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Paleontology of Dinosauria
Paleontology of Dinosauria, cladograms, synapomorhpy
82
Geology
Undergraduate 2
11/10/2009

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Cards

Term
what is a dinosaur?
Definition

are vertebrates, tetrapodes, amniotes, diapsids, and archosaurs-- dinosaurs are a particular branch in the tree of life, we are on another. the list above is like the "address" of dinosaurs in this tree. 

Term
what does dino and saur mean 
Definition

"dino" comes from the greek word deino, fearfully great or terrible

"saur" comes from the greek word sauros (sauras) lizard or reptile


Term

archosauria


Definition

fascinating features of crocidilians that they share with birds,

like... they exhibited parental care

Term
oviraraptor and maiasaura
Definition

nests & parental care, not so surprising

they lay eggs because they come after amniotes on the tree of life

Term
how many species of birds and crocs are there?
Definition
+/- 25 species of crocodiles and +/- 9500 species for birds.... 
Term
name synapomorphies of crocs and birds
Definition
parental care, 4 chambered heart, antorbital fenestra, etc. 
Term

the archosaur revolution

happened when?

Definition

permian, right before triassic, right before mesozoic

 

early mesozoic innovation..... they are starting to become bipedal, hip and femur modifications, perferated asitabulum, 

which are more closesly related to crocs and birds and which are more croc?

Term
pterosaurs are NOT dinosaurs (they branch just before) however are more related to dinos than crocs because of what synapomorphies
Definition

ankle innovations in archosauria, much stronger more rigid, indiciates high activity levels, rearrangement of leg bones and muscles, these innovations set the strage for origin much larger, stronger animals, and new forms of locomotion


Term
the two major groups of archosaurs are dinstinguised by what synapomorphies?
Definition

 ankle joint, mesotarsal ankle... crurotarsal ankle, 

snynapomorphy is the ankle joint... can be found in all later dinosaurs

Term

PTEROSAURS

are not dinosaurs and why?

Definition

diversity is extreme but extremely late... into the age of dinosaurs, they lack apomorphies of dinosaurs so they are not part of that single branch, so how about the flight? it's homoplastic, convergent evolution, they actually fly differently than birds, (they fly with their fingers and membranes and flaps).... 


Term

LAGOSUCHUS

closest outgroup to dinosaurs?  and why?

Definition

partially open hole in pelvis (avetabulum), 

(hole in plevis completely open= dinosauria)

Term
dinosaur synapomorphy revisited... features that distinguish dinosaurs from archosaurs?
Definition

stronger hips and powerful legs (stronger hip girdle, site of muscle attachment larger),

on pelvic bones and sacral vertebrae

greater stregnth, more active lifestyle... 

next features, specilzation front limbs, individual fingers, hands not used for locomotion, offset thumb allows for grasping, elbow in close to the body-- bird like foot, three forward facing toes, primary contacting ground, 

earliest dino fossils, late triassic rocks,


Term
Most complete info about dinos from where and when?
Definition
~225 m.y.a., most complete info by far from argentina, first dino tracks are from mid triassic, somewhat earler about 235 m.y.a, before the first body fossils are found... 
Term

what were earliest dinos like?

name one and its synapomorphies 

Definition

earliest known dinosaurs are small, bipedal carnivores from triassic, 

Eoraraptor, dawn thief, .....about 3 ft long, arms short, hand delicate, sharp claws, anatomy very unspecialized relative to later dinosaurs, relatively small hip bones, smaller leg muscles and relatively short neck 


Term
a plesiomorphy is
Definition
a primitive characteristic
Term
why are we unclear where eoraraptor goes?
Definition

problem of the plesiomorphy, direction of pubis in saurischia, maybe just outside dinos or deep in saurischia, ... 

intro to major groups of dinosaurs

Term

saurischia and ornithischia, 

are idenitified bu their different pelvic regions-

how so?

Definition

the pubis points forward and the ischium points back in saurischians. 

 

the pubis runs parallel with the ischium and there is an additional process in front in ornithischians.

