url/https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0960982225014678info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.1016/j.cub.2025.10.086info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccesshttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/ar/reponame:CONICET Digital (CONICET)instname:Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas2026-08-25T14:50:38Zoai:ri.conicet.gov.ar:11336/291994instacron:CONICETInstitucionalhttp://ri.conicet.gov.ar/Organismo científico-tecnológicoNo correspondehttp://ri.conicet.gov.ar/oai/requestdasensio@conicet.gov.ar; lcarlino@conicet.gov.arArgentinaNo correspondeNo correspondeNo correspondeopendoar:34982026-08-25 14:50:38.348CONICET Digital (CONICET) - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicasfalse
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Neuroanatomical convergence between pterosaurs and non-avian paravians in the evolution of flight
title Neuroanatomical convergence between pterosaurs and non-avian paravians in the evolution of flight
spellingShingle Neuroanatomical convergence between pterosaurs and non-avian paravians in the evolution of flight
Bronzati, Mario
Pterosauria
Flight
Evolution
Neuroanatomy
title_short Neuroanatomical convergence between pterosaurs and non-avian paravians in the evolution of flight
title_full Neuroanatomical convergence between pterosaurs and non-avian paravians in the evolution of flight
title_fullStr Neuroanatomical convergence between pterosaurs and non-avian paravians in the evolution of flight
title_full_unstemmed Neuroanatomical convergence between pterosaurs and non-avian paravians in the evolution of flight
title_sort Neuroanatomical convergence between pterosaurs and non-avian paravians in the evolution of flight
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Bronzati, Mario
Watanabe, Akinobu
Benson, Roger B.J.
Müller, Rodrigo T.
Witmer, Lawrence M.
Ezcurra, Martin Daniel
Montefeltro, Felipe C.
Belén von Baczko, M.
Bhullar, Bhart-Anjan S.
Desojo, Julia B.
Knoll, Fabien
Langer, Max C.
Lautenschlager, Stephan
Stocker, Michelle R.
Turner, Alan H.
Werneburg, Ingmar
Nesbitt, Sterling J.
Fabbri, Matteo
author Bronzati, Mario
author_facet Bronzati, Mario
Watanabe, Akinobu
Benson, Roger B.J.
Müller, Rodrigo T.
Witmer, Lawrence M.
Ezcurra, Martin Daniel
Montefeltro, Felipe C.
Belén von Baczko, M.
Bhullar, Bhart-Anjan S.
Desojo, Julia B.
Knoll, Fabien
Langer, Max C.
Lautenschlager, Stephan
Stocker, Michelle R.
Turner, Alan H.
Werneburg, Ingmar
Nesbitt, Sterling J.
Fabbri, Matteo
author_role author
author2 Watanabe, Akinobu
Benson, Roger B.J.
Müller, Rodrigo T.
Witmer, Lawrence M.
Ezcurra, Martin Daniel
Montefeltro, Felipe C.
Belén von Baczko, M.
Bhullar, Bhart-Anjan S.
Desojo, Julia B.
Knoll, Fabien
Langer, Max C.
Lautenschlager, Stephan
Stocker, Michelle R.
Turner, Alan H.
Werneburg, Ingmar
Nesbitt, Sterling J.
Fabbri, Matteo
author2_role author
author
author
author
author
author
author
author
author
author
author
author
author
author
author
author
author
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv Pterosauria
Flight
Evolution
Neuroanatomy
topic Pterosauria
Flight
Evolution
Neuroanatomy
purl_subject.fl_str_mv https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1.5
https://purl.org/becyt/ford/1
dc.description.none.fl_txt_mv The oldest known pterosaurs lived approximately 220 million years ago1 and were already animals capable of powered flight,2 an ability that later evolved independently among paravian dinosaurs, the group that includes living birds and their closest non-avian relatives.3 Flight is a complex locomotory mode that requires physiological adaptations4 and a dramatic transformation of the body plan, including changes in body proportions, specialized integument, and acquisition of novel neurosensory capabilities.5 Although pterosaurs and birds developed distinct skeletal and integumentary adaptations for flight, they are hypothesized to share neuroanatomical traits linked to aerial locomotion.6–9 Here, we use geometric morphometrics and phylogenetically informed analyses to assess the origin and evolution of brain shape and size in pterosaurs, tracing the transformation from their non-volant closest relatives (lagerpetids), and compare their trajectory with that in the dinosaur-bird transition. Pterosaurs have globular brains with moderately enlarged hemispheres, more closely resembling non-avian paravians such as troodontids and Archaeopteryx lithographica than living birds. Whereas birds inherited their basic brain structure from their dinosaurian ancestors,10–17 pterosaurs share only the ventrolateralization of the optic lobe with their closest non-volant relatives, the lagerpetids. This suggests that, in contrast to the bird-line archosaurs, where exaptation may have played a central role in the stepwise assembly of the avian brain configuration, brain evolution in pterosaurs seems to have unfolded rapidly at the origin of flight.
