An Enigmatic Neodiapsid Reptile from the Middle Triassic of England
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A Phylogenomic Analysis of Turtles ⇑ Nicholas G
Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 83 (2015) 250–257 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/ympev A phylogenomic analysis of turtles ⇑ Nicholas G. Crawford a,b,1, James F. Parham c, ,1, Anna B. Sellas a, Brant C. Faircloth d, Travis C. Glenn e, Theodore J. Papenfuss f, James B. Henderson a, Madison H. Hansen a,g, W. Brian Simison a a Center for Comparative Genomics, California Academy of Sciences, 55 Music Concourse Drive, San Francisco, CA 94118, USA b Department of Genetics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA c John D. Cooper Archaeological and Paleontological Center, Department of Geological Sciences, California State University, Fullerton, CA 92834, USA d Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA e Department of Environmental Health Science, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA f Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA g Mathematical and Computational Biology Department, Harvey Mudd College, 301 Platt Boulevard, Claremont, CA 9171, USA article info abstract Article history: Molecular analyses of turtle relationships have overturned prevailing morphological hypotheses and Received 11 July 2014 prompted the development of a new taxonomy. Here we provide the first genome-scale analysis of turtle Revised 16 October 2014 phylogeny. We sequenced 2381 ultraconserved element (UCE) loci representing a total of 1,718,154 bp of Accepted 28 October 2014 aligned sequence. Our sampling includes 32 turtle taxa representing all 14 recognized turtle families and Available online 4 November 2014 an additional six outgroups. Maximum likelihood, Bayesian, and species tree methods produce a single resolved phylogeny. -
The Sclerotic Ring: Evolutionary Trends in Squamates
The sclerotic ring: Evolutionary trends in squamates by Jade Atkins A Thesis Submitted to Saint Mary’s University, Halifax, Nova Scotia in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Applied Science July, 2014, Halifax Nova Scotia © Jade Atkins, 2014 Approved: Dr. Tamara Franz-Odendaal Supervisor Approved: Dr. Matthew Vickaryous External Examiner Approved: Dr. Tim Fedak Supervisory Committee Member Approved: Dr. Ron Russell Supervisory Committee Member Submitted: July 30, 2014 Dedication This thesis is dedicated to my family, friends, and mentors who helped me get to where I am today. Thank you. ! ii Table of Contents Title page ........................................................................................................................ i Dedication ...................................................................................................................... ii List of figures ................................................................................................................. v List of tables ................................................................................................................ vii Abstract .......................................................................................................................... x List of abbreviations and definitions ............................................................................ xi Acknowledgements .................................................................................................... -
Reptiles A. Cladistics 1. Many Groups of Organisms
Reptiles A. Cladistics 1. Many groups of organisms are “polyphyletic” a. This means that the group combines 2 or more lineages - example=fish 2. Cladistics follows only pure lineages going back in time - example Osteichthys B. Reptile Classifiecation - looks like a polyphyletic group 1. Dry skin - no loss of water through skin like amphibians 2. Aminotic egg - an egg that can survive on dry land - in contrast with the amphibian egg C. Mammals and Birds are derived from different lineages of reptiles (We will see below) D. Stem Reptiles 1. Different lineages based on the temporal region of their skulls - number of holes (or bars) a. These holes are necessary to accommodate large jaw muscles b. Anapsid Skull - no holes in temporal - jaws can move fast, but with little force 1. Muscles that move the jaw are small 2. There is no good paleotological evidence for the transition between amphibians and reptiles - no fossil intermediates a. Fossil amphibians have lots of dermal bones in skull b. Amphibians have no temporal openings in skull 1. (Aside) both fossil amphibians and primitive reptiles have a parietal “eye” that senses light and dark (“third” eye in middle of head) c. Reptile skull is higher than amphibian to accomodate larger jaw muscles d. Of the modern reptiles only turtles are anapsids 2. Diapsid Skull - has holes in the temporal region a. Diapsid reptiles gave rise to lizards and snakes - they have a diapsid skull 1. Also Tuatara, crocodiles, dinosaurs and pterydactyls Reptiles b. One group of diapsids also had a pre-orbital hole in the skull in front of eye - this hole is still preserved in the birds - this anatomy suggests strongly that the birds are derived from the diapsid reptiles 3. -
