The role of the forelimb in prey capture in the Late Triassic reptile Megalancosaurus (Diapsida,Drepanosauromorpha)

The pectoral girdle and forelimb of the Late Triassic drepanosauromorph reptile Megalancosaurus are redescribed and their function reinterpreted. The whole skeleton of this diapsid is highly specialised for arboreal life, and also the peculiarities of the shoulder girdle and forelimb were interpreted as adaptations for a limb-based locomotion using gap-bridging to move from one support to another, as in chameleons. Re-examination of the pectoral girdle and forelimb revealed the presence of clavicles fused into a furcula-like structure, a saddle-shaped glenoid and a tight connection between the radius and ulna that strengthened the forearm but hindered pronation and supination movements at that joint. The new information plus a reconstruction of the pectoral and forelimb musculature suggests that the forelimb was also specialised for grasping and raking in addition to climbing and thus prey capture may have been an important function for the forelimb. The new functional interpretation fits well with the overall body architecture of Megalancosaurus’ skeleton, suggesting that this reptile was an ambush predator that may have assumed a stable tripodal position, secured by the hooked tail and hind limbs, freeing its forelimbs to catch prey by sudden extension of the arm and firm grasping with the pincer-like digits.     

A new lizard-like reptile (Diapsida: Lepidosauromorpha) from the Middle Jurassic of England

The Middle Jurassic (Late Bathonian) Mammal Bed at Kirtlington, Oxfordshire, has yielded a rich assemblage of small vertebrates including mammals, frogs, salamanders and small reptiles. This paper describes the skull of a new diapsid reptile, Marmorelta oxoniensis, which was common within the fauna. The skull is gracile with large orbits and relatively long external nares. The frontals and parietals are single in the adult and almost separated on the roof of the skull by the postfrontals. The temporal region shows a mosaic of primitive and derived character states. The quadrate was firmly held to the skull by a large squamosal and a small, free, quadratojugal was retained. However, reduction of the anterior process of the quadratojugal and of the posterior process of the jugal left the lower temporal fenestra broadly open. Comparison with other diapsids leads to the conclusion that Marmoretta was a lepidosauromorph, most probably the sister taxon of Lepidosauria.     

An unusual lizard (Reptilia: Squamata) from the Early Cretaceous of Las Hoyas, Spain

The Early Cretaceous (Barremian) lepidosaurian assemblage of Las Hoyas (Cuenca Province, Castilla-La Mancha), Spain, resembles that of roughly contemporaneous localities at Montsec (Catalonia), Una (Castilla-La Mancha) and Galve (Aragon) in being dominated by the scincomorph lizard Meyasaums ( Ilerdaesaurus ). It differs in the presence of two previously unknown taxa, one of which, described here, shows a strikingly unusual morphology in its ribs and distal limb skeleton suggestive of climbing specialization. This form is sufficiently distinct from other known taxa to warrant the erection of a new genus and species, Scandensia ciervensis gen. et sp. nov. Cladistic analysis of Scandensia suggests that it forms a sister taxon to living squamates (Iguania + Scleroglossa and all descendants of their most recent common ancestor).     

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).     

贵州上三叠统一新的海龙(爬行纲:双孔亚纲)

根据头骨和下颌建立了海龙一新属新种——短吻贫齿龙(Miodentosaurus brevis gen.et sp.nov.)。其正型标本是采自贵州三叠纪法郎组的一具骨架(台中自然科学博物馆标本编号NMNS-004727/F003960)。虽然头后骨胳还没有修理,但是几近完好的头骨和下颌显示出许多与众不同的特征,足以确定该标本代表了一新的海龙属种。短吻贫齿龙是个体较大的海龙,其全长超过4 m,头骨背部最长约为33 cm。吻直且极短是其最显著的特征之一。其他主要特征有:前颌骨沿前背中央有一隆嵴;上颌仅前颌骨有6枚圆锥形齿,无上颌骨齿;上颌骨沿前腹侧缘有一沟槽;下颌齿骨齿都集中在前端且至多不超过6枚。依据上述这些特征很易把短吻贫齿龙与其他已知海龙相区别。短吻贫齿龙头骨顶面松果孔大且很前位,头骨腭面的锄骨和翼骨均无齿,它的颈较长(至少可以辨认出13个颈椎)。这些特征显示短吻贫齿龙可能与包括中国安顺龙属(Anshunsaurus)在内的Askeptosauroidea超科有相近的系统关系。     

