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[dinosaur] Prionochelys + Tungsenia + Saurichthys + more non-dino papers






Ben Creisler


Some recent non-dino papers that may be of interest (some with free pdfs):


Free pdf:

Andrew D. Gentry (2018)
Prionochelys matutina Zangerl, 1953 (Testudines: Pan-Cheloniidae) from the Late Cretaceous of the United States and the evolution of epithecal ossifications in marine turtles.
PeerJ 6:e5876
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Background

Many neritic to nearshore species of marine adapted turtle from the Late Cretaceous of North America are thought to represent the stem lineage of Cheloniidae but due to fragmentary holotypes, low total specimen counts, and resultantly incomplete morphological character suites, are routinely placed either within or outside of crown group Chelonioidea leaving their precise cladistic affinities uncertain. Despite this systematic ambiguity, the referral of these species to either the stem of Cheloniidae or Chelonioidea belies the critical importance of these taxa in any investigation into the origins of extant marine turtles. The adequate incorporation of these species into phylogenetic studies requires the formal description of relatively complete specimens, particularly those possessing associated cranial and post-cranial material.

Methods
Remarkably complete fossil specimens of several adult and juvenile marine turtles from the Mooreville Chalk and Eutaw Formations (Alabama, USA) are formally described and assigned to Prionochelys matutina. This material provides new information into the anatomy, ontogeny, and cladistic affinities of the species. A phylogenetic hypothesis for Late Cretaceous marine turtles is then generated through the consilience of stratigraphic, morphological, and molecular data.

Results

Phylogenetic analysis places Prionochelys matutina on the stem of Cheloniidae as a member of a monophyletic clade with other putative pan-cheloniids, including Ctenochelys stenoporus, Ctenochelys acris, Peritresius martini, and Peritresius ornatus. The members of this clade possess incipient secondary palates, pronounced carapacial and plastral fontanelles at all stages of development, and are characterized by the presence of superficial ossifications at the apices of the neural keel elevations along the dorsal midline of the carapace.

Discussion

The epithecal osteoderms dorsal to the neural series (epineurals) found in Ctenochelyidae are unique among turtles. The presence of epineurals in ctenochelyid turtles shows that epithecal ossifications arose independently in both leatherback (Dermochelyidae) and hard-shelled (Cheloniidae) marine turtles. Whether or not the epineurals of Ctenochelyidae are homologous with the dermal ossicles comprising the carapace of Dermochelys coriacea remains untested however, histological thin sectioning of dermochelyid and ctenochelyd epithecal elements may reveal meaningful information in future studies.

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J. D. Daza A. M. Bauer E. L. Stanley A. Bolet B. Dickson and J. B. Losos (2018)
An Enigmatic Miniaturized and Attenuate Whole Lizard from the Mid-Cretaceous Amber of Myanmar.
Breviora Number 563 :1-18Â
doi: 10.3099/MCZ49.1

NOTE: This paper should be available in open access in the near future from the Harvard online link (not yet posted).ÂÂ



We report the discovery of a new genus and species of amber-preserved lizard from the mid-Cretaceous of Myanmar. The fossil is one of the smallest and most complete Cretaceous lizards ever found, preserving both the articulated skeleton and remains of the muscular system and other soft tissues. Despite its completeness, its state of preservation obscures important diagnostic features. We determined its taxonomic allocation using two approaches: we used previously identified autapomorphies of squamates that were observable in the fossil; and we included the fossil in a large squamate morphological data set. The apomorphy-based identification of this specimen, including comparative data on trunk elongation in squamates, suggests its allocation to the stem-group Anguimorpha. Results from the phylogenetic analysis places the fossil in one of four positions: as sister taxon of either Shinisaurus crocodilurus or Parasaniwa wyomingensis, at the root of Varanoidea, or in a polytomy with Varanoidea and a fossorial group retrieved in a previous assessment of squamate relationships. It is clear that this fossil has many similarities with anguimorph squamates and, if this taxonomic allocation is correct, this fossil would represent the first amber-preserved member of stem Anguimorpha ever recorded, and the smallest known member of that group. It further emphasizes the role of amber inclusions in expanding our understanding of the diversity of Cretaceous lizard communities.

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Felix Vaux, Mary MorganâRichards, Elizabeth E. Daly & Steven A. Trewick (2018)
Tuatara and a new morphometric dataset for Rhynchocephalia: Comments on HerreraâFlores et al.
Palaeontology (advance online publication)

Data archiving statementData, and supplementary table and figures for this study are available in the Dryad Digital Repository: https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.ms7q2q4


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Gavin Stark, Karin Tamar, Yuval Itescu, Anat Feldman & Shai Meiri (2018)
Cold and isolated ectotherms: drivers of reptilian longevity.
Biological Journal of the Linnean Society: bly153


