Archosaurs

@article{buckland1824notice28,
    author = "Buckland, W",
    title = "Notice on the Megalosaurus or great fossil lizard of Stonesfield",
    year = "1824",
    journal = "Transactions of the Geological Society of London, v. 2, no. 1, p. 390-396",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Buckland, W., 1824, Notice on the Megalosaurus or great fossil lizard of Stonesfield: Transactions of the Geological Society of London, v. 2, no. 1, p. 390-396.}"
}

@misc{eudesdeslongchamps1838mmoire52,
    author = "Eudes-Deslongchamps, J. A",
    title = "Mmoire sur le Poikilopleuron bucklandi, grand saurien fossile, intermdiaire entre les crocodiles et les lezards",
    year = "1838",
    howpublished = "Memoirs de Societe Linnanne de Normandie, v. 6, p. 37-146",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Eudes-Deslongchamps, J. A., 1838, Mmoire sur le Poikilopleuron bucklandi, grand saurien fossile, intermdiaire entre les crocodiles et les lezards: Memoirs de Societe Linnanne de Normandie, v. 6, p. 37-146.}"
}

@article{openalexw3215057009,
    author = "Owen, Robert P.",
    title = "Report on British fossil reptiles, part II",
    year = "1842",
    journal = "Medical Entomology and Zoology",
    openalex = "W3215057009"
}

@misc{hitchcock1848an65,
    author = "Hitchcock, E",
    title = "An attempt to discriminate and describe the animals that made the fossil footmarks of the United States, and especially of New England",
    year = "1848",
    howpublished = "Memoirs of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, v. 3, p. 129-256",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Hitchcock, E., 1848, An attempt to discriminate and describe the animals that made the fossil footmarks of the United States, and especially of New England: Memoirs of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, v. 3, p. 129-256.}"
}

@misc{owen1855monograph98,
    author = "Owen, R",
    title = "Monograph of the fossil Reptilia of the Wealden Formations II, Dinosauria",
    year = "1855",
    howpublished = "Palaeontogr. Soc., p. 1-54",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Owen, R., 1855, Monograph of the fossil Reptilia of the Wealden Formations II, Dinosauria: Palaeontogr. Soc., p. 1-54.}"
}

@inproceedings{cope1866remarks41,
    author = "Cope, E. D",
    title = "Remarks on dinosaur remains from New Jersey",
    year = "1866",
    booktitle = "Academy of Natural Science, Philadelphia, Proceedings, p. 275-279",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Cope, E. D., 1866, Remarks on dinosaur remains from New Jersey: Academy of Natural Science, Philadelphia, Proceedings, p. 275-279.}"
}

@misc{fox1866another57,
    author = "Fox, W",
    title = "Another new Wealden reptile",
    year = "1866",
    howpublished = "Geological Magazine, v. 3, p. 383",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Fox, W., 1866, Another new Wealden reptile: Geological Magazine, v. 3, p. 383.}"
}

@misc{owen1876monograph99,
    author = "Owen, R",
    title = "Monograph of the fossil Reptilia of the Wealden Formations VII, Crocodilia and Dinosauria?",
    year = "1876",
    howpublished = "Palaeontogr. Soc., p. 2-7",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Owen, R., 1876, Monograph of the fossil Reptilia of the Wealden Formations VII, Crocodilia and Dinosauria?: Palaeontogr. Soc., p. 2-7.}"
}

@article{marsh1877notice78,
    author = "Marsh, O. C",
    title = "Notice of new dinosaurian reptiles",
    year = "1877",
    journal = "American Journal of Science, v. 14, p. 514-516",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Marsh, O. C., 1877, Notice of new dinosaurian reptiles: American Journal of Science, v. 14, p. 514-516.}"
}

@article{marsh1878notice79,
    author = "Marsh, O. C",
    title = "Notice of new dinosaurian reptiles",
    year = "1878",
    journal = "American Journal of Science, v. 15, p. 241-244",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Marsh, O. C., 1878, Notice of new dinosaurian reptiles: American Journal of Science, v. 15, p. 241-244.}"
}

@article{marsh1879notice80,
    author = "Marsh, O. C",
    title = "Notice of new Jurassic reptiles",
    year = "1879",
    journal = "American Journal of Science, v. 21, p. 501-505",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Marsh, O. C., 1879, Notice of new Jurassic reptiles: American Journal of Science, v. 21, p. 501-505.}"
}

@article{marsh1890description81,
    author = "Marsh, O. C",
    title = "Description of new dinosaurian reptiles",
    year = "1890",
    journal = "American Journal of Science, v. 39, p. 81-86",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Marsh, O. C., 1890, Description of new dinosaurian reptiles: American Journal of Science, v. 39, p. 81-86.}"
}

@misc{lambe1902new72,
    author = "Lambe, L. M",
    title = "New genera and species from the Belly River Series (mid- Cretaceous)",
    year = "1902",
    howpublished = "Geological Survey of Canada, Contributions to Canadian Palaeontology, v. 3, p. 23-81",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Lambe, L. M., 1902, New genera and species from the Belly River Series (mid- Cretaceous): Geological Survey of Canada, Contributions to Canadian Palaeontology, v. 3, p. 23-81.}"
}

@article{talbot1911podokesaurus125,
    author = "Talbot, M",
    title = "Podokesaurus holyokensis, a new dinosaur of the Connecticut Valley",
    year = "1911",
    journal = "American Journal of Science, v. 31, p. 469-479",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Talbot, M., 1911, Podokesaurus holyokensis, a new dinosaur of the Connecticut Valley: American Journal of Science, v. 31, p. 469-479.}"
}

@article{shuler1917dinosaur120,
    author = "Shuler, E. W",
    title = "Dinosaur tracks in the Glen Rose limestone near Glen Rose, Texas",
    year = "1917",
    journal = "American Journal of Science, v. 44, p. 294-298",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Shuler, E. W., 1917, Dinosaur tracks in the Glen Rose limestone near Glen Rose, Texas: American Journal of Science, v. 44, p. 294-298.}"
}

@misc{andrews1921on5,
    author = "Andrews, C. W",
    title = "On Some Remains of a Theropodous Dinosaur from the Lower Lias of Barrow-on-soar",
    year = "1921",
    howpublished = "Annual Magazine of Natural History, v. 8, no. 9, p. 570-576",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Andrews, C. W., 1921, On Some Remains of a Theropodous Dinosaur from the Lower Lias of Barrow-on-soar: Annual Magazine of Natural History, v. 8, no. 9, p. 570-576.}"
}

@misc{osborn1921camarasaurus92,
    author = "Osborn, H. F. and Mook, C. C",
    title = "Camarasaurus, Amphicoelias, and other sauropods of Cope",
    year = "1921",
    howpublished = "American Museum of Natural History Memoirs, v. 3, p. 249-387; n.s",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Osborn, H. F., and Mook, C. C., 1921, Camarasaurus, Amphicoelias, and other sauropods of Cope: American Museum of Natural History Memoirs, v. 3, p. 249-387; n.s.}"
}

@techreport{matthew1922the83,
    author = "Matthew, W. D. and Brown, B",
    title = "The family Deinodontidae with a notice of a new genus from the Cretaceous of Alberta",
    year = "1922",
    howpublished = "Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History, v. 46, p. 367-385",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Matthew, W. D., and Brown, B., 1922, The family Deinodontidae with a notice of a new genus from the Cretaceous of Alberta: Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History, v. 46, p. 367-385.}"
}

@book{parks1933new100,
    author = "Parks, W. A",
    title = "New species of dinosaurs and turtles from the Upper Cretaceous Formations of Alberta",
    year = "1933",
    publisher = "University of Toronto Studies, Geological Series, v. 34, p. 1-19",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Parks, W. A., 1933, New species of dinosaurs and turtles from the Upper Cretaceous Formations of Alberta: University of Toronto Studies, Geological Series, v. 34, p. 1-19.}"
}

@misc{stromer1934ergebnisse123,
    author = "Stromer, E",
    title = "Ergebnisse der forschungsreisen Prof. E. Stromers in den Westen Agyptens, Dinosauria",
    year = "1934",
    howpublished = "Abh. Bayer. Akad. Wissen.:Math.-natur. Abt., v. 22, p. 1-79",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Stromer, E., 1934, Ergebnisse der forschungsreisen Prof. E. Stromers in den Westen Agyptens, Dinosauria: Abh. Bayer. Akad. Wissen.:Math.-natur. Abt., v. 22, p. 1-79.}"
}

@misc{ray1941big105,
    author = "Ray, G. E",
    title = "Big for his day",
    year = "1941",
    howpublished = "Natural History Magazine, v. 48, p. 36-39",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Ray, G. E., 1941, Big for his day: Natural History Magazine, v. 48, p. 36-39.}"
}

@misc{colbert1948evolution33,
    author = "Colbert, E. H",
    title = "Evolution of the horned dinosaurs",
    year = "1948",
    howpublished = "Evolution, v. 2, p. 145-163",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Colbert, E. H., 1948, Evolution of the horned dinosaurs: Evolution, v. 2, p. 145-163.}"
}

@misc{colbert1949evolutionary34,
    author = "Colbert, E. H",
    title = "Evolutionary growth rates in the dinosaurs",
    year = "1949",
    howpublished = "Scientific Monthly, v. 69, p. 71",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Colbert, E. H., 1949, Evolutionary growth rates in the dinosaurs: Scientific Monthly, v. 69, p. 71.}"
}

@misc{colbert1962the35,
    author = "Colbert, E. H",
    title = "The weight of dinosaurs",
    year = "1962",
    howpublished = "American Museum of Natural History Novitates, v. 2076, p. 1-16",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Colbert, E. H., 1962, The weight of dinosaurs: American Museum of Natural History Novitates, v. 2076, p. 1-16.}"
}

@misc{reig1963la107,
    author = "Reig, O. A",
    title = {La presencia de dinosaurios en los "Estratos de Ischigualastro" (Mesotriasico Superior) de las provincias de San Juan y la Rioja},
    year = "1963",
    howpublished = "Ameghiniana, v. 3, p. 1-20",
    note = {talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Reig, O. A., 1963, La presencia de dinosaurios en los "Estratos de Ischigualastro" (Mesotriasico Superior) de las provincias de San Juan y la Rioja: Ameghiniana, v. 3, p. 1-20.}}
}

@misc{colbert1965the36,
    author = "Colbert, E. H",
    title = "The Age of Reptiles",
    year = "1965",
    howpublished = "New York, Norton, 228 p",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Colbert, E. H., 1965, The Age of Reptiles: New York, Norton, 228 p.}"
}

@article{rozhdestvensky1965growth110,
    author = "Rozhdestvensky, A. K",
    title = "Growth changes in Asian dinosaurs and some problems of their taxonomy",
    year = "1965",
    journal = "Palaeontological Journal, p. 95-109",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Rozhdestvensky, A. K., 1965, Growth changes in Asian dinosaurs and some problems of their taxonomy: Palaeontological Journal, p. 95-109.}"
}

@misc{colbert1966men37,
    author = "Colbert, E. H",
    title = "Men and Dinosaurs",
    year = "1966",
    howpublished = "The Search in Field and Laboratory: New York, E.P. Dutton and Co., Inc",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Colbert, E. H., 1966, Men and Dinosaurs: The Search in Field and Laboratory: New York, E.P. Dutton and Co., Inc.}"
}

@misc{bakker1968the7,
    author = "Bakker, R. T",
    title = "The superiority of dinosaurs",
    year = "1968",
    howpublished = "Discovery, v. 3, p. 11-22",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Bakker, R. T., 1968, The superiority of dinosaurs: Discovery, v. 3, p. 11-22.}"
}

@misc{camp1968the30,
    author = "Camp, L. S. de and Camp, L. S. de",
    title = "The Day of the Dinosaur",
    year = "1968",
    howpublished = "New York, Doubleday",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Camp, L. S. de, and Camp, L. S. de, 1968, The Day of the Dinosaur: New York, Doubleday.}"
}

@misc{colbert1968men38,
    author = "Colbert, E. H",
    title = "Men and Dinosaurs",
    year = "1968",
    howpublished = "The Search in Field and Laboratory: New York, E.P. Dutton and Co., 283 p",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Colbert, E. H., 1968, Men and Dinosaurs: The Search in Field and Laboratory: New York, E.P. Dutton and Co., 283 p.}"
}

@misc{colbert1969the39,
    author = "Colbert, E. H. and Russell, D. A",
    title = "The small dinosaur Dromaeosaurus",
    year = "1969",
    howpublished = "American Museum of Natural History Novitates, v. 2380, p. 1-49",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Colbert, E. H., and Russell, D. A., 1969, The small dinosaur Dromaeosaurus: American Museum of Natural History Novitates, v. 2380, p. 1-49.}"
}

@article{halstead1970scrotum60,
    author = "Halstead, L. B",
    title = "Scrotum humanum Brooks 1763--the first named dinosaur",
    year = "1970",
    journal = "Journal of Insignificant Research, v. 5, p. 14-15",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Halstead, L. B., 1970, Scrotum humanum Brooks 1763--the first named dinosaur: Journal of Insignificant Research, v. 5, p. 14-15.}"
}

@misc{swinton1970the124,
    author = "Swinton, W. G",
    title = "The Dinosaurs",
    year = "1970",
    howpublished = "London, George Allen and Unwin, Ltd",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Swinton, W. G., 1970, The Dinosaurs: London, George Allen and Unwin, Ltd.}"
}

@misc{bakker1971dinosaur9,
    author = "Bakker, R. T",
    title = "Dinosaur physiology and the origin of mammals",
    year = "1971",
    howpublished = "Evolution, v. 25, p. 636-658",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Bakker, R. T., 1971, Dinosaur physiology and the origin of mammals: Evolution, v. 25, p. 636-658.}"
}

@misc{bakker1971ecology8,
    author = "Bakker, R. T",
    title = "Ecology of the brontosaurs",
    year = "1971",
    howpublished = "Nature, v. 229, p. 172-174",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Bakker, R. T., 1971, Ecology of the brontosaurs: Nature, v. 229, p. 172-174.}"
}

@article{russell1971the112,
    author = "Russell, D. A",
    title = "The disappearance of the dinosaurs",
    year = "1971",
    journal = "Canadian Geographic Journal, v. 83, p. 204-215",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Russell, D. A., 1971, The disappearance of the dinosaurs: Canadian Geographic Journal, v. 83, p. 204-215.}"
}

@misc{welles1971dinosaur128,
    author = "Welles, S. P",
    title = "Dinosaur footprints from the Kayenta Formation of northern Arizona",
    year = "1971",
    howpublished = "Plateau, v. 44, p. 27-38",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Welles, S. P., 1971, Dinosaur footprints from the Kayenta Formation of northern Arizona: Plateau, v. 44, p. 27-38.}"
}

@misc{ostrom1972dinosaur93,
    author = "Ostrom, J. H",
    title = "Dinosaur, in McGraw-Hill Yearbook, Science and Technology",
    year = "1972",
    howpublished = "New York, McGraw-Hill, p. 176-179",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Ostrom, J. H., 1972, Dinosaur, in McGraw-Hill Yearbook, Science and Technology: New York, McGraw-Hill, p. 176-179.}"
}

@misc{ostrom1972were94,
    author = "Ostrom, J. H",
    title = "Were some dinosaurs gregarious?",
    year = "1972",
    howpublished = "Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, v. 11, p. 287-301",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Ostrom, J. H., 1972, Were some dinosaurs gregarious?: Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, v. 11, p. 287-301.}"
}

@misc{dong1973dinosaurs47,
    author = "Dong, Z",
    title = "Dinosaurs from Wuerho",
    year = "1973",
    howpublished = "Memoirs of the Institute of Vertebrate Paelontology and Paleoanthropology, Academy Sinica, v. 11, p. 45-52; In Chinese",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Dong, Z., 1973, Dinosaurs from Wuerho: Memoirs of the Institute of Vertebrate Paelontology and Paleoanthropology, Academy Sinica, v. 11, p. 45-52; In Chinese.}"
}

@phdthesis{molnar1973the86,
    author = "Molnar, R. E",
    title = "The cranial morphology and mechanics of Tyrannosaurus rex (Reptilia",
    year = "1973",
    publisher = "Saurischia) [PhD dissert.]: University of California at Los Angeles",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Molnar, R. E., 1973, The cranial morphology and mechanics of Tyrannosaurus rex (Reptilia: Saurischia) [PhD dissert.]: University of California at Los Angeles.}"
}

@article{russell1973the113,
    author = "Russell, D. A",
    title = "The environments of Canadian dinosaurs",
    year = "1973",
    journal = "Canadian Geographic Journal, v. 87, p. 4-11",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Russell, D. A., 1973, The environments of Canadian dinosaurs: Canadian Geographic Journal, v. 87, p. 4-11.}"
}

@misc{spotila1973a122,
    author = "Spotila, J. R. et al",
    title = "A mathematical model for body temperatures of large reptiles",
    year = "1973",
    howpublished = "Implications for dinosaur ecology: American Naturalist, v. 107, p. 391-404",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Spotila, J. R. et al., 1973, A mathematical model for body temperatures of large reptiles: Implications for dinosaur ecology: American Naturalist, v. 107, p. 391-404.}"
}

@misc{bakker1974dinosaur14,
    author = "Bakker, R. T. and Galton, P. M",
    title = "Dinosaur monophyly and a new class of vertebrates",
    year = "1974",
    howpublished = "Nature, v. 248, p. 168-172",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Bakker, R. T., and Galton, P. M., 1974, Dinosaur monophyly and a new class of vertebrates: Nature, v. 248, p. 168-172.}"
}

@misc{barsbold1974saurornithoididae15,
    author = "Barsbold, R",
    title = "Saurornithoididae, a new family of small theropod dinosaurs from Central Asia and North America",
    year = "1974",
    howpublished = "Palaeont. Polonica, v. 30, p. 5-22",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Barsbold, R., 1974, Saurornithoididae, a new family of small theropod dinosaurs from Central Asia and North America: Palaeont. Polonica, v. 30, p. 5-22.}"
}

@misc{galton1974iliosuchus58,
    author = "Galton, P. M",
    title = "Iliosuchus, a Jurassic dinosaur from Oxfordshire and Utah",
    year = "1974",
    howpublished = "Palaeontology, v. 19, p. 587-589",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Galton, P. M., 1974, Iliosuchus, a Jurassic dinosaur from Oxfordshire and Utah: Palaeontology, v. 19, p. 587-589.}"
}

@article{molnar1974a87,
    author = "Molnar, R. E",
    title = "A distinctive theropod dinosaur from the Upper Cretaceous of Baja California",
    year = "1974",
    journal = "Journal of Paleontology, v. 48, p. 1009-1017",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Molnar, R. E., 1974, A distinctive theropod dinosaur from the Upper Cretaceous of Baja California: Journal of Paleontology, v. 48, p. 1009-1017.}"
}

@article{rozhdestvensky1974a111,
    author = "Rozhdestvensky, A. K",
    title = "A history of the dinosaur fauna from Asia and other continents and some problems of Paleogeography",
    year = "1974",
    journal = "Joint Soviet-Mongolian Palaeontological Expedition Transactions, v. 1, p. 107-131; In Russian",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Rozhdestvensky, A. K., 1974, A history of the dinosaur fauna from Asia and other continents and some problems of Paleogeography: Joint Soviet-Mongolian Palaeontological Expedition Transactions, v. 1, p. 107-131; In Russian.}"
}

@misc{bakker1975dinosaur10,
    author = "Bakker, R. T",
    title = "Dinosaur Renaissance",
    year = "1975",
    howpublished = "Scientific American, v. 232, p. 58-78",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Bakker, R. T., 1975, Dinosaur Renaissance: Scientific American, v. 232, p. 58-78.}"
}

@article{thulborn1975dinosaur126,
    author = "Thulborn, R. A",
    title = "Dinosaur polyphyly and the classification of archosaurs and birds",
    year = "1975",
    journal = "Aust. Journal Zoology, v. 23, p. 249-270",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Thulborn, R. A., 1975, Dinosaur polyphyly and the classification of archosaurs and birds: Aust. Journal Zoology, v. 23, p. 249-270.}"
}

@misc{alexander1976estimates2,
    author = "Alexander, R. M",
    title = "Estimates of speeds of dinosaurs",
    year = "1976",
    howpublished = "Nature, v. 261, p. 129-130",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Alexander, R. M., 1976, Estimates of speeds of dinosaurs: Nature, v. 261, p. 129-130.}"
}

@misc{barsbold1976a16,
    author = "Barsbold, R",
    title = "A new Late Cretaceous family of small theropods (Oviraptoridae, n. fam.) in Mongolia",
    year = "1976",
    howpublished = "Doklady Akad. Nauk. SSSR, v. 226, p. 221-223",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Barsbold, R., 1976, A new Late Cretaceous family of small theropods (Oviraptoridae, n. fam.) in Mongolia: Doklady Akad. Nauk. SSSR, v. 226, p. 221-223.}"
}

@incollection{charig1976dinosaur31,
    author = "Charig, A. J",
    editor = "Bellairs, A. and Cox, C. B.",
    title = "Dinosaur Monophyly and a New Class of Vertebrates: A Critical Review",
    year = "1976",
    booktitle = "Morphology and Biology of the Reptiles, 3 of Linnean Society Symposia Series",
    publisher = "New York, Academic Press, p. 65-104",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Charig, A. J., 1976, Dinosaur Monophyly and a New Class of Vertebrates: A Critical Review, in Bellairs, A., and Cox, C. B., eds., Morphology and Biology of the Reptiles, 3 of Linnean Society Symposia Series: New York, Academic Press, p. 65-104.}"
}

@book{desmond1976the44,
    author = "Desmond, A. J",
    title = "The Hot-Blooded Dinosaurs",
    year = "1976",
    publisher = "New York, The Dial Press",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Desmond, A. J., 1976, The Hot-Blooded Dinosaurs: New York, The Dial Press.}"
}

Alexornis antecedens, new genus and species, is described from the Bocana Roja Formation, Upper Cretaceous (Campanian age), near El Rosario, Baja California, Mexico. The humerus, ulna, scapula, coracoid, femur, and tibiotarsus are represented. The fossil is referred to a new family, Alexornithidae, and a new order, Alexornithiformes, thought to be ancestral to the Tertiary and Recent orders Coraciiformes and Piciformes. Since Caenagnathus collinsi Sternberg and C. sternbergi Cracraft are reptiles, and Gobipteryx minuta Elzanowski appears to be reptilian also, Alexornis is the only certain land bird known from the Cretaceous.

@incollection{doi105479si008102662767,
    author = "Brodkorb, Pierce",
    title = "Discovery of a Cretaceous Bird, Apparently Ancestral to the Orders Coraciiformes and Piciformes (Aves: Carinatae)",
    year = "1976",
    journal = "Smithsonian contributions to paleobiology",
    abstract = "Alexornis antecedens, new genus and species, is described from the Bocana Roja Formation, Upper Cretaceous (Campanian age), near El Rosario, Baja California, Mexico. The humerus, ulna, scapula, coracoid, femur, and tibiotarsus are represented. The fossil is referred to a new family, Alexornithidae, and a new order, Alexornithiformes, thought to be ancestral to the Tertiary and Recent orders Coraciiformes and Piciformes. Since Caenagnathus collinsi Sternberg and C. sternbergi Cracraft are reptiles, and Gobipteryx minuta Elzanowski appears to be reptilian also, Alexornis is the only certain land bird known from the Cretaceous.",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.5479/si.00810266.27.67",
    doi = "10.5479/si.00810266.27.67",
    openalex = "W4386872655"
}

@book{ratkevich1976dinosaurs104,
    author = "Ratkevich, R. P",
    title = "Dinosaurs of the Southwest",
    year = "1976",
    publisher = "Albuquerque, University of New Mexico Press",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Ratkevich, R. P., 1976, Dinosaurs of the Southwest: Albuquerque, University of New Mexico Press.}"
}

@book{seymour1976dinosaurs119,
    author = "Seymour, R. S",
    title = "Dinosaurs, endothermy and blood pressure",
    year = "1976",
    publisher = "Nature, v. 262, p. 207-208",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Seymour, R. S., 1976, Dinosaurs, endothermy and blood pressure: Nature, v. 262, p. 207-208.}"
}

@article{hopson1977relative66,
    author = "Hopson, J. A",
    title = "Relative brain size and behavior in archosaurian reptiles",
    year = "1977",
    journal = "Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics, v. 8, p. 429-448",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Hopson, J. A., 1977, Relative brain size and behavior in archosaurian reptiles: Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics, v. 8, p. 429-448.}"
}

@misc{russell1977a114,
    author = "Russell, D. A",
    title = "A Vanished World",
    year = "1977",
    howpublished = "The Dinosaurs of Western Canada: Ottawa, National Museums of Canada",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Russell, D. A., 1977, A Vanished World: The Dinosaurs of Western Canada: Ottawa, National Museums of Canada.}"
}

@article{coombs1978theoretical40,
    author = "Coombs, W. P",
    title = "Theoretical aspects of cursorial adaptations in dinosaurs",
    year = "1978",
    journal = "Quarterly Review of Biology, v. 53, p. 393-418",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Coombs, W. P., 1978, Theoretical aspects of cursorial adaptations in dinosaurs: Quarterly Review of Biology, v. 53, p. 393-418.}"
}

@misc{marx1978warmblooded82,
    author = "Marx, J. L",
    title = "Warm-blooded dinosaurs",
    year = "1978",
    howpublished = "Evidence pro and con: Science, v. 199, p. 1424-1426",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Marx, J. L., 1978, Warm-blooded dinosaurs: Evidence pro and con: Science, v. 199, p. 1424-1426.}"
}

@misc{ostrom1978the95,
    author = "Ostrom, J. H",
    title = "The osteology of Compsognathus longipes Wagner",
    year = "1978",
    howpublished = "Zitteliana, v. 4, p. 73-118",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Ostrom, J. H., 1978, The osteology of Compsognathus longipes Wagner: Zitteliana, v. 4, p. 73-118.}"
}

@misc{barsbold1979opisthopubic17,
    author = "Barsbold, R",
    title = "Opisthopubic pelvis in the saurischian dinosaurs",
    year = "1979",
    howpublished = "Nature, v. 279, p. 792-793",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Barsbold, R., 1979, Opisthopubic pelvis in the saurischian dinosaurs: Nature, v. 279, p. 792-793.}"
}

@misc{bonaparte1979dinosaurs27,
    author = "Bonaparte, J. F",
    title = "Dinosaurs, a Jurassic assemblage from Patagonia",
    year = "1979",
    howpublished = "Science, v. 205, p. 1377-1379",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Bonaparte, J. F., 1979, Dinosaurs, a Jurassic assemblage from Patagonia: Science, v. 205, p. 1377-1379.}"
}

@misc{johnston1979growth71,
    author = "Johnston, P. A",
    title = "Growth rings in dinosaur teeth",
    year = "1979",
    howpublished = "Nature, v. 278, p. 635- 636",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Johnston, P. A., 1979, Growth rings in dinosaur teeth: Nature, v. 278, p. 635- 636.}"
}

@article{russell1979the115,
    author = "Russell, D. A",
    title = "The enigma of the extinction of the dinosaurs",
    year = "1979",
    journal = "Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences, v. 7, p. 163-182",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Russell, D. A., 1979, The enigma of the extinction of the dinosaurs: Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences, v. 7, p. 163-182.}"
}

@incollection{bakker1980dinosaur11,
    author = "Bakker, R. T",
    editor = "Thomas, D. K. and Olson, E. C.",
    title = "Dinosaur heresy-dinosaur renaissance: Why we need endothermic archosaurs for a comprehensive theory of bioenergetic evolution",
    year = "1980",
    booktitle = "A Cold Look at the Warm Blooded Dinosaurs",
    publisher = "Washington, D.C., American Association for the Advancement of Science, p. 351-462",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Bakker, R. T., 1980, Dinosaur heresy-dinosaur renaissance: Why we need endothermic archosaurs for a comprehensive theory of bioenergetic evolution, in Thomas, D. K., and Olson, E. C., eds., A Cold Look at the Warm Blooded Dinosaurs: Washington, D.C., American Association for the Advancement of Science, p. 351-462.}"
}

@misc{beland1980dinosaur24,
    author = "Beland, P. and Russell, D. A",
    title = "Dinosaur Metabolism and Predator/Prey Ratios in the Fossil Record, in Thomas, D. K., and Olson, E. C., eds., A Cold Look at the Warm Blooded Dinosaurs",
    year = "1980",
    howpublished = "Washington, D.C., American Association for the Advancement of Science, p. 82-105",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Beland, P., and Russell, D. A., 1980, Dinosaur Metabolism and Predator/Prey Ratios in the Fossil Record, in Thomas, D. K., and Olson, E. C., eds., A Cold Look at the Warm Blooded Dinosaurs: Washington, D.C., American Association for the Advancement of Science, p. 82-105.}"
}

@misc{dodson1980taphonomy46,
    author = "Dodson, P. and Behrensmeyer, A. K. and Bakker, R. T. and McIntosh, J. S",
    title = "Taphonomy and paleoecology of the dinosaur beds of the Jurassic Morrison Formation",
    year = "1980",
    howpublished = "Paleobiology, v. 6, p. 208-232",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Dodson, P., Behrensmeyer, A. K., Bakker, R. T., and McIntosh, J. S., 1980, Taphonomy and paleoecology of the dinosaur beds of the Jurassic Morrison Formation: Paleobiology, v. 6, p. 208-232.}"
}

@incollection{hopson1980relative67,
    author = "Hopson, J. A",
    editor = "Thomas, D. K. and Olson, E. C.",
    title = "Relative Brainsize in Dinosaurs: Implications for Dinosaur Endothermy",
    year = "1980",
    booktitle = "A Cold Look at the Warm Blooded Dinosaurs",
    publisher = "Washington, D.C., American Association for the Advancement of Science, p. 287-310",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Hopson, J. A., 1980, Relative Brainsize in Dinosaurs: Implications for Dinosaur Endothermy, in Thomas, D. K., and Olson, E. C., eds., A Cold Look at the Warm Blooded Dinosaurs: Washington, D.C., American Association for the Advancement of Science, p. 287-310.}"
}

@incollection{hotton1980an69,
    author = "Hotton, N",
    editor = "Thomas, D. K. and Olson, E. C.",
    title = "An Alternative to Dinosaur Endothermy: The Happy Wanderers",
    year = "1980",
    booktitle = "A Cold Look at the Warm Blooded Dinosaurs",
    publisher = "Washington, D.C., American Association for the Advancement of Science, p. 311-350",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Hotton, N., 1980, An Alternative to Dinosaur Endothermy: The Happy Wanderers, in Thomas, D. K., and Olson, E. C., eds., A Cold Look at the Warm Blooded Dinosaurs: Washington, D.C., American Association for the Advancement of Science, p. 311-350.}"
}

@misc{molnar1980a88,
    author = "Molnar, R. E. and Pledge, N. S",
    title = "A new theropod dinosaur from South Australia",
    year = "1980",
    howpublished = "Alcheringa, v. 4, p. 281-287",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Molnar, R. E., and Pledge, N. S., 1980, A new theropod dinosaur from South Australia: Alcheringa, v. 4, p. 281-287.}"
}

@incollection{ricqles1980tissue108,
    author = "Ricqles, A. R",
    editor = "Thomas, D. K. and Olson, E. C.",
    title = "Tissue Structures of Dinosaur Bones: Functional Significance and Possible Relation to Dinosaur Physiology",
    year = "1980",
    booktitle = "A Cold Look at the Warm Blooded Dinosaurs",
    publisher = "Washington, D.C., American Association for the Advancement of Science, p. 103-140",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Ricqles, A. R., 1980, Tissue Structures of Dinosaur Bones: Functional Significance and Possible Relation to Dinosaur Physiology, in Thomas, D. K., and Olson, E. C., eds., A Cold Look at the Warm Blooded Dinosaurs: Washington, D.C., American Association for the Advancement of Science, p. 103-140.}"
}

@misc{russell1980paleocology117,
    author = "Russell, D. A. and Beland, P. and McIntosh, J. S",
    title = "Paleocology of the dinosaurs of Tendaguru (Tanzania)",
    year = "1980",
    howpublished = "Mem. Soc. Geol. Fr., v. 59, no. 139, p. 169-175",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Russell, D. A., Beland, P., and McIntosh, J. S., 1980, Paleocology of the dinosaurs of Tendaguru (Tanzania): Mem. Soc. Geol. Fr., v. 59, no. 139, p. 169-175.}"
}

@article{barsbold1981toothless18,
    author = "Barsbold, R",
    title = "Toothless carnivorous dinosaurs of Mongolia",
    year = "1981",
    journal = "Joint Soviet-Mongolian Palaeontological Expedition Transactions, v. 15, p. 28-39; In Russian",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Barsbold, R., 1981, Toothless carnivorous dinosaurs of Mongolia: Joint Soviet-Mongolian Palaeontological Expedition Transactions, v. 15, p. 28-39; In Russian.}"
}

@misc{farlow1981estimates53,
    author = "Farlow, J. O",
    title = "Estimates of dinosaur speeds from a new trackway site in Texas",
    year = "1981",
    howpublished = "Nature, v. 294, p. 747-748",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Farlow, J. O., 1981, Estimates of dinosaur speeds from a new trackway site in Texas: Nature, v. 294, p. 747-748.}"
}

@book{halstead1981dinosaurs61,
    author = "Halstead, L. B. and Halstead, J",
    title = "Dinosaurs",
    year = "1981",
    publisher = "Dorset, Blanford Press",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Halstead, L. B., and Halstead, J., 1981, Dinosaurs: Dorset, Blanford Press.}"
}

@book{leipzig1981myological75,
    author = "Leipzig, M. R",
    title = "Myological and Osteological Comparisons of Three Large Extant Reptiles ( Caiman sp., Tegu sp., Heloderma suspectum) and Implications on Dinosaurian Locomotion [Vertebrate Paleontology dissert.]",
    year = "1981",
    publisher = "University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 99 p",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Leipzig, M. R., 1981, Myological and Osteological Comparisons of Three Large Extant Reptiles ( Caiman sp., Tegu sp., Heloderma suspectum) and Implications on Dinosaurian Locomotion [Vertebrate Paleontology dissert.]: University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 99 p.}"
}

A new compilation of fossil data on invertebrate and vertebrate families indicates that four mass extinctions in the marine realm are statistically distinct from background extinction levels. These four occurred late in the Ordovician, Permian, Triassic, and Cretaceous periods. A fifth extinction event in the Devonian stands out from the background but is not statistically significant in these data. Background extinction rates appear to have declined since Cambrian time, which is consistent with the prediction that optimization of fitness should increase through evolutionary time.

