DOCSLIB.ORG

Final Copy 2019 10 01 Herrera

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text

Load more

This electronic thesis or dissertation has been downloaded from Explore Bristol Research, http://research-information.bristol.ac.uk Author: Herrera Flores, Jorge Alfredo A Title: The macroevolution and macroecology of Mesozoic lepidosaurs General rights Access to the thesis is subject to the Creative Commons Attribution - NonCommercial-No Derivatives 4.0 International Public License. A copy of this may be found at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/legalcode This license sets out your rights and the restrictions that apply to your access to the thesis so it is important you read this before proceeding. Take down policy Some pages of this thesis may have been removed for copyright restrictions prior to having it been deposited in Explore Bristol Research. However, if you have discovered material within the thesis that you consider to be unlawful e.g. breaches of copyright (either yours or that of a third party) or any other law, including but not limited to those relating to patent, trademark, confidentiality, data protection, obscenity, defamation, libel, then please contact [email protected] and include the following information in your message: •Your contact details •Bibliographic details for the item, including a URL •An outline nature of the complaint Your claim will be investigated and, where appropriate, the item in question will be removed from public view as soon as possible. This electronic thesis or dissertation has been downloaded from Explore Bristol Research, http://research-information.bristol.ac.uk Author: Herrera Flores, Jorge Alfredo A Title: The macroevolution and macroecology of Mesozoic lepidosaurs General rights Access to the thesis is subject to the Creative Commons Attribution - NonCommercial-No Derivatives 4.0 International Public License. A copy of this may be found at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/legalcode This license sets out your rights and the restrictions that apply to your access to the thesis so it is important you read this before proceeding. Take down policy Some pages of this thesis may have been removed for copyright restrictions prior to having it been deposited in Explore Bristol Research. However, if you have discovered material within the thesis that you consider to be unlawful e.g. breaches of copyright (either yours or that of a third party) or any other law, including but not limited to those relating to patent, trademark, confidentiality, data protection, obscenity, defamation, libel, then please contact [email protected] and include the following information in your message: •Your contact details •Bibliographic details for the item, including a URL •An outline nature of the complaint Your claim will be investigated and, where appropriate, the item in question will be removed from public view as soon as possible. The macroevolution and macroecology of Mesozoic lepidosaurs Jorge Alfredo Herrera Flores A dissertation submitted to the University of Bristol in accordance with the requirements for award of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Faculty of Science. University of Bristol, School of Earth Sciences September 2018 Word count: 30,394 Abstract I studied with the aid of geometric morphometrics and novel phylogenetic comparative methods patterns of macroevolution in Mesozoic lepidosaurs in order to answer some of the intriguing aspects of their early evolution. The results presented here show that: A) The Late Triassic rhynchocephalian Clevosaurus latidens was not related to the genus Clevosaurus as was previously suggested, and indeed it represents a new genus of an early diverging opisthodontian renamed here as Fraserosphenodon latidens. Additionally, parsimony and Bayesian phylogenetic analysis recovered very similar topologies for the phylogeny of Rhynchocephalia, allowing to formally name two higher clades of derived rhynchocephalians: Eusphenodontia and Neosphenodontia. B) Geometric morphometric analysis of rhynchocephalians confirms the high morphological disparity of the group, while evolutionary rates analysis suggests that rhynchocephalian evolution was driven by heterogenous rates. Both, evolutionary rates analysis and geometric morphometrics shows that the modern “Tuatara” has rather low rates and is morphologically average if compared with other rhynchocephalians, which suggests that it is a morphologically conservative species. C) Dental disparity, body size analysis and geometric morphometrics of Mesozoic squamates suggest that small body size, low diversity and low dental disparity seem to have been the ancestral state of the earliest squamates. However, changes in the biota during the Cretaceous Terrestrial Revolution in the Middle/Late