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Micro-computed tomography imaging reveals the development of a unique tooth mineralization pattern in mackerel sharks (Chondrichthyes; Lamniformes) in deep time.

ABSTRACT: The cartilaginous fishes (Chondrichthyes) have a rich fossil record which consists mostly of isolated teeth and, therefore, phylogenetic relationships of extinct taxa are mainly resolved based on dental characters. One character, the tooth histology, has been examined since the 19^th century, but its implications on the phylogeny of Chondrichthyes is still in debate. We used high resolution micro-CT images and tooth sections of 11 recent and seven extinct lamniform sharks to examine the tooth mineralization processes in this group. Our data showed similarities between lamniform sharks and other taxa (a dentinal core of osteodentine instead of a hollow pulp cavity), but also one feature that has not been known from any other elasmobranch fish: the absence of orthodentine. Our results suggest that this character resembles a synapomorphic condition for lamniform sharks, with the basking shark, Cetorhinus maximus, representing the only exception and reverted to the plesiomorphic tooth histotype. Additionally, †Palaeocarcharias stromeri, whose affiliation still is debated, shares the same tooth histology only known from lamniform sharks. This suggests that †Palaeocarcharias stromeri is member of the order Lamniformes, contradicting recent interpretations and thus, dating the origin of this group back at least into the Middle Jurassic.

SUBMITTER: Jambura PL

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6609643 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Micro-computed tomography imaging reveals the development of a unique tooth mineralization pattern in mackerel sharks (Chondrichthyes; Lamniformes) in deep time.

Jambura Patrick L PL Kindlimann René R López-Romero Faviel F Marramà Giuseppe G Pfaff Cathrin C Stumpf Sebastian S Türtscher Julia J Underwood Charlie J CJ Ward David J DJ Kriwet Jürgen J

Scientific reports 20190704 1

The cartilaginous fishes (Chondrichthyes) have a rich fossil record which consists mostly of isolated teeth and, therefore, phylogenetic relationships of extinct taxa are mainly resolved based on dental characters. One character, the tooth histology, has been examined since the 19<sup>th</sup> century, but its implications on the phylogeny of Chondrichthyes is still in debate. We used high resolution micro-CT images and tooth sections of 11 recent and seven extinct lamniform sharks to examine th ...[more]

PMID: 31273249

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Project description:During their evolutionary history, modern sharks developed different tooth mineralization patterns that resulted in very distinct histological patterns of the tooth crown (histotypes). To date, three different tooth histotypes have been distinguished: (i) orthodont teeth, which have a central hollow pulp cavity in the crown, encapsulated by a prominent layer of dentine (orthodentine); (ii) pseudoosteodont teeth, which have their pulp cavities secondarily replaced by a dentinal core of porous dentine (osteodentine), encased by orthodentine; and (iii) osteodont teeth, which lack orthodentine and the whole tooth crown of which consists of osteodentine. The aim of the present study was to trace evolutionary trends of tooth mineralization patterns in modern sharks and to find evidence for the presence of phylogenetic or functional signals. High resolution micro-computed tomography images were generated for the teeth of members of all nine extant shark orders and the putative stem group †Synechodontiformes, represented here by three taxa, to examine the tooth histology non-destructively. Pseudoosteodonty is the predominant state among modern sharks and represents unambiguously the plesiomorphic condition. Orthodonty evolved several times independently in modern sharks, while the osteodont tooth histotype is only developed in lamniform sharks. The two shark orders Heterodontiformes and Pristiophoriformes showed highly modified tooth histologies, with Pristiophorus exhibiting a histology only known from batomorphs (i.e. rays and skates), and Heterodontus showing a histological difference between anterior and posterior teeth, indicating a link between its tooth morphology, histology and durophagous lifestyle. The tooth histotype concept has proven to be a useful tool to reflect links between histology, function and its taxonomic value for distinct taxa; however, a high degree of variation, especially in the pseudoosteodont tooth histotype, demonstrates that the current histotype concept is too simplistic to fully resolve these relationships. The vascularization pattern of the dentine might offer new future research pathways for better understanding functional and phylogenetic signals in the tooth histology of modern sharks.

Project description:The dentition of elasmobranchs (sharks, skates and rays) is uniquely productive, capable of both rapid and continuous, lifelong regeneration. Elasmobranchs represent an important group of vertebrates with a deep evolutionary history, possessing several ancient and basal characters, i.e., the continuously regenerative dentition from a specialized dental lamina. The dental lamina is an expanded component of the oral epithelia that is responsible for initiating and producing new teeth among all toothed-vertebrates. In sharks, this dynamic epithelial unit is permanent and continuous – meaning it extends to cover the entirety of each jaw (jaw-wide) and develops early during embryogenesis and retained to produce teeth for the life of the shark. It is rare for a truly embryonic vertebrate tissue to be retained for its original function for the life of the organism. The dental lamina in sharks is unique and houses teeth in a developmental series from the deepest part, where teeth are initiated, through stages of tooth development in the form of a related, family of teeth to eruption and functionality of the advanced teeth at the jaw margin. How teeth are made and regenerated is an important question in vertebrate biology; here we investigated this question in the small spotted catshark (Scyliorhinus canicula), a new model in the field of developmental biology. Specifically, we divided the shark dental lamina into stage-compartments as follows: (i) the initiation site – the successional lamina (SL); (ii) the early developing teeth (ET); (iii) the late stage developing teeth (LT); (iv) the tooth-taste junction between the superficial oral and dental epithelium at the jaw margin that separates the taste territory and the dental lamina proper (TTJ); and basi-hyal oral epithelium that is strictly non-dental and only contains taste buds (BHTB). These 5 compartments each house both a shared and unique signature of gene transcripts. This study aims to understand the transcriptomic basis of continuous tooth regeneration in the shark. In this study we combine X-ray computed tomography, classic histology, insitu hybridization, immunohistochemistry, and functional assays of novel markers, and de novo and genome guided transcriptome assemblies for each of these 5 dental lamina compartments of the hatchling (stage 34) catshark (S. canicula).

Dataset Information

Micro-computed tomography imaging reveals the development of a unique tooth mineralization pattern in mackerel sharks (Chondrichthyes; Lamniformes) in deep time.

Publications

Micro-computed tomography imaging reveals the development of a unique tooth mineralization pattern in mackerel sharks (Chondrichthyes; Lamniformes) in deep time.

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