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. -
PROGRAMME ABSTRACTS AGM Papers
The Palaeontological Association 63rd Annual Meeting 15th–21st December 2019 University of Valencia, Spain PROGRAMME ABSTRACTS AGM papers Palaeontological Association 6 ANNUAL MEETING ANNUAL MEETING Palaeontological Association 1 The Palaeontological Association 63rd Annual Meeting 15th–21st December 2019 University of Valencia The programme and abstracts for the 63rd Annual Meeting of the Palaeontological Association are provided after the following information and summary of the meeting. An easy-to-navigate pocket guide to the Meeting is also available to delegates. Venue The Annual Meeting will take place in the faculties of Philosophy and Philology on the Blasco Ibañez Campus of the University of Valencia. The Symposium will take place in the Salon Actos Manuel Sanchis Guarner in the Faculty of Philology. The main meeting will take place in this and a nearby lecture theatre (Salon Actos, Faculty of Philosophy). There is a Metro stop just a few metres from the campus that connects with the centre of the city in 5-10 minutes (Line 3-Facultats). Alternatively, the campus is a 20-25 minute walk from the ‘old town’. Registration Registration will be possible before and during the Symposium at the entrance to the Salon Actos in the Faculty of Philosophy. During the main meeting the registration desk will continue to be available in the Faculty of Philosophy. Oral Presentations All speakers (apart from the symposium speakers) have been allocated 15 minutes. It is therefore expected that you prepare to speak for no more than 12 minutes to allow time for questions and switching between presenters. We have a number of parallel sessions in nearby lecture theatres so timing will be especially important. -
Biomechanical Assessment of Evolutionary Changes in the Lepidosaurian Skull
Biomechanical assessment of evolutionary changes in the lepidosaurian skull Mehran Moazena,1, Neil Curtisa, Paul O’Higginsb, Susan E. Evansc, and Michael J. Fagana aDepartment of Engineering, University of Hull, Hull HU6 7RX, United Kingdom; bThe Hull York Medical School, University of York, York YO10 5DD, United Kingdom; and cResearch Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom Edited by R. McNeill Alexander, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom, and accepted by the Editorial Board March 24, 2009 (received for review December 23, 2008) The lepidosaurian skull has long been of interest to functional mor- a synovial joint with the pterygoid, the base resting in a pit (fossa phologists and evolutionary biologists. Patterns of bone loss and columellae) on the dorsolateral pterygoid surface. Thus, the gain, particularly in relation to bars and fenestrae, have led to a question at issue in relation to the lepidosaurian lower temporal variety of hypotheses concerning skull use and kinesis. Of these, one bar is not the functional advantage of its loss (13), but rather of of the most enduring relates to the absence of the lower temporal bar its gain in some rhynchocephalians and, very rarely, in lizards in squamates and the acquisition of streptostyly. We performed a (12, 14). This, in turn, raises questions as to the selective series of computer modeling studies on the skull of Uromastyx advantages of the different lepidosaurian skull morphologies. hardwickii, an akinetic herbivorous lizard. Multibody dynamic anal- Morphological changes in the lepidosaurian skull have been ysis (MDA) was conducted to predict the forces acting on the skull, the subject of theoretical and experimental studies (6, 8, 9, and the results were transferred to a finite element analysis (FEA) to 15–19) that aimed to understand the underlying selective crite- estimate the pattern of stress distribution. -
The Shoulder Girdle and Anterior Limb of Drepanosaurus Unguicaudatus
<oological Journal of the Linnean Socieg (1994), Ill: 247-264. With 12 figures The shoulder girdle and anterior limb of Drepanosaurus unguicaudatus (Reptilia, Neodiapsida) from the upper Triassic (Norian) Downloaded from https://academic.oup.com/zoolinnean/article/111/3/247/2691415 by guest on 27 September 2021 of Northern Italy SILVIO RENESTO Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Universita degli Studi, Via Mangiagalli 34, I-20133 Milano, Italy Received January 1993, accepted for publication February 1994 A reinvestigation of the osteology of the holotype of Drepanosaurus unguicaudatus Pinna, 1980 suggests that in earlier descriptions some osteological features were misinterpreted, owing to the crushing of the bones and because taphonomic aspects were not considered. The pattern of