Scholars@Duke
Kathleen Kovalevski Smith

Kathleen Kovalevski Smith

Professor Emerita of Biology
Biology
kksmith@duke.edu
Box 90338, Durham, NC 27708-0338
130 Science Drive, Room 122 Duke Box 90338, Durham, NC 27708

Selected Publications

J. P. Hill and Katherine Watson's studies of the neural crest in marsupials.

Journal Article Journal of morphology · December 2020 In the early part of the 20th century, J. P. Hill and K. P. Watson embarked on a comprehensive study of the development of the brain in Australian marsupials. Their work included series from three major groups: dasyurids, peramelids, and diprotodonts, cove ... Full text Cite

Comparative skeletal anatomy of neonatal ursids and the extreme altriciality of the giant panda.

Journal Article Journal of anatomy · April 2020 Mammalian neonates are born at a wide range of maturity levels. Altricial newborns are born with limited sensory agency and require extensive parental care. In contrast, precocial neonates are relatively mature physically and often capable of independent f ... Full text Cite

Adaptations of the Marsupial Newborn: Birth as an Extreme Environment.

Journal Article Anatomical record (Hoboken, N.J. : 2007) · February 2020 At birth a mammalian neonate enters an extreme environment compared to the intrauterine environment in which it has grown. This transition may be particularly extreme in marsupials because they are born at an exceedingly altricial state, after an exception ... Full text Cite

Pediatric Coronal Suture Fiber Alignment and the Effect of Interdigitation on Coronal Suture Mechanical Properties.

Journal Article Annals of biomedical engineering · September 2015 The morphological and mechanical properties of the pediatric skull are important in understanding pediatric head injury biomechanics. Although previous studies have analyzed the morphology of cranial sutures, none has done so in pediatric specimens nor hav ... Full text Cite

Heterochrony and developmental timing mechanisms: changing ontogenies in evolution.

Journal Article Seminars in cell & developmental biology · October 2014 Heterochrony, or a change in developmental timing, is an important mechanism of evolutionary change. Historically the concept of heterochrony has focused alternatively on changes in size and shape or changes in developmental sequence, but most have focused ... Full text Cite

Tempo of trophic evolution and its impact on mammalian diversification.

Journal Article Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · May 2012 Mammals are characterized by the complex adaptations of their dentition, which are an indication that diet has played a critical role in their evolutionary history. Although much attention has focused on diet and the adaptations of specific taxa, the role ... Full text Cite

Heterochrony in somitogenesis rate in a model marsupial, Monodelphis domestica.

Journal Article Evolution & development · January 2012 Marsupial newborns are highly altricial and also show a wide array of shifts in the rate or timing of developmental events so that certain neonatal structures are quite mature. One particularly notable feature is the steep gradient in development along the ... Full text Cite

Evolution and development of the mammalian dentition: insights from the marsupial Monodelphis domestica.

Journal Article Developmental dynamics : an official publication of the American Association of Anatomists · January 2011 To understand developmental mechanisms of evolutionary change, we must first know how different morphologies form. The vast majority of our knowledge on the developmental genetics of tooth formation derives from studies in mice, which have relatively deriv ... Full text Cite

Developmental origins of precocial forelimbs in marsupial neonates.

Journal Article Development (Cambridge, England) · December 2010 Marsupial mammals are born in an embryonic state, as compared with their eutherian counterparts, yet certain features are accelerated. The most conspicuous of these features are the precocial forelimbs, which the newborns use to climb unaided from the open ... Full text Open Access Cite

Accelerate synthesis in ecology and environmental sciences

Journal Article BioScience · September 1, 2009 Ecology is a leading discipline in the synthesis of diverse knowledge. Ecologists have had considerable experience in bringing together diverse, multinational data sets, disciplines, and cultural perspectives to address a wide range of issues in basic and ... Full text Cite

Limb specification and growth initiation in Xenopus laevis: Possible heterochronic mechanisms

Journal Article INTEGRATIVE AND COMPARATIVE BIOLOGY · February 1, 2009 Link to item Cite

Monodelphis whole-embryo culture.

Journal Article CSH protocols · October 2008 INTRODUCTIONMonodelphis domestica, the gray, short-tailed, or laboratory opossum, is the most commonly used laboratory marsupial. In addition to the factors that make it a convenient laboratory animal (small size, ease of care, nonseasonal breeding), it is ... Full text Cite

Whole-mount in situ hybridization in monodelphis embryos.

Journal Article CSH protocols · October 2008 INTRODUCTIONMonodelphis domestica, the gray, short-tailed, or laboratory opossum, is the most commonly used laboratory marsupial. In addition to the factors that make it a convenient laboratory animal (small size, ease of care, nonseasonal breeding), it is ... Full text Cite

Harvesting monodelphis embryos.

