SVP 2025 abstracts of interest 2
It’s SVP abstract season!
Here’s part 2 of 10.
Functional morphology of pterosaurs and avialans and the impact of non-adults in facilitating competitive exclusion between these two volant clades in the Mesozoic.
Bestwick J et al (p119).
“In general, pterosaurs exhibit traits that facilitate faster, weaker bites and avialans exhibit traits that facilitate slower, stronger bites.”
“In general…” This is such a vague and nebulous statement. Sure, eagles and parrots bite hard. On the other hand, pelicans and plovers don’t.
“The first avialans in the Middle–Late Jurassic therefore did not competitively displace pterosaurs but rather filled functional niches that pterosaurs were vacating.”
Unsupportable assertion.
BTW, there is another word for ‘non-adults’ = juveniles.
BTW, there is another word for ‘avialans’ = birds.
Juvenile birds = nestlings. If volant ‘non-adult’ birds don’t have a different impact on their environment than adult birds do. Am I wrong?
Figure 2. Manis, the Chinese Tree Pangolin along with other views of other pangolins
” data-medium-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/chinese_pangolin_skeleton588.jpg?w=300″ data-large-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/chinese_pangolin_skeleton588.jpg?w=584″ class=”size-full wp-image-23216″ src=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/chinese_pangolin_skeleton588.jpg” alt=”Figure 2. Manis, the Chinese Tree Pangolin along with other views of other pangolins” width=”584″ height=”375″ srcset=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/chinese_pangolin_skeleton588.jpg?w=584&h=375 584w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/chinese_pangolin_skeleton588.jpg?w=150&h=96 150w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/chinese_pangolin_skeleton588.jpg?w=300&h=193 300w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/chinese_pangolin_skeleton588.jpg 588w” sizes=”(max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px” />
Figure 1 Manis, the Chinese Tree Pangolin along with other views of other pangolins
Unlocking phylogenetic signal: a remarkable network of diploic veins in pangolin and carnivoran crania.
Billet G et al (p126)
“A fundamental challenge in paleontology lies in the reliable phylogenetic placement of extinct taxa in the Tree of Life. The well-documented discordance between morphology-based and molecular phylogenies in placental mammals highlights the complexities involved, often attributed to rapid cladogenesis and correlated homoplasy. However, we posit that the incomplete utilization of potentially informative morphological data, particularly internal structures traditionally inaccessible without destructive methods, may also be involved.”
Don’t get caught ‘Pulling a Larry Martin’ = judging interrelationships on one or a dozen traits. Use ALL of the traits in your cladogram.
“These discoveries establish diploic veins as a potentially powerful phylogenetic marker, providing a distinctive signature for Pholidota and adding another longsought anatomical synapomorphy for the molecularly supported Ferae clade.”
In the LRT pangolins nest with taxa they resemble, all over, inside and out, from nose tip to tail tip. Test aardvarks and armadillos before focusing on veins.
Figure 3. The skull of Devonian Euphanerops, a relative of Bikenia in the LRT. And a relative of the conodont, Promissum. All three are early gnathostomes in the tetrapod line. Here the maxillae arc (sans premaxilla, which appears later) and the straight dentary elements are pulled out to reveal their identities.
” data-medium-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/euphanerops_longaevus_skull2023-588.gif?w=214″ data-large-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/euphanerops_longaevus_skull2023-588.gif?w=584″ class=”size-full wp-image-82878″ src=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/euphanerops_longaevus_skull2023-588.gif” alt=”Figure 3. The skull of Devonian Euphanerops, a relative of Bikenia in the LRT. And a relative of the conodont, Promissum. All three are early gnathostomes in the tetrapod line. Here the maxillae arc (sans premaxilla, which appears later) and the straight dentary elements are pulled out to reveal their identities.” width=”584″ height=”818″ srcset=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/euphanerops_longaevus_skull2023-588.gif?w=584&h=818 584w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/euphanerops_longaevus_skull2023-588.gif?w=107&h=150 107w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/euphanerops_longaevus_skull2023-588.gif?w=214&h=300 214w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/euphanerops_longaevus_skull2023-588.gif 588w” sizes=”(max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px” />
Figure 2. The skull of Devonian Euphanerops, a relative of Bikenia in the LRT. And a relative of the conodont, Promissum. All three are early gnathostomes in the tetrapod line. Here the maxillae arc (sans premaxilla, which appears later) and the straight dentary elements are pulled out to reveal their identities.
