A Middle Jurassic 'sphenosuchian' from China and the origin of the crocodylian skull

IVPP-IR > 中科院古脊椎所（2000年以后）

	A Middle Jurassic 'sphenosuchian' from China and the origin of the crocodylian skull
	Clark, JM ; Xu, X ; Forster, CA ; Wang, Y ; Clark, JM (reprint author), George Washington Univ, Dept Biol Sci, Washington, DC 20052 USA.
	2004-08-26
发表期刊	NATURE
ISSN	0028-0836
卷号	430 期号:7003 页码:1021-1024
文章类型	Article
摘要	The skull of living crocodylians is highly solidified and the jaw closing muscles are enlarged(1), allowing for prey capture by prolonged crushing between the jaws. Living species are all semi-aquatic, with sprawling limbs and a broad body that moves mainly from side-to-side(2); however, fossils indicate that they evolved from terrestrial forms. The most cursorial of these fossils(3-6) are small, gracile forms often grouped together as the Sphenosuchia, with fully erect, slender limbs; their relationships, however, are poorly understood(5,7-10). A new crocodylomorph from deposits in northwestern China of the poorly known Middle Jurassic epoch possesses a skull with several adaptations typical of living crocodylians. Postcranially it is similar to sphenosuchians but with even greater adaptations for cursoriality in the forelimb. Here we show, through phylogenetic analysis, that it is the closest relative of the large group Crocodyliformes, including living crocodylians. Thus, important features of the modern crocodylian skull evolved during a phase when the postcranial skeleton was evolving towards greater cursoriality, rather than towards their current semi-aquatic habitus.; The skull of living crocodylians is highly solidified and the jaw closing muscles are enlarged(1), allowing for prey capture by prolonged crushing between the jaws. Living species are all semi-aquatic, with sprawling limbs and a broad body that moves mainly from side-to-side(2); however, fossils indicate that they evolved from terrestrial forms. The most cursorial of these fossils(3-6) are small, gracile forms often grouped together as the Sphenosuchia, with fully erect, slender limbs; their relationships, however, are poorly understood(5,7-10). A new crocodylomorph from deposits in northwestern China of the poorly known Middle Jurassic epoch possesses a skull with several adaptations typical of living crocodylians. Postcranially it is similar to sphenosuchians but with even greater adaptations for cursoriality in the forelimb. Here we show, through phylogenetic analysis, that it is the closest relative of the large group Crocodyliformes, including living crocodylians. Thus, important features of the modern crocodylian skull evolved during a phase when the postcranial skeleton was evolving towards greater cursoriality, rather than towards their current semi-aquatic habitus.
WOS标题词	Science & Technology
URL	查看原文
关键词[WOS]	BASAL CROCODYLOMORPH ARCHOSAURS ; EVOLUTION ; ONTOGENY
收录类别	SCI
语种	英语
WOS研究方向	Science & Technology - Other Topics
WOS类目	Multidisciplinary Sciences
WOS记录号	WOS:000223514900041
引用统计
文献类型	期刊论文
条目标识符	http://119.78.100.205/handle/311034/3643
专题	中科院古脊椎所（2000年以后）
通讯作者	Clark, JM (reprint author), George Washington Univ, Dept Biol Sci, Washington, DC 20052 USA.
作者单位	1.George Washington Univ, Dept Biol Sci, Washington, DC 20052 USA 2.Chinese Acad Sci, Inst Vertebrate Paleontol & Paleoanthropol, Beijing 100044, Peoples R China 3.SUNY Stony Brook, Dept Anat Sci, Stony Brook, NY 11794 USA
推荐引用方式 GB/T 7714	Clark, JM,Xu, X,Forster, CA,et al. A Middle Jurassic 'sphenosuchian' from China and the origin of the crocodylian skull[J]. NATURE,2004,430(7003):1021-1024.
APA	Clark, JM,Xu, X,Forster, CA,Wang, Y,&Clark, JM .(2004).A Middle Jurassic 'sphenosuchian' from China and the origin of the crocodylian skull.NATURE,430(7003),1021-1024.
MLA	Clark, JM,et al."A Middle Jurassic 'sphenosuchian' from China and the origin of the crocodylian skull".NATURE 430.7003(2004):1021-1024.

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