@article{doi101126science21545391501,
    author = "Raup, David M. and Sepkoski, J. John",
    title = "Mass Extinctions in the Marine Fossil Record",
    year = "1982",
    journal = "Science",
    abstract = "A new compilation of fossil data on invertebrate and vertebrate families indicates that four mass extinctions in the marine realm are statistically distinct from background extinction levels. These four occurred late in the Ordovician, Permian, Triassic, and Cretaceous periods. A fifth extinction event in the Devonian stands out from the background but is not statistically significant in these data. Background extinction rates appear to have declined since Cambrian time, which is consistent with the prediction that optimization of fitness should increase through evolutionary time.",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1126/science.215.4539.1501",
    doi = "10.1126/science.215.4539.1501",
    openalex = "W1976721572",
    references = "doi101017s009483730000511x, doi101017s0094837300006539, doi101130spe89p63, doi105281zenodo16226412, openalexw2335729143, openalexw2591197405, openalexw2596207362"
}

@misc{edwords1982the51,
    author = "Edwords, F",
    title = "The dilemma of the horned dinosaurs",
    year = "1982",
    howpublished = "Creation/Evolution, v. 3, p. 1-11",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Edwords, F., 1982, The dilemma of the horned dinosaurs: Creation/Evolution, v. 3, p. 1-11.}"
}

@book{glut1982the59,
    author = "Glut, D. F",
    title = "The New Dinosaur Dictionary",
    year = "1982",
    publisher = "Secaucus, New Jersey, Citadel Press",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Glut, D. F., 1982, The New Dinosaur Dictionary: Secaucus, New Jersey, Citadel Press.}"
}

@misc{russell1982reconstruction118,
    author = "Russell, D. A. and Sequin, R",
    title = "Reconstruction of the small Cretaceous theropod Stenonychosaurus inequalis and a hypothetical dinosauroid",
    year = "1982",
    howpublished = "Syllogeous, v. 37, p. 1-43",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Russell, D. A., and Sequin, R., 1982, Reconstruction of the small Cretaceous theropod Stenonychosaurus inequalis and a hypothetical dinosauroid: Syllogeous, v. 37, p. 1-43.}"
}

@article{barsbold1983carnivorous19,
    author = "Barsbold, R",
    title = "Carnivorous dinosaurs from the Cretaceous of Mongolia",
    year = "1983",
    journal = "Joint Soviet- Mongolian Palaeontological Expedition Transactions, v. 19, p. 1-120; In Russian",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Barsbold, R., 1983, Carnivorous dinosaurs from the Cretaceous of Mongolia: Joint Soviet- Mongolian Palaeontological Expedition Transactions, v. 19, p. 1-120; In Russian.}"
}

@article{barsbold1983on20,
    author = "Barsbold, R",
    title = {On the "avian" features of the structure of carnivorous dinosaurs},
    year = "1983",
    journal = "Joint Soviet-Mongolian Palaeontological Expedition Transactions, v. 24, p. 96-103; In Russian",
    note = {talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Barsbold, R., 1983, On the "avian" features of the structure of carnivorous dinosaurs: Joint Soviet-Mongolian Palaeontological Expedition Transactions, v. 24, p. 96-103; In Russian.}}
}

@article{benton1983dinosaur25,
    author = "Benton, M. J",
    title = "Dinosaur success in the Triassic",
    year = "1983",
    journal = "A noncompetitive ecological model: Quarterly Review of Biology, v. 58, p. 29-55",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Benton, M. J., 1983, Dinosaur success in the Triassic: A noncompetitive ecological model: Quarterly Review of Biology, v. 58, p. 29-55.}"
}

@misc{dong1983the49,
    author = "Dong, Z. and Zhou, S. and Zhang, Y",
    title = "The dinosaurian remains from Sichuan Basin, China",
    year = "1983",
    howpublished = "Palaeontographica Sinica, v. 162, p. 1-147; In Chinese",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Dong, Z., Zhou, S., and Zhang, Y., 1983, The dinosaurian remains from Sichuan Basin, China: Palaeontographica Sinica, v. 162, p. 1-147; In Chinese.}"
}

@misc{mcgowan1983the84,
    author = "McGowan, C",
    title = "The Successful Dragons",
    year = "1983",
    howpublished = "A Natural History of Extinct Reptiles: Toronto, Samuel-Stevens",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {McGowan, C., 1983, The Successful Dragons: A Natural History of Extinct Reptiles: Toronto, Samuel-Stevens.}"
}

@misc{mcgowen1983the85,
    author = "McGowen, C",
    title = "The Successful Dragons",
    year = "1983",
    howpublished = "Toronto, Samuel Stevens and Co",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {McGowen, C., 1983, The Successful Dragons: Toronto, Samuel Stevens and Co.}"
}

@article{barsbold1984the23,
    author = "Barsbold, R. and Perle, A",
    title = "The first record of a primitive ornithomimosaur from the Cretaceous of Mongolia",
    year = "1984",
    journal = "Palaeontological Journal, v. 2, p. 118-120",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Barsbold, R., and Perle, A., 1984, The first record of a primitive ornithomimosaur from the Cretaceous of Mongolia: Palaeontological Journal, v. 2, p. 118-120.}"
}

@inproceedings{benton1984fossil26,
    author = "Benton, M. J",
    title = "Fossil Reptiles of the German Late Triassic and the Origin of the Dinosaurs, in Reif, W. E., and Westphal, F., eds., Third Symposium on Mesozoic Terrestrial Ecosystems",
    year = "1984",
    booktitle = "Tbingen, ATTEMPTO-Verlag, p. 13-18",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Benton, M. J., 1984, Fossil Reptiles of the German Late Triassic and the Origin of the Dinosaurs, in Reif, W. E., and Westphal, F., eds., Third Symposium on Mesozoic Terrestrial Ecosystems: Tbingen, ATTEMPTO-Verlag, p. 13-18.}"
}

@article{benton1984palaeontology,
    author = "Benton, Michael J.",
    title = "Palaeontology: Consensus on archosaurs",
    year = "1984",
    journal = "Nature",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1038/312599a0",
    doi = "10.1038/312599a0",
    number = "5995",
    pages = "599-599",
    volume = "312"
}

@misc{dong1984a48,
    author = "Dong, Z",
    title = "A new theropod dinosaur from the Middle Jurassic of Sichuan Basin",
    year = "1984",
    howpublished = "Vertebrate Palasiatica, v. XXII, p. 213-218; In Chinese",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Dong, Z., 1984, A new theropod dinosaur from the Middle Jurassic of Sichuan Basin: Vertebrate Palasiatica, v. XXII, p. 213-218; In Chinese.}"
}

@misc{ham1984what62,
    author = "Ham, K",
    title = "What happened to the dinosaurs?",
    year = "1984",
    howpublished = "Ex Nihilo, v. 7, no. 2, p. 6-11",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Ham, K., 1984, What happened to the dinosaurs?: Ex Nihilo, v. 7, no. 2, p. 6-11.}"
}

@misc{leonardi1984le77,
    author = "Leonardi, G",
    title = "Le impronte fossili di dinosauri, in Sulle orme dei Dinosauri",
    year = "1984",
    howpublished = "Paleont. Ricatore (C.N.P.Q.) del Brasile, p. 165-186",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Leonardi, G., 1984, Le impronte fossili di dinosauri, in Sulle orme dei Dinosauri: Paleont. Ricatore (C.N.P.Q.) del Brasile, p. 165-186.}"
}

@incollection{paul1984the102,
    author = "Paul, G. S",
    editor = "Reif, W. E. and Westphal, F.",
    title = "The Archosaurs: A Phylogenetic Study",
    year = "1984",
    booktitle = "Third Symposium on Mesozoic Terrestrial Ecosystems",
    publisher = "Tbingen, ATTEMPTO-Verlag, p. 175-180",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Paul, G. S., 1984, The Archosaurs: A Phylogenetic Study, in Reif, W. E., and Westphal, F., eds., Third Symposium on Mesozoic Terrestrial Ecosystems: Tbingen, ATTEMPTO-Verlag, p. 175-180.}"
}

@inproceedings{reid1984the106,
    author = "Reid, R. E. H",
    title = "The histology of dinosaurian bone, and its possible bearing on dinosaur physiology",
    year = "1984",
    booktitle = "Symposium of the Zoological Society, London, v. 52, p. 629-663",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Reid, R. E. H., 1984, The histology of dinosaurian bone, and its possible bearing on dinosaur physiology: Symposium of the Zoological Society, London, v. 52, p. 629-663.}"
}

@misc{russell1984the116,
    author = "Russell, D. A",
    title = "The gradual decline of the dinosaurs - fact or fallacy?",
    year = "1984",
    howpublished = "Nature, v. 307, p. 360-361",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Russell, D. A., 1984, The gradual decline of the dinosaurs - fact or fallacy?: Nature, v. 307, p. 360-361.}"
}

@article{alexander1985mechanics3,
    author = "Alexander, R. M",
    title = "Mechanics of posture and gait of some large dinosaurs",
    year = "1985",
    journal = "Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, v. 83, p. 1-25",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Alexander, R. M., 1985, Mechanics of posture and gait of some large dinosaurs: Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, v. 83, p. 1-25.}"
}

@incollection{doi101016b978012249408650011x,
    author = "Olson, Storrs L.",
    title = "THE FOSSIL RECORD OF BIRDS",
    year = "1985",
    booktitle = "Elsevier eBooks",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-12-249408-6.50011-x",
    doi = "10.1016/b978-0-12-249408-6.50011-x",
    openalex = "W47485082",
    references = "crossref1994evolution, doi101002jmor1050880104, doi101038292051a0, doi10108002724634198110011900, doi101093auk1002390, doi101093auk984681, doi101111j1474919x1974tb07648x, doi101146annureves12110181001211, doi1023074080603, doi105281zenodo16026198, doi1058782flmnhjhup8438, doi105962p208144, openalexw1523686958"
}

@misc{dusheck1985arctic50,
    author = "Dusheck, J",
    title = "Arctic dinosaurs raise questions",
    year = "1985",
    howpublished = "Science News, v. 128, p. 135",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Dusheck, J., 1985, Arctic dinosaurs raise questions: Science News, v. 128, p. 135.}"
}

@misc{jensen1985uncompahgre70,
    author = "Jensen, J. A",
    title = "Uncompahgre dinosaur fauna",
    year = "1985",
    howpublished = "a preliminary report: Great Basin Naturalist, v. 45, p. 710-720",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Jensen, J. A., 1985, Uncompahgre dinosaur fauna: a preliminary report: Great Basin Naturalist, v. 45, p. 710-720.}"
}

@misc{norman1985the91,
    author = "Norman, D",
    title = "The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs",
    year = "1985",
    howpublished = "New York, Cresent Books",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Norman, D., 1985, The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs: New York, Cresent Books.}"
}

@misc{wilford1985the129,
    author = "Wilford, J. N",
    title = "The Riddle of the Dinosaur",
    year = "1985",
    howpublished = "New York, Random House",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Wilford, J. N., 1985, The Riddle of the Dinosaur: New York, Random House.}"
}

@misc{arcucci1986nuevos6,
    author = "Arcucci, A",
    title = "Nuevos materiales y reinterpretatcion de Lagerpeton chanarenis Romer (Thecodontia, Lagerpetonidae nov.)",
    year = "1986",
    howpublished = "Ameghiniana, v. 23, no. 3-4, p. 233-242",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Arcucci, A., 1986, Nuevos materiales y reinterpretatcion de Lagerpeton chanarenis Romer (Thecodontia, Lagerpetonidae nov.): Ameghiniana, v. 23, no. 3-4, p. 233-242.}"
}

@misc{bakker1986the12,
    author = "Bakker, R. T",
    title = "The Dinosaur Heresies",
    year = "1986",
    howpublished = "New Theories Unlocking the Mystery of the Dinosaurs and Their Extinction: New York, William Morrow \& Company, Inc",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Bakker, R. T., 1986, The Dinosaur Heresies: New Theories Unlocking the Mystery of the Dinosaurs and Their Extinction: New York, William Morrow \& Company, Inc.}"
}

@article{barsbold1986carnivorous21,
    author = "Barsbold, R",
    title = "Carnivorous Dinosaurs",
    year = "1986",
    journal = "Oviraptors, in Collected Transactions of the Institute of Evolutionary Morphology of the USSR Academy of Science: Moscow, USSR Academy of Science, p. 210-223; In Russian",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Barsbold, R., 1986, Carnivorous Dinosaurs: Oviraptors, in Collected Transactions of the Institute of Evolutionary Morphology of the USSR Academy of Science: Moscow, USSR Academy of Science, p. 210-223; In Russian.}"
}

@misc{bunney1986claws29,
    author = "Bunney, S",
    title = {Claws" makes its official debut},
    year = "1986",
    howpublished = "New Scientist, v. 112, p. 25",
    note = {talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Bunney, S., 1986, "Claws" makes its official debut: New Scientist, v. 112, p. 25.}}
}

@misc{charig1986baryonyx32,
    author = "Charig, A. J. and Milner, A. J",
    title = "Baryonyx, a remarkable new theropod dinosaur",
    year = "1986",
    howpublished = "Nature, v. 324, p. 359-361",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Charig, A. J., and Milner, A. J., 1986, Baryonyx, a remarkable new theropod dinosaur: Nature, v. 324, p. 359-361.}"
}

@misc{farlow1986in54,
    author = "Farlow, J. O",
    title = "In the footsteps of dinosaurs?",
    year = "1986",
    howpublished = "Nature, v. 323, p. 390",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Farlow, J. O., 1986, In the footsteps of dinosaurs?: Nature, v. 323, p. 390.}"
}

@misc{hasegawa1986gobi63,
    author = "Hasegawa, Y",
    title = "Gobi Desert Dinosaurs Exhibit",
    year = "1986",
    howpublished = "Japan Cultural Association",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Hasegawa, Y., 1986, Gobi Desert Dinosaurs Exhibit. Japan Cultural Association.}"
}

@book{haubold1986archosaur64,
    author = "Haubold, H",
    title = "Archosaur Footprints at the Terrestrial Triassic-Jurassic Transition, in Padian, K., ed., The Beginning of the Age of Dinosaurs",
    year = "1986",
    publisher = "Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, p. 189-201",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Haubold, H., 1986, Archosaur Footprints at the Terrestrial Triassic-Jurassic Transition, in Padian, K., ed., The Beginning of the Age of Dinosaurs: Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, p. 189-201.}"
}

@book{ostrom1986social96,
    author = "Ostrom, J. H",
    title = "Social and Unsocial Behavior in Dinosaurs, in Evolution of Animal Behavior",
    year = "1986",
    publisher = "Oxford, Oxford University Press, p. 41-61",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Ostrom, J. H., 1986, Social and Unsocial Behavior in Dinosaurs, in Evolution of Animal Behavior: Oxford, Oxford University Press, p. 41-61.}"
}

@misc{sloan1986gradual121,
    author = "Sloan, R. E. et al",
    title = "Gradual dinosaur extinction and simultaneous ungulate radiation in the Hell Creek Formation",
    year = "1986",
    howpublished = "Science, v. 232, p. 629-633",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Sloan, R. E. et al., 1986, Gradual dinosaur extinction and simultaneous ungulate radiation in the Hell Creek Formation: Science, v. 232, p. 629-633.}"
}

@misc{weisburd1986oldest127,
    author = "Weisburd, S",
    title = "Oldest Bird and Longest Dinosaur",
    year = "1986",
    howpublished = "Science News, v. 130, p. 103",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Weisburd, S., 1986, Oldest Bird and Longest Dinosaur: Science News, v. 130, p. 103.}"
}

@incollection{adams1987the1,
    author = "Adams, D",
    editor = "ch. 1-6 of Currie, P. J. and Koster, E.",
    title = "The bigger they are, the harder they fall: Implications of ischial curvature in ceratopsian dinosaurs",
    year = "1987",
    booktitle = "Fourth Symposium on Mesozoic Terrestrial Ecosystems",
    publisher = "Drumheller, Canada, Tyrrell Museum",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Adams, D., 1987, The bigger they are, the harder they fall: Implications of ischial curvature in ceratopsian dinosaurs, in ch. 1-6 of Currie, P. J., and Koster, E., eds., Fourth Symposium on Mesozoic Terrestrial Ecosystems: Drumheller, Canada, Tyrrell Museum.}"
}

@misc{anderson1987chinese4,
    author = "Anderson, I",
    title = "Chinese Unearth a Dinosaurs' Graveyard",
    year = "1987",
    howpublished = "New Scientist, v. 116, p. 28-29",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Anderson, I., 1987, Chinese Unearth a Dinosaurs' Graveyard: New Scientist, v. 116, p. 28-29.}"
}

@misc{bakker1987the13,
    author = "Bakker, R. T",
    title = "The return of the Dancing Dinosaurs, in Czerkas, S. J., and Olson, E. C., eds., Dinosaurs Past and Present, 1",
    year = "1987",
    howpublished = "Los Angeles, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, p. 38-69",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Bakker, R. T., 1987, The return of the Dancing Dinosaurs, in Czerkas, S. J., and Olson, E. C., eds., Dinosaurs Past and Present, 1: Los Angeles, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, p. 38-69.}"
}

@misc{barsbold1987on22,
    author = "Barsbold, R. and Osmolska, H. and Kurzanov, S. M",
    title = "On a new troodontid (Dinosauria, Theropoda) from the Early Cretaceous of Mongolia",
    year = "1987",
    howpublished = "Acta Palaeontologica Polonica, v. 32, p. 121-132",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Barsbold, R., Osmolska, H., and Kurzanov, S. M., 1987, On a new troodontid (Dinosauria, Theropoda) from the Early Cretaceous of Mongolia: Acta Palaeontologica Polonica, v. 32, p. 121-132.}"
}

@misc{currie1987new42,
    author = "Currie, P. J",
    title = "New Approaches to Studying Dinosaurs in Dinosaur Provincial Park, in Czerkas, S. J., and Olson, E. C., eds., Dinosaurs Past and Present, II",
    year = "1987",
    howpublished = "Los Angeles, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, p. 100-117",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Currie, P. J., 1987, New Approaches to Studying Dinosaurs in Dinosaur Provincial Park, in Czerkas, S. J., and Olson, E. C., eds., Dinosaurs Past and Present, II: Los Angeles, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, p. 100-117.}"
}

@misc{czerkas1987dinosaurs43,
    author = "Czerkas, S. J. and Olson, E. C",
    title = "Dinosaurs Past and Present (2 Volumes)",
    year = "1987",
    howpublished = "Los Angeles, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Czerkas, S. J., and Olson, E. C., 1987, Dinosaurs Past and Present (2 Volumes): Los Angeles, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County.}"
}

@book{farlow1987a55,
    author = "Farlow, J. O",
    title = "A Guide to the Lower Cretaceous Dinosaur Footprints and Trackways of the Paluxy River Valley, Somervell County, Texas",
    year = "1987",
    publisher = "Waco, Texas, Baylor University Press",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Farlow, J. O., 1987, A Guide to the Lower Cretaceous Dinosaur Footprints and Trackways of the Paluxy River Valley, Somervell County, Texas: Waco, Texas, Baylor University Press.}"
}

@incollection{leahy1987the73,
    author = "Leahy, G. D",
    editor = "Currie, P. J. and Koster, E.",
    title = "The Gradual Extinction of Dinosaurs: Fact of Artifact?",
    year = "1987",
    booktitle = "Fourth Symposium on Mesozoic Terrestrial Ecosystems",
    publisher = "Drumheller, Canada, Tyrrell Museum, p. 138-143",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Leahy, G. D., 1987, The Gradual Extinction of Dinosaurs: Fact of Artifact?, in Currie, P. J., and Koster, E., eds., Fourth Symposium on Mesozoic Terrestrial Ecosystems: Drumheller, Canada, Tyrrell Museum, p. 138-143.}"
}

@misc{lehman1987late74,
    author = "Lehman, T. M",
    title = "Late Maastrichtian paleoenvironments and dinosaur biogeography in the western interior of North America",
    year = "1987",
    howpublished = "Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, v. 60, p. 189-217",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Lehman, T. M., 1987, Late Maastrichtian paleoenvironments and dinosaur biogeography in the western interior of North America: Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, v. 60, p. 189-217.}"
}

@misc{morell1987the89,
    author = "Morell, V",
    title = "The birth of a heresy",
    year = "1987",
    howpublished = "Discover, v. 8, p. 26-50",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Morell, V., 1987, The birth of a heresy: Discover, v. 8, p. 26-50.}"
}

@misc{ostrom1987romancing97,
    author = "Ostrom, J. H",
    title = "Romancing the dinosaurs",
    year = "1987",
    howpublished = "The Sciences, v. 27, p. 56-63",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Ostrom, J. H., 1987, Romancing the dinosaurs: The Sciences, v. 27, p. 56-63.}"
}

@misc{parrish1987cretaceous101,
    author = "Parrish, J. T. et al",
    title = "Cretaceous vertebrates from Alaska - implications for dinosaur ecology",
    year = "1987",
    howpublished = "Geological Society of America, Abstracts with Programs, v. 19, no. 5, p. 326; Abstracts, 40th Annual Meeting, Rocky Mountain Section, GSA",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Parrish, J. T. et al., 1987, Cretaceous vertebrates from Alaska - implications for dinosaur ecology: Geological Society of America, Abstracts with Programs, v. 19, no. 5, p. 326; Abstracts, 40th Annual Meeting, Rocky Mountain Section, GSA.}"
}

@misc{paul1987the103,
    author = "Paul, G. S",
    title = "The Science and Art of Restoring the Life Appearance of Dinosaurs and Their Relatives, in Czerkas, S. J., and Olson, E. C., eds., Dinosaurs Past and Present, II",
    year = "1987",
    howpublished = "Los Angeles, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, p. 4-49",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Paul, G. S., 1987, The Science and Art of Restoring the Life Appearance of Dinosaurs and Their Relatives, in Czerkas, S. J., and Olson, E. C., eds., Dinosaurs Past and Present, II: Los Angeles, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, p. 4-49.}"
}

@misc{rigby1987the109,
    author = "Rigby, J. K",
    title = "The Last of the North American Dinosaurs, in Czerkas, S. J., and Olson, E. C., eds., Dinosaurs Past and Present, II",
    year = "1987",
    howpublished = "Los Angeles, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, p. 119-135",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Rigby, J. K., 1987, The Last of the North American Dinosaurs, in Czerkas, S. J., and Olson, E. C., eds., Dinosaurs Past and Present, II: Los Angeles, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, p. 119-135.}"
}

@incollection{witmer1987the130,
    author = "Witmer, L. M",
    editor = "Currie, P. J. and Koster, E.",
    title = "The Nature of the Antorbital Fossa of Archosaurs: Shifting the Null Hypothesis",
    year = "1987",
    booktitle = "Fourth Symposium on Mesozoic Terrestrial Ecosystems",
    publisher = "Drumheller, Canada, Tyrrell Museum, p. 230-235",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Witmer, L. M., 1987, The Nature of the Antorbital Fossa of Archosaurs: Shifting the Null Hypothesis, in Currie, P. J., and Koster, E., eds., Fourth Symposium on Mesozoic Terrestrial Ecosystems: Drumheller, Canada, Tyrrell Museum, p. 230-235.}"
}

@misc{dixon1988the45,
    author = "Dixon, D. and Cox, B. and Savage, R. J. G. and Gardiner, B",
    title = "The Macmillan Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Animals",
    year = "1988",
    howpublished = "New York, Macmillan",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Dixon, D., Cox, B., Savage, R. J. G., and Gardiner, B., 1988, The Macmillan Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Animals: New York, Macmillan.}"
}

@misc{horner1988digging68,
    author = "Horner, J. R. and Gorman, J",
    title = "Digging Dinosaurs",
    year = "1988",
    howpublished = "New York, Workman",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Horner, J. R., and Gorman, J., 1988, Digging Dinosaurs: New York, Workman.}"
}

@misc{farlow1989paleobiology56,
    author = "Farlow, J. O",
    title = "Paleobiology of the Dinosaurs, 238 of GSA Special Paper",
    year = "1989",
    howpublished = "Boulder, Colorado, Geological Society of America, 100 p.; Based on a Meeting, Waco, Tx., March, 1987",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Farlow, J. O., 1989, Paleobiology of the Dinosaurs, 238 of GSA Special Paper: Boulder, Colorado, Geological Society of America, 100 p.; Based on a Meeting, Waco, Tx., March, 1987.}"
}

@misc{morris1989how90,
    author = "Morris, H. M",
    title = "How a Christian Dies",
    year = "1989",
    howpublished = "ICR Impact Series, v. 193",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Morris, H. M., 1989, How a Christian Dies: ICR Impact Series, v. 193.}"
}

@misc{leipzig1990the76,
    author = "Leipzig, M. R",
    title = "The Encyclopedia Archosauria [1st ed.]",
    year = "1990",
    howpublished = "Pittsburgh, Pa., Carnegie Museum of Natural History, 863 p",
    note = "talkorigins\_source = {true}; raw\_reference = {Leipzig, M. R., 1990, The Encyclopedia Archosauria [1st ed.]: Pittsburgh, Pa., Carnegie Museum of Natural History, 863 p.}"
}

Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian) fossils discovered in the Kem Kem region of Morocco include large predatory dinosaurs that inhabited Africa as it drifted into geographic isolation. One, represented by a skull approximately 1.6 meters in length, is an advanced allosauroid referable to the African genus Carcharodontosaurus. Another, represented by a partial skeleton with slender proportions, is a new basal coelurosaur closely resembling the Egyptian genus Bahariasaurus. Comparisons with Cretaceous theropods from other continents reveal a previously unrecognized global radiation of carcharodontosaurid predators. Substantial geographic differentiation of dinosaurian faunas in response to continental drift appears to have arisen abruptly at the beginning of the Late Cretaceous.

@article{doi101126science2725264986,
    author = "Sereno, Paul C. and Dutheil, Didier B. and Iarochène, Mohamed and Larsson, Hans C. E. and Lyon, Gabrielle H. and Magwene, Paul M. and Sidor, Christian A. and Varricchio, David J. and Wilson, Jeffrey A.",
    title = "Predatory Dinosaurs from the Sahara and Late Cretaceous Faunal Differentiation",
    year = "1996",
    journal = "Science",
    abstract = "Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian) fossils discovered in the Kem Kem region of Morocco include large predatory dinosaurs that inhabited Africa as it drifted into geographic isolation. One, represented by a skull approximately 1.6 meters in length, is an advanced allosauroid referable to the African genus Carcharodontosaurus. Another, represented by a partial skeleton with slender proportions, is a new basal coelurosaur closely resembling the Egyptian genus Bahariasaurus. Comparisons with Cretaceous theropods from other continents reveal a previously unrecognized global radiation of carcharodontosaurid predators. Substantial geographic differentiation of dinosaurian faunas in response to continental drift appears to have arisen abruptly at the beginning of the Late Cretaceous.",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1126/science.272.5264.986",
    doi = "10.1126/science.272.5264.986",
    openalex = "W2013182835",
    references = "coria1995a, doi101007bf02987808, doi101016s0016699509900389, doi101038377224a0, doi101126science2665183267, doi102113gssgfbulliv2335, doi1023072421859, doi105281zenodo1040385, doi105962p226819, openalexw1426920053, openalexw2603028126"
}

▪ Abstract Phylogenetic studies and new fossil evidence have yielded fundamental insights into the pattern and timing of dinosaur evolution and the emergence of functionally modern birds. The dinosaurian radiation began in the Middle Triassic, significantly predating the global dominance of dinosaurs by the end of the period. The phylogenetic history of ornithischian and saurischian dinosaurs reveals evolutionary trends such as increasing body size. Adaptations to herbivory in dinosaurs were not tightly correlated with marked floral replacements. Dinosaurian biogeography during the era of continental breakup principally involved dispersal and regional extinction.

@article{doi101146annurevearth251435,
    author = "Sereno, Paul C.",
    title = "THE ORIGIN AND EVOLUTION OF DINOSAURS",
    year = "1997",
    journal = "Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences",
    abstract = "▪ Abstract Phylogenetic studies and new fossil evidence have yielded fundamental insights into the pattern and timing of dinosaur evolution and the emergence of functionally modern birds. The dinosaurian radiation began in the Middle Triassic, significantly predating the global dominance of dinosaurs by the end of the period. The phylogenetic history of ornithischian and saurischian dinosaurs reveals evolutionary trends such as increasing body size. Adaptations to herbivory in dinosaurs were not tightly correlated with marked floral replacements. Dinosaurian biogeography during the era of continental breakup principally involved dispersal and regional extinction.",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.earth.25.1.435",
    doi = "10.1146/annurev.earth.25.1.435",
    openalex = "W2081551955",
    references = "coria1995a, crossref1976allosaurus, doi101007bf02986571, doi1010160031018272900491, doi1010160195667191900155, doi101017cbo9780511608377010, doi101017cbo9780511608551, doi101017cbo9781139167826, doi101017s0022336000026706, doi101017s0094837300004310, doi101038248168a0, doi101038274661a0, doi101038292051a0, doi101038378774a0, doi10108002724634199010011815, doi10108002724634199110011386, doi10108002724634199110011426, doi10108002724634199210011473, doi10108002724634199410011523, doi10108002724634199410011524, doi101111j109583121965tb00944x, doi101111j109583121976tb00244x, doi101111j109600311988tb00514x, doi101111j155856461996tb04496x, doi101111j174966321940tb57047x, doi101111j216409471940tb00068x, doi101126science24348951145, doi101126science2725264986, doi101139e93176, doi101139e93179, doi101139e93187, doi101146annureven10010165000525, doi101353book34649, doi1023071441916, doi105281zenodo16171435, doi105479si03629236110i, doi105860choice331556, doi105962bhltitle5716, doi105962p226819, galton1977onstaurikosaums, gregor1988the, openalexw1574544995, openalexw2310875238, openalexw2788234611, parrish1987late, rowe1989a"
}

Recent discoveries of fossil vertebrates from the Late Cretaceous of Madagascar include several specimens of a large theropod dinosaur. One specimen includes a nearly complete and exquisitely preserved skull with thickened pneumatic nasals, a median frontal horn, and a dorsal projection on the parietals. The new materials are assigned to the enigmatic theropod group Abelisauridae on the basis of a number of unique features. Fossil remains attributable to abelisaurids are restricted to three Gondwanan landmasses: South America, Madagascar, and the Indian subcontinent. This distribution is consistent with a revised paleogeographic reconstruction that posits prolonged links between these landmasses (via Antarctica), perhaps until late in the Late Cretaceous.

@article{doi101126science28053661048,
    author = "Sampson, Scott D. and Witmer, Lawrence M. and Forster, Catherine A. and Krause, David W. and O’Connor, Patrick M. and Dodson, Peter and Ravoavy, Florent",
    title = "Predatory Dinosaur Remains from Madagascar: Implications for the Cretaceous Biogeography of Gondwana",
    year = "1998",
    journal = "Science",
    abstract = "Recent discoveries of fossil vertebrates from the Late Cretaceous of Madagascar include several specimens of a large theropod dinosaur. One specimen includes a nearly complete and exquisitely preserved skull with thickened pneumatic nasals, a median frontal horn, and a dorsal projection on the parietals. The new materials are assigned to the enigmatic theropod group Abelisauridae on the basis of a number of unique features. Fossil remains attributable to abelisaurids are restricted to three Gondwanan landmasses: South America, Madagascar, and the Indian subcontinent. This distribution is consistent with a revised paleogeographic reconstruction that posits prolonged links between these landmasses (via Antarctica), perhaps until late in the Late Cretaceous.",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1126/science.280.5366.1048",
    doi = "10.1126/science.280.5366.1048",
    openalex = "W2026696841",
    references = "doi101016003101829190145h, doi101017s0022336000026706, doi10103837343, doi101038377301a0, doi101126science2665183267, doi101126science2725264986, doi101126science27953581915, doi101139e93176, doi101146annurevearth251435, doi105962p226819, openalexw648313615, sereno1997the"
}

The fossil record has been used to support the origin and radiation of modern birds (Neornithes) in Laurasia after the Cretaceous-Tertiary mass extinction event, whereas molecular clocks have suggested a Cretaceous origin for most avian orders. These alternative views of neornithine evolution are examined using an independent set of evidence, namely phylogenetic relationships and historical biogeography. Pylogenetic relationships of basal lineages of neornithines, including ratite birds and their allies (Palaleocognathae), galliforms and anseriforms (Galloanserae), as well as lineages of the more advanced Neoves (Gruiformes, (Capimulgiformes, Passeriformes and others) demonstrate pervasive trans-Antarctic distribution patterns. The temporal history of the neornithines can be inferred from fossil taxa and the ages of vicariance events, and along with their biogeographical patterns, leads to the conclusion that neornithines arose in Gondwana prior to the Cretaceous Tertiary extinction event.

@article{doi101098rspb20001368,
    author = "Cracraft, Joël",
    title = "Avian evolution, Gondwana biogeography and the Cretaceous–Tertiary mass extinction event",
    year = "2001",
    journal = "Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences",
    abstract = "The fossil record has been used to support the origin and radiation of modern birds (Neornithes) in Laurasia after the Cretaceous-Tertiary mass extinction event, whereas molecular clocks have suggested a Cretaceous origin for most avian orders. These alternative views of neornithine evolution are examined using an independent set of evidence, namely phylogenetic relationships and historical biogeography. Pylogenetic relationships of basal lineages of neornithines, including ratite birds and their allies (Palaleocognathae), galliforms and anseriforms (Galloanserae), as well as lineages of the more advanced Neoves (Gruiformes, (Capimulgiformes, Passeriformes and others) demonstrate pervasive trans-Antarctic distribution patterns. The temporal history of the neornithines can be inferred from fossil taxa and the ages of vicariance events, and along with their biogeographical patterns, leads to the conclusion that neornithines arose in Gondwana prior to the Cretaceous Tertiary extinction event.",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2000.1368",
    doi = "10.1098/rspb.2000.1368",
    openalex = "W2110007690",
    references = "doi1010160040195188902697, doi101016b978012249408650011x, doi101016s0012821x98002829, doi10102996rg03038, doi101038377301a0, doi101038381226a0, doi101111j1469185x1997tb00024x, doi101126science2585084975, doi10113008137233291, doi102307jctt1xp3v3r, doi105281zenodo16171435, doi105860choice343307, openalexw2135985426, openalexw2607033038"
}

The debate on avian ancestry: phylogeny, function, and fossils / Lawrence M. Witmer -- Cladistic approaches to the relationships of birds to other theropod dinosaurs / James M. Clark, Mark A. Norell and Peter J. Makovicky -- The enigmatic birdlike dinosaur Avimimus portentosus: comments and a pictorial atlas / Patricia Vickers-Rich, Luis M. Chiappe and Sergei Kurzanov -- The Cretaceous short-armed Alvarezsauridae: Mononykus and its kin / Luis M. Chiappe, Mark A. Norell and James M. Clark -- Alvarezsaurid relationships reconsidered / Fernando E. Novas and Diego Pol -- Archaeopterygidae (Upper Jurassic of Germany) / Andrzej Elzanowski -- The discovery and study of Mesozoic birds in China / Zhou Zhonghe and Hou Lianhai -- Sinornis santensis (Aves: Enantiornithes) from the early Cretaceous of northeastern China / Paul C. Sereno, Rao Chenggang and Li Jianjun -- The birds from the Lower Cretaceous of Las Hoyas (Province of Cuenca, Spain) / Jose L. Sanz... [et al.] -- Nogueromis gonzalezi (Aves: Ornithothoraces) from the early Cretaceous of Spain / Luis M. Chiappe and Antonio Lacasa-Ruiz -- Skeletal morphology and systematics of the Cretaceous Euenantiornithes (Ornithothoraces: Enantiornithes) / Luis M. Chiappe and Cyril A. Walker -- Vorona berivotrensis, a primitive bird from the late Cretaceous of Madagascar / Catherine A. Forster... [et al.] -- Osteology of the flightless Patagopteryx deferrariisi from the late Cretaceous of Patagonia (Argentina) / Luis M. Chiappe -- Enaliornis, an early Cretaceous hesperornithiform bird from England, with comments on other Hesperornithiformes / Peter M. Galton and Larry D. Martin -- The Mesozoic radiation of Neornithes / Sylvia Hope -- A review of avian Mesozoic fossil feathers / Alexander W.A. Kellner -- The track record of Mesozoic birds and pterosaurs: an ichnological and paleoecological perspective / Martin G. Lockley and Emma C. Rainforth -- Bone microstructure of early birds / Anusuya Chinsamy -- Locomotor evolution on the line to modern birds / Stephen M. Gatesy -- Basal bird phylogeny: problems and solutions / Luis M. Chiappe.

