Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Neurocranial anatomy of Paralligator (Neosuchia: Paralligatoridae) from the Upper Cretaceous of Mongolia. / Кузьмин, Иван Тимурович; Сичинава, Екатерина Амирановна; Мазур, Евгения Васильевна; Гомболевский, В.А. ; Сенников, Андрей; Скучас, Павел Петрович.
In: Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, Vol. 203, No. 1, zlae177, 2025.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Neurocranial anatomy of Paralligator (Neosuchia: Paralligatoridae) from the Upper Cretaceous of Mongolia
AU - Кузьмин, Иван Тимурович
AU - Сичинава, Екатерина Амирановна
AU - Мазур, Евгения Васильевна
AU - Гомболевский, В.А.
AU - Сенников, Андрей
AU - Скучас, Павел Петрович
PY - 2025
Y1 - 2025
N2 - Neurocranial features appear to be phylogenetically informative and key in assessing the still contentious relationships within Crocodylomorpha.However, the braincases of many non-crocodylian taxa are incompletely studied precluding the assessment of evolutionary modifications at thebase of Crocodylia. Here, we describe the braincase osteology and neuroanatomy of the paralligatorid crocodylomorph Paralligator from theUpper Cretaceous of Mongolia based on computed tomography (CT)-scanning, segmentation, and 3D modelling of several specimens. Theanatomy of the brain endocast, nerves, and the paratympanic pneumatic cavities of Paralligator is consistent with its phylogenetic positionclose to or at the base of Eusuchia. Paralligator shares a suit of neuroanatomical features with basal eusuchians and crocodylians reflecting the plesiomorphic condition for Crocodylia. In addition, differences in the brain endocasts between the larger-sized individuals of Paralligator andKansajsuchus and the smaller Shamosuchus are consistent with ontogenetic changes in extant crocodylians. This suggests that members of themore basal clade Paralligatoridae and the crown-group Crocodylia share similar brain modifications during ontogeny. We also review the distributionof the mesethmoid in Crocodylomorpha and show its presence in several clades including Paralligatoridae and Dyrosauridae.
AB - Neurocranial features appear to be phylogenetically informative and key in assessing the still contentious relationships within Crocodylomorpha.However, the braincases of many non-crocodylian taxa are incompletely studied precluding the assessment of evolutionary modifications at thebase of Crocodylia. Here, we describe the braincase osteology and neuroanatomy of the paralligatorid crocodylomorph Paralligator from theUpper Cretaceous of Mongolia based on computed tomography (CT)-scanning, segmentation, and 3D modelling of several specimens. Theanatomy of the brain endocast, nerves, and the paratympanic pneumatic cavities of Paralligator is consistent with its phylogenetic positionclose to or at the base of Eusuchia. Paralligator shares a suit of neuroanatomical features with basal eusuchians and crocodylians reflecting the plesiomorphic condition for Crocodylia. In addition, differences in the brain endocasts between the larger-sized individuals of Paralligator andKansajsuchus and the smaller Shamosuchus are consistent with ontogenetic changes in extant crocodylians. This suggests that members of themore basal clade Paralligatoridae and the crown-group Crocodylia share similar brain modifications during ontogeny. We also review the distributionof the mesethmoid in Crocodylomorpha and show its presence in several clades including Paralligatoridae and Dyrosauridae.
KW - Crocodylia
KW - Crocodylomorpha
KW - braincase
KW - computed tomography
KW - endocast
KW - palaeoneuroanatomy
UR - https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/59711fc8-b3a9-3880-8865-7b9bd23f35fe/
U2 - 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlae177
DO - 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlae177
M3 - Article
VL - 203
JO - Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society
JF - Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society
SN - 0024-4082
IS - 1
M1 - zlae177
ER -
ID: 131511247