Vertebrate Paleontology Research Articles

A Decade of Vertebrate Palaeontology Research in the UK: Bibliometric and Topic Modelling Analysis

The study of vertebrate palaeontology in the United Kingdom holds a significant position in global research. This study conducts a comprehensive bibliometric analysis and topic modelling of UK vertebrate palaeontology from 2014 to 2023, utilizing data from the DeepBone database and Web of Science. A total of 2884 publications were analysed using bibliometric methods and Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) to identify key research themes, institutional contributions, and international collaborations. The results reveal a significant increase in publication volume over the decade, peaking in 2021 with 374 papers. High-impact journals such as Nature and Science published approximately 6.60% of the total papers. The LDA analysis identified seven primary research themes, including morphology, palaeoanthropology, evolutionary biology, and geological periods. The Natural History Museum, University of Bristol, and University of Oxford emerged as major contributing institutions. Scientists from the United States were found to be the most frequent international collaborator. The average impact factor of the top journals in the field was 8.28 in 2024, highlighting the high quality of UK vertebrate palaeontology research. This study provides objective insights into the current state of vertebrate palaeontology in the UK, emphasizing its multidisciplinary nature, the importance of international cooperation in the field.

Microstructure and development of the dermal ossicles of Antarctopelta oliveroi (Dinosauria, Ankylosauria): A complex morphogenetic system deciphered through three-dimensional X-ray microtomography.

Ankylosaurs were a group of heavily armored non-avian dinosaurs (Dinosauria, Ankylosauria), represented by a relatively abundant fossil record from the Cretaceous of North and South America. Their dermal skeleton was characterized by large osteoderms whose development and functional role have been largely investigated. However, interstitial small ossicles, forming between these osteoderms, have been far more overlooked and it remains unknown whether they were formed through the ossification of a preexisting fibrous matrix of connective tissue (i.e., metaplasia) or by a cell-induced differentiation of new fiber bundles followed by mineralization (i.e., neoplasia sensu (Zeitschrift für Wissenschaftliche Zoologie, 1858, 9, 147)). