A gliding reptile from the Upper Permian of North East England

Pettigrew, Tom

doi:10.1038/281297a0

Cited by 13 publications

(9 citation statements)

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“… Pettigrew (1979) reported on a beautifully articulated partial postcranial skeleton referred to Weigeltisaurus from the upper Permian Marl Slate of England (TWCMS B5937.1). The skeleton bears many complete, dichocephalous dorsal ribs of plesiomorphic diapsid morphology articulated throughout the preserved posterior dorsal vertebral column.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The distal tips of these are closely associated with the ventral tips of a series of patagial ossifications. Pettigrew (1979) assumed a one-to-one correspondence between the ribs and the patagials, indicating that the latter were a distal segment of the ribs themselves that connected with the proximal rib at a mobile joint. Evans (1982) re-studied the Eppleton skeleton and agreed with Pettigrew’s assessment of bipartite ribs.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“… Schaumberg (1986) returned to the anatomy of Weigeltisaurus jaekeli with studies of additional new specimens from the Kupferschiefer of Germany. He questioned the interpretations of Pettigrew (1979) and Evans (1982) regarding the homology of the patagials, noting that a one-to-one correspondence of patagial ossifications and dorsal ribs would require over 30 dorsal vertebrae in the Eppleton skeleton. He argued that the new skeletons he reported and the Wolfsberg specimen indicated a much lower dorsal vertebral count relative to the number of patagials.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Osteology, relationships and functional morphology ofWeigeltisaurus jaekeli(Diapsida, Weigeltisauridae) based on a complete skeleton from the Upper Permian Kupferschiefer of Germany

Pritchard

Sues

Scott

et al. 2021

PeerJ

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Background Weigeltisauridae is a clade of small-bodied diapsids characterized by a horned cranial frill, slender trunk and limbs, and a patagium supported by elongated bony rods. Partial skeletons and fragments are definitively known only from upper Permian (Lopingian) rocks in England, Germany, Madagascar and Russia. Despite these discoveries, there have been few detailed descriptions of weigeltisaurid skeletons, and the homologies of many skeletal elements—especially the rods supporting the patagium—remain the subject of controversy. Materials & Methods Here, we provide a detailed description of a nearly complete skeleton of Weigeltisaurus jaekeli from the upper Permian (Lopingian: Wuchiapingian) Kupferschiefer of Lower Saxony, Germany. Briefly addressed by past authors, the skeleton preserves a nearly complete skull, postcranial axial skeleton, appendicular skeleton, and patagial supports. Through comparisons with extant and fossil diapsids, we examine the hypotheses for the homologies of the patagial rods. To examine the phylogenetic position of Weigeltisauridae and characterize the morphology of the clade, we integrate the material and other weigeltisaurids into a parsimony-based phylogenetic analysis focused on Permo-Triassic non-saurian Diapsida and early Sauria (61 taxa, 339 characters). Results We recognize a number of intriguing anatomical features in the weigeltisaurid skeleton described here, including hollow horns on the post-temporal arch, lanceolate teeth in the posterior portion of the maxilla, the absence of a bony arch connecting the postorbital and squamosal bones, elongate and slender phalanges that resemble those of extant arboreal squamates, and patagial rods that are positioned superficial to the lateral one third of the gastral basket. Our phylogenetic study recovers a monophyletic Weigeltisauridae including Coelurosauravus elivensis, Weigeltisaurus jaekeli, and Rautiania spp. The clade is recovered as the sister taxon to Drepanosauromorpha outside of Sauria (=Lepidosauria + Archosauria). Conclusions Our anatomical observations and phylogenetic analysis show variety of plesiomorphic diapsid characters and apomorphies of Weigeltisauridae in the specimen described here. We corroborate the hypothesis that the patagial ossifications are dermal bones unrelated to the axial skeleton. The gliding apparatus of weigeltisaurids was constructed from dermal elements unknown in other known gliding diapsids. SMNK-PAL 2882 and other weigeltisaurid specimens highlight the high morphological disparity of Paleozoic diapsids already prior to their radiation in the early Mesozoic.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Osteology, relationships and functional morphology ofWeigeltisaurus jaekeli(Diapsida, Weigeltisauridae) based on a complete skeleton from the Upper Permian Kupferschiefer of Germany

