Evolutionary and paleobiogeographic implications of new carcharodontosaurian, megaraptorid, and unenlagiine theropod remains from the upper Lower Cretaceous of Victoria, southeast Australia

Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: Feb. 19, 2025

Language: Английский

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Triassic pterosaur precursors of Brazil: catalog, evolutionary context, and a new hypothesis for phylogenetic relationships of Pterosauromorpha

Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 97(suppl 1)

Published: Jan. 1, 2025

Abstract Pterosaurs, remarkable for their extensive evolutionary history and role as the first vertebrates to achieve active flight, have long intrigued paleontologists public alike. Spanning over 150 million years vanishing at end of Mesozoic Era, pterosaurs represent a major radiation within terrestrial ecosystems. Despite prominence, origins remained complex puzzle in paleontology 200 years. We present comprehensive catalog pterosaur precursors specimens from Upper Triassic Candelária Sequence Santa Maria Supersequence southern Brazil discuss significance understanding pterosauromorph Pterosauria. Additionally, we carried out phylogenetic analysis investigate hypothesis that lagerpetids are closely related pterosaurs, incorporating new data into most dataset dinosauromorphs. Our results support pterosauromorphs, offering insights relationships between non-pterosaur pterosauromorphs better known volant relatives. This study highlights importance detailed anatomical analyses resolving underscores value fossil record early evolution pterosauromorphs.

Language: Английский

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The world’s oldest cerapodan ornithischian dinosaur from the Middle Jurassic of Morocco

Royal Society Open Science, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 12(3)

Published: March 1, 2025

The cerapodan dinosaurs were an ornithischian clade that achieved a global distribution in the Cretaceous Period. ichnological record suggests these had evolved by Middle Jurassic, but only single body fossil, isolated femur from Callovian of UK, is known this interval. In order to elucidate early stages evolution and help resolve many phylogenetic inconsistencies clade, new specimens, particularly historically undersampled localities, are needed. Herein, we report proximal dinosaur Bathonian El Mers III Formation Atlas Mountains, Morocco. specimen, although fragmentary, bears characteristics, including femoral head offset on distinct neck constriction between greater trochanter, unite it with Cerapoda exclusion other neornithischians. This specimen represents world’s oldest cerapodan. has also yielded ankylosaur (and first discovered Africa), as well one stegosaurs. Further sampling rocks will therefore be crucial for understanding radiation dinosaurs.

Language: Английский

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Ornitópodos basales del centro-sur de Chubut, Patagonia central: Consideraciones evolutivas, paleohistológicas y paleoambientales

Publicación Electrónica de la Asociación Paleontológica Argentina, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: unknown, P. 31 - 48

Published: April 10, 2025

En el centro-sur de la Provincia Chubut se exponen excelentes afloramientos rocas sedimentarias edad cretácica que conforman principal relleno cuenca del Golfo San Jorge. Dentro esta destacan por su abundancia vertebrados fósiles, Formación Bajo Barreal (Cenomaniano temprano–Turoniano tardío) y Lago Colhué Huapi (Coniaciano–Maastrichtiano). Aunque registro está mayormente dominado dinosaurios saurisquios, hallazgos fósiles ornitisquios, específicamente ornitópodos, han incrementado en los últimos años. contribución pretende ampliar conocimiento ornitópodos basales Notohypsilophodon comodorensis Sektensaurus sanjuanboscoi provenientes las formaciones Huapi, respectivamente. También, primera vez, abordan describen aspectos sobre paleohistología ambos ornitópodos. Asimismo, con evidencias cuentan al momento a espera nuevos estudios resuelvan mejor relaciones sistemáticas base Ornithopoda, sugiere elasmarios habrían originado este Gondwana, probablemente durante Cretácico temprano, posteriormente dispersado oeste dicho supercontinente, donde alcanzaron tamaños corporales mayores. Por último, menos Patagonia central, observa una selección ambiente entre (elasmarios) derivados (hadrosáuridos). Los primeros desarrollado ambientes tierra adentro climas cierta estacionalidad, mientras hadrosáuridos seleccionado cercanos mar un clima más homogéneo.

