南非威特沃特斯兰德大学Roger B. J. Benson研究组揭示兽脚亚目恐龙视觉和听觉方式的演化。相关论文于2021年5月7日发表于国际学术期刊《科学》。

研究人员调查了视觉和听觉在现存和灭绝的兽脚类动物的形态功能替代，并证明了感官方式的深层演化分歧。夜间捕食是在非鸟类系Alvarezsauroidea的早期演化而来，其接收极其微弱的光线视力，并增强了听力敏感性。白垩纪晚期的Shuvuuia deserti具有更高的专业听觉敏锐度，可与当今的谷仓猫头鹰媲美。感知适应的这种结合很早在现代鸟类发散之前就在恐龙中独立产生，并提供了恐龙与哺乳动物融合的一个显著例子。

据了解，猫头鹰和夜鸟是夜间活动猎物的狩猎者，它们将视觉和听觉的适应性结合起来，从而克服弱光条件下的感官性能限制。这种感官创新在非鸟足类兽脚亚目恐龙中是未知的，并且对鸟类演化的认知很少。 

附：英文原文

Title: Evolution of vision and hearing modalities in theropod dinosaurs

Author: Jonah N. Choiniere, James M. Neenan, Lars Schmitz, David P. Ford, Kimberley E. J. Chapelle, Amy M. Balanoff, Justin S. Sipla, Justin A. Georgi, Stig A. Walsh, Mark A. Norell, Xing Xu, James M. Clark, Roger B. J. Benson

Issue&Volume: 2021/05/07

Abstract: Owls and nightbirds are nocturnal hunters of active prey that combine visual and hearing adaptations to overcome limits on sensory performance in low light. Such sensory innovations are unknown in nonavialan theropod dinosaurs and are poorly characterized on the line that leads to birds. We investigate morphofunctional proxies of vision and hearing in living and extinct theropods and demonstrate deep evolutionary divergences of sensory modalities. Nocturnal predation evolved early in the nonavialan lineage Alvarezsauroidea, signaled by extreme low-light vision and increases in hearing sensitivity. The Late Cretaceous alvarezsauroid Shuvuuia deserti had even further specialized hearing acuity, rivaling that of today’s barn owl. This combination of sensory adaptations evolved independently in dinosaurs long before the modern bird radiation and provides a notable example of convergence between dinosaurs and mammals.

DOI: 10.1126/science.abe7941

Source: https://science.sciencemag.org/content/372/6542/610