New Evidence for a Discrete Supratemporal Bone in the Jurassic Ichthyosaur Temnodontosaurus

The temporal region in Temnodontosaurus trigonodon and Temnodontosaurus platyodon consists of three discrete ossifications. These bones are identified as the supratemporal, bordering much of the temporal opening, and in mid-cheek, the squamosal, which is in contact with the quadratojugal along its ventral margin. Interpretation of the bone in mid-cheek position as a neomorphic "supernumerary" ossification is rejected. The supratemporal bone of ichthyosaurs is functionally convergent with the squamosal of diapsids. The size and configuration of the supratemporal casts doubt on the supposition that ichthyosaurs were diapsids.     

Reptile phylogeny and the interrelationships of turtles

A comprehensive analysis of amniote interrelationships is presented in an attempt to test turtle interrelationships. The results refute earlier hypotheses that turtles are related to parareptiles, i.e. to procolophonids or pareiasaurs. Instead, turtles are shown to be the sister-group of Sauropterygia, the two clades being nested within Sauria as sister-group of Lepidosauriformes. This scenario is also supported by several developmental and soft tissue characters which are shown to be congruent with the current phylogeny. The analysis strongly supports a monophyletic Parareptilia, sister-group of a monophylctic Eurcptilia. The Diapsida, however, is paraphyletic unless it includes turtles and sauropterygians. Additionally, the position of turtles within Diapsida has major implications for the evolutionary history and/or significance of many characters, i.e. temporal fenestration.     

Transitional fossils and the origin of turtles

The origin of turtles is one of the most contentious issues in systematics with three currently viable hypotheses: turtles as the extant sister to (i) the crocodile–bird clade, (ii) the lizard–tuatara clade, or (iii) Diapsida (a clade composed of (i) and (ii)). We reanalysed a recent dataset that allied turtles with the lizard–tuatara clade and found that the inclusion of the stem turtle Proganochelys quenstedti and the ‘parareptile’ Eunotosaurus africanus results in a single overriding morphological signal, with turtles outside Diapsida. This result reflects the importance of transitional fossils when long branches separate crown clades, and highlights unexplored issues such as the role of topological congruence when using fossils to calibrate molecular clocks.     

The classification of the Lepidosauria

Recent work on modern and fossil genera, and new approaches to classification, have rendered older classifications of lepidosaurs inadequate. This paper discusses the history of lepidosaurian classification from 1860 to the present, and then presents a new hypothesis of lepidosaurian relationships based on phylogenetic analysis. It offers a new definition of the Lepidosauria based on derived character states. Under this definition, squamates, sphenodontids and Gephyrosaurus are lepidosaurs; kuehneosaurs and younginiforms are not. The younginiforms are related to lepidosaurs and may be included within the Lepidosauromorpha. The taxonomic position of kuehneosaurs remains uncertain.     

Homologies of the longissimus, iliocostalis, and hypaxial muscles in the anterior presacral region of extant diapsida

Homologies of muscles of the m. longissimus and m. iliocostalis groups in the dorsal and cervical regions, as well as those of the subvertebral muscles and mm. intercostales externi that continue from the dorsal into the cervical regions, in extant Diapsida are proposed based on detailed dissections and published accounts of lepidosaurs, crocodylians, and birds. The morphology of tendons and innervation patterns suggest that the avian "m. iliocostalis" in the dorsal region include the homologs of both m. longissimus and m. iliocostalis in non-avian diapsids. The conserved nature of the morphology of tendons in palaeognath birds also revealed that the avian mm. intertransversarii in the cervical region consist of muscles of the both m. longissimus and m. iliocostalis groups despite having been treated as a single series of muscles, and thus are not homologous with muscles of the same name in Lepidosauria or Crocodylia. The avian mm. inclusi that lie medial to mm. intertransversarii are homologous with mm. intercostales externi in Lepidosauria and mm. intercostales externi and m. scalenus combined in Crocodylia. Innervation patterns suggest that a muscle ("m. iliocostalis capitis") connecting the atlas rib and occiput in Crocodylia includes contributions from the subvertebral layer and m. cucullaris complex, and possibly m. iliocostalis as well. The present findings may serve as a basis for revising the currently used avian nomenclature so that it will reflect homologies of muscles with their non-avian counterparts.