Cretaceous triggered changes in the ecosystem that influenced ecological and morphological adaptations in squamates that resulted in their radiation at the end of the Cretaceous. D) Early lepidosaur evolution was driven by heterogeneous rates; nevertheless, when comparing evolutionary rates of rhynchocephalians, squamates and all Lepidosauria, it is possible to appreciate that rhynchocephalian rates of body size evolution were outstandingly high and sustained over a long period of time, which suggests that rhynchocephalian decline may unexpectedly be linked to their high rates of evolution sustained over time. This fits with Simpson’s tachytelic evolution theory that suggests that a lineage with high evolutionary rates is prone to extinction. The thesis shows how modern computational methods can provide answers to long-running debates in comparative macroevolution. 1 Author’s declaration I declare that the work in this dissertation was carried out in accordance with the requirements of the University's Regulations and Code of Practice for Research Degree Programmes and that it has not been submitted for any other academic award. Except where indicated by specific reference in the text, the work is the candidate's own work. Work done in collaboration with, or with the assistance of, others, is indicated as such. Any views expressed in the dissertation are those of the author. Jorge Alfredo Herrera Flores 21th of September 2018 2 Acknowledgments I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (CONACYT), for the financial support provided with the PhD scholarship number 224636/384587. I would like to express my deepest thanks to my PhD supervisors Professor Michael J. Benton and Dr. Thomas L. Stubbs for their encouragement, support and comprehensive advice until the end of this work. I am very grateful to the Paleobiology Research Group of the University of Bristol for the Bob Savage Memorial Fund and the Paleontological Society for the Arthur J. Boucot Award. I would like to thank Bristol Museum and Art Gallery, University of Aberdeen, Oxford University Museum of Natural History, Cambridge University Museum of Zoology, National Museum Cardiff, Dorset County Museum, Teylers Museum, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Musée des Confluences, Virginia Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, Naturkunde-Museum Bamberg and Bayerische Staatssammlung für Paläontologie und Geologie for the access provided to their collections. I especially thank Armin Elsler and Max Stockdale for their patience, guidance, opinion and ideas shared that considerably improved my PhD. Many thanks to my friends and colleagues of the University of Bristol Paleobiology Research Group. In particular I thank Armin Elsler, Max Stockdale, Tom Stubbs, Ben Moon, Guillermo Navalón, Arnau Bolet and Susana Gutarra for their friendship, encouragement and support. My sincere thanks to my examiners, Prof. Emily Rayfield and Prof. Susan Evans for their valuable comments and suggestions that helped me to improve my work. 3 Dedication A mis padres Rosa María Flores y Lázaro Herrera, de quienes sin su amor y apoyo no me hubiese sido posible llegar hasta aquí. A ustedes les debo todo lo que soy en la vida. A mí tía Evelia, por su amor, comprensión y cariño. A mí hermana Soledad, por su apoyo y por cuidar de mis padres en mi ausencia. A mí querido Gary, por tu apego a la vida y porque pese a tu cansancio y enfermedad esperaste pacientemente mi regreso a casa. A todas aquellas personas a las que ya no tuve oportunidad de volver a ver. “El esfuerzo mismo para llegar a las cimas basta para llenar un corazón de hombre. Hay que imaginarse a Sísifo dichoso” Albert Camus 4 Table of contents Abstract .............................................................................................................................. 1 Author declaration ............................................................................................................ 2 Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................ 3 Dedication ........................................................................................................................... 4 Table of contents ................................................................................................................ 5 List of figures ..................................................................................................................... 8 List of tables ....................................................................................................................... 8 Chapter 1 Macroevolution and an overview of Mesozoic lepidosaurs. .........................................
Recommended publications
  • A New Early Cretaceous Lizard with Well-Preserved Scale Impressions from Western Liaoning , China＊

    A New Early Cretaceous Lizard with Well-Preserved Scale Impressions from Western Liaoning , China＊

    PROGRESS IN NATURAL SCIENCE Vol .15 , N o .2 , F ebruary 2005 A new Early Cretaceous lizard with well-preserved scale impressions from western Liaoning , China＊ JI Shu' an ＊＊ (S chool of Earth and S pace Sciences, Peking University , Beijing 100871 , China) Received May 14 , 2004 ;revised September 29 , 2004 Abstract A new small lizard , Liaoningolacerta brevirostra gen .et sp .nov ., from the Early Cretaceous Yixian Formation of w estern Liaoning is described in detail.The new specimen w as preserved not only by the skeleton , but also by the exceptionally clear scale impressions.This lizard can be included w ithin the taxon Scleroglossa based on its 26 or more presacrals, cruciform interclavicle with a large anterior p rocess, moderately elongated pubis, and slightly notched distal end of tibia .The scales vary evidently in size and shape at different parts of body :small and rhomboid ventral scales, tiny and round limb scales, and large and longitudinally rectangular caudal scales that constitute the caudal w horls.This new finding provides us with more information on the lepidosis of the Mesozoic lizards. Keywords: new genus, Squamata, skeleton, lepidosis, Early Cretaceous, western Liaoning . Lizards are majo r groups in the Late Mesozoic Etymology:Liaoning , the province where the Jehol Biota of w estern Liaoning and the adjacent holoty pe w as collected ;lacerta (Latin), lizard . regions, no rtheastern China .Several fossil lizards Brevi- (Latin), short ;rostra (Latin), snout . have been found from the Yixian Formation , the lower unit of the Early C retaceous Jehol G roup in Holotype :An articulated skeleton w ith its rig ht w hich the feathered theropods , primitive birds , early fo relimb and mid to posterior caudals missing (GM V mamm als and angiosperms were discovered in the past 1580 ; National Geological Museum of China , decade[ 1, 2] .
  • A Redescription and Phylogenetic Analysis of the Cretaceous Fossil Lizard Polyglyphanodon Sternbergi Gilmore, 1940

    A Redescription and Phylogenetic Analysis of the Cretaceous Fossil Lizard Polyglyphanodon Sternbergi Gilmore, 1940

    A Redescription and Phylogenetic Analysis of the Cretaceous Fossil Lizard Polyglyphanodon sternbergi Gilmore, 1940 by Meredith Austin Fontana B.S. in Biology, May 2011, The University of Texas at Austin A Thesis submitted to The Faculty of The Columbian College of Arts and Sciences of The George Washington University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science August 31, 2014 Thesis directed by James M. Clark Ronald Weintraub Professor of Biology © Copyright 2014 by Meredith Austin Fontana All rights reserved ii This thesis is dedicated to the memory of my grandmother, Lee Landsman Zelikow – my single greatest inspiration, whose brilliant mind and unconditional love has profoundly shaped and continues to shape the person I am today. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I am deeply grateful to my graduate advisor Dr. James Clark for his support and guidance throughout the completion of this thesis. This work would not have been possible without his invaluable assistance and commitment to my success, and it has been a privilege to be his student. I would also like to express my appreciation to the additional members of my Master’s examination committee, Dr. Alexander Pyron and Dr. Hans-Dieter Sues, for generously contributing their knowledge and time toward this project and for providing useful comments on the manuscript of this thesis. I am especially grateful to Dr. Sues for allowing me access to the exquisite collection of Polyglyphanodon sternbergi specimens at the National Museum of Natural History. I am also extremely thankful to the many faculty members, colleagues and friends at the George Washington University who have shared their wisdom and given me persistent encouragement.
  • Estesia Mongoliensis (Squamata: Anguimorpha) and the Evolution of Venom Grooves in Lizards

    Estesia Mongoliensis (Squamata: Anguimorpha) and the Evolution of Venom Grooves in Lizards

