Correlative tomography of exceptionally preserved Jurassic ammonite implies hyponome-propelled swimming

Lesley Cherns; Alan R.T. Spencer; Imran Rahman; Russell Garwood; Christopher Reedman; Genoveva Burca; Martin Turner; Neville T. J.  Hollingworth; Jason M. Hilton

doi:10.1130/G49551.1

Correlative tomography of exceptionally preserved Jurassic ammonite implies hyponome-propelled swimming

Lesley Cherns, Alan R.T. Spencer, Imran Rahman, Russell Garwood, Christopher Reedman, Genoveva Burca, Martin Turner, Neville T. J. Hollingworth, Jason M. Hilton

Oxford University

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Abstract

The extreme rarity of soft tissue preservation in ammonoids has meant there are open questions regarding fundamental aspects of their biology. We report an exceptionally preserved Middle Jurassic ammonite with unrivalled information on soft body organization interpreted through correlative neutron and X-ray tomography. 3D-imaging of muscles and organs of the body mass for the first time in this iconic fossil group provides key insights into functional morphology. We show that paired dorsal muscles withdrew the body into the shell, rather than acting with the funnel controlling propulsion as in Nautilus. This suggests a mobile, retractable body as a defence strategy and necessitates a distinct swimming mechanism of hyponome propulsion, a trait that we infer evolved early in the ammonoid–coleoid lineage.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	397–401
Journal	Geology
Volume	50
Issue number	4
Early online date	7 Dec 2021
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1130/G49551.1
Publication status	Published - 1 Apr 2022

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Evolutionary mechanisms and dynamics
Walton, C. (PI), Shultz, S. (PI), Sansom, R. (PI), Krasovec, R. (PI), Knight, C. (PI), Gilman, R. (PI), Gifford, D. (PI), Garwood, R. (PI), Brockhurst, M. (PI), Buckley, M. (PI), Sellers, W. (PI) & Jones, K. (PI)
1/08/16 → …
Project: Research
ICAL: Interdisciplinary Centre for Ancient Life
Garwood, R. (PI), Wogelius, R. (PI), Sansom, R. (PI), Buckley, M. (PI), Chamberlain, A. (CoI), Manning, P. (PI), Egerton, V. (CoI), Sellers, W. (PI), Nudds, J. (CoI), Bulot, L. G. (CoI), Brocklehurst, R. (PGR student), Brassey, C. A. (PI), Keating, J. (CoI), La Porta, A. (CoI), Brocklehurst, R. (PGR student), Callender-Crowe, L. (PGR student), Wallace, E. (PGR student), Chester, J. (PGR student), Davenport, J. (PGR student), Tuley, K. (PGR student), Lomax, D. (Researcher), Reeves, J. (PGR student), Smart, C. (PGR student), Ferro, C. (PGR student), Karoullas, C. (PGR student), Heath, J. (PGR student), Dickson, A. (PGR student), Austin Sydes, L. (PGR student), McLean, C. (PGR student), Harvey, V. (PGR student), Jones, K. (PI), Peacock, C. (PGR student), Gordon, P. (PGR student), Oldfield, E.-M. (PGR student), Webb, E. (PGR student), Roberts, F. (PGR student), Savage, H. (PGR student), Chester, J. (PGR student), Jepson, J. (Researcher), Keating, J. (Researcher) & Schwab, J. (Researcher)
Project: Research
Evolution of the insects- Insect relationships and evolution in deep time
Garwood, R. (PI) & Sansom, R. (CoI)
1/11/19 → 31/10/22
Project: Research

Henry Moseley X-ray Imaging Facility (HMXIF)
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Cite this

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title = "Correlative tomography of exceptionally preserved Jurassic ammonite implies hyponome-propelled swimming",

abstract = "The extreme rarity of soft tissue preservation in ammonoids has meant there are open questions regarding fundamental aspects of their biology. We report an exceptionally preserved Middle Jurassic ammonite with unrivalled information on soft body organization interpreted through correlative neutron and X-ray tomography. 3D-imaging of muscles and organs of the body mass for the first time in this iconic fossil group provides key insights into functional morphology. We show that paired dorsal muscles withdrew the body into the shell, rather than acting with the funnel controlling propulsion as in Nautilus. This suggests a mobile, retractable body as a defence strategy and necessitates a distinct swimming mechanism of hyponome propulsion, a trait that we infer evolved early in the ammonoid–coleoid lineage.",

author = "Lesley Cherns and Spencer, \{Alan R.T.\} and Imran Rahman and Russell Garwood and Christopher Reedman and Genoveva Burca and Martin Turner and Hollingworth, \{Neville T. J.\} and Hilton, \{Jason M.\}",

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doi = "10.1130/G49551.1",

language = "English",

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AU - Cherns, Lesley

AU - Spencer, Alan R.T.

AU - Rahman, Imran

AU - Garwood, Russell

AU - Reedman, Christopher

AU - Burca, Genoveva

AU - Turner, Martin

AU - Hollingworth, Neville T. J.

AU - Hilton, Jason M.

PY - 2022/4/1

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AB - The extreme rarity of soft tissue preservation in ammonoids has meant there are open questions regarding fundamental aspects of their biology. We report an exceptionally preserved Middle Jurassic ammonite with unrivalled information on soft body organization interpreted through correlative neutron and X-ray tomography. 3D-imaging of muscles and organs of the body mass for the first time in this iconic fossil group provides key insights into functional morphology. We show that paired dorsal muscles withdrew the body into the shell, rather than acting with the funnel controlling propulsion as in Nautilus. This suggests a mobile, retractable body as a defence strategy and necessitates a distinct swimming mechanism of hyponome propulsion, a trait that we infer evolved early in the ammonoid–coleoid lineage.

U2 - 10.1130/G49551.1

DO - 10.1130/G49551.1

M3 - Article

SN - 0091-7613

VL - 50

SP - 397

EP - 401

JO - Geology

JF - Geology

IS - 4

ER -

Correlative tomography of exceptionally preserved Jurassic ammonite implies hyponome-propelled swimming

Abstract

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Evolutionary mechanisms and dynamics

ICAL: Interdisciplinary Centre for Ancient Life

Evolution of the insects- Insect relationships and evolution in deep time

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Henry Moseley X-ray Imaging Facility (HMXIF)

Cite this