Journal Article CSH protocols · October 2008 INTRODUCTIONMonodelphis domestica, the gray, short-tailed, or laboratory opossum, is the most commonly used laboratory marsupial. In addition to the factors that make it a convenient laboratory animal (small size, ease of care, nonseasonal breeding), it is ... Full text Cite

Opossum (Monodelphis domestica): A Marsupial Development Model.

Journal Article CSH protocols · October 2008 INTRODUCTIONMonodelphis domestica is the most commonly used laboratory marsupial. In addition to the many factors that make it a convenient laboratory animal (small size, ease of care, nonseasonal breeding), it is the first marsupial whose genome has been ... Full text Cite

Basic Maintenance and Breeding of the Opossum Monodelphis domestica.

Journal Article CSH protocols · October 2008 INTRODUCTIONMonodelphis domestica, the gray, short-tailed, or laboratory opossum, is the most commonly used laboratory marsupial. In addition to the factors that make it a convenient laboratory animal (small size, ease of care, nonseasonal breeding), it is ... Full text Cite

Limb heterochrony in the marsupial Monodelphis domestica

Journal Article JOURNAL OF MORPHOLOGY · December 1, 2007 Link to item Cite

Limb heterochrony in a marsupial, M. domestica

Conference Developmental Biology · July 2006 Full text Cite

Kathleen K. Smith: Integrating the levels of evolution

Journal Article BioScience · June 1, 2006 Full text Cite

Craniofacial development in marsupial mammals: developmental origins of evolutionary change.

Journal Article Developmental dynamics : an official publication of the American Association of Anatomists · May 2006 Biologists have long studied the evolutionary consequences of the differences in reproductive and life history strategies of marsupial and eutherian mammals. Over the past few decades, the impact of these strategies on the development of the marsupial embr ... Full text Cite

Tooth eruption in Monodelphis domestica and its significance for phylogeny and natural history

Journal Article Journal of Mammalogy · April 1, 2005 The gray short-tailed opossum (Monodelphis domestica) began tooth eruption at 32 days with the deciduous premolars (dp3 and dP3). All but 5 teeth completed eruption by 56 days, with only p3, m4, P3, M3, and M4 unerupted at that age. Eruption was complete b ... Full text Cite

To replace or not to replace: The significance of reduced functional tooth replacement in marsupial and placental mammals

Journal Article Paleobiology · March 1, 2005 Marsupial mammals are characterized by a pattern of dental replacement thought to be unique. The apparent primitive therian pattern is two functional generations of teeth at the incisor, canine, and premolar loci, and a series of molar teeth, which by defi ... Full text Cite

Facial development in marsupials: functional requirements and developmental constraints.

Journal Article AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY · January 1, 2005 Link to item Cite

Early development of cranial neural crest in the marsupial, Monodelphis domestica

Journal Article Development and Evolution · March 2003 Cite

Early differentiation and migration of cranial neural crest in the opossum, Monodelphis domestica.

Journal Article Evolution & development · March 2003 Marsupial mammals are born at a highly altricial state. Nonetheless, the neonate must be capable of considerable functional independence. Comparative studies have shown that in marsupials the morphogenesis of many structures critical to independent functio ... Full text Cite

Time's arrow: heterochrony and the evolution of development.

Journal Article The International journal of developmental biology · January 2003 The concept of heterochrony, which denotes a change in the relative timing of developmental events and processes in evolution, has accompanied attempts to link evolution and development for well over a century. During this time the definition of heterochro ... Cite

Sequence heterochrony and the evolution of development.

Journal Article Journal of morphology · April 2002 One of the most persistent questions in comparative developmental biology concerns whether there are general rules by which ontogeny and phylogeny are related. Answering this question requires conceptual and analytic approaches that allow biologists to exa ... Full text Cite

Ontogenetic and phylogenetic transformations of the ear ossicles in marsupial mammals.

Journal Article Journal of morphology · March 2002 This study is based on the examination of histological sections of specimens of different ages and of adult ossicles from macerated skulls representing a wide range of taxa and aims at addressing several issues concerning the evolution of the ear ossicles ... Full text Cite

Early development of the neural plate, neural crest and facial region of marsupials.

Journal Article Journal of anatomy · July 2001 Marsupial mammals have a distinctive reproductive strategy. The young are born after an exceptionally short period of organogenesis and are consequently extremely altricial. Yet because they must be functionally independent in an essentially embryonic cond ... Full text Cite

Heterochrony revisited: The evolution of developmental sequences

Journal Article Biological Journal of the Linnean Society · January 1, 2001 The concept of heterochrony is a persistent component of discussions about the way that evolution and development interact. Since the late 1970s heterochrony has been defined largely as developmental changes in the relationship of size and shape. This appr ... Full text Cite

The evolution of mammalian development.