    View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by American Museum of Natural History Scientific Publications AMERICAN MUSEUM NOVITATES Number 3767, 31 pp. January 25, 2013 New materials of Estesia mongoliensis (Squamata: Anguimorpha) and the evolution of venom grooves in lizards HONG-YU YI1,2 AND MARK A. NORELL1,2 ABSTRACT New specimens of the fossil lizard Estesia mongoliensis are described from the Upper Cre- taceous of Mongolia. Phylogenetic analysis of 86 anguimorph taxa coded with 435 morphologi- cal characters and four genes confirms the placement of Estesia mongoliensis in a monophyletic Monstersauria. Extant monstersaurs, the genus Heloderma, are the only extant lizards bearing venom-transmitting teeth with a deep venom grove in the rostral carina. Compared to the crown group, stem monstersaurs are morphologically more variable in venom-delivery appa- ratus. This study has found that Estesia mongoliensis has two shallow grooves in the rostral and caudal carinae of its dentary teeth, demonstrating a primary venom-delivery apparatus. A sum- mary of venom-delivering tooth specialization in the Anguimorpha is provided, and related morphological characters are optimized on the strict consensus tree resulting from the com- bined morphological and molecular analysis of anguimorph phylogeny. The phylogeny supports a single origination of venom grooves in the Monstersauria, and indicates that grooved teeth are currently the only reliable venom-delivery apparatus to be recognized in fossil lizards. Key Words: Estesia mongoliensis, Monstersauria, venom groove, Anguimorpha INTRODUCTION Estesia mongoliensis is the oldest fossil squamate with dental grooves comparable to venom grooves in extant species.
  • Estimating the Evolutionary Rates in Mosasauroids and Plesiosaurs: Discussion of Niche Occupation in Late Cretaceous Seas

    Estimating the Evolutionary Rates in Mosasauroids and Plesiosaurs: Discussion of Niche Occupation in Late Cretaceous Seas

    Estimating the evolutionary rates in mosasauroids and plesiosaurs: discussion of niche occupation in Late Cretaceous seas Daniel Madzia1 and Andrea Cau2 1 Department of Evolutionary Paleobiology, Institute of Paleobiology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland 2 Independent, Parma, Italy ABSTRACT Observations of temporal overlap of niche occupation among Late Cretaceous marine amniotes suggest that the rise and diversification of mosasauroid squamates might have been influenced by competition with or disappearance of some plesiosaur taxa. We discuss that hypothesis through comparisons of the rates of morphological evolution of mosasauroids throughout their evolutionary history with those inferred for contemporary plesiosaur clades. We used expanded versions of two species- level phylogenetic datasets of both these groups, updated them with stratigraphic information, and analyzed using the Bayesian inference to estimate the rates of divergence for each clade. The oscillations in evolutionary rates of the mosasauroid and plesiosaur lineages that overlapped in time and space were then used as a baseline for discussion and comparisons of traits that can affect the shape of the niche structures of aquatic amniotes, such as tooth morphologies, body size, swimming abilities, metabolism, and reproduction. Only two groups of plesiosaurs are considered to be possible niche competitors of mosasauroids: the brachauchenine pliosaurids and the polycotylid leptocleidians. However, direct evidence for interactions between mosasauroids and plesiosaurs is scarce and limited only to large mosasauroids as the Submitted 31 July 2019 predators/scavengers and polycotylids as their prey. The first mosasauroids differed Accepted 18 March 2020 from contemporary plesiosaurs in certain aspects of all discussed traits and no evidence Published 13 April 2020 suggests that early representatives of Mosasauroidea diversified after competitions with Corresponding author plesiosaurs.
  • The Sclerotic Ring: Evolutionary Trends in Squamates

    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 ....................................................................................................
  • Universitatea “ Babeş – Bolyai “ Cluj

    Universitatea “ Babeş – Bolyai “ Cluj

    “ BABEŞ - BOLYAI “ UNIVERSITY, CLUJ - NAPOCA FACULTY OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING UPPER CRETACEOUS CONTINENTAL VERTEBRATE ASSEMBLAGES FROM METALIFERI SEDIMENTARY AREA: SYSTEMATICS, PALEOECOLOGY AND PALEOBIOGEOGRAPHY PhD THESIS - ABSTRACT - Scientific advisor: PhD Student: Prof. Dr. CODREA VLAD JIPA CĂTĂLIN-CONSTANTIN 2012 CLUJ-NAPOCA SUMMARY Chapter 1 - Introduction ................................................................................................. 1 Chapter 2 - Geological setting ........................................................................................ 3 Chapter 3 - Evolution of the knowledge on the Uppermost Cretaceous vertebrates in Romania ............................................................................................................................ 8 Chapter 4 - Systematic paleontology ............................................................................ 12 Chapter 5 - Taphonomy ................................................................................................ 19 Chapter 6 - Paleoecology ............................................................................................... 22 Chapter 7 - Paleoebiogeography ................................................................................... 29 Chapter 8 - Conclusions ................................................................................................ 31 Selected references ......................................................................................................... 36 Upper Cretaceous
  • New Lizards and Rhynchocephalians from the Lower Cretaceous of Southern Italy

