Article
Biology
Jinfeng Hu, Catherine A. Forster, Xing Xu, Qi Zhao, Yiming He, Fenglu Han
Summary: The dental system of early-diverging ceratopsians in China exhibits unique features, such as tooth batteries and specialized wear surfaces. These dinosaurs have a relatively slow tooth replacement rate and likely used gastroliths to triturate their food.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Facundo J. Riguetti, Sebastian Apesteguia, Xabier Pereda-Suberbiola
Summary: The early evolution of thyreophoran dinosaurs occurred primarily in northern continents. The discovery of Jakapil in Argentina suggests that thyreophorans had a broader distribution and different anatomical features than previously thought.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Robert W. Gess, Cyrille Prestianni
Summary: The newly discovered early plant bearing lenses from the Baviaanskloof Formation in Impofu Dam, Eastern Cape Province of South Africa, provide evidence for one of the most diverse Late Silurian to Early Devonian assemblages known to date, representing the oldest flora known from Africa. The assemblage includes fifteen taxa, with three new taxa described, and is remarkable for the large number of complete or sub-complete specimens, allowing good understanding of earliest plant architecture. This flora bears the greatest resemblance to Early Lochkovian assemblages from the Parana Basin of Brazil and the Anglo Welsh basin, providing biostratigraphic constraints on the dating of the Baviaanskloof Formation.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Anatomy & Morphology
Karen Poole
Summary: The phylogenetic relationships of the new dryosaurid genus Iyuku were investigated using parsimony analysis. Study found that congenetic juvenile and adult specimens were recovered as sister taxa, supporting the confidence in the phylogenetic affinities of the juvenile specimens.
ANATOMICAL RECORD-ADVANCES IN INTEGRATIVE ANATOMY AND EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biology
Filippo Maria Rotatori, Mattia Quaranta, Filippo Bertozzo, Tom Huebner, Bruno Camilo, Octavio Mateus, Miguel Moreno-Azanza
Summary: Virtual palaeontology is a growing field that utilizes techniques such as CT and μCT-scanning to study the microanatomy of extinct species. In this study, the microanatomy of an isolated dentary from a dryosaurid dinosaur was described using μCT-scanning and 3D rendering. Functional and replacement teeth were identified, and a complex neurovascular network was mapped. The findings suggest a high level of vascularization common in cerapodan dinosaurs with high tooth replacement rates, though further research is needed to understand the macroevolutionary significance.
HISTORICAL BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Geography, Physical
Mari Carmen Arriaza, Julia Aramendi, Miguel Angel Mate-Gonzalez, Jose Yravedra, Dominic Stratford
Summary: This study combines classic taphonomic analyses with new techniques to confirm brown hyena tooth marks on australopiths from Sterkfontein in South Africa, providing the first direct evidence of scavenging by hyenids on early hominin remains. The hypothesis introduces a new perspective on the relationship between carnivores and hominins in the Cradle, expanding on previous beliefs about leopards' role as the primary predator of early hominin remains in South African palaeocaves.
QUATERNARY SCIENCE REVIEWS
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jin-Young Park, Yuong-Nam Lee, Philip J. Currie, Michael J. Ryan, Phil Bell, Robin Sissons, Eva B. Koppelhus, Rinchen Barsbold, Sungjin Lee, Su-Hwan Kim
Summary: The new articulated postcranial specimen of an indeterminate ankylosaurid dinosaur from Mongolia shows that Asian ankylosaurids evolved rigid bodies with a decreased number of pedal phalanges. There were at least two forms of flank armor within Ankylosauridae, and unique anatomical features related to digging were present in this dinosaur group. Although not fossorial, ankylosaurids were likely able to dig the substrate for self-defense and survival.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Paleontology
Marcos G. Becerra, Diego Pol, John A. Whitlock, Laura B. Porro
Summary: This study used microcomputed tomography data to analyze dental replacement in Manidens condorensis, revealing a continuous anterior-to-posterior wave pattern and potential asynchronous tooth eruption timings. The research provides key information for understanding the dynamics of jaw function and craniomandibular specialization to herbivory in Heterodontosauridae and other early ornithischians.
PAPERS IN PALAEONTOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Zhuosen Yao, James E. Mungall
Summary: The Main Magnetite Layer of the Bushveld Complex in South Africa is rich in iron, titanium, and vanadium, but its formation remains enigmatic. Previous models required frequent adjustments, while an alternative model fits observations without any modifications. The choice of models is crucial for understanding the formation of layered intrusions.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Mark J. Gibbons, Steve H. D. Haddock, George Matsumoto, Craig Foster
Summary: Based on photographs from local community scientists, new additions to the ctenophore fauna in South Africa suggest that it may be one of the most diverse globally. Tips for community scientists to improve their photographic contributions to understanding ctenophore diversity are provided in the study.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
J. Benoit, M. Nxumalo, L. A. Norton, V Fernandez, L. C. Gaetano, B. Rubidge, F. Abdala
Summary: Lumkuia fuzzi is a small non-mammalian cynodont from the Middle Triassic of South Africa. Through detailed description of its skull and partial skeleton, and phylogenetic analysis, Lumkuia's position as a basal Probainognathia is determined. The specimen shares several characteristics with other probainognathians, including cranial, postcranial, and paleoneurological features. The degree of skeletal ossification and stages of dental replacement and wear suggest that the specimen is a subadult. The forelimbs indicate adaptation to faclutative fossorial ecology.
