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Geobulletin
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News from the Geoblogosphere
by Stratigraphy.net
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Lithologs
, a new tool to create lithological/sedimentological logs online..
Blog post recommendation
Osteohistology of Triassic Archosauromorphs
Jennifer Botha-Brink and Roger M. H. Smith. 2011. "Osteohistology of the Triassic archosauromorphs
Prolacerta
,
Proterosuchus
,
Euparkeria
, and
Erythrosuchus
from the Karoo Basin of South Africa."
Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology
31(6): 1238-1254 - (Online November 8th) DOI:10.1080/02724634.2011.621797
Abstract
The South African non-archosauriform archosauromorph
Prolacerta
and the archosauriforms
Proterosuchus
,
Erythrosuchus
, and
Euparkeria
were important constituents of the Early to early Middle Triassic Karoo ecosystem following the end-Permian mass extinction. We present new data on the osteohistology of these stem archosaurs and provide insight into their paleobiology. Bone tissues of the Early Triassic
Prolacerta
contain a poorly defined fibro-lamellar complex, with parallel-fibered bone in some regions, whereas the contemporaneous
Proterosuchus
exhibits rapidly forming uninterrupted fibro-lamellar bone early in its ontogeny, which becomes slow forming lamellar-zonal bone with increasing age. The early Middle Triassic
Erythrosuchus
deposited highly vascularized, uninterrupted fibro-lamellar bone throughout ontogeny, whereas the growth of the contemporaneous
Euparkeria
was relatively slow and cyclical. When our data are combined with those of previous studies, preliminary results reveal that Early and Middle Triassic non-crown group archosauromorphs generally exhibit faster growth rates than many of those of the Late Triassic. Early rapid growth and rapid attainment of sexual maturity are consistent with life history expectations for taxa living in the unpredictable conditions following the end-Permian mass extinction. Further research with larger sample sizes will be required to determine the nature of the environmental pressures on these basal archosaurs.
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