@article{doi1016660022336020030770822mbatho20co2,
    author = "Clarke, Julia",
    title = "Mesozoic Birds: Above the Heads of Dinosaurs",
    year = "2003",
    journal = "Journal of Paleontology",
    abstract = "The debate on avian ancestry: phylogeny, function, and fossils / Lawrence M. Witmer -- Cladistic approaches to the relationships of birds to other theropod dinosaurs / James M. Clark, Mark A. Norell and Peter J. Makovicky -- The enigmatic birdlike dinosaur Avimimus portentosus: comments and a pictorial atlas / Patricia Vickers-Rich, Luis M. Chiappe and Sergei Kurzanov -- The Cretaceous short-armed Alvarezsauridae: Mononykus and its kin / Luis M. Chiappe, Mark A. Norell and James M. Clark -- Alvarezsaurid relationships reconsidered / Fernando E. Novas and Diego Pol -- Archaeopterygidae (Upper Jurassic of Germany) / Andrzej Elzanowski -- The discovery and study of Mesozoic birds in China / Zhou Zhonghe and Hou Lianhai -- Sinornis santensis (Aves: Enantiornithes) from the early Cretaceous of northeastern China / Paul C. Sereno, Rao Chenggang and Li Jianjun -- The birds from the Lower Cretaceous of Las Hoyas (Province of Cuenca, Spain) / Jose L. Sanz... [et al.] -- Nogueromis gonzalezi (Aves: Ornithothoraces) from the early Cretaceous of Spain / Luis M. Chiappe and Antonio Lacasa-Ruiz -- Skeletal morphology and systematics of the Cretaceous Euenantiornithes (Ornithothoraces: Enantiornithes) / Luis M. Chiappe and Cyril A. Walker -- Vorona berivotrensis, a primitive bird from the late Cretaceous of Madagascar / Catherine A. Forster... [et al.] -- Osteology of the flightless Patagopteryx deferrariisi from the late Cretaceous of Patagonia (Argentina) / Luis M. Chiappe -- Enaliornis, an early Cretaceous hesperornithiform bird from England, with comments on other Hesperornithiformes / Peter M. Galton and Larry D. Martin -- The Mesozoic radiation of Neornithes / Sylvia Hope -- A review of avian Mesozoic fossil feathers / Alexander W.A. Kellner -- The track record of Mesozoic birds and pterosaurs: an ichnological and paleoecological perspective / Martin G. Lockley and Emma C. Rainforth -- Bone microstructure of early birds / Anusuya Chinsamy -- Locomotor evolution on the line to modern birds / Stephen M. Gatesy -- Basal bird phylogeny: problems and solutions / Luis M. Chiappe.",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1666/0022-3360(2003)077<0822:mbatho>2.0.co;2",
    doi = "10.1666/0022-3360(2003)077<0822:mbatho>2.0.co;2",
    openalex = "W4301871956",
    references = "doi101038292051a0"
}

Preface Part I: The Archosaurian Heritage of Birds 1. The Debate on Avian Ancestry: Phylogeny, Function, and Fossils LAWRENCE M. WITMER 2. Cladistic Approaches to the Relationships of Birds to Other Theropod Dinosaurs JAMES M. CLARK, MARK A. NORELL, AND PETER J. MAKOVICKY Part II: Taxa of Controversial Status 3. The Enigmatic Birdlike Dinosaur Avimimus portentosus: Comments and a Pictorial Atlas PATRICIA VICKERS-RICH, LUIS M. CHIAPPE, AND SERGEI KURZANOV 4. The Cretaceous, Short-Armed Alvarezsauridae: Mononykus and Its Kin LUIS M. CHIAPPE, MARK A. NORELL, AND JAMES M. CLARK 5. Alvarezsaurid Relationships Reconsidered FERNANDO E. NOVAS AND DIEGO POL Part III: The Mesozoic Aviary: Anatomy and Systematics 6. Archaeopterygidae (Upper Jurassic of Germany) ANDRZEJ ELZANOWSKI 7. The Discovery and Study of Mesozoic Birds in China ZHOU ZHONGHE AND HOU LIANHAI 8. Sinornis santensis (Aves: Enantiornithes) from the Early Cretaceous of Northeastern China PAUL C. SERENO, RAO CHENGGANG, AND LI JIANJUN 9. The Birds from the Lower Cretaceous of Las Hoyas (Province of Cuenca, Spain) JOSE L. SANZ, BERNARDINO P. PEREZ-MORENO, LUIS M. CHIAPPE, AND ANGELA D. BUSCALIONI 10. Noguerornis gonzalezi (Aves) from the Early Cretaceous of Spain LUIS M. CHIAPPE AND ANTONIO LACASA-RUIZ 11. Skeletal Morphology and Systematics of the Cretaceous Euenantiornithes (Ornithothoraces: Enantiornithes) LUIS M. CHIAPPE AND CYRIL A. WALKER 12. Vorona berivotrensis, a Primitive Bird from the Late Cretaceous of Madagascar CATHERINE A. FORSTER, LUIS M. CHIAPPE, DAVID W. KRAUSE, AND SCOTT D. SAMPSON 13. Osteology of the Flightless Patagopteryx deferrariisi from the Late Cretaceous of Patagonia (Argentina) LUIS M. CHIAPPE 14. Enaliornis, an Early Cretaceous Hesperornithiform Bird from England, with Comments on other Hesperornithiformes PETER M. GALTON AND LARRY D. MARTIN 15. The Mesozoic Radiation of Neornithes SYLVIA HOPE 16. A Review of Avian Mesozoic Fossil Feathers ALEXANDER W. A. KELLNER 17. The Track Record of Mesozoic Birds and Pterosaurs: An Ichnological and Paleoecological Perspective MARTIN G. LOCKLEY AND EMMA C. RAINFORTH Part IV: Functional Morphology and Evolution 18. Bone Microstructure of Early Birds ANUSUYA CHINSAMY 19. Locomotor Evolution on the Line to Modern Birds STEPHEN M. GATESY 20. Basal Bird Phylogeny: Problems and Solutions LUIS M. CHIAPPE Contributors Index

@article{doi105860choice405235,
    title = "Mesozoic birds: above the heads of dinosaurs",
    year = "2003",
    journal = "Choice Reviews Online",
    abstract = "Preface Part I: The Archosaurian Heritage of Birds 1. The Debate on Avian Ancestry: Phylogeny, Function, and Fossils LAWRENCE M. WITMER 2. Cladistic Approaches to the Relationships of Birds to Other Theropod Dinosaurs JAMES M. CLARK, MARK A. NORELL, AND PETER J. MAKOVICKY Part II: Taxa of Controversial Status 3. The Enigmatic Birdlike Dinosaur Avimimus portentosus: Comments and a Pictorial Atlas PATRICIA VICKERS-RICH, LUIS M. CHIAPPE, AND SERGEI KURZANOV 4. The Cretaceous, Short-Armed Alvarezsauridae: Mononykus and Its Kin LUIS M. CHIAPPE, MARK A. NORELL, AND JAMES M. CLARK 5. Alvarezsaurid Relationships Reconsidered FERNANDO E. NOVAS AND DIEGO POL Part III: The Mesozoic Aviary: Anatomy and Systematics 6. Archaeopterygidae (Upper Jurassic of Germany) ANDRZEJ ELZANOWSKI 7. The Discovery and Study of Mesozoic Birds in China ZHOU ZHONGHE AND HOU LIANHAI 8. Sinornis santensis (Aves: Enantiornithes) from the Early Cretaceous of Northeastern China PAUL C. SERENO, RAO CHENGGANG, AND LI JIANJUN 9. The Birds from the Lower Cretaceous of Las Hoyas (Province of Cuenca, Spain) JOSE L. SANZ, BERNARDINO P. PEREZ-MORENO, LUIS M. CHIAPPE, AND ANGELA D. BUSCALIONI 10. Noguerornis gonzalezi (Aves) from the Early Cretaceous of Spain LUIS M. CHIAPPE AND ANTONIO LACASA-RUIZ 11. Skeletal Morphology and Systematics of the Cretaceous Euenantiornithes (Ornithothoraces: Enantiornithes) LUIS M. CHIAPPE AND CYRIL A. WALKER 12. Vorona berivotrensis, a Primitive Bird from the Late Cretaceous of Madagascar CATHERINE A. FORSTER, LUIS M. CHIAPPE, DAVID W. KRAUSE, AND SCOTT D. SAMPSON 13. Osteology of the Flightless Patagopteryx deferrariisi from the Late Cretaceous of Patagonia (Argentina) LUIS M. CHIAPPE 14. Enaliornis, an Early Cretaceous Hesperornithiform Bird from England, with Comments on other Hesperornithiformes PETER M. GALTON AND LARRY D. MARTIN 15. The Mesozoic Radiation of Neornithes SYLVIA HOPE 16. A Review of Avian Mesozoic Fossil Feathers ALEXANDER W. A. KELLNER 17. The Track Record of Mesozoic Birds and Pterosaurs: An Ichnological and Paleoecological Perspective MARTIN G. LOCKLEY AND EMMA C. RAINFORTH Part IV: Functional Morphology and Evolution 18. Bone Microstructure of Early Birds ANUSUYA CHINSAMY 19. Locomotor Evolution on the Line to Modern Birds STEPHEN M. GATESY 20. Basal Bird Phylogeny: Problems and Solutions LUIS M. CHIAPPE Contributors Index",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.5860/choice.40-5235",
    doi = "10.5860/choice.40-5235",
    openalex = "W586262331",
    references = "doi101038nature01342, doi101093auk11941187"
}

The Paleogene (Paleocene-Oligocene) fossil record of birds in Europe is reviewed and recent and fossil taxa are placed into a phylogenetic framework, based on published cladistic analyses. The pre-Oligocene European avifauna is characterized by the complete absence of passeriform birds, which today are the most diverse and abundant avian taxon. Representatives of small non-passeriform perching birds thus probably had similar ecological niches before the Oligocene to those filled by modern passerines. The occurrence of passerines towards the Lower Oligocene appears to have had a major impact on these birds, and the surviving crown-group members of many small arboreal Eocene taxa show highly specialized feeding strategies not found or rare in passeriform birds. It is detailed that no crown-group members of modern 'families' are known from pre-Oligocene deposits of Europe, or anywhere else. The phylogenetic position of Paleogene birds thus indicates that diversification of the crown-groups of modern avian 'families' did not take place before the Oligocene, irrespective of their relative position within Neornithes (crown-group birds). The Paleogene fossil record of birds does not even support crown-group diversification of Galliformes, one of the most basal taxa of neognathous birds, before the Oligocene, and recent molecular studies that dated diversification of galliform crown-group taxa into the Middle Cretaceous are shown to be based on an incorrect interpretation of the fossil taxa used for molecular clock calibrations. Several taxa that occur in the Paleogene of Europe have a very different distribution than their closest extant relatives. The modern survivors of these Paleogene lineages are not evenly distributed over the continents, and especially the great number of taxa that are today restricted to South and Central America is noteworthy. The occurrence of stem-lineage representatives of many taxa that today have a restricted Southern Hemisphere distribution conflicts with recent hypotheses on a Cretaceous vicariant origin of these taxa, which were deduced from the geographical distribution of the basal crown-group members.

@article{doi101017s1464793105006779,
    author = "Mayr, Gérald",
    title = "The Paleogene fossil record of birds in Europe",
    year = "2005",
    journal = "Biological reviews/Biological reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society",
    abstract = "The Paleogene (Paleocene-Oligocene) fossil record of birds in Europe is reviewed and recent and fossil taxa are placed into a phylogenetic framework, based on published cladistic analyses. The pre-Oligocene European avifauna is characterized by the complete absence of passeriform birds, which today are the most diverse and abundant avian taxon. Representatives of small non-passeriform perching birds thus probably had similar ecological niches before the Oligocene to those filled by modern passerines. The occurrence of passerines towards the Lower Oligocene appears to have had a major impact on these birds, and the surviving crown-group members of many small arboreal Eocene taxa show highly specialized feeding strategies not found or rare in passeriform birds. It is detailed that no crown-group members of modern 'families' are known from pre-Oligocene deposits of Europe, or anywhere else. The phylogenetic position of Paleogene birds thus indicates that diversification of the crown-groups of modern avian 'families' did not take place before the Oligocene, irrespective of their relative position within Neornithes (crown-group birds). The Paleogene fossil record of birds does not even support crown-group diversification of Galliformes, one of the most basal taxa of neognathous birds, before the Oligocene, and recent molecular studies that dated diversification of galliform crown-group taxa into the Middle Cretaceous are shown to be based on an incorrect interpretation of the fossil taxa used for molecular clock calibrations. Several taxa that occur in the Paleogene of Europe have a very different distribution than their closest extant relatives. The modern survivors of these Paleogene lineages are not evenly distributed over the continents, and especially the great number of taxa that are today restricted to South and Central America is noteworthy. The occurrence of stem-lineage representatives of many taxa that today have a restricted Southern Hemisphere distribution conflicts with recent hypotheses on a Cretaceous vicariant origin of these taxa, which were deduced from the geographical distribution of the basal crown-group members.",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1017/s1464793105006779",
    doi = "10.1017/s1464793105006779",
    openalex = "W2110696049",
    references = "doi1010160169534791900818, doi101016b978012249408650011x, doi101016jtig200312003, doi10103831927, doi101038381226a0, doi101126science27553031109, doi1016660022336020030770822mbatho20co2, doi102307jctt1xp3v3r, doi105860choice331556, doi105860choice343307, doi105962bhltitle60647"
}

@article{doi101038nature03150,
    author = "Clarke, Julia A. and Tambussi, Claudia P. and Noriega, Jorge I. and Erickson, Gregory M. and Ketcham, Richard A.",
    title = "Definitive fossil evidence for the extant avian radiation in the Cretaceous",
    year = "2005",
    journal = "Nature",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1038/nature03150",
    doi = "10.1038/nature03150",
    openalex = "W2073925386",
    references = "doi101006mpev19980603, doi101016s0098300400001163, doi101017s0025315400028575, doi101038122881a0, doi10103835086500, doi101038381226a0, doi101098rspb20001368, doi101098rspb20011877, doi101111j109600312003tb00387x, doi101126science27553031109, doi1012060003008220023870001tmappo20co2, doi1016660022336020030770822mbatho20co2, doi105860choice405235"
}

▪ Abstract Recent fossil discoveries from Early Cretaceous rocks of Liaoning Province, China, have provided a wealth of spectacular specimens. Included in these are the remains of several different kinds of small theropod dinosaurs, many of which are extremely closely related to modern birds. Unique preservation conditions allowed soft tissues of some of these specimens to be preserved. Many dinosaur specimens that preserve feathers and other types of integumentary coverings have been recovered. These fossils show a progression of integumentary types from simple fibers to feathers of modern aspect. The distribution of these features on the bodies of these animals is surprising in that some show large tail plumes, whereas others show the presence of wing-like structures on both fore and hind limbs. The phylogenetic distribution of feather types is highly congruent with models of feather evolution developed from developmental biology.

@article{doi101146annurevearth33092203122511,
    author = "Norell, Mark A. and Xu, Xing",
    title = "FEATHERED DINOSAURS",
    year = "2005",
    journal = "Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences",
    abstract = "▪ Abstract Recent fossil discoveries from Early Cretaceous rocks of Liaoning Province, China, have provided a wealth of spectacular specimens. Included in these are the remains of several different kinds of small theropod dinosaurs, many of which are extremely closely related to modern birds. Unique preservation conditions allowed soft tissues of some of these specimens to be preserved. Many dinosaur specimens that preserve feathers and other types of integumentary coverings have been recovered. These fossils show a progression of integumentary types from simple fibers to feathers of modern aspect. The distribution of these features on the bodies of these animals is surprising in that some show large tail plumes, whereas others show the presence of wing-like structures on both fore and hind limbs. The phylogenetic distribution of feather types is highly congruent with models of feather evolution developed from developmental biology.",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.earth.33.092203.122511",
    doi = "10.1146/annurev.earth.33.092203.122511",
    openalex = "W4236056774",
    references = "doi101007s0011400304837"
}

Postcranial pneumaticity has been reported in numerous extinct sauropsid groups including pterosaurs, birds, saurischian dinosaurs, and, most recently, both crurotarsan and basal archosauriform taxa. By comparison with extant birds, pneumatic features in fossils have formed the basis for anatomical inferences concerning pulmonary structure and function, in addition to higher-level inferences related to growth, metabolic rate, and thermoregulation. In this study, gross dissection, vascular and pulmonary injection, and serial sectioning were employed to assess the manner in which different soft tissues impart their signature on the axial skeleton in a sample of birds, crocodylians, and lizards. Results from this study indicate that only cortical foramina or communicating fossae connected with large internal chambers are reliable and consistent indicators of pneumatic invasion of bone. As both vasculature and pneumatic diverticula may produce foramina of similar sizes and shapes, cortical features alone do not necessarily indicate pneumaticity. Noncommunicating (blind) vertebral fossae prove least useful, as these structures are associated with many different soft-tissue systems. This Pneumaticity Profile (PP) was used to evaluate the major clades of extinct archosauriform taxa with purported postcranial pneumaticity. Unambiguous indicators of pneumaticity are present only in certain ornithodiran archosaurs (e.g., sauropod and theropod dinosaurs, pterosaurs). In contrast, the basal archosauriform Erythrosuchus africanus and other nonornithodiran archosaurs (e.g., parasuchians) fail to satisfy morphological criteria of the PP, namely, that internal cavities are absent within bone, even though blind fossae and/or cortical foramina are present on vertebral neural arches. An examination of regional pneumaticity in extant avians reveals remarkably consistent patterns of diverticular invasion of bone, and thus provides increased resolution for inferring specific components of the pulmonary air sac system in their nonavian theropod ancestors. By comparison with well-preserved exemplars from within Neotheropoda (e.g., Abelisauridae, Allosauroidea), the following pattern emerges: pneumaticity of cervical vertebrae and ribs suggests pneumatization by lateral vertebral diverticula of a cervical air sac system, with sacral pneumaticity indicating the presence of caudally expanding air sacs and/or diverticula. The identification of postcranial pneumaticity in extinct taxa minimally forms the basis for inferring a heterogeneous pulmonary system with distinct exchange and nonexchange (i.e., air sacs) regions. Combined with inferences supporting a rigid, dorsally fixed lung, osteological indicators of cervical and abdominal air sacs highlight the fundamental layout of a flow-through pulmonary apparatus in nonavian theropods.

@article{doi101002jmor10470,
    author = "O’Connor, Patrick M.",
    title = "Postcranial pneumaticity: An evaluation of soft-tissue influences on the postcranial skeleton and the reconstruction of pulmonary anatomy in archosaurs",
    year = "2006",
    journal = "Journal of Morphology",
    abstract = "Postcranial pneumaticity has been reported in numerous extinct sauropsid groups including pterosaurs, birds, saurischian dinosaurs, and, most recently, both crurotarsan and basal archosauriform taxa. By comparison with extant birds, pneumatic features in fossils have formed the basis for anatomical inferences concerning pulmonary structure and function, in addition to higher-level inferences related to growth, metabolic rate, and thermoregulation. In this study, gross dissection, vascular and pulmonary injection, and serial sectioning were employed to assess the manner in which different soft tissues impart their signature on the axial skeleton in a sample of birds, crocodylians, and lizards. Results from this study indicate that only cortical foramina or communicating fossae connected with large internal chambers are reliable and consistent indicators of pneumatic invasion of bone. As both vasculature and pneumatic diverticula may produce foramina of similar sizes and shapes, cortical features alone do not necessarily indicate pneumaticity. Noncommunicating (blind) vertebral fossae prove least useful, as these structures are associated with many different soft-tissue systems. This Pneumaticity Profile (PP) was used to evaluate the major clades of extinct archosauriform taxa with purported postcranial pneumaticity. Unambiguous indicators of pneumaticity are present only in certain ornithodiran archosaurs (e.g., sauropod and theropod dinosaurs, pterosaurs). In contrast, the basal archosauriform Erythrosuchus africanus and other nonornithodiran archosaurs (e.g., parasuchians) fail to satisfy morphological criteria of the PP, namely, that internal cavities are absent within bone, even though blind fossae and/or cortical foramina are present on vertebral neural arches. An examination of regional pneumaticity in extant avians reveals remarkably consistent patterns of diverticular invasion of bone, and thus provides increased resolution for inferring specific components of the pulmonary air sac system in their nonavian theropod ancestors. By comparison with well-preserved exemplars from within Neotheropoda (e.g., Abelisauridae, Allosauroidea), the following pattern emerges: pneumaticity of cervical vertebrae and ribs suggests pneumatization by lateral vertebral diverticula of a cervical air sac system, with sacral pneumaticity indicating the presence of caudally expanding air sacs and/or diverticula. The identification of postcranial pneumaticity in extinct taxa minimally forms the basis for inferring a heterogeneous pulmonary system with distinct exchange and nonexchange (i.e., air sacs) regions. Combined with inferences supporting a rigid, dorsally fixed lung, osteological indicators of cervical and abdominal air sacs highlight the fundamental layout of a flow-through pulmonary apparatus in nonavian theropods.",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1002/jmor.10470",
    doi = "10.1002/jmor.10470",
    openalex = "W2122972566",
    references = "crossref1998encyclopedia, doi101007978134906859323, doi10103834356, doi101038nature02855, doi101038nature03996, doi10108002724634199810011115, doi101126science27853411267, doi1015468p4gnhz, doi1016660094837320030290243vpasat20co2, doi10167102724634200727127tpasom20co2, doi101671a11168, doi1023071292217, doi1023071441916, doi10230730135049, doi105281zenodo1038220, doi105860choice326223, doi105860choice353642, openalexw617951419, owen1857monograph"
}

Testing models of macroevolution, and especially the sufficiency of microevolutionary processes, requires good collaboration between molecular biologists and paleontologists. We report such a test for events around the Late Cretaceous by describing the earliest penguin fossils, analyzing complete mitochondrial genomes from an albatross, a petrel, and a loon, and describe the gradual decline of pterosaurs at the same time modern birds radiate. The penguin fossils comprise four naturally associated skeletons from the New Zealand Waipara Greensand, a Paleocene (early Tertiary) formation just above a well-known Cretaceous/Tertiary boundary site. The fossils, in a new genus (Waimanu), provide a lower estimate of 61-62 Ma for the divergence between penguins and other birds and thus establish a reliable calibration point for avian evolution. Combining fossil calibration points, DNA sequences, maximum likelihood, and Bayesian analysis, the penguin calibrations imply a radiation of modern (crown group) birds in the Late Cretaceous. This includes a conservative estimate that modern sea and shorebird lineages diverged at least by the Late Cretaceous about 74 +/- 3 Ma (Campanian). It is clear that modern birds from at least the latest Cretaceous lived at the same time as archaic birds including Hesperornis, Ichthyornis, and the diverse Enantiornithiformes. Pterosaurs, which also coexisted with early crown birds, show notable changes through the Late Cretaceous. There was a decrease in taxonomic diversity, and small- to medium-sized species disappeared well before the end of the Cretaceous. A simple reading of the fossil record might suggest competitive interactions with birds, but much more needs to be understood about pterosaur life histories. Additional fossils and molecular data are still required to help understand the role of biotic interactions in the evolution of Late Cretaceous birds and thus to test that the mechanisms of microevolution are sufficient to explain macroevolution.

@article{doi101093molbevmsj124,
    author = "Slack, Kerryn E. and Jones, Craig M. and Ando, Tatsuro and Harrison, G. L. Abby and Fordyce, R. Ewan and Árnason, Úlfur and Penny, David",
    title = "Early Penguin Fossils, Plus Mitochondrial Genomes, Calibrate Avian Evolution",
    year = "2006",
    journal = "Molecular Biology and Evolution",
    abstract = "Testing models of macroevolution, and especially the sufficiency of microevolutionary processes, requires good collaboration between molecular biologists and paleontologists. We report such a test for events around the Late Cretaceous by describing the earliest penguin fossils, analyzing complete mitochondrial genomes from an albatross, a petrel, and a loon, and describe the gradual decline of pterosaurs at the same time modern birds radiate. The penguin fossils comprise four naturally associated skeletons from the New Zealand Waipara Greensand, a Paleocene (early Tertiary) formation just above a well-known Cretaceous/Tertiary boundary site. The fossils, in a new genus (Waimanu), provide a lower estimate of 61-62 Ma for the divergence between penguins and other birds and thus establish a reliable calibration point for avian evolution. Combining fossil calibration points, DNA sequences, maximum likelihood, and Bayesian analysis, the penguin calibrations imply a radiation of modern (crown group) birds in the Late Cretaceous. This includes a conservative estimate that modern sea and shorebird lineages diverged at least by the Late Cretaceous about 74 +/- 3 Ma (Campanian). It is clear that modern birds from at least the latest Cretaceous lived at the same time as archaic birds including Hesperornis, Ichthyornis, and the diverse Enantiornithiformes. Pterosaurs, which also coexisted with early crown birds, show notable changes through the Late Cretaceous. There was a decrease in taxonomic diversity, and small- to medium-sized species disappeared well before the end of the Cretaceous. A simple reading of the fossil record might suggest competitive interactions with birds, but much more needs to be understood about pterosaur life histories. Additional fossils and molecular data are still required to help understand the role of biotic interactions in the evolution of Late Cretaceous birds and thus to test that the mechanisms of microevolution are sufficient to explain macroevolution.",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msj124",
    doi = "10.1093/molbev/msj124",
    openalex = "W2162762023",
    references = "doi101111j109600312003tb00387x, doi101126science1064706, doi101144gslsp20032170111, doi1012060003008220023870001tmappo20co2, doi1012060003009020042860001mptaso20co2, doi105860choice405235"
}

Patterns of diversification and timing of evolution within Neoaves, which includes almost 95% of all bird species, are virtually unknown. On the other hand, molecular data consistently indicate a Cretaceous origin of many neoavian lineages and the fossil record seems to support an Early Tertiary diversification. Here, we present the first well-resolved molecular phylogeny for Neoaves, together with divergence time estimates calibrated with a large number of stratigraphically and phylogenetically well-documented fossils. Our study defines several well-supported clades within Neoaves. The calibration results suggest that Neoaves, after an initial split from Galloanseres in Mid-Cretaceous, diversified around or soon after the K/T boundary. Our results thus do not contradict palaeontological data and show that there is no solid molecular evidence for an extensive pre-Tertiary radiation of Neoaves.

@article{doi101098rsbl20060523,
    author = "Ericson, Per G. P. and Anderson, Cajsa Lisa and Britton, Tom and Elżanowski, Andrzej and Johansson, Ulf S. and Källersjö, Mari and Ohlson, Jan I. and Parsons, Thomas J. and Zuccon, Dario and Mayr, Gérald",
    title = "Diversification of Neoaves: integration of molecular sequence data and fossils",
    year = "2006",
    journal = "Biology Letters",
    abstract = "Patterns of diversification and timing of evolution within Neoaves, which includes almost 95\% of all bird species, are virtually unknown. On the other hand, molecular data consistently indicate a Cretaceous origin of many neoavian lineages and the fossil record seems to support an Early Tertiary diversification. Here, we present the first well-resolved molecular phylogeny for Neoaves, together with divergence time estimates calibrated with a large number of stratigraphically and phylogenetically well-documented fossils. Our study defines several well-supported clades within Neoaves. The calibration results suggest that Neoaves, after an initial split from Galloanseres in Mid-Cretaceous, diversified around or soon after the K/T boundary. Our results thus do not contradict palaeontological data and show that there is no solid molecular evidence for an extensive pre-Tertiary radiation of Neoaves.",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2006.0523",
    doi = "10.1098/rsbl.2006.0523",
    openalex = "W2125129601",
    references = "doi101017s1464793105006779, doi101073pnas0401892101, doi101098rspb20001368, doi101111j109600312003tb00387x"
}

This beautifully illustrated 2007 volume describes the entire flora and fauna of the famous Lower Cretaceous Crato Formation of Brazil - one of the world's most important fossil deposits, exhibiting exceptional preservation. A wide range of invertebrates and vertebrates are covered, including extended sections on pterosaurs and insects. Two chapters are devoted to plants. Many of the chapters include descriptions of new species and re-descriptions and appraisals of taxa published in obscure places, rendering them available to a wider audience. Fossil descriptions are supported by detailed explanations of the geological history of the deposit and its tectonic setting. Drawing on expertise from around the world and specimens from the most important museum collections, this book forms an essential reference for researchers and enthusiasts with an interest in Mesozoic fossils

@book{doi101017cbo9780511535512,
    author = "Martill, David M. and Bechly, Günter and Loveridge, Robert F.",
    title = "The Crato Fossil Beds of Brazil: Window into an Ancient World",
    year = "2007",
    abstract = "This beautifully illustrated 2007 volume describes the entire flora and fauna of the famous Lower Cretaceous Crato Formation of Brazil - one of the world's most important fossil deposits, exhibiting exceptional preservation. A wide range of invertebrates and vertebrates are covered, including extended sections on pterosaurs and insects. Two chapters are devoted to plants. Many of the chapters include descriptions of new species and re-descriptions and appraisals of taxa published in obscure places, rendering them available to a wider audience. Fossil descriptions are supported by detailed explanations of the geological history of the deposit and its tectonic setting. Drawing on expertise from around the world and specimens from the most important museum collections, this book forms an essential reference for researchers and enthusiasts with an interest in Mesozoic fossils",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1017/cbo9780511535512",
    doi = "10.1017/cbo9780511535512",
    openalex = "W1575411947",
    references = "doi101002mmng20010040112, doi1010079783642143977, doi1010160031018279901639, doi101016s0031018203006436, doi101017s0094837300012331, doi10103821872, doi101038292051a0, doi10103831635, doi101038nature01342, doi101038nature01420, doi101038nature02855, doi101038nature03150, doi101038nature03996, doi101046j1365202820010270ex, doi10108002724634199810011114, doi10108002724634199910011201, doi101098rspb20042692, doi101126science23547931156, doi101126science27953581915, doi1012060003009020062970001tatol20co2, doi1016660022336020040780989dapftc20co2, doi1018590euscorpius2003vol2003iss111, doi1023071466954, doi1023073223017, doi10560219780801847806, doi105860choice405235, doi105962bhltitle4275, hasiotis1995termite, openalexw1486025919, openalexw1725516486, openalexw1900040508, openalexw193970361, openalexw2242001249, openalexw2786463731"
}

A review of the paleontological literature shows that the early dates of appearance of Lissamphibia recently inferred from molecular data do not favor an origin of extant amphibians from temnospondyls, contrary to recent claims. A supertree is assembled using new Mesquite modules that allow extinct taxa to be incorporated into a time-calibrated phylogeny with a user-defined geological time scale. The supertree incorporates 223 extinct species of lissamphibians and has a highly significant stratigraphic fit. Some divergences can even be dated with sufficient precision to serve as calibration points in molecular divergence date analyses. Fourteen combinations of minimal branch length settings and 10 random resolutions for each polytomy give much more recent minimal origination times of lissamphibian taxa than recent studies based on a phylogenetic analyses of molecular sequences. Attempts to replicate recent molecular date estimates show that these estimates depend strongly on the choice of calibration points, on the dating method, and on the chosen model of evolution; for instance, the estimate for the date of the origin of Lissamphibia can lie between 351 and 266 Mya. This range of values is generally compatible with our time-calibrated supertree and indicates that there is no unbridgeable gap between dates obtained using the fossil record and those using molecular evidence, contrary to previous suggestions.

@article{doi10108010635150701397635,
    author = "Marjanović, David and Laurin, Michel",
    title = "Fossils, Molecules, Divergence Times, and the Origin of Lissamphibians",
    year = "2007",
    journal = "Systematic Biology",
    abstract = "A review of the paleontological literature shows that the early dates of appearance of Lissamphibia recently inferred from molecular data do not favor an origin of extant amphibians from temnospondyls, contrary to recent claims. A supertree is assembled using new Mesquite modules that allow extinct taxa to be incorporated into a time-calibrated phylogeny with a user-defined geological time scale. The supertree incorporates 223 extinct species of lissamphibians and has a highly significant stratigraphic fit. Some divergences can even be dated with sufficient precision to serve as calibration points in molecular divergence date analyses. Fourteen combinations of minimal branch length settings and 10 random resolutions for each polytomy give much more recent minimal origination times of lissamphibian taxa than recent studies based on a phylogenetic analyses of molecular sequences. Attempts to replicate recent molecular date estimates show that these estimates depend strongly on the choice of calibration points, on the dating method, and on the chosen model of evolution; for instance, the estimate for the date of the origin of Lissamphibia can lie between 351 and 266 Mya. This range of values is generally compatible with our time-calibrated supertree and indicates that there is no unbridgeable gap between dates obtained using the fossil record and those using molecular evidence, contrary to previous suggestions.",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1080/10635150701397635",
    doi = "10.1080/10635150701397635",
    openalex = "W2105571914",
    references = "doi101017cbo9780511536045, doi10108010635150490445706, doi10108010635150490522304, doi101093bioinformatics149817, doi101093bioinformatics192301, doi101093oxfordjournalsmolbeva003974, doi1012060003009020062970001tatol20co2, doi1016660022336020030770822mbatho20co2, doi105860choice392183, openalexw2611511275, openalexw3217097258, openalexw638862129"
}

ABSTRACT The sequence of neurocentral suture closure is one criterion for the determination of ontogenetic stage in extant crocodylians. This pattern is frequently used to assess ontogeny for a variety of fossil archosaurs that may or may not follow the same sequence and timing of suture closure. Phytosaurs are one of the few basal archosaur groups with a sample size large enough to help test whether the crocodylian pattern of suture closure is plesiomorphic for Pseudosuchia and Archosauria. Analysis of a large sample of North American phytosaur specimens confirms that phytosaurs share the crocodylian state of closure, and so this pattern is probably plesiomorphic for the Pseudosuchia. An additional independent ontogenetic trend observed in phytosaurs is that the lateral fossae on cervical vertebrae in phytosaurs deepen with ontogeny. A preliminary survey indicates that there is considerable variation of both the sequence and timing of neurocentral suture closure in other archosaur clades. Therefore, it is unwise to apply a priori the crocodylian pattern to other archosaur groups to determine ontogenetic stage. Currently, apart from histological data, there are few if any reliable independent criteria for determining ontogenetic stage. I propose that histology be integrated with independent ontogenetic criteria (such as neurocentral suture closure) and morphometric data to provide a better understanding of archosaur ontogeny.

@article{doi10167102724634200727350asoitp20co2,
    author = "Irmis, Randall B.",
    title = "Axial skeleton ontogeny in the Parasuchia (Archosauria: Pseudosuchia) and its implications for ontogenetic determination in archosaurs",
    year = "2007",
    journal = "Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology",
    abstract = "ABSTRACT The sequence of neurocentral suture closure is one criterion for the determination of ontogenetic stage in extant crocodylians. This pattern is frequently used to assess ontogeny for a variety of fossil archosaurs that may or may not follow the same sequence and timing of suture closure. Phytosaurs are one of the few basal archosaur groups with a sample size large enough to help test whether the crocodylian pattern of suture closure is plesiomorphic for Pseudosuchia and Archosauria. Analysis of a large sample of North American phytosaur specimens confirms that phytosaurs share the crocodylian state of closure, and so this pattern is probably plesiomorphic for the Pseudosuchia. An additional independent ontogenetic trend observed in phytosaurs is that the lateral fossae on cervical vertebrae in phytosaurs deepen with ontogeny. A preliminary survey indicates that there is considerable variation of both the sequence and timing of neurocentral suture closure in other archosaur clades. Therefore, it is unwise to apply a priori the crocodylian pattern to other archosaur groups to determine ontogenetic stage. Currently, apart from histological data, there are few if any reliable independent criteria for determining ontogenetic stage. I propose that histology be integrated with independent ontogenetic criteria (such as neurocentral suture closure) and morphometric data to provide a better understanding of archosaur ontogeny.",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1671/0272-4634(2007)27[350:asoitp]2.0.co;2",
    doi = "10.1671/0272-4634(2007)27[350:asoitp]2.0.co;2",
    openalex = "W2176916342",
    references = "deklerk2000a, doi101007bf02988144, doi101016s0753396903000053, doi10103835086500, doi101038nature02699, doi101038nature02855, doi10108002724634199310011511, doi10108002724634199510011271, doi10108002724634199610011283, doi10108002724634200310010947, doi101098rspb20042829, doi101098rstb19610007, doi101111j146979981975tb01405x, doi101111j174966321940tb57047x, doi101111j216409471940tb00068x, doi101139e05044, doi101146annurevearth31100901141308, doi1016710272463420040240555gisdap20co2, doi1023073889334, doi105281zenodo3725717, doi105479si00963801361666197, doi105479si03629236110i, doi105860choice393984, doi105860choice421568, doi105860choice434677, doi105860choice434681, doi105962bhltitle54054, doi105962p313819, leal2004a, openalexw2894525608"
}

@article{sánchezhernández2007dinosaurs,
    author = "Sánchez-Hernández, Bárbara and Benton, Michael J. and Naish, Darren",
    title = "Dinosaurs and other fossil vertebrates from the Late Jurassic and Early Cretaceous of the Galve area, NE Spain",
    year = "2007",
    journal = "Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2007.01.009",
    doi = "10.1016/j.palaeo.2007.01.009",
    number = "1-2",
    openalex = "W1984900241",
    pages = "180-215",
    volume = "249",
    references = "doi101002mmng20020050114, doi1010160169534789901626, doi101046j10963642200200029x, doi101111j109636421998tb00569x, doi101126science13234331023, doi1023073889325, doi102475ajss31695411, doi102475ajss319111253, doi105281zenodo16171435, doi107312kiel11918, openalexw1594077233"
}

@article{doi101007s1143400900096,
    author = "Xu, Xing and Zhao, Qi and Norell, Mark A. and Sullivan, Corwin and Hone, David W. E. and Erickson, Gregory M. and Wang, Xiaolin and Han, Fenglu and Guo, Yu",
    title = "A new feathered maniraptoran dinosaur fossil that fills a morphological gap in avian origin",
    year = "2008",
    journal = "Science Bulletin",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1007/s11434-009-0009-6",
    doi = "10.1007/s11434-009-0009-6",
    openalex = "W2005521090",
    references = "doi101139e03011, doi10560219780801881206"
}

Feathers are complex integumentary appendages of birds and some other theropod dinosaurs. They are frequently coloured and function in camouflage and display. Previous investigations have concluded that fossil feathers are preserved as carbonized traces composed of feather-degrading bacteria. Here, an investigation of a colour-banded feather from the Lower Cretaceous Crato Formation of Brazil revealed that the dark bands are preserved as elongate, oblate carbonaceous bodies 1-2 microm long, whereas the light bands retain only relief traces on the rock matrix. Energy dispersive X-ray analysis showed that the dark bands preserve a substantial amount of carbon, whereas the light bands show no carbon residue. Comparison of these oblate fossil bodies with the structure of black feathers from a living bird indicates that they are the eumelanin-containing melanosomes. We conclude that most fossil feathers are preserved as melanosomes, and that the distribution of these structures in fossil feathers can preserve the colour pattern in the original feather. The discovery of preserved melanosomes opens up the possibility of interpreting the colour of extinct birds and other dinosaurs.