Animal lifespan is determined by extrinsic and intrinsic factors causing mortality. According to the evolutionary theories of senescence, when mortality pressures are low, animals delay reproduction. This enables species to grow more slowly and, consequently, natural selection can act against harmful mutations in adulthood, thereby increasing lifespans. To test predictions of these theories we assembled a dataset on the maximum longevities and relevant ecological variables of 1320 reptilian species. Correcting for phylogeny, we modelled the link between reptile longevity and factors such as body size, microhabitat, activity period, insularity, annual temperature, temperature seasonality, elevation and clutch size that we hypothesized will affect extrinsic mortality rates and hence lifespan. Body mass explained a small proportion of the variance in reptile longevity. Species living on islands, and in colder and more seasonal environments, lived longer. Observed maximum longevity was positively associated with the number of individuals used to estimate it. Our results suggest that species exposed to reduced extrinsic and intrinsic mortality pressures (lower predation, lower metabolic rates and shorter activity periods) live longer. Sampling more individuals increases the chances of finding older specimens and should be corrected for when studying maximum longevity.

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Free pdf:


LU Jing, YOUNG Gavin, HU Yu-Zhi, QIAO Tuo & ZHU Min (2018)
The posterior cranial portion of the earliest known Tetrapodomorph Tungsenia paradoxa and the early evolution of tetrapodomorph endocrania.Â
Vertebrata PalAsiatica (advance online publication)Â
DOI: 10.19615/j.cnki.1000-3118.181031



Here the posterior cranial portion of the tetrapodomorph Tungsenia from the Lower Devonian (Pragian, ~409 million years ago) of Yunnan, southwest China, is reported for the first time. The pattern of posterior skull roof and the morphology of the otoccipital region of the neurocranium are described in detail, providing precious insight into the combination of cranial characters of the earliest known tetrapodomorph to date. The posterior cranium of Tungsenia displays a mosaic of features previously linked either to basal dipnomorphs such as Youngolepis (e.g., the well-developed subjugular ridge, the strong adotic process, and the poorly developed fossa bridgei) or to typical tetrapodomorphs (e.g., the lateral dorsal aortae commenced from the median dorsal aorta postcranially). The independent ventral arcual plate is also found in the advanced tetrapodomorph Eusthenopteron. The new endocranial material of Tungsenia further fills in the morphological gap between Tetrapodomorpha (tetrapod lineage) and Dipnomorpha (lungfish lineage) and unveils the sequence of character acquisition during the initial diversification of the tetrapod lineage. The new phylogenetic analysis strongly supports the basalmost position of Tungsenia amongst the tetrapod lineage.ÂÂ


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Free pdf:


Thodoris Argyriou, Sam Giles, Matt Friedman, Carlo Romano, Ilja Kogan and Marcelo R. SÃnchez-Villagra (2018)
Internal cranial anatomy of Early Triassic species of âSaurichthys (Actinopterygii: âSaurichthyiformes): implications for the phylogenetic placement of âsaurichthyiforms.
BMC Evolutionary Biology 18:161

Background

âSaurichthyiformes were a successful group of latest PermianâMiddle Jurassic predatory actinopterygian fishes and constituted important, widely-distributed components of Triassic marine and freshwater faunas. Their systematic affinities have long been debated, with âsaurichthyiforms often being aligned with chondrosteans, a group today comprising sturgeons and paddlefishes. However, their character-rich endocranial anatomy has not been investigated in detail since the first half of the 20th century. Since then, major advances have occurred in terms of our understanding of early actinopterygian anatomy, as well as techniques for extracting morphological data from fossils.

Results

We used ÎCT to study the internal cranial anatomy of two of the stratigraphically oldest representatives of âSaurichthys, from the Early Triassic of East Greenland and Nepal. Our work revealed numerous previously unknown characters (e.g., cryptic oticooccipital fissure; intramural diverticula of braincase; nasobasal canals; lateral cranial canal; fused dermohyal), and permitted the reevalution of features relating to the structure of cranial fossae, basicranial circulation and opercular anatomy of the genus. Critically, we reinterpret the former âsaurichthyiform opercle as an expanded subopercle. For comparison, we also produced the first digital models of a braincase and endocast of a sturgeon (A. brevirostrum). New information from these taxa was included in a broad phylogenetic analysis of Actinopterygii. âSaurichthyiforms are resolved as close relatives of âBirgeria, forming a clade that constitutes the immediate sister group of crown actinopterygians. However, these and other divergences near the actinopterygian crown node are weakly supported.

Conclusions

Our phylogeny disagrees with the historically prevalent hypothesis favoring the chondrostean affinities of âsaurichthyiforms. Previously-proposed synapomorphies uniting the two clades, such as the closure of the oticooccipital fissure, the posterior extension of the parasphenoid, and the absence of an opercular process, are all widespread amongst actinopterygians. Others, like those relating to basicranial circulation, are found to be based on erroneous interpretations. Our work renders the âsaurichthyiform character complex adequately understood, and permits detailed comparisons with other stem and crown actinopterygians. Our phylogenetic scheme highlights outstanding questions concerning the affinity of many early actinopterygians, such as the Paleozoicâearly Mesozoic deep-bodied forms, which are largely caused by lack of endoskeletal data.


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