    New Lizards and Rhynchocephalians from the Lower Cretaceous of Southern Italy

    New lizards and rhynchocephalians from the Lower Cretaceous of southern Italy SUSAN. E. EVANS, PASQUALE RAIA, and CARMELA BARBERA Evans, S.E., Raia, P., and Barbera, C. 2004. New lizards and rhynchocephalians from the Lower Cretaceous of southern Italy. Acta Palaeontologica Polonica 49 (3): 393–408. The Lower Cretaceous (Albian age) locality of Pietraroia, near Benevento in southern Italy, has yielded a diverse assem− blage of fossil vertebrates, including at least one genus of rhynchocephalian (Derasmosaurus) and two named lizards (Costasaurus and Chometokadmon), as well as the exquisitely preserved small dinosaur, Scipionyx. Here we describe ma− terial pertaining to a new species of the fossil lizard genus Eichstaettisaurus (E. gouldi sp. nov.). Eichstaettisaurus was first recorded from the Upper Jurassic (Tithonian age) Solnhofen Limestones of Germany, and more recently from the basal Cretaceous (Berriasian) of Montsec, Spain. The new Italian specimen provides a significant extension to the tempo− ral range of Eichstaettisaurus while supporting the hypothesis that the Pietraroia assemblage may represent a relictual is− land fauna. The postcranial morphology of the new eichstaettisaur suggests it was predominantly ground−living. Further skull material of E. gouldi sp. nov. was identified within the abdominal cavity of a second new lepidosaurian skeleton from the same locality. This second partial skeleton is almost certainly rhynchocephalian, based primarily on foot and pelvic structure, but it is not Derasmosaurus and cannot be accommodated within any known genus due to the unusual morphology of the tail vertebrae. Key words: Lepidosauria, Squamata, Rhynchocephalia, palaeobiogeography, predation, Cretaceous, Italy. Susan E. Evans [[email protected]], Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, England; Pasquale Raia [[email protected]] and Carmela Barbera [[email protected]], Dipartimento di Paleontologia, Università di Napoli, Largo S.
  • Mesozoic Marine Reptile Palaeobiogeography in Response to Drifting Plates

    Mesozoic Marine Reptile Palaeobiogeography in Response to Drifting Plates

    ÔØ ÅÒÙ×Ö ÔØ Mesozoic marine reptile palaeobiogeography in response to drifting plates N. Bardet, J. Falconnet, V. Fischer, A. Houssaye, S. Jouve, X. Pereda Suberbiola, A. P´erez-Garc´ıa, J.-C. Rage, P. Vincent PII: S1342-937X(14)00183-X DOI: doi: 10.1016/j.gr.2014.05.005 Reference: GR 1267 To appear in: Gondwana Research Received date: 19 November 2013 Revised date: 6 May 2014 Accepted date: 14 May 2014 Please cite this article as: Bardet, N., Falconnet, J., Fischer, V., Houssaye, A., Jouve, S., Pereda Suberbiola, X., P´erez-Garc´ıa, A., Rage, J.-C., Vincent, P., Mesozoic marine reptile palaeobiogeography in response to drifting plates, Gondwana Research (2014), doi: 10.1016/j.gr.2014.05.005 This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service to our customers we are providing this early version of the manuscript. The manuscript will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and review of the resulting proof before it is published in its final form. Please note that during the production process errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain. ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT Mesozoic marine reptile palaeobiogeography in response to drifting plates To Alfred Wegener (1880-1930) Bardet N.a*, Falconnet J. a, Fischer V.b, Houssaye A.c, Jouve S.d, Pereda Suberbiola X.e, Pérez-García A.f, Rage J.-C.a and Vincent P.a,g a Sorbonne Universités CR2P, CNRS-MNHN-UPMC, Département Histoire de la Terre, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, CP 38, 57 rue Cuvier,
  • A Small Lepidosauromorph Reptile from the Early Triassic of Poland