Fil: Bronzati, Mario. Universitat Tubingen; Alemania
Fil: Watanabe, Akinobu. American Museum of Natural History; Estados Unidos
Fil: Benson, Roger B.J.. American Museum of Natural History; Estados Unidos
Fil: Müller, Rodrigo T.. Universidade Federal de Santa Maria; Brasil
Fil: Witmer, Lawrence M.. Ohio Center For Ecological And Evolutionary Studies; Estados Unidos
Fil: Ezcurra, Martin Daniel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "Bernardino Rivadavia"; Argentina
Fil: Montefeltro, Felipe C.. Universidade Estadual de Sao Paulo; Brasil
Fil: Belén von Baczko, M.. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "Bernardino Rivadavia"; Argentina
Fil: Bhullar, Bhart-Anjan S.. University of Yale; Estados Unidos
Fil: Desojo, Julia B.. Museo de la Plata; Argentina
Fil: Knoll, Fabien. Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales; España
Fil: Langer, Max C.. Universidade de Sao Paulo; Brasil
Fil: Lautenschlager, Stephan. University Of Birmingham; Reino Unido
Fil: Stocker, Michelle R.. Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University; Estados Unidos
Fil: Turner, Alan H.. State University of New York; Estados Unidos
Fil: Werneburg, Ingmar. Universitat Tubingen; Alemania
Fil: Nesbitt, Sterling J.. Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University; Estados Unidos
Fil: Fabbri, Matteo. Johns Hopkins University School Of Medicine; Estados Unidos
description The oldest known pterosaurs lived approximately 220 million years ago1 and were already animals capable of powered flight,2 an ability that later evolved independently among paravian dinosaurs, the group that includes living birds and their closest non-avian relatives.3 Flight is a complex locomotory mode that requires physiological adaptations4 and a dramatic transformation of the body plan, including changes in body proportions, specialized integument, and acquisition of novel neurosensory capabilities.5 Although pterosaurs and birds developed distinct skeletal and integumentary adaptations for flight, they are hypothesized to share neuroanatomical traits linked to aerial locomotion.6–9 Here, we use geometric morphometrics and phylogenetically informed analyses to assess the origin and evolution of brain shape and size in pterosaurs, tracing the transformation from their non-volant closest relatives (lagerpetids), and compare their trajectory with that in the dinosaur-bird transition. Pterosaurs have globular brains with moderately enlarged hemispheres, more closely resembling non-avian paravians such as troodontids and Archaeopteryx lithographica than living birds. Whereas birds inherited their basic brain structure from their dinosaurian ancestors,10–17 pterosaurs share only the ventrolateralization of the optic lobe with their closest non-volant relatives, the lagerpetids. This suggests that, in contrast to the bird-line archosaurs, where exaptation may have played a central role in the stepwise assembly of the avian brain configuration, brain evolution in pterosaurs seems to have unfolded rapidly at the origin of flight.
publishDate 2025
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2025-12
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
http://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501
info:ar-repo/semantics/articulo
format article
status_str publishedVersion
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv http://hdl.handle.net/11336/291994
Bronzati, Mario; Watanabe, Akinobu; Benson, Roger B.J.; Müller, Rodrigo T.; Witmer, Lawrence M.; et al.; Neuroanatomical convergence between pterosaurs and non-avian paravians in the evolution of flight; Cell Press; Current Biology; 35; 24; 12-2025; 6191-6198
0960-9822
CONICET Digital
CONICET
url http://hdl.handle.net/11336/291994
identifier_str_mv Bronzati, Mario; Watanabe, Akinobu; Benson, Roger B.J.; Müller, Rodrigo T.; Witmer, Lawrence M.; et al.; Neuroanatomical convergence between pterosaurs and non-avian paravians in the evolution of flight; Cell Press; Current Biology; 35; 24; 12-2025; 6191-6198
0960-9822
CONICET Digital
CONICET
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv eng
language eng
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/url/https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0960982225014678
info:eu-repo/semantics/altIdentifier/doi/10.1016/j.cub.2025.10.086
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/ar/
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
rights_invalid_str_mv https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/ar/
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv application/pdf
application/pdf
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv Cell Press
publisher.none.fl_str_mv Cell Press
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv reponame:CONICET Digital (CONICET)
instname:Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas
reponame_str CONICET Digital (CONICET)
collection CONICET Digital (CONICET)
instname_str Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas
repository.name.fl_str_mv CONICET Digital (CONICET) - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas
repository.mail.fl_str_mv dasensio@conicet.gov.ar; lcarlino@conicet.gov.ar
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score 13.24418

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