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A holomorph approach to xiphosuran evolution—a case study on the ontogeny of Euproops

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Abstract

Specimens of Euproops sp. (Xiphosura, Chelicerata) from the Carboniferous Piesberg quarry near Osnabrück, Germany, represent a relatively complete growth series of 10 stages. Based on this growth sequence, morphological changes throughout the ontogeny can be identified. The major change affects the shape of the epimera of the opisthosoma. In earlier stages, they appear very spine-like, whereas in later stages the bases of these spine-like structures become broader; the broadened bases are then successively drawn out distally. In the most mature stage known, the epimera are of trapezoidal shape and approach each other closely to form a complete flange around the thoracetron (=fused tergites of the opisthosoma). These ontogenetic changes question the taxonomic status of different species of Euproops, as the latter appear to correspond to different stages of the ontogenetic series reconstructed from the Piesberg specimens. This means that supposed separate species could, in fact, represent different growth stages of a single species. It could alternatively indicate that heterochrony (=evolutionary change of developmental timing) plays an important role in the evolution of Xiphosura. We propose a holomorph approach, i.e., reconstructing ontogenetic sequences for fossil and extant species as a sound basis for a taxonomic, phylogenetic, and evolutionary discussion of Xiphosura.

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Acknowledgments

Our acknowledgement for the permission to search for fossils in the Piesberg quarry goes to CEMEX Kies and Splitt GmbH, Steinbruch Piesberg, Osnabrück, Germany. Many thanks to the private collectors that are active at the Piesberg quarry, providing new specimens to the collection of the Museum am Schölerberg (MAS), Osnabrück. Special thanks to Michael Sowiak (Glandorf, Germany) who drastically increased the number of Euproops specimens from the Piesberg quarry by looking systematically for the layers yielding most specimens. He donated many specimens to the MAS. Jean-Bernard Caron, Janet Waddington, Peter Fenton, all Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, as well as Susan Butts and Jessica Utrup, Yale Peabody Museum, New Haven, kindly provided us access to comparative material. Furthermore, we would like to thank Dieter Waloszek, Ulm, for valuable discussions, especially about image enhancement methods. Two anonymous reviewers made helpful comments to an earlier draft of the manuscript. We also thank all people involved in programming free software that was used during the course of this study, such as GIMP, Inkscape, OpenOffice, and Microsoft Image Composite Editor. JTH is currently kindly funded by the Alexander von Humboldt-Foundation with a Feodor Lynen research fellowship for postdoctoral researchers. PVR was funded by a Special Research Fund (BOF) scholarship from Ghent University. PF was funded by the Forskningsrådet for Natur og Univers (FNU; grant no. 272-06-0534), the EAC Foundation, and Knud Højgaard. CH, PVR and JTH also express their thanks to their host at the Yale University and the Yale Peabody Museum, Derek E. G. Briggs, for his support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Zoological Institute and Museum, Department of Cytology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Greifswald, Soldmannstraße 23, 17487, Greifswald, Germany

    Carolin Haug & Joachim T. Haug

  2. Department of Geology and Geophysics, Kline Geology Laboratory, Yale University, 210 Whitney Avenue, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA

    Peter Van Roy

  3. Research Unit Palaeontology, Department of Geology and Soil Science, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281/S8, 9000, Ghent, Belgium

    Peter Van Roy

  4. Museum am Schölerberg, Klaus-Strick-Weg 10, 49082, Osnabrück, Germany

    Angelika Leipner

  5. Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 116, DK-8000, Aarhus C, Denmark

    Peter Funch

  6. Department of Natural History (Palaeobiology), Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, ON, M5S 2C6, Canada

    David M. Rudkin

  7. LWL-Museum für Naturkunde, Sentruper Straße 285, 48161, Münster, Germany

    Lothar Schöllmann

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  1. Carolin Haug
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Haug, C., Van Roy, P., Leipner, A. et al. A holomorph approach to xiphosuran evolution—a case study on the ontogeny of Euproops . Dev Genes Evol 222, 253–268 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00427-012-0407-7

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