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保存状態が良好で,セロポッドの特徴を持つアーカイオプテリクスの標本です
Gerald Mayr1, Burkhard Pohl, D Stefan Peters
1Forschungsinstitut Senckenberg, Division of Ornithology, Senckenberganlage 25, D-60325 Frankfurt am Main, Germany. Gerald.Mayr@senckenberg.de
まとめ
新しいアーキオプテリックス化石は,超伸縮性のある第2の足指を含む,セロポッド恐竜に似た骨格を明らかにしています. この発見は,鳥の祖先がセロポッドであったことを支持し,初期の鳥とダイノニコサウルスの間の線を曖昧にしています.
科学分野:
- パレオントロジー・パレオントロジー
- 進化生物学の進化生物学について
- 脊椎動物学 脊椎動物学
背景:
- アーキオプテリクスは,非鳥類の恐竜と鳥類を結びつける重要な化石です.
- 鳥類の骨質学を理解することは,鳥類の進化研究にとって極めて重要です.
- アーカイオプテリクスの骨格の特徴に関する以前の解釈は様々であった.
研究 の 目的:
- ほぼ完全なアーカイオプテリクスの骨格の骨質を分析するために.
- アーキオプテリクスの骨格の特徴を非鳥類のセロポッド恐竜と比較するために.
- アーカイオプテリクスの系統的位置と鳥類の初期の進化を再評価する.
主な方法:
- 保存状態が良好なアーカイオプテリクスの骨格の詳細な骨格学的検査.
- ドロメオサウルとトロドンチドを含む非鳥類のセロポッド恐竜との比較解剖分析.
- 共有されたおよび派生した骨格の特徴に基づいた系統遺伝的解釈.
主要な成果:
- アーキオプテリクスの骨格は,鳥類以外のセロポッド恐竜と骨質学的類似性を示しています.
- ドロメオサウルとトロオドンチドの特徴である,超伸縮性の第2の指の確認.
- plesiomorphic tetraradiate palatine bone (プレシオモルフィック・テトララディアート・パラチン・ボーン) と,逆転していない第一指の指の存在.
結論:
- この発見は,鳥のセロポッドの祖先に対するさらなる証拠を提供します.
- 超伸縮性のある第2の足指は,アーキオプテリギドと基礎的なダイノニコサウルスの明確な区別を異視しています.
- Aves (鳥) の単一性 (monophyly) は,これらの移行的特徴に基づいて疑問視されています.
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