    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).
  • Download Full Article in PDF Format

    Download Full Article in PDF Format

    comptes rendus palevol 2021 20 20 iles — Jean- pt Cl re au d d n e a R s a n g a e i — b i h P p a l a m e a o f b o i o y l h o p g a y r g a o n e d g p o i a l b a o e DIRECTEURS DE LA PUBLICATION / PUBLICATION DIRECTORS : Bruno David, Président du Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle Étienne Ghys, Secrétaire perpétuel de l’Académie des sciences RÉDACTEURS EN CHEF / EDITORS-IN-CHIEF : Michel Laurin (CNRS), Philippe Taquet (Académie des sciences) ASSISTANTE DE RÉDACTION / ASSISTANT EDITOR : Adenise Lopes (Académie des sciences ; [email protected]) MISE EN PAGE / PAGE LAYOUT : Fariza Sissi (Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle ; [email protected]) RÉVISIONS LINGUISTIQUES DES TEXTES ANGLAIS / ENGLISH LANGUAGE REVISIONS : Kevin Padian (University of California at Berkeley) RÉDACTEURS ASSOCIÉS / ASSOCIATE EDITORS : Micropaléontologie/Micropalaeontology Maria Rose Petrizzo (Università di Milano, Milano) Paléobotanique/Palaeobotany Cyrille Prestianni (Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Brussels) Métazoaires/Metazoa Annalisa Ferretti (Università di Modena e Reggio Emilia, Modena) Paléoichthyologie/Palaeoichthyology Philippe Janvier (Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, Académie des sciences, Paris) Amniotes du Mésozoïque/Mesozoic amniotes Hans-Dieter Sues (Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, Washington) Tortues/Turtles Juliana Sterli (CONICET, Museo Paleontológico Egidio Feruglio, Trelew) Lépidosauromorphes/Lepidosauromorphs Hussam Zaher (Universidade de São Paulo) Oiseaux/Birds Eric Buffetaut (CNRS, École Normale Supérieure, Paris) Paléomammalogie (mammifères de moyenne et grande taille)/Palaeomammalogy (large and mid-sized mammals) Lorenzo Rook* (Università degli Studi di Firenze, Firenze) Paléomammalogie (petits mammifères sauf Euarchontoglires)/Palaeomammalogy (small mammals except for Euarchontoglires) Robert Asher (Cambridge University, Cambridge) Paléomammalogie (Euarchontoglires)/Palaeomammalogy (Euarchontoglires) K.
  • Attachment J Assessment of Existing Paleontologic Data Along with Field Survey Results for the Jonah Field

    Attachment J Assessment of Existing Paleontologic Data Along with Field Survey Results for the Jonah Field

    Attachment J Assessment of Existing Paleontologic Data Along with Field Survey Results for the Jonah Field June 12, 2007 ABSTRACT This is compilation of a technical analysis of existing paleontological data and a limited, selective paleontological field survey of the geologic bedrock formations that will be impacted on Federal lands by construction associated with energy development in the Jonah Field, Sublette County, Wyoming. The field survey was done on approximately 20% of the field, primarily where good bedrock was exposed or where there were existing, debris piles from recent construction. Some potentially rich areas were inaccessible due to biological restrictions. Heavily vegetated areas were not examined. All locality data are compiled in the separate confidential appendix D. Uinta Paleontological Associates Inc. was contracted to do this work through EnCana Oil & Gas Inc. In addition BP and Ultra Resources are partners in this project as they also have holdings in the Jonah Field. For this project, we reviewed a variety of geologic maps for the area (approximately 47 sections); none of maps have a scale better than 1:100,000. The Wyoming 1:500,000 geology map (Love and Christiansen, 1985) reveals two Eocene geologic formations with four members mapped within or near the Jonah Field (Wasatch – Alkali Creek and Main Body; Green River – Laney and Wilkins Peak members). In addition, Winterfeld’s 1997 paleontology report for the proposed Jonah Field II Project was reviewed carefully. After considerable review of the literature and museum data, it became obvious that the portion of the mapped Alkali Creek Member in the Jonah Field is probably misinterpreted.
  • Tiago Rodrigues Simões

    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.