@article{doi101098rsbl20080302,
    author = "Vinther, Jakob and Briggs, Derek E. G. and Prum, Richard O. and Saranathan, Vinodkumar",
    title = "The colour of fossil feathers",
    year = "2008",
    journal = "Biology Letters",
    abstract = "Feathers are complex integumentary appendages of birds and some other theropod dinosaurs. They are frequently coloured and function in camouflage and display. Previous investigations have concluded that fossil feathers are preserved as carbonized traces composed of feather-degrading bacteria. Here, an investigation of a colour-banded feather from the Lower Cretaceous Crato Formation of Brazil revealed that the dark bands are preserved as elongate, oblate carbonaceous bodies 1-2 microm long, whereas the light bands retain only relief traces on the rock matrix. Energy dispersive X-ray analysis showed that the dark bands preserve a substantial amount of carbon, whereas the light bands show no carbon residue. Comparison of these oblate fossil bodies with the structure of black feathers from a living bird indicates that they are the eumelanin-containing melanosomes. We conclude that most fossil feathers are preserved as melanosomes, and that the distribution of these structures in fossil feathers can preserve the colour pattern in the original feather. The discovery of preserved melanosomes opens up the possibility of interpreting the colour of extinct birds and other dinosaurs.",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2008.0302",
    doi = "10.1098/rsbl.2008.0302",
    openalex = "W2056510498"
}

The 'rock-clock' gap has been interpreted by some to be a result of the vagaries of molecular genetic divergence time estimates. However, despite measures to explore different forms of uncertainty in several key parameters, we fail to reconcile molecular genetic divergence time estimates with dates taken from the fossil record; instead, we find strong support for an ancient origin of modern bird lineages, with many extant orders and families arising in the mid-Cretaceous, consistent with previous molecular estimates. Although there is ample room for improvement on both sides of the 'rock-clock' divide (e.g. accounting for 'ghost' lineages in the fossil record and developing more realistic models of rate evolution for molecular genetic sequences), the consistent and conspicuous disagreement between these two sources of data more likely reflects a genuine difference between estimated ages of (i) stem-group origins and (ii) crown-group morphological diversifications, respectively. Further progress on this problem will benefit from greater communication between paleontologists and molecular phylogeneticists in accounting for error in avian lineage age estimates.

@article{doi1011861741700766,
    author = "Brown, Joseph W. and Rest, Joshua S. and García‐Moreno, Jaime and Sorenson, Michael D. and Mindell, David P.",
    title = "Strong mitochondrial DNA support for a Cretaceous origin of modern avian lineages",
    year = "2008",
    journal = "BMC Biology",
    abstract = "The 'rock-clock' gap has been interpreted by some to be a result of the vagaries of molecular genetic divergence time estimates. However, despite measures to explore different forms of uncertainty in several key parameters, we fail to reconcile molecular genetic divergence time estimates with dates taken from the fossil record; instead, we find strong support for an ancient origin of modern bird lineages, with many extant orders and families arising in the mid-Cretaceous, consistent with previous molecular estimates. Although there is ample room for improvement on both sides of the 'rock-clock' divide (e.g. accounting for 'ghost' lineages in the fossil record and developing more realistic models of rate evolution for molecular genetic sequences), the consistent and conspicuous disagreement between these two sources of data more likely reflects a genuine difference between estimated ages of (i) stem-group origins and (ii) crown-group morphological diversifications, respectively. Further progress on this problem will benefit from greater communication between paleontologists and molecular phylogeneticists in accounting for error in avian lineage age estimates.",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1186/1741-7007-6-6",
    doi = "10.1186/1741-7007-6-6",
    openalex = "W2099180789",
    references = "doi101017s1464793105006779, doi101111j109600312003tb00387x"
}

Bayesian inference provides a powerful framework for integrating different sources of information (in particular, molecules and fossils) to derive estimates of species divergence times. Indeed, it is currently the only framework that can adequately account for uncertainties in fossil calibrations. We use 2 Bayesian Markov chain Monte Carlo programs, MULTIDIVTIME and MCMCTREE, to analyze 3 empirical datasets to estimate divergence times in amphibians, actinopterygians, and felids. We evaluate the impact of various factors, including the priors on rates and times, fossil calibrations, substitution model, the violation of the molecular clock and the rate-drift model, and the exact and approximate likelihood calculation. Assuming the molecular clock caused seriously biased time estimates when the clock is violated, but 2 different rate-drift models produced similar estimates. The prior on times, which incorporates fossil-calibration information, had the greatest impact on posterior time estimation. In particular, the strategies used by the 2 programs to incorporate minimum- and maximum-age bounds led to very different time priors and were responsible for large differences in posterior time estimates in a previous study. The results highlight the critical importance of fossil calibrations to molecular dating and the need for probabilistic modeling of fossil depositions, preservations, and sampling to provide statistical summaries of information in the fossil record concerning species divergence times.

@article{doi101093sysbiosyp078,
    author = "Inoue, Jun and Donoghue, Philip C. J. and Yang, Ziheng",
    title = "The Impact of the Representation of Fossil Calibrations on Bayesian Estimation of Species Divergence Times",
    year = "2009",
    journal = "Systematic Biology",
    abstract = "Bayesian inference provides a powerful framework for integrating different sources of information (in particular, molecules and fossils) to derive estimates of species divergence times. Indeed, it is currently the only framework that can adequately account for uncertainties in fossil calibrations. We use 2 Bayesian Markov chain Monte Carlo programs, MULTIDIVTIME and MCMCTREE, to analyze 3 empirical datasets to estimate divergence times in amphibians, actinopterygians, and felids. We evaluate the impact of various factors, including the priors on rates and times, fossil calibrations, substitution model, the violation of the molecular clock and the rate-drift model, and the exact and approximate likelihood calculation. Assuming the molecular clock caused seriously biased time estimates when the clock is violated, but 2 different rate-drift models produced similar estimates. The prior on times, which incorporates fossil-calibration information, had the greatest impact on posterior time estimation. In particular, the strategies used by the 2 programs to incorporate minimum- and maximum-age bounds led to very different time priors and were responsible for large differences in posterior time estimates in a previous study. The results highlight the critical importance of fossil calibrations to molecular dating and the need for probabilistic modeling of fossil depositions, preservations, and sampling to provide statistical summaries of information in the fossil record concerning species divergence times.",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1093/sysbio/syp078",
    doi = "10.1093/sysbio/syp078",
    openalex = "W2158187424",
    references = "doi101016jgene200501008, doi101017s1477201906002008, doi10108010635150701397635, doi101643004585112002002053220co2"
}

Investigation of feathers from the famous Middle Eocene Messel Oil Shale near Darmstadt, Germany shows that they are preserved as arrays of fossilized melanosomes, the surrounding beta-keratin having degraded. The majority of feathers are preserved as aligned rod-shaped eumelanosomes. In some, however, the barbules of the open pennaceous, distal portion of the feather vane are preserved as a continuous external layer of closely packed melanosomes enclosing loosely aligned melanosomes. This arrangement is similar to the single thin-film nanostructure that generates an iridescent, structurally coloured sheen on the surface of black feathers in many lineages of living birds. This is, to our knowledge, the first evidence of preservation of a colour-producing nanostructure in a fossil feather and confirms the potential for determining colour differences in ancient birds and other dinosaurs.

@article{doi101098rsbl20090524,
    author = "Vinther, Jakob and Briggs, Derek E. G. and Clarke, Julia A. and Mayr, Gérald and Prum, Richard O.",
    title = "Structural coloration in a fossil feather",
    year = "2009",
    journal = "Biology Letters",
    abstract = "Investigation of feathers from the famous Middle Eocene Messel Oil Shale near Darmstadt, Germany shows that they are preserved as arrays of fossilized melanosomes, the surrounding beta-keratin having degraded. The majority of feathers are preserved as aligned rod-shaped eumelanosomes. In some, however, the barbules of the open pennaceous, distal portion of the feather vane are preserved as a continuous external layer of closely packed melanosomes enclosing loosely aligned melanosomes. This arrangement is similar to the single thin-film nanostructure that generates an iridescent, structurally coloured sheen on the surface of black feathers in many lineages of living birds. This is, to our knowledge, the first evidence of preservation of a colour-producing nanostructure in a fossil feather and confirms the potential for determining colour differences in ancient birds and other dinosaurs.",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2009.0524",
    doi = "10.1098/rsbl.2009.0524",
    openalex = "W2099867171"
}

The oldest unequivocal records of Dinosauria were unearthed from Late Triassic rocks (approximately 230 Ma) accumulated over extensional rift basins in southwestern Pangea. The better known of these are Herrerasaurus ischigualastensis, Pisanosaurus mertii, Eoraptor lunensis, and Panphagia protos from the Ischigualasto Formation, Argentina, and Staurikosaurus pricei and Saturnalia tupiniquim from the Santa Maria Formation, Brazil. No uncontroversial dinosaur body fossils are known from older strata, but the Middle Triassic origin of the lineage may be inferred from both the footprint record and its sister-group relation to Ladinian basal dinosauromorphs. These include the typical Marasuchus lilloensis, more basal forms such as Lagerpeton and Dromomeron, as well as silesaurids: a possibly monophyletic group composed of Mid-Late Triassic forms that may represent immediate sister taxa to dinosaurs. The first phylogenetic definition to fit the current understanding of Dinosauria as a node-based taxon solely composed of mutually exclusive Saurischia and Ornithischia was given as "all descendants of the most recent common ancestor of birds and Triceratops". Recent cladistic analyses of early dinosaurs agree that Pisanosaurus mertii is a basal ornithischian; that Herrerasaurus ischigualastensis and Staurikosaurus pricei belong in a monophyletic Herrerasauridae; that herrerasaurids, Eoraptor lunensis, and Guaibasaurus candelariensis are saurischians; that Saurischia includes two main groups, Sauropodomorpha and Theropoda; and that Saturnalia tupiniquim is a basal member of the sauropodomorph lineage. On the contrary, several aspects of basal dinosaur phylogeny remain controversial, including the position of herrerasaurids, E. lunensis, and G. candelariensis as basal theropods or basal saurischians, and the affinity and/or validity of more fragmentary taxa such as Agnosphitys cromhallensis, Alwalkeria maleriensis, Chindesaurus bryansmalli, Saltopus elginensis, and Spondylosoma absconditum. The identification of dinosaur apomorphies is jeopardized by the incompleteness of skeletal remains attributed to most basal dinosauromorphs, the skulls and forelimbs of which are particularly poorly known. Nonetheless, Dinosauria can be diagnosed by a suite of derived traits, most of which are related to the anatomy of the pelvic girdle and limb. Some of these are connected to the acquisition of a fully erect bipedal gait, which has been traditionally suggested to represent a key adaptation that allowed, or even promoted, dinosaur radiation during Late Triassic times. Yet, contrary to the classical "competitive" models, dinosaurs did not gradually replace other terrestrial tetrapods over the Late Triassic. In fact, the radiation of the group comprises at least three landmark moments, separated by controversial (Carnian-Norian, Triassic-Jurassic) extinction events. These are mainly characterized by early diversification in Carnian times, a Norian increase in diversity and (especially) abundance, and the occupation of new niches from the Early Jurassic onwards. Dinosaurs arose from fully bipedal ancestors, the diet of which may have been carnivorous or omnivorous. Whereas the oldest dinosaurs were geographically restricted to south Pangea, including rare ornithischians and more abundant basal members of the saurischian lineage, the group achieved a nearly global distribution by the latest Triassic, especially with the radiation of saurischian groups such as "prosauropods" and coelophysoids.

@article{doi101111j1469185x200900094x,
    author = "Langer, Max C. and Ezcurra, Martín D. and Bittencourt, Jonathas S. and Novas, Fernando E.",
    title = "The origin and early evolution of dinosaurs",
    year = "2009",
    journal = "Biological reviews/Biological reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society",
    abstract = {The oldest unequivocal records of Dinosauria were unearthed from Late Triassic rocks (approximately 230 Ma) accumulated over extensional rift basins in southwestern Pangea. The better known of these are Herrerasaurus ischigualastensis, Pisanosaurus mertii, Eoraptor lunensis, and Panphagia protos from the Ischigualasto Formation, Argentina, and Staurikosaurus pricei and Saturnalia tupiniquim from the Santa Maria Formation, Brazil. No uncontroversial dinosaur body fossils are known from older strata, but the Middle Triassic origin of the lineage may be inferred from both the footprint record and its sister-group relation to Ladinian basal dinosauromorphs. These include the typical Marasuchus lilloensis, more basal forms such as Lagerpeton and Dromomeron, as well as silesaurids: a possibly monophyletic group composed of Mid-Late Triassic forms that may represent immediate sister taxa to dinosaurs. The first phylogenetic definition to fit the current understanding of Dinosauria as a node-based taxon solely composed of mutually exclusive Saurischia and Ornithischia was given as "all descendants of the most recent common ancestor of birds and Triceratops". Recent cladistic analyses of early dinosaurs agree that Pisanosaurus mertii is a basal ornithischian; that Herrerasaurus ischigualastensis and Staurikosaurus pricei belong in a monophyletic Herrerasauridae; that herrerasaurids, Eoraptor lunensis, and Guaibasaurus candelariensis are saurischians; that Saurischia includes two main groups, Sauropodomorpha and Theropoda; and that Saturnalia tupiniquim is a basal member of the sauropodomorph lineage. On the contrary, several aspects of basal dinosaur phylogeny remain controversial, including the position of herrerasaurids, E. lunensis, and G. candelariensis as basal theropods or basal saurischians, and the affinity and/or validity of more fragmentary taxa such as Agnosphitys cromhallensis, Alwalkeria maleriensis, Chindesaurus bryansmalli, Saltopus elginensis, and Spondylosoma absconditum. The identification of dinosaur apomorphies is jeopardized by the incompleteness of skeletal remains attributed to most basal dinosauromorphs, the skulls and forelimbs of which are particularly poorly known. Nonetheless, Dinosauria can be diagnosed by a suite of derived traits, most of which are related to the anatomy of the pelvic girdle and limb. Some of these are connected to the acquisition of a fully erect bipedal gait, which has been traditionally suggested to represent a key adaptation that allowed, or even promoted, dinosaur radiation during Late Triassic times. Yet, contrary to the classical "competitive" models, dinosaurs did not gradually replace other terrestrial tetrapods over the Late Triassic. In fact, the radiation of the group comprises at least three landmark moments, separated by controversial (Carnian-Norian, Triassic-Jurassic) extinction events. These are mainly characterized by early diversification in Carnian times, a Norian increase in diversity and (especially) abundance, and the occupation of new niches from the Early Jurassic onwards. Dinosaurs arose from fully bipedal ancestors, the diet of which may have been carnivorous or omnivorous. Whereas the oldest dinosaurs were geographically restricted to south Pangea, including rare ornithischians and more abundant basal members of the saurischian lineage, the group achieved a nearly global distribution by the latest Triassic, especially with the radiation of saurischian groups such as "prosauropods" and coelophysoids.},
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-185x.2009.00094.x",
    doi = "10.1111/j.1469-185x.2009.00094.x",
    openalex = "W2121596487",
    references = "chatterjee2013a, crossref1998encyclopedia, currie2009stratigraphy, doi1010160031018281900924, doi1010160031018295000178, doi101016c20090644421, doi101016jjsames200504002, doi101016jpalaeo200606041, doi101016s0012825203000825, doi101016s0016699580800386, doi101016s0016699583800205, doi101016s0031018298001175, doi101017cbo9780511628948, doi101017s0094837300010575, doi101017s1477201906001970, doi101017s1477201907002040, doi101017s1477201907002246, doi101017s1477201907002271, doi101017s247526300000091x, doi10103820167, doi10106313060577, doi101073pnas0606028103, doi10108002724634199410011538, doi10108002724634199510011271, doi10108002724634199810011115, doi10108002724634199910011124, doi101098rspb20042692, doi101098rspb20080715, doi101098rspl18870117, doi101098rstb19990489, doi101111j109636421985tb01796x, doi101111j10963642200400130x, doi101126science1143325, doi101126science21545391501, doi101126science2645160828, doi101126science2845414616, doi101126science3616622, doi101127njgpa210199841, doi101144gsjgs14720321, doi1012060003009020073021taoeoa20co2, doi101525california97805202420980010001, doi1015468gbdyof, doi1016710272463420020220510toomka20co2, doi1016710272463420072773tclagn20co2, doi101671a1097, doi1023071292217, doi1023071441916, doi1023073889325, doi102475ajss319111253, doi102475ajss32313381, doi104202app20080415, doi10432497802030907329, doi105281zenodo16120887, doi105281zenodo16171435, doi105281zenodo16246150, doi105860choice325663, doi105860choice393984, doi105860choice465038, doi107146moggeosciv32i140904, doi10718895fylantbak30809522, openalexw114509570, openalexw1496509561, openalexw1535663436, openalexw205674743, openalexw2242116350, openalexw2788234611, openalexw2991310333, openalexw3208547338, openalexw3215057009, padian1989presence, rowe1989a, walker1964triassic"
}

Interpreting key ecological parameters, such as diet, of extinct organisms without the benefit of direct observation or explicit fossil evidence poses a formidable challenge for paleobiological studies. To date, dietary categorizations of extinct taxa are largely generated by means of modern analogs; however, for many species the method is subject to considerable ambiguity. Here we present a refined approach for assessing trophic habits in fossil taxa and apply the method to coelurosaurian dinosaurs--a clade for which diet is particularly controversial. Our findings detect 21 morphological features that exhibit statistically significant correlations with extrinsic fossil evidence of coelurosaurian herbivory, such as stomach contents and a gastric mill. These traits represent quantitative, extrinsically founded proxies for identifying herbivorous ecomorphology in fossils and are robust despite uncertainty in phylogenetic relationships among major coelurosaurian subclades. The distribution of these features suggests that herbivory was widespread among coelurosaurians, with six major subclades displaying morphological evidence of the diet, and that contrary to previous thought, hypercarnivory was relatively rare and potentially secondarily derived. Given the potential for repeated, independent evolution of herbivory in Coelurosauria, we also test for repetitive patterns in the appearance of herbivorous traits within sublineages using rank concordance analysis. We find evidence for a common succession of increasing specialization to herbivory in the subclades Ornithomimosauria and Oviraptorosauria, perhaps underlain by intrinsic functional and/or developmental constraints, as well as evidence indicating that the early evolution of a beak in coelurosaurians correlates with an herbivorous diet.

@article{doi101073pnas1011924108,
    author = "Zanno, Lindsay E. and Makovicky, Peter J.",
    title = "Herbivorous ecomorphology and specialization patterns in theropod dinosaur evolution",
    year = "2010",
    journal = "Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences",
    abstract = "Interpreting key ecological parameters, such as diet, of extinct organisms without the benefit of direct observation or explicit fossil evidence poses a formidable challenge for paleobiological studies. To date, dietary categorizations of extinct taxa are largely generated by means of modern analogs; however, for many species the method is subject to considerable ambiguity. Here we present a refined approach for assessing trophic habits in fossil taxa and apply the method to coelurosaurian dinosaurs--a clade for which diet is particularly controversial. Our findings detect 21 morphological features that exhibit statistically significant correlations with extrinsic fossil evidence of coelurosaurian herbivory, such as stomach contents and a gastric mill. These traits represent quantitative, extrinsically founded proxies for identifying herbivorous ecomorphology in fossils and are robust despite uncertainty in phylogenetic relationships among major coelurosaurian subclades. The distribution of these features suggests that herbivory was widespread among coelurosaurians, with six major subclades displaying morphological evidence of the diet, and that contrary to previous thought, hypercarnivory was relatively rare and potentially secondarily derived. Given the potential for repeated, independent evolution of herbivory in Coelurosauria, we also test for repetitive patterns in the appearance of herbivorous traits within sublineages using rank concordance analysis. We find evidence for a common succession of increasing specialization to herbivory in the subclades Ornithomimosauria and Oviraptorosauria, perhaps underlain by intrinsic functional and/or developmental constraints, as well as evidence indicating that the early evolution of a beak in coelurosaurians correlates with an herbivorous diet.",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1011924108",
    doi = "10.1073/pnas.1011924108",
    openalex = "W2133829099",
    references = "doi10103831635, doi101038nature00930, doi101038nature08322, doi10108008912960600719988, doi101098rspb19940006, doi101111j1469185x201000137x, doi101126science1161833, doi101126science13334591105, doi101139e03011, doi101139e72031, doi101159000156416, doi1023072285423, doi105281zenodo1040385, doi105860choice326223, doi105860choice392183, openalexw2097385721, openalexw2611511275"
}

The herbivorous sauropod dinosaurs of the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods were the largest terrestrial animals ever, surpassing the largest herbivorous mammals by an order of magnitude in body mass. Several evolutionary lineages among Sauropoda produced giants with body masses in excess of 50 metric tonnes by conservative estimates. With body mass increase driven by the selective advantages of large body size, animal lineages will increase in body size until they reach the limit determined by the interplay of bauplan, biology, and resource availability. There is no evidence, however, that resource availability and global physicochemical parameters were different enough in the Mesozoic to have led to sauropod gigantism.

@article{doi101111j1469185x201000137x,
    author = "Sander, P. Martin and Christian, Andreas and Clauß, Marcus and Fechner, Regina and Gee, Carole T. and Griebeler, Eva-Maria and Gunga, Hanns‐Christian and Hummel, Jürgen and Mallison, Heinrich and Perry, Steven F. and Preuschoft, Holger and Rauhut, Oliver W. M. and Remes, Kristian and Tütken, Thomas and Wings, Oliver and Witzel, U.",
    title = "Biology of the sauropod dinosaurs: the evolution of gigantism",
    year = "2010",
    journal = "Biological reviews/Biological reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society",
    abstract = "The herbivorous sauropod dinosaurs of the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods were the largest terrestrial animals ever, surpassing the largest herbivorous mammals by an order of magnitude in body mass. Several evolutionary lineages among Sauropoda produced giants with body masses in excess of 50 metric tonnes by conservative estimates. With body mass increase driven by the selective advantages of large body size, animal lineages will increase in body size until they reach the limit determined by the interplay of bauplan, biology, and resource availability. There is no evidence, however, that resource availability and global physicochemical parameters were different enough in the Mesozoic to have led to sauropod gigantism.",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-185x.2010.00137.x",
    doi = "10.1111/j.1469-185x.2010.00137.x",
    openalex = "W2090710319",
    references = "amiot2006oxygen, christiansen2004mass, crossref1998encyclopedia, doi101002jez513, doi1010079789400904095, doi101016jpalaeo200901002, doi101016jtree200508012, doi101017cbo9780511565441, doi101017cbo9780511608551, doi101017cbo9781139167826, doi101017s0094837300009866, doi101017s0094837300021321, doi101017s1464793101005735, doi101021j150446a008, doi101038262207a0, doi101038344858a0, doi10103835086558, doi101046j10963642200200029x, doi101073pnas0708903105, doi101073pnas251548698, doi10108002724634199410011538, doi10108002724634199510011575, doi10108002724634199810011115, doi10108002724634199910011178, doi101098rsbl20070254, doi101098rspb20080715, doi101098rstb19950125, doi101111j109636421985tb00871x, doi101111j109636421998tb00569x, doi101111j146979981985tb04915x, doi101126science1118806, doi101139e93176, doi101146annurevecolsys36102003152631, doi101146annureves26110195002305, doi101242jeb029009, doi101371journalpone0001230, doi101371journalpone0006924, doi1015159781400881376, doi101525california97805202420980030015, doi101525california97805202420980030031, doi101525california97805202462320010001, doi1016660094837320000260466lhotts20co2, doi1016660094837320030290105dbttoo20co2, doi1016660094837320080340247ositlb20co2, doi1016710272463420000200115lbhoth20co2, doi1022179revmacn7344, doi1023072407154, doi1023073889325, doi102475ajss319111253, doi10560219780801881206, doi105860choice271523, doi105860choice304997, doi105860choice326223, doi105860choice353642, doi105860choice490282, martinsander2006bone, openalexw1025856234, openalexw114509570, openalexw1504554173, openalexw1534857865, openalexw1558456135, openalexw1585246501, openalexw1607828269, openalexw2318111898, openalexw2618301958, openalexw2983381470, openalexw3015256845, openalexw575222456, seymour1976dinosaurs"
}

The Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary approximately 65.5 million years ago marks one of the three largest mass extinctions in the past 500 million years. The extinction event coincided with a large asteroid impact at Chicxulub, Mexico, and occurred within the time of Deccan flood basalt volcanism in India. Here, we synthesize records of the global stratigraphy across this boundary to assess the proposed causes of the mass extinction. Notably, a single ejecta-rich deposit compositionally linked to the Chicxulub impact is globally distributed at the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary. The temporal match between the ejecta layer and the onset of the extinctions and the agreement of ecological patterns in the fossil record with modeled environmental perturbations (for example, darkness and cooling) lead us to conclude that the Chicxulub impact triggered the mass extinction.

@article{doi101126science1177265,
    author = "Schulte, Peter and Alegret, Laia and Arenillas, Ignacio and Arz, José Antonio and Barton, P. J. and Bown, Paul R. and Bralower, Timothy J. and Christeson, Gail and Claeys, Philippe and Cockell, Charles S. and Collins, G. S. and Deutsch, A. and Goldin, Tamara and Goto, Kazuhisa and Grajales-Nishimura, José Manuel and Grieve, R. A. F. and Gulick, S. P. S. and Johnson, Kirk R. and Kiessling, Wolfgang and Koeberl, Christian and Kring, D. A. and MacLeod, Kenneth G. and Matsui, Takafumi and Melosh, J. and Montanari, Alessandro and Morgan, Joanna and Neal, C. R. and Nichols, Douglas J. and Norris, Richard D. and Pierazzo, E. and Ravizza, Greg and Rebolledo‐Vieyra, M. and Reimold, W. U. and Robin, Éric and Salge, T. and Speijer, Robert P. and Sweet, A R and Urrutia‐Fucugauchi, J. and Vajda, Vivi and Whalen, Michael T. and Willumsen, Pi Suhr",
    title = "The Chicxulub Asteroid Impact and Mass Extinction at the Cretaceous-Paleogene Boundary",
    year = "2010",
    journal = "Science",
    abstract = "The Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary approximately 65.5 million years ago marks one of the three largest mass extinctions in the past 500 million years. The extinction event coincided with a large asteroid impact at Chicxulub, Mexico, and occurred within the time of Deccan flood basalt volcanism in India. Here, we synthesize records of the global stratigraphy across this boundary to assess the proposed causes of the mass extinction. Notably, a single ejecta-rich deposit compositionally linked to the Chicxulub impact is globally distributed at the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary. The temporal match between the ejecta layer and the onset of the extinctions and the agreement of ecological patterns in the fossil record with modeled environmental perturbations (for example, darkness and cooling) lead us to conclude that the Chicxulub impact triggered the mass extinction.",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1177265",
    doi = "10.1126/science.1177265",
    openalex = "W2160490562",
    references = "alvarez1980extraterrestrial, doi101016jepsl200605041, doi101016jepsl200607020, doi101016jepsl200902019, doi101016jpalaeo200702037, doi101016jpalaeo200709016, doi101017cbo9780511535536, doi1010292008jb005644, doi10102996rg03038, doi10102997je01743, doi101038285198a0, doi101073pnas0802597105, doi101126science1064706, doi101126science20844481095, doi1011300091761319910190867ccapct23co2, doi101130081372356655, doi1011302007242401, doi101146annurevearth27175, doi101146annurevecolsys35021103105715"
}

For as long as dinosaurs have been known to exist, there has been speculation about their appearance. Fossil feathers can preserve the morphology of color-imparting melanosomes, which allow color patterns in feathered dinosaurs to be reconstructed. Here, we have mapped feather color patterns in a Late Jurassic basal paravian theropod dinosaur. Quantitative comparisons with melanosome shape and density in extant feathers indicate that the body was gray and dark and the face had rufous speckles. The crown was rufous, and the long limb feathers were white with distal black spangles. The evolution of melanin-based within-feather pigmentation patterns may coincide with that of elongate pennaceous feathers in the common ancestor of Maniraptora, before active powered flight. Feathers may thus have played a role in sexual selection or other communication.

@article{doi101126science1186290,
    author = "Li, Quanguo and Gao, Ke‐Qin and Vinther, Jakob and Shawkey, Matthew D. and Clarke, Julia A. and D’Alba, Liliana and Meng, Qingjin and Briggs, Derek E. G. and Prum, Richard O.",
    title = "Plumage Color Patterns of an Extinct Dinosaur",
    year = "2010",
    journal = "Science",
    abstract = "For as long as dinosaurs have been known to exist, there has been speculation about their appearance. Fossil feathers can preserve the morphology of color-imparting melanosomes, which allow color patterns in feathered dinosaurs to be reconstructed. Here, we have mapped feather color patterns in a Late Jurassic basal paravian theropod dinosaur. Quantitative comparisons with melanosome shape and density in extant feathers indicate that the body was gray and dark and the face had rufous speckles. The crown was rufous, and the long limb feathers were white with distal black spangles. The evolution of melanin-based within-feather pigmentation patterns may coincide with that of elongate pennaceous feathers in the common ancestor of Maniraptora, before active powered flight. Feathers may thus have played a role in sexual selection or other communication.",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1186290",
    doi = "10.1126/science.1186290",
    openalex = "W2088903855",
    references = "doi101007s1143400900096, doi10103831635, doi101038nature01342, doi101038nature08322, doi101038nature08740, doi101098rsbl20080302, doi101098rsbl20090524, doi101126science1144066, doi101146annurevearth33092203122511, doi10230740166802"
}

Here we report a superbly preserved and profusely represented five-ichnotaxa dinosaur track assemblage near Icla village, 100 km southeast of Sucre, Bolivia. As preserved in reddish Jurassic-Cretaceous boundary aeolian sandstones, this rich and uncommon assemblage is, additionally, the oldest dinosaur tracksite for Bolivia. Four trackmakers were identified in the area: three quadrupedal and one bipedal, all of them with tracks of around 35 cm in lenght. One of the quadrupedals is represented by no less than five adult individuals (ichnotaxon A), and four purported juveniles (ichnotaxon B) walking in association. The other two quadrupedals (ichnotaxa C and D) involve four trackways, and the last, the bipedal trackmaker (ichnotaxon E), is represented by one trackway. The five ichnotaxa represented in the "Palmar de Tunasniyoj" could be tentatively assigned to the following trackmakers: Ichnotaxa A and B are assigned to basal stegosaurians; ichnotaxon C to a basal tyreophoran, perhaps related to the ankylosaur lineage; ichnotaxon D to the Ankylosauria, and ichnotaxon E to Theropoda. The Tunasniyoj assemblage, the oldest dinosaur tracksite for Bolivia, includes the oldest known evidence assigned to ankylosaurs and stegosaurs for South America.

@article{apesteguía2011tunasniyoj,
    author = "Apesteguía, Sebastián and Gallina, Pablo A.",
    title = "Tunasniyoj, a dinosaur tracksite from the Jurassic-Cretaceous boundary of Bolivia",
    year = "2011",
    journal = "Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências",
    abstract = {Here we report a superbly preserved and profusely represented five-ichnotaxa dinosaur track assemblage near Icla village, 100 km southeast of Sucre, Bolivia. As preserved in reddish Jurassic-Cretaceous boundary aeolian sandstones, this rich and uncommon assemblage is, additionally, the oldest dinosaur tracksite for Bolivia. Four trackmakers were identified in the area: three quadrupedal and one bipedal, all of them with tracks of around 35 cm in lenght. One of the quadrupedals is represented by no less than five adult individuals (ichnotaxon A), and four purported juveniles (ichnotaxon B) walking in association. The other two quadrupedals (ichnotaxa C and D) involve four trackways, and the last, the bipedal trackmaker (ichnotaxon E), is represented by one trackway. The five ichnotaxa represented in the "Palmar de Tunasniyoj" could be tentatively assigned to the following trackmakers: Ichnotaxa A and B are assigned to basal stegosaurians; ichnotaxon C to a basal tyreophoran, perhaps related to the ankylosaur lineage; ichnotaxon D to the Ankylosauria, and ichnotaxon E to Theropoda. The Tunasniyoj assemblage, the oldest dinosaur tracksite for Bolivia, includes the oldest known evidence assigned to ankylosaurs and stegosaurs for South America.},
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1590/s0001-37652011000100015",
    doi = "10.1590/s0001-37652011000100015",
    number = "1",
    openalex = "W1981596614",
    pages = "267-277",
    volume = "83",
    references = "doi101006cres20021006, doi101016jcretres200310005, doi101016s001678780180047x, doi101016s0037073800001354, doi101038377224a0, doi1016710272463420040240894paaogs20co2, doi104067s071602082002000200003, doi105860choice363923, openalexw1572955901, openalexw645466232"
}

The effect of the Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) (formerly Cretaceous-Tertiary, K-T) mass extinction on avian evolution is debated, primarily because of the poor fossil record of Late Cretaceous birds. In particular, it remains unclear whether archaic birds became extinct gradually over the course of the Cretaceous or whether they remained diverse up to the end of the Cretaceous and perished in the K-Pg mass extinction. Here, we describe a diverse avifauna from the latest Maastrichtian of western North America, which provides definitive evidence for the persistence of a range of archaic birds to within 300,000 y of the K-Pg boundary. A total of 17 species are identified, including 7 species of archaic bird, representing Enantiornithes, Ichthyornithes, Hesperornithes, and an Apsaravis-like bird. None of these groups are known to survive into the Paleogene, and their persistence into the latest Maastrichtian therefore provides strong evidence for a mass extinction of archaic birds coinciding with the Chicxulub asteroid impact. Most of the birds described here represent advanced ornithurines, showing that a major radiation of Ornithurae preceded the end of the Cretaceous, but none can be definitively referred to the Neornithes. This avifauna is the most diverse known from the Late Cretaceous, and although size disparity is lower than in modern birds, the assemblage includes both smaller forms and some of the largest volant birds known from the Mesozoic, emphasizing the degree to which avian diversification had proceeded by the end of the age of dinosaurs.

@article{doi101073pnas1110395108,
    author = "Longrich, Nicholas R. and Tokaryk, Tim T. and Field, Daniel J.",
    title = "Mass extinction of birds at the Cretaceous–Paleogene (K–Pg) boundary",
    year = "2011",
    journal = "Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences",
    abstract = "The effect of the Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) (formerly Cretaceous-Tertiary, K-T) mass extinction on avian evolution is debated, primarily because of the poor fossil record of Late Cretaceous birds. In particular, it remains unclear whether archaic birds became extinct gradually over the course of the Cretaceous or whether they remained diverse up to the end of the Cretaceous and perished in the K-Pg mass extinction. Here, we describe a diverse avifauna from the latest Maastrichtian of western North America, which provides definitive evidence for the persistence of a range of archaic birds to within 300,000 y of the K-Pg boundary. A total of 17 species are identified, including 7 species of archaic bird, representing Enantiornithes, Ichthyornithes, Hesperornithes, and an Apsaravis-like bird. None of these groups are known to survive into the Paleogene, and their persistence into the latest Maastrichtian therefore provides strong evidence for a mass extinction of archaic birds coinciding with the Chicxulub asteroid impact. Most of the birds described here represent advanced ornithurines, showing that a major radiation of Ornithurae preceded the end of the Cretaceous, but none can be definitively referred to the Neornithes. This avifauna is the most diverse known from the Late Cretaceous, and although size disparity is lower than in modern birds, the assemblage includes both smaller forms and some of the largest volant birds known from the Mesozoic, emphasizing the degree to which avian diversification had proceeded by the end of the age of dinosaurs.",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1110395108",
    doi = "10.1073/pnas.1110395108",
    openalex = "W2083202587",
    references = "doi1010029780470750711, doi101038381226a0, doi101098rsbl20060523, doi101126science1177265, doi101126science27553031109, doi101126science27553031113, doi1012019781420064452, doi105860choice343307, openalexw1535663436, openalexw3217097258"
}

Were molecular data available for extinct taxa, questions regarding the origins of many groups could be settled in short order. As this is not the case, various strategies have been proposed to combine paleontological and neontological data sets. The use of fossil dates as node age calibrations for divergence time estimation from molecular phylogenies is commonplace. In addition, simulations suggest that the addition of morphological data from extinct taxa may improve phylogenetic estimation when combined with molecular data for extant species, and some studies have merged morphological and molecular data to estimate combined evidence phylogenies containing both extinct and extant taxa. However, few, if any, studies have attempted to estimate divergence times using phylogenies containing both fossil and living taxa sampled for both molecular and morphological data. Here, I infer both the phylogeny and the time of origin for Lissamphibia and a number of stem tetrapods using Bayesian methods based on a data set containing morphological data for extinct taxa, molecular data for extant taxa, and molecular and morphological data for a subset of extant taxa. The results suggest that Lissamphibia is monophyletic, nested within Lepospondyli, and originated in the late Carboniferous at the earliest. This research illustrates potential pitfalls for the use of fossils as post hoc age constraints on internal nodes and highlights the importance of explicit phylogenetic analysis of extinct taxa. These results suggest that the application of fossils as minima or maxima on molecular phylogenies should be supplemented or supplanted by combined evidence analyses whenever possible.