JOURNAL OF AFRICAN EARTH SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Pia A. Viglietti, Roger B. J. Benson, Roger M. H. Smith, Jennifer Botha, Christian F. Kammerer, Zaituna Skosan, Elize Butler, Annelise Crean, Bobby Eloff, Sheena Kaal, Joel Mohoi, William Molehe, Nolusindiso Mtalana, Sibusiso Mtungata, Nthaopa Ntheri, Thabang Ntsala, John Nyaphuli, Paul October, Georgina Skinner, Mike Strong, Hedi Stummer, Frederik P. Wolvaardt, Kenneth D. Angielczyk
Summary: The study analyzed fossil data from South Africa's Karoo Basin, revealing a period of high extinction rates lasting approximately 1 million years during the Permo-Triassic Transition. This period was characterized by rapid turnover and the emergence of short-lived species, indicating ecosystem instability.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Jun-ling Liao, Tian Lan, Guang-hui Xu, Ji Li, Yan-jiao Qin, Ming-sheng Zhao, Yu-lan Li, Yue Wang
Summary: This study provides new insights into the tooth implantation, histology, and replacement of the marine reptile Keichousaurus hui, revealing the tooth histology for the first time and categorizing tooth replacement as iguanid type. The research suggests that Keichousaurus may have primarily fed on small fish or juvenile fish and relatively soft-bodied invertebrates in the same ecosystem based on the morphology and structure of its teeth.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Pedro Luiz Silva de Miranda, Kyle G. Dexter, Michael D. Swaine, Ary Teixeira de Oliveira-Filho, Olivier J. Hardy, Adeline Fayolle
Summary: Differences in tree species richness between South America and Africa are primarily due to certain key families in South American moist forests and dry vegetation types. The tree floras of South America and Africa are organized similarly, and further research on these key families could provide insights into the processes leading to South America's exceptional plant species diversity.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Economics
Lucia Corno, Eliana La Ferrara, Justine Burns
Summary: The study suggests that living with a roommate of a different race reduces negative stereotypes towards Black students among White students and promotes interracial friendships. Additionally, it found that this interaction has a positive impact on academic outcomes, particularly for Black students.
AMERICAN ECONOMIC REVIEW
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Emma M. Dunne, Alexander Farnsworth, Roger B. J. Benson, Pedro L. Godoy, Sarah E. Greene, Paul J. Valdes, Daniel J. Lunt, Richard J. Butler
Summary: The rise of dinosaurs as dominant components in terrestrial ecosystems was a significant event in the history of life. The drivers of their early evolution and diversity, however, remain poorly understood. This study suggests that the expansion of dinosaurs' distribution and abundance may have been driven by both opportunistic factors, such as the extinction of co-occurring species, and changes in global climatic distributions during the Triassic to Jurassic transition.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Kirsty M. M. Edgar, Lewis Haller, Daniel D. D. Cashmore, Emma M. M. Dunne, Richard J. J. Butler
Summary: Dinosaur tracks are an important tool for understanding the ecology and distribution of dinosaurs. The UK has a rich history of dinosaur track discoveries, and this new dataset shows a close correlation between the distribution of sediments and the preservation of dinosaur tracks. The track record reveals similar patterns to the body fossil record, but also provides unique insights into dinosaur communities and shows a trend towards higher numbers of tracks over time.
JOURNAL OF THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY
(2023)
Article
Paleontology
Gemma Louise Benevento, Roger B. J. Benson, Roger A. Close, Richard J. Butler
Summary: The extinction of non-avian dinosaurs led to the diversification of placental mammals, with increases in diversity observed in all body size classes. Small-bodied mammals experienced similar diversity increases to larger species, likely due to greater access to resources and finer resource partitioning. The extinctions and ecological changes during the Late Cretaceous and across the K/Pg boundary contributed to this diversification.
Article
Geology
Kirsty M. Edgar, Luke E. Meade, Harry T. Jones, Lewis Haller, Sam Scriven, Christopher Reedman, Richard J. Butler
Summary: Spyway Quarry in Dorset is the largest easily accessible UK dinosaur tracksite, with over 100 tracks made by sauropod dinosaurs. The trackway surface has undergone changes over time due to natural processes, resulting in the reduction of track prominence. Visitor data indicates an annual visitation of approximately 10,000 people, with potential improvements suggested for visitor directions and information. Our study emphasizes the importance of using 3D imaging techniques for documenting and preserving site legacies.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE GEOLOGISTS ASSOCIATION
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jennifer Botha, Bailey M. Weiss, Kathleen Dollman, Paul M. Barrett, Roger B. J. Benson
Summary: Crocodilians evolved from early pseudosuchians with faster growth rates, but developed slow growth rates during the Late Triassic. This transition to slow growth occurred around the origin of Crocodylomorpha. The presence of different bone tissue types in fossil specimens supports this finding.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ahmed Oussou, Peter L. Falkingham, Richard J. Butler, Khadija Boumir, Driss Ouarhache, Kawtar Ech-charay, Andre Charriere, Susannah C. R. Maidment
Summary: In addition to bone fossils, fossil tracks and trackways provide valuable insights into dinosaur paleobiology. This article reports on three new tracksites from the Imilchil area in Morocco, which contain tracks made by different types of dinosaurs, including sauropods, theropods, ornithopods, and potentially bird-like non-avian theropods. The authors also created three-dimensional digital models of the track sites using photogrammetry. These new tracksites contribute to our understanding of dinosaur-substrate interactions and enrich the existing record of faunal ichnoassemblages in the High Atlas Mountains and North Africa.
ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Martin D. Ezcurra, Saswati Bandyopadhyay, Dhurjati P. Sengupta, Kasturi Sen, Andrey G. Sennikov, Roland B. Sookias, Sterling J. Nesbitt, Richard J. Butler
Summary: Proterosuchidae represents the earliest significant diversification of Archosauromorpha and is crucial in understanding the recovery of life after the end-Permian mass extinction. Recent revisions have confirmed the presence of new Proterosuchidae species, including Samsarasuchus pamelae, in the Panchet Formation in India, expanding the taxonomic diversity of Proterosuchidae.
ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Emma M. Dunne, Samuel E. D. Thompson, Richard J. Butler, James Rosindell, Roger A. Close
Summary: A spatially explicit mechanistic model based on neutral theory is used to explain the changes in apparent diversity in the fossil record of the late Carboniferous and early Permian, which are caused by variation in sampling intensity through time.
NATURE ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION
(2023)
Meeting Abstract
Anatomy & Morphology
Simon Wills, Aaron J. Cavosie, Vincent Fernandez, Charlie J. Underwood, David J. Ward, Emma L. Bernard, Paul M. Barrett
ANATOMICAL RECORD-ADVANCES IN INTEGRATIVE ANATOMY AND EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY
(2023)
Meeting Abstract
Anatomy & Morphology
Andrew B. Heckert, Joel P. Crothers, Luke J. Rose, Sterling J. Nesbitt, Isaac Pugh, Michelle R. Stocker, Paul M. Barrett, Simon Wills, David Ward, Bruce Lauer, Rene Lauer
ANATOMICAL RECORD-ADVANCES IN INTEGRATIVE ANATOMY AND EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY
(2023)
Meeting Abstract
Anatomy & Morphology
Paul M. Barrett, Lara Sciscio, Michel Zondo, Timothy J. Broderick, Darlington Munyikwa, Pia A. Viglietti, Steve F. Edwards, Kimberley E. J. Chapelle, Kathleen N. Dollman, Jonah N. Choiniere
ANATOMICAL RECORD-ADVANCES IN INTEGRATIVE ANATOMY AND EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY
(2023)
Meeting Abstract
Anatomy & Morphology
Jonah N. Choiniere, Roger B. J. Benson, Kathleen Dollman, Kimberley E. J. Chapelle, Celina A. Suarez, Glenn R. Sharman, Emese M. Bordy, Jennifer Botha, Bailey M. Weiss, Paul M. Barrett
ANATOMICAL RECORD-ADVANCES IN INTEGRATIVE ANATOMY AND EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Thomas J. Raven, Paul M. Barrett, Chris B. Joyce, Susannah C. R. Maidment
Summary: The armoured dinosaurs, called Thyreophora, were an important part of the Mesozoic terrestrial ecosystems. Their fossils have been found on all continents, including Antarctica. However, due to a patchy fossil record and modified anatomy, the evolutionary history of these dinosaurs has been difficult to reconstruct. A recent study using a new phylogenetic dataset reveals a novel hypothesis for their relationships.
JOURNAL OF SYSTEMATIC PALAEONTOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Andrew J. Moore, Paul M. Barrett, Paul Upchurch, Chun-Chi Liao, Yong Ye, Baoqiao Hao, Xing Xu
Summary: This study re-describes and reevaluates the taxonomic status of the sauropod genus Mamenchisaurus, finding that it is not monophyletic and requiring further revision. It also identifies Mamenchisaurus sinocanadorum as a particularly long-necked sauropod with extensive vertebral pneumatization, and proposes that the elongated cervical ribs played a role in stabilizing the neck and promoting neck elongation by creating a predictable biomechanical environment for increased pneumatization.
JOURNAL OF SYSTEMATIC PALAEONTOLOGY
(2023)
Correction
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ricardo Araujo, Romain David, Julien Benoit, Jacqueline K. Lungmus, Alexander Stoessel, Paul M. Barrett, Jessica A. Maisano, Eric Ekdale, Maeva Orliac, Zhe-Xi Luo, Agustin G. Martinelli, Eva A. Hoffman, Christian A. Sidor, Rui M. S. Martins, Fred Spoor, Kenneth D. Angielczyk