Quantifying the effects of exceptional fossil preservation on the global availability of phylogenetic data in deep time

Woolley, C. Henrik; Bottjer, David J.; Corsetti, Frank A.; Smith, Nathan D.

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0297637

Cited by 3 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 80 publications

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“…Amber is one of the best natural preservation media for integument, preserving even fine structures such as compound osteoderms or tiny scales in miniaturized geckos 58 , 68 . Amber offers similar conditions (quick burial and anoxia/hypoxia) to lagerstätten and aeolian deposits of the Campanian Gobi Desert that have preserved remarkably complete skeletons with associated fine integumentary structures 69 – 71 .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Compound osteoderms preserved in amber reveal the oldest known skink

Daza,

Stanley,

Heinicke

et al. 2024

Sci Rep

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Scincidae is one of the most species-rich and cosmopolitan clades of squamate reptiles. Abundant disarticulated fossil material has also been attributed to this group, however, no complete pre-Cenozoic crown-scincid specimens have been found. A specimen in Burmite (99 MYA) is the first fossil that can be unambiguously referred to this clade. Our analyses place it as nested within extant skinks, supported by the presence of compound osteoderms formed by articulated small ostedermites. The specimen has a combination of dorsal and ventral compound osteoderms and overlapping cycloid scales that is limited to skinks. We propose that this type of osteoderm evolved as a response to an increased overlap of scales, and to reduced stiffness of the dermal armour. Compound osteoderms could be a key innovation that facilitated diversification in this megadiverse family.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Compound osteoderms preserved in amber reveal the oldest known skink

Daza,

Stanley,

Heinicke

et al. 2024

Sci Rep

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The spatiotemporal distribution of Mesozoic dinosaur diversity

Mannion

2024

Biol. Lett.

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Much of our view on Mesozoic dinosaur diversity is obscured by biases in the fossil record. In particular, spatiotemporal sampling heterogeneity affects identification of the timing and geographical location of radiations, the recognition of the latitudinal diversity gradient, as well as interpretation of purported extinctions, faunal turnovers and their drivers, including the Early Jurassic Jenkyns Event and across the Jurassic/Cretaceous boundary. The current distribution of sampling means it is impossible to robustly determine whether these ‘events’ were globally synchronous and geologically instantaneous or spatiotemporally staggered. Accounting for sampling heterogeneity is also paramount to reconciling notable differences in results based on sampling-standardized dinosaur species richness versus reconstructions of diversification rates, particularly with regards to the lead-up to the Cretaceous/Paleogene mass extinction. Incorporation of a greater proportion of stratigraphically well-resolved dinosaurs into analyses is also imperative and must include the substantial Mesozoic radiation of birds. Given the relative rarity of temporally successive, well-sampled spatial windows, it remains possible that dinosaur species richness and diversification rate showed little change after the clade’s initial radiation until the Cretaceous/Paleogene boundary. However, better understanding of underlying sampling, combined with a holistic approach to reconstructing dinosaur diversity and diversification, is an important step in testing this hypothesis.

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Thalattosauria in time and space: a review of thalattosaur spatiotemporal occurrences, presumed evolutionary relationships and current ecological hypotheses

Bastiaans

2024

Swiss J Palaeontol

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In the wake of the greatest mass extinction in Earth’s history, the End-Permian Mass Extinction, the Triassic was a time of recovery and innovation. Aided by warm climatic conditions and favorable ecological circumstances, many reptilian clades originated and rapidly diversified during this time. This set the stage for numerous independent invasions of the marine realm by several reptilian clades, such as Ichthyosauriformes and Sauropterygia, shaping the oceanic ecosystems for the entire Mesozoic. Although comparatively less speciose, and temporally and latitudinally more restricted, another marine reptile clade, the Thalattosauriformes, stands out because of their unusual and highly disparate cranial, dental and skeletal morphology. Research on Thalattosauriformes has been hampered by a historic dearth of material, with the exception of rare material from Lagerstätten and highly fossiliferous localities, such as that from the UNESCO world heritage site of Monte San Giorgio. Consequently, their evolutionary origins and paleobiology remain poorly understood. The recent influx of new material from southwestern China and North America has renewed interest in this enigmatic group prompting the need for a detailed review of historic work and current views. The earliest representatives of the group may have been present from the late Early Triassic onwards in British Columbia. By the Ladinian the group had achieved a wide distribution across the northern hemisphere, spanning the eastern Panthalassic as well as the eastern and western Tethyan provinces. Distinct morphological and likely ecological differences exist between the two major clades of Thalattosauriformes, the Askeptosauroidea and the Thalattosauroidea, with the latter showing a higher degree of cranial and skeletal morphological disparity. In-group relationships remain poorly resolved beyond this bipartition. Overall, thalattosaurs may be closely related to other marine reptile groups such as ichthyopterygians and sauropterygians. However, their exact position within Diapsida remains elusive. Future focal points should utilize modern digital paleontological approaches to explore the many fragmentary specimens of otherwise poorly sampled localities.

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Quantifying the effects of exceptional fossil preservation on the global availability of phylogenetic data in deep time

Cited by 3 publications

References 80 publications

Compound osteoderms preserved in amber reveal the oldest known skink

Compound osteoderms preserved in amber reveal the oldest known skink

The spatiotemporal distribution of Mesozoic dinosaur diversity

Thalattosauria in time and space: a review of thalattosaur spatiotemporal occurrences, presumed evolutionary relationships and current ecological hypotheses

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