Term
what was ORNITHISCHIA like?
Definition

bird hipped... convergence - homeplasy! 

three major groups- 

thyrephora, armored, quadrupedeled planter eaters like stegosaurs...

Term
what was ornithopoda like?
Definition

duckbills, bird footed, bipedal, some quadraupedal herbivores

marginocephalias, hard head or bone head dinosaurs and the horned dinosaurs, like tricepatops

Term
dynosauria synaps
Definition

an in-turned femoral head, an oppostable thumb, a perforate acetabulum, and an s-shaped neck

the address of this branch in the tree of life is partially described as located in a series of internested groups (amniota, tetrapoda, diapsida, archosauria)


Term
ORNITHIschia
Definition

ORNITHIschia, the bird hipped dinos (more distant from birds than Trex though)

an early ornithischian... synapomorphies... 

Lesothosaurus, E Jurassic, South Africa, small animal, bipedal--- earliest ornithischian is known from the triassic of argentina.... the backward tipped pelvis, also the predentary bone related to diet and on lower jaw, for herbivores...

Term
Heterodontosaurus
Definition

E Jurassic, 3-6 ft, from So Africa, "different kinds of teeth", long fang like teeth at front of mouth as an apomorphy, teeth mesh, enlarged cheeks, larger muscle cheeks

speculation of fangs- omnivorous diet? predetor defense? mate competition? display of mate quality?

ossified tendons, make the toros and tail more rigid, may have aided in balance when running, related to supporting the enlarged gut 

Term
Ornithopoda
Definition

"bird footed" dinos, refers to three forward facing toes

is a monopheletic group, - large and very successful group, species rich, known throughout mesozoic, but follow same pattern as in other lineages, best known from cretaceous, during cretacious herbivores?

synapomorphy- jaw joint lies below level of mandibular tooth row, linked to the mechanis of jaw movement, important for chewing, trend- loss of antorbital fenestra

Term
Early Ornithopod diversity- feathers?
Definition

different reconstructions, evidence of feathers in ornithischian dinos? Dryosaurus for example, probably had feathers.... maybe not lol

no evidence of scales, with two weird exceptions in all of Ornithischia, hadrosaur skin.... 

Term
Thescelosaurus
Definition

latest cretaceous, right before the extinction event, retains a lot of plesiomorphic characters, features seen in the earliest parts of ornithopoda, why did these stick around for 100 mill years? we don't know... 

recognize the skull? trend small or loss of antorbital fenestra, the jaw joints  is articulating with the lower- jaw joint lies below level of mandibular tooth row... predentary bone

Term
IGUANODONTIA
Definition

Tenontosaurs, creataceous of North America, hooflike hand claws, trend in ornithopoda, developing more ossified tendons, also may be related to larger body size,,, quadrupedal but with front legs shorter, not efficient for long distances... but true lived in larger herds, probably migrated and used strength in numbers as defense


Term
Igunadon
Definition

 very early described dinosaur... evidence of bipidality of dinosaurs... 

facultative quadrupeds- forelimbs in slow locomotion, browsing for plants, but at higher speeds- bipedal 

Synapomorphies can be lost--example, bipedality lost, carnivory lost, antorbital fenestra lost... 

Term
Hardosauridae
Definition

 duckbilled dinosaurs, common in late cretaceous of europe, asia and north america, 

novelities: **complex dental battery (specialized teeth that expand and form for grinding), complete loss of antorbital fenestra, two groups- one with hollow crests (Lambeosaurinae) and one without that's flatheaded (hadrosarinae)


Term
ornithpods were small herbivores that did not compete with large sauropod herbivores why?
Definition

swinging jaw movement more efficient.. 

