Top Qs
Timeline
Chat
Perspective

2017 in reptile paleontology

Overview of the events of 2017 in reptile paleontology From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Remove ads

Paleontology or palaeontology is the study of prehistoric life forms on Earth through the examination of plant and animal fossils.[1] This includes the study of body fossils, tracks (ichnites), burrows, cast-off parts, fossilised feces (coprolites), palynomorphs and chemical residues. Because humans have encountered fossils for millennia, paleontology has a long history both before and after becoming formalized as a science. This article records significant discoveries and events related to paleontology that occurred or were published in the year 2017.

Quick Facts List of years in reptile paleontology ...
Remove ads

Lepidosaurs

Summarize
Perspective

Rhynchocephalians

Research

New taxa

More information Name, Novelty ...

Lizards and snakes

Research

  • A study comparing inner ear morphology of Dinilysia patagonica and extant lizards and snakes is published by Palci et al. (2017).[10]
  • An overview of the discoveries of Mesozoic lizards from Brazil is published by Simões et al. (2017).[11]
  • A study on the origins of the Australian fauna of lizards and snakes is published by Oliver & Hugall (2017).[12]
  • A study on the nomenclature and phylogenetic relationships of the lizard species assigned to the genus Necrosaurus is published by Georgalis (2017), who assigns the species Necrosaurus cayluxi and Melanosauroides giganteus to the genus Palaeovaranus and names a new family Palaeovaranidae.[13]
  • A study on the anatomy and phylogenetic relationships of Eichstaettisaurus schroederi and Ardeosaurus digitatellus is published by Simões et al. (2017).[14]
  • A redescription of the anatomy of the holotype specimen of the teiid species Callopistes bicuspidatus from the late Miocene–early Pliocene of Argentina is published by Brizuela & Albino (2017).[15]
  • An almost complete skull and a few associated postcranial bones of the lacertid Dracaenosaurus croizeti are described from the Oligocene locality of Cournon (south-central France) by Čerňanský et al. (2017).[16]
  • A description of the anatomy of the postcranial skeleton of the putative stem-amphisbaenian Slavoia darevskii and a study on its implications for the evolution of the postcranial skeleton of amphisbaenians is published by Tałanda (2017).[17]
  • Description of a new specimen of Geiseltaliellus maarius from the Eocene Messel pit (Germany), preserving details of the squamation, is published by Smith (2017).[18]
  • A study testing whether extant anole species adapted to similar ecological niches have similar semicircular canal morphologies, as well as a reconstruction of the vestibular system in five Miocene anoles from the Dominican Republic and a study on their ecology is published by Dickson et al. (2017).[19]
  • An autotomized tail of a shinisaurid is described from the Eocene Messel pit (Germany) by Smith (2017).[20]
  • Fossils of a monitor lizard are described from the middle Pleistocene of Greece by Georgalis, Villa & Delfino (2017), representing the most recent known record of the family Varanidae from Europe.[21]
  • A study on the phylogenetic relationships of members of Mosasauroidea is published by Simões et al. (2017).[22]
  • A study on the robustness of the hypotheses about mosasauroid phylogenetic relationships and a reevaluation of the dataset from the study of Simões et al. (2017) is published by Madzia & Cau (2017).[23]
  • A revision of mosasauroids from the Upper Cretaceous marine sediments associated with Gondwanan landmasses is published by Jiménez-Huidobro, Simões & Caldwell (2017).[24]
  • A redescription of Mosasaurus hoffmannii based on examination of many specimens is published by Street & Caldwell (2017), who also provide emended diagnoses for both the genus Mosasaurus and its type species M. hoffmannii.[25]
  • A study on the presence of ligamentous tooth attachment in mosasaurs and in fossil and modern snakes is published by LeBlanc, Lamoureux & Caldwell (2017).[26]
  • A pachyostotic marine squamate specimen belonging to the family Pachyophiidae, consisting of 29 vertebrae, is described from the Upper Cretaceous (Turonian) of Bosnia and Herzegovina by Đurić et al. (2017).[27]
  • An overview of the snake fossil record from Brazil is published by Onary, Fachini & Hsiou (2017).[28]
  • A redescription of the type material of Gigantophis garstini, a reevaluation of referred material from North Africa and Pakistan, and a study on the phylogenetic relationships of Gigantophis and other madtsoiids is published by Rio & Mannion (2017).[29]
  • Snake fossils, including the first record of an indigenous member of the genus Pantherophis in West Indies and the first reported member of the genus Nerodia in the fossil record of West Indies, are described from the late Pleistocene of the Bahamas by Mead & Steadman (2017).[30]
  • A large viperine snake assigned to the genus Macrovipera is reported from the early Vallesian of Romania by Codrea et al. (2017), representing the first occurrence of this genus in the late Miocene of eastern Romania.[31]

