Macroevolutionary Patterns in the Evolutionary Radiation of Archosaurs (Tetrapoda: Diapsida) Stephen L
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(Reptilia: Archosauria) from the Late Triassic of North America
Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 20(4):633±636, December 2000 q 2000 by the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology RAPID COMMUNICATION FIRST RECORD OF ERPETOSUCHUS (REPTILIA: ARCHOSAURIA) FROM THE LATE TRIASSIC OF NORTH AMERICA PAUL E. OLSEN1, HANS-DIETER SUES2, and MARK A. NORELL3 1Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Columbia University, Palisades, New York 10964; 2Department of Palaeobiology, Royal Ontario Museum, 100 Queen's Park, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 2C6 and Department of Zoology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 3G5; 3Division of Paleontology, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th Street, New York, New York 10024 INTRODUCTION time-scales (Gradstein et al., 1995; Kent and Olsen, 1999). Third, Lucas et al. (1998) synonymized Stegomus with Aeto- To date, few skeletal remains of tetrapods have been recov- saurus and considered the latter taxon an index fossil for con- ered from the Norian- to Rhaetian-age continental strata of the tinental strata of early to middle Norian age. As discussed else- Newark Supergroup in eastern North America. It has always where, we regard this as the weakest line of evidence (Sues et been assumed that these red clastic deposits are largely devoid al., 1999). of vertebrate fossils, and thus they have almost never been sys- tematically prospected for such remains. During a geological DESCRIPTION ®eld-trip in March 1995, P.E.O. discovered the partial skull of a small archosaurian reptile in the lower part of the New Haven The fossil from Cheshire is now housed in the collections of Formation (Norian) of the Hartford basin (Newark Supergroup; the American Museum of Natural History, where it is cata- Fig. -
Stratigraphic Paleobiology of an Evolutionary Radiation: Taphonomy and Facies Distribution of Cetaceans in the Last 23 Million Years
Fossilia, Volume 2018: 15-17 Stratigraphic paleobiology of an evolutionary radiation: taphonomy and facies distribution of cetaceans in the last 23 million years Stefano Dominici1, Simone Cau2 & Alessandro Freschi2 1 Museo di Storia Naturale, Università degli Studi di Firenze, Firenze, Italy; [email protected] 2 Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche, della Vita e della Sostenibilità Ambientale, Università degli Studi di Parma, Parma, Italy; cau.simo- [email protected], [email protected] BULLET-POINTS ABSTRACT KEYWORDS: • The majority of cetacean fossils are in Zanclean and Piacenzian deposits. Neogene; • Cetacean fossils are preferentially found in offshore paleosettings. Pliocene; • Pleistocene findings drop to a minimum, notwithstanding offshore strata are Cetaceans; well represented in the record. Taphonomy. • A taphonomic imprinting on the cetacean fossil record is hypothesised, con- nected with a radiation of whale-bone consumers of modern type. offer a particularly rich cetacean fossil record and an INTRODUCTION area where available studies allow to explore this key The study of the stratigraphy and taphonomy of Neo- time of cetacean evolution at a stratigraphic resolution gene cetaceans is a fundamental step to properly frame finer than the stage. An increase in cetaceans diversity the evolutionary radiation of this megafauna, at the is recorded around 3.2 – 3.0 Ma, in coincidence of top of the pelagic marine ecosystem. Major evolutio- the mid-Piacenzian climatic optimum, and a drastic nary steps have been summarised in recent -
Diversity Partitioning During the Cambrian Radiation
Diversity partitioning during the Cambrian radiation Lin Naa,1 and Wolfgang Kiesslinga,b aGeoZentrum Nordbayern, Paleobiology and Paleoenvironments, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, 91054 Erlangen, Germany; and bMuseum für Naturkunde, Leibniz Institute for Research on Evolution and Biodiversity at the Humboldt University Berlin, 10115 Berlin, Germany Edited by Douglas H. Erwin, Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC, and accepted by the Editorial Board March 10, 2015 (received for review January 2, 2015) The fossil record offers unique insights into the environmental and Results geographic partitioning of biodiversity during global diversifica- Raw gamma diversity exhibits a strong increase in the first three tions. We explored biodiversity patterns during the Cambrian Cambrian stages (informally referred