Contrasting macroevolutionary patterns in pelagic tetrapods across the Triassic–Jurassic transition

Abstract

The iconic marine raptorial predators Ichthyosauria and Eosauropterygia co-existed in the same ecosystems throughout most of the Mesozoic Era, facing similar evolutionary pressures and environmental perturbations. Both groups seemingly went through a massive macroevolutionary bottleneck across the Triassic–Jurassic (T/J) transition that greatly reduced their morphological diversity, leaving pelagic lineages as the only survivors. However, analyses of marine reptile disparity across the T/J transition have usually employed coarse morphological and temporal data. We comprehensively compare the evolution of ichthyosaurian and eosauropterygian morphology and body size across the Middle Triassic to Early Jurassic interval and find contrasting macroevolutionary patterns. The ecomorphospace of eosauropterygians predominantly reflects a strong phylogenetic signal, resulting in the clustering of three clades with clearly distinct craniodental phenotypes, suggesting ‘leaps’ towards novel feeding ecologies. Ichthyosaurian diversification lacks a discernible evolutionary trend, as we find evidence for a wide overlap of craniodental morphologies between Triassic and Early Jurassic forms. The temporal evolution of ecomorphological disparity, fin shape and body size of eosauropterygians and ichthyosaurians during the Late Triassic does not support the hypothesis of an abrupt macroevolutionary bottleneck near the T/J transition. Rather, an important turnover event should be sought earlier, during times of rapid sea level falls.