 

ps why the crest? 

resonating chamber allowing Lambeosarine hadrosaurids to make deep loud sounds, maybe warned of predators, or kept a herd together, or attracted potential mates, or all of these things


Term
THYREOPHORA
Definition

sheild bearer, armored dinosaurs

contains some famous dinso, stegosaurus, synapomorphy, one or more rows of armored plates along back, run parallel to vertebral column, embedded in skin

earliest thyreophorans, eary jurassic, more than 300 plates along back, problem we don't know exactly where they were. 

early jurassic to end cretaceous, 

Term
more about stegosaurian lifestyle 
Definition

elongation of skull, elongation of bony plates along vertebrae, reduction in bony plates elsewhere on body...

diversity, mostly about the form of spikes

stegosaurian lifestyle, movement slow, lumbering creatures... diet, herbivores browsing low vegetarian, social life, probably NOT herding animals, based on footprint and skeletal evidence

bizarre plates-- no doubt tail spikes had a defensive purpose, earlist hyptheses for plates on body was defense against large predetors, but too lightly built for defense... more recently? heat exchange? or act like solar panels to soak up heat? but bone structure...

according to newer uc berkley research, maybe helpedc these dinosaurs spot members of their own species 


Term
ankylosauria
Definition

synapomorphy, scutes interlock t form extensive body armor that extends to the head. most diversity is in the shape and position of armor and tail weaponry...

huge tail club, wide head with plates fused to skull, 

know defense within ornithsischians

 

Term
marginocephalia
Definition

means skull head, refers to projection of bone on the back of the skull, most evolutionary action in head

two grousps did very different things with heads... 

synapomorphy - shelf on rear of skull, composed primarily of squamosal bone... 

Term
pachycephalosauria
Definition

huge shelf

all bipedal (not derived, inherited)

most small - up to 10 ft

largest medium sized group

not very species rich

all known from cretatceous of n am, europe asia

- fossil record almost entirely made of skulls, very unsual for dinos, opposite of sauropods... skull bones very thick but overall small lightly built animals...

snyaopmorphy- reall thickened skulls. 

why big skulls? head butting? no.... too light and frail 

but maybe demonstrating mate quality or for species recognition


Term
ceratopsia
Definition

"horned" very diverse, no hones in early parts, large horns on many overall, early from late jurassic, eurasion and no america, species rich for a short time

Rostral bone, small bone at tip of jaw, in front of the premaxilla, not found in any other dinosaur --trend... small to large body, bidpedal to quadrapedal..


Term
marginocephalia synap again 
Definition
shelf on the back of the skull a synapamorphy
Term
pachycelpholosaurus
Definition

perhaps adult to juvenile creates bony dome difference 

next groupf marginocephlia is ceratopsia

Term
ceratopsia
Definition

 means "horned" larges horns present on many, but no horns in early parts

another late group, earlist from jurassica, reached greatest diversity during late cretacious , eurasian and north american, very rich species, in NA, 70% of all fossils are ceratopsian in the late cretaceous 

synapomorhpy-- rostral bone, small bone at tip of jaw, in from on premaxilla,not found in any other dinosaur

early ceratopsians, small to large body size, bipedal to quadrupel, early certaopsians, (eg Psittacosaurus) they are quadrapedel is that plesiomorphic? 


Term
psittacosaurus
Definition

 primarily bipedal, quadrapedal perhaps while feeding, very small and lightly built, predentary bone includes it in ornithiscia, no appreciable horns or frills, develop a form of vertical grinding, not the specialized movement seen in ornithopoda, what else? the back turned pubis, another synapormorphy of ornoth, 

early cretaceous/late jurassic, of asia, mongolia, china, many complete articulated skeletons, many on the black market, small dino, less than 2 m --- they have bristles on the tail?? birds are not in ornithiscia, so these guys are distant cousins of birds... bristle like proto feather?


Term
protoceratops
Definition
also small, 1-2.5 m long, very small frill, and no horns, quadrapedel and all are now, so now bipedality has been lost!! which groups? this represents homoplasy or convergent evolution
Term
later ceratopsians, the neoceratpopsians....  are known for 
Definition

larger, 4-8 m long, exclusively from north america, all late cretaceous, very large skulls with very large frills, largest skulls of any land animal skulls almost 8 ft long, dental batteries-- clear case evolutionary convergence, different from ornithopods, teeth worked like scissors, sharp edges that would have chopped, lived in herds (two forms of evidence- trackways and mass death assemblages)

diversity- two groups of neoceratopsians which are distinguished by horns and frills do not need to know for exm

Term

why horns and frills? 


