Swiss Journal of PalaeontologyThe diversity of the fauna of the late Permian K6 Formation of the Metangula graben of northern Mozambique is coming to light thanks to recent discoveries made by the PaleoMoz Project.
Zanildo Macungo +2 more
doaj +2 more sources
Convergent dental adaptations in the serrations of hypercarnivorous synapsids and dinosaurs. [PDF]
Biol Lett, 2020 Theropod dinosaurs are well known for having a ziphodont dentition: serrated, blade-shaped teeth that they used for cutting through prey. Serrations along the carinae of theropod teeth are composed of true denticles, a complex arrangement of dentine ...
Whitney MR +3 more
europepmc +2 more sources
Whole-body endothermy: ancient, homologous and widespread among the ancestors of mammals, birds and crocodylians. [PDF]
Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc, 2022 ABSTRACT The whole‐body (tachymetabolic) endothermy seen in modern birds and mammals is long held to have evolved independently in each group, a reasonable assumption when it was believed that its earliest appearances in birds and mammals arose many millions of years apart.
Grigg G +5 more
europepmc +2 more sources
The osteohistology of gorgonopsian therapsids and implications for Permo-Triassic theriodont growth. [PDF]
J AnatPermian gorgonopsian therapists had rapid, annually interrupted growth and show longer lifespans than early Triassic therapists. Abstract During the Late Permian, saber‐toothed gorgonopsian therapsids were the dominant terrestrial predators, playing crucial roles as apex predators alongside therocephalian therapsids within Permian terrestrial ...
Botha J.
europepmc +2 more sources
Review of the tetrapod skull-neck boundary: implications for the evolution of the atlas-axis complex. [PDF]
Biol Rev Camb Philos SocABSTRACT This review describes variation in modern and fossil occiput–atlas–axis complex anatomy of total group Tetrapoda with the aim of documenting the range of structural variation throughout their evolutionary history to establish grounds for comparison of the complex between tetrapod clades.
Korneisel DE, Maddin HC.
europepmc +2 more sources
Hypercanines: Not just for sabertooths. [PDF]
Anat Rec (Hoboken)Abstract Hypercanines are here defined as hypertrophied caniniform teeth, that is, canine teeth that are elongated to serve specific functions in different clades of mammals and their synapsid ancestors. This article presents an overview of the occurrence of hypercanines, their growth, and their function across a broad range of clades.
Werdelin L.
europepmc +2 more sources
Comparing cranial biomechanics between Barbourofelis fricki and Smilodon fatalis: Is there a universal killing-bite among saber-toothed predators? [PDF]
Anat Rec (Hoboken)Abstract Saber‐tooths, extinct apex predators with long and blade‐like upper canines, have appeared iteratively at least five times in the evolutionary history of vertebrates. Although saber‐tooths exhibit a relatively diverse range of morphologies, it is widely accepted that all killed their prey using the same predatory behavior. In this study, we CT‐
Figueirido B +2 more
europepmc +2 more sources
Sharpening our understanding of saber-tooth biomechanics. [PDF]
Anat Rec (Hoboken)Abstract Saber‐teeth are a striking example of convergent evolution in vertebrate predators, having evolved multiple times in mammals and their early ancestors. While there is broad consensus that saber‐toothed taxa employed a distinct biting strategy compared to conical‐toothed carnivores, like the lion, the precise mechanics and variability of this ...
Pollock T, Anderson PSL.
europepmc +2 more sources
Growing sabers: Mandibular shape and biomechanical performance trajectories during the ontogeny of Smilodon fatalis. [PDF]
Anat Rec (Hoboken)Abstract The evolution of organisms can be studied through the lens of developmental systems, as the timing of development of morphological features is an important aspect to consider when studying a phenotype. Such data can be challenging to obtain in fossil amniotes owing to the scarcity of their fossil record. However, the numerous remains of Rancho
Chatar N +5 more
europepmc +2 more sources
Description of the skull, braincase, and dentition of Moschognathus whaitsi (Dinocephalia, Tapinocephalia), and its palaeobiological and behavioral implications. [PDF]
Anat Rec (Hoboken)Abstract A subadult Moschognathus whaitsi from the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa, was scanned using synchrotron radiation X‐ray computed tomography (SRXCT). Its subadult state allowed the cranial bones and teeth to be identified and individually reconstructed in 3D.
Lafferty T +3 more
europepmc +2 more sources