Pritchard

Sues

Scott

et al. 2021

PeerJ

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“…All West European specimens found later, such as an aberrant specimen from Mansfeld (Schaumberg et al, 2007), "the specimen from Eppleton" (Pettigrew, 1979), which is only known from the postcranium, and a remarkable skeleton from Karlsruhe (Frey et al, 1997) were assigned to the genus Coelurosauravus. In the present study, we accept the validity of the genus Weigeltisaurus, taking into account that it differs from Coelurosauravus in the structure of cervical vertebrae and some bones of the skull roof, as follows from the material described below and available data on the morphology of W. jaekeli (Weigelt, 1930;Evans and Haubold, 1987).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

New data on the morphology of the Late Permian gliding reptile Coelurosauravus elivensis Piveteau

Bulanov

Сенников

2015

Paleontol. J.

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Based on the material from the type locality (Eliva Mountain, Madagascar), the cranial morphol ogy of the Late Permian gliding reptile Coelurosauravus elivensis Piveteau, 1926 (Weigeltisauridae) is redescribed. The diagnosis of the genus Coelurosauravus is emended based on comparisons with East Euro pean weigeltisaurids of the genus Rautiania. It is shown that C. elivensis and all weigeltisaurids lack the post frontals and supratemporals and have a small preorbital fenestra between the maxilla and nasal, partially reduced lacrimal, and large nasolacrimal duct piercing the prefrontal. The poor development of ornamental outgrowths on the parietal and in the ventral part of the squamosal as well as the small size of studied individ uals of C. elivensis are caused by their juvenile age.

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“…Kuehneosaurids were not the first flying vertebrates. The Late Permian Coelurosauravidae (Pettigrew 1979; Evans 1982; Evans and Haubold 1987; Frey et al. 1997) also had extended mid‐dorsal ribs on which their gliding membrane was supported, but the anatomy of both groups differs, and there is no evidence of a close relationship other than that both groups are members of Diapsida.…”

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confidence: 99%

The Aerodynamics of the British Late Triassic Kuehneosauridae

Stein¹,

Palmer²,

Gill³

et al. 2008

Palaeontology

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The Kuehneosauridae (Late Triassic, Britain, USA) had remarkable adaptations, most notably their elongate mid-dorsal ribs that were presumably covered with a skin membrane in life. These lateral 'wings' have always been linked with some form of gliding adaptation, but quantitative studies have been limited. Here, we provide a thorough aerodynamic analysis of both genera of British kuehneosaurids based on theory and on experiments with life-sized models in a wind tunnel. Of the two genera, Kuehneosuchus, with elongate 'wings', was a glider, and Kuehneosaurus, with much shorter 'wings', was a parachutist. Kuehneosuchus most probably had highly cambered wings and no additional skin membranes on hands or feet, nor did it have a cruropatagium. Lappets on the hyoid apparatus, as seen in Draco, were probably present to enhance pitch control. Kuehneosuchus was capable of gliding at angles (h) between 13 and 16 degrees, at speeds between 7 and 9 m ⁄ s, and was probably very manoeuvrable when airborne. Kuehneosaurus was capable of parachuting (h > 45 degrees) at speeds between 10 and 12 m ⁄ s. It is unclear whether the British kuehneosaurid material represents two genera, as assumed here, two species of one genus, or sexual dimorphs of a single species, where the gliding Kuehneosuchus was the male, which used its gliding and perhaps highly coloured 'wings' to display to the parachuting Kuehneosaurus.

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A gliding reptile from the Upper Permian of North East England

Cited by 13 publications

References 2 publications

Osteology, relationships and functional morphology ofWeigeltisaurus jaekeli(Diapsida, Weigeltisauridae) based on a complete skeleton from the Upper Permian Kupferschiefer of Germany

Osteology, relationships and functional morphology ofWeigeltisaurus jaekeli(Diapsida, Weigeltisauridae) based on a complete skeleton from the Upper Permian Kupferschiefer of Germany

New data on the morphology of the Late Permian gliding reptile Coelurosauravus elivensis Piveteau

The Aerodynamics of the British Late Triassic Kuehneosauridae

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