The Origin of Mammalian Endothermy A Paradigm For The Evolution of Complex Biological Structure
The Origin of Mammalian Endothermy A Paradigm For The Evolution of Complex Biological Structure
The Origin of Mammalian Endothermy A Paradigm For The Evolution of Complex Biological Structure
Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2006, 147, 473–488. With 4 figures
Several mutually incompatible theories exist about how and why endothermy evolved in mammals and birds. Some
take the primary function to have been thermoregulation, selected for one adaptive purpose or another. Others take
the high aerobic metabolic rate to have been primary. None of these theories is incontrovertibly supported by evi-
dence, either from the fossil record of the synapsid amniotes or from observations and experiments on modern organ-
isms. Furthermore, all are underpinned by the tacit assumption that endothermy must have evolved in a stepwise
pattern, with an initial adaptive function followed only later by the addition of further functions. It is argued that
this assumption is unrealistic and that the evolution of endothermy can be explained by the correlated progression
model. Each structure and function associated with endothermy evolved a small increment at a time, in loose linkage
with all the others evolving similarly. The result is that the sequence of organisms maintained functional integration
throughout, and no one of the functions of endothermy was ever paramount over the others. The correlated pro-
gression model is tested by the nature of the integration between the parts as seen in living mammals, by computer
simulations of the evolution of complex, multifunctional, multifactorial biological systems, and by reference to the
synapsid fossil record, which is fully compatible with the model. There are several potentially important implications
to be drawn from this example concerning the study of the evolution of complex structure and the new higher
taxa that manifest it. © 2006 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2006, 147,
473–488.
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474 T. S. KEMP
due to this scarcity of direct evidence. More fundamen- aethiopicus has a BMR only half, and the semi-arid
tally, it also points to the possibility that these adapted Hemiechinus auritus only three-quarters that
considerations are hampered by a mistaken implicit of the temperate-adapted European hedgehog Erina-
assumption concerning the evolution of complex struc- ceus europeaus, yet all maintain the same body temper-
tures and associated functions in organisms. As will be ature of 34 °C, and have similar activity levels. The
discussed later, a more fruitful approach is to pay elevated body temperature also cannot be regarded as
more than the usual lip service to the presumption an adaptation per se, because it too is very variable
that an evolving lineage of organisms must necessar- among otherwise comparable mammal species, and
ily maintain functional integration throughout its his- because many ectothermic amniotes operate with body
tory. The concept of ‘correlated progression’ (see Kemp, temperatures as high as, or higher than, those of mam-
© 2006 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2006, 147, 473–488
ORIGIN OF ENDOTHERMY 475
is the sum of the BMR and any heat of activity being constant fraction of the MAMR in order to maintain a
generated by muscular exercise. Variable insulation of rapidly increased oxygen supply via the circulatory
the skin by variable piloerection, variable blood flow system during high activity levels (Krosniunas & Ger-
through the cutaneous capillaries and variable posture stner, 2003). This problem will be returned to.
are the well-known mechanisms for achieving this rap-
idly adjustable rate of conductance of heat from the
CURRENT THEORIES OF THE ORIGIN OF
body. Many other features such as a more effective cir-
ENDOTHERMY
culatory system for heat distribution and a higher oxy-
gen-carrying capacity of the haemoglobin are also The lack of an explicit reason for a relationship
necessary, as will be discussed later. between the physiology of thermoregulation on the
© 2006 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2006, 147, 473–488
476 T. S. KEMP
pre-cladistic and is now grossly out of date. The widely However, it may be the case that the evolution of
accepted modern version (Hopson, 1991; Kemp, 2005) thermoregulatory ability was itself necessary for the
offers no support at all to his argument. In the first evolution of the large, complex brain of endotherms,
place, there are medium- and small-bodied pelyco- typically ten times the size of that of ectotherms. Cer-
saurs, as well as the large-bodied ones, throughout tainly the functioning of the mammalian (and avian)
their history (Reisz, 1986); in the second place, the brain today depends on precise control of the internal
pristerognathids are now regarded as part of a mono- environment of the body including temperature (Jeri-
phyletic Therocephalia, which is the sister group of son, 1971; Allman, 2000). Evidence from the fossil
cynodonts plus mammals, and which includes a con- record concerning synapsid brain size is ambiguous
siderable size range of members with skull lengths because it was not until the mammals themselves that
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ORIGIN OF ENDOTHERMY 477
second line of evidence is that the earliest mammals the sensitivity of vertebrate embryos generally to
show several signs of having indeed been nocturnal. their ambient temperature, from the point of view of
The small body sizes, agile skeletons and insectivore- both avoiding developmental abnormalities and
adapted shearing molar teeth all point to a close anal- increasing the rate of development, a generality dis-
ogy in life style with modern insectivorous mammals, puted by Angilletta & Sears (2003). Furthermore, the
which are primarily nocturnal in habit. The evidence dual role of thyroid hormones in reproduction and in
for increased acuity of hearing as indicated by the evo- the control of metabolic rate suggested to Farmer a
lution of the ear ossicles, and even more so of olfaction possible mechanism for the initial evolution of the
as indicated by the development of the neocortex in enhanced BMR. In this particular theory, the
the primitively olfactory telencephalon region of the increase in maximum aerobic activity in endotherms
© 2006 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2006, 147, 473–488
478 T. S. KEMP
B
Figure 1. A, reconstruction of the skeleton of the therocephalian therapsid Regisaurus in lateral and dorsal views (from
Kemp, 1986). B, internal view of the nasal cavity of the therocephalian Glanosuchus (from Hillenius, 1994). Abbreviations:
etht?, possible ethmo-turbinal ridge; mxt?, possible maxillo-turbinal ridge; nt?, possible naso-turbinal ridge.