@article{doi101093sysbiosyr047,
    author = "Pyron, R. Alexander",
    title = "Divergence Time Estimation Using Fossils as Terminal Taxa and the Origins of Lissamphibia",
    year = "2011",
    journal = "Systematic Biology",
    abstract = "Were molecular data available for extinct taxa, questions regarding the origins of many groups could be settled in short order. As this is not the case, various strategies have been proposed to combine paleontological and neontological data sets. The use of fossil dates as node age calibrations for divergence time estimation from molecular phylogenies is commonplace. In addition, simulations suggest that the addition of morphological data from extinct taxa may improve phylogenetic estimation when combined with molecular data for extant species, and some studies have merged morphological and molecular data to estimate combined evidence phylogenies containing both extinct and extant taxa. However, few, if any, studies have attempted to estimate divergence times using phylogenies containing both fossil and living taxa sampled for both molecular and morphological data. Here, I infer both the phylogeny and the time of origin for Lissamphibia and a number of stem tetrapods using Bayesian methods based on a data set containing morphological data for extinct taxa, molecular data for extant taxa, and molecular and morphological data for a subset of extant taxa. The results suggest that Lissamphibia is monophyletic, nested within Lepospondyli, and originated in the late Carboniferous at the earliest. This research illustrates potential pitfalls for the use of fossils as post hoc age constraints on internal nodes and highlights the importance of explicit phylogenetic analysis of extinct taxa. These results suggest that the application of fossils as minima or maxima on molecular phylogenies should be supplemented or supplanted by combined evidence analyses whenever possible.",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1093/sysbio/syr047",
    doi = "10.1093/sysbio/syr047",
    openalex = "W2167709329",
    references = "doi101017s1477201906002008, doi10103831927, doi101038nature06865, doi101080106351501753462876, doi10108010635150490445706, doi10108010635150701397635, doi10108010635150802022231, doi101093bioinformaticsbtg180, doi101093nargkh340, doi101093oso97801995350330010001, doi101093oxfordjournalsmolbeva003974, doi101093oxfordjournalsmolbeva026092, doi101186147121487214, doi1012019780429258411, doi101371journalpbio0040088, doi105860choice293880, openalexw2989049194"
}

Variation in daily activity patterns facilitates temporal partitioning of habitat and resources among species. Knowledge of temporal niche partitioning in paleobiological systems has been limited by the difficulty of obtaining reliable information about activity patterns from fossils. On the basis of an analysis of scleral ring and orbit morphology in 33 archosaurs, including dinosaurs and pterosaurs, we show that the eyes of Mesozoic archosaurs were adapted to all major types of diel activity (that is, nocturnal, diurnal, and cathemeral) and provide concrete evidence of temporal niche partitioning in the Mesozoic. Similar to extant amniotes, flyers were predominantly diurnal; terrestrial predators, at least partially, nocturnal; and large herbivores, cathemeral. These similarities suggest that ecology drives the evolution of diel activity patterns.

@article{doi101126science1200043,
    author = "Schmitz, Lars and Motani, Ryosuke",
    title = "Nocturnality in Dinosaurs Inferred from Scleral Ring and Orbit Morphology",
    year = "2011",
    journal = "Science",
    abstract = "Variation in daily activity patterns facilitates temporal partitioning of habitat and resources among species. Knowledge of temporal niche partitioning in paleobiological systems has been limited by the difficulty of obtaining reliable information about activity patterns from fossils. On the basis of an analysis of scleral ring and orbit morphology in 33 archosaurs, including dinosaurs and pterosaurs, we show that the eyes of Mesozoic archosaurs were adapted to all major types of diel activity (that is, nocturnal, diurnal, and cathemeral) and provide concrete evidence of temporal niche partitioning in the Mesozoic. Similar to extant amniotes, flyers were predominantly diurnal; terrestrial predators, at least partially, nocturnal; and large herbivores, cathemeral. These similarities suggest that ecology drives the evolution of diel activity patterns.",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1200043",
    doi = "10.1126/science.1200043",
    openalex = "W2072020803",
    references = "doi101016b9780123852502500183, doi101016jsedgeo200605013, doi101017cbo9780511565441, doi101034j1600048x2000310314x, doi101038272333a0, doi101111j1469185x1992tb01188x, doi101111j1469185x201000137x, doi101146annurevecolsys34011802132435, doi101525california97805202420980010001, doi1023071380998"
}

Archosaurs have a 250 million year record that originated shortly after the Permian-Triassic extinction event and is continued today by two extant clades, the crocodylians and the avians. The two extant lineages exemplify two bauplan extremes among a diverse and complex evolutionary history, but little is known about the common ancestor of these lineages. Renewed interest in early archosaurs has led to nearly a doubling of the known taxa in the last 20 years. This study presents a thorough phylogenetic analysis of 80 species-level taxa ranging from the latest Permian to the early part of the Jurassic using a dataset of 412 characters. Each terminal taxon is explicitly described and all specimens used in the analysis are clearly stated. Additionally, each character is discussed in detail and nearly all of the character states are illustrated in either a drawing or highlighted on a specimen photograph. A combination of novel characters and comprehensive character sampling has bridged previously published analyses that focus on particular archosauriform subclades. A well-resolved, robustly supported consensus tree (MPTs = 360) found a monophyletic Archosauria consisting of two major branches, the crocodylian-line and avian-line lineages. The monophyly of clades such as Ornithosuchidae, Phytosauria, Aetosauria, Crocodylomorpha, and Dinosauria is supported in this analysis. However, phytosaurs are recovered as the closest sister-taxon to Archosauria, rather than basal crocodylian-line archosaurs, for the first time. Among taxa classically termed as "rauisuchians," a monophyletic poposauroid clade was found as the sister-taxon to a group of paraphyletic "rauisuchians" and monophyletic crocodylomorphs. Hence, crocodylomorphs are well nested within a clade of "rauisuchians," and are not more closely related to aetosaurs than to taxa such as Postosuchus. Basal crocodylomorphs such as Hesperosuchus and similar forms ("Sphenosuchia") were found as a paraphyletic grade leading to the clade Crocodyliformes. Among avian-line archosaurs, Dinosauria is well supported. A monophyletic clade containing Silesaurus and similar forms is well supported as the sister-taxon to Dinosauria. Pterosaurs are robustly supported at the base of the avian-line. A time-calibrated phylogeny of Archosauriformes indicates that the origin and initial diversification of Archosauria occurred during the Early Triassic following the Permian-Triassic extinction. Furthermore, all major basal archosaur clades except Crocodylomorpha were established by the end of the Anisian. Early archosaur evolution is characterized by high rates of homoplasy, long ghost lineages, and high rates of character evolution. The rate of character evolution among archosaurs in the Early Triassic is unmatched relative to archosaur rates for the remainder of the Triassic. These data imply that much of the early history of Archosauria has not been recovered from the fossil record. Not only were archosaurs diverse by the Middle Triassic, but they had nearly a cosmopolitan biogeographic distribution by the end of the Anisian.

@article{doi1012063521,
    author = "Nesbitt, Sterling J.",
    title = "The Early Evolution of Archosaurs: Relationships and the Origin of Major Clades",
    year = "2011",
    journal = "Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History",
    abstract = {Archosaurs have a 250 million year record that originated shortly after the Permian-Triassic extinction event and is continued today by two extant clades, the crocodylians and the avians. The two extant lineages exemplify two bauplan extremes among a diverse and complex evolutionary history, but little is known about the common ancestor of these lineages. Renewed interest in early archosaurs has led to nearly a doubling of the known taxa in the last 20 years. This study presents a thorough phylogenetic analysis of 80 species-level taxa ranging from the latest Permian to the early part of the Jurassic using a dataset of 412 characters. Each terminal taxon is explicitly described and all specimens used in the analysis are clearly stated. Additionally, each character is discussed in detail and nearly all of the character states are illustrated in either a drawing or highlighted on a specimen photograph. A combination of novel characters and comprehensive character sampling has bridged previously published analyses that focus on particular archosauriform subclades. A well-resolved, robustly supported consensus tree (MPTs = 360) found a monophyletic Archosauria consisting of two major branches, the crocodylian-line and avian-line lineages. The monophyly of clades such as Ornithosuchidae, Phytosauria, Aetosauria, Crocodylomorpha, and Dinosauria is supported in this analysis. However, phytosaurs are recovered as the closest sister-taxon to Archosauria, rather than basal crocodylian-line archosaurs, for the first time. Among taxa classically termed as "rauisuchians," a monophyletic poposauroid clade was found as the sister-taxon to a group of paraphyletic "rauisuchians" and monophyletic crocodylomorphs. Hence, crocodylomorphs are well nested within a clade of "rauisuchians," and are not more closely related to aetosaurs than to taxa such as Postosuchus. Basal crocodylomorphs such as Hesperosuchus and similar forms ("Sphenosuchia") were found as a paraphyletic grade leading to the clade Crocodyliformes. Among avian-line archosaurs, Dinosauria is well supported. A monophyletic clade containing Silesaurus and similar forms is well supported as the sister-taxon to Dinosauria. Pterosaurs are robustly supported at the base of the avian-line. A time-calibrated phylogeny of Archosauriformes indicates that the origin and initial diversification of Archosauria occurred during the Early Triassic following the Permian-Triassic extinction. Furthermore, all major basal archosaur clades except Crocodylomorpha were established by the end of the Anisian. Early archosaur evolution is characterized by high rates of homoplasy, long ghost lineages, and high rates of character evolution. The rate of character evolution among archosaurs in the Early Triassic is unmatched relative to archosaur rates for the remainder of the Triassic. These data imply that much of the early history of Archosauria has not been recovered from the fossil record. Not only were archosaurs diverse by the Middle Triassic, but they had nearly a cosmopolitan biogeographic distribution by the end of the Anisian.},
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1206/352.1",
    doi = "10.1206/352.1",
    openalex = "W2009094188",
    references = "benton1983dinosaur, boulenger1904vion, doi101002jmor10018, doi101007bf02101113, doi101007bf02986571, doi1010160034666791900282, doi101016jcretres200405002, doi101016jgeobios200304008, doi101016jjsames200504002, doi101016s001669959880123x, doi101016s0031018298001175, doi101017s0006323197005100, doi101017s0016756807003925, doi101017s0022336000026706, doi101017s1477201906001970, doi101017s1477201907002040, doi101017s1477201907002271, doi101038114085a0, doi101038248168a0, doi10108002724634199110011386, doi10108002724634199110011426, doi10108002724634199210011473, doi10108002724634199310011511, doi10108002724634199410011523, doi10108002724634199410011524, doi10108002724634199410011538, doi10108002724634199610011283, doi10108002724634199910011124, doi10108002724634199910011178, doi10108002724634199910011201, doi10108002724634200310010947, doi10108008912960600719988, doi101093oxfordjournalsafrafa100309, doi101098rspb20043047, doi101098rspb20071370, doi101098rspl18870117, doi101098rstb19610007, doi101098rstb19650003, doi101098rstb19830079, doi101098rstb19850092, doi101098rstb19990489, doi101111j00310239200300301x, doi101111j109600311988tb00514x, doi101111j10960031200800217x, doi101111j109636421985tb01796x, doi101111j109636422001tb01313x, doi101111j109636422001tb01314x, doi101111j10963642200700325x, doi101126science10246376, doi101126science1101012, doi101126science1143325, doi101126science1144066, doi101126science1161833, doi101126science1874180947, doi101126science2562999, doi101126science2665183267, doi101126science2725264986, doi101126science28454232137, doi101127njgpa210199841, doi101144gslsp20032170111, doi101146annurevearth251435, doi1012060003009020042860001mptaso20co2, doi1012060003009020073021taoeoa20co2, doi101371journalpone0002995, doi1016710272463420020220510toomka20co2, doi1016710272463420020220593cvancf20co2, doi10167102724634200727350asoitp20co2, doi1016710390290218, doi101671a1097, doi102475ajss319111253, doi102475ajss321125417, doi105962bhlpart22965, doi107146moggeosciv32i140904, galton1977onstaurikosaums, nesbitt2009a, openalexw1574544995, openalexw2183707334, openalexw2310875238, openalexw2894525608, openalexw834136096, padian1990the, riggs2003isotopic, rowe1989a, sereno1997the, smith1990osteology, walker1964triassic, welles1954new"
}

In modern terrestrial ecosystems, the population size of large predators is low, and a similar pattern has usually been assumed for dinosaurs. However, fossil finds of monospecific, large theropod accumulations suggest that population dynamics were more complex. Here, we report two Early Cretaceous tracksites dominated by large theropod footprints, in Querulpa Chico (Peru) and Chacarilla (Chile). The two sites correspond to distinct depositional environments-tidal basin/delta (Querulpa Chico) and meandering river (Chacarilla)-with both subject to extensive arid or semiarid palaeoclimatic conditions. Although most trackways show no preferred orientation, a clear relationship between two trackmakers is observed in one instance. This observation, coupled with the high abundance of trackways belonging to distinct large theropods, and the exclusion of tracks of other animals, suggests some degree of grouping behaviour. The presence of freshwater sources in a dry climate and perhaps social behaviour such as pair bonding may have promoted interactions between large carnivores. Further, the occurrence of these two tracksites confirms that large theropod dinosaurs, possibly spinosaurids and/or carcharodontosaurids, existed on the western margin of Gondwana as early as the earliest Cretaceous.

@article{doi104202app20100119,
    author = "Moreno, Karen and de Valais, Silvina and Blanco, Nicolás and Tomlinson, Andrew J. and Jacay, Javier and Calvo, Jorge O.",
    title = "Large Theropod Dinosaur Footprint Associations in Western Gondwana: Behavioural and Palaeogeographic Implications",
    year = "2011",
    journal = "Acta Palaeontologica Polonica",
    abstract = "In modern terrestrial ecosystems, the population size of large predators is low, and a similar pattern has usually been assumed for dinosaurs. However, fossil finds of monospecific, large theropod accumulations suggest that population dynamics were more complex. Here, we report two Early Cretaceous tracksites dominated by large theropod footprints, in Querulpa Chico (Peru) and Chacarilla (Chile). The two sites correspond to distinct depositional environments-tidal basin/delta (Querulpa Chico) and meandering river (Chacarilla)-with both subject to extensive arid or semiarid palaeoclimatic conditions. Although most trackways show no preferred orientation, a clear relationship between two trackmakers is observed in one instance. This observation, coupled with the high abundance of trackways belonging to distinct large theropods, and the exclusion of tracks of other animals, suggests some degree of grouping behaviour. The presence of freshwater sources in a dry climate and perhaps social behaviour such as pair bonding may have promoted interactions between large carnivores. Further, the occurrence of these two tracksites confirms that large theropod dinosaurs, possibly spinosaurids and/or carcharodontosaurids, existed on the western margin of Gondwana as early as the earliest Cretaceous.",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.4202/app.2010.0119",
    doi = "10.4202/app.2010.0119",
    openalex = "W1976611728",
    references = "apesteguía2011tunasniyoj, doi101046j13652699200300835x"
}

@article{doi101038ncomms1819,
    author = "Lindgren, Johan and Uvdal, P. and Sjövall, Peter and Nilsson, Dan‐Eric and Engdahl, Anders and Schultz, Bo Pagh and Thiel, Volker",
    title = "Molecular preservation of the pigment melanin in fossil melanosomes",
    year = "2012",
    journal = "Nature Communications",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms1819",
    doi = "10.1038/ncomms1819",
    openalex = "W1995486795",
    references = "doi101126science1213780, doi101146annurevearth040610133502"
}

Melanin is a ubiquitous biological pigment found in bacteria, fungi, plants, and animals. It has a diverse range of ecological and biochemical functions, including display, evasion, photoprotection, detoxification, and metal scavenging. To date, evidence of melanin in fossil organisms has relied entirely on indirect morphological and chemical analyses. Here, we apply direct chemical techniques to categorically demonstrate the preservation of eumelanin in two > 160 Ma Jurassic cephalopod ink sacs and to confirm its chemical similarity to the ink of the modern cephalopod, Sepia officinalis. Identification and characterization of degradation-resistant melanin may provide insights into its diverse roles in ancient organisms.

@article{doi101073pnas1118448109,
    author = "Glass, Keely and Ito, Shosuke and Wilby, Philip R. and Sota, Takayuki and Nakamura, Atsushi and Bowers, Clifford R. and Vinther, Jakob and Dutta, Suryendu and Summons, Roger E. and Briggs, Derek E. G. and Wakamatsu, Kazumasa and Simon, John D.",
    title = "Direct chemical evidence for eumelanin pigment from the Jurassic period",
    year = "2012",
    journal = "Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences",
    abstract = "Melanin is a ubiquitous biological pigment found in bacteria, fungi, plants, and animals. It has a diverse range of ecological and biochemical functions, including display, evasion, photoprotection, detoxification, and metal scavenging. To date, evidence of melanin in fossil organisms has relied entirely on indirect morphological and chemical analyses. Here, we apply direct chemical techniques to categorically demonstrate the preservation of eumelanin in two > 160 Ma Jurassic cephalopod ink sacs and to confirm its chemical similarity to the ink of the modern cephalopod, Sepia officinalis. Identification and characterization of degradation-resistant melanin may provide insights into its diverse roles in ancient organisms.",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1118448109",
    doi = "10.1073/pnas.1118448109",
    openalex = "W2022840256",
    references = "doi101038nature08740, doi101126science1186290, doi101146annurevearth040610133502"
}

The osteology of Diamantinasaurus matildae, the most complete Cretaceous sauropod described from Australia to date, is comprehensively reassessed. The preparation of additional material from the type locality, pertaining to the same individual as the holotype, sheds light on the morphology of the axial skeleton and provides additional information on the appendicular skeleton. The new material comprises two dorsal vertebrae, an incomplete sacrum (including four partial coalesced vertebrae), the right coracoid, the right radius, an additional manual phalanx, and a previously missing portion of the right fibula. In this study we identify thirteen autapomorphic characters of Diamantinasaurus, and an additional five characters that are locally autapomorphic within Titanosauriformes. This work provided an opportunity to revisit the phylogenetic placement of Diamantinasaurus. In two independent data matrices, Diamantinasaurus was recovered within Lithostrotia. One analysis resolved Diamantinasaurus as the sister taxon to the approximately coeval Tapuiasaurus from Brazil, whereas the second analysis recovered Diamantinasaurus as the sister taxon to Opisthocoelicaudia from the latest Cretaceous of Mongolia. The characters supporting the recovered relationships are analysed, and the palaeobiogeographical implications of the lithostrotian status of Diamantinasaurus are explored. A brief review of the body fossil record of Australian Cretaceous terrestrial vertebrates suggests close ties to South America in particular, and to Gondwana more generally.

@article{doi101016jgr201403014,
    author = "Poropat, Stephen F. and Upchurch, Paul and Mannion, Philip D. and Hocknull, Scott and Kear, Benjamin P. and Sloan, Trish and Sinapius, George H. K. and Elliott, David A.",
    title = "Revision of the sauropod dinosaur Diamantinasaurus matildae Hocknull et al. 2009 from the mid-Cretaceous of Australia: Implications for Gondwanan titanosauriform dispersal",
    year = "2014",
    journal = "Gondwana Research",
    abstract = "The osteology of Diamantinasaurus matildae, the most complete Cretaceous sauropod described from Australia to date, is comprehensively reassessed. The preparation of additional material from the type locality, pertaining to the same individual as the holotype, sheds light on the morphology of the axial skeleton and provides additional information on the appendicular skeleton. The new material comprises two dorsal vertebrae, an incomplete sacrum (including four partial coalesced vertebrae), the right coracoid, the right radius, an additional manual phalanx, and a previously missing portion of the right fibula. In this study we identify thirteen autapomorphic characters of Diamantinasaurus, and an additional five characters that are locally autapomorphic within Titanosauriformes. This work provided an opportunity to revisit the phylogenetic placement of Diamantinasaurus. In two independent data matrices, Diamantinasaurus was recovered within Lithostrotia. One analysis resolved Diamantinasaurus as the sister taxon to the approximately coeval Tapuiasaurus from Brazil, whereas the second analysis recovered Diamantinasaurus as the sister taxon to Opisthocoelicaudia from the latest Cretaceous of Mongolia. The characters supporting the recovered relationships are analysed, and the palaeobiogeographical implications of the lithostrotian status of Diamantinasaurus are explored. A brief review of the body fossil record of Australian Cretaceous terrestrial vertebrates suggests close ties to South America in particular, and to Gondwana more generally.",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gr.2014.03.014",
    doi = "10.1016/j.gr.2014.03.014",
    openalex = "W2077845776",
    references = "doi101016jcretres201304001, doi101046j10963642200200029x, doi101071bt00023, doi10108002724634199810011115, doi10108002724634199910011178, doi101098rspl18870117, doi101111j10960031200800217x, doi1023071292217, doi102475ajss319111253, doi107312kiel11918, openalexw3215057009"
}

Inference of colour patterning in extinct dinosaurs has been based on the relationship between the morphology of melanin-containing organelles (melanosomes) and colour in extant bird feathers. When this relationship evolved relative to the origin of feathers and other novel integumentary structures, such as hair and filamentous body covering in extinct archosaurs, has not been evaluated. Here we sample melanosomes from the integument of 181 extant amniote taxa and 13 lizard, turtle, dinosaur and pterosaur fossils from the Upper-Jurassic and Lower-Cretaceous of China. We find that in the lineage leading to birds, the observed increase in the diversity of melanosome morphologies appears abruptly, near the origin of pinnate feathers in maniraptoran dinosaurs. Similarly, mammals show an increased diversity of melanosome form compared to all ectothermic amniotes. In these two clades, mammals and maniraptoran dinosaurs including birds, melanosome form and colour are linked and colour reconstruction may be possible. By contrast, melanosomes in lizard, turtle and crocodilian skin, as well as the archosaurian filamentous body coverings (dinosaur 'protofeathers' and pterosaur 'pycnofibres'), show a limited diversity of form that is uncorrelated with colour in extant taxa. These patterns may be explained by convergent changes in the key melanocortin system of mammals and birds, which is known to affect pleiotropically both melanin-based colouration and energetic processes such as metabolic rate in vertebrates, and may therefore support a significant physiological shift in maniraptoran dinosaurs.

@article{doi101038nature12973,
    author = "Li, Quanguo and Clarke, Julia A and Gao, Ke-Qin and Zhou, Chang-Fu and Meng, Qingjin and Li, Daliang and D'Alba, Liliana and Shawkey, Matthew D",
    title = "Melanosome evolution indicates a key physiological shift within feathered dinosaurs.",
    year = "2014",
    journal = "Nature",
    abstract = "Inference of colour patterning in extinct dinosaurs has been based on the relationship between the morphology of melanin-containing organelles (melanosomes) and colour in extant bird feathers. When this relationship evolved relative to the origin of feathers and other novel integumentary structures, such as hair and filamentous body covering in extinct archosaurs, has not been evaluated. Here we sample melanosomes from the integument of 181 extant amniote taxa and 13 lizard, turtle, dinosaur and pterosaur fossils from the Upper-Jurassic and Lower-Cretaceous of China. We find that in the lineage leading to birds, the observed increase in the diversity of melanosome morphologies appears abruptly, near the origin of pinnate feathers in maniraptoran dinosaurs. Similarly, mammals show an increased diversity of melanosome form compared to all ectothermic amniotes. In these two clades, mammals and maniraptoran dinosaurs including birds, melanosome form and colour are linked and colour reconstruction may be possible. By contrast, melanosomes in lizard, turtle and crocodilian skin, as well as the archosaurian filamentous body coverings (dinosaur 'protofeathers' and pterosaur 'pycnofibres'), show a limited diversity of form that is uncorrelated with colour in extant taxa. These patterns may be explained by convergent changes in the key melanocortin system of mammals and birds, which is known to affect pleiotropically both melanin-based colouration and energetic processes such as metabolic rate in vertebrates, and may therefore support a significant physiological shift in maniraptoran dinosaurs.",
    url = "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24522537/",
    doi = "10.1038/nature12973",
    openalex = "W2022998540",
    pmid = "24522537",
    references = "doi101016jtig201002002, doi101016jtree200806001, doi101034j16000749200300072x, doi101038nature02855, doi101038nature07856, doi101038nature08740, doi101093behecoarr088, doi101126science1186290, doi101126science1200684, doi101126science1213780"
}

Titanosaurian sauropod dinosaurs were the most diverse and abundant large-bodied herbivores in the southern continents during the final 30 million years of the Mesozoic Era. Several titanosaur species are regarded as the most massive land-living animals yet discovered; nevertheless, nearly all of these giant titanosaurs are known only from very incomplete fossils, hindering a detailed understanding of their anatomy. Here we describe a new and gigantic titanosaur, Dreadnoughtus schrani, from Upper Cretaceous sediments in southern Patagonia, Argentina. Represented by approximately 70% of the postcranial skeleton, plus craniodental remains, Dreadnoughtus is the most complete giant titanosaur yet discovered, and provides new insight into the morphology and evolutionary history of these colossal animals. Furthermore, despite its estimated mass of about 59.3 metric tons, the bone histology of the Dreadnoughtus type specimen reveals that this individual was still growing at the time of death.

@article{doi101038srep06196,
    author = "Lacovara, Kenneth J. and Lamanna, Matthew C. and Ibiricu, Lucio M. and Poole, Jason C. and Schroeter, Elena R. and Ullmann, Paul V. and Voegele, Kristyn K. and Boles, Zachary M. and Carter, Aja M. and Fowler, Emma K. and Egerton, Victoria M. and Moyer, Alison E. and Coughenour, Christopher and Schein, Jason P. and Harris, Jerald D. and Martínez, Rubén D. and Novas, Fernando E.",
    title = "A Gigantic, Exceptionally Complete Titanosaurian Sauropod Dinosaur from Southern Patagonia, Argentina",
    year = "2014",
    journal = "Scientific Reports",
    abstract = "Titanosaurian sauropod dinosaurs were the most diverse and abundant large-bodied herbivores in the southern continents during the final 30 million years of the Mesozoic Era. Several titanosaur species are regarded as the most massive land-living animals yet discovered; nevertheless, nearly all of these giant titanosaurs are known only from very incomplete fossils, hindering a detailed understanding of their anatomy. Here we describe a new and gigantic titanosaur, Dreadnoughtus schrani, from Upper Cretaceous sediments in southern Patagonia, Argentina. Represented by approximately 70\% of the postcranial skeleton, plus craniodental remains, Dreadnoughtus is the most complete giant titanosaur yet discovered, and provides new insight into the morphology and evolutionary history of these colossal animals. Furthermore, despite its estimated mass of about 59.3 metric tons, the bone histology of the Dreadnoughtus type specimen reveals that this individual was still growing at the time of death.",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1038/srep06196",
    doi = "10.1038/srep06196",
    openalex = "W2025269251",
    references = "doi101046j10963642200200029x, doi101073pnas251548698, doi101111j10960031200800217x, doi101111j109636421998tb00569x, doi101111j1469185x201000137x, doi101111j146979981985tb04915x, doi101111zoj12029, doi101186174170071060, doi101371journalpbio1001853, doi101371journalpone0006190, doi101371journalpone0017114, doi1016660094837320080340247ositlb20co2, doi1022179revmacn12239, doi1022179revmacn688, doi1022179revmacn7344, openalexw581267017"
}

Abstract The study of the Early Cretaceous terrestrial Jehol Biota, which provides a rare window for reconstruction of a Lower Cretaceous terrestrial ecosystem, is reviewed with a focus on some of the latest progress. A newly proposed definition of the biota based on paleoecology and taphonomy is accepted. Although the Jehol fossils are mainly preserved in two types of sedimentary rocks, there are various types of preservation with a complex mechanism that remains to be understood. New discoveries of significant taxa from the Jehol Biota, with an updated introduction of its diversity, confirm that the Jehol Biota represents one of the most diversified biotas of the Mesozoic. The evolutionary significance of major biological groups (e.g. dinosaurs, birds, mammals, pterosaurs, insects, and plants) is discussed mainly in the light of recent discoveries, and some of the most remarkable aspects of the biota are highlighted. The global and local geological, paleogeographic, and paleoenvironmental background of the Jehol Biota have contributed to the unique composition, evolution, and preservation of the biota, demonstrating widespread faunal exchanges between Asia and other continents caused by the presence of the Eurasia–North American continental mass and its link to South America, and confirming northeastern China as the origin and diversification center for a variety of Cretaceous biological groups. Although some progress has been made on the reconstruction of the paleotemperature at the time of the Jehol Biota, much more work is needed to confirm a possible link between the remarkable diversity of the biota and the cold intervals during the Early Cretaceous. Finally, future directions for the study of the Jehol Biota are proposed that highlight the great potential of more comprehensive and multidisciplinary studies to further our understanding of the biological and geological implications of the Jehol Lagerstätte.

@article{doi101093nsrnwu055,
    author = "Zhou, Zhonghe",
    title = "The Jehol Biota, an Early Cretaceous terrestrial Lagerstätte: new discoveries and implications",
    year = "2014",
    journal = "National Science Review",
    abstract = "Abstract The study of the Early Cretaceous terrestrial Jehol Biota, which provides a rare window for reconstruction of a Lower Cretaceous terrestrial ecosystem, is reviewed with a focus on some of the latest progress. A newly proposed definition of the biota based on paleoecology and taphonomy is accepted. Although the Jehol fossils are mainly preserved in two types of sedimentary rocks, there are various types of preservation with a complex mechanism that remains to be understood. New discoveries of significant taxa from the Jehol Biota, with an updated introduction of its diversity, confirm that the Jehol Biota represents one of the most diversified biotas of the Mesozoic. The evolutionary significance of major biological groups (e.g. dinosaurs, birds, mammals, pterosaurs, insects, and plants) is discussed mainly in the light of recent discoveries, and some of the most remarkable aspects of the biota are highlighted. The global and local geological, paleogeographic, and paleoenvironmental background of the Jehol Biota have contributed to the unique composition, evolution, and preservation of the biota, demonstrating widespread faunal exchanges between Asia and other continents caused by the presence of the Eurasia–North American continental mass and its link to South America, and confirming northeastern China as the origin and diversification center for a variety of Cretaceous biological groups. Although some progress has been made on the reconstruction of the paleotemperature at the time of the Jehol Biota, much more work is needed to confirm a possible link between the remarkable diversity of the biota and the cold intervals during the Early Cretaceous. Finally, future directions for the study of the Jehol Biota are proposed that highlight the great potential of more comprehensive and multidisciplinary studies to further our understanding of the biological and geological implications of the Jehol Lagerstätte.",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1093/nsr/nwu055",
    doi = "10.1093/nsr/nwu055",
    openalex = "W2109861196",
    references = "doi101002gj1045, doi101007s0011401208891, doi101007s1143001040949, doi101016jepsl200502019, doi1010291999pa900040, doi10102992jb00648, doi10103821872, doi10103834356, doi101038nature01342, doi101038nature01420, doi101038nature05627, doi101038nature08322, doi101038nature10906, doi101038nature12973, doi101073pnas0507106102, doi101073pnas1011369108, doi101073pnas1112694108, doi101098rspb20090885, doi101111j14636409200600234x, doi101111j14697580200800880x, doi101126science1069439, doi101126science1213780, doi101126science1228753, doi10113008137233291, doi105194cp813232012"
}

Were dinosaurs ectotherms or fast-metabolizing endotherms whose activities were unconstrained by temperature? To date, some of the strongest evidence for endothermy comes from the rapid growth rates derived from the analysis of fossil bones. However, these studies are constrained by a lack of comparative data and an appropriate energetic framework. Here we compile data on ontogenetic growth for extant and fossil vertebrates, including all major dinosaur clades. Using a metabolic scaling approach, we find that growth and metabolic rates follow theoretical predictions across clades, although some groups deviate. Moreover, when the effects of size and temperature are considered, dinosaur metabolic rates were intermediate to those of endotherms and ectotherms and closest to those of extant mesotherms. Our results suggest that the modern dichotomy of endothermic versus ectothermic is overly simplistic.

@article{doi101126science1253143,
    author = "Grady, John M. and Enquist, Brian J. and Dettweiler‐Robinson, Eva and Wright, Natalie A. and Smith, Felisa A.",
    title = "Evidence for mesothermy in dinosaurs",
    year = "2014",
    journal = "Science",
    abstract = "Were dinosaurs ectotherms or fast-metabolizing endotherms whose activities were unconstrained by temperature? To date, some of the strongest evidence for endothermy comes from the rapid growth rates derived from the analysis of fossil bones. However, these studies are constrained by a lack of comparative data and an appropriate energetic framework. Here we compile data on ontogenetic growth for extant and fossil vertebrates, including all major dinosaur clades. Using a metabolic scaling approach, we find that growth and metabolic rates follow theoretical predictions across clades, although some groups deviate. Moreover, when the effects of size and temperature are considered, dinosaur metabolic rates were intermediate to those of endotherms and ectotherms and closest to those of extant mesotherms. Our results suggest that the modern dichotomy of endothermic versus ectothermic is overly simplistic.",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1253143",
    doi = "10.1126/science.1253143",
    openalex = "W2010661531",
    references = "doi101017cbo9780511608551, doi101017s1464793106007007, doi101038nature05634, doi101038nature11631, doi101073pnas0708903105, doi101093bioinformaticsbtg412, doi101098rsbl20070254, doi101111j109636422000tb02201x, doi101126science1061967, doi101126science1206196, doi101126science28454201677, doi1012019781420064452, doi101371journalpone0007390, doi101371journalpone0029958, doi101371journalpone0079420, doi101371journalpone0081917, doi1016660094837320030290105dbttoo20co2, doi101890039000, doi1018900814941"
}

To provide context for the diversification of archosaurs--the group that includes crocodilians, dinosaurs, and birds--we generated draft genomes of three crocodilians: Alligator mississippiensis (the American alligator), Crocodylus porosus (the saltwater crocodile), and Gavialis gangeticus (the Indian gharial). We observed an exceptionally slow rate of genome evolution within crocodilians at all levels, including nucleotide substitutions, indels, transposable element content and movement, gene family evolution, and chromosomal synteny. When placed within the context of related taxa including birds and turtles, this suggests that the common ancestor of all of these taxa also exhibited slow genome evolution and that the comparatively rapid evolution is derived in birds. The data also provided the opportunity to analyze heterozygosity in crocodilians, which indicates a likely reduction in population size for all three taxa through the Pleistocene. Finally, these data combined with newly published bird genomes allowed us to reconstruct the partial genome of the common ancestor of archosaurs, thereby providing a tool to investigate the genetic starting material of crocodilians, birds, and dinosaurs.

@article{doi101126science1254449,
    author = "Green, Richard E. and Braun, Edward L. and Armstrong, Joel and Earl, Dent and Nguyen, Ngan and Hickey, Glenn and Vandewege, Michael W. and John, John A. St and Capella-Gutiérrez, Salvador and Castoe, Todd A. and Kern, Colin and Fujita, Matthew K. and Opazo, Juan C. and Jurka, Jerzy and Kojima, Kenji K. and Caballero, Juan and Hubley, Robert and Smit, Arian F. A. and Platt, Roy N. and Lavoie, Christine A. and Ramakodi, Meganathan P. and Finger, John W. and Suh, Alexander and Isberg, Sally R. and Miles, Lee G. and Chong, Amanda Y. and Jaratlerdsiri, Weerachai and Gongora, Jaime and Moran, Christopher and Iriarte, Andrés and McCormack, John E. and Burgess, Shane C. and Edwards, Scott V. and Lyons, Eric and Williams, Christina L. and Breen, Matthew and Howard, Jason T. and Gresham, Cathy and Peterson, Daniel G. and Schmitz, Jürgen and Pollock, David D. and Haussler, David and Triplett, Eric W. and Zhang, Guojie and Irie, Naoki and Jarvis, Erich D. and Brochu, Christopher A. and Schmidt, Carl J. and McCarthy, Fiona and Faircloth, Brant C. and Hoffmann, Federico G. and Glenn, Travis C. and Gabaldón, Toni and Paten, Benedict and Ray, David A.",
    title = "Three crocodilian genomes reveal ancestral patterns of evolution among archosaurs",
    year = "2014",
    journal = "Science",
    abstract = "To provide context for the diversification of archosaurs--the group that includes crocodilians, dinosaurs, and birds--we generated draft genomes of three crocodilians: Alligator mississippiensis (the American alligator), Crocodylus porosus (the saltwater crocodile), and Gavialis gangeticus (the Indian gharial). We observed an exceptionally slow rate of genome evolution within crocodilians at all levels, including nucleotide substitutions, indels, transposable element content and movement, gene family evolution, and chromosomal synteny. When placed within the context of related taxa including birds and turtles, this suggests that the common ancestor of all of these taxa also exhibited slow genome evolution and that the comparatively rapid evolution is derived in birds. The data also provided the opportunity to analyze heterozygosity in crocodilians, which indicates a likely reduction in population size for all three taxa through the Pleistocene. Finally, these data combined with newly published bird genomes allowed us to reconstruct the partial genome of the common ancestor of archosaurs, thereby providing a tool to investigate the genetic starting material of crocodilians, birds, and dinosaurs.",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1254449",
    doi = "10.1126/science.1254449",
    openalex = "W2170908011",
    references = "doi101016jcretres200501002, doi101038nature03150, doi101073pnas1110395108, doi101126science1252243, doi101146annurevearth31100901141308, doi1011861471214813208, doi1012063521, doi101371journalpone0020011, doi105860choice435902"
}

BACKGROUND: The origin and early radiation of archosaurs and closely related taxa (Archosauriformes) during the Triassic was a critical event in the evolutionary history of tetrapods. This radiation led to the dinosaur-dominated ecosystems of the Jurassic and Cretaceous, and the high present-day archosaur diversity that includes around 10,000 bird and crocodylian species. The timing and dynamics of this evolutionary radiation are currently obscured by the poorly constrained phylogenetic positions of several key early archosauriform taxa, including several species from the Middle Triassic of Argentina (Gracilisuchus stipanicicorum) and China (Turfanosuchus dabanensis, Yonghesuchus sangbiensis). These species act as unstable 'wildcards' in morphological phylogenetic analyses, reducing phylogenetic resolution. RESULTS: We present new anatomical data for the type specimens of G. stipanicicorum, T. dabanensis, and Y. sangbiensis, and carry out a new morphological phylogenetic analysis of early archosaur relationships. Our results indicate that these three previously enigmatic taxa form a well-supported clade of Middle Triassic archosaurs that we refer to as Gracilisuchidae. Gracilisuchidae is placed basally within Suchia, among the pseudosuchian (crocodile-line) archosaurs. The approximately contemporaneous and morphologically similar G. stipanicicorum and Y. sangbiensis may be sister taxa within Gracilisuchidae. CONCLUSIONS: Our results provide increased resolution of the previously poorly constrained relationships of early archosaurs, with increased levels of phylogenetic support for several key early pseudosuchian clades. Moreover, they falsify previous hypotheses suggesting that T. dabanensis and Y. sangbiensis are not members of the archosaur crown group. The recognition of Gracilisuchidae provides further support for a rapid phylogenetic diversification of crown archosaurs by the Middle Triassic. The disjunct distribution of the gracilisuchid clade in China and Argentina demonstrates that early archosaurs were distributed over much or all of Pangaea although they may have initially been relatively rare members of faunal assemblages.

