Cranial morphology of an Early Cretaceous Monjurosuchid (Reptilia: Diapsida) from Liaoning Province of China and evolution of the choristoderan palate

A new specimen of Philydrosaurus proseilus from the Early Cretaceous Chiufotang (Jiufotang) Formation preserves the first complete palate of a monjurosuchid choristodere. As in other choristoderes, the palate of Philydrosaurus is akinetic, extended by a broad contact between the vomer and maxilla, and equipped with multiple batteries of palatal teeth. This specimen provides phylogenetically significant information and clarifies the distribution of many apomorphies within Choristodera. Philydrosaurus is primitive relative to the Neochoristodera in that it exhibits only a moderate degree of posterior displacement of the choanae and retains a relatively large interpterygoid vacuity. However, Philydrosaurus also exhibits several derived features previously considered diagnostic of the Neochoristodera, including establishment of a long midline contact of the pterygoids and development of a distinct nasopalatal trough extending from the choana. The choristodere palate exhibits significant modification of the primitive diapsid condition, including elongation of the vomers, establishment of a vomer–maxilla contact, posterior displacement of the choanae, development of the nasopalatal trough, and reduction of the interpterygoid vacuity.     

A new choristodere (Reptilia: Diapsida) from the Lower Cretaceous of western Liaoning Province, China, and phylogenetic relationships of Monjurosuchidae

The publication of the scientific name Monjurosuchus splendens in 1940 documented the first tetrapod fossil of the later world-renowned Jehol Biota. For more than half a century since this discovery, however, Monjurosuchus has remained as a monotypic genus of the family Monjurosuchidae, and the relationships of the family with choristoderes have not been correctly recognized until quite recently. In this paper, a new monjurosuchid is named and described based on a nearly complete skull and postcranial skeleton from the Early Cretaceous Chiufotang Formation exposed near Chaoyang, western Liaoning Province, China. This new material documents the first occurrence of monjurosuchid choristoderes outside the type Lingyuan area, and extends the geological range of the family from the Yixian Formation to the younger Chiufotang Formation. Cladistic analyses were conducted with inclusion of monjurosuchids, and the results support the placement of the family Monjurosuchidae as a primitive clade outside the Neochoristodera. A new classification scheme is proposed for choristoderes on the basis of the recovered phylogenetic framework of the group.  © 2005 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society , 2005, 145 , 427–444.     

New choristoderes (Reptilia: Diapsida) from the Upper Cretaceous and Palaeocene, Alberta and Saskatchewan, Canada, and phylogenetic relationships of Choristodera

New choristoderan fossils from the Late Cretaceous and Palaeocene of Alberta and Saskatchewan, Canada, are described: incomplete maxillae and dentaries from the Upper Cretaceous Oldman Formation, Alberta, extend the range of the primitive Cteniogenys from the Jurassic in the North American Western Interior; an incomplete dentary from the Palaeocene Ravenscrag Formation, Saskatchewan, comprises the first occurrence of the crocodile-like Simoedosaurus in Canada and the earliest record of the genus; well-preserved skulls and mandibles from the Oldman and Horseshoe Canyon formations, Alberta, document a new species of Champsosaurus and clarify the status of previously known species of the genus. New information about Asian choristoderes supports a Tchoiria- ( Ikechosaurus + Simoedosaurus ) relationship, contrary to previous work. Choristoderes share no convincing synapomorphies with either Lepidosauromorpha or Archosauromorpha, but occupy a more basal position within Diapsida, possibly as a sister-taxon with Neodiapsida (Younginiformes + Sauria).     

辽宁下白垩统九佛堂组伊克昭龙一新种

伊克昭龙 (Ikechosaurus)是一类长吻的离龙类 ,以前根据内蒙古的材料建立了孙氏种 (I.sunailinaeSigogneau Russell,1 981 )及高氏种 (I.gaoiL櫣ｅｔａｌ.,1 999)。根据蒙古的材料建立的TchoiriamagnusEfimov ,1 979也于 1 983年被原作者归入本属。本文记述了辽宁义县皮家沟九佛堂组新发现的一个近于完整保存的骨架 (中国科学院古脊椎动物与古人类研究所标本编号 :IVPPV 1 32 83) ,并建立一新种 :皮家沟伊克昭龙 (Ikechosauruspijiagouensissp .nov .)。新种以下列特征区别于伊克昭龙其他种 :轭骨前伸约至泪骨之半 ;眶间距小于眼眶短径 ;眶后骨与后额骨不愈合 ;髂骨片前突不发育 ,颈区不收缩 ;四肢中桡胫骨与肱股骨之比相对较小。另外其荐前椎数目与孙氏种相同 ,为 2 5枚 ,比鳄龙属 (Champsosaurus)少 1枚 ;坐骨明显比孙氏种短 ;桡肱骨长度之比为 0 .5 8,胫股骨长度之比为 0 .60 ,在所知新离龙类 (Neochoristodera)中属最小 ;前肢腕骨至少 7块 ,后肢跗骨至少 6块 ;指 /趾式均为 2 3 4 4 3。在正型标本中其第二远侧跗骨在左右脚中不对称。提出眶后骨与后额骨的愈合与分离以及轭骨眶后支发育程度不能作为Simoedosaridae和鳄龙科间的鉴别特征 ;股骨内转子与股骨头分离不该作为高氏种的鉴定特征 ;新离龙类?     

