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Archaeorhynchus preserving significant soft tissue including probable fossilized lungs.

ABSTRACT: We describe a specimen of the basal ornithuromorph Archaeorhynchus spathula from the Lower Cretaceous Jiufotang Formation with extensive soft tissue preservation. Although it is the fifth specimen to be described, unlike the others it preserves significant traces of the plumage, revealing a pintail morphology previously unrecognized among Mesozoic birds, but common in extant neornithines. In addition, this specimen preserves the probable remnants of the paired lungs, an identification supported by topographical and macro- and microscopic anatomical observations. The preserved morphology reveals a lung very similar to that of living birds. It indicates that pulmonary specializations such as exceedingly subdivided parenchyma that allow birds to achieve the oxygen acquisition capacity necessary to support powered flight were present in ornithuromorph birds 120 Mya. Among extant air breathing vertebrates, birds have structurally the most complex and functionally the most efficient respiratory system, which facilitates their highly energetically demanding form of locomotion, even in extremely oxygen-poor environments. Archaeorhynchus is commonly resolved as the most basal known ornithuromorph bird, capturing a stage of avian evolution in which skeletal indicators of respiration remain primitive yet the lung microstructure appears modern. This adds to growing evidence that many physiological modifications of soft tissue systems (e.g., digestive system and respiratory system) that characterize living birds and are key to their current success may have preceded the evolution of obvious skeletal adaptations traditionally tracked through the fossil record.

SUBMITTER: Wang X

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6233124 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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<i>Archaeorhynchus</i> preserving significant soft tissue including probable fossilized lungs.

Wang Xiaoli X O'Connor Jingmai K JK Maina John N JN Pan Yanhong Y Wang Min M Wang Yan Y Zheng Xiaoting X Zhou Zhonghe Z

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 20181022 45

We describe a specimen of the basal ornithuromorph <i>Archaeorhynchus spathula</i> from the Lower Cretaceous Jiufotang Formation with extensive soft tissue preservation. Although it is the fifth specimen to be described, unlike the others it preserves significant traces of the plumage, revealing a pintail morphology previously unrecognized among Mesozoic birds, but common in extant neornithines. In addition, this specimen preserves the probable remnants of the paired lungs, an identification sup ...[more]

PMID: 30348768

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Project description:BackgroundSoft tissue sarcomas (STSs) are a heterogeneous group of cancers with over 100 described subtypes. While these cancers are infrequent, the prognosis is quite poor, particularly for those with stage IV metastatic disease. Patients for whom curative resection is difficult or those with recurrent metastatic disease are treated with chemotherapy, although the options are very limited. Eribulin is an approved treatment of all STS subtypes in Japan. Efficacy and safety data for the treatment of rare STS subtypes other than liposarcoma and leiomyosarcoma (L-type sarcomas) are limited. This nationwide, multicenter, prospective, post-marketing observational study was conducted to assess the real-world effectiveness and safety of eribulin in Japanese patients with STS.MethodsPatients with all types of STS and who consented to eribulin treatment were eligible to participate. The observation period was 1 year, starting at treatment initiation, and clinical outcomes were followed up for 2 years after initiating treatment. The primary endpoint was overall survival (OS). Additional outcomes included time-to-treatment failure (TTF), objective response rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR), and safety. ORR and DCR were evaluated using imaging findings. Effectiveness results were analyzed both for all patients and by STS subtype.ResultsA total of 256 patients were enrolled; 252 and 254 were included in the effectiveness and safety analysis set, respectively. Most patients (83.1%) received an initial eribulin dose of 1.4 mg/m2 (standard dose). Respective median OS (95% confidence interval [CI]) was 10.8 (8.5-13.1), 13.8 (10.1-22.3) and 6.5 (5.7-11.1) months for all, L-type, and non-L-type subtypes. The respective median TTF (95% CI) was 2.5 (2.1-2.8), 2.8 (2.3-3.7), and 2.2 (1.6-2.6) months. The ORR and DCR were 8.1 and 42.6%, respectively. Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) and serious ADRs were reported for 83.5 and 18.9% of patients, respectively. The main ADRs were associated with myelosuppression. No significant difference was observed in the incidence of ADRs for patients ≥65 versus <65 years old.ConclusionsEribulin demonstrated effectiveness and a manageable safety profile for patients with STS, although the effectiveness of eribulin was not demonstrated for some non-L-type subtypes.Trial registrationNCT03058406 ( ClinicalTrials.gov ).

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Archaeorhynchus preserving significant soft tissue including probable fossilized lungs.

Publications

<i>Archaeorhynchus</i> preserving significant soft tissue including probable fossilized lungs.

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