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R. Soc. B."],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2024,7]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>Unravelling the functional steps that underlie major transitions in the fossil record is a significant challenge for biologists owing to the difficulties of interpreting functional capabilities of extinct organisms. New computational modelling approaches provide exciting avenues for testing function in the fossil record. Here, we conduct digital bending experiments to reconstruct vertebral function in non-mammalian synapsids, the extinct forerunners of mammals, to provide insights into the functional underpinnings of the synapsid\u2013mammal transition. We estimate range of motion and stiffness of intervertebral joints in eight non-mammalian synapsid species alongside a comparative sample of extant tetrapods, including salamanders, reptiles and mammals. We show that several key aspects of mammalian vertebral function evolved outside crown Mammalia. Compared to early diverging non-mammalian synapsids, cynodonts stabilized the posterior trunk against lateroflexion, while evolving axial rotation in the anterior trunk. This was later accompanied by posterior sagittal bending in crown mammals, and perhaps even therians specifically. Our data also support the prior hypothesis that functional diversification of the mammalian trunk occurred via co-option of existing morphological regions in response to changing selective demands. Thus, multiple functional and evolutionary steps underlie the origin of remarkable complexity in the mammalian backbone.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1098\/rspb.2024.0820","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,7,9]],"date-time":"2024-07-09T19:07:02Z","timestamp":1720552022000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1098\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":9,"title":["Origins of mammalian vertebral function revealed through digital bending experiments"],"prefix":"10.1098","volume":"291","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1088-0497","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Katrina E.","family":"Jones","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Museum of Comparative Zoology and Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 26 Oxford Street , Cambridge, MA 02138, USA"},{"name":"Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Manchester, Williamson Building, Oxford Road , Manchester M13 9PL, UK"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Kenneth D.","family":"Angielczyk","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Negaunee Integrative Research Center, Field Museum of Natural History, 1400 South Lake Shore Drive , Chicago, IL 60605-2496, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Stephanie E.","family":"Pierce","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Museum of Comparative Zoology and Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 26 Oxford Street , Cambridge, MA 02138, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"175","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,7,10]]},"reference":[{"key":"e_1_3_8_2_2","volume-title":"Mammalogy","author":"Vaughan TA","year":"2013","unstructured":"Vaughan TA , Ryan JM , Czaplewski NJ . 2013 Mammalogy. 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