Sexual dimorphism in Champsosaurus (Diapsida, Choristodera)

Two nearly complete specimens of Champsosaurus (Diapsida, Choristodera) with distinctive morphologies, from the Tullock Formation (Early Paleocene) of northeastern Montana, USA, were described as different species. The limb bones of C. ambulator are more robust than those of C. laramiensis, indicating that C. ambulator was more adapted for walking than C. laramiensis. The phylogenetic significance of these limb bone morphologies, however, appears questionable because similar dimorphic variations occur in a closely related genus and champsosaurs from other geologic ages and locations. Female champsosaurs may have been better adapted to a terrestrial life than males due to nesting behavior on land, resulting in variable limb bone morphologies between sexes. The observed morphologic variations are, hence, hypothesized to reflect sexual dimorphism rather than sympatry of species. The C. ambulator-shaped humeri and femora, demonstrating a terrestrial adaptation, are suggested to belong to females and C. laramiensis-shaped limb bones to males. No significant variations of humeral and femoral morphologies occur in small champsosaur specimens, suggesting an aquatic niche for juveniles like adult males.     

A two-headed reptile from the Cretaceous of China

A malformed embryonic or neonate choristoderan reptile from the Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation of northeastern China is described. The tiny skeleton exhibits two heads and two necks, with bifurcation at the level of the pectoral girdle. In a fossil, this is the first occurrence of the malformation known as axial bifurcation, which is well known in living reptiles.     

The first record of a long-snouted choristodere (Reptilia,Diapsida) from the Early Cretaceous of Ishikawa Prefecture,Japan

A longirostrine choristoderan reptile is described from the Early Cretaceous Tetori Group on the basis of an associated specimen from the Kuwajima Formation, Ishikawa Prefecture. This is the first report of Neochoristodera from Japan. However, the brevirostrine Monjurosuchus has already been reported from the same deposit, and the long-necked Shokawa was recovered from the Okurodani Formation, which is a lateral equivalent of the Kuwajima Formation. This new material demonstrates that the three known choristoderan morphotypes (short-necked longirostrine, short-necked brevirostrine and long-necked brevirostrine) were all present in the Early Cretaceous deposits of the Tetori Group. Until now, the Jiufotang Formation of China was the only deposit where all three were known to have co-occurred.     

Fossil vertebrate faunas of the British Rhaetian (latest Triassic)

Rhaetian fossil vertebrate faunas of Britain represent rich but biased samples of taxonomic diversity during uppermost Triassic time. Review of the Westbury Formation, Penarth Group, in particular, reveals a combination of marine, littoral, and terrestrial elements. Minimally, six species of shark are preserved along with a myriacanthid holocephalan, at least four actinopterygian taxa, a characteristic lungfish, ichthyosaurs, plesiosaurs, dinosaurs, and potentially the earliest representative of the Choristodera. Rare mammalian occurrences in the Westbury beds are also possible. Severnichthys gen. nov. is a large osteichthyan, probably a palaeonisciform chondrostean, which historically has been mistaken for a labyrinthodont amphibian. At least two additional actinopterygian species and a holocephalan are known from die Lilstock Formation, and a mammal or mammallike reptile is recorded from the uppermost Blue Anchor Formation. Analysis of element abundance in the disarticulated Westbury Formation assemblage indicates that many parts of some taxa are never preserved while other elements of the same form are common. Such preservational bias suggests that many species may be missing entirely from this long-studied but poorly understood taphocoenosis. Possibly contemporaneous cave faunas from nearby upland areas give a similarly biased picture of the terrestrial fauna during this time of widespread marine transgression.     

The skull of Cteniogenys, a choristodere (Reptilia: Archosauromorpha) from the Middle Jurassic of Oxfordshire

The genus Ctemogenys was originally described as a lizard on the basis of isolated jaw fragments from the Upper Jurassic deposits of Como Bluff, Wyoming. The discovery of new material from a Middle Jurassic locality at Kirtlington, Oxfordshire, showed that Cteniogenys was not a lizard, but an early choristodere. The skull is represented by a collection of isolated bones, associated on the basis of fit and dermal sculpture pattern. The bones are here described and compared with those of the Late Cretaceous and Palaeocene choristoderes Champsosaurus and Simoedosaurus. Allowing for the much smaller size of the Middle Jurassic form, there is a close correspondence between the isolated bones of the three genera. Comparison with known choristoderes, based on an analysis of 53 derived character states, suggests that Ctemogenys is the most primitive of known genera. In general, the character states shared by all choristoderes support recent analyses which conclude that choristoderes arc derived from archosauromorph diapsids, not lepidosauromorphs as once thought. At Kirtlington, Cteniogenys forms part of a diverse microvertebrate assemblage including amiids, sharks, frogs, salamanders, lizards, mammals, crocodiles, pterosaurs, turtles and small dinosaurs.