Definition

-defense? (but some spikes and spines don't seem to serve as a defensive function)

-regulate body temperature? old hypothesis, because they were probably more closely related to crocs and birds, not lizards, they had a 4 chambered heart, etc. 

- ** sexual selection? large surface area could have been highly colored, other options-- species recognition to find right mate and have more offspring, ornamentation could be display mate quality for female choice, or perhaps to establish dominance among males like in competition

sexual selection is a special case of natural selection, which tends to produce individuals that are well adapted to their environment, does not adapt the individual to the environment but does enhance traits involved in mate acquisition-- also perhaps for female choice based on elaborate ornamnetation... or for male competition in which males compete for territory or access to females or areas on mating grounds where displays take place

Term

**synapomorphies of SAURISCHIA 


Definition

long cervical vertebrea

long hand, with digit 2 the longest 

large claw on thumb digit 1

ex. prosauropoda

Term
perhaps covered in colorful keratin? 
Definition

--pachycephalosaurs

--ceratopsians 

Term
SAUROPODOMORPHA
Definition

some extremes, largest land animals of all time, largest and heaviest and tallest

130+ feet or 40m and 18 m high

55 tons

remember or recognize hip structure- (first of the two groups of saurischian dinosaurs, other is therapoda, which includes birds, so these extreme dinos are closer related to birds)

thus these biggest of dinosaurs are more closely related to birds than ornithischian dinos like stegosaurus

 

synapomorphies- blunt closely packed teeth, change indicates modifications in response to a dietary shift to eating plants-- tibia shorter than femur

"headless dinosaur" 

fossil record is unusual - most bones are huge heavilty built and common in fossil record

but skulls are tiny and fragile, attachment between skull and first vertebra very weak

thus skulls often detach after death and are very rare in the fossil record (40 complete skulls total for most species, for most species none)

the two major lineages (deepest split)

--Prosauropoda (plateosaurus)

--Sauropoda


Term
PROSAUROPODA
Definition

 the triassic plateosaurus

earliest known sauropodomophs parts of this group

indicate just few million years after very earliest dinos (such as eoraptor) already at least sometimes quadrupedal and herbivorous -- rapid evolutionary change from carniverous ancestors 

so platesaurus-- anatomy prosauropods "transitional" to large more familiar sauropoda

triassic of germany, france - first discovered dinos

**synapomorphies--

nares shifted to dorsal surface of skull

great reduction in number of phalanges of hand, only digit 1 retains a claw, presacral vertebra greatly lightened by pleurocoels (holes)

Term
SAUROPODA
Definition

quadrapedal/

why the long neck? food resource partionining?

Diplodocid diversity- apatasaurus: most famous diplodocial aka brontosaurus, named during bone wars

name means "deceptive reptile" short and heavier than diplodocus marsh named brontosaurus and cope? or pope? named it apatosaurus

Term
Argentinosaurus
Definition

cretaceous south america, diplodocid sauropod, record lenghth 70 ft high and 130 ft long, length inferred from size of vertebrae and how dino bones are scaled

Term
what characteristics of bird evolved after the origin of flight?
Definition
KEEL ON STERNUM LARGE AREA OF MUSCLES- WHITE MEAT AT BREASTS -- ORIGIN FOR MAJOR FLIGHT MUSCLES 
Term
archosauria synaps again (6)
Definition

diaphram, palatal teeth lost, 

four chambered heart, enlarged brain, 

nest building behavior and care of young

Term
dinosauria synaps again
Definition

in turned femoral head

opposable thumb

perforate acetabulum

s-shaped neck

Term
saurischia synaps again
Definition

long cervical vertebrae

long hand, with digit II the longest

large claw on thumb (digit 1)

