スクレロモクロスとプテロサウルモルファの初期の進化
Davide Foffa1,2,3, Emma M Dunne4,5, Sterling J Nesbitt6
1Department of Natural Sciences, National Museums Scotland, Edinburgh, UK. d.foffa@nms.ac.uk.
Nature
|October 5, 2022
まとめ
この研究は,古代の爬虫類であるスクレロモクロス・テイロリが, 飛ぶ爬虫類の進化の洞察を提供する, プテロサウルスの近親であることを示しています. この発見は 初期のペトロサウルスの起源を理解する上で ギャップを埋めるのに役立ちます
科学分野:
- 古生物学
- 脊椎動物の進化
- 中世生態系
背景:
- ペテロサウルスは,メソゾイク時代の生態系を支配する, 動力飛行を達成した最初の脊椎動物でした.
- 初期の進化とプテロサウルスの起源は,彼らの最も近い親類であるLagerpetidaeとの間に大きなギャップがあるため,十分に理解されていません.
- スクレロモクロス・テイロリは 保存状態が悪かった爬虫類で プテロサウルスの存在が 論争の的になっている.
研究 の 目的:
- スクレロモクロス・テイロリの完全な骨格を再建をマイクロコンピュータ・トモグラフィースキャンを用いて行う.
- スクレロモクロスの診断を修正し,その遺伝的位置を明らかにする.
- ペトロサウルスの進化の起源と その近親類を理解するために
主な方法:
- スクレロモクロス・テイロリ化石のマイクロコンピュータ・トモグラフィ (マイクロCT) スキャン.
- 詳細な解剖分析と 骨格の再構築
- Pterosauromorpha と Avemetatarsalia の間の進化的関係を決定するための系統学的分析.
主要な成果:
- この研究は初めて完全な骨格を再構成し,スクレロモクロス・テイロリの診断を修正しました.
- スクレロモクロス・テイロリ (Scleromochlus taylori) はPterosauromorpha (ラゲルペティド + プテロサウルクラド) の内にある近親類である.
- スクレロモクロスは,ラガーペティドと解剖学的類似性を示し,アベメタタサリアの原始的な特徴を保持しており,初期のプテロサウルスは小さなカーソル祖先から進化したことを示唆しています.
結論:
- スクレロモクロス・テイロリは,プテロサウルスの起源と初期のアーコサウルスの進化を理解するための重要な分類である.
- この発見は,プテロサウルスが小さな,潜在的に二足の,地上に住む祖先から進化したという仮説を裏付けている.
- この研究により 脊椎動物における 進化の経路に関する知識が 大きく進歩しました
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