the shoulder girdle and fore-limb was misunderstood: the supposed interclavicle is in fact the right scapula, and the bones previously identified as coracoid and scapula belong to the anterior limb. The new reconstruction of the shoulder girdle, along with the morphology of the phalanges and caudal vertebrae, leads to a new hypothesis about the mode oflife of this reptile. Drepanosaurus was probably an arboreal reptile which used its enormous claws to scrape the bark from trees, perhaps in search of insects, just as the modern pigmy anteater (Cyclopes) does. Available diagnostic characters place Drepanosaurus within the Neodiapsida Benton, but it is impossible to ascribe this genus to one or other of the two major neodiapsid lineages, the Archosauromorpha and the Lepidosauromorpha. ADDITIONAL KEY WORDS:-Functional morphology - taxonomy - taphonomy - palaeoecology . CONTENTS Introduction ................... 247 Taphonomy ..... .............. 249 Systematic palaeontology . .............. 251 Genus Drepanosaurus Pinna, 1980 .............. 252 Drepannsaurus unguicaudatus Pinna, 1980. -
Evolution of the Iguanine Lizards (Sauria, Iguanidae) As Determined by Osteological and Myological Characters David F
Brigham Young University Science Bulletin, Biological Series Volume 12 | Number 3 Article 1 1-1971 Evolution of the iguanine lizards (Sauria, Iguanidae) as determined by osteological and myological characters David F. Avery Department of Biology, Southern Connecticut State College, New Haven, Connecticut Wilmer W. Tanner Department of Zoology, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/byuscib Part of the Anatomy Commons, Botany Commons, Physiology Commons, and the Zoology Commons Recommended Citation Avery, David F. and Tanner, Wilmer W. (1971) "Evolution of the iguanine lizards (Sauria, Iguanidae) as determined by osteological and myological characters," Brigham Young University Science Bulletin, Biological Series: Vol. 12 : No. 3 , Article 1. Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/byuscib/vol12/iss3/1 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Western North American Naturalist Publications at BYU ScholarsArchive. It has been accepted for inclusion in Brigham Young University Science Bulletin, Biological Series by an authorized editor of BYU ScholarsArchive. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. S-^' Brigham Young University f?!AR12j97d Science Bulletin \ EVOLUTION OF THE IGUANINE LIZARDS (SAURIA, IGUANIDAE) AS DETERMINED BY OSTEOLOGICAL AND MYOLOGICAL CHARACTERS by David F. Avery and Wilmer W. Tanner BIOLOGICAL SERIES — VOLUME Xil, NUMBER 3 JANUARY 1971 Brigham Young University Science Bulletin -
(Diapsida: Saurosphargidae), with Implications for the Morphological Diversity and Phylogeny of the Group
Geol. Mag.: page 1 of 21. c Cambridge University Press 2013 1 doi:10.1017/S001675681300023X A new species of Largocephalosaurus (Diapsida: Saurosphargidae), with implications for the morphological diversity and phylogeny of the group ∗ CHUN LI †, DA-YONG JIANG‡, LONG CHENG§, XIAO-CHUN WU†¶ & OLIVIER RIEPPEL ∗ Laboratory of Evolutionary Systematics of Vertebrates, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, PO Box 643, Beijing 100044, China ‡Department of Geology and Geological Museum, Peking University, Beijing 100871, PR China §Wuhan Institute of Geology and Mineral Resources, Wuhan, 430223, PR China ¶Canadian Museum of Nature, PO Box 3443, STN ‘D’, Ottawa, ON K1P 6P4, Canada Department of Geology, The Field Museum, 1400 S. Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL 60605-2496, USA (Received 31 July 2012; accepted 25 February 2013) Abstract – Largocephalosaurus polycarpon Cheng et al. 2012a was erected after the study of the skull and some parts of a skeleton and considered to be an eosauropterygian. Here we describe a new species of the genus, Largocephalosaurus qianensis, based on three specimens. The new species provides many anatomical details which were described only briefly or not at all in the type species, and clearly indicates that Largocephalosaurus is a saurosphargid. It differs from the type species mainly in having three premaxillary teeth, a very short retroarticular process, a large pineal foramen, two sacral vertebrae, and elongated small granular osteoderms mixed with some large ones along the lateral most side of the body. With additional information from the new species, we revise the diagnosis and the phylogenetic relationships of Largocephalosaurus and clarify a set of diagnostic features for the Saurosphargidae Li et al. -
A Small Lepidosauromorph Reptile from the Early Triassic of Poland
