RESEARCH ARTICLE Comparative analysis of the vertebral pneumatization in pterosaurs (Reptilia: Pterosauria) and extant birds (Avialae: Neornithes) 1,2,3 2,3 1 Richard BuchmannID *, Leonardo dos Santos Avilla , Taissa Rodrigues 1 LaboratoÂrio de Paleontologia, Departamento de Ciências BioloÂgicas, Centro de Ciências Humanas e a1111111111 Naturais, Universidade Federal do EspõÂrito Santo, VitoÂria, ES, Brazil, 2 LaboratoÂrio de Mastozoologia, Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Federal do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil, a1111111111 3 Programa de PoÂs-graduacËão em Ciências BioloÂgicas (Biodiversidade Neotropical), Universidade Federal a1111111111 do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil a1111111111 a1111111111 *
[email protected] Abstract OPEN ACCESS Birds and pterosaurs have pneumatic bones, a feature likely related to their flight capabilities Citation: Buchmann R, Avilla LdS, Rodrigues T but whose evolution and origin is still poorly understood. Pneumatic foramina are present on (2019) Comparative analysis of the vertebral the external surface of the bone and are reliable indicators of post-cranial skeletal pneumati- pneumatization in pterosaurs (Reptilia: Pterosauria) zation present in Pterosauria, Eusauropoda, and Neotheropoda. Here, we carried out a and extant birds (Avialae: Neornithes). PLoS ONE 14(10): e0224165. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal. qualitative analysis of the position, size and number of pneumatic foramina of the cervical pone.0224165 and thoracic/dorsal vertebrae of pterosaurs and birds, as they have the potential to chal- Editor: Ulrich Joger, State Museum of Natural lenge hypotheses about the emergence and evolution of the respiratory trait in these History, GERMANY groups. We also discussed differences between pneumatic and vascular foramina for identi- Received: April 8, 2019 fication purposes.