Schroeder
et
al.
(Reports,
26
February
2021,
p.
941)
reported
a
size
gap
among
predatory
dinosaur
species.
We
argue
that
the
supporting
dataset
is
skewed
toward
Late
Cretaceous
North
America
and
was
likely
absent
during
other
intervals
in
most
geographic
regions.
urge
broader
consideration
of
this
hypothesis,
with
quantitative
evaluation
preservational
biases.
Nature Communications,
Год журнала:
2021,
Номер
12(1)
Опубликована: Июнь 29, 2021
The
question
why
non-avian
dinosaurs
went
extinct
66
million
years
ago
(Ma)
remains
unresolved
because
of
the
coarseness
fossil
record.
A
sudden
extinction
caused
by
an
asteroid
is
most
accepted
hypothesis
but
it
debated
whether
were
in
decline
or
not
before
impact.
We
analyse
speciation-extinction
dynamics
for
six
key
dinosaur
families,
and
find
a
across
dinosaurs,
where
diversification
shifted
to
declining-diversity
pattern
~76
Ma.
investigate
influence
ecological
physical
factors,
that
was
likely
driven
global
climate
cooling
herbivorous
diversity
drop.
latter
due
hadrosaurs
outcompeting
other
herbivores.
also
estimate
risk
related
species
age
during
decline,
suggesting
lack
evolutionary
novelty
adaptation
changing
environments.
These
results
support
environmentally
well
PLoS ONE,
Год журнала:
2024,
Номер
19(3), С. e0298957 - e0298957
Опубликована: Март 6, 2024
The
lifestyle
of
spinosaurid
dinosaurs
has
been
a
topic
lively
debate
ever
since
the
unveiling
important
new
skeletal
parts
for
Spinosaurus
aegyptiacus
in
2014
and
2020.
Disparate
lifestyles
this
taxon
have
proposed
literature;
some
argued
that
it
was
semiaquatic
to
varying
degrees,
hunting
fish
from
margins
water
bodies,
or
perhaps
while
wading
swimming
on
surface;
others
suggest
fully
aquatic
underwater
pursuit
predator.
various
proposals
are
based
equally
disparate
lines
evidence.
A
recent
study
by
Fabbri
coworkers
sought
resolve
matter
applying
statistical
method
phylogenetic
flexible
discriminant
analysis
femur
rib
bone
diameters
microanatomy
metric
called
global
compactness.
From
their
analyses
datasets
wide
range
extant
extinct
taxa,
they
concluded
two
(
S
.
,
Baryonyx
walkeri
)
were
submerged
“subaqueous
foragers,”
whereas
third
Suchomimus
tenerensis
remained
terrestrial
We
performed
thorough
reexamination
datasets,
analyses,
methodological
assumptions
which
those
conclusions
based,
reveals
substantial
problems
each
these
areas.
In
exemplar
we
found
unsupported
categorization
lifestyle,
inconsistent
inclusion
exclusion
inappropriate
choice
taxa
independent
variables.
also
explored
effects
uncontrolled
sources
variation
estimates
compactness
arise
biological
factors
measurement
error.
ability
draw
quantitative
is
limited
when
represented
single
data
points
with
potentially
large
intrinsic
variability.
results
our
show
low
accuracy
applied
distributions
do
not
meet
fundamental
method.
These
findings
only
invalidate
particular
et
al
but
implications
future
uses
paleontology.
Abstract
A
prominent
hypothesis
in
the
diversification
of
placental
mammals
after
Cretaceous–Palaeogene
(K/Pg)
boundary
suggests
that
extinction
non‐avian
dinosaurs
resulted
ecological
release
mammals,
which
were
previously
constrained
to
small
body
sizes
and
limited
species
richness.
This
‘dinosaur
incumbency
hypothesis’
may
therefore
explain
increases
mammalian
diversity
via
expansion
into
larger
size
niches,
occupied
by
dinosaurs,
but
does
not
directly
predict
other
classes.
To
evaluate
this,
we
estimate
sampling‐standardized
patterns
terrestrial
North
American
fossil
within
classes,
during
Cretaceous
Palaeogene.
We
find
strong
evidence
for
post‐extinction
all
Increases
small‐bodied
(less
than
100
g,
common
class
much
smaller
smallest
non‐avialan
(
c
.
400
g))
similar
those
species.
propose
had
access
greater
energetic
resources
or
able
partition
more
finely
K/Pg
mass
extinction.
is
likely
be
result
a
combination
widespread
niche
clearing
due
extinctions,
alongside
suite
biotic
abiotic
changes
occurred
Late
across
boundary,
such
as
shifting
floral
composition,
novel
key
innovations
among
eutherian
mammals.
Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences,
Год журнала:
2021,
Номер
377(1844)
Опубликована: Дек. 27, 2021
Early
mammals
were
small
and
nocturnal.
Their
visual
systems
had
regressed
they
poor
vision.
After
the
extinction
of
dinosaurs
66
mya,
some
but
not
all
escaped
‘nocturnal
bottleneck’
by
recovering
high-acuity
By
contrast,
early
primates
bottleneck
within
age
having
large
forward-facing
eyes
acute
vision
while
remaining
We
propose
that
these
differed
from
other
changing
balance
between
two
sources
information
to
cortex.
