Evolution of vision and hearing modalities in theropod dinosaurs
- 7 May 2021
- journal article
- research article
- Published by American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in Science
- Vol. 372 (6542), 610-613
- https://doi.org/10.1126/science.abe7941
Abstract
Owls and nightbirds are nocturnal hunters of active prey that combine visual and hearing adaptations to overcome limits on sensory performance in low light. Such sensory innovations are unknown in nonavialan theropod dinosaurs and are poorly characterized on the line that leads to birds. We investigate morphofunctional proxies of vision and hearing in living and extinct theropods and demonstrate deep evolutionary divergences of sensory modalities. Nocturnal predation evolved early in the nonavialan lineage Alvarezsauroidea, signaled by extreme low-light vision and increases in hearing sensitivity. The Late Cretaceous alvarezsauroid Shuvuuia deserti had even further specialized hearing acuity, rivaling that of today’s barn owl. This combination of sensory adaptations evolved independently in dinosaurs long before the modern bird radiation and provides a notable example of convergence between dinosaurs and mammals.Keywords
Funding Information
- National Science Foundation (DEB 1801224)
- National Science Foundation (DEB 1801224)
- National Science Foundation (EAR 1636753)
- NERC Environmental Bioinformatics Centre (NE/H012176/1)
- National Research Foundation (118794)
- National Research Foundation (98800)
- National Natural Science Foundation of China (41688103)
- Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (XDB18000000)
- Palaeontological Scientific Trust
- Kalbfleish Fellowship through the Richard Gilder Graduate School of the American Museum of Natural History
- DSI/NSF Centre of Excellence in Palaeosciences
- Kalbfleisch Fellowship through the Richard Gilder Graduate School of the American Museum of Natural History
- Palaeontological Scientific Trust
- DSI/NSF Centre of Excellence in Palaeosciences
- Jurassic Foundation
- European Union Horizon 2020 (677774)
- Jurassic Foundation
- Leverhulme Trust (ECF-2017-360)
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