to as early Cambrian in this radiation, the most dramatic radiation in Earth history. We as- work) (Fig. 1A). Gamma diversity dropped in Stage 4 and de- sessed how the overall increase in global diversity was partitioned clined further through the rest of the Cambrian. The pattern is between within-community (alpha) and between-community (beta) robust to sampling standardization (Fig. 1B) and insensitive to components and how beta diversity was partitioned among environ- including or excluding the archaeocyath sponges, which are po- ments and geographic regions. Changes in gamma diversity in the tentially oversplit (16). Alpha and beta diversity increased from Cambrian were chiefly driven by changes in beta diversity. The the Fortunian to Stage 3, and fluctuated erratically through the combined trajectories of alpha and beta diversity during the initial following stages (Fig. 2). Our estimate of alpha (and indirectly diversification suggest low competition and high predation within beta) diversity is based on the number of genera in published communities. -
Ischigualasto Formation. the Second Is a Sile- Diversity Or Abundance, but This Result Was Based on Only 19 of Saurid, Ignotosaurus Fragilis (Fig
This article was downloaded by: [University of Chicago Library] On: 10 October 2013, At: 10:52 Publisher: Taylor & Francis Informa Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: 1072954 Registered office: Mortimer House, 37-41 Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JH, UK Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology Publication details, including instructions for authors and subscription information: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/ujvp20 Vertebrate succession in the Ischigualasto Formation Ricardo N. Martínez a , Cecilia Apaldetti a b , Oscar A. Alcober a , Carina E. Colombi a b , Paul C. Sereno c , Eliana Fernandez a b , Paula Santi Malnis a b , Gustavo A. Correa a b & Diego Abelin a a Instituto y Museo de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de San Juan , España 400 (norte), San Juan , Argentina , CP5400 b Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas , Buenos Aires , Argentina c Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, and Committee on Evolutionary Biology , University of Chicago , 1027 East 57th Street, Chicago , Illinois , 60637 , U.S.A. Published online: 08 Oct 2013. To cite this article: Ricardo N. Martínez , Cecilia Apaldetti , Oscar A. Alcober , Carina E. Colombi , Paul C. Sereno , Eliana Fernandez , Paula Santi Malnis , Gustavo A. Correa & Diego Abelin (2012) Vertebrate succession in the Ischigualasto Formation, Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, 32:sup1, 10-30, DOI: 10.1080/02724634.2013.818546 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02724634.2013.818546 PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE Taylor & Francis makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of all the information (the “Content”) contained in the publications on our platform. However, Taylor & Francis, our agents, and our licensors make no representations or warranties whatsoever as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability for any purpose of the Content. -
Crocodylomorpha, Neosuchia), and a Discussion on the Genus Theriosuchus
bs_bs_banner Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2015. With 5 figures The first definitive Middle Jurassic atoposaurid (Crocodylomorpha, Neosuchia), and a discussion on the genus Theriosuchus MARK T. YOUNG1,2, JONATHAN P. TENNANT3*, STEPHEN L. BRUSATTE1,4, THOMAS J. CHALLANDS1, NICHOLAS C. FRASER1,4, NEIL D. L. CLARK5 and DUGALD A. ROSS6 1School of GeoSciences, Grant Institute, The King’s Buildings, University of Edinburgh, James Hutton Road, Edinburgh EH9 3FE, UK 2School of Ocean and Earth Science, National Oceanography Centre, University of Southampton, European Way, Southampton SO14 3ZH, UK 3Department of Earth Science and Engineering, Imperial College London, London SW6 2AZ, UK 4National Museums Scotland, Chambers Street, Edinburgh EH1 1JF, UK 5The Hunterian, University of Glasgow, University Avenue, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK 6Staffin Museum, 6 Ellishadder, Staffin, Isle of Skye IV51 9JE, UK Received 1 December 2014; revised 23 June 2015; accepted for publication 24 June 2015 Atoposaurids were a clade of semiaquatic crocodyliforms known from the Late Jurassic to the latest Cretaceous. Tentative remains from Europe, Morocco, and Madagascar may extend their range into the Middle Jurassic. Here we report the first unambiguous Middle Jurassic (late Bajocian–Bathonian) atoposaurid: an anterior dentary from the Isle of Skye, Scotland, UK. A comprehensive review of atoposaurid specimens demonstrates that this dentary can be referred to Theriosuchus based on several derived characters, and differs from the five previously recog- nized species within this genus. Despite several diagnostic features, we conservatively refer it to Theriosuchus sp., pending the discovery of more complete material. As the oldest known definitively diagnostic atoposaurid, this discovery indicates that the oldest members of this group were small-bodied, had heterodont dentition, and were most likely widespread components of European faunas. -
