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Early crocodylomorph increases top tier predator diversity during rise of dinosaurs

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dc.contributor.authorZanno, Lindsay E.en
dc.contributor.authorDrymala, Susanen
dc.contributor.authorNesbitt, Sterling J.en
dc.contributor.authorSchneider, Vincent P.en
dc.contributor.departmentGeosciencesen
dc.date.accessioned2019-01-28T17:56:17Zen
dc.date.available2019-01-28T17:56:17Zen
dc.date.issued2015-03-19en
dc.description.abstractTriassic predatory guild evolution reflects a period of ecological flux spurred by the catastrophic end-Permian mass extinction and terminating with the global ecological dominance of dinosaurs in the early Jurassic. In responding to this dynamic ecospace, terrestrial predator diversity attained new levels, prompting unique trophic webs with a seeming overabundance of carnivorous taxa and the evolution of entirely new predatory clades. Key among these was Crocodylomorpha, the largest living reptiles and only one of two archosaurian lineages that survive to the present day. In contrast to their existing role as top, semi-aquatic predators, the earliest crocodylomorphs were generally small-bodied, terrestrial faunivores, occupying subsidiary (meso) predator roles. Here we describe Carnufex carolinensis a new, unexpectedly large-bodied taxon with a slender and ornamented skull from the Carnian Pekin Formation (similar to 231 Ma), representing one of the oldest and earliest diverging crocodylomorphs described to date. Carnufex bridges a problematic gap in the early evolution of pseudosuchians by spanning key transitions in bauplan evolution and body mass near the origin of Crocodylomorpha. With a skull length of >50 cm, the new taxon documents a rare instance of crocodylomorphs ascending to top-tier predator guilds in the equatorial regions of Pangea prior to the dominance of dinosaurs.en
dc.description.notesWe thank A. Heckert for diversity data; W. Parker and M. Smith (PEFO), P. Holroyd and K. Padian (UCMP), A. Henrici and M. Lamanna (CMNH), J. Cundiff (MCZ), D. Brinkman and M. Fox (YPM), M. Norell and C. Mehling (AMNH) for access to specimens; R. Benson for matrix files; and P. Brinkman, L. Herzog for specimen preparation. Financial support provided by the Doris O. and Samuel P. Welles Research Fund (UCMP) and an Ernst Mayr Travel Grant in Animal Systematics (Harvard MCZ) to S.D., NC Museum of Natural Sciences, and NC State University. Free online versions of TNT and Mesquite provided by the Willi Hennig Society and the Free Software Foundation Inc.en
dc.description.sponsorshipDoris O. and Samuel P. Welles Research Fund (UCMP); Ernst Mayr Travel Grant in Animal Systematics (Harvard MCZ); NC Museum of Natural Sciences; NC State Universityen
dc.format.extent6en
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdfen
dc.identifier.doihttps://doi.org/10.1038/srep09276en
dc.identifier.issn2045-2322en
dc.identifier.other9276en
dc.identifier.pmid25787306en
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10919/87054en
dc.identifier.volume5en
dc.language.isoen_USen
dc.publisherSpringer Natureen
dc.rightsCreative Commons Attribution 4.0 Internationalen
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/en
dc.subjectearly evolutionen
dc.subjectherbivorous dinosaursen
dc.subjectarchosaursen
dc.subjectradiationen
dc.subjectoriginen
dc.subjectdrivenen
dc.subjectbiogeographyen
dc.subjectanatomyen
dc.subjectchinaen
dc.titleEarly crocodylomorph increases top tier predator diversity during rise of dinosaursen
dc.title.serialScientific Reportsen
dc.typeArticle - Refereeden
dc.type.dcmitypeTexten

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