KEY PUBLICATIONS
Panyutina A. A., Korzun L. P. (2009): Morphofunctional background of flight origin in mammals. Zoologicheskiy zhurnal, 88(5), 573–587. [in Russian]
This study was the first to propose a new morphofunctional approach to the analysis of the origin of mammalian flight. The transformation of the musculoskeletal system and the plane of limb operation in gliding and flying mammals compared to quadrupedal ones were taken as the basis. It is well-known that the plane of limb action in bats differs fundamentally from that in terrestrial mammals. According to this, a number of changes in the muscles of the forelimbs that occurred in bats compared with the basic design of quadrupedal mammals were analyzed. It is shown that a significant part of these changes are present in specialized gliders (exemplified by colugo), therefore, gliding can be used as a morphofunctional model of locomotor specialization transitional to flapping flight. All anatomical studies for this article were conducted by A. Panyutina, she is the author of the text and most of the figures
Panyutina A. A., Kuznetsov A. N, Korzun L. P. (2013): Kinematics of chiropteran shoulder girdle in flight. The Anatomical record, 296(3), 382–394. doi: 10.1002/ar.22650
This is a pioneering article, which presents the world's first study of the motions of the shoulder girdle of bats in flight. The X-ray fluoroscopy system was used to examine how elements of the shoulder girdle move during the wing stroke. Firstly, it allowed testing and confirming the hypothesis of restricted range of motions of the scapula and clavicle of bats in contrast to the classical model of their relocation together with wing flapping. In addition, the paper introduces a technique for measuring the available range of motion of the shoulder joint using syndesmological preparations. This technique is valuable for comparative studies of joint mobility in animals employing different types of locomotion and assessing modifications of joints' mobility during major evolutionary transitions. А. Panyutina conducted the entire experimental part of the work in the X-ray study, made video recordings of the flight of bats, participated in the preparation of specimens for the examination of shoulder joint mobility, completely processed all the data of the experimental part of the work, and wrote most of the text
Panyutina A. A., Korzun L. P., Kuznetsov A. N. (2015): Flight of Mammals: From Terrestrial Limbs to Wings. Cham. Springer. 332 pp. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-08756-6
This is the main publication presenting a morphofunctional approach to the analysis of major evolutionary transformations of locomotor apparatus, using the origin of mammalian flight as an example. As a morphological basis for comparative analysis, the book provides anatomical descriptions of the skeleton, joints, and muscles of representatives of three groups of mammals: tree-shrews, colugos, and bats. Using a three-dimensional analysis of the forces acting on and within the limbs during flight and gliding, it was clarified how the functioning of different parts of the locomotor apparatus was modified in the course of transition from quadrupedal locomotion to airborne movement. The gliding apparatus of colugos, although these mammals are not related to bats, was shown to possess a set of specific features that can be considered as a model of pre-adaptation to flapping flight apparatus. А. Panyutina is the author of the idea of the work. All factual material was collected by her; she contributed more than 90% of the illustrations and authored more than 90% of the text. All final generalizations and conclusions were developed by A. Panyutina
Panyutina A. A. (2018): Gliding and flapping flight: an alternative or continuity? Zoologicheskiy zhurnal, 97(8), 1026–1040. doi: 10.1134/S0044513418080111
This theoretical paper is devoted to disproving the arguments of the opponents of the hypothesis of the gliding ancestor of bats using the methods of functional morphology and comparative anatomy. The paper proposes a simplified aerodynamic model of the transition from gliding to flapping flight, showing that the negative effect of the upstroke can be completely offset by the positive contribution of the downstroke due to the forward velocity of the body. The concluding sections of the paper are devoted to the analysis of the morphology and locomotion of the most primitive fossil bat, Onychonycteris finneyi. It is shown that in terms of the skeleton proportions, this creature did not fundamentally differ from the specialized glider (colugo), at the same time, some of its wing characteristics were already similar with the parameters of modern bats. Most importantly, a convincing morphological argument for the ability of flapping flight in Onychonycteris finneyi is proposed
Kuznetsov A. N., Panyutina A. A. (2022): Where was WAIR in avian flight evolution? Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 137(1), 145–156. doi: 10.1093/biolinnean/blac019
This is the first work showing, based on the original data of the authors of the wing-assisted incline running (WAIR) hypothesis of the origin of avian flight, that the forces acting on the wings during this type of locomotion are not only inappropriate for preparing the ancestor's forelimbs for flapping flight, but instead require the highly specialized musculature of modern birds. As a result, it is argued that WAIR cannot be used as a model of the origin of airborne flapping flight. The paper proposes a method that combines biomechanical and comparative-anatomical approaches for the analysis of evolutionary transitions. It is demonstrated that the analysis of the forces acting on limbs during different types of locomotion can be an efficient tool for testing hypotheses about the pathways of morphological evolution of the locomotor apparatus. A. Panyutina was the author of the idea of critical analysis of WAIR as a model for studying flight origin, participated in the graphic verification of the first author's calculations, prepared illustrations for the paper; she is the author of the introduction section, part of the results section, most of the discussion section.
Panyutina A.A., Kuznetsov A.N., Volodin I.A., Abramov A.V., Soldatova I.B. (2017). A blind climber: the first direct evidence of ultrasonic echolocation in terrestrial mammals. // Integrative zoology, Vol. 12, №2, p. 172–184. doi: 10.1111/1749-4877.12249
This work represents the first description of the use of ultrasound echolocation for orientation in terrestrial mammals. The discovery of echolocation in Typhlomys, a rodent of the family Platacanthomyidae, is a significant advance not only as a novel finding. Typhlomys provides a live model that can be used for evolutionary reconstructions in understanding the development of echolocation in bats. In addition, Typhlomys displays morphological features that may suggest the presence of echolocation in other non-aquatic mammals. The study describes in detail echolocation signals and their use in these animals. It is shown that echolocation intensity increases significantly during locomotion. Through histological studies, the extreme degree of eye reduction in Typhlomys is demonstrated, indicating almost complete blindness. Using Typhlomys as an illustrative case, the paper discusses how and under what environmental conditions echolocation could have evolved in the ancestors of bats