Journal Article Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology · 2001 Cite

Morphology and mechanics of tongue movement in the African pig-nosed frog Hemisus marmoratum: a muscular hydrostatic model.

Journal Article The Journal of experimental biology · April 1999 The goal of this study was to investigate morphological adaptations associated with hydrostatic elongation of the tongue during feeding in the African pig-nosed frog Hemisus marmoratum. Whereas previous studies had suggested that the tongue of H. marmoratu ... Full text Cite

Statistical analyses of developmental sequences: the craniofacial region in marsupial and placental mammals.

Journal Article The American naturalist · July 1998 Heterochrony is most often thought to involve changes in the rate of development or maturation (rate changes). However, heterochrony can also involve changes in the timing of specific developmental events relative to other events (sequence changes). Sequen ... Full text Cite

Have gene knockouts caused evolutionary reversals in the mammalian first arch?

Journal Article BioEssays : news and reviews in molecular, cellular and developmental biology · March 1998 Many recent gene knockout experiments cause anatomical changes to the jaw region of mice that several investigators claim are evolutionary reversals. Here we evaluate these mutant phenotypes and the assertions of atavism. We argue that following the knocko ... Full text Cite

COMPARATIVE PATTERNS OF CRANIOFACIAL DEVELOPMENT IN EUTHERIAN AND METATHERIAN MAMMALS.

Journal Article Evolution; international journal of organic evolution · October 1997 The sequence of differentiation of major elements of the skeletal, muscular and nervous systems of the head is examined in developmental series of five eutherian (placental) and four metatherian (marsupial) mammals. The analysis identifies the elements tha ... Full text Cite

Extreme bilateral molar rotation in Monodelphis domestica (Marsupialia: Didelphidae).

Journal Article Archives of oral biology · August 1997 Rotation of a tooth around an axis perpendicular to the occlusal plane through angles approaching 180 degrees is a rare anomaly found in the mammalian dentition. A specimen of Monodelphis domestica was found to show such extreme rotation of both lower last ... Full text Cite

Comparative rates of development in Monodelphis and Didelphis.

Journal Article Science (New York, N.Y.) · January 1997 Full text Cite

Diversity and evolution of the marsupial mandibular angular process

Journal Article Journal of Mammalian Evolution · January 1, 1997 A medial inflection of the mandibular angular process is present in most marsupials. The few living marsupials that lack this trait either are very specialized forms (e.g., Tarsipes) or show a medial inflection at some point in development that is lost in ... Full text Cite

Ancient single origin for Malagasy primates.

Journal Article Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · May 1996 We report new evidence that bears decisively on a long-standing controversy in primate systematics. DNA sequence data for the complete cytochrome b gene, combined with an expanded morphological data set, confirm the results of a previous study and again in ... Full text Cite

Integration of craniofacial structures during development in mammals'

Journal Article American Zoologist · January 1, 1996 The integration of craniofacial elements during development in mammals is studied in a phylogenetic approach. Developmental series of four metatherian (marsupial) and five Eutherian (placental) taxa are examined, and the sequence of emergence of major char ... Full text Cite

Development of craniofacial musculature in Monodelphis domestica (Marsupialia, Didelphidae).

Journal Article Journal of morphology · November 1994 Development of craniofacial muscles of Monodelphis domestica (Marsupialia, Didelphidae) is described. In a period of 4-6 days all craniofacial muscles in M. domestica progress from myoblast condensation, to striated myofibers that are aligned in the direct ... Full text Cite

The conservation of neuromotor systems in evolution.

Journal Article Brain, Behavior and Evolution. · 1994 Cite

Are neuromotor systems conserved in evolution?

Journal Article Brain, behavior and evolution · January 1994 Hypotheses that neuromotor systems are conserved during evolution are examined. Focus is on the fundamental assumption underlying such hypotheses, that neuromotor patterns are homologous. The criteria for testing hypotheses of homology are briefly reviewed ... Full text Cite

Cranial osteogenesis in Monodelphis domestica (Didelphidae) and Macropus eugenii (Macropodidae).

Journal Article Journal of morphology · February 1993 The pattern of onset and general rate of cranial ossification are compared in two marsupials, Monodelphis domestica (Didelphidae) and Macropus eugenii (Macropodidae). In both species a similar suite of bones is present at birth, specifically those surround ... Full text Cite

The evolution of the mammalian pharynx

Journal Article Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society · January 1, 1992 Data derived from studies of comparative anatomy, development, neuroanatomy, behaviour and the reconstruction of fossils are combined to evaluate the evolution of the oral‐pharyngeal region in mammals. An important event in the evolution of the mammalian f ... Full text Cite

The morphology of the intrinsic tongue musculature in snakes (Reptilia, ophidia): Functional and phylogenetic implications.

Journal Article Journal of morphology · September 1990 Tongue musculature in 24 genera of snakes was examined histologically. In all snakes, the tongue is composed of a few main groups of muscles. The M. hyoglossus is a paired bundle in the center of the tongue. The posterior regions of the tongue possess musc ... Full text Cite

The anatomy and function of the feeding apparatus in two armadillos (Dasypoda): anatomy is not destiny

Journal Article Journal of Zoology · January 1, 1990 The morphology and function of the masticatory apparatus in two armadillos, Dasypus novemcinctus and Euphractus sexcinctus are compared. Euphractus sexcinctus, a species restricted to South America, is omnivorous, eating a wide range of foods, including si ... Full text Cite

Electromyography of the fin musculature of the cuttlefish Sepia officinalis.

Journal Article The Journal of experimental biology · May 1989 The musculature of the fins of the cuttlefish Sepia officinalis (Mollusca, Cephalopoda) was studied with electromyography to test predictions of the functional role of the various muscle masses. Previous research had shown the fins to consist of a tightly ... Full text Cite

Histological demonstration of muscle spindles in the tongue of the rat.

Journal Article Archives of oral biology · January 1989 The presence and distribution of neuromuscular spindles in the lingual musculature of the laboratory rat is described. The findings counter the commonly held belief that neuromuscular spindles are not found in the tongue musculature of non-primate mammals. ... Full text Cite

TRUNKS, TONGUES, AND TENTACLES - MOVING WITH SKELETONS OF MUSCLE

Journal Article AMERICAN SCIENTIST · January 1, 1989 Link to item Cite

FUNCTIONAL AND PHYLOGENETIC SIGNIFICANCE OF SNAKE TONGUE MORPHOLOGY

Journal Article AMERICAN ZOOLOGIST · January 1, 1989 Link to item Cite

Form and function of the tongue in agamid lizards with comments on its phylogenetic significance.

Journal Article Journal of morphology · May 1988 The morphology of the tongue of agamid lizards is reviewed and discussed in the context of its functional and phylogenetic significance. It is shown that in several features, including the development of the central musculature of the tongue into a ring mu ... Full text Cite

MORPHOLOGY AND FUNCTION OF THE JAW APPARATUS IN 2 ARMADILLOS

Journal Article AMERICAN ZOOLOGIST · January 1, 1988 Link to item Cite

Formal assessment

Journal Article Nature · October 2, 1986 Full text Cite

Morphology and function of the tongue and hyoid apparatus in Varanus (Varanidae, Lacertilia).

Journal Article Journal of morphology · March 1986 The morphology and function of the tongue and hyoid apparatus in Varanus were examined by anatomical and experimental techniques. Morphological features unique to Varanus include a highly protrusible tongue that has lost a roughened dorsal surface, an exce ... Full text Cite

Tongues, tentacles and trunks: the biomechanics of movement in muscular‐hydrostats

Journal Article Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society · January 1, 1985 Muscular‐hydrostats, muscular organs which lack typical systems of skeletal support, include the tongues of mammals and lizards, the arms and tentacles of cephalopod molluscs and the trunks of elephants. In this paper the means by which such organs produce ... Full text Cite

Strain gauge measurement of mesokinetic movement in the lizard Varanus exanthematicus.

Journal Article The Journal of experimental biology · January 1985 Single-element strain gauges were placed across the mesokinetic joint of the skull of the savanna monitor lizard, Varanus exanthematicus Bosc, in order to document the extent and timing of mesokinetic movement. In addition, rosette strain gauges were place ... Full text Cite

The use of the tongue and hyoid apparatus during feeding in lizards (Ctenosaura similis and Tupinambis nigropunctatus)

Journal Article Journal of Zoology · January 1, 1984 The use of the tongue and hyoid is examined in cineradiographic and electromyographic investigations of feeding in two species of lizards, Ctenosaura similis (Iguanidae) and Tupinambis nigropunctatus (Teiidae). In both animals food is transported through t ... Full text Cite

THE MORPHOLOGY AND FUNCTION OF THE TONGUE IN LIZARDS

Journal Article AMERICAN ZOOLOGIST · January 1, 1983 Link to item Cite

The biomechanics of movement in tongues and tentacles

Journal Article Journal of Biomechanics · January 1983 Full text Cite

An electromyographic study of the function of the jaw adducting muscles in Varanus exanthematicus (varanidae).

Journal Article Journal of morphology · August 1982 The function of major features of the skull of Varanus exanthematicus during feeding was examined using cineradiography and electromyography. During the initial stages of feeding, Varanus grabs and orients a prey item in the mouth with no mastication, tear ... Full text Cite

Mechanical significance of streptostyly in lizards [20]

Journal Article Nature · December 1, 1980 The morphology of the lizard skull has been a subject of study for more than a century, particularly with respect to the morphology and function of the major jaw adducting muscles1-5 and the mechanics of the moving parts6-9. It is possible that controversi ... Full text Cite