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Complex macroevolution of pterosaurs.

Yilun Yu1, Chi Zhang2, Xing Xu3

  • 1Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.

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Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Pterosaur macroevolution saw increasing diversification and disparity for 115 million years, followed by a 65-million-year decline. Body size and competition with birds influenced these flying reptile trends.

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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.