mesozoic reptiles - indiana university 9... · natural history (photo by p.d. polly) 328 living...

Department of Geological Sciences | Indiana University (c) 2011, P. David Polly

G404 Geobiology

Gait of Plateosaurus (Mallison, 2010, Palaeontologia Electronica 13.2.8A)

Benton: Chapters 6 & 8

Mesozoic reptiles


G404 Geobiology

Lab Tomorrow: Please bring laptop computers if you have them. Lab assignment will use online DigiMorph data, thus it will be convenient if you have your own computer.

If you do not, computers will be available across the hall from the classroom. You will also have the option of completing the assignment on your own over the coming week.


G404 Geobiology

Pangeathe Late Permian

(260 mya) Single continentMassive global extinction

Reconstruction by Ron Blakeyhttp://jan.ucc.nau.edu/~rcb7/index.html

http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/~rcb7/index.html

http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/~rcb7/index.html


G404 Geobiology

60% 57% 82% 53%

47%

Permo-Triassic extinctionca. 251 million years ago

Marine diversity

Tetrapod diversity

83%

Bernard et al, 2010. Acta Palaeontologica Polonica, 55: 229-239

Nearly 95% of the Earth’s species became extinct.

Eruption of Siberian traps peaked 251 mya, covering at least 1.6 million square km, an area the size of Europe, with 400 to 3000 m of flood basalt, lasting 600,000 years.

Oxygen isotope data suggest rapid global rise in temperature of 6C, which, combined with Pangea’s continent configuration, reduced ocean circulation and dissolved oxygen to create anoxic conditions on the floor.

Carbon isotope excursions indicate that CO2 increased in atmosphere through production by the Siberian Traps, which raised global temperature enough to melt gas hydrate deposits, which further increased atmospheric CO2 and temperature... “runaway greenhouse effect”.

Tetrapods were hard hit, with the dicyondont Lystrosaurus being one of the few found in fossil record for millions of years after extinction. Forest communities absent until Middle Triassic.

Siberian traps - basalt formations left by surficial lava flow


G404 Geobiology

Mesozoic - 251 to 65.6 mya

Large continentsHot and Dry

High sea, smaller continentsHot and Moist

Higher sea, smaller continentsHigh atmospheric CO2Very Hot and MoistTropics extended nearly to the polesSea surface temperature at equator as high as 36°C (97°F)Anoxic ocean waters


G404 Geobiology

c. Ron Blakey (http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/~rcb7/nam.html)

Triassic geography (230 mya)The breakup of Pangea

http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/~rcb7/nam.html



G404 Geobiology

Stanley, Earth Systems Process

Triassic geography (230 mya)Extensive deposits in what are today New Mexico and Arizona (Chinle Formation), as well as along east coast (Newark Supergroup)

Phytosaur


G404 Geobiology


Jurassic geography (170 mya)Extensive marine and terrestrial deposits in the west, especially (Morrison Formation)

Active marginCollision & orogeny

Passive marginrifting


G404 Geobiology

Stanley, Earth Systems Processes

Morrison Formation (Jurassic)

Camarasaurs lentus from DInosaur National Monument


G404 Geobiology

c. Ron Blakey (http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/~rcb7/nam.html)

Cretaceous geography (75 mya)




G404 Geobiology


Cretaceous geography (70 mya)

Hell Creek FormationTerrestrial sediments, Montana

Mancos Shalemarine sediments, Utah


G404 Geobiology

AmniotaReptilia

Syna

psid

a

Test

udin

es (t

urtle

s)

Capt

orhi

nida

e

Youn

gini

form

es

Icth

yosa

uria

Lepi

dosa

urifo

rmes

Ples

iosa

uria

Plac

odon

tia

Arch

osau

ria

Diapsida

* tabular small or absent* large post-temporal fenestra* single coronoid bone

* Upper and lower temporal fenestrae* suborbital fenestra* complex tibio-astragalar joint

Lepidosauromorpha* supratemporal absent

Sauropterygia* lacrimal absent* upper temp fenestra large

Phylogeny of reptilia


G404 Geobiology

Testudines - Turtles (aka Chelonia)

Archelon in the Vienna Museum of Natural History (Photo by P.D. Polly)

328 living species

Shell is composed of elongated and flattened ribs, covered with keratin plates

Pectoral and pelvic girdles are inside rib cage, teeth lost (in living groups), number of skull bones reduced

Oldest turtle: Odontochelys semitestacea, 220 mya (Late Triassic) of ChinaTeeth, plastron (lower shell) and partial carapace (upper shell)

Odontochelys semitestacea (from Li et al., 2008, Nature, 456: 497-501)

Odontochelys semitestacea (from Li et al., 2008, Nature, 456: 497-501)


