Reappraisal of the envenoming capacity of Euchambersia mirabilis (Therapsida, Therocephalia) using μcT-scanning techniques.

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dc.citation.doi10.1371/journal.pone.0172047en_ZA
dc.citation.issue2en_ZA
dc.contributor.authorBenoit, J.
dc.contributor.authorNorton, L.A.
dc.contributor.authorManger, P.R.
dc.contributor.authorRubidge, B.S.
dc.date.accessioned2017-11-02T13:18:21Z
dc.date.available2017-11-02T13:18:21Z
dc.date.issued2017-02
dc.description.abstractEuchambersia mirabilis is an iconic species of Permo-Triassic therapsid because of its unusually large external maxillary fossa linked through a sulcus to a ridged canine. This anatomy led to the commonly accepted conclusion that the large fossa accommodated a venom gland. However, this hypothesis remains untested so far. Here, we conducted a μCT scan assisted reappraisal of the envenoming capacity of Euchambersia, with a special focus on the anatomy of the maxillary fossa and canines. This study shows that the fossa, presumably for the venom-producing gland, is directly linked to the maxillary canal, which carries the trigeminal nerve (responsible for the sensitivity of the face). The peculiar anatomy of the maxillary canal suggests important reorganisation in the somatosensory system and that a ganglion could possibly have been present in the maxillary fossa instead of a venom gland. Nevertheless, the venom gland hypothesis is still preferred since we describe, for the first time, the complete crown morphology of the incisiform teeth of Euchambersia, which strongly suggests that the complete dentition was ridged. Therefore Euchambersia manifests evidence of all characteristics of venomous animals: a venom gland (in the maxillary fossa), a mechanism to deliver the venom (the maxillary canal and/or the sulcus located ventrally to the fossa); and an apparatus with which to inflict a wound for venom delivery (the ridged dentition).en_ZA
dc.description.librarianEM2017en_ZA
dc.funderPAST and its Scatterlings projects; the NRF African Origins Platform; and the DST-NRF Centre of Excellence in Palaeosciences (CoE in Palaeosciences).en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationBenoit J, et al. 2017. Reappraisal of the envenoming capacity of Euchambersia mirabilis (Therapsida, Therocephalia) using μcT-scanning techniques. PLOS ONE 12(2), Article number e0172047.en_ZA
dc.identifier.issn1932-6203 (Online)
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10539/23363
dc.journal.titlePLOS ONEen_ZA
dc.journal.volume12en_ZA
dc.language.isoenen_ZA
dc.publisherPublic Library of Scienceen_ZA
dc.rights© 2017 Benoit, J. et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License.en_ZA
dc.subjectAnimal structuresen_ZA
dc.subjectArticleen_ZA
dc.subjectDentitionen_ZA
dc.subjectDog breeden_ZA
dc.subjectEnvenomationen_ZA
dc.subjectEuchambersia mirabilisen_ZA
dc.subjectExtinct speciesen_ZA
dc.subjectFaceen_ZA
dc.subjectGanglionen_ZA
dc.subjectIncisoren_ZA
dc.subjectMaxillaen_ZA
dc.subjectMaxillary canalen_ZA
dc.subjectNonhumanen_ZA
dc.subjectPoisonous animalen_ZA
dc.subjectSomatosensory systemen_ZA
dc.subjectTrigeminal nerveen_ZA
dc.subjectVenom glanden_ZA
dc.subjectX-ray computed tomographyen_ZA
dc.titleReappraisal of the envenoming capacity of Euchambersia mirabilis (Therapsida, Therocephalia) using μcT-scanning techniques.en_ZA
dc.typeArticleen_ZA
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