Academic Journal
Cranial anatomy of the mekosuchine crocodylianTrilophosuchus rackhamiWillis, 1993
| Τίτλος: | Cranial anatomy of the mekosuchine crocodylianTrilophosuchus rackhamiWillis, 1993 |
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| Συγγραφείς: | Jorgo Ristevski, Vera Weisbecker, John D. Scanlon, Gilbert J. Price, Steven W. Salisbury |
| Πηγή: | Anat Rec (Hoboken) |
| Στοιχεία εκδότη: | Wiley, 2022. |
| Έτος έκδοσης: | 2022 |
| Θεματικοί όροι: | 0106 biological sciences, Fossils, Full Length Article, Skull, Australia, X-Ray Microtomography, Head, 01 natural sciences, Phylogeny, 0105 earth and related environmental sciences |
| Περιγραφή: | One of the best‐preserved crocodylian fossil specimens from the Cenozoic of Australia is the holotype of the mekosuchineTrilophosuchus rackhami, from the middle Miocene (13.56 ± 0.67 Ma) Ringtail Site at Riversleigh, northwestern Queensland. Although lacking most of the snout, the holotype skull ofT. rackhami(QMF16856) has an exceptionally well‐preserved cranium. Micro‐CT scanning of the holotype has allowed for all the preserved cranial bones to be digitally disarticulated, facilitating an unprecedented insight into the cranial anatomy of not justT. rackhami, but any mekosuchine.Trilophosuchus rackhamiwas a small‐bodied crocodylian and one of the most morphologically distinct mekosuchines, characterized by a unique combination of cranial characteristics several of which are exclusive to the species. Fossil material that is definitively referrable to the speciesT. rackhamiis currently known solely from the middle Miocene Ringtail Site. However, an isolated parietal from Hiatus Site at Riversleigh demonstrates thatTrilophosuchusalso occurred during the late Oligocene (~25 Ma), extending the range of the genus by more than 10 million years. The new description ofT. rackhamialso allowed for a reevaluation of its phylogenetic relationships. Our results reaffirm the placement ofT. rackhamias a member of Mekosuchinae within the subclade Mekosuchini. In all analyses, Mekosuchinae was consistently found to be monophyletic and part of the larger crocodylian clade Longirostres. However, the assignment of Mekosuchinae as a subset of Crocodylidae is brought into question, suggesting that the status of Mekosuchinae as a subfamily should be reconsidered. |
| Τύπος εγγράφου: | Article Other literature type |
| Γλώσσα: | English |
| ISSN: | 1932-8494 1932-8486 |
| DOI: | 10.1002/ar.25050 |
| Σύνδεσμος πρόσβασης: | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36054424 |
| Rights: | CC BY |
| Αριθμός Καταχώρησης: | edsair.doi.dedup.....ac7522c47699a5310848df36e974a98a |
| Βάση Δεδομένων: | OpenAIRE |
| ISSN: | 19328494 19328486 |
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| DOI: | 10.1002/ar.25050 |