Term
sauropodomorpha synaps
Definition

blunt closely packed teeth

tibia short than femur

Term
sauropoda
Definition

nares shift to dorsal of skull

presacral vertebra greatly lightened by pluerocoels

great reduction in number of phalanges= 

only digit 1 retains a claw

Term
therapoda
Definition

kenetic flex jaw

deep ball in socket joint between head and neck

digit V lost from hand (4 fingered)

phalanges of digit V of foot lost

digit 1 of foot reduced and no longer connects to ankle joint

hollow thin willed tubular bones

fused clavicles (furcula)

Term
tetanurae
Definition

tooth row positioned entirely in front of orbit

maxillary fenestra present

digit IV lost from hands (3 fingered)

astragalus overlaps tibia

Term
coelurosauria
Definition

semilunate carpal present

long slender hands

protofeathers present

Term
maniraptora
Definition

distal 3/4 of tail stiff

forelimb at leas 3/4 length of presacral vertebral column

ossified sternal plates

front part of pubic boot absent

brooding behavior

long pinnate arms feathers present

Term
avialae
Definition

flight

forelimb longer than hindlimb

asymmetrically veined wing feathers 

Term
conifers
Definition

pines, spruces, junipers

tough needles with cuticle

300-400 species 

diverse in cooler environments

Term
cycads
Definition

abundant in mesozoic

now mostly in tropic areas

cones in center of plant

each plant is male or female

Term
angiosperms
Definition

reproduce with flowers

seed covered with fruity flesh

dominant plant 

1000s alive today

Term
homeplasy
Definition
independent evolution of similar traits, not based on ancestry 
Term
name two tetrapod groups that evolved a full upright stance, with limbs held directly beneath their body
Definition
dinosauria, mammalia
Term
name two synaps for ornithischia that would indicate modifications for biting off and chewing plants
Definition

teeth inset from margin of jaws

predentary bone in lower jaw

Term
dinosauria
Definition

in turned femoral head

opposable thumb

perforate acetabulum

s-shaped neck

Term
ornithischia
Definition

pelvis with back turned pubis

predentary bone in lower jaw

ossified tendons along part of vertebral column

teeth inset from margin of jaws 

(indicating the presence of muscular cheeks)

Term
genasauria
Definition
expanded crown in premaxillary teeth
Term
cerapoda
Definition
asymmetrical distribution of tooth enamel 
Term
cerapoda
Definition
asymmetrical distribution of tooth enamal
Term
marginocephalia
Definition
expanded shelf at back of skull
Term
ceratopsia
Definition
rostral bone present on upper jaw to form soft beak
Term
heterdontisauridae
Definition
large spike like caniniform tooth in dentary bone
Term
thyreophora
Definition

armor made of bony scutes that cover back and or flankes

tibia short than femur

Term
eurypoda
Definition
the anterior portion of the ilium is much longer than the posterior portion
Term
ankylosauria
Definition
scutes form interlocking mosaic that covers most of body
Term
stegosauria
Definition
scutes enlarged to form two rows of large plates extending along vertebral column
Term
ornithopoda 
Definition
articulation of skull and jaw well below the level of the tooth row
Term
pachycephalosauria 
Definition

thickened skull "dome" surrounded by bumps

occipital plate rotated beneath skull

Term
Symplesiomorphy
Definition
a shared ancestral trait that is not present in all descendant groups (for example, egg laying, which is present in chickens and monotremes—the duck-billed platypus—but absent in humans and monkeys); these characters do not provide useful information for reconstructing phylogenies.
Term
Autapomorphy
Definition
a uniquely derived trait that is not shared with any other groups (for example, the enlarged third digit of the aye-aye, Daubentonia madagascariensis, which is not possessed by any other living primates); these characters do not provide useful information for determining phylogenies either, but are good for identifying particular species.
Term
Synapomorphy
Definition
a shared, derived character found in all descendants, to the exclusion of a common ancestor (for example, live birth and lactation, which characterizes all placental mammals, to the exclusion of other groups); these are the only characters that can be used to reconstruct phylogenies.
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