Complex macroevolution of pterosaurs

Area of Science:

• Paleontology
• Macroevolutionary Biology
• Vertebrate Paleontology

Background:

• Pterosaurs, the earliest flying tetrapods, are crucial for understanding macroevolutionary patterns.
• Previous quantitative analyses of pterosaur macroevolution have often overlooked key parameters like net diversification and morphological rates.
• An integrative approach is needed for a holistic understanding of pterosaur evolutionary history.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a holistic analysis of pterosaur macroevolution using an integrative approach.
• To investigate the roles of phylogenetic data, body size, diversification rates, morphological rates, and disparity.
• To understand the long-term macroevolutionary trends and influencing factors in pterosaur history.

Main Methods:

• Assembled new phylogenetic and body size datasets for pterosaurs.
• Analyzed net diversification rates, morphological rates, and morphological disparity over time.
• Integrated these parameters to provide a comprehensive macroevolutionary overview.

Main Results:

• Identified a 115-million-year period (Early Triassic to Early Cretaceous) of increasing diversification rates, disparity, and high morphological rates.
• Documented a subsequent 65-million-year period (Early Cretaceous to end-Cretaceous) of declining diversification, reduced disparity, and lower morphological rates.
• Demonstrated that body size significantly influenced pterosaur diversification, with locomotion, trophic, and ornamental structures playing roles in specific periods.

Conclusions:

• Pterosaur macroevolution was characterized by distinct phases of increase and decline in diversification and disparity.
• Competition with birds may have impacted pterosaur macroevolution for approximately 100 million years.
• Mass extinction events and environmental factors like decreasing land area likely influenced pterosaur decline, particularly in the Cretaceous.