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Poster De Conférence Année : 2017

Run cheetah run: evidence of a recent sensory perception specialization for high-speed hunting

Résumé

The cheetah Acinonyx jubatus is a charismatic felid species, widely known as the fastest mammal on land, reaching top speeds of 105 km/h when chasing prey. Because of its specialized hunting strategy, this species evolved a series of morphological and functional body features to increase its predatory performance. We investigated the evolution of one of its key sensory organs for locomotion, the inner ear, through exploration of the size and shape of its bony vestibular system. The vestibular system contains organs detecting gravity as well as linear and angular head movements during locomotion, helping most vertebrates maintain body balance and adapt their head posture and gaze direction during movement. We applied high-resolution X-ray computed micro-tomography (μCT) to scan the skulls of 21 felid specimens, including 7 extant cheetahs, one closely-related Pleistocene fossil cheetah (Acinonyx pardinensis), and 13 extant felid species. We then reconstructed three-dimensional (3D) bony labyrinths from those CT data, measured relative volumes of the vestibular system, and investigated its shape variation using 3D geometric morphometrics. Our study revealed that extant cheetahs have a greater volume of the vestibular system relative to that of the entire bony labyrinth when compared to all other felids analyzed. This suggests a specialization of the inner ear of cheetahs emphasizing detection of gravity and head movements during locomotion over auditory function, playing a critical role in ensuring efficient high-speed hunts. The anterior and posterior semicircular canals (ASC, PSC) are more extended dorsally in cheetahs than in any other felid, an elongation linked in other mammals to more efficient vestibulo-ocular and vestibulo-collic reflexes associated with head movements, enabling visual and postural stability while the animal chases its prey. The fossil giant cheetah Acinonyx pardinensis exhibits a smaller relative volume of the vestibular system and shorter ASC and PSC, suggesting a less sensitive vestibular system, even though its postcranial anatomy already shows adaptations for fast running. Thus, the very specialized sensory perception of cheetahs could have evolved later than the middle Pleistocene last occurrence of A. pardinensis. These results also shed light on how predator-prey interactions influence the evolution of sprinting hunters, as in the convergent evolution of the Pleistocene North American “cheetah” (Miracinonyx) to prey on speedy pronghorns (Antilocapra).
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Dates et versions

hal-03609726 , version 1 (15-03-2022)

Identifiants

  • HAL Id : hal-03609726 , version 1

Citer

Camille Grohé, Beatrice Lee, Zachary Calamari, John J Flynn. Run cheetah run: evidence of a recent sensory perception specialization for high-speed hunting. 77th Society of Vertebrate Paleontology, Aug 2017, Calgary, Canada. ⟨hal-03609726⟩
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