G404 Geobiology

Kuritani et al., 2001, Evolution and Development, 13: 1-14

Evolution of turtle development

Text


G404 Geobiology

Icthyosaurus from the Early Jurassic. (Romer, 1966 , Vertebrate Paleontology)

IcthyosaursReptiles convergent on dolphins

Originated 245 mya (mid Triassic), became extinct 90 mya (Cretaceous)

Live birth


G404 Geobiology

Romer, 1966, Vertebrate Paleontology

Sauropterygia - Plesiosaurs and PlacodontsReptiles convergent on Loch Ness Monster

Originated 245 mya (early Triassic), extinction 65 mya (end Cretaceous)

Loss of lacrimal bone

Placodus skull (placodont)

Plesiosaurs


G404 Geobiology

Romer, 1966, Vertebrate Paleontology

Mosasaurs - marine lepidosaursOriginated early Cretaceous, extinct end Cretaceous

Loss of quadratojugal

Tylosaurus

Tylosaurus


G404 Geobiology

Sphenodon - the tuataraSister-group to Lepidosauria

“Lizard” that retains full diapsid condition

Curtis N, et al. 2011. PLoS ONE 6(12): e29804.


G404 Geobiology

Archosauria

Avesuchia

Euparkeria

Croc

odyl

omor

pha

(incl

. liv

ing

croc

s)

Pter

osau

ria

Avematatarsalia

* Antorbital fenestra* laterally flattened teeth with serrations* laterial mandibular fenestra

* forelimbs relatively short* pubis elongated* absence of osteoderms* metatarsals 1-4 appressed

Phyt

osau

ridae

Stag

onol

epid

ae(in

cl. a

etos

aurs

)

Crurotarsi* cervical ribs short and stout* mobile joint between astrag- alus and calcaneum* osteoderm sculpture

Din

osau

ria(in

cl. b

irds)

* loss of palatal teeth* reorganization of ankle

Archosaur phylogeny


G404 Geobiology

(photo from B. Weinert and L. Ferguson-Weinert)

Crocodiles and relativesCrocodylia - originated 84 mya in Late Cretaceous, still extant

Crocodylomorpha - originated in Late Triassic

Originally cursorial, living crocodiles and alligators have secondarily sprawling postures

Saltoposuchus, crocodylomorph from Upper Triassica

Phytosaur

Aetosaur


G404 Geobiology

Benton, Vertebrate Paleontology

PterosauriaWinged archosaurs closely related to dinosaurs

Originated 220 mya in Late Triassic, extinct 65 mya at end Cretaceous

Ranged from small bird size to the largest flying creature ever, Quetzalcoatalus with wingspan of 11 meters (33 feet)


G404 Geobiology

Dinosauria

Saurischia

Orn

ith

op

od

a

(in

cl. h

ad

rosa

urs

)

Sa

uro

po

do

mo

rph

a

* Quadrate exposed on lateral side

* perforatd acetabulum

An

kylo

sa

uri

a

Ce

rato

psia

Ornithischia

* cheek teeth with low crowns

* muscular cheeks

* pubis positioned posteriorlyTh

ero

po

da

(in

cl. b

ird

s)

* lacrimal exposed on skull roof

* additional cervical vertebrae

Ste

go

sa

uri

a

Dinosauria Dinosaur pelvis


G404 Geobiology

From Holtz and Brett-Surman, in Farlow and Brett-Surman, The Complete Dinosaur (illustrations by Tracy Ford)

Skull of tyrannosaurids


G404 Geobiology

Reconstruction of Edmontosaurus (Ornithischia, Hadrosauridae) chewing

http://palaeo-electronica.org/2008_2/132/fig_9.htm

From Rybczynski et al., Palaeontologia Electronica, 11.2.9A




G404 Geobiology

Scientific papers for further readingKuratani, S., S. Kuraku, and H. Nagashima. 2011. Evolutionary developmental perspective for the origin of turtles: the folding theory for the shell based on the developmental nature of the carapacial ridge. Evolution and Development, 13: 1-14.

Li, C., X-C. Wu, O. Rieppel, L-T. Wang, and L-J. Zhao. 2008. An ancestral turtle form the Late Triassic of southwestern China.

Rybczynski, N., A. Tirabasso, P. Bloskie, R. Cuthbertson, and C. Holliday. 2008. A three-dimensional animation model of Edmontosaurus (Hadrosauridae) for testing chewing hypotheses. Palaeontologia Electronica, 11.2.9A, 14 pp.

Sereno, P. C. 1999. The evolution of dinosaurs. Science, 284: 2137-2147.

mesozoic reptiles - indiana university 9... · natural history (photo by p.d. polly) 328 living...

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