of, thermoregulation, whatever the nature of the occurrence of levels of increased aerobic activity in
mechanisms underlying the two respective functions. therapsids that are otherwise very primitive com-
Evidence from the fossil record has also been pared with mammals (Bennett & Ruben, 1986). The
claimed to support this theory, by demonstrating the modification of the locomotory system in basal ther-
© 2006 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2006, 147, 473–488
ORIGIN OF ENDOTHERMY 479
apsids (Fig. 1A) was interpreted by Carrier (1987) as a subsequently in the case of mammals as lactation.
means of increasing the ventilation capacity. Getting Increased daily energy expenditure was required for
rid of lateral undulation of the vertebral column, rais- the enhanced locomotory efforts devoted to food collec-
ing the body permanently off the ground by reposition- tion. An increase in the metabolic activity of the vis-
ing the limbs so that the feet lie closer to the mid-line, ceral organs was also required, to assimilate the
and reducing the lumbar ribs all suggest that a dia- increased food intake by the parent. Thermoregula-
phragm had evolved, to complement costal breathing tion was not initially a part of the selective regime, but
during times of high activity, when increased oxygen evolved later as a side-effect of the leakiness of the
was required if aerobic activity was to be sustained. plasma membranes that inevitably accompanied the
Reasonable as this interpretation of the evolution of increased metabolic rate. By his own admission, fea-
© 2006 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2006, 147, 473–488
480 T. S. KEMP
subscribe to the assumption that all the physiological 2. Natural selection tests the fitness of an organism
mechanisms and ecological consequences of modern as a whole, not of any of its individual characteristics.
endothermy could not possibly have evolved at the 3. Therefore, over the course of the evolution of new
same time. Therefore, the implicit argument continues: complex structure, including the broad biological reor-
there must have been a temporal sequence starting ganization associated with the origin of a new higher
with selection for a single, primary function, to be fol- taxon, all the structures and associated functions
lowed only later by selection for secondary functions must evolve by respective sequences of small steps in
and the further structures associated with them. What loose correlation with each other in order to maintain
the respective authors seek is the most feasible recon- continuous functional integration.
struction of this presumed sequence, supported by
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ORIGIN OF ENDOTHERMY 481
The consequence for such a hypothetical organism processing systems to acquire the necessary incremen-
would be a minor shift in several of the dimensions of tal increase in food requirements; the skin to regulate
its niche simultaneously; given the right circum- heat flow; and so on. What would happen if one of the
stances, such may well be of selective advantage. functions did not have what might be termed this
As will be appreciated, the correlated progression ‘spare functional capacity’? This particular function
hypothesis requires that the nature of the functional would now be limiting, and the correlated progression
interrelationships between the structures and pro- model predicts that a mutation causing it to be suit-
cesses involved are such that a small mutational mod- ably modified is necessary before further progress is
ification in one can be accommodated immediately, possible. For example, suppose the limit was imposed
by appropriate non-genetic adjustments, in others. by the inability of the ventilation system to acquire
Indeed as will be addressed later, this requirement enough gaseous oxygen for any higher metabolic rate.
underlies the main test of the hypothesis. For Further progress towards endothermy would have to
instance, the supposed heritable increase in mitochon- await a mutation that resulted in, say, a larger lung
drial number could only affect metabolic rates if there capacity or a higher ventilation rate. Or suppose that
was an existing ability of the lungs, heart and arterial the conductivity of the skin proved to be too high for
system to deliver increased oxygen to the tissues. For any higher level of metabolic heat to be effectively
the potential functions of the elevated metabolic rate retained. A mutation causing a decreased conductivity
to be manifested, the existing central and peripheral would be awaited, at which point a higher level of heat
nervous systems must also be able to control the production would now be viable, thereby enhancing
enhanced locomotory activity; the food-collecting and the incipient thermoregulation.
