The University of Southampton
University of Southampton Institutional Repository

The shape of pterosaur evolution: evidence from the fossil record

The shape of pterosaur evolution: evidence from the fossil record
The shape of pterosaur evolution: evidence from the fossil record
Although pterosaurs are a well-known lineage of Mesozoic flying reptiles, their fossil record and evolutionary dynamics have never been adequately quantified. On the basis of a comprehensive data set of fossil occurrences correlated with taxon-specific limb measurements, we show that the geological ages of pterosaur specimens closely approximate hypothesized patterns of phylogenetic divergence. Although the fossil record has expanded greatly in recent years, collectorship still approximates a sigmoid curve over time as many more specimens (and thus taxa) still remain undiscovered, yet our data suggest that the pterosaur fossil record is unbiased by sites of exceptional preservation (lagerstätte). This is because as new species are discovered the number of known formations and sites yielding pterosaur fossils has also increased – this would not be expected if the bulk of the record came from just a few exceptional faunas. Pterosaur morphological diversification is, however, strongly age biased: rarefaction analysis shows that peaks of diversity occur in the Late Jurassic and Early Cretaceous correlated with periods of increased limb disparity. In this respect, pterosaurs appear unique amongst flying vertebrates in that their disparity seems to have peaked relatively late in clade history. Comparative analyses also show that there is little evidence that the evolutionary diversification of pterosaurs was in any way constrained by the appearance and radiation of birds.
1010-061X
890-898
Dyke, Gareth J.
600ca61e-b40b-4c86-b8ae-13be4e331e94
McGowan, A.J.
6127baa1-f03d-4b26-965f-cf47138034a1
Nudds, R.L.
f9e7472c-b4b8-4d09-bff5-68720e554ac8
Smith, D.
064e7b4d-dfe9-4ab5-9e06-d257251f6f86
Dyke, Gareth J.
600ca61e-b40b-4c86-b8ae-13be4e331e94
McGowan, A.J.
6127baa1-f03d-4b26-965f-cf47138034a1
Nudds, R.L.
f9e7472c-b4b8-4d09-bff5-68720e554ac8
Smith, D.
064e7b4d-dfe9-4ab5-9e06-d257251f6f86

Dyke, Gareth J., McGowan, A.J., Nudds, R.L. and Smith, D. (2009) The shape of pterosaur evolution: evidence from the fossil record. Journal of Evolutionary Biology, 22 (4), 890-898. (doi:10.1111/j.1420-9101.2008.01682.x).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Although pterosaurs are a well-known lineage of Mesozoic flying reptiles, their fossil record and evolutionary dynamics have never been adequately quantified. On the basis of a comprehensive data set of fossil occurrences correlated with taxon-specific limb measurements, we show that the geological ages of pterosaur specimens closely approximate hypothesized patterns of phylogenetic divergence. Although the fossil record has expanded greatly in recent years, collectorship still approximates a sigmoid curve over time as many more specimens (and thus taxa) still remain undiscovered, yet our data suggest that the pterosaur fossil record is unbiased by sites of exceptional preservation (lagerstätte). This is because as new species are discovered the number of known formations and sites yielding pterosaur fossils has also increased – this would not be expected if the bulk of the record came from just a few exceptional faunas. Pterosaur morphological diversification is, however, strongly age biased: rarefaction analysis shows that peaks of diversity occur in the Late Jurassic and Early Cretaceous correlated with periods of increased limb disparity. In this respect, pterosaurs appear unique amongst flying vertebrates in that their disparity seems to have peaked relatively late in clade history. Comparative analyses also show that there is little evidence that the evolutionary diversification of pterosaurs was in any way constrained by the appearance and radiation of birds.

This record has no associated files available for download.

More information

Published date: 2009
Organisations: Ocean Biochemistry & Ecosystems

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 205179
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/205179
ISSN: 1010-061X
PURE UUID: f2d48fcf-3d41-4758-a39d-02aa5888c228

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 07 Dec 2011 11:43
Last modified: 14 Mar 2024 04:33

Export record

Altmetrics

Contributors

Author: Gareth J. Dyke
Author: A.J. McGowan
Author: R.L. Nudds
Author: D. Smith

Download statistics

Downloads from ePrints over the past year. Other digital versions may also be available to download e.g. from the publisher's website.

View more statistics

Atom RSS 1.0 RSS 2.0

Contact ePrints Soton: eprints@soton.ac.uk

ePrints Soton supports OAI 2.0 with a base URL of http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/cgi/oai2

This repository has been built using EPrints software, developed at the University of Southampton, but available to everyone to use.

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue without changing your settings, we will assume that you are happy to receive cookies on the University of Southampton website.

×