A SMALL LEPIDOSAUROMORPH REPTILE FROM THE EARLY TRIASSIC OF POLAND SUSAN E. EVANS and MAGDALENA BORSUK−BIAŁYNICKA Evans, S.E. and Borsuk−Białynicka, M. 2009. A small lepidosauromorph reptile from the Early Triassic of Poland. Palaeontologia Polonica 65, 179–202. The Early Triassic karst deposits of Czatkowice quarry near Kraków, southern Poland, has yielded a diversity of fish, amphibians and small reptiles. Two of these reptiles are lepido− sauromorphs, a group otherwise very poorly represented in the Triassic record. The smaller of them, Sophineta cracoviensis gen. et sp. n., is described here. In Sophineta the unspecial− ised vertebral column is associated with the fairly derived skull structure, including the tall facial process of the maxilla, reduced lacrimal, and pleurodonty, that all resemble those of early crown−group lepidosaurs rather then stem−taxa. Cladistic analysis places this new ge− nus as the sister group of Lepidosauria, displacing the relictual Middle Jurassic genus Marmoretta and bringing the origins of Lepidosauria closer to a realistic time frame. Key words: Reptilia, Lepidosauria, Triassic, phylogeny, Czatkowice, Poland. Susan E. Evans [[email protected]], Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Uni− versity College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK. Magdalena Borsuk−Białynicka [[email protected]], Institut Paleobiologii PAN, Twarda 51/55, PL−00−818 Warszawa, Poland. Received 8 March 2006, accepted 9 January 2007 180 SUSAN E. EVANS and MAGDALENA BORSUK−BIAŁYNICKA INTRODUCTION Amongst living reptiles, lepidosaurs (snakes, lizards, amphisbaenians, and tuatara) form the largest and most successful group with more than 7 000 widely distributed species. The two main lepidosaurian clades are Rhynchocephalia (the living Sphenodon and its extinct relatives) and Squamata (lizards, snakes and amphisbaenians). -
Tiago Rodrigues Simões
Diapsid Phylogeny and the Origin and Early Evolution of Squamates by Tiago Rodrigues Simões A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in SYSTEMATICS AND EVOLUTION Department of Biological Sciences University of Alberta © Tiago Rodrigues Simões, 2018 ABSTRACT Squamate reptiles comprise over 10,000 living species and hundreds of fossil species of lizards, snakes and amphisbaenians, with their origins dating back at least as far back as the Middle Jurassic. Despite this enormous diversity and a long evolutionary history, numerous fundamental questions remain to be answered regarding the early evolution and origin of this major clade of tetrapods. Such long-standing issues include identifying the oldest fossil squamate, when exactly did squamates originate, and why morphological and molecular analyses of squamate evolution have strong disagreements on fundamental aspects of the squamate tree of life. Additionally, despite much debate, there is no existing consensus over the composition of the Lepidosauromorpha (the clade that includes squamates and their sister taxon, the Rhynchocephalia), making the squamate origin problem part of a broader and more complex reptile phylogeny issue. In this thesis, I provide a series of taxonomic, phylogenetic, biogeographic and morpho-functional contributions to shed light on these problems. I describe a new taxon that overwhelms previous hypothesis of iguanian biogeography and evolution in Gondwana (Gueragama sulamericana). I re-describe and assess the functional morphology of some of the oldest known articulated lizards in the world (Eichstaettisaurus schroederi and Ardeosaurus digitatellus), providing clues to the ancestry of geckoes, and the early evolution of their scansorial behaviour. -
February 2020 Issue
THE FROG AND TADPOLE STUDY GROUP NSW Inc. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/FATSNSW/ Email: [email protected] PO Box 296 Rockdale NSW 2216 NEWSLETTER No. 165 FEBRUARY 2020 Frogwatch Helpline 0419 249 728 Website: www.fats.org.au ABN: 34 282 154 794 Photo by Jayden Walsh Crucifix Frog Notaden bennettii You are invited to our FATS meeting. It’s free. Everyone is welcome. Arrive from 6.30 pm for a 7pm start. Friday 7 February 2020 FATS meet at the Education Centre, Bicentennial Pk, Sydney Olympic Park Easy walk from Concord West railway station and straight down Victoria Ave. Take a torch in winter. By car: Enter from Australia Ave at the Bicentennial Park main entrance, turn off to the right and drive through the park. It’s a one way road. Or enter from Bennelong Rd / Parkway. It is a short stretch of two way road. th FATS meeting, Friday 7 February 2020 Park in P10f car park, the last car park before the Bennelong Rd. exit gate. 6.30 pm Lost Green Tree Frogs Litoria caerulea frogs and “friends” seeking forever homes: Priority to new pet frog owners. Please bring your membership card and cash $50 donation. CONTENTS PAGE Sorry, we don’t have EFTPOS. Your NSW NPWS amphibian licence must be sighted on the night. Adopted frogs can never Last meeting 2 be released. Please contact us first if you plan to adopt a frog. Corroboree poem by Giles Watson 3 We will confirm what frogs are ready to rehome. Vale John Diamond 7.00 pm Welcome and announcements Ourimbah FATS field trip, 4 7.45 pm Our main speaker is Jordan Crawford-Ash, from Australian notes from Josie Styles Museum.