© 2006 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2006, 147, 473–488
482 T. S. KEMP
Figure 3 illustrates the principle of the evolution of when one particular feature is critical in the sense
endothermy by correlated progression. All the original that it is limiting the changes in others, but the limit
proposed functions (in boxes) are now seen to be will be duly removed when that feature is itself subject
deeply and inextricably embedded within the complex to an appropriate mutational modification.
functioning of the whole. Other structures and func- The theory of the origin of endothermy presented
tions could readily be added, and of those shown, most here is that the separately recognizable functions of
represent complex attributes in their own right: as endothermy in mammals evolved as a single, inte-
well as fitting congruently into the overall scheme, a grated complex, and that it is meaningless to suppose
character such as ‘gait’ or ‘brain’ itself consists of inte- that any one function was ever primary. Over the time
grated parts. Solely for illustrative purposes, this sim- it took, small incremental changes in individual fea-
ple account of how the correlated progression model tures occurred in parallel, and this produced small,
might work for the origin of endothermy started with integrated enhancements of all the functions in corre-
a hypothesized increase in the number of mitochon- lation with one another.
dria per cell. In fact any other structure or process
could equally well have been chosen to begin with, and
TESTING THE HYPOTHESIS
the characters could have changed, increment by
increment, in virtually any order. The essential point It is entirely plausible that this interpretation of the
is that only a small change in any one characteristic at process by which the complex, multifunctional charac-
any moment in evolutionary time is possible, but the teristic called endothermy arose is correct, but how to
characteristic in question can be one of many. It is nei- test it as a scientific hypothesis may seem problem-
ther important nor predictable which one it will be. atic. The correlated progression hypothesis predicts
There will be moments in the evolutionary sequence that the exact sequence of very small, successive
© 2006 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2006, 147, 473–488
ORIGIN OF ENDOTHERMY 483
changes associated with the evolution of fully oxygen at each stage is dependent on that of the pre-
expressed mammalian endothermy will be far below vious stage, suggesting that an increase in transport
any possibility of the fossil record to resolve. Nor can rate at one point in the system could automatically be
evidence from living amniotes reveal the sequence, accommodated by increases at others.
because the ectotherms show few relevant signs of There is direct evidence, notably in aquatic chelo-
incipient endothermy, and the mammals all evolved nians (e.g. Jackson & Prange, 1979), concerning the
from a common ancestor already possessing full endot- ability of the incompletely divided reptilian heart to
hermy. What can be done is to apply tests at a lower adjust its output between virtually complete mixing
resolution, in other words to assess whether the cor- and virtually complete separation of the systemic and
related progression model is the most realistic general pulmonary flows. This implies that cardiac output
© 2006 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2006, 147, 473–488
484 T. S. KEMP
same time, however, the correlation is sufficiently runs was a considerable range of morphologies (Fig. 4)
loose that species in different niches with different which all represent compromise structures that are
particular requirements are able to evolve different more or less equally well adapted. Interesting too, the
quantitative values for these parameters. various outcomes were frequently similar in general
A third kind of evidence is derived from studies of form to known fossil primitive plants.
responses to artificially imposed changes. For exam- The inferences to be drawn from this study are
ple, the mammalian lung has a marked ability to three-fold, and by analogy they point to the correlated
undergo compensatory growth in response to damage, progression pattern of evolution. The first is that nat-
as reviewed recently by Hsia (2004). This indicates ural selection is concerned with the total fitness of the
how readily a small, phenotypic adjustment to organism, as contributed to by all its structures and
Figure 4. On the left, computer-generated walks through a multi-task landscape requiring adaptation simultaneously for
light interception, mechanical stability and reproductive success. On the right, some of the optimal compromise morphol-
ogies generated by different walks (from Niklas, 1995).
© 2006 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2006, 147, 473–488
ORIGIN OF ENDOTHERMY 485
though it is mildly disadvantageous as far as its par- characters associated with several different functions
ticular function is concerned. were found to have changed. On virtually every occa-
Lenski et al. (2003) used a logically comparable but sion these include characters associated, respectively,
much more sophisticated computer program to inves- with locomotion and feeding, but usually others as
tigate the evolution of complex characters. It starts well, such as those associated with ventilation, sense
with simple, replicating digital ‘organisms’ but which organs and brain size. For example, comparing the
have the possibility of acquiring certain random reconstructed hypothetical common ancestor of sphen-
‘mutations’ (logical functions, in computer terms). acodontid pelycosaurs and therapsids with that of the
Several particular ‘mutations’ increase the units of therapsids indicates that, among others, the following
‘energy’ (computational merit) available to the organ- evolutionary changes had occurred:
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tion of mammalian characters, including those associ- descendant morphology, from original to new habitat
ated directly with endothermy, and there are many or way of life, was possible.
physiological characters whose evolutionary history is 3. Given the assumed loose correlation between the
unlikely ever to be revealed. On the other hand, at the parts, it is easy to explain how relatively minor vari-
level of the taxonomic and organismic resolution that ations, of the kind associated with radiation at the
it does have, the fossil record is fully compatible with species and genus level, can occur at every stage along
correlated progression. There is no anatomical evi- the main evolving lineage. The fossil record of the
dence indicating unambiguously that any one partic- synapsids illustrates this well, where radiations of a
ular function was ever the sole focus of selection at any variety of differently adapted kinds of taxa occur
particular time. at several levels, pelycosaur, basal therapsid and
© 2006 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2006, 147, 473–488
ORIGIN OF ENDOTHERMY 487
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