8. Archosaur Phylogeny and the Relationships of the Crocodylia
8. Archosaur phylogeny and the relationships of the Crocodylia MICHAEL J. BENTON Department of Geology, The Queen's University of Belfast, Belfast, UK JAMES M. CLARK* Department of Anatomy, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA Abstract The Archosauria include the living crocodilians and birds, as well as the fossil dinosaurs, pterosaurs, and basal 'thecodontians'. Cladograms of the basal archosaurs and of the crocodylomorphs are given in this paper. There are three primitive archosaur groups, the Proterosuchidae, the Erythrosuchidae, and the Proterochampsidae, which fall outside the crown-group (crocodilian line plus bird line), and these have been defined as plesions to a restricted Archosauria by Gauthier. The Early Triassic Euparkeria may also fall outside this crown-group, or it may lie on the bird line. The crown-group of archosaurs divides into the Ornithosuchia (the 'bird line': Orn- ithosuchidae, Lagosuchidae, Pterosauria, Dinosauria) and the Croco- dylotarsi nov. (the 'crocodilian line': Phytosauridae, Crocodylo- morpha, Stagonolepididae, Rauisuchidae, and Poposauridae). The latter three families may form a clade (Pseudosuchia s.str.), or the Poposauridae may pair off with Crocodylomorpha. The Crocodylomorpha includes all crocodilians, as well as crocodi- lian-like Triassic and Jurassic terrestrial forms. The Crocodyliformes include the traditional 'Protosuchia', 'Mesosuchia', and Eusuchia, and they are defined by a large number of synapomorphies, particularly of the braincase and occipital regions. The 'protosuchians' (mainly Early *Present address: Department of Zoology, Storer Hall, University of California, Davis, Cali- fornia, USA. The Phylogeny and Classification of the Tetrapods, Volume 1: Amphibians, Reptiles, Birds (ed. M.J. Benton), Systematics Association Special Volume 35A . pp. 295-338. Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1988. -
The Origins of Dinosauria: Much Ado About Nothing
View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by RERO DOC Digital Library [Palaeontology, Vol. 57, Part 3, 2014, pp. 469–478] FRONTIERS IN PALAEONTOLOGY THE ORIGINS OF DINOSAURIA: MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING by MAX C. LANGER Departamento de Biologia, FFCLRP, Universidade de S~ao Paulo, Av. Bandeirantes 3900,14040-901, Ribeir~ao Preto, SP Brazil; e-mail: [email protected] Typescript received 19 February 2014; accepted in revised form 7 March 2014 Abstract: Research this century has greatly improved our early members of the main dinosauromorph lineages and knowledge of the origin and early radiation of dinosaurs. requires a more meticulous assessment of characters and The unearthing of several new dinosaurs and close out- homologies than those recently conducted. Presently, the groups from Triassic rocks from various parts of the oldest uncontroversial dinosaur records come from Late world, coupled with improved phylogenetic analyses, has Triassic (Carnian) rocks of South America, southern Africa set a basic framework in terms of timing of events and and India, hinting at a south-western Pangaea origin of the macroevolutionary patterns. However, important parts of group. Besides, macroevolutionary approaches suggest that the early dinosauromorph evolutionary history are still the rise of dinosaurs was a more gradual process than pre- poorly understood, rendering uncertain the phylogenetic viously understood. Obviously, these tentative scenarios position of silesaurids as either non-dinosaur Dinosaurifor- need to be tested by new fossil finds, which should also mes or ornithischians, as well as that of various early help close the major gaps recognized in the fossil record of saurischians, such as Eoraptor lunensis and herrerasaurs, as Triassic dinosauromorphs. -
Tetrapod Biostratigraphy and Biochronology of the Triassic–Jurassic Transition on the Southern Colorado Plateau, USA
Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 244 (2007) 242–256 www.elsevier.com/locate/palaeo Tetrapod biostratigraphy and biochronology of the Triassic–Jurassic transition on the southern Colorado Plateau, USA Spencer G. Lucas a,⁎, Lawrence H. Tanner b a New Mexico Museum of Natural History, 1801 Mountain Rd. N.W., Albuquerque, NM 87104-1375, USA b Department of Biology, Le Moyne College, 1419 Salt Springs Road, Syracuse, NY 13214, USA Received 15 March 2006; accepted 20 June 2006 Abstract Nonmarine fluvial, eolian and lacustrine strata of the Chinle and Glen Canyon groups on the southern Colorado Plateau preserve tetrapod body fossils and footprints that are one of the world's most extensive tetrapod fossil records across the Triassic– Jurassic boundary. We organize these tetrapod fossils into five, time-successive biostratigraphic assemblages (in ascending order, Owl Rock, Rock Point, Dinosaur Canyon, Whitmore Point and Kayenta) that we assign to the (ascending order) Revueltian, Apachean, Wassonian and Dawan land-vertebrate faunachrons (LVF). In doing so, we redefine the Wassonian and the Dawan LVFs. The Apachean–Wassonian boundary approximates the Triassic–Jurassic boundary. This tetrapod biostratigraphy and biochronology of the Triassic–Jurassic transition on the southern Colorado Plateau confirms that crurotarsan extinction closely corresponds to the end of the Triassic, and that a dramatic increase in dinosaur diversity, abundance and body size preceded the end of the Triassic. © 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. Keywords: Triassic–Jurassic boundary; Colorado Plateau; Chinle Group; Glen Canyon Group; Tetrapod 1. Introduction 190 Ma. On the southern Colorado Plateau, the Triassic– Jurassic transition was a time of significant changes in the The Four Corners (common boundary of Utah, composition of the terrestrial vertebrate (tetrapod) fauna. -
Constraints on the Timescale of Animal Evolutionary History
Palaeontologia Electronica palaeo-electronica.org Constraints on the timescale of animal evolutionary history Michael J. Benton, Philip C.J. Donoghue, Robert J. Asher, Matt Friedman, Thomas J. Near, and Jakob Vinther ABSTRACT Dating the tree of life is a core endeavor in evolutionary biology. Rates of evolution are fundamental to nearly every evolutionary model and process. Rates need dates. There is much debate on the most appropriate and reasonable ways in which to date the tree of life, and recent work has highlighted some confusions and complexities that can be avoided. Whether phylogenetic trees are dated after they have been estab- lished, or as part of the process of tree finding, practitioners need to know which cali- brations to use. We emphasize the importance of identifying crown (not stem) fossils, levels of confidence in their attribution to the crown, current chronostratigraphic preci- sion, the primacy of the host geological formation and asymmetric confidence intervals. Here we present calibrations for 88 key nodes across the phylogeny of animals, rang- ing from the root of Metazoa to the last common ancestor of Homo sapiens. Close attention to detail is constantly required: for example, the classic bird-mammal date (base of crown Amniota) has often been given as 310-315 Ma; the 2014 international time scale indicates a minimum age of 318 Ma. Michael J. Benton. School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1RJ, U.K. [email protected] Philip C.J. Donoghue. School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1RJ, U.K. [email protected] Robert J. -
Comparative Bone Microstructure of Three Archosauromorphs from the Carnian, Late Triassic Chañares Formation of Argentina
Comparative bone microstructure of three archosauromorphs from the Carnian, Late Triassic Chañares Formation of Argentina JORDI ALEXIS GARCIA MARSÀ, FEDERICO L. AGNOLÍN, and FERNANDO E. NOVAS Marsà, J.A.G., Agnolín, F.L., and Novas, F.E. 2020. Comparative bone microstructure of three archosauromorphs from the Carnian, Late Triassic Chañares Formation of Argentina. Acta Palaeontologica Polonica 65 (2): 387–398. The Chañares Formation exhibits one of the most important archosauriform records of early Carnian ecosystems. Here we present new data on the palaeohistology of Chañares archosauriforms and provide new insights into their paleobiology, as well as possible phylogenetically informative traits. Bone microstructure of Lagerpeton chanarensis and Tropidosuchus romeri is dominated by fibro-lamellar tissue and dense vascularization. On the other hand, Chanaresuchus bonapartei is more densely vascularized, but with cyclical growth characterized by alternate fibro-lamellar, parallel-fibered and lamellar-zonal tissues. Dense vascularization and fibro-lamellar tissue imply fast growth and high metabolic rates for all these taxa. These histological traits may be tentatively interpreted as a possible adaptative advantage in front of Chañares Formation environmental conditions. Key words: Archosauromorpha, Lagerpeton, Tropidosuchus, paleobiology, paleohistology, Mesozoic, South America. Jordi Alexis Garcia Marsà [[email protected]] and Fernando E. Novas [[email protected]], Labora- torio de Anatomía Comparada y Evolución de los Vertebrados, -