New taxa

More information Name, Novelty ...
Remove ads

Ichthyosauromorphs

Summarize
Perspective

Research

New taxa

More information Name, Novelty ...
Remove ads

Sauropterygians

Summarize
Perspective

Research

  • A study on the mechanisms generating vertebral counts and their regionalisation during embryo development that were responsible for high plasticity of the body plan of sauropterygians is published by Soul & Benson (2017).[54]
  • A study on the evolution of the anatomy of the inner ear of sauropterygians is published by Neenan et al. (2017).[55]
  • A study on the morphology of the occlusal surface of placodont teeth and its implications for the diet of the placodonts is published by Crofts et al. (2017).[56]
  • New specimen of Dianmeisaurus gracilis is described from the Middle Triassic Guanling Formation (China) by Shang, Li & Wu (2017).[57]
  • Fossilized soft tissues preserved with skeletal remains of Middle Triassic nothosaurs from Poland are described by Surmik, Rothschild & Pawlicki (2017).[58]
  • Description of a new specimen of Lariosaurus xingyiensis from the Middle Triassic Falang Formation (China) and a phylogenetic analysis of the family Nothosauridae is published by Lin et al. (2017), who transfer the species "Nothosaurus" juvenilis, "N." youngi and "N." winkelhorsti to the genus Lariosaurus.[59]
  • Evidence of septic necrosis and decompression syndrome-associated avascular necrosis affecting bones of Pistosaurus longaevus is reported by Surmik et al. (2017).[60]
  • A study on the skeletal anatomy of Bobosaurus forojuliensis is published by Dalla Vecchia (2017).[61]
  • A study on the function of the long neck in plesiosaurs as indicated by the anatomy of the neck is published by Noè, Taylor & Gómez-Pérez (2017).[62]
  • A study on the large, paired openings in the neck vertebrae of plesiosaurs and their implications for inferring the anatomy of the vascular system in the neck of plesiosaurs is published by Wintrich, Scaal & Sander (2017).[63]
  • A study on the swimming method of plesiosaurs is published by Muscutt et al. (2017).[64]
  • An assessment of the completeness of the plesiosaur fossil record is published by Tutin & Butler (2017).[65]
  • A description of a new specimen of Colymbosaurus svalbardensis from the TithonianBerriasian Agardhfjellet Formation (Svalbard, Norway), a reevaluation of the diagnostic features of the species and a study on its phylogenetic relationships is published by Roberts et al. (2017).[66]
  • A study on the tooth formation cycle in elasmosaurid plesiosaurs is published by Kear et al. (2017).[67]
  • A redescription of the holotype specimen of Tuarangisaurus keyesi and a study on the phylogenetic relationships of the species is published by O'Gorman et al. (2017).[68]
  • A study on the anatomy of the vertebra of Vegasaurus molyi and its implications for the anatomy of the nervous system of the species is published by O'Gorman & Fernandez (2017).[69]
  • A study on the skeletal morphology and histology of a perinatal aristonectine plesiosaur specimen recovered from the Lopez de Bertodano Formation (Seymour Island, Antarctica) is published by O'Gorman, Talevi & Fernández (2017).[70]
  • A redescription of the anatomy of the holotype skull of Morturneria seymourensis is published by O'Keefe et al. (2017).[71]
  • A reappraisal and a study on the phylogenetic relationships of Mauisaurus is published by Hiller et al. (2017).[72]
  • Libonectes atlasense is redescribed by Sachs & Kear (2017), who consider this species to be likely synonymous with Libonectes morgani.[73]
  • An elasmosaurid specimen closely related to Vegasaurus molyi, Kawanectes lafquenianum, Morenosaurus stocki and aristonectines is described from the Late Cretaceous (late Maastrichtian) Lopez de Bertodano Formation (Antarctica) by O’Gorman & Coria (2017), who name a new elasmosaurid clade Weddellonectia.[74]

New taxa

More information Name, Novelty ...
Remove ads

Turtles

Summarize
Perspective

Research

New taxa

More information Name, Novelty ...
Remove ads

Archosauriformes

Archosaurs

Other archosauriforms

Remove ads

Other reptiles

Summarize
Perspective

Research

New taxa

More information Name, Novelty ...
Remove ads

References

Loading related searches...

Wikiwand - on

Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.

Remove ads