Evolution of the gnathostome head: jaws and girdles from a paleontological perspective
Brazeau MD et al (p139).
“The vast morphological gap between jawless and jawed vertebrates heads has long posed an obstacle to a coherent theory of the origins of the jawed vertebrate head.”
In the LRT there are no ‘vast morphological gaps’. This phrase is paleo-bombast used to elevate the author(s). Jaws appeared at least 3x in chordate evolution, something the authors are unaware of, likely due to taxon exclusion. In each case the transition is gradual and readily understood. Add taxa to test this.
“theories fail to resolve the outstanding problems of gnathostome evolution: what (if anything) are the homologues of jaws (and potentially paired fins) in jawless fishes? Secondly, what are the adaptive intermediate states between jawless and jawed conditions?”
Add taxa to find this out. Or see the LRT, which is still at the hypothesis stage. Theories are well-established and useful ideas. So if ‘theories fail to resolve’, they are not theories.
“The heavy emphasis on abstract theories is a byproduct of a lack of clear fossil intermediates between the earliest jawed vertebrates and their nearest fossil jawless relatives such as osteostracans and galeaspids.”
These taxa are not close to the several origins of jaws the LRT.
“We demonstrate that a complex exoskeleton was present in the last common ancestor (LCA) of all known jawed vertebrates, including bones associated with active buccal ventilation.”
In the LRT a complex exoskeleton is not present in the LCA of the several origin of jaws specimens. Otherwise the lamprey, Pteromyzon, is the LCA of all three clades of jawed vertebrates.
Figure 1. Origin of fingers according to taxa in the LRT. Trypanognathus is featured as the first tetrapod with fingers.
” data-medium-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/evolution_origin_of_fingers.jpg?w=94″ data-large-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/evolution_origin_of_fingers.jpg?w=322″ class=”size-full wp-image-73554″ src=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/evolution_origin_of_fingers.jpg” alt=”Figure 1. Origin of fingers according to taxa in the LRT. Trypanognathus is featured as the first tetrapod with fingers.” width=”584″ height=”1859″ srcset=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/evolution_origin_of_fingers.jpg?w=584&h=1859 584w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/evolution_origin_of_fingers.jpg?w=47&h=150 47w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/evolution_origin_of_fingers.jpg?w=94&h=300 94w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/evolution_origin_of_fingers.jpg 588w” sizes=”(max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px” />
Figure 4. Origin of fingers according to taxa in the LRT. Trypanognathus is featured as the first tetrapod with fingers.
Polydactyl precursors: insights into early tetrapod terrestrial locomotion from polydactyl alligator.
Brewington T (p140).
“Several of the earliest taxa of tetrapod vertebrates exhibited polydactyl hands and feet, with seven or eight digits rather than the typical five or fewer seen in extant lineages.”
Earliest does not = most primitive. In the LRT, four fingers is the primitive tetrapod number (Fig 4). Six or more is a derived trait leaving no descendants.
“polydactyly occasionally appears in natural populations of American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis), animals with body plans that broadly resemble those of early tetrapods from the Devonian.”
This is a birth defect. Not a reappearing relic.
“we used high-speed video and an EMED-ST pressure mat to measure the limb movements and foot pressures of three polydactyl alligators (~1.5 m in length) during walking.”
Start with a correct phylogeny. Or all your high-speed videos will be for naught.
Figure 2. Megazostrodon and Ukhaatherium at full scale @ 72 dpi.
” data-medium-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/ukhaatherium_megazostrodon588.jpg?w=265″ data-large-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/ukhaatherium_megazostrodon588.jpg?w=584″ class=”size-full wp-image-87688″ src=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/ukhaatherium_megazostrodon588.jpg” alt=”Figure 2. Megazostrodon and Ukhaatherium at full scale @ 72 dpi.” width=”584″ height=”661″ srcset=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/ukhaatherium_megazostrodon588.jpg?w=584&h=661 584w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/ukhaatherium_megazostrodon588.jpg?w=132&h=150 132w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/ukhaatherium_megazostrodon588.jpg?w=265&h=300 265w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/ukhaatherium_megazostrodon588.jpg 588w” sizes=”(max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px” />
Figure 5. Early mammal Megazostrodon and primitive late-survivor in the Late Cretaceous Ukhaatherium at full scale @ 72 dpi.
