Valentin Buffa, Eberhard Frey, J-Sébastien Steyer, Michel Laurin
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
The anatomy of Late Triassic drepanosauromorphs is re-examined, with a focus on the previously published surface models of the holotype of Avicranium renestoi from the Norian of North America. We comment on the cranial anatomy of this taxon and propose a new reconstruction of the skull and mandible. Contrary to previous interpretations, the entire rostrum and most of the palate are not preserved in this specimen. We also suggest that some proposed plesiomorphic characters may result from incomplete ossification due to immaturity. These new observations are compiled into a new morphological phylogenetic dataset designed to address the monophyly of ‘Avicephala’, the group comprising the Late Permian gliding reptiles Weigeltisauridae, and the Late Triassic chameleon-like Drepanosauromorpha. We recover Weigeltisauridae as stem-saurian diapsids and Drepanosauromorpha as sister-group to Trilophosauridae among archosauromorphs, thus implying the paraphyly of ‘Avicephala’. Drepanosauromorphs and trilophosaurids are recovered as sister-taxa for the first time, as supported by several cranial and postcranial synapomorphies. This new phylogenetic position of Drepanosauromorpha reduces the group’s ghost lineage that now does not necessarily cross the Permian–Triassic boundary. However, much remains unknown of the early history of trilophosaurids and drepanosauromorphs, and of the evolution of arboreality in Triassic archosauromorph reptiles.
期刊介绍:
The Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society publishes papers on systematic and evolutionary zoology and comparative, functional and other studies where relevant to these areas. Studies of extinct as well as living animals are included. Reviews are also published; these may be invited by the Editorial Board, but uninvited reviews may also be considered. The Zoological Journal also has a wide circulation amongst zoologists and although narrowly specialized papers are not excluded, potential authors should bear that readership in mind.