University of Birmingham the Earliest Bird-Line Archosaurs and The
University of Birmingham The earliest bird-line archosaurs and the assembly of the dinosaur body plan Nesbitt, Sterling; Butler, Richard; Ezcurra, Martin; Barrett, Paul; Stocker, Michelle; Angielczyk, Kenneth; Smith, Roger; Sidor, Christian; Niedzwiedzki, Grzegorz; Sennikov, Andrey; Charig, Alan DOI: 10.1038/nature22037 License: None: All rights reserved Document Version Peer reviewed version Citation for published version (Harvard): Nesbitt, S, Butler, R, Ezcurra, M, Barrett, P, Stocker, M, Angielczyk, K, Smith, R, Sidor, C, Niedzwiedzki, G, Sennikov, A & Charig, A 2017, 'The earliest bird-line archosaurs and the assembly of the dinosaur body plan', Nature, vol. 544, no. 7651, pp. 484-487. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature22037 Link to publication on Research at Birmingham portal Publisher Rights Statement: Checked for eligibility: 03/03/2017. General rights Unless a licence is specified above, all rights (including copyright and moral rights) in this document are retained by the authors and/or the copyright holders. The express permission of the copyright holder must be obtained for any use of this material other than for purposes permitted by law. •Users may freely distribute the URL that is used to identify this publication. •Users may download and/or print one copy of the publication from the University of Birmingham research portal for the purpose of private study or non-commercial research. •User may use extracts from the document in line with the concept of ‘fair dealing’ under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 (?) •Users may not further distribute the material nor use it for the purposes of commercial gain. Where a licence is displayed above, please note the terms and conditions of the licence govern your use of this document. -
A Re-Evaluation of the Enigmatic Dinosauriform Caseosaurus Crosbyensis from the Late Triassic of Texas, USA and Its Implications for Early Dinosaur Evolution
A re-evaluation of the enigmatic dinosauriform Caseosaurus crosbyensis from the Late Triassic of Texas, USA and its implications for early dinosaur evolution MATTHEW G. BARON and MEGAN E. WILLIAMS Baron, M.G. and Williams, M.E. 2018. A re-evaluation of the enigmatic dinosauriform Caseosaurus crosbyensis from the Late Triassic of Texas, USA and its implications for early dinosaur evolution. Acta Palaeontologica Polonica 63 (1): 129–145. The holotype specimen of the Late Triassic dinosauriform Caseosaurus crosbyensis is redescribed and evaluated phylogenetically for the first time, providing new anatomical information and data on the earliest dinosaurs and their evolution within the dinosauromorph lineage. Historically, Caseosaurus crosbyensis has been considered to represent an early saurischian dinosaur, and often a herrerasaur. More recent work on Triassic dinosaurs has cast doubt over its supposed dinosaurian affinities and uncertainty about particular features in the holotype and only known specimen has led to the species being regarded as a dinosauriform of indeterminate position. Here, we present a new diagnosis for Caseosaurus crosbyensis and refer additional material to the taxon—a partial right ilium from Snyder Quarry. Our com- parisons and phylogenetic analyses suggest that Caseosaurus crosbyensis belongs in a clade with herrerasaurs and that this clade is the sister taxon of Dinosauria, rather than positioned within it. This result, along with other recent analyses of early dinosaurs, pulls apart what remains of the “traditional” group of dinosaurs collectively termed saurischians into a polyphyletic assemblage and implies that Dinosauria should be regarded as composed exclusively of Ornithoscelida (Ornithischia + Theropoda) and Sauropodomorpha. In addition, our analysis recovers the enigmatic European taxon Saltopus elginensis among herrerasaurs for the first time.