Resolving early placental mammal relationships with morphological and molecular data.
Brusatte S et al (p145)
“Placental mammals include over 6000 extant species, ranging from rodents and bats to whales and humans. Their phylogenetic relationships are well established via molecular data,”
This is false. If true then genomic results would match phenomic results.
“but much of their early history is shrouded in mystery, and there is long-standing debate as to whether placentals originated and diversified beginning in the Cretaceous or mostly (or entirely) after the end-Cretaceous extinction.”
Few to no mysteries remain when one uses trait-based cladograms. You can even use fossils! Shame on these paleontologists for omitting the one thing they love to study. In the LRT the debate is settled and no longer shrouded in mystery. But paleontologists ignore what others discover (see the John Ostrom story) and love to use these alchemical phrases as if they can see past the veil with their genomic discoveries – when actually they only muddy the waters.
“Our team has been building a total evidence dataset of molecular, morphological, and temporal data for a suite of placentals and outgroups”
Good! Now the LRT can be tested.
“We finalized a dataset of 2520 morphological characters scored for 191 taxa (44 extant, 147 extinct), with 26 nuclear genes, 14 mitochondrial genes, and two amino acid sequences scored for the extant taxa and, in rare cases, fossil species.”
Bad! 191 is too few taxa. 2520 characters is too many. The LRT includes over 600 synapsids in the mammal subset and only 238 multi-state characters.
“Our preferred topology recovers Xenarthra and Afrotheria in an Atlantogenata clade sister to Laurasiatheria + Euarchontoglires.”
“Preferred”???? = opinion. Plus this team is using outdated and debunked genomic clades. Furthermore this team has no idea that placentals arose 3x and they never will with so few included taxa and so few fossils. If you are part of this team and paying tuition, ask for your money back.
Figure 1. Click to enlarge and see the unknown tapejarid. This is the Tapejaridae, including Sinopterus, Huaxiapterus, Tapejara, Tupandactylus, Tupuxuara and Thalassodromeus
” data-medium-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/tapejaridae-5881.jpg?w=300″ data-large-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/tapejaridae-5881.jpg?w=584″ class=”size-full wp-image-1313″ src=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/tapejaridae-5881.jpg” alt=”The Tapejaridae” width=”584″ height=”246″ srcset=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/tapejaridae-5881.jpg?w=584&h=246 584w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/tapejaridae-5881.jpg?w=150&h=63 150w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/tapejaridae-5881.jpg?w=300&h=127 300w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/tapejaridae-5881.jpg 588w” sizes=”(max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px” />
Figure 6. Click to enlarge and see the unknown tapejarid. This is the Tapejaridae, including Sinopterus, Huaxiapterus, Tapejara, Tupandactylus, Tupuxuara and Thalassodromeus
The high bite force of Tupandactylus navigans (Pterodactyloidea: Tapejaridae) and implications for frugivory.
Buchmann and Rodrigues (p146)
determined bite forces in giant-crested Tupandactylus and concluded “The proportionally high bite force is consistent with the frugivory previously inferred for the pterosaur, although a generalist diet has also been previously proposed.”
These workers need to have a chat with Bestwick J et al (p119, see above) who reported weaker bite forces in pterosaurs. Among birds, fruit eaters typically have a robust beak with a precision grip and tip, lacking in Tupandactylus. Fruit eating involves getting into the plant or hanging from a branch to get at the fruit. That big crest is going to get in the way. Similar pterosaurs, like Pteranodon, ate small fish requiring little to no bite force.
“The revealed bite capacity is related to the short rostrum of tapejarids, which favors an herbivorous habit.”
The authors seem to ignore that Tupandactylus has a long, slender rostrum.
Fruit-eating bird video here.
Figure 1. Kenyasaurus in situ. Click to enlarge. This rather plain specimen nests not with tangasaurids, but with dromasaurids according to the large reptile tree. Boxed area: the primitive dromasaur, Galechirus and its foot to scale for comparison. Haptodus foot for comparison, not to scale. Pink and green tarsals are absent in Kenyasaurus and dromasaurs.