@article{doi1011861471214814128,
    author = "Butler, Richard J and Sullivan, Corwin and Ezcurra, Martín D and Liu, Jun and Lecuona, Agustina and Sookias, Roland B",
    title = "New clade of enigmatic early archosaurs yields insights into early pseudosuchian phylogeny and the biogeography of the archosaur radiation.",
    year = "2014",
    journal = "BMC evolutionary biology",
    abstract = "BACKGROUND: The origin and early radiation of archosaurs and closely related taxa (Archosauriformes) during the Triassic was a critical event in the evolutionary history of tetrapods. This radiation led to the dinosaur-dominated ecosystems of the Jurassic and Cretaceous, and the high present-day archosaur diversity that includes around 10,000 bird and crocodylian species. The timing and dynamics of this evolutionary radiation are currently obscured by the poorly constrained phylogenetic positions of several key early archosauriform taxa, including several species from the Middle Triassic of Argentina (Gracilisuchus stipanicicorum) and China (Turfanosuchus dabanensis, Yonghesuchus sangbiensis). These species act as unstable 'wildcards' in morphological phylogenetic analyses, reducing phylogenetic resolution. RESULTS: We present new anatomical data for the type specimens of G. stipanicicorum, T. dabanensis, and Y. sangbiensis, and carry out a new morphological phylogenetic analysis of early archosaur relationships. Our results indicate that these three previously enigmatic taxa form a well-supported clade of Middle Triassic archosaurs that we refer to as Gracilisuchidae. Gracilisuchidae is placed basally within Suchia, among the pseudosuchian (crocodile-line) archosaurs. The approximately contemporaneous and morphologically similar G. stipanicicorum and Y. sangbiensis may be sister taxa within Gracilisuchidae. CONCLUSIONS: Our results provide increased resolution of the previously poorly constrained relationships of early archosaurs, with increased levels of phylogenetic support for several key early pseudosuchian clades. Moreover, they falsify previous hypotheses suggesting that T. dabanensis and Y. sangbiensis are not members of the archosaur crown group. The recognition of Gracilisuchidae provides further support for a rapid phylogenetic diversification of crown archosaurs by the Middle Triassic. The disjunct distribution of the gracilisuchid clade in China and Argentina demonstrates that early archosaurs were distributed over much or all of Pangaea although they may have initially been relatively rare members of faunal assemblages.",
    url = "https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4061117/",
    doi = "10.1186/1471-2148-14-128",
    openalex = "W2052725877",
    pmcid = "PMC4061117",
    pmid = "24916124",
    references = "doi101017s0094837300010575, doi101017s1755691011000181, doi101038nature08718, doi101038nature11631, doi101038ngeo1475, doi10108014772010903537732, doi101111j10960031200800217x, doi101126science1161833, doi101126science1198467, doi101144sp3799, doi1012063521, doi1023071005355, doi1023073514548"
}

Large-scale adaptive radiations might explain the runaway success of a minority of extant vertebrate clades. This hypothesis predicts, among other things, rapid rates of morphological evolution during the early history of major groups, as lineages invade disparate ecological niches. However, few studies of adaptive radiation have included deep time data, so the links between extant diversity and major extinct radiations are unclear. The intensively studied Mesozoic dinosaur record provides a model system for such investigation, representing an ecologically diverse group that dominated terrestrial ecosystems for 170 million years. Furthermore, with 10,000 species, extant dinosaurs (birds) are the most speciose living tetrapod clade. We assembled composite trees of 614-622 Mesozoic dinosaurs/birds, and a comprehensive body mass dataset using the scaling relationship of limb bone robustness. Maximum-likelihood modelling and the node height test reveal rapid evolutionary rates and a predominance of rapid shifts among size classes in early (Triassic) dinosaurs. This indicates an early burst niche-filling pattern and contrasts with previous studies that favoured gradualistic rates. Subsequently, rates declined in most lineages, which rarely exploited new ecological niches. However, feathered maniraptoran dinosaurs (including Mesozoic birds) sustained rapid evolution from at least the Middle Jurassic, suggesting that these taxa evaded the effects of niche saturation. This indicates that a long evolutionary history of continuing ecological innovation paved the way for a second great radiation of dinosaurs, in birds. We therefore demonstrate links between the predominantly extinct deep time adaptive radiation of non-avian dinosaurs and the phenomenal diversification of birds, via continuing rapid rates of evolution along the phylogenetic stem lineage. This raises the possibility that the uneven distribution of biodiversity results not just from large-scale extrapolation of the process of adaptive radiation in a few extant clades, but also from the maintenance of evolvability on vast time scales across the history of life, in key lineages.

@article{doi101371journalpbio1001853,
    author = "Benson, Roger and Campione, Nicolás E. and Carrano, Matthew T. and Mannion, Philip D. and Sullivan, Corwin and Upchurch, Paul and Evans, David C.",
    title = "Rates of Dinosaur Body Mass Evolution Indicate 170 Million Years of Sustained Ecological Innovation on the Avian Stem Lineage",
    year = "2014",
    journal = "PLoS Biology",
    abstract = "Large-scale adaptive radiations might explain the runaway success of a minority of extant vertebrate clades. This hypothesis predicts, among other things, rapid rates of morphological evolution during the early history of major groups, as lineages invade disparate ecological niches. However, few studies of adaptive radiation have included deep time data, so the links between extant diversity and major extinct radiations are unclear. The intensively studied Mesozoic dinosaur record provides a model system for such investigation, representing an ecologically diverse group that dominated terrestrial ecosystems for 170 million years. Furthermore, with 10,000 species, extant dinosaurs (birds) are the most speciose living tetrapod clade. We assembled composite trees of 614-622 Mesozoic dinosaurs/birds, and a comprehensive body mass dataset using the scaling relationship of limb bone robustness. Maximum-likelihood modelling and the node height test reveal rapid evolutionary rates and a predominance of rapid shifts among size classes in early (Triassic) dinosaurs. This indicates an early burst niche-filling pattern and contrasts with previous studies that favoured gradualistic rates. Subsequently, rates declined in most lineages, which rarely exploited new ecological niches. However, feathered maniraptoran dinosaurs (including Mesozoic birds) sustained rapid evolution from at least the Middle Jurassic, suggesting that these taxa evaded the effects of niche saturation. This indicates that a long evolutionary history of continuing ecological innovation paved the way for a second great radiation of dinosaurs, in birds. We therefore demonstrate links between the predominantly extinct deep time adaptive radiation of non-avian dinosaurs and the phenomenal diversification of birds, via continuing rapid rates of evolution along the phylogenetic stem lineage. This raises the possibility that the uneven distribution of biodiversity results not just from large-scale extrapolation of the process of adaptive radiation in a few extant clades, but also from the maintenance of evolvability on vast time scales across the history of life, in key lineages.",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.1001853",
    doi = "10.1371/journal.pbio.1001853",
    openalex = "W2155522161",
    references = "doi101007b97636, doi101017s009483730001263x, doi101017s009483730001280x, doi10103835086500, doi10103844766, doi101038nature11631, doi10108010635150490445706, doi101086284325, doi101093bioinformaticsbtm538, doi101093oso97801985052350010001, doi101093oso97801985404720010001, doi101098rspb20122526, doi101111j001438202003tb00285x, doi101111j1469185x201000137x, doi101111j15585646201201723x, doi101126science1144066, doi101126science1161833, doi101146annurevecolsys39110707173447, doi101159000452856, doi101186174170071060, doi101198tech2003s146, doi101371journalpbio1001853, doi101371journalpone0007390, doi101371journalpone0044318, doi10166612041, martinsander2006bone, openalexw2145250129"
}

In living organisms, color patterns, behavior, and ecology are closely linked. Thus, detection of fossil pigments may permit inferences about important aspects of ancient animal ecology and evolution. Melanin-bearing melanosomes were suggested to preserve as organic residues in exceptionally preserved fossils, retaining distinct morphology that is associated with aspects of original color patterns. Nevertheless, these oblong and spherical structures have also been identified as fossilized bacteria. To date, chemical studies have not directly considered the effects of diagenesis on melanin preservation, and how this may influence its identification. Here we use time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry to identify and chemically characterize melanin in a diverse sample of previously unstudied extant and fossil taxa, including fossils with notably different diagenetic histories and geologic ages. We document signatures consistent with melanin preservation in fossils ranging from feathers, to mammals, to amphibians. Using principal component analyses, we characterize putative mixtures of eumelanin and phaeomelanin in both fossil and extant samples. Surprisingly, both extant and fossil amphibians generally exhibit melanosomes with a mixed eumelanin/phaeomelanin composition rather than pure eumelanin, as assumed previously. We argue that experimental maturation of modern melanin samples replicates diagenetic chemical alteration of melanin observed in fossils. This refutes the hypothesis that such fossil microbodies could be bacteria, and demonstrates that melanin is widely responsible for the organic soft tissue outlines in vertebrates found at exceptional fossil localities, thus allowing for the reconstruction of certain aspects of original pigment patterns.

@article{doi101073pnas1509831112,
    author = "Colleary, Caitlin and Dolocan, Andrei and Gardner, James D. and Singh, Suresh A. and Wuttke, Michael and Rabenstein, Renate and Habersetzer, Jörg and Schaal, Stephan and Feseha, Mulugeta and Clemens, Matthew and Jacobs, Bonnie F. and Currano, Ellen D. and Jacobs, Louis L. and SYLVESTERSEN, RENÉ L. and Gabbott, Sarah E. and Vinther, Jakob",
    title = "Chemical, experimental, and morphological evidence for diagenetically altered melanin in exceptionally preserved fossils",
    year = "2015",
    journal = "Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences",
    abstract = "In living organisms, color patterns, behavior, and ecology are closely linked. Thus, detection of fossil pigments may permit inferences about important aspects of ancient animal ecology and evolution. Melanin-bearing melanosomes were suggested to preserve as organic residues in exceptionally preserved fossils, retaining distinct morphology that is associated with aspects of original color patterns. Nevertheless, these oblong and spherical structures have also been identified as fossilized bacteria. To date, chemical studies have not directly considered the effects of diagenesis on melanin preservation, and how this may influence its identification. Here we use time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry to identify and chemically characterize melanin in a diverse sample of previously unstudied extant and fossil taxa, including fossils with notably different diagenetic histories and geologic ages. We document signatures consistent with melanin preservation in fossils ranging from feathers, to mammals, to amphibians. Using principal component analyses, we characterize putative mixtures of eumelanin and phaeomelanin in both fossil and extant samples. Surprisingly, both extant and fossil amphibians generally exhibit melanosomes with a mixed eumelanin/phaeomelanin composition rather than pure eumelanin, as assumed previously. We argue that experimental maturation of modern melanin samples replicates diagenetic chemical alteration of melanin observed in fossils. This refutes the hypothesis that such fossil microbodies could be bacteria, and demonstrates that melanin is widely responsible for the organic soft tissue outlines in vertebrates found at exceptional fossil localities, thus allowing for the reconstruction of certain aspects of original pigment patterns.",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1509831112",
    doi = "10.1073/pnas.1509831112",
    openalex = "W2119193312",
    references = "doi101038nature12973"
}

The Late Cretaceous was a time of tremendous global change, as the final stages of the Age of Dinosaurs were shaped by climate and sea level fluctuations and witness to marked paleogeographic and faunal changes, before the end-Cretaceous bolide impact. The terrestrial fossil record of Late Cretaceous Europe is becoming increasingly better understood, based largely on intensive fieldwork over the past two decades, promising new insights into latest Cretaceous faunal evolution. We review the terrestrial Late Cretaceous record from Europe and discuss its importance for understanding the paleogeography, ecology, evolution, and extinction of land-dwelling vertebrates. We review the major Late Cretaceous faunas from Austria, Hungary, France, Spain, Portugal, and Romania, as well as more fragmentary records from elsewhere in Europe. We discuss the paleogeographic background and history of assembly of these faunas, and argue that they are comprised of an endemic 'core' supplemented with various immigration waves. These faunas lived on an island archipelago, and we describe how this insular setting led to ecological peculiarities such as low diversity, a preponderance of primitive taxa, and marked changes in morphology (particularly body size dwarfing). We conclude by discussing the importance of the European record in understanding the end-Cretaceous extinction and show that there is no clear evidence that dinosaurs or other groups were undergoing long-term declines in Europe prior to the bolide impact.

@article{doi103897zookeys4698439,
    author = "Csiki‐Sava, Zoltán and Buffetaut, Éric and Ősi, Attila and Suberbiola, Xabier Pereda and Brusatte, Stephen L.",
    title = "Island life in the Cretaceous - faunal composition, biogeography, evolution, and extinction of land-living vertebrates on the Late Cretaceous European archipelago",
    year = "2015",
    journal = "ZooKeys",
    abstract = "The Late Cretaceous was a time of tremendous global change, as the final stages of the Age of Dinosaurs were shaped by climate and sea level fluctuations and witness to marked paleogeographic and faunal changes, before the end-Cretaceous bolide impact. The terrestrial fossil record of Late Cretaceous Europe is becoming increasingly better understood, based largely on intensive fieldwork over the past two decades, promising new insights into latest Cretaceous faunal evolution. We review the terrestrial Late Cretaceous record from Europe and discuss its importance for understanding the paleogeography, ecology, evolution, and extinction of land-dwelling vertebrates. We review the major Late Cretaceous faunas from Austria, Hungary, France, Spain, Portugal, and Romania, as well as more fragmentary records from elsewhere in Europe. We discuss the paleogeographic background and history of assembly of these faunas, and argue that they are comprised of an endemic 'core' supplemented with various immigration waves. These faunas lived on an island archipelago, and we describe how this insular setting led to ecological peculiarities such as low diversity, a preponderance of primitive taxa, and marked changes in morphology (particularly body size dwarfing). We conclude by discussing the importance of the European record in understanding the end-Cretaceous extinction and show that there is no clear evidence that dinosaurs or other groups were undergoing long-term declines in Europe prior to the bolide impact.",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.469.8439",
    doi = "10.3897/zookeys.469.8439",
    openalex = "W2133891947",
    references = "apesteguía2011tunasniyoj, doi101002mmng20010040112, doi101006cres20000236, doi101007s0001500812473, doi101007s0011401209171, doi101016004019518690199x, doi101016jcretres200802004, doi101016jearscirev201009005, doi101016jearscirev201203002, doi101016jgloplacha201312007, doi101016jpalaeo200412005, doi101016jpalaeo200909018, doi101016jpalaeo201206008, doi101016s0012825202000752, doi101016s1631068303000022, doi101017cbo9780511608377011, doi101017s0016756800012413, doi101017s1477201907002246, doi101038nature04633, doi101038ncomms1815, doi101038sjhdy6885841, doi101073pnas1006970107, doi101073pnas1211526110, doi101080089129632012763034, doi101080089129632013777533, doi10108010420940601006859, doi101080147720192011630927, doi101098rspb20090229, doi101111brv12128, doi101111j10963642200900617x, doi101111j10963642201000642x, doi101111j13652699200501314x, doi101111j136531211990tb00103x, doi101126science23547931156, doi1011302014250315, doi101139e72031, doi101139e93176, doi101144gsljgs1934090010405, doi101146annurevearth31100901141308, doi1012067481, doi101371journalpbio0040321, doi101371journalpone0012292, doi101371journalpone0020011, doi101371journalpone0044318, doi101371journalpone0054991, doi101371journalpone0072579, doi101371journalpone0080405, doi101525california97805202420980030015, doi10166612041, doi10167102724634200727931dtftco20co2, doi1016710390290428, doi103090610262296200073181198, doi104202app20120121, doi105860choice435902, doi105860choice514447, doi105962bhltitle59991, doi105962bhltitle68064, garilli2009first, lehman1987late, leloeuff1994the, martinsander2006bone, openalexw3015256845, openalexw51761775"
}

@article{doi101038nature19852,
    author = "Clarke, Julia A. and Chatterjee, Sankar and Li, Zhiheng and Riede, Tobias and Agnolín, Federico L. and Goller, Franz and Isasi, Marcelo P. and Martinioni, Daniel R. and Mussel, Francisco J. and Novas, Fernando E.",
    title = "Fossil evidence of the avian vocal organ from the Mesozoic",
    year = "2016",
    journal = "Nature",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1038/nature19852",
    doi = "10.1038/nature19852",
    openalex = "W2531572791",
    references = "doi101080027246342014912656, doi101126science1253293"
}

Reconstructing deep time trends in biodiversity remains a central goal for palaeobiologists, but our understanding of the magnitude and tempo of extinctions and radiations is confounded by uneven sampling of the fossil record. In particular, the Jurassic/Cretaceous (J/K) boundary, 145 million years ago, remains poorly understood, despite an apparent minor extinction and the radiation of numerous important clades. Here we apply a rigorous subsampling approach to a comprehensive tetrapod fossil occurrence data set to assess the group's macroevolutionary dynamics through the J/K transition. Although much of the signal is exclusively European, almost every higher tetrapod group was affected by a substantial decline across the boundary, culminating in the extinction of several important clades and the ecological release and radiation of numerous modern tetrapod groups. Variation in eustatic sea level was the primary driver of these patterns, controlling biodiversity through availability of shallow marine environments and via allopatric speciation on land.

@article{doi101038ncomms12737,
    author = "Tennant, Jonathan and Mannion, Philip D. and Upchurch, Paul",
    title = "Sea level regulated tetrapod diversity dynamics through the Jurassic/Cretaceous interval",
    year = "2016",
    journal = "Nature Communications",
    abstract = "Reconstructing deep time trends in biodiversity remains a central goal for palaeobiologists, but our understanding of the magnitude and tempo of extinctions and radiations is confounded by uneven sampling of the fossil record. In particular, the Jurassic/Cretaceous (J/K) boundary, 145 million years ago, remains poorly understood, despite an apparent minor extinction and the radiation of numerous important clades. Here we apply a rigorous subsampling approach to a comprehensive tetrapod fossil occurrence data set to assess the group's macroevolutionary dynamics through the J/K transition. Although much of the signal is exclusively European, almost every higher tetrapod group was affected by a substantial decline across the boundary, culminating in the extinction of several important clades and the ecological release and radiation of numerous modern tetrapod groups. Variation in eustatic sea level was the primary driver of these patterns, controlling biodiversity through availability of shallow marine environments and via allopatric speciation on land.",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms12737",
    doi = "10.1038/ncomms12737",
    openalex = "W2514010721",
    references = "doi101038ncomms10825, doi101038ncomms9438, doi101111brv12255, doi101371journalpone0029234"
}

Tyrannosauroids--the group of carnivores including Tyrannosaurs rex--are some of the most familiar dinosaurs of all. A surge of recent discoveries has helped clarify some aspects of their evolution, but competing phylogenetic hypotheses raise questions about their relationships, biogeography, and fossil record quality. We present a new phylogenetic dataset, which merges published datasets and incorporates recently discovered taxa. We analyze it with parsimony and, for the first time for a tyrannosauroid dataset, Bayesian techniques. The parsimony and Bayesian results are highly congruent, and provide a framework for interpreting the biogeography and evolutionary history of tyrannosauroids. Our phylogenies illustrate that the body plan of the colossal species evolved piecemeal, imply no clear division between northern and southern species in western North America as had been argued, and suggest that T. rex may have been an Asian migrant to North America. Over-reliance on cranial shape characters may explain why published parsimony studies have diverged and filling three major gaps in the fossil record holds the most promise for future work.

@article{doi101038srep20252,
    author = "Brusatte, Stephen L. and Carr, Thomas D.",
    title = "The phylogeny and evolutionary history of tyrannosauroid dinosaurs",
    year = "2016",
    journal = "Scientific Reports",
    abstract = "Tyrannosauroids--the group of carnivores including Tyrannosaurs rex--are some of the most familiar dinosaurs of all. A surge of recent discoveries has helped clarify some aspects of their evolution, but competing phylogenetic hypotheses raise questions about their relationships, biogeography, and fossil record quality. We present a new phylogenetic dataset, which merges published datasets and incorporates recently discovered taxa. We analyze it with parsimony and, for the first time for a tyrannosauroid dataset, Bayesian techniques. The parsimony and Bayesian results are highly congruent, and provide a framework for interpreting the biogeography and evolutionary history of tyrannosauroids. Our phylogenies illustrate that the body plan of the colossal species evolved piecemeal, imply no clear division between northern and southern species in western North America as had been argued, and suggest that T. rex may have been an Asian migrant to North America. Over-reliance on cranial shape characters may explain why published parsimony studies have diverged and filling three major gaps in the fossil record holds the most promise for future work.",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1038/srep20252",
    doi = "10.1038/srep20252",
    openalex = "W2327114096",
    references = "doi101007bf01734359, doi101007s001140090614x, doi101016b9781483232102500066, doi101016b9781483232119500097, doi101016jcretres201103005, doi101016jcretres201304001, doi101016jcub201408034, doi101038nature04511, doi101038nature10906, doi101038ncomms4788, doi10108001621459199510476572, doi101080106351501753462876, doi10108010635150490264699, doi10108010635150600755396, doi101080147720192011630927, doi101093sysbiosys029, doi101111j10960031200800217x, doi101111j10963642200400130x, doi101111j10963642200900591x, doi101111j10963642200900617x, doi101126science1193304, doi10120637172, doi101371journalpbio1001853, doi101371journalpone0021376, doi101371journalpone0079420, doi105860choice393984"
}

Australian dinosaurs have played a rare but controversial role in the debate surrounding the effect of Gondwanan break-up on Cretaceous dinosaur distribution. Major spatiotemporal gaps in the Gondwanan Cretaceous fossil record, coupled with taxon incompleteness, have hindered research on this effect, especially in Australia. Here we report on two new sauropod specimens from the early Late Cretaceous of Queensland, Australia, that have important implications for Cretaceous dinosaur palaeobiogeography. Savannasaurus elliottorum gen. et sp. nov. comprises one of the most complete Cretaceous sauropod skeletons ever found in Australia, whereas a new specimen of Diamantinasaurus matildae includes the first ever cranial remains of an Australian sauropod. The results of a new phylogenetic analysis, in which both Savannasaurus and Diamantinasaurus are recovered within Titanosauria, were used as the basis for a quantitative palaeobiogeographical analysis of macronarian sauropods. Titanosaurs achieved a worldwide distribution by at least 125 million years ago, suggesting that mid-Cretaceous Australian sauropods represent remnants of clades which were widespread during the Early Cretaceous. These lineages would have entered Australasia via dispersal from South America, presumably across Antarctica. High latitude sauropod dispersal might have been facilitated by Albian-Turonian warming that lifted a palaeoclimatic dispersal barrier between Antarctica and South America.

@article{doi101038srep34467,
    author = "Poropat, Stephen F. and Mannion, Philip D. and Upchurch, Paul and Hocknull, Scott and Kear, Benjamin P. and Kundrát, Martin and Tischler, Travis R. and Sloan, Trish and Sinapius, George H. K. and Elliott, Judy A. and Elliott, David A.",
    title = "New Australian sauropods shed light on Cretaceous dinosaur palaeobiogeography",
    year = "2016",
    journal = "Scientific Reports",
    abstract = "Australian dinosaurs have played a rare but controversial role in the debate surrounding the effect of Gondwanan break-up on Cretaceous dinosaur distribution. Major spatiotemporal gaps in the Gondwanan Cretaceous fossil record, coupled with taxon incompleteness, have hindered research on this effect, especially in Australia. Here we report on two new sauropod specimens from the early Late Cretaceous of Queensland, Australia, that have important implications for Cretaceous dinosaur palaeobiogeography. Savannasaurus elliottorum gen. et sp. nov. comprises one of the most complete Cretaceous sauropod skeletons ever found in Australia, whereas a new specimen of Diamantinasaurus matildae includes the first ever cranial remains of an Australian sauropod. The results of a new phylogenetic analysis, in which both Savannasaurus and Diamantinasaurus are recovered within Titanosauria, were used as the basis for a quantitative palaeobiogeographical analysis of macronarian sauropods. Titanosaurs achieved a worldwide distribution by at least 125 million years ago, suggesting that mid-Cretaceous Australian sauropods represent remnants of clades which were widespread during the Early Cretaceous. These lineages would have entered Australasia via dispersal from South America, presumably across Antarctica. High latitude sauropod dispersal might have been facilitated by Albian-Turonian warming that lifted a palaeoclimatic dispersal barrier between Antarctica and South America.",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1038/srep34467",
    doi = "10.1038/srep34467",
    openalex = "W2535200874",
    references = "doi101016jcretres201304001, doi101016jearscirev201203002, doi101016jgr201212009, doi101016jgr201403014, doi101038srep19165, doi101046j10963642200200029x, doi10108014772011003594870, doi1010801477201920151059985, doi101111j10960031200800217x, doi101111j109636421998tb00569x, doi101111zoj12029, doi101126science1116412, doi101126science2725264986, doi1011300016760619951071164mlccot23co2, doi101371journalpone0006190, doi101371journalpone0037122, doi101371journalpone0125819, doi1015259780520941434, doi1021425f55419694, doi1021425f5fbg19694, doi105194cp813232012, doi107717peerj1523, openalexw2173200745"
}

Extensive and well-preserved tracksites in the coastally exposed Lower Cretaceous (Valanginian–Barremian) Broome Sandstone of the Dampier Peninsula provide almost the entire fossil record of dinosaurs from the western half of the Australian continent. Tracks near the town of Broome were described in the late 1960s as Megalosauropus broomensis and attributed to a medium-sized theropod trackmaker. Brief reports in the early 1990s suggested the occurrence of at least another nine types of tracks, referable to theropod, sauropod, ornithopod, and thyreophoran trackmakers, at scattered tracksites spread over more than 80 km of coastline north of Broome, potentially representing one of the world's most diverse dinosaurian ichnofaunas. More recently, it has been proposed that this number could be as high as 16 and that the sites are spread over more than 200 km. However, the only substantial research that has been published on these more recent discoveries is a preliminary study of the sauropod tracks and an account of the ways in which the heavy passage of sauropod trackmakers may have shaped the Dampier Peninsula's Early Cretaceous landscape. With the other types of dinosaurian tracks in the Broome Sandstone remaining undescribed, and the full extent and nature of the Dampier Peninsula's dinosaurian tracksites yet to be adequately addressed, the overall scientific significance of the ichnofauna has remained enigmatic. At the request of the area's Goolarabooloo Traditional Custodians, 400+ hours of ichnological survey work was undertaken from 2011 to 2016 on the 25 km stretch of coastline in the Yanijarri–Lurujarri section of the Dampier Peninsula, inclusive of the coastline at Walmadany (James Price Point). Forty-eight discrete dinosaurian tracksites were identified in this area, and thousands of tracks were examined and measured in situ and using three-dimensional photogrammetry. Tracksites were concentrated in three main areas along the coast: Yanijarri in the north, Walmadany in the middle, and Kardilakan–Jajal Buru in the south. Lithofacies analysis revealed 16 repeated facies types that occurred in three distinctive lithofacies associations, indicative of an environmental transgression between the distal fluvial to deltaic portions of a large braid plain, with migrating sand bodies and periodic sheet floods. The main dinosaurian track-bearing horizons seem to have been generated between periodic sheet floods that blanketed the preexisting sand bodies within the braid plain portion of a tidally influenced delta, with much of the original, gently undulating topography now preserved over large expanses of the present day intertidal reef system. Of the tracks examined, 150 could be identified and are assignable to a least eleven and possibly as many as 21 different track types: five different types of theropod tracks, at least six types of sauropod tracks, four types of ornithopod tracks, and six types of thyreophoran tracks. Eleven of these track types can formally be assigned or compared to existing or new ichnotaxa, whereas the remaining ten represent morphotypes that, although distinct, are currently too poorly represented to confidently assign to existing or new ichnotaxa. Among the ichnotaxa that we have recognized, only two (Megalosauropus broomensis and Wintonopus latomorum) belong to existing ichnotaxa, and two compare to existing ichnotaxa but display a suite of morphological features suggesting that they may be distinct in their own right and are therefore placed in open nomenclature. Six of the ichnotaxa that we have identified are new: one theropod ichnotaxon, Yangtzepus clarkei, ichnosp. nov.; one sauropod ichnotaxon, Oobardjidama foulkesi, ichnogen. et ichnosp. nov.; two ornithopod ichnotaxa, Wintonopus middletonae, ichnosp. nov., and Walmadanyichnus hunteri, ichnogen. et ichnosp. nov.; and two thyreophoran ichnotaxa, Garbina roeorum, ichnogen. et ichnosp. nov., and Luluichnus mueckei, ichnogen. et ichnosp. nov. The level of diversity of the main track types is comparable across areas where tracksites are concentrated: Kardilakan–Jajal Buru (12), Walmadany (11), and Yanijarri (10). The overall diversity of the dinosaurian ichnofauna of the Broome Sandstone in the Yanijarri–Lurujarri section of the Dampier Peninsula is unparalleled in Australia, and even globally. In addition to being the primary record of non-avian dinosaurs in the western half of Australia, this ichnofauna provides our only detailed glimpse of Australia's dinosaurian fauna during the first half of the Early Cretaceous. It indicates that the general composition of Australia's mid-Cretaceous dinosaurian fauna was already in place by the Valanginian–Barremian. Both sauropods and ornithopods were diverse and abundant, and thyreophorans were the only type of quadrupedal ornithischians. Important aspects of the fauna that are not seen in the Australian mid-Cretaceous body fossil record are the presence of stegosaurians, an overall higher diversity of thyreophorans and theropods, and the presence of large-bodied hadrosauroid-like ornithopods and very large-bodied sauropods. In many respects, these differences suggest a holdover from the Late Jurassic, when the majority of dinosaurian clades had a more cosmopolitan distribution prior to the fragmentation of Pangea. Although the record for the Lower Cretaceous of Gondwana is sparse, a similar mix of taxa occurs in the Barremian–lower Aptian La Amarga Formation of Argentina and the Berriasian–Hauterivian Kirkwood Formation of South Africa. The persistence of this fauna across the Jurassic-Cretaceous boundary in South America, Africa, and Australia might be characteristic of Gondwanan dinosaurian faunas more broadly. It suggests that the extinction event that affected Laurasian dinosaurian faunas across the Jurassic-Cretaceous boundary may not have been as extreme in Gondwana, and this difference may have foreshadowed the onset of Laurasian-Eurogondwanan provincialism. The disappearance of stegosaurians and the apparent drop in diversity of theropods by the mid-Cretaceous suggests that, similar to South America, Australia passed through a period of faunal turnover between the Valanginian and Aptian. SUPPLEMENTAL DATA—Supplemental materials are available for this article for free at www.tandfonline.com/UJVP Citation for this article: Salisbury, S. W., A. Romilio, M. C. Herne, R. T. Tucker, and J. P. Nair. 2017. The dinosaurian ichnofauna of the Lower Cretaceous (Valanginian–Barremian) Broome Sandstone of the Walmadany area (James Price Point), Dampier Peninsula, Western Australia. Society of Vertebrate Paleontology Memoir 16. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 36(6, Supplement). DOI: 10.1080/02724634.2016.1269539.

@article{doi1010800272463420161269539,
    author = "Salisbury, Steven W. and Romilio, Anthony and Herne, Matthew and Tucker, Ryan T. and Nair, Jay P.",
    title = "The Dinosaurian Ichnofauna of the Lower Cretaceous (Valanginian–Barremian) Broome Sandstone of the Walmadany Area (James Price Point), Dampier Peninsula, Western Australia",
    year = "2016",
    journal = "Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology",
    abstract = "Extensive and well-preserved tracksites in the coastally exposed Lower Cretaceous (Valanginian–Barremian) Broome Sandstone of the Dampier Peninsula provide almost the entire fossil record of dinosaurs from the western half of the Australian continent. Tracks near the town of Broome were described in the late 1960s as Megalosauropus broomensis and attributed to a medium-sized theropod trackmaker. Brief reports in the early 1990s suggested the occurrence of at least another nine types of tracks, referable to theropod, sauropod, ornithopod, and thyreophoran trackmakers, at scattered tracksites spread over more than 80 km of coastline north of Broome, potentially representing one of the world's most diverse dinosaurian ichnofaunas. More recently, it has been proposed that this number could be as high as 16 and that the sites are spread over more than 200 km. However, the only substantial research that has been published on these more recent discoveries is a preliminary study of the sauropod tracks and an account of the ways in which the heavy passage of sauropod trackmakers may have shaped the Dampier Peninsula's Early Cretaceous landscape. With the other types of dinosaurian tracks in the Broome Sandstone remaining undescribed, and the full extent and nature of the Dampier Peninsula's dinosaurian tracksites yet to be adequately addressed, the overall scientific significance of the ichnofauna has remained enigmatic. At the request of the area's Goolarabooloo Traditional Custodians, 400+ hours of ichnological survey work was undertaken from 2011 to 2016 on the 25 km stretch of coastline in the Yanijarri–Lurujarri section of the Dampier Peninsula, inclusive of the coastline at Walmadany (James Price Point). Forty-eight discrete dinosaurian tracksites were identified in this area, and thousands of tracks were examined and measured in situ and using three-dimensional photogrammetry. Tracksites were concentrated in three main areas along the coast: Yanijarri in the north, Walmadany in the middle, and Kardilakan–Jajal Buru in the south. Lithofacies analysis revealed 16 repeated facies types that occurred in three distinctive lithofacies associations, indicative of an environmental transgression between the distal fluvial to deltaic portions of a large braid plain, with migrating sand bodies and periodic sheet floods. The main dinosaurian track-bearing horizons seem to have been generated between periodic sheet floods that blanketed the preexisting sand bodies within the braid plain portion of a tidally influenced delta, with much of the original, gently undulating topography now preserved over large expanses of the present day intertidal reef system. Of the tracks examined, 150 could be identified and are assignable to a least eleven and possibly as many as 21 different track types: five different types of theropod tracks, at least six types of sauropod tracks, four types of ornithopod tracks, and six types of thyreophoran tracks. Eleven of these track types can formally be assigned or compared to existing or new ichnotaxa, whereas the remaining ten represent morphotypes that, although distinct, are currently too poorly represented to confidently assign to existing or new ichnotaxa. Among the ichnotaxa that we have recognized, only two (Megalosauropus broomensis and Wintonopus latomorum) belong to existing ichnotaxa, and two compare to existing ichnotaxa but display a suite of morphological features suggesting that they may be distinct in their own right and are therefore placed in open nomenclature. Six of the ichnotaxa that we have identified are new: one theropod ichnotaxon, Yangtzepus clarkei, ichnosp. nov.; one sauropod ichnotaxon, Oobardjidama foulkesi, ichnogen. et ichnosp. nov.; two ornithopod ichnotaxa, Wintonopus middletonae, ichnosp. nov., and Walmadanyichnus hunteri, ichnogen. et ichnosp. nov.; and two thyreophoran ichnotaxa, Garbina roeorum, ichnogen. et ichnosp. nov., and Luluichnus mueckei, ichnogen. et ichnosp. nov. The level of diversity of the main track types is comparable across areas where tracksites are concentrated: Kardilakan–Jajal Buru (12), Walmadany (11), and Yanijarri (10). The overall diversity of the dinosaurian ichnofauna of the Broome Sandstone in the Yanijarri–Lurujarri section of the Dampier Peninsula is unparalleled in Australia, and even globally. In addition to being the primary record of non-avian dinosaurs in the western half of Australia, this ichnofauna provides our only detailed glimpse of Australia's dinosaurian fauna during the first half of the Early Cretaceous. It indicates that the general composition of Australia's mid-Cretaceous dinosaurian fauna was already in place by the Valanginian–Barremian. Both sauropods and ornithopods were diverse and abundant, and thyreophorans were the only type of quadrupedal ornithischians. Important aspects of the fauna that are not seen in the Australian mid-Cretaceous body fossil record are the presence of stegosaurians, an overall higher diversity of thyreophorans and theropods, and the presence of large-bodied hadrosauroid-like ornithopods and very large-bodied sauropods. In many respects, these differences suggest a holdover from the Late Jurassic, when the majority of dinosaurian clades had a more cosmopolitan distribution prior to the fragmentation of Pangea. Although the record for the Lower Cretaceous of Gondwana is sparse, a similar mix of taxa occurs in the Barremian–lower Aptian La Amarga Formation of Argentina and the Berriasian–Hauterivian Kirkwood Formation of South Africa. The persistence of this fauna across the Jurassic-Cretaceous boundary in South America, Africa, and Australia might be characteristic of Gondwanan dinosaurian faunas more broadly. It suggests that the extinction event that affected Laurasian dinosaurian faunas across the Jurassic-Cretaceous boundary may not have been as extreme in Gondwana, and this difference may have foreshadowed the onset of Laurasian-Eurogondwanan provincialism. The disappearance of stegosaurians and the apparent drop in diversity of theropods by the mid-Cretaceous suggests that, similar to South America, Australia passed through a period of faunal turnover between the Valanginian and Aptian. SUPPLEMENTAL DATA—Supplemental materials are available for this article for free at www.tandfonline.com/UJVP Citation for this article: Salisbury, S. W., A. Romilio, M. C. Herne, R. T. Tucker, and J. P. Nair. 2017. The dinosaurian ichnofauna of the Lower Cretaceous (Valanginian–Barremian) Broome Sandstone of the Walmadany area (James Price Point), Dampier Peninsula, Western Australia. Society of Vertebrate Paleontology Memoir 16. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 36(6, Supplement). DOI: 10.1080/02724634.2016.1269539.",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1080/02724634.2016.1269539",
    doi = "10.1080/02724634.2016.1269539",
    openalex = "W2602833024",
    references = "apesteguía2011tunasniyoj, deklerk2000a, doi101002mmng19994860020102, doi101007bf02988144, doi1010160012825277900551, doi1010160012825279900011, doi1010160012825285900017, doi101016002532279290061l, doi101016jcretres200908003, doi101016jcretres201304001, doi101016jcretres201307009, doi101016jgr201403014, doi101016jjafrearsci201205005, doi101016jsedgeo200610001, doi101016s001678780180047x, doi101017cbo9780511626487, doi101038srep06196, doi101038srep19165, doi101038srep34467, doi101046j14401738200300386x, doi10108000288306197010418211, doi10108002724634199810011086, doi10108008912960903503345, doi10108010420940109380189, doi10108010420940490428625, doi10108010420940601006859, doi10108011035890902924877, doi1010801477201920151059985, doi101093oxfordjournalsafrafa100309, doi101111j10963642201000620x, doi101111j10963642201000642x, doi101130g23452a1, doi101139e91009, doi101144pygs543185, doi101306212f83b92b2411d78648000102c1865d, doi101371journalpone0013120, doi101371journalpone0072579, doi101371journalpone0137709, doi1022179revmacn7344, doi1026879529, doi104095105049, doi104202app20080049, foster1995tridactyl, mateus2010a, nouri2011tetradactyl, openalexw1564145569, openalexw1592791648, openalexw2173200745, openalexw2618301958, openalexw2619609965, openalexw616953834"
}

Identification of the ontogenetic status of an extinct organism is complex, and yet this underpins major areas of research, from taxonomy and systematics to ecology and evolution. In the case of the non-avialan dinosaurs, at least some were reproductively mature before they were skeletally mature, and a lack of consensus on how to define an 'adult' animal causes problems for even basic scientific investigations. Here we review the current methods available to determine the age of non-avialan dinosaurs, discuss the definitions of different ontogenetic stages, and summarize the implications of these disparate definitions for dinosaur palaeontology. Most critically, a growing body of evidence suggests that many dinosaurs that would be considered 'adults' in a modern-day field study are considered 'juveniles' or 'subadults' in palaeontological contexts.

