The evolutionary origin of the durophagous pelagic stingray ecomorph
- Author(s)
- Giuseppe Marramà, Eduardo Villalobos Segura, Roberto Zorzin, Jürgen Kriwet, Giorgio Carnevale
- Abstract
Studies of the origin of evolutionary novelties (novel traits, feeding modes, behaviours, ecological niches, etc.) have considered a number of taxa experimenting with new body plans, allowing them to occupy new habitats and exploit new trophic resources. In the marine realm, colonization of pelagic environments by marine fishes occurred recurrently through time. Stingrays (Myliobatiformes) are a diverse clade of batoid fishes commonly known to possess venomous tail stings. Current hypotheses suggest that stingrays experimented with a transition from a benthic to a pelagic / benthopelagic habitat coupled with a transition from a nondurophagous diet to extreme durophagy. However, there is no study detailing macroevolutionary patterns to understand how and when habitat shift and feeding specialization arose along their evolutionary history. A new exquisitely preserved fossil stingray from the Eocene Konservat-Lagerstätte of Bolca (Italy) exhibits a unique mosaic of plesiomorphic features of the rajobenthic ecomorph, and derived traits of aquilopelagic taxa, that helps to clarify the evolutionary origin of durophagy and pelagic lifestyle in stingrays. A scenario of early evolution of the aquilopelagic ecomorph is proposed based on new data, and the possible adaptive meaning of the observed evolutionary changes is discussed. The body plan of †Dasyomyliobatis thomyorkei gen. et sp. nov. is intermediate between the rajobenthic and more derived aquilopelagic stingrays, supporting its stem phylogenetic position and the hypothesis that the aquilopelagic body plan arose in association with the evolution of durophagy and pelagic lifestyle from a benthic, softprey feeder ancestor.
- Organisation(s)
- Department of Palaeontology
- External organisation(s)
- Università degli Studi di Torino, Museo civico di Storia Naturale
- Journal
- Palaeontology
- Volume
- 66
- Pages
- 1-31
- No. of pages
- 31
- ISSN
- 0031-0239
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1111/pala.12669
- Publication date
- 07-2023
- Peer reviewed
- Yes
- Austrian Fields of Science 2012
- 105118 Palaeontology
- Keywords
- ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics, Palaeontology
- Sustainable Development Goals
- SDG 14 - Life Below Water
- Portal url
- https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/en/publications/01ce543b-9bde-4eac-a0c4-b2b2c0406ced