” data-medium-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/kenyasaurus10001.jpg?w=300″ data-large-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/kenyasaurus10001.jpg?w=584″ class=”size-full wp-image-18564″ src=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/kenyasaurus10001.jpg” alt=”Figure 1. Kenyasaurus in situ. Click to enlarge. This rather plain specimen nests not with tangasaurids, but with dromasaurids according to the large reptile tree. Boxed area: the primitive dromasaur, Galechirus and its foot to scale for comparison. Haptodus foot for comparison, not to scale. Pink and green tarsals are absent in Kenyasaurus and dromasaurs.” width=”584″ height=”346″ srcset=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/kenyasaurus10001.jpg?w=584&h=346 584w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/kenyasaurus10001.jpg?w=150&h=89 150w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/kenyasaurus10001.jpg?w=300&h=178 300w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/kenyasaurus10001.jpg?w=768&h=455 768w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/kenyasaurus10001.jpg 1000w” sizes=”(max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px” />
Figure 6. Kenyasaurus in situ. Click to enlarge. This rather plain specimen nests not with tangasaurids, but with dromasaurids according to the large reptile tree. Boxed area: the primitive dromasaur, Galechirus and its foot to scale for comparison. Haptodus foot for comparison, not to scale. Pink and green tarsals are absent in Kenyasaurus and dromasaurs.
A newly discovered fossil reptile fauna with preserved skin impressions from the Permo–Triassic Maji ya Chumvi Formation, southeastern Kenya
Buffa V et al (p147)
“Previously, only a single partial skeleton had been described, almost fifty years ago, from the Maji ya Chumvi Formation: the holotype of the neodiapsid reptile Kenyasaurus mariakaniensis. Fortunately, recent discoveries from the Maji ya Chumvi Formation in Lunga Lunga (southeastern Kenya) have revealed exceptionally preserved complete articulated fossil reptile skeletons, some including soft tissue preservation. As revealed by their anatomical and phylogenetic study, the new fossils from Lunga Lunga document the first occurrence of a procolophonoid in Kenya and provide unprecedented details on the anatomy of the neodiapsid K. mariakaniensis, including three subcomplete skulls, the first cranial material known for this taxon.”
Good news! Looking forward to seeing this data and revising Kenyasaurus if necessary. Earlier the LRT nested a skull-less Kenyasaurus (Fig 6) with basal synapsids = dromoasaurs like Galechirus. Wikipedia nested Kenyasaurus with Tangasaurus.
Figure 6. Palaeosinopa and Sinopa fossil and skeleton both have a long torso, long tail and relatively short legs.
” data-medium-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/palaeosinopa-sinopa2scale588.jpg?w=300″ data-large-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/palaeosinopa-sinopa2scale588.jpg?w=584″ class=”size-full wp-image-90612″ src=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/palaeosinopa-sinopa2scale588.jpg” alt=”Figure 6. Palaeosinopa and Sinopa fossil and skeleton both have a long torso, long tail and relatively short legs.” width=”584″ height=”446″ srcset=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/palaeosinopa-sinopa2scale588.jpg?w=584&h=446 584w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/palaeosinopa-sinopa2scale588.jpg?w=150&h=115 150w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/palaeosinopa-sinopa2scale588.jpg?w=300&h=229 300w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/palaeosinopa-sinopa2scale588.jpg 588w” sizes=”(max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px” />
Figure 7. Palaeosinopa and Sinopa fossil and skeleton both have a long torso, long tail and relatively short legs. Palaeosinopa is another river otter-like relative of Pantolestes, but moe articulated in situ.
Skeletal convergence between the Middle Eocene Pantolestes and modern river otters (Lontra): insights from a new skeleton from the Washakie Formation.
Burger and Jolley (p148)
“In this study we compare a newly collected skeleton of Pantolestes natans, a Middle Eocene pantolestid from the Bridgerian-aged Washakie Formation of Wyoming, with the modern river otter (Lontra sp.) to evaluate the degree of skeletal convergence linked to semi-aquatic locomotion. Although Pantolestes has been considered morphologically similar to otters in terms of locomotor adaptations, it belongs to the extinct order Cimolesta—phylogenetically distant from Carnivora. Its dentition also indicates distinct dietary adaptations, highlighting its independent evolutionary history.”
According to Wikipedia, “The pantolestids were fish predators with a body length of about 50 centimetres… This combination of dentition and muscles has been interpreted as an early adaptation to a hard diet such as clams and snails…they used their powerful tails to propel through the water like modern otters.” So not new news.
Source: https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/2025/11/17/svp-2025-abstracts-of-interest-2/
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