Thus,
cortical
processing
became
less
dependent
on
a
relay
superior
colliculus
(SC)
temporal
cortex
more
distributed
primary
(V1).
In
addition,
major
classes
retina
highly
segregated
into
magnocellular
(M
cell)
projections
V1
primate-specific
area
(MT),
parvocellular-dominated
dorsolateral
(DL
or
V4).
The
greatly
expanded
P
cell
inputs
informed
ventral
stream
involving
frontal
M
pathways
SC
dorsal
MT,
surrounding
cortex,
parietal–frontal
sensorimotor
domains.
This
article
is
part
theme
issue
‘Systems
neuroscience
through
lens
evolutionary
theory’.
Tyrannosaurids
were
large
carnivorous
dinosaurs
that
underwent
major
changes
in
skull
robusticity
and
body
proportions
as
they
grew,
suggesting
occupied
different
ecological
niches
during
their
life
span.
Although
adults
commonly
fed
on
dinosaurian
megaherbivores,
the
diet
of
juvenile
tyrannosaurids
is
largely
unknown.
Here,
we
describe
a
remarkable
specimen
Gorgosaurus
libratus
preserves
articulated
hindlimbs
two
yearling
caenagnathid
inside
its
abdominal
cavity.
The
prey
selectively
dismembered
consumed
separate
feeding
events.
This
predator-prey
association
provides
direct
evidence
an
ontogenetic
dietary
shift
tyrannosaurids.
Juvenile
individuals
may
have
hunted
small
young
until
reached
size
when,
to
satisfy
energy
requirements,
transitioned
megaherbivores.
both
mesopredator
apex
predator
roles
span,
factor
been
key
evolutionary
success.
Journal of Developmental Biology,
Год журнала:
2025,
Номер
13(1), С. 9 - 9
Опубликована: Март 10, 2025
Stressors
such
as
injuries,
embryonic
instability
during
development,
and
higher
levels
of
stress
hormones
testosterone
can
result
in
increases
fluctuating
asymmetry
reptiles
other
vertebrates.
Digit
asymmetry,
digit
ratio
variability,
skull
trait
eye
jaw
size
have
been
correlated
with
level
both
snakes
lizards.
Teeth
has
also
used
a
biomarker
for
brain
laterality.
Body
is
many
potential
stressors,
yet
there
little
research
on
how
body
relates
to
asymmetry.
We
investigate
teeth
within
the
lizard
family
Varanidae,
clade
diverse
range
sizes
consisting
largest
living
lizard,
Varanus
komodoensis.
Using
landmark/semi-landmark
analysis,
we
derived
Centroid
Size
671
pairs
from
13
varanid
species,
was
each
pair.
Right-biased
significantly
greater
upper
tooth
row,
but
breaking
up
positions
into
further
sections
did
not
yield
significant
difference.
found
positive
linear
correlation
between
right-biased
directional
Varanus,
only
when
excluding
V.
This
may
fewer
predators
more
food
items,
thus
resulting
less
overall
stress.
When
analyzed
separately,
komodoensis
individuals
<180
mm
head
length
demonstrated
positive,
non-significant,
trend
along
similar
trajectory
their
congenerics
high
goodness
fit.
On
hand,
>
180
showed
degree
scatter,
several
specimens
having
pronounced
left-biased
suspect
that
this
dramatic
change
due
combination
ontogenetic
niche
shift,
bigger
home
ranges,
susceptibility
negative
anthropogenic
influences,
and/or
male
bias
sampled,
larger
sample
required
determine
if
statistical
significance
these
intra-specific
trends.
reflect
laterality,
which
be
driver
seen
here.
Royal Society Open Science,
Год журнала:
2025,
Номер
12(5)
Опубликована: Май 1, 2025
Late
Cretaceous
Earth
was
dominated
by
theropods
such
as
tyrannosauroids
and
megaraptorans;
however,
it
is
unclear
how
these
clades
diversified
grew
to
massive
proportions.
This
study
aimed
conduct
a
biogeographical
analysis
test
climate
potential
mechanism
for
the
increase
in
size.
We
used
published
phylogenetic
matrices
with
R
package
BioGeoBears
different
hypotheses
both
clades.
mapped
body
mass
(BM)
length
against
known
data
this
hypothesis.
Continental-scale
variance
did
not
drive
tyrannosauroid
biogeography
instead
widespread
ancestral
populations,
sympatric
speciation
localized
extinctions
throughout
constricted
geographic
range.
Both
patterns
were
supported
statistical
analyses.
model
also
indicates
ancestor
of
clade
Tarbosaurus
Tyrannosaurus
present
Asia
Laramidia,
therefore
came
from
Asia.
Statistical
illustrated
no
correlation
between
Mean
Annual
Temperature
(MAT)
BM
but
climatic
shifts
may
be
associated
gigantism
derived
megaraptorids
eutyrannosaurians.
implies
megaraptorans
have
had
cosmopolitan
distribution
prior
splitting
Laurasia
Gondwana.
Also,
Cretaceous.