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A Review of Nanosaurus agilis Marsh and Other Small-Bodied Morrison Formation “Ornithopods”

Bulletin of the Peabody Museum of Natural History, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 66(1)

Published: April 25, 2025

Language: Английский

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A new “silesaurid” from the oldest dinosauromorph-bearing beds of South America provides insights into the early evolution of bird-line archosaurs

Gondwana Research, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: Sept. 1, 2024

Language: Английский

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The macroecology of Mesozoic dinosaurs

Biology Letters, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 20(11)

Published: Nov. 1, 2024

Dinosaurs thrived for over 160 million years in Mesozoic ecosystems, displaying diverse ecological and evolutionary adaptations. Their ecology was shaped by large-scale climatic biogeographic changes, calling a ‘deep-time’ macroecological investigation. These factors include temperature fluctuations the break up of Pangaea, influencing species richness, diversity history. Recent improvements dinosaur fossil record have enabled studies their responses to tectonic, geographic shifts. Trends diversity, body size reproductive traits can now be analysed using quantitative approaches like phylogenetic comparative methods, machine learning Bayesian inference. patterns sometimes align with, but also deviate from, first-order rules (e.g. species–area relationship, latitudinal biodiversity gradient, Bergmann’s rule). Accurate reconstructions palaeobiodiversity niche partitioning require ongoing taxonomic revisions detailed anatomical descriptions. Interdisciplinary research combining sedimentology, geochemistry palaeoclimatology helps uncover environmental conditions driving Fieldwork under-sampled regions, particularly at extremes, is crucial understanding spatial heterogeneity ecosystems across planet. Open science initiatives online databases play key role advancing this field, enriching our deep-time processes, offering new insights into macroecology its broader implications.

Language: Английский

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The spatiotemporal distribution of Mesozoic dinosaur diversity

Biology Letters, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 20(12)

Published: Dec. 1, 2024

Much of our view on Mesozoic dinosaur diversity is obscured by biases in the fossil record. In particular, spatiotemporal sampling heterogeneity affects identification timing and geographical location radiations, recognition latitudinal gradient, as well interpretation purported extinctions, faunal turnovers their drivers, including Early Jurassic Jenkyns Event across Jurassic/Cretaceous boundary. The current distribution means it impossible to robustly determine whether these 'events' were globally synchronous geologically instantaneous or spatiotemporally staggered. Accounting for also paramount reconciling notable differences results based sampling-standardized species richness versus reconstructions diversification rates, particularly with regards lead-up Cretaceous/Paleogene mass extinction. Incorporation a greater proportion stratigraphically well-resolved dinosaurs into analyses imperative must include substantial radiation birds. Given relative rarity temporally successive, well-sampled spatial windows, remains possible that rate showed little change after clade's initial until However, better understanding underlying sampling, combined holistic approach reconstructing diversification, an important step testing this hypothesis.

Language: Английский

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Lower Cretaceous iguanodontian dinosaurs from the southwestern margin of Gondwana

Cretaceous Research, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 165, P. 105983 - 105983

Published: Aug. 17, 2024

Language: Английский

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Bone histology and growth curve of the earliest ceratopsian Yinlong downsi from the Upper Jurassic of Junggar Basin, Northwest China

PeerJ, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 12, P. e18761 - e18761

Published: Dec. 19, 2024

Yinlong downsi , the earliest known ceratopsian, is represented by dozens of specimens different sizes collected from Upper Jurassic Junggar Basin, northwestern China. Here, we present first comprehensive study on bone histology based ten varying in size. Four ontogenetic stages are recognized: early juvenile, late subadult, and adult. The reconstructed growth curve suggests that may reach sexual maturity at 6 years old, which earlier than well-studied early-diverging ceratopsian Psittacosaurus (9 old) but later ceratopsids (about 3 to 5 old). This indicate begins during evolution ceratopsians, giant size acquired accelerating rates. cortex tibia mainly consists fibrolamellar tissues, parallel-fibered lines arrested (LAGs) very common throughout ontogeny, suggesting a moderate rate. Quantitative analysis indicates has maximum rate similar those other small-sized dinosaurs such as Dysalotosaurus Troodon their rates higher extant squamates crocodiles lower mammals large dinosaurs. body plays more important role factors phylogenetic position and/or diet among non-avian

Language: Английский

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