DIFFERENCES IN THE HINDLIMB ANATOMY IN THE TWO SPECIES OF THE LATE TRIASSIC DREPANOSAUROMORPH DIAPSID <em>MEGALANCOSAURUS</em> INDICATE HABITAT PARTITIONING WITHIN THE ARBOREAL ENVIRONMENT
Discovery of two different morphologies of the hindlimb in specimens ascribed to the Triassic drepanosauromorph diapsid Megalancosaurus led to the erection of two distinct species within this genus: M. preonensis and M. endennae. In the present study a re-examination of the hindlimb architecture of...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Milano University Press
2023-05-01
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| Series: | Rivista Italiana di Paleontologia e Stratigrafia |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://riviste.unimi.it/index.php/RIPS/article/view/19176 |
| _version_ | 1797699752380334080 |
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| author | Silvio Renesto FRANCO SALLER |
| author_facet | Silvio Renesto FRANCO SALLER |
| author_sort | Silvio Renesto |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
Discovery of two different morphologies of the hindlimb in specimens ascribed to the Triassic drepanosauromorph diapsid Megalancosaurus led to the erection of two distinct species within this genus: M. preonensis and M. endennae. In the present study a re-examination of the hindlimb architecture of both Megalancosaurus species indicates that M. preonensis and M. endennae exploited different microhabitats within the arboreal environment as for many extant species belonging to the same genus, like caribbean Anoles. M. endennae, with a stronger lower leg, a larger grasping foot, an opposable clawless hallux, and deeper and more recurved claws on pedal digits 2-5 was better adapted for locomotion on narrow and intricate supports like narrow twigs on terminal branches. M.preonensis with more slender hindlimbs, absence of an opposable hallux and longer, but thinner and less recurved claws on all pedal digits may have been better adapted to live on larger supports and could also have used the long pedal claws as hooks in a sloth-like fashion. In both Megalancosaurus species the tail acted both as a prop to assume a stable tripodal gait and as a clinging device that ensured grip during bridging as in other arboreal drepanosauromorphs which skeleton is adequately known. The overall hindlimb adaptation of Megalancosaurus species are more similar to that of some small arboreal mammals rather than that of chameleons.
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| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T04:13:22Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e09a972ab1be427caa1b15f89abca4b1 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0035-6883 2039-4942 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T04:13:22Z |
| publishDate | 2023-05-01 |
| publisher | Milano University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Rivista Italiana di Paleontologia e Stratigrafia |
| spelling | doaj.art-e09a972ab1be427caa1b15f89abca4b12023-09-03T10:54:12ZengMilano University PressRivista Italiana di Paleontologia e Stratigrafia0035-68832039-49422023-05-01129210.54103/2039-4942/19176DIFFERENCES IN THE HINDLIMB ANATOMY IN THE TWO SPECIES OF THE LATE TRIASSIC DREPANOSAUROMORPH DIAPSID <em>MEGALANCOSAURUS</em> INDICATE HABITAT PARTITIONING WITHIN THE ARBOREAL ENVIRONMENTSilvio Renesto0FRANCO SALLER1Dipartimento di Scienze Teoriche ed Applicate, Università degli Studi dell’Insubria, via Dunant 3, Varese, Italy.Via Weingarter 5, 39010 Gargazzone (Bolzano), Italy. Discovery of two different morphologies of the hindlimb in specimens ascribed to the Triassic drepanosauromorph diapsid Megalancosaurus led to the erection of two distinct species within this genus: M. preonensis and M. endennae. In the present study a re-examination of the hindlimb architecture of both Megalancosaurus species indicates that M. preonensis and M. endennae exploited different microhabitats within the arboreal environment as for many extant species belonging to the same genus, like caribbean Anoles. M. endennae, with a stronger lower leg, a larger grasping foot, an opposable clawless hallux, and deeper and more recurved claws on pedal digits 2-5 was better adapted for locomotion on narrow and intricate supports like narrow twigs on terminal branches. M.preonensis with more slender hindlimbs, absence of an opposable hallux and longer, but thinner and less recurved claws on all pedal digits may have been better adapted to live on larger supports and could also have used the long pedal claws as hooks in a sloth-like fashion. In both Megalancosaurus species the tail acted both as a prop to assume a stable tripodal gait and as a clinging device that ensured grip during bridging as in other arboreal drepanosauromorphs which skeleton is adequately known. The overall hindlimb adaptation of Megalancosaurus species are more similar to that of some small arboreal mammals rather than that of chameleons. https://riviste.unimi.it/index.php/RIPS/article/view/19176Megalancosaurus (Diapsida Drepanosauromorpha); Triassic; functional morphology; interspecific variation; osteology; locomotion; palaeoecology. |
| spellingShingle | Silvio Renesto FRANCO SALLER DIFFERENCES IN THE HINDLIMB ANATOMY IN THE TWO SPECIES OF THE LATE TRIASSIC DREPANOSAUROMORPH DIAPSID <em>MEGALANCOSAURUS</em> INDICATE HABITAT PARTITIONING WITHIN THE ARBOREAL ENVIRONMENT Rivista Italiana di Paleontologia e Stratigrafia Megalancosaurus (Diapsida Drepanosauromorpha); Triassic; functional morphology; interspecific variation; osteology; locomotion; palaeoecology. |
| title | DIFFERENCES IN THE HINDLIMB ANATOMY IN THE TWO SPECIES OF THE LATE TRIASSIC DREPANOSAUROMORPH DIAPSID <em>MEGALANCOSAURUS</em> INDICATE HABITAT PARTITIONING WITHIN THE ARBOREAL ENVIRONMENT |
| title_full | DIFFERENCES IN THE HINDLIMB ANATOMY IN THE TWO SPECIES OF THE LATE TRIASSIC DREPANOSAUROMORPH DIAPSID <em>MEGALANCOSAURUS</em> INDICATE HABITAT PARTITIONING WITHIN THE ARBOREAL ENVIRONMENT |
| title_fullStr | DIFFERENCES IN THE HINDLIMB ANATOMY IN THE TWO SPECIES OF THE LATE TRIASSIC DREPANOSAUROMORPH DIAPSID <em>MEGALANCOSAURUS</em> INDICATE HABITAT PARTITIONING WITHIN THE ARBOREAL ENVIRONMENT |
| title_full_unstemmed | DIFFERENCES IN THE HINDLIMB ANATOMY IN THE TWO SPECIES OF THE LATE TRIASSIC DREPANOSAUROMORPH DIAPSID <em>MEGALANCOSAURUS</em> INDICATE HABITAT PARTITIONING WITHIN THE ARBOREAL ENVIRONMENT |
| title_short | DIFFERENCES IN THE HINDLIMB ANATOMY IN THE TWO SPECIES OF THE LATE TRIASSIC DREPANOSAUROMORPH DIAPSID <em>MEGALANCOSAURUS</em> INDICATE HABITAT PARTITIONING WITHIN THE ARBOREAL ENVIRONMENT |
| title_sort | differences in the hindlimb anatomy in the two species of the late triassic drepanosauromorph diapsid em megalancosaurus em indicate habitat partitioning within the arboreal environment |
| topic | Megalancosaurus (Diapsida Drepanosauromorpha); Triassic; functional morphology; interspecific variation; osteology; locomotion; palaeoecology. |
| url | https://riviste.unimi.it/index.php/RIPS/article/view/19176 |
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