Inferring lifestyle for Aves and Theropoda: A model based on curvatures of extant avian ungual bones DOI Creative Commons
Savannah E. Cobb, William I. Sellers

PLoS ONE, Journal Year: 2020, Volume and Issue: 15(2), P. e0211173 - e0211173

Published: Feb. 5, 2020

Claws are involved in a number of behaviours including locomotion and prey capture, as result animals evolve claw morphologies that enable these functions. Past authors have found geometry the keratinous sheath to correlate with mode life for extant birds squamates; this relationship has frequently been cited infer lifestyles Mesozoic theropods Archaeopteryx. However, many fossil claws lack sheaths thus cannot be analysed using current methods. As ungual phalanx within is more commonly preserved record, bone may provide useful metric paleontological analysis. In study, bones 108 5 squamates were imaged X-ray techniques was between curvatures pedal digit III four modes life; ground-dwelling, perching, predatory, scansorial; linear discriminant analysis weighted accuracy equal 0.79. Our model predicts arboreal Archaeopteryx Microraptor predatory ecology Confuciusornis. These findings demonstrate utility our answering questions palaeoecology, theropod-bird transition, evolution avian flight. Though exhibits strong correlation lifestyle, morphospaces PD-III overlap so should considered alongside additional evidence.

Language: Английский

Multiphase progenetic development shaped the brain of flying archosaurs DOI Creative Commons
Vincent Beyrand, Dennis F. A. E. Voeten, Stanislav Bureš

et al.

Scientific Reports, Journal Year: 2019, Volume and Issue: 9(1)

Published: July 25, 2019

The growing availability of virtual cranial endocasts extinct and extant vertebrates has fueled the quest for endocranial characters that discriminate between phylogenetic groups resolve their neural significances. We used geometric morphometrics to compare a phylogenetically ecologically comprehensive data set archosaurian along deep evolutionary history modern birds found this lineage experienced progressive elevation encephalisation through several chapters increased doming we demonstrate result from progenetic developments. Elevated associated with size reduction within Maniraptoriformes was secondarily exapted flight by stem avialans. Within Mesozoic Avialae, in at least some Ornithurae, yet remained relatively modest early Neornithes. During Paleogene, volant non-neoavian retained ancestral levels endocast where broad neoavian niche diversification heterochronic brain shape radiation, as did non-volant Palaeognathae. infer comparable developments underlying establishment pterosaurian shapes.

Language: Английский

Citations

37

Aquatic Habits and Niche Partitioning in the Extraordinarily Long-Necked Triassic Reptile Tanystropheus DOI Creative Commons
Stephan N. F. Spiekman, James M. Neenan, Nicholas C. Fraser

et al.

Current Biology, Journal Year: 2020, Volume and Issue: 30(19), P. 3889 - 3895.e2

Published: Aug. 6, 2020

Language: Английский

Citations

33

Synchrotron scanning sheds new light on Lumkuia fuzzi (Therapsida, Cynodontia) from the Middle Triassic of South Africa and its phylogenetic placement DOI
Julien Benoît,

M. Nxumalo,

Luke A. Norton

et al.

Journal of African Earth Sciences, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 196, P. 104689 - 104689

Published: Aug. 11, 2022

Language: Английский

Citations

22

Did gorgonopsians survive the end-Permian “Great Dying”? A re-appraisal of three gorgonopsian specimens (Therapsida, Theriodontia) reported from the Triassic Lystrosaurus declivis Assemblage Zone, Karoo Basin, South Africa DOI
Julien Benoît, Christian F. Kammerer, Kathleen N. Dollman

et al.

Palaeogeography Palaeoclimatology Palaeoecology, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 638, P. 112044 - 112044

Published: Jan. 21, 2024

Language: Английский

Citations

4

Inferring lifestyle for Aves and Theropoda: A model based on curvatures of extant avian ungual bones DOI Creative Commons
Savannah E. Cobb, William I. Sellers

PLoS ONE, Journal Year: 2020, Volume and Issue: 15(2), P. e0211173 - e0211173

Published: Feb. 5, 2020

Claws are involved in a number of behaviours including locomotion and prey capture, as result animals evolve claw morphologies that enable these functions. Past authors have found geometry the keratinous sheath to correlate with mode life for extant birds squamates; this relationship has frequently been cited infer lifestyles Mesozoic theropods Archaeopteryx. However, many fossil claws lack sheaths thus cannot be analysed using current methods. As ungual phalanx within is more commonly preserved record, bone may provide useful metric paleontological analysis. In study, bones 108 5 squamates were imaged X-ray techniques was between curvatures pedal digit III four modes life; ground-dwelling, perching, predatory, scansorial; linear discriminant analysis weighted accuracy equal 0.79. Our model predicts arboreal Archaeopteryx Microraptor predatory ecology Confuciusornis. These findings demonstrate utility our answering questions palaeoecology, theropod-bird transition, evolution avian flight. Though exhibits strong correlation lifestyle, morphospaces PD-III overlap so should considered alongside additional evidence.

Language: Английский

Citations

32