@article{doi101098rsbl20150947,
    author = "Hone, David W. E. and Farke, Andrew A. and Wedel, Matt",
    title = "Ontogeny and the fossil record: what, if anything, is an adult dinosaur?",
    year = "2016",
    journal = "Biology Letters",
    abstract = "Identification of the ontogenetic status of an extinct organism is complex, and yet this underpins major areas of research, from taxonomy and systematics to ecology and evolution. In the case of the non-avialan dinosaurs, at least some were reproductively mature before they were skeletally mature, and a lack of consensus on how to define an 'adult' animal causes problems for even basic scientific investigations. Here we review the current methods available to determine the age of non-avialan dinosaurs, discuss the definitions of different ontogenetic stages, and summarize the implications of these disparate definitions for dinosaur palaeontology. Most critically, a growing body of evidence suggests that many dinosaurs that would be considered 'adults' in a modern-day field study are considered 'juveniles' or 'subadults' in palaeontological contexts.",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2015.0947",
    doi = "10.1098/rsbl.2015.0947",
    openalex = "W2279103404",
    references = "carr1999craniofacial, doi101007s0001501000242, doi101017pab201519, doi10103835086558, doi101038nature04633, doi101073pnas0708903105, doi101073pnas1313334111, doi10108002724634199610011283, doi10108002724634199910011161, doi101080027246342010483632, doi101093sysbio24137, doi101098rsbl20070254, doi101111j109636421997tb00340x, doi101111j15023931201100300x, doi101146annurevearth060313054858, doi101371journalpone0021376, doi1016660094837320010270039coosea20co2, doi1016660094837320040300253chopom20co2, doi1016660094837320080340247ositlb20co2, doi1016690883135120010160482ttoaco20co2, doi1016710272463420000200115lbhoth20co2, doi10167102724634200727350asoitp20co2, doi1016710390290119, doi1023071564148, erickson2014on, martinsander2006bone"
}

The relationship between dinosaurs and other reptiles is well established, but the sequence of acquisition of dinosaurian features has been obscured by the scarcity of fossils with transitional morphologies. The closest extinct relatives of dinosaurs either have highly derived morphologies or are known from poorly preserved or incomplete material. Here we describe one of the stratigraphically lowest and phylogenetically earliest members of the avian stem lineage (Avemetatarsalia), Teleocrater rhadinus gen. et sp. nov., from the Middle Triassic epoch. The anatomy of T. rhadinus provides key information that unites several enigmatic taxa from across Pangaea into a previously unrecognized clade, Aphanosauria. This clade is the sister taxon of Ornithodira (pterosaurs and birds) and shortens the ghost lineage inferred at the base of Avemetatarsalia. We demonstrate that several anatomical features long thought to characterize Dinosauria and dinosauriforms evolved much earlier, soon after the bird-crocodylian split, and that the earliest avemetatarsalians retained the crocodylian-like ankle morphology and hindlimb proportions of stem archosaurs and early pseudosuchians. Early avemetatarsalians were substantially more species-rich, widely geographically distributed and morphologically diverse than previously recognized. Moreover, several early dinosauromorphs that were previously used as models to understand dinosaur origins may represent specialized forms rather than the ancestral avemetatarsalian morphology.

@article{doi101038nature22037,
    author = "Nesbitt, Sterling J. and Butler, Richard J. and Ezcurra, Martín D. and Barrett, Paul M. and Stocker, Michelle R. and Angielczyk, Kenneth D. and Smith, Roger M. H. and Sidor, Christian A. and Niedźwiedzki, Grzegorz and Сенников, А. Г. and Charig, Alan J.",
    title = "The earliest bird-line archosaurs and the assembly of the dinosaur body plan",
    year = "2017",
    journal = "Nature",
    abstract = "The relationship between dinosaurs and other reptiles is well established, but the sequence of acquisition of dinosaurian features has been obscured by the scarcity of fossils with transitional morphologies. The closest extinct relatives of dinosaurs either have highly derived morphologies or are known from poorly preserved or incomplete material. Here we describe one of the stratigraphically lowest and phylogenetically earliest members of the avian stem lineage (Avemetatarsalia), Teleocrater rhadinus gen. et sp. nov., from the Middle Triassic epoch. The anatomy of T. rhadinus provides key information that unites several enigmatic taxa from across Pangaea into a previously unrecognized clade, Aphanosauria. This clade is the sister taxon of Ornithodira (pterosaurs and birds) and shortens the ghost lineage inferred at the base of Avemetatarsalia. We demonstrate that several anatomical features long thought to characterize Dinosauria and dinosauriforms evolved much earlier, soon after the bird-crocodylian split, and that the earliest avemetatarsalians retained the crocodylian-like ankle morphology and hindlimb proportions of stem archosaurs and early pseudosuchians. Early avemetatarsalians were substantially more species-rich, widely geographically distributed and morphologically diverse than previously recognized. Moreover, several early dinosauromorphs that were previously used as models to understand dinosaur origins may represent specialized forms rather than the ancestral avemetatarsalian morphology.",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1038/nature22037",
    doi = "10.1038/nature22037",
    openalex = "W2606337068",
    references = "doi1010160169534789901626, doi10108002724634199110011426, doi101080027246342013820113, doi101111bij12746, doi101111cla12160, doi101111j10960031200800217x, doi101111j136530911989tb00817x, doi101111j1469185x200900094x, doi101126science1161833, doi101126science28454232137, doi1012060003009020073021taoeoa20co2, doi1012063521, doi1016710272463420040240555gisdap20co2, doi1023071005355, doi105281zenodo16171435, doi107717peerj1778, nesbitt2013the"
}

Frogs (Anura) are one of the most diverse groups of vertebrates and comprise nearly 90% of living amphibian species. Their worldwide distribution and diverse biology make them well-suited for assessing fundamental questions in evolution, ecology, and conservation. However, despite their scientific importance, the evolutionary history and tempo of frog diversification remain poorly understood. By using a molecular dataset of unprecedented size, including 88-kb characters from 95 nuclear genes of 156 frog species, in conjunction with 20 fossil-based calibrations, our analyses result in the most strongly supported phylogeny of all major frog lineages and provide a timescale of frog evolution that suggests much younger divergence times than suggested by earlier studies. Unexpectedly, our divergence-time analyses show that three species-rich clades (Hyloidea, Microhylidae, and Natatanura), which together comprise ∼88% of extant anuran species, simultaneously underwent rapid diversification at the Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) boundary (KPB). Moreover, anuran families and subfamilies containing arboreal species originated near or after the KPB. These results suggest that the K-Pg mass extinction may have triggered explosive radiations of frogs by creating new ecological opportunities. This phylogeny also reveals relationships such as Microhylidae being sister to all other ranoid frogs and African continental lineages of Natatanura forming a clade that is sister to a clade of Eurasian, Indian, Melanesian, and Malagasy lineages. Biogeographical analyses suggest that the ancestral area of modern frogs was Africa, and their current distribution is largely associated with the breakup of Pangaea and subsequent Gondwanan fragmentation.

@article{doi101073pnas1704632114,
    author = "Feng, Yanjie and Blackburn, David C. and Liang, Dan and Hillis, David M. and Wake, David B. and Cannatella, David C. and Zhang, Peng",
    title = "Phylogenomics reveals rapid, simultaneous diversification of three major clades of Gondwanan frogs at the Cretaceous–Paleogene boundary",
    year = "2017",
    journal = "Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences",
    abstract = "Frogs (Anura) are one of the most diverse groups of vertebrates and comprise nearly 90\% of living amphibian species. Their worldwide distribution and diverse biology make them well-suited for assessing fundamental questions in evolution, ecology, and conservation. However, despite their scientific importance, the evolutionary history and tempo of frog diversification remain poorly understood. By using a molecular dataset of unprecedented size, including 88-kb characters from 95 nuclear genes of 156 frog species, in conjunction with 20 fossil-based calibrations, our analyses result in the most strongly supported phylogeny of all major frog lineages and provide a timescale of frog evolution that suggests much younger divergence times than suggested by earlier studies. Unexpectedly, our divergence-time analyses show that three species-rich clades (Hyloidea, Microhylidae, and Natatanura), which together comprise ∼88\% of extant anuran species, simultaneously underwent rapid diversification at the Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) boundary (KPB). Moreover, anuran families and subfamilies containing arboreal species originated near or after the KPB. These results suggest that the K-Pg mass extinction may have triggered explosive radiations of frogs by creating new ecological opportunities. This phylogeny also reveals relationships such as Microhylidae being sister to all other ranoid frogs and African continental lineages of Natatanura forming a clade that is sister to a clade of Eurasian, Indian, Melanesian, and Malagasy lineages. Biogeographical analyses suggest that the ancestral area of modern frogs was Africa, and their current distribution is largely associated with the breakup of Pangaea and subsequent Gondwanan fragmentation.",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1704632114",
    doi = "10.1073/pnas.1704632114",
    openalex = "W2731841059",
    references = "doi101073pnas1110395108, doi101073pnas1211526110, doi101126science1064706, doi101126science1229237, doi101126science1230492, doi1012060003009020062970001tatol20co2, doi1026879424"
}

The Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous interval represents a time of environmental upheaval and cataclysmic events, combined with disruptions to terrestrial and marine ecosystems. Historically, the Jurassic/Cretaceous (J/K) boundary was classified as one of eight mass extinctions. However, more recent research has largely overturned this view, revealing a much more complex pattern of biotic and abiotic dynamics than has previously been appreciated. Here, we present a synthesis of our current knowledge of Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous events, focusing particularly on events closest to the J/K boundary. We find evidence for a combination of short-term catastrophic events, large-scale tectonic processes and environmental perturbations, and major clade interactions that led to a seemingly dramatic faunal and ecological turnover in both the marine and terrestrial realms. This is coupled with a great reduction in global biodiversity which might in part be explained by poor sampling. Very few groups appear to have been entirely resilient to this J/K boundary 'event', which hints at a 'cascade model' of ecosystem changes driving faunal dynamics. Within terrestrial ecosystems, larger, more-specialised organisms, such as saurischian dinosaurs, appear to have suffered the most. Medium-sized tetanuran theropods declined, and were replaced by larger-bodied groups, and basal eusauropods were replaced by neosauropod faunas. The ascent of paravian theropods is emphasised by escalated competition with contemporary pterosaur groups, culminating in the explosive radiation of birds, although the timing of this is obfuscated by biases in sampling. Smaller, more ecologically diverse terrestrial non-archosaurs, such as lissamphibians and mammaliaforms, were comparatively resilient to extinctions, instead documenting the origination of many extant groups around the J/K boundary. In the marine realm, extinctions were focused on low-latitude, shallow marine shelf-dwelling faunas, corresponding to a significant eustatic sea-level fall in the latest Jurassic. More mobile and ecologically plastic marine groups, such as ichthyosaurs, survived the boundary relatively unscathed. High rates of extinction and turnover in other macropredaceous marine groups, including plesiosaurs, are accompanied by the origin of most major lineages of extant sharks. Groups which occupied both marine and terrestrial ecosystems, including crocodylomorphs, document a selective extinction in shallow marine forms, whereas turtles appear to have diversified. These patterns suggest that different extinction selectivity and ecological processes were operating between marine and terrestrial ecosystems, which were ultimately important in determining the fates of many key groups, as well as the origins of many major extant lineages. We identify a series of potential abiotic candidates for driving these patterns, including multiple bolide impacts, several episodes of flood basalt eruptions, dramatic climate change, and major disruptions to oceanic systems. The J/K transition therefore, although not a mass extinction, represents an important transitional period in the co-evolutionary history of life on Earth.

@article{doi101111brv12255,
    author = "Tennant, Jonathan P and Mannion, Philip D and Upchurch, Paul and Sutton, Mark D and Price, Gregory D",
    title = "Biotic and environmental dynamics through the Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous transition: evidence for protracted faunal and ecological turnover.",
    year = "2017",
    journal = "Biological reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society",
    abstract = "The Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous interval represents a time of environmental upheaval and cataclysmic events, combined with disruptions to terrestrial and marine ecosystems. Historically, the Jurassic/Cretaceous (J/K) boundary was classified as one of eight mass extinctions. However, more recent research has largely overturned this view, revealing a much more complex pattern of biotic and abiotic dynamics than has previously been appreciated. Here, we present a synthesis of our current knowledge of Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous events, focusing particularly on events closest to the J/K boundary. We find evidence for a combination of short-term catastrophic events, large-scale tectonic processes and environmental perturbations, and major clade interactions that led to a seemingly dramatic faunal and ecological turnover in both the marine and terrestrial realms. This is coupled with a great reduction in global biodiversity which might in part be explained by poor sampling. Very few groups appear to have been entirely resilient to this J/K boundary 'event', which hints at a 'cascade model' of ecosystem changes driving faunal dynamics. Within terrestrial ecosystems, larger, more-specialised organisms, such as saurischian dinosaurs, appear to have suffered the most. Medium-sized tetanuran theropods declined, and were replaced by larger-bodied groups, and basal eusauropods were replaced by neosauropod faunas. The ascent of paravian theropods is emphasised by escalated competition with contemporary pterosaur groups, culminating in the explosive radiation of birds, although the timing of this is obfuscated by biases in sampling. Smaller, more ecologically diverse terrestrial non-archosaurs, such as lissamphibians and mammaliaforms, were comparatively resilient to extinctions, instead documenting the origination of many extant groups around the J/K boundary. In the marine realm, extinctions were focused on low-latitude, shallow marine shelf-dwelling faunas, corresponding to a significant eustatic sea-level fall in the latest Jurassic. More mobile and ecologically plastic marine groups, such as ichthyosaurs, survived the boundary relatively unscathed. High rates of extinction and turnover in other macropredaceous marine groups, including plesiosaurs, are accompanied by the origin of most major lineages of extant sharks. Groups which occupied both marine and terrestrial ecosystems, including crocodylomorphs, document a selective extinction in shallow marine forms, whereas turtles appear to have diversified. These patterns suggest that different extinction selectivity and ecological processes were operating between marine and terrestrial ecosystems, which were ultimately important in determining the fates of many key groups, as well as the origins of many major extant lineages. We identify a series of potential abiotic candidates for driving these patterns, including multiple bolide impacts, several episodes of flood basalt eruptions, dramatic climate change, and major disruptions to oceanic systems. The J/K transition therefore, although not a mass extinction, represents an important transitional period in the co-evolutionary history of life on Earth.",
    url = "https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6849608/",
    doi = "10.1111/brv.12255",
    openalex = "W2283352195",
    pmcid = "PMC6849608",
    pmid = "26888552",
    references = "doi101007s1143001040949, doi1010160031018274900194, doi101016b9780444594259000263, doi101016jcretres201112005, doi101016jcretres201304001, doi101016jcub201408034, doi101016jearscirev201203002, doi101016jgloplacha201105009, doi101016s0009254199000819, doi101017s0016756812000994, doi1010291998rg000054, doi10102993rg02508, doi101038ncomms3827, doi101038ncomms7987, doi101038ncomms9438, doi101080027246342012694385, doi10108014772011003603556, doi101080147720192011630927, doi1010801477201920151059985, doi101086319243, doi101111brv12038, doi101111j1469185x200900107x, doi101111zoj12029, doi101126science1095964, doi101126science1116412, doi101126science1177265, doi101126science17540271199, doi101126science21545391501, doi101126science23547931156, doi101126scienceaaa3716, doi101144gslsp20032170111, doi101144sp35813, doi101371journalpone0029234, doi101371journalpone0103152, doi101371journalpone0112055, doi101371journalpone0125819, doi1016660022336020040780989dapftc20co2, doi1016660094837320000260056cefisg20co2, doi1026879529, doi103090610262296200073181198, doi104202app20110144"
}

The Archosauria are a highly successful group of vertebrates, and their evolution is marked by the appearance of diverse respiratory and metabolic strategies. This review examines respiratory function in living and fossil archosaurs, focusing on the anatomy and biomechanics of the respiratory system, and their physiological consequences. The first archosaurs shared a heterogeneously partitioned parabronchial lung with unidirectional air flow; from this common ancestral lung morphology, we trace the diverging respiratory designs of bird- and crocodilian-line archosaurs. We review the latest evidence of osteological correlates for lung structure and the presence and distribution of accessory air sacs, with a focus on the evolution of the avian lung-air sac system and the functional separation of gas exchange and ventilation. In addition, we discuss the evolution of ventilation mechanics across archosaurs, citing new biomechanical data from extant taxa and how this informs our reconstructions of fossils. This improved understanding of respiratory form and function should help to reconstruct key physiological parameters in fossil taxa. We highlight key events in archosaur evolution where respiratory physiology likely played a major role, such as their radiation at a time of relative hypoxia following the Permo-Triassic mass extinction, and their evolution of elevated metabolic rates. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Vertebrate palaeophysiology’.

@article{brocklehurst2020respiratory,
    author = "Brocklehurst, Robert J. and Schachner, Emma R. and Codd, Jonathan R. and Sellers, William I.",
    title = "Respiratory evolution in archosaurs",
    year = "2020",
    journal = "Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences",
    abstract = "The Archosauria are a highly successful group of vertebrates, and their evolution is marked by the appearance of diverse respiratory and metabolic strategies. This review examines respiratory function in living and fossil archosaurs, focusing on the anatomy and biomechanics of the respiratory system, and their physiological consequences. The first archosaurs shared a heterogeneously partitioned parabronchial lung with unidirectional air flow; from this common ancestral lung morphology, we trace the diverging respiratory designs of bird- and crocodilian-line archosaurs. We review the latest evidence of osteological correlates for lung structure and the presence and distribution of accessory air sacs, with a focus on the evolution of the avian lung-air sac system and the functional separation of gas exchange and ventilation. In addition, we discuss the evolution of ventilation mechanics across archosaurs, citing new biomechanical data from extant taxa and how this informs our reconstructions of fossils. This improved understanding of respiratory form and function should help to reconstruct key physiological parameters in fossil taxa. We highlight key events in archosaur evolution where respiratory physiology likely played a major role, such as their radiation at a time of relative hypoxia following the Permo-Triassic mass extinction, and their evolution of elevated metabolic rates. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Vertebrate palaeophysiology’.",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2019.0140",
    doi = "10.1098/rstb.2019.0140",
    number = "1793",
    pages = "20190140",
    volume = "375",
    references = "doi101126scienceaal4853"
}

Morphology forms the most fundamental level of data in vertebrate palaeontology because it is through interpretations of morphology that taxa are identified, creating the basis for broad evolutionary and palaeobiological hypotheses. Assessing maturity is one of the most basic aspects of morphological interpretation and provides the means to study the evolution of ontogenetic changes, population structure and palaeoecology, life-history strategies, and heterochrony along evolutionary lineages that would otherwise be lost to time. Saurian reptiles (the least-inclusive clade containing Lepidosauria and Archosauria) have remained an incredibly diverse, numerous, and disparate clade through their ~260-million-year history. Because of the great disparity in this group, assessing maturity of saurian reptiles is difficult, fraught with methodological and terminological ambiguity. We compiled a novel database of literature, assembling >900 individual instances of saurian maturity assessment, to examine critically how saurian maturity has been diagnosed. We review the often inexact and inconsistent terminology used in saurian maturity assessment (e.g. 'juvenile', 'mature') and provide routes for better clarity and cross-study coherence. We describe the various methods that have been used to assess maturity in every major saurian group, integrating data from both extant and extinct taxa to give a full account of the current state of the field and providing method-specific pitfalls, best practices, and fruitful directions for future research. We recommend that a new standard subsection, 'Ontogenetic Assessment', be added to the Systematic Palaeontology portions of descriptive studies to provide explicit ontogenetic diagnoses with clear criteria. Because the utility of different ontogenetic criteria is highly subclade dependent among saurians, even for widely used methods (e.g. neurocentral suture fusion), we recommend that phylogenetic context, preferably in the form of a phylogenetic bracket, be used to justify the use of a maturity assessment method. Different methods should be used in conjunction as independent lines of evidence when assessing maturity, instead of an ontogenetic diagnosis resting entirely on a single criterion, which is common in the literature. Critically, there is a need for data from extant taxa with well-represented growth series to be integrated with the fossil record to ground maturity assessments of extinct taxa in well-constrained, empirically tested methods.

@article{doi101111brv12666,
    author = "Griffin, Christopher T. and Stocker, Michelle R. and Colleary, Caitlin and Stefanic, Candice M. and Lessner, Emily J. and Riegler, Mitchell and Formoso, Kiersten K. and Koeller, Krista Leslie Marie and Nesbitt, Sterling J.",
    title = "Assessing ontogenetic maturity in extinct saurian reptiles",
    year = "2020",
    journal = "Biological reviews/Biological reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society",
    abstract = "Morphology forms the most fundamental level of data in vertebrate palaeontology because it is through interpretations of morphology that taxa are identified, creating the basis for broad evolutionary and palaeobiological hypotheses. Assessing maturity is one of the most basic aspects of morphological interpretation and provides the means to study the evolution of ontogenetic changes, population structure and palaeoecology, life-history strategies, and heterochrony along evolutionary lineages that would otherwise be lost to time. Saurian reptiles (the least-inclusive clade containing Lepidosauria and Archosauria) have remained an incredibly diverse, numerous, and disparate clade through their \textasciitilde 260-million-year history. Because of the great disparity in this group, assessing maturity of saurian reptiles is difficult, fraught with methodological and terminological ambiguity. We compiled a novel database of literature, assembling >900 individual instances of saurian maturity assessment, to examine critically how saurian maturity has been diagnosed. We review the often inexact and inconsistent terminology used in saurian maturity assessment (e.g. 'juvenile', 'mature') and provide routes for better clarity and cross-study coherence. We describe the various methods that have been used to assess maturity in every major saurian group, integrating data from both extant and extinct taxa to give a full account of the current state of the field and providing method-specific pitfalls, best practices, and fruitful directions for future research. We recommend that a new standard subsection, 'Ontogenetic Assessment', be added to the Systematic Palaeontology portions of descriptive studies to provide explicit ontogenetic diagnoses with clear criteria. Because the utility of different ontogenetic criteria is highly subclade dependent among saurians, even for widely used methods (e.g. neurocentral suture fusion), we recommend that phylogenetic context, preferably in the form of a phylogenetic bracket, be used to justify the use of a maturity assessment method. Different methods should be used in conjunction as independent lines of evidence when assessing maturity, instead of an ontogenetic diagnosis resting entirely on a single criterion, which is common in the literature. Critically, there is a need for data from extant taxa with well-represented growth series to be integrated with the fossil record to ground maturity assessments of extinct taxa in well-constrained, empirically tested methods.",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1111/brv.12666",
    doi = "10.1111/brv.12666",
    openalex = "W3106975553",
    references = "chinsamy1998polar, deevey1947life, deklerk2000a, doi101002ar20972, doi101002ar20982, doi101002ar20991, doi101002ar24099, doi101002ar24130, doi101002jez513, doi101002jmor10406, doi1010079780387981413, doi1010079783319242774, doi101007bf02988144, doi101007s0011401208891, doi101007s0011401209171, doi101016jannpal200803002, doi101016jcub201609040, doi101016jcub201610043, doi101016jpalaeo200901002, doi101016jpalaeo201206027, doi101016jtree200508012, doi101016s0753396903000053, doi101016s1631069102014294, doi101017cbo9780511608377010, doi101017pab201519, doi101017s0094837300012331, doi101017s0094837300021308, doi10103832884, doi101038nature01657, doi101038nature04633, doi101038nature11146, doi101038nature12168, doi101038nature13467, doi101038srep20252, doi101038srep44942, doi101073pnas0708903105, doi101073pnas1203238109, doi101073pnas1613813113, doi101073pnas932514623, doi10108002724634199510011271, doi10108002724634199910011160, doi101080027246342010483632, doi101080027246342011557116, doi101080027246342013820113, doi1010800272463420161111224, doi101080147720192010484650, doi101086395888, doi101086653688, doi101093icbicw069, doi101093sysbiosyw033, doi101098rsbl20070254, doi101098rsbl20090310, doi101098rsbl20150947, doi101098rspb20042829, doi101098rspb20110410, doi101098rstb20190136, doi1011112041210x12226, doi101111evo13382, doi101111j109636421997tb00340x, doi101111j109636422000tb02201x, doi101111j10963642200400130x, doi101111j10963642200600232x, doi101111j10963642201000620x, doi101111j136520281973tb00081x, doi101111j136529071972tb00160x, doi101111j15023931201100300x, doi101111j174966321940tb57047x, doi101111j216409471940tb00068x, doi101111joa12719, doi101111joa12775, doi101111zoj12193, doi101126sciadv1501080, doi101126sciadvaax6250, doi101126science1225376, doi101146annurevearth060313054858, doi101146annurevecolsys151393, doi101146annureves15110184002141, doi101186174170071060, doi1012060003009020042860001mptaso20co2, doi1012060003009020073021taoeoa20co2, doi101242jeb00841, doi101371journalpone0007390, doi101371journalpone0007626, doi101371journalpone0011613, doi101371journalpone0012292, doi101371journalpone0013120, doi101371journalpone0021376, doi101371journalpone0025186, doi101371journalpone0029958, doi101371journalpone0032623, doi101371journalpone0033539, doi101371journalpone0044318, doi101371journalpone0080405, doi101371journalpone0081917, doi101371journalpone0121476, doi101371journalpone0141304, doi101371journalpone0158334, doi101371journalpone0175253, doi101371journalpone0204007, doi1015468gcrned, doi101590s000137652011000100005, doi1016660094837320030290243vpasat20co2, doi1016660094837320050310291teafot20co2, doi1016660094837320080340247ositlb20co2, doi1016690883135120010160482ttoaco20co2, doi1016710272463420040240555gisdap20co2, doi10167102724634200727127tpasom20co2, doi10167102724634200727350asoitp20co2, doi10167102724634200828134ooceit20co2, doi1016710390290119, doi1016710390290218, doi1017161paleo180818764, doi102110palo2003p0322, doi102110palo2009p09103r, doi102110palo2017076, doi1023071292217, doi1023073514695, doi1031610680390210, doi105281zenodo16228320, doi10560219780801881206, doi105710amgh040820173100, doi105860choice434677, doi105860choice490282, doi105962bhltitle7369, doi107717peerj4558, doi107717peerj5976, doi107717peerj7247, doi107717peerj7764, erickson2014on, houck1990allometric, martinsander2006bone, nesbitt2009a, nesbitt2013the, openalexw1565584485, openalexw2259418280, openalexw2506868775, openalexw3210282143, openalexw51761775, zhao2019ontogenetic"
}

Abstract Spatiotemporal changes in fossil specimen completeness can bias our understanding of a group's evolutionary history. The quality of the sauropodomorph fossil record was assessed a decade ago, but the number of valid species has since increased by 60%, and 17% of the taxa from that study have since undergone taxonomic revision. Here, we assess how 10 years of additional research has changed our outlook on the group's fossil record. We quantified the completeness of all 307 sauropodomorph species currently considered valid using the skeletal completeness metric, which calculates the proportion of a complete skeleton preserved for each taxon. Taxonomic and stratigraphic age revisions, rather than new species, are the drivers of the most significant differences between the current results and those of the previous assessment. No statistical differences appeared when we use our new dataset to generate temporal completeness curves based solely on taxa known in 2009 or 1999. We now observe a severe drop in mean completeness values across the Jurassic–Cretaceous boundary that never recovers to pre‐Cretaceous levels. Explaining this pattern is difficult, as we find no convincing evidence that it is related to environmental preferences or body size changes. Instead, it might result from: (1) reduction of terrestrial fossil preservation space due to sea level rise; (2) ecological specificities and relatively high diagnosability of Cretaceous species; and/or (3) increased sampling of newly explored sites with many previously unknown taxa. Revisiting patterns in this manner allows us to test the longevity of conclusions made in previous quantitative studies.

@article{doi101111pala12496,
    author = "Cashmore, Daniel D. and Mannion, Philip D. and Upchurch, Paul and Butler, Richard J.",
    title = "Ten more years of discovery: revisiting the quality of the sauropodomorph dinosaur fossil record",
    year = "2020",
    journal = "Palaeontology",
    abstract = "Abstract Spatiotemporal changes in fossil specimen completeness can bias our understanding of a group's evolutionary history. The quality of the sauropodomorph fossil record was assessed a decade ago, but the number of valid species has since increased by 60\%, and 17\% of the taxa from that study have since undergone taxonomic revision. Here, we assess how 10 years of additional research has changed our outlook on the group's fossil record. We quantified the completeness of all 307 sauropodomorph species currently considered valid using the skeletal completeness metric, which calculates the proportion of a complete skeleton preserved for each taxon. Taxonomic and stratigraphic age revisions, rather than new species, are the drivers of the most significant differences between the current results and those of the previous assessment. No statistical differences appeared when we use our new dataset to generate temporal completeness curves based solely on taxa known in 2009 or 1999. We now observe a severe drop in mean completeness values across the Jurassic–Cretaceous boundary that never recovers to pre‐Cretaceous levels. Explaining this pattern is difficult, as we find no convincing evidence that it is related to environmental preferences or body size changes. Instead, it might result from: (1) reduction of terrestrial fossil preservation space due to sea level rise; (2) ecological specificities and relatively high diagnosability of Cretaceous species; and/or (3) increased sampling of newly explored sites with many previously unknown taxa. Revisiting patterns in this manner allows us to test the longevity of conclusions made in previous quantitative studies.",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1111/pala.12496",
    doi = "10.1111/pala.12496",
    openalex = "W3017772092",
    references = "doi1010079780387981413, doi1010079783319242774, doi101016jjsames201411008, doi101016jpalaeo200901002, doi101016jpalaeo200906004, doi101016s0016787876800077, doi101038s41467018051281, doi101038s41467019089972, doi101046j14209101200200472x, doi101073pnas1521478113, doi10108008912969009386535, doi101093bioinformaticsbty633, doi101093zoolinneanzlx103, doi101093zoolinneanzly009, doi101093zoolinneanzly068, doi101098rsbl20180431, doi101098rspb20122526, doi101111brv12255, doi101111j2041210x201100169x, doi101111j2041210x201200196x, doi101111j251761611995tb02031x, doi101126science1105113, doi101126science23547931156, doi101371journalpone0078573, openalexw2611511275"
}

Spinosaurids are among the most distinctive and yet poorly-known of large-bodied theropod dinosaurs, a situation exacerbated by their mostly fragmentary fossil record and competing views regarding their palaeobiology. Here, we report two new Early Cretaceous spinosaurid specimens from the Wessex Formation (Barremian) of the Isle of Wight. Large-scale phylogenetic analyses using parsimony and Bayesian techniques recover the pair in a new clade within Baryonychinae that also includes the hypodigm of the African spinosaurid Suchomimus. Both specimens represent distinct and novel taxa, herein named Ceratosuchops inferodios gen. et sp. nov. and Riparovenator milnerae gen. et sp. nov. A palaeogeographic reconstruction suggests a European origin for Spinosauridae, with at least two dispersal events into Africa. These new finds provide welcome information on poorly sampled areas of spinosaurid anatomy, suggest that sympatry was present and potentially common in baryonychines and spinosaurids as a whole, and contribute to updated palaeobiogeographic reconstructions for the clade.

@article{doi101038s41598021978708,
    author = "Barker, Chris T. and Hone, David W. E. and Naish, Darren and Cau, Andrea and Lockwood, Jeremy A. F. and Foster, Brian and Clarkin, Claire and Schneider, Philipp and Gostling, Neil J.",
    title = "New spinosaurids from the Wessex Formation (Early Cretaceous, UK) and the European origins of Spinosauridae",
    year = "2021",
    journal = "Scientific Reports",
    abstract = "Spinosaurids are among the most distinctive and yet poorly-known of large-bodied theropod dinosaurs, a situation exacerbated by their mostly fragmentary fossil record and competing views regarding their palaeobiology. Here, we report two new Early Cretaceous spinosaurid specimens from the Wessex Formation (Barremian) of the Isle of Wight. Large-scale phylogenetic analyses using parsimony and Bayesian techniques recover the pair in a new clade within Baryonychinae that also includes the hypodigm of the African spinosaurid Suchomimus. Both specimens represent distinct and novel taxa, herein named Ceratosuchops inferodios gen. et sp. nov. and Riparovenator milnerae gen. et sp. nov. A palaeogeographic reconstruction suggests a European origin for Spinosauridae, with at least two dispersal events into Africa. These new finds provide welcome information on poorly sampled areas of spinosaurid anatomy, suggest that sympatry was present and potentially common in baryonychines and spinosaurids as a whole, and contribute to updated palaeobiogeographic reconstructions for the clade.",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-97870-8",
    doi = "10.1038/s41598-021-97870-8",
    openalex = "W3203271713",
    references = "doi101016jcretres201103005, doi101038s4159802066261w, doi101073pnas1613813113, doi1010800272463420201877151, doi101111brv12666, doi104202app20110144, doi107717peerj5976, doi107717peerj9192, sánchezhernández2007dinosaurs"
}

ABSTRACT Iguanodontia is a diverse clade of herbivorous ornithischian dinosaurs that were speciose and abundant during the Jurassic and Cretaceous. Although the monophyly of Iguanodontia is well supported, their internal relationships have sparked heated debate due to several phylogenetic paradigm shifts. Late Jurassic basally branching iguanodontians in particular are not well understood in terms of their systematic affinities and evolutionary relevance. Their fossil record in Europe is meager compared with North America, with only a few species currently recognized. Two taxa are currently known from the Upper Jurassic of England, the basally branching styracosternan Cumnoria prestwichii and the putative dryosaurid Callovosaurus leedsi. In the Upper Jurassic of Portugal, the styracosternan Draconyx loureiroi and the dryosaurid Eousdryosaurus nanohallucis are presently the only described basally branching iguanodontians. Here we report a new species of early diverging iguanodontian from the Upper Jurassic Lourinhã Formation of western-central Portugal. The new species is clearly distinguished from all other coeval taxa by an exclusive combination of characters that include a tibia with a cnemial crest that is directed craniolaterally and a fibular condyle that is angled at 90° with respect to the proximal epiphysis, a fibula with symmetrical proximal margins, and a reduced metatarsal I. The phylogenetic relationships of the Lourinhã iguanodontian were explored using maximum parsimony and Bayesian inference. The two analyses recover the Lourinhã iguanodontian as an indeterminate dryomorphan, with more precise affinities precluded due to the current available material. Body size is estimated between 3 and 4 meters for the holotype specimen, adding to the diversity of small ornithopods already recognized in the paleoichnological record of the Lourinhã Formation.

@article{doi1010800272463420242310066,
    author = "Rotatori, Filippo Maria and Ferrari, Lucrezia and Sequero, C. and Camilo, Bruno and Mateus, Octávio and Moreno‐Azanza, M.",
    title = "An Unexpected Early-Diverging Iguanodontian Dinosaur (Ornithischia, Ornithopoda) from the Upper Jurassic of Portugal",
    year = "2023",
    journal = "Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology",
    abstract = "ABSTRACT Iguanodontia is a diverse clade of herbivorous ornithischian dinosaurs that were speciose and abundant during the Jurassic and Cretaceous. Although the monophyly of Iguanodontia is well supported, their internal relationships have sparked heated debate due to several phylogenetic paradigm shifts. Late Jurassic basally branching iguanodontians in particular are not well understood in terms of their systematic affinities and evolutionary relevance. Their fossil record in Europe is meager compared with North America, with only a few species currently recognized. Two taxa are currently known from the Upper Jurassic of England, the basally branching styracosternan Cumnoria prestwichii and the putative dryosaurid Callovosaurus leedsi. In the Upper Jurassic of Portugal, the styracosternan Draconyx loureiroi and the dryosaurid Eousdryosaurus nanohallucis are presently the only described basally branching iguanodontians. Here we report a new species of early diverging iguanodontian from the Upper Jurassic Lourinhã Formation of western-central Portugal. The new species is clearly distinguished from all other coeval taxa by an exclusive combination of characters that include a tibia with a cnemial crest that is directed craniolaterally and a fibular condyle that is angled at 90° with respect to the proximal epiphysis, a fibula with symmetrical proximal margins, and a reduced metatarsal I. The phylogenetic relationships of the Lourinhã iguanodontian were explored using maximum parsimony and Bayesian inference. The two analyses recover the Lourinhã iguanodontian as an indeterminate dryomorphan, with more precise affinities precluded due to the current available material. Body size is estimated between 3 and 4 meters for the holotype specimen, adding to the diversity of small ornithopods already recognized in the paleoichnological record of the Lourinhã Formation.",
    url = "https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/66e07b92d08793e7d9d155e6ff5fed9b4506c1b4",
    doi = "10.1080/02724634.2024.2310066",
    is_oa = "true",
    number = "4",
    semanticscholar_citation_count = "7",
    semanticscholar_id = "66e07b92d08793e7d9d155e6ff5fed9b4506c1b4",
    volume = "43",
    references = "doi101038s41559021016515"
}

Alvarezsauria is a group of early-branching maniraptoran theropods that are distributed globally from the Late Jurassic to the latest Cretaceous. Despite recent increases in the fossil record of this group, the scarcity of complete specimens still restricts interpreting their detailed anatomy, ecology, and evolution. Here, we report a new taxon of derived alvarezsaur, Jaculinykus yaruui gen. et sp. nov., from the Late Cretaceous of Mongolia, which represents a nearly complete and articulated skeleton. Our phylogenetic analysis reveals that Jaculinykus belongs to the sub-clade of Alvarezsauridae, Parvicursorinae, and forms a mononphyletic group with Mononykus and Shuvuuia. Its well-preserved manus has only two fingers, composed of a hypertrophied digit I and greatly reduced digit II, which implies an intermediate condition between the tridactyl manus of Shuvuuia and monodactyl manus of Linhenykus. This highlights a previously unrecognized variation in specialization of alvarezsaurid manus. Notably, the preserved posture of the specimen exhibits a stereotypical avian-like sleeping position seen in the troodontids Mei and Sinornithoides. Evidence of this behavior in the alvarezsaur Jaculinykus suggests that stereotypically avian sleeping postures are a maniraptoran synapomorphy, providing more evidence of bird-like traits being distributed broadly among avian ancestors.

@article{doi101371journalpone0293801,
    author = "Kubo, Kohta and Kobayashi, Yoshitsugu and Chinzorig, Tsogtbaatar and Tsogtbaatar, Khishigjav",
    title = "A new alvarezsaurid dinosaur (Theropoda, Alvarezsauria) from the Upper Cretaceous Baruungoyot Formation of Mongolia provides insights for bird-like sleeping behavior in non-avian dinosaurs.",
    year = "2023",
    journal = "PloS one",
    abstract = "Alvarezsauria is a group of early-branching maniraptoran theropods that are distributed globally from the Late Jurassic to the latest Cretaceous. Despite recent increases in the fossil record of this group, the scarcity of complete specimens still restricts interpreting their detailed anatomy, ecology, and evolution. Here, we report a new taxon of derived alvarezsaur, Jaculinykus yaruui gen. et sp. nov., from the Late Cretaceous of Mongolia, which represents a nearly complete and articulated skeleton. Our phylogenetic analysis reveals that Jaculinykus belongs to the sub-clade of Alvarezsauridae, Parvicursorinae, and forms a mononphyletic group with Mononykus and Shuvuuia. Its well-preserved manus has only two fingers, composed of a hypertrophied digit I and greatly reduced digit II, which implies an intermediate condition between the tridactyl manus of Shuvuuia and monodactyl manus of Linhenykus. This highlights a previously unrecognized variation in specialization of alvarezsaurid manus. Notably, the preserved posture of the specimen exhibits a stereotypical avian-like sleeping position seen in the troodontids Mei and Sinornithoides. Evidence of this behavior in the alvarezsaur Jaculinykus suggests that stereotypically avian sleeping postures are a maniraptoran synapomorphy, providing more evidence of bird-like traits being distributed broadly among avian ancestors.",
    url = "https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10651048/",
    doi = "10.1371/journal.pone.0293801",
    pmcid = "PMC10651048",
    pmid = "37967055"
}

An exceptional articulated skeleton of a new basal neornithischian dinosaur, Minimocursor phunoiensis gen. et sp. nov., was discovered in the Late Jurassic Phu Kradung Formation at the Phu Noi locality, Kalasin Province, Thailand, a highly productive non-marine fossil vertebrate locality of the Khorat Plateau. It is one of the best-preserved dinosaurs ever found in Southeast Asia. Minimocursor phunoiensis gen. et sp. nov. shows a combination of both plesiomorphic and apomorphic characters resembling those of Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous small-bodied ornithischians from China: a low subtriangular boss is projected laterally on the surface of the jugal, the brevis shelf of the ilium is visible in lateral view along its entire length, a distinct supraacetabular flange is present on the pubic peduncle of the ilium, the prepubis tip extends beyond the distal end of the preacetabular process of the ilium, and the manus digit formula is ?-3-4-3-2. The phylogenetic analysis shows that this dinosaur is among the most basal neornithischians. This study provides a better understanding of the early evolution and taxonomic diversity of ornithischians in Southeast Asia.

@article{doi103390d15070851,
    author = "Manitkoon, Sita and Deesri, U. and Khalloufi, Bouziane and Nonsrirach, Thanit and Suteethorn, V. and Chanthasit, Phornphen and Boonla, Wansiri and Buffetaut, E.",
    title = "A New Basal Neornithischian Dinosaur from the Phu Kradung Formation (Upper Jurassic) of Northeastern Thailand",
    year = "2023",
    journal = "Diversity",
    abstract = "An exceptional articulated skeleton of a new basal neornithischian dinosaur, Minimocursor phunoiensis gen. et sp. nov., was discovered in the Late Jurassic Phu Kradung Formation at the Phu Noi locality, Kalasin Province, Thailand, a highly productive non-marine fossil vertebrate locality of the Khorat Plateau. It is one of the best-preserved dinosaurs ever found in Southeast Asia. Minimocursor phunoiensis gen. et sp. nov. shows a combination of both plesiomorphic and apomorphic characters resembling those of Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous small-bodied ornithischians from China: a low subtriangular boss is projected laterally on the surface of the jugal, the brevis shelf of the ilium is visible in lateral view along its entire length, a distinct supraacetabular flange is present on the pubic peduncle of the ilium, the prepubis tip extends beyond the distal end of the preacetabular process of the ilium, and the manus digit formula is ?-3-4-3-2. The phylogenetic analysis shows that this dinosaur is among the most basal neornithischians. This study provides a better understanding of the early evolution and taxonomic diversity of ornithischians in Southeast Asia.",
    url = "https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/15/7/851/pdf?version=1689228034",
    doi = "10.3390/d15070851",
    is_oa = "true",
    number = "7",
    pages = "851",
    semanticscholar_citation_count = "10",
    semanticscholar_id = "13f09039a8369fdc5eb3fb61071846d30761bb51",
    volume = "15"
}

Gondwanan dinosaur faunae during the 20 Myr preceding the Cretaceous-Palaeogene (K/Pg) extinction included several lineages that were absent or poorly represented in Laurasian landmasses. Among these, the South American fossil record contains diverse abelisaurids, arguably the most successful groups of carnivorous dinosaurs from Gondwana in the Cretaceous, reaching their highest diversity towards the end of this period. Here we describe Koleken inakayali gen. et sp. n., a new abelisaurid from the La Colonia Formation (Maastrichtian, Upper Cretaceous) of Patagonia. Koleken inakayali is known from several skull bones, an almost complete dorsal series, complete sacrum, several caudal vertebrae, pelvic girdle and almost complete hind limbs. The new abelisaurid shows a unique set of features in the skull and several anatomical differences from Carnotaurus sastrei (the only other abelisaurid known from the La Colonia Formation). Koleken inakayali is retrieved as a brachyrostran abelisaurid, clustered with other South American abelisaurids from the latest Cretaceous (Campanian-Maastrichtian), such as Aucasaurus, Niebla and Carnotaurus. Leveraging our phylogeny estimates, we explore rates of morphological evolution across ceratosaurian lineages, finding them to be particularly high for elaphrosaurine noasaurids and around the base of Abelisauridae, before the Early Cretaceous radiation of the latter clade. The Noasauridae and their sister clade show contrasting patterns of morphological evolution, with noasaurids undergoing an early phase of accelerated evolution of the axial and hind limb skeleton in the Jurassic, and the abelisaurids exhibiting sustained high rates of cranial evolution during the Early Cretaceous. These results provide much needed context for the evolutionary dynamics of ceratosaurian theropods, contributing to broader understanding of macroevolutionary patterns across dinosaurs.

@article{doi101111cla12583,
    author = "Pol, Diego and Baiano, Mattia A. and Černý, David and Novas, Fernando E. and Cerda, Ignacio A. and Pittman, Michael",
    title = "A new abelisaurid dinosaur from the end Cretaceous of Patagonia and evolutionary rates among the Ceratosauria",
    year = "2024",
    journal = "Cladistics",
    abstract = "Gondwanan dinosaur faunae during the 20 Myr preceding the Cretaceous-Palaeogene (K/Pg) extinction included several lineages that were absent or poorly represented in Laurasian landmasses. Among these, the South American fossil record contains diverse abelisaurids, arguably the most successful groups of carnivorous dinosaurs from Gondwana in the Cretaceous, reaching their highest diversity towards the end of this period. Here we describe Koleken inakayali gen. et sp. n., a new abelisaurid from the La Colonia Formation (Maastrichtian, Upper Cretaceous) of Patagonia. Koleken inakayali is known from several skull bones, an almost complete dorsal series, complete sacrum, several caudal vertebrae, pelvic girdle and almost complete hind limbs. The new abelisaurid shows a unique set of features in the skull and several anatomical differences from Carnotaurus sastrei (the only other abelisaurid known from the La Colonia Formation). Koleken inakayali is retrieved as a brachyrostran abelisaurid, clustered with other South American abelisaurids from the latest Cretaceous (Campanian-Maastrichtian), such as Aucasaurus, Niebla and Carnotaurus. Leveraging our phylogeny estimates, we explore rates of morphological evolution across ceratosaurian lineages, finding them to be particularly high for elaphrosaurine noasaurids and around the base of Abelisauridae, before the Early Cretaceous radiation of the latter clade. The Noasauridae and their sister clade show contrasting patterns of morphological evolution, with noasaurids undergoing an early phase of accelerated evolution of the axial and hind limb skeleton in the Jurassic, and the abelisaurids exhibiting sustained high rates of cranial evolution during the Early Cretaceous. These results provide much needed context for the evolutionary dynamics of ceratosaurian theropods, contributing to broader understanding of macroevolutionary patterns across dinosaurs.",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1111/cla.12583",
    doi = "10.1111/cla.12583",
    openalex = "W4398169218",
    references = "doi101002spp21375, doi101016jcretres2019104312, doi101016jcretres2020104408, doi101016jcretres2021104829, doi101038s41598019453069, doi101038s41598022155356, doi101038srep44942, doi101080027246342013776562, doi1010800272463420201877151, doi1010801477201920222093661, doi101111brv12666, doi101111cla12524, doi101111zoj12425, doi1011646zootaxa375911, doi101371journalpone0062047, doi101371journalpone0088905, doi105852crpalevol2020v19a6, doi107717peerj5976"
}

The Late Cretaceous was not only the most active epoch of Gondwana fragmentation but also a time of significant climatic and evolutionary activity, which led to the extinction of many vertebrates. The African continent, the core of the supercontinent Gondwana, which became completely separated by the Late Cretaceous, has a poor and incomplete fossil record of that time when compared with other Gondawna continents. Here we report on an important discovery of a new vertebrate-bearing locality from the Campanian Quseir Formation, Qarn Ganah area near Kharga Oasis, Southwestern Desert, Egypt. Paleontological work has resulted in the discovery of a variety of different vertebrate groups including sharks and bony fishes, turtles, crocodyliforms and dinosaurs. The collected specimens are well-preserved isolated elements. One partial sauropod skeleton was found including some vertebrae, ribs, and limb bones. The recovered vertebrate fauna will be examined in detail to further refine their identification, establish their taxonomic affinities, and establish their collective relationship with other Late Cretaceous African faunas such as Dinosaurs, crocodyliforms and turtles. The new discovery will not only augment the growing collection of Late Cretaceous vertebrate faunas from Africa but also will improve understanding of global faunal changes and evolution during the late Mesozoic .

@article{doi1021608nujbas20232468071014,
    author = "Mohsen, Sara and Gawad, M. K. Abdel and El-Kheir, G. A. Abu",
    title = "A new Late Cretaceous reptiles bearing locality: Qarn Ganah, Kharga Oasis, Western Desert, Egypt",
    year = "2024",
    journal = "New Valley University Journal of Basic and Applied Sciences",
    abstract = "The Late Cretaceous was not only the most active epoch of Gondwana fragmentation but also a time of significant climatic and evolutionary activity, which led to the extinction of many vertebrates. The African continent, the core of the supercontinent Gondwana, which became completely separated by the Late Cretaceous, has a poor and incomplete fossil record of that time when compared with other Gondawna continents. Here we report on an important discovery of a new vertebrate-bearing locality from the Campanian Quseir Formation, Qarn Ganah area near Kharga Oasis, Southwestern Desert, Egypt. Paleontological work has resulted in the discovery of a variety of different vertebrate groups including sharks and bony fishes, turtles, crocodyliforms and dinosaurs. The collected specimens are well-preserved isolated elements. One partial sauropod skeleton was found including some vertebrae, ribs, and limb bones. The recovered vertebrate fauna will be examined in detail to further refine their identification, establish their taxonomic affinities, and establish their collective relationship with other Late Cretaceous African faunas such as Dinosaurs, crocodyliforms and turtles. The new discovery will not only augment the growing collection of Late Cretaceous vertebrate faunas from Africa but also will improve understanding of global faunal changes and evolution during the late Mesozoic .",
    url = "https://nujbas.journals.ekb.eg/article\_358602\_39ff6481ca351c55a618e3c11200c39d.pdf",
    doi = "10.21608/nujbas.2023.246807.1014",
    is_oa = "true",
    number = "1",
    pages = "1-7",
    semanticscholar_id = "4a895e19690d872261e46ab43b5cfa6c899ee006",
    volume = "2"
}

Dinosaurs evolved a unique respiratory system with air sacs that contributed to their evolutionary success. Postcranial skeletal pneumaticity (PSP) has been used to infer the presence of air sac systems in some fossil archosaurs. While unambiguous evidence of PSP is well documented in pterosaurs and post-Carnian saurischians, it remains absent within Ornithischia, challenging phylogenetic predictions. We used computed tomography to examine the internal vertebral microanatomy of three Huallasaurus australis specimens, a saurolophine hadrosaur from the Late Cretaceous of Patagonia, Argentina. The internal structure reveals a relatively dense trabecular architecture lacking evidence of invasive pneumaticity across the centra, neural arches, and neural spines, contrasting with the condition in post-Carnian saurischians. The internal vertebral pattern of Huallasaurus resembles that of silesaurs more than other apneumatic archosauriforms. These observations are consistent with the hypothesis that invasive air sac diverticula did not evolve in Ornithischia and align with the previously proposed "pelvic bellows" ventilation model for the group. The internal vertebral architecture in this hadrosaur shows superficial similarities to the trabecular structure seen in some large mammals, although functional equivalence remains speculative. The absence of invasive air sacs in Huallasaurus, combined with dense trabecular matrix and thin cortical walls, may have supported large body sizes or accommodated intraosseous fat reserves, though this requires further testing. This stock of fatty tissues could have provided energy for these hadrosaurs during regional migration, as observed in modern migratory mammals.

@article{doi101002ar70040,
    author = "Aureliano, T. and Ghilardi, A. and Kaluza, Jonatan and Martinelli, A.",
    title = "Inside a duck-billed dinosaur: Vertebral bone microstructure of Huallasaurus (Hadrosauridae), Upper Cretaceous of Patagonia.",
    year = "2025",
    journal = "Anatomical record",
    abstract = {Dinosaurs evolved a unique respiratory system with air sacs that contributed to their evolutionary success. Postcranial skeletal pneumaticity (PSP) has been used to infer the presence of air sac systems in some fossil archosaurs. While unambiguous evidence of PSP is well documented in pterosaurs and post-Carnian saurischians, it remains absent within Ornithischia, challenging phylogenetic predictions. We used computed tomography to examine the internal vertebral microanatomy of three Huallasaurus australis specimens, a saurolophine hadrosaur from the Late Cretaceous of Patagonia, Argentina. The internal structure reveals a relatively dense trabecular architecture lacking evidence of invasive pneumaticity across the centra, neural arches, and neural spines, contrasting with the condition in post-Carnian saurischians. The internal vertebral pattern of Huallasaurus resembles that of silesaurs more than other apneumatic archosauriforms. These observations are consistent with the hypothesis that invasive air sac diverticula did not evolve in Ornithischia and align with the previously proposed "pelvic bellows" ventilation model for the group. The internal vertebral architecture in this hadrosaur shows superficial similarities to the trabecular structure seen in some large mammals, although functional equivalence remains speculative. The absence of invasive air sacs in Huallasaurus, combined with dense trabecular matrix and thin cortical walls, may have supported large body sizes or accommodated intraosseous fat reserves, though this requires further testing. This stock of fatty tissues could have provided energy for these hadrosaurs during regional migration, as observed in modern migratory mammals.},
    url = "https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/132763c0d7853ab79dd8ac16592c3d57e0497583",
    doi = "10.1002/ar.70040",
    is_oa = "true",
    semanticscholar_citation_count = "1",
    semanticscholar_id = "132763c0d7853ab79dd8ac16592c3d57e0497583"
}

Pterosaur dental biology remains poorly understood despite its importance for comprehending feeding strategies and flight adaptations. Here, we present the first comprehensive histological analysis of an ornithocheiriform pterosaur tooth from the Lower Cretaceous Crato Formation (Santana Group, Northeast Brazil). Specimen LPP‐UFRN 3002 exhibits thin prismless enamel (61 μm thickness), orthodentine with dense tubule networks, and 82 von Ebner lines indicating rapid tooth formation. Quantitative comparison across major clades of extinct reptiles reveals that pterosaurs demonstrate the most accelerated tooth development among archosauriforms, with formation times of 54–82 lines compared to 185–933 lines in non‐avialan dinosaurs, 50–283 lines in crocodyliforms, and 342–426 lines in mosasaurs. The rapid tooth development and thin enamel documented in ornithocheiriform pterosaurs could enable the maintenance of lightweight skulls, essential for powered flight, while ensuring continuous replacement for effective prey capture. The specimen preserves microstructural detail despite diagenetic calcite permineralization and partial focalized substitution, a characteristic of the Crato Formation carbonate environment. These findings demonstrate that ornithocheiriform pterosaurs evolved a unique dental strategy, prioritizing replacement efficiency over individual tooth durability, which contrasts with the extended formation times characteristic of large‐bodied mosasaurs and herbivorous dinosaurs. This research establishes dental histology as critical for understanding pterosaur paleobiology and provides quantitative data for reconstructing ecosystem dynamics throughout the Mesozoic.

@article{doi101002ar70093,
    author = "Aureliano, T. and Rocha, Matheus P. S. and Lima-Filho, F. P. and Ghilardi, A.",
    title = "Histology and fossil diagenesis of a pterosaur tooth from the Crato Formation (Lower Cretaceous of Brazil)",
    year = "2025",
    journal = "The Anatomical Record",
    abstract = "Pterosaur dental biology remains poorly understood despite its importance for comprehending feeding strategies and flight adaptations. Here, we present the first comprehensive histological analysis of an ornithocheiriform pterosaur tooth from the Lower Cretaceous Crato Formation (Santana Group, Northeast Brazil). Specimen LPP‐UFRN 3002 exhibits thin prismless enamel (61 μm thickness), orthodentine with dense tubule networks, and 82 von Ebner lines indicating rapid tooth formation. Quantitative comparison across major clades of extinct reptiles reveals that pterosaurs demonstrate the most accelerated tooth development among archosauriforms, with formation times of 54–82 lines compared to 185–933 lines in non‐avialan dinosaurs, 50–283 lines in crocodyliforms, and 342–426 lines in mosasaurs. The rapid tooth development and thin enamel documented in ornithocheiriform pterosaurs could enable the maintenance of lightweight skulls, essential for powered flight, while ensuring continuous replacement for effective prey capture. The specimen preserves microstructural detail despite diagenetic calcite permineralization and partial focalized substitution, a characteristic of the Crato Formation carbonate environment. These findings demonstrate that ornithocheiriform pterosaurs evolved a unique dental strategy, prioritizing replacement efficiency over individual tooth durability, which contrasts with the extended formation times characteristic of large‐bodied mosasaurs and herbivorous dinosaurs. This research establishes dental histology as critical for understanding pterosaur paleobiology and provides quantitative data for reconstructing ecosystem dynamics throughout the Mesozoic.",
    url = "https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/2ab927553ba0ee4f48db2db505fd3d5e1178c362",
    doi = "10.1002/ar.70093",
    is_oa = "true",
    semanticscholar_id = "2ab927553ba0ee4f48db2db505fd3d5e1178c362"
}

Dinosaurs dominated Mesozoic terrestrial ecosystems for ∼160 million years, but their biogeographic origin remains poorly understood. The earliest unequivocal dinosaur fossils appear in the Carnian (∼230 Ma) of southern South America and Africa, leading most authors to propose southwestern Gondwana as the likely center of origin. However, the high taxonomic and morphological diversity of these earliest assemblages suggests a more ancient evolutionary history that is currently unsampled. Phylogenetic uncertainty at the base of Dinosauria, combined with the subsequent appearance of dinosaurs throughout Laurasia in their early evolutionary history, further complicates this picture. Here, we estimate the distribution of early dinosaurs and their archosaurian relatives under a phylogenetic maximum likelihood framework, testing alternative topological arrangements and incorporating potential abiotic barriers to dispersal into our biogeographic models. For the first time, we include spatiotemporal sampling heterogeneity in these models, which frequently supports a low-latitude Gondwanan origin for dinosaurs. These results are best supported when silesaurids are constrained as early-diverging ornithischians, which is likely because this topology accounts for the otherwise substantial ornithischian ghost lineage, explaining the group's absence from the fossil record prior to the Early Jurassic. Our results suggest that the archosaur radiation also took place within low-latitude Gondwana following the end-Permian extinction before lineages dispersed across Pangaea into ecologically and climatically distinct provinces during the Late Triassic. Mesozoic terrestrial vertebrates are under-sampled at low paleolatitudes, and our findings suggest that heterogeneous sampling has hitherto obscured the true paleobiogeographic origin of dinosaurs and their kin.

@article{doi101016jcub202412053,
    author = "Heath, Joel A and Cooper, Natalie and Upchurch, Paul and Mannion, Philip D.",
    title = "Accounting for sampling heterogeneity suggests a low paleolatitude origin for dinosaurs",
    year = "2025",
    journal = "Current Biology",
    abstract = "Dinosaurs dominated Mesozoic terrestrial ecosystems for ∼160 million years, but their biogeographic origin remains poorly understood. The earliest unequivocal dinosaur fossils appear in the Carnian (∼230 Ma) of southern South America and Africa, leading most authors to propose southwestern Gondwana as the likely center of origin. However, the high taxonomic and morphological diversity of these earliest assemblages suggests a more ancient evolutionary history that is currently unsampled. Phylogenetic uncertainty at the base of Dinosauria, combined with the subsequent appearance of dinosaurs throughout Laurasia in their early evolutionary history, further complicates this picture. Here, we estimate the distribution of early dinosaurs and their archosaurian relatives under a phylogenetic maximum likelihood framework, testing alternative topological arrangements and incorporating potential abiotic barriers to dispersal into our biogeographic models. For the first time, we include spatiotemporal sampling heterogeneity in these models, which frequently supports a low-latitude Gondwanan origin for dinosaurs. These results are best supported when silesaurids are constrained as early-diverging ornithischians, which is likely because this topology accounts for the otherwise substantial ornithischian ghost lineage, explaining the group's absence from the fossil record prior to the Early Jurassic. Our results suggest that the archosaur radiation also took place within low-latitude Gondwana following the end-Permian extinction before lineages dispersed across Pangaea into ecologically and climatically distinct provinces during the Late Triassic. Mesozoic terrestrial vertebrates are under-sampled at low paleolatitudes, and our findings suggest that heterogeneous sampling has hitherto obscured the true paleobiogeographic origin of dinosaurs and their kin.",
    url = "https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2024.12.053",
    doi = "10.1016/j.cub.2024.12.053",
    openalex = "W4406758949",
    references = "doi101016jjsames2021103341, doi101016jpgeola202307002, doi101038s4158602205133x, doi101073pnas1319091111, doi101093bioinformaticsbty633, doi101093sysbio461195, doi101093sysbiosys029, doi101093sysbiosyt040, doi101093sysbiosyu056, doi101109tac19741100705, doi101111j2041210x201100169x, doi1021425f55419694, doi1023073802723"
}

East Asian non-neosauropodan eusauropods have been central to the study of the evolution of Middle to Late Jurassic sauropod dinosaurs. Despite their remarkable diversity, the fragmentary condition of many taxa and the insufficiency of phylogenetic data for many specimens have hindered the study of continental-scale paleobiogeographic relationships. We described a new mamenchisaurid, Mamenchisaurus sanjiangensis sp. nov., based on a single partial skeleton from the early Oxfordian fossil site of Chongqing (Southwest China). M. sanjiangensis phylogenetically recovered as a diverged mamenchisaurid, shares a relatively near relationship with most other Mamenchisaurus. This new taxon is supported by an exclusive combination of characters that highlights strong convergences with members of the neosauropods. That indicates the niche overlap further enhances the competition between mamenchisaurids and neosauropods. Mamenchisaurids potentially developed a strategy to maintain dominance in East Asia before the recoupling of the East Asian and European sub-plates in the Early Cretaceous.

@article{doi101038s4159802529995z,
    author = "Dai, Hui and Hu, Xufeng and Tan, Chao and Ren, Xinxin and Ma, Qing-Yu and Wei, Guang-biao and You, Hai-Lu",
    title = "A new mamenchisaurid sauropod dinosaur from the Upper Jurassic of Southwest China reveals new evolutionary evidence from East Asian eusauropods",
    year = "2025",
    journal = "Scientific Reports",
    abstract = "East Asian non-neosauropodan eusauropods have been central to the study of the evolution of Middle to Late Jurassic sauropod dinosaurs. Despite their remarkable diversity, the fragmentary condition of many taxa and the insufficiency of phylogenetic data for many specimens have hindered the study of continental-scale paleobiogeographic relationships. We described a new mamenchisaurid, Mamenchisaurus sanjiangensis sp. nov., based on a single partial skeleton from the early Oxfordian fossil site of Chongqing (Southwest China). M. sanjiangensis phylogenetically recovered as a diverged mamenchisaurid, shares a relatively near relationship with most other Mamenchisaurus. This new taxon is supported by an exclusive combination of characters that highlights strong convergences with members of the neosauropods. That indicates the niche overlap further enhances the competition between mamenchisaurids and neosauropods. Mamenchisaurids potentially developed a strategy to maintain dominance in East Asia before the recoupling of the East Asian and European sub-plates in the Early Cretaceous.",
    url = "https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/27beb7ac5cd1622ee87b5ddb20ae810dd7e0d91a",
    doi = "10.1038/s41598-025-29995-z",
    is_oa = "true",
    number = "1",
    semanticscholar_citation_count = "1",
    semanticscholar_id = "27beb7ac5cd1622ee87b5ddb20ae810dd7e0d91a",
    volume = "15"
}

The evolutionary origins of the avian air sac pulmonary system are enigmatic due to the rarity of soft-tissue preservation in fossils. Here, we test whether fine anchoring fibers on the endosteal bone of bird and non-avian dinosaur vertebrae-termed "pneumosteum"-are absent in taxa lacking pneumatic openings. We studied thin sections from the caudalmost cervical and cranial dorsal vertebrae of 21 extant amniotes to infer the presence or absence of invading diverticula through vertebral foramina. We also provide a differential diagnosis of the structural features of pneumosteum. We found that the secondarily aquatic Western grebe (Aechmophorus occidentalis) and Magellanic penguin (Spheniscus magellanicus) lack external pneumaticity and pneumosteum. In addition, the small passerine bird examined (Estrildidae spp.) exhibits invading diverticula but no pneumosteum. This suggests that ventilatory air sacs and associated diverticula can be present despite the absence of osteological and histologic correlates and that these features are lost when transitioning to an aquatic lifestyle or in small-bodied birds. In volant pneumatized birds, diverticula and pneumosteum are associated with pneumatic foramina. This suggests that, in fossil birds, pneumatic foramina are good indicators of the presence of pulmonary diverticula. Furthermore, the loss of invading respiratory diverticula and pneumatic osteological characters in the postcranial skeleton of pursuit diving birds serves as a reminder that adaptation to specific ecologies, such as an aquatic environment, may obscure our ability to reconstruct soft tissue systems accurately in fossil taxa when relying on osteological correlates.

@article{doi101093iobobaf039,
    author = "Byrne, P J and Smith, N D and Schachner, E R and Bottjer, D J and Huttenlocker, A K",
    title = "Evidence for the Loss of Pneumatization and Pneumosteal Tissues in Secondarily Aquatic Archosaurs.",
    year = "2025",
    journal = "Integrative organismal biology (Oxford, England)",
    abstract = {The evolutionary origins of the avian air sac pulmonary system are enigmatic due to the rarity of soft-tissue preservation in fossils. Here, we test whether fine anchoring fibers on the endosteal bone of bird and non-avian dinosaur vertebrae-termed "pneumosteum"-are absent in taxa lacking pneumatic openings. We studied thin sections from the caudalmost cervical and cranial dorsal vertebrae of 21 extant amniotes to infer the presence or absence of invading diverticula through vertebral foramina. We also provide a differential diagnosis of the structural features of pneumosteum. We found that the secondarily aquatic Western grebe (Aechmophorus occidentalis) and Magellanic penguin (Spheniscus magellanicus) lack external pneumaticity and pneumosteum. In addition, the small passerine bird examined (Estrildidae spp.) exhibits invading diverticula but no pneumosteum. This suggests that ventilatory air sacs and associated diverticula can be present despite the absence of osteological and histologic correlates and that these features are lost when transitioning to an aquatic lifestyle or in small-bodied birds. In volant pneumatized birds, diverticula and pneumosteum are associated with pneumatic foramina. This suggests that, in fossil birds, pneumatic foramina are good indicators of the presence of pulmonary diverticula. Furthermore, the loss of invading respiratory diverticula and pneumatic osteological characters in the postcranial skeleton of pursuit diving birds serves as a reminder that adaptation to specific ecologies, such as an aquatic environment, may obscure our ability to reconstruct soft tissue systems accurately in fossil taxa when relying on osteological correlates.},
    url = "https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12690268/",
    doi = "10.1093/iob/obaf039",
    pmcid = "PMC12690268",
    pmid = "41383558"
}

The cerapodan dinosaurs were an ornithischian clade that achieved a global distribution in the Cretaceous Period. The ichnological record suggests that these dinosaurs had evolved by the Middle Jurassic, but only a single cerapodan body fossil, an isolated femur from the Callovian of the UK, is known from this interval. In order to elucidate the early stages of cerapodan evolution and help to resolve the many phylogenetic inconsistencies in the clade, new specimens, particularly from historically undersampled localities, are needed. Herein, we report the proximal femur of a cerapodan dinosaur from the Bathonian El Mers III Formation of the Middle Atlas Mountains, Morocco. The specimen, although fragmentary, bears characteristics, including a femoral head offset on a distinct neck and a constriction between the head and greater trochanter, that unite it with Cerapoda to the exclusion of other neornithischians. This specimen represents the world’s oldest cerapodan. The El Mers III Formation has also yielded the world’s oldest ankylosaur (and the first discovered in Africa), as well as one of the oldest stegosaurs. Further sampling of these rocks will therefore be crucial for understanding the radiation of ornithischian dinosaurs.

@article{doi101098rsos241624,
    author = "Maidment, S. and Ouarhache, D. and Butler, Richard J. and Boumir, Khadija and Oussou, Ahmed and Ech-charay, Kawtar and Khanchoufi, Abdessalam El and Barrett, Paul M.",
    title = "The world’s oldest cerapodan ornithischian dinosaur from the Middle Jurassic of Morocco",
    year = "2025",
    journal = "Royal Society Open Science",
    abstract = "The cerapodan dinosaurs were an ornithischian clade that achieved a global distribution in the Cretaceous Period. The ichnological record suggests that these dinosaurs had evolved by the Middle Jurassic, but only a single cerapodan body fossil, an isolated femur from the Callovian of the UK, is known from this interval. In order to elucidate the early stages of cerapodan evolution and help to resolve the many phylogenetic inconsistencies in the clade, new specimens, particularly from historically undersampled localities, are needed. Herein, we report the proximal femur of a cerapodan dinosaur from the Bathonian El Mers III Formation of the Middle Atlas Mountains, Morocco. The specimen, although fragmentary, bears characteristics, including a femoral head offset on a distinct neck and a constriction between the head and greater trochanter, that unite it with Cerapoda to the exclusion of other neornithischians. This specimen represents the world’s oldest cerapodan. The El Mers III Formation has also yielded the world’s oldest ankylosaur (and the first discovered in Africa), as well as one of the oldest stegosaurs. Further sampling of these rocks will therefore be crucial for understanding the radiation of ornithischian dinosaurs.",
    url = "https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/c8b1ee67d0695979b05e9342559df6f8c58b406c",
    doi = "10.1098/rsos.241624",
    is_oa = "true",
    number = "3",
    semanticscholar_citation_count = "1",
    semanticscholar_id = "c8b1ee67d0695979b05e9342559df6f8c58b406c",
    volume = "12",
    references = "doi107554elife75248"
}

@article{doi101038s41586026101943,
    author = "Makovicky, P. and Mitchell, Jonathan S and Meso, J. G. and Gianechini, F. and Cerda, Ignacio and Apesteguía, Sebastián",
    title = "Argentine fossil rewrites evolutionary history of a baffling dinosaur clade.",
    year = "2026",
    journal = "Nature",
    url = "https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/09105e3fc383b951c6be7fb8a9b672640cc6fb34",
    doi = "10.1038/s41586-026-10194-3",
    is_oa = "true",
    semanticscholar_citation_count = "1",
    semanticscholar_id = "09105e3fc383b951c6be7fb8a9b672640cc6fb34",
    references = "doi1010800272463420242441903, doi101093zoolinneanzlab013, doi101371journalpone0293801"
}