Re-establishment of biting mouthparts in desert-living dung beetles (Scarabaeidae : Scarabaeinae) feeding on plant litter-old structures reacquired or new ones evolved?

dc.contributor.authorHolster, Peter
dc.contributor.authorScholtz, Clarke H.
dc.date.accessioned2016-12-19T07:42:26Z
dc.date.available2016-12-19T07:42:26Z
dc.date.issued2011-08
dc.description.abstractEvolution of dung beetle (Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) mouthparts for eating moist, fresh dung has led to a loss of any ability to chew. However, the desert-living genus Pachysoma, probably evolved from a wet-dung feeding, Scarabaeus-like ancestor, has switched to dry faecal pellets (of rodents or small ruminants) and plant litter that might require re-establishment of chewing. Indeed, gut contents of a litter-feeding Pachysoma species indicate efficient food comminution prior to ingestion. Cutting and grinding mouthpart structures in six species, of two lineages and with different food preferences, are described and compared with homologous structures in wet-dung feeding Scarabaeus species. In Pachysoma, cutting and breaking of large food items is performed by a clypeal scraper, a prominent epipharyngeal tooth and large maxillary galeal hooks. Further comminution is achieved by a large, grinding area evolved on the mandibular molae. Interspecific differences and the probable function and evolution of these structures are discussed. Particularly the unique tools for cutting/breaking are novel structures and not re-acquired normal biting mouthparts.en_ZA
dc.description.departmentZoology and Entomologyen_ZA
dc.description.librarianhb2016en_ZA
dc.description.sponsorshipCHS‟s research is partially funded by the South African National Research Foundation.en_ZA
dc.description.urihttp://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1002/(ISSN)1097-4687en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationHolter, P & Scholtz, CH 2011, 'Re-establishment of biting mouthparts in desert-living dung beetles (Scarabaeidae : Scarabaeinae) feeding on plant litter-old structures reacquired or new ones evolved?', Journal of Morphology, vol. 272, no. 8, pp. 1007-1016.en_ZA
dc.identifier.issn0362-2525 (print)
dc.identifier.issn1097-4687 (online)
dc.identifier.other10.1002/jmor.10968
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/2263/58423
dc.language.isoenen_ZA
dc.publisherWileyen_ZA
dc.rights© 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc. This is the pre-peer reviewed version of the following article : Re-establishment of biting mouthparts in desert-living dung beetles (Scarabaeidae : Scarabaeinae) feeding on plant litter-old structures reacquired or new ones evolved? in Journal of Morphology, vol. 272, no. 8, pp. 1007-1016, 2011. doi : 10.1002/jmor.10968. The definite version is available at : http://onlinelibrary.wiley.comjournal/10.1002/(ISSN)1097-4687.en_ZA
dc.subjectDesert adaptationsen_ZA
dc.subjectDetritus feedingen_ZA
dc.subjectDung feedingen_ZA
dc.subjectEvolutionen_ZA
dc.subjectMouthpart morphologyen_ZA
dc.subjectPachysomaen_ZA
dc.subjectDung beetleen_ZA
dc.titleRe-establishment of biting mouthparts in desert-living dung beetles (Scarabaeidae : Scarabaeinae) feeding on plant litter-old structures reacquired or new ones evolved?en_ZA
dc.typePostprint Articleen_ZA

Files

Original bundle

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Loading...
Thumbnail Image
Name:
Holter_ReEstablishment_2011.pdf
Size:
474.87 KB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Description:
Postprint Article

License bundle

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Loading...
Thumbnail Image
Name:
license.txt
Size:
1.75 KB
Format:
Item-specific license agreed upon to submission
Description: