Convergent Evolution of Armor: Thermal Resistance in Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Vent Crustaceans
Organisms occupy diverse ecological niches worldwide, each with characteristics finely evolved for their environments. Crustaceans residing in deep-sea hydrothermal vents, recognized as one of Earth’s extreme environments, may have adapted to withstand severe conditions, including elevated temperatu...
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2024-11-01
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| author | Boongho Cho Sook-Jin Jang Hee-seung Hwang Taewon Kim |
| author_facet | Boongho Cho Sook-Jin Jang Hee-seung Hwang Taewon Kim |
| author_sort | Boongho Cho |
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| description | Organisms occupy diverse ecological niches worldwide, each with characteristics finely evolved for their environments. Crustaceans residing in deep-sea hydrothermal vents, recognized as one of Earth’s extreme environments, may have adapted to withstand severe conditions, including elevated temperatures and pressure. This study compares the exoskeletons of two vent crustaceans (bythograeid crab <i>Austinograea</i> sp. and squat lobster <i>Munidopsis lauensis</i>) with four coastal species (Asian paddle crabs, blue crab, hermit crab, and mantis shrimp) to identify traits influenced by vent environments. The goal was to identify distinctive exoskeletal characteristics commonly observed in vent crustaceans, resulting from their exposure to severe abiotic factors, including elevated temperatures and pressures, found in vent environments. Results show that the exoskeletons of vent crustaceans demonstrated significantly enhanced thermal stability compared to coastal species. These vent crustaceans consistently featured exoskeletons characterized by a reduced proportion of volatile components, such as water, and an increased proportion of CaCO<sub>3</sub>, compared with coastal crustaceans. Furthermore, vent crustaceans lacked carotenoid pigments that had low heat resistance. However, no apparent differences were observed in the mechanical properties. Our findings suggest that the similar composition of exoskeletons in vent crustaceans evolved convergently to withstand high temperatures. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-53e4462f2410482997b6f2354b1dcb75 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2079-7737 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-11-01 |
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| spelling | doaj-art-53e4462f2410482997b6f2354b1dcb752024-12-27T14:11:50ZengMDPI AGBiology2079-77372024-11-01131295610.3390/biology13120956Convergent Evolution of Armor: Thermal Resistance in Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Vent CrustaceansBoongho Cho0Sook-Jin Jang1Hee-seung Hwang2Taewon Kim3Department of Mechanical Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR 999077, ChinaOcean Georesources Research Department, Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology, Busan 49111, Republic of KoreaScripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USADepartment of Ocean Sciences, Inha University, 100 Inha-ro, Michuhol-gu, Incheon 22212, Republic of KoreaOrganisms occupy diverse ecological niches worldwide, each with characteristics finely evolved for their environments. Crustaceans residing in deep-sea hydrothermal vents, recognized as one of Earth’s extreme environments, may have adapted to withstand severe conditions, including elevated temperatures and pressure. This study compares the exoskeletons of two vent crustaceans (bythograeid crab <i>Austinograea</i> sp. and squat lobster <i>Munidopsis lauensis</i>) with four coastal species (Asian paddle crabs, blue crab, hermit crab, and mantis shrimp) to identify traits influenced by vent environments. The goal was to identify distinctive exoskeletal characteristics commonly observed in vent crustaceans, resulting from their exposure to severe abiotic factors, including elevated temperatures and pressures, found in vent environments. Results show that the exoskeletons of vent crustaceans demonstrated significantly enhanced thermal stability compared to coastal species. These vent crustaceans consistently featured exoskeletons characterized by a reduced proportion of volatile components, such as water, and an increased proportion of CaCO<sub>3</sub>, compared with coastal crustaceans. Furthermore, vent crustaceans lacked carotenoid pigments that had low heat resistance. However, no apparent differences were observed in the mechanical properties. Our findings suggest that the similar composition of exoskeletons in vent crustaceans evolved convergently to withstand high temperatures.https://www.mdpi.com/2079-7737/13/12/956extremophilecrustaceanexoskeletonthermal stability |
| spellingShingle | Boongho Cho Sook-Jin Jang Hee-seung Hwang Taewon Kim Convergent Evolution of Armor: Thermal Resistance in Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Vent Crustaceans Biology extremophile crustacean exoskeleton thermal stability |
| title | Convergent Evolution of Armor: Thermal Resistance in Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Vent Crustaceans |
| title_full | Convergent Evolution of Armor: Thermal Resistance in Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Vent Crustaceans |
| title_fullStr | Convergent Evolution of Armor: Thermal Resistance in Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Vent Crustaceans |
| title_full_unstemmed | Convergent Evolution of Armor: Thermal Resistance in Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Vent Crustaceans |
| title_short | Convergent Evolution of Armor: Thermal Resistance in Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Vent Crustaceans |
| title_sort | convergent evolution of armor thermal resistance in deep sea hydrothermal vent crustaceans |
| topic | extremophile crustacean exoskeleton thermal stability |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2079-7737/13/12/956 |
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