Crystal Organisation of Muscle Attachment Sites of Bivalved Marine Organisms: A Juxtaposition Between Brachiopod and Bivalved Mollusc Shells

The movement of valves of bivalved invertebrates is enabled through the action of muscles and the interplay between the muscles and the hinge ligament. The muscles that move the valves attach to their internal surface. To promote the structural integrity at the mechanically mismatched interfaces, a...

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Main Authors: Sebastian Hoerl, Erika Griesshaber, Daniel Weller, Shahrouz Amini, Verena Häussermann, Maria A. Bitner, Klaus Achterhold, Franz Pfeiffer, Wolfgang W. Schmahl
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-07-01
Series:Crystals
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4352/15/7/649
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author Sebastian Hoerl
Erika Griesshaber
Daniel Weller
Shahrouz Amini
Verena Häussermann
Maria A. Bitner
Klaus Achterhold
Franz Pfeiffer
Wolfgang W. Schmahl
author_facet Sebastian Hoerl
Erika Griesshaber
Daniel Weller
Shahrouz Amini
Verena Häussermann
Maria A. Bitner
Klaus Achterhold
Franz Pfeiffer
Wolfgang W. Schmahl
author_sort Sebastian Hoerl
collection DOAJ
description The movement of valves of bivalved invertebrates is enabled through the action of muscles and the interplay between the muscles and the hinge ligament. The muscles that move the valves attach to their internal surface. To promote the structural integrity at the mechanically mismatched interfaces, a specific crystal microstructure and texture are present at the muscle attachment sites. These are different from the crystal microstructure and texture of the rest of the valves. We present here for modern two- and three-layered brachiopod shells (<i>Magellania venosa</i>, <i>Liothyrella neozelanica</i> and <i>Gryphus vitreus</i>) the mode of crystal organisation at sites of adductor and diductor muscle attachments (i) relative to the microstructure and texture that forms the other sections of the valves and (ii) relative to crystal organisation of muscle attachment sites of bivalved invertebrates of other phyla, namely, species of the class Bivalvia. We discuss similarities/differences in Ca-carbonate phase, microstructure and texture between rhynchonellate brachiopods and bivalves, and discuss whether the Ca-carbonate crystal organisation of muscle attachment sites is convergent for bivalved marine organisms. We show significant differences in muscle attachment site architecture and highlight the different structural solutions developed by nature for shells of marine organisms that serve the same purpose.
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spelling doaj-art-8f6a2b95dad449d5a1033a436d659dca2025-08-20T03:58:26ZengMDPI AGCrystals2073-43522025-07-0115764910.3390/cryst15070649Crystal Organisation of Muscle Attachment Sites of Bivalved Marine Organisms: A Juxtaposition Between Brachiopod and Bivalved Mollusc ShellsSebastian Hoerl0Erika Griesshaber1Daniel Weller2Shahrouz Amini3Verena Häussermann4Maria A. Bitner5Klaus Achterhold6Franz Pfeiffer7Wolfgang W. Schmahl8Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 80333 Munich, GermanyDepartment of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 80333 Munich, GermanyDepartment of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 80333 Munich, GermanyDepartment of Biomaterials, Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, 14476 Potsdam, GermanyEscuela de Ciencias del Mar, Facultad de Recursos Naturales, Pontifica Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Valparaíso 330, ChileInstitute of Paleobiology, Polish Academy of Sciences, 00-818 Warsaw, PolandDepartment of Physics, TUM School of Natural Sciences, Technische Universität München, 85748 Garching, GermanyDepartment of Physics, TUM School of Natural Sciences, Technische Universität München, 85748 Garching, GermanyDepartment of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 80333 Munich, GermanyThe movement of valves of bivalved invertebrates is enabled through the action of muscles and the interplay between the muscles and the hinge ligament. The muscles that move the valves attach to their internal surface. To promote the structural integrity at the mechanically mismatched interfaces, a specific crystal microstructure and texture are present at the muscle attachment sites. These are different from the crystal microstructure and texture of the rest of the valves. We present here for modern two- and three-layered brachiopod shells (<i>Magellania venosa</i>, <i>Liothyrella neozelanica</i> and <i>Gryphus vitreus</i>) the mode of crystal organisation at sites of adductor and diductor muscle attachments (i) relative to the microstructure and texture that forms the other sections of the valves and (ii) relative to crystal organisation of muscle attachment sites of bivalved invertebrates of other phyla, namely, species of the class Bivalvia. We discuss similarities/differences in Ca-carbonate phase, microstructure and texture between rhynchonellate brachiopods and bivalves, and discuss whether the Ca-carbonate crystal organisation of muscle attachment sites is convergent for bivalved marine organisms. We show significant differences in muscle attachment site architecture and highlight the different structural solutions developed by nature for shells of marine organisms that serve the same purpose.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4352/15/7/649brachiopodsEBSDbiomineralsmicrostructure/texturemuscle attachmentlayered bioceramics
spellingShingle Sebastian Hoerl
Erika Griesshaber
Daniel Weller
Shahrouz Amini
Verena Häussermann
Maria A. Bitner
Klaus Achterhold
Franz Pfeiffer
Wolfgang W. Schmahl
Crystal Organisation of Muscle Attachment Sites of Bivalved Marine Organisms: A Juxtaposition Between Brachiopod and Bivalved Mollusc Shells
Crystals
brachiopods
EBSD
biominerals
microstructure/texture
muscle attachment
layered bioceramics
title Crystal Organisation of Muscle Attachment Sites of Bivalved Marine Organisms: A Juxtaposition Between Brachiopod and Bivalved Mollusc Shells
title_full Crystal Organisation of Muscle Attachment Sites of Bivalved Marine Organisms: A Juxtaposition Between Brachiopod and Bivalved Mollusc Shells
title_fullStr Crystal Organisation of Muscle Attachment Sites of Bivalved Marine Organisms: A Juxtaposition Between Brachiopod and Bivalved Mollusc Shells
title_full_unstemmed Crystal Organisation of Muscle Attachment Sites of Bivalved Marine Organisms: A Juxtaposition Between Brachiopod and Bivalved Mollusc Shells
title_short Crystal Organisation of Muscle Attachment Sites of Bivalved Marine Organisms: A Juxtaposition Between Brachiopod and Bivalved Mollusc Shells
title_sort crystal organisation of muscle attachment sites of bivalved marine organisms a juxtaposition between brachiopod and bivalved mollusc shells
topic brachiopods
EBSD
biominerals
microstructure/texture
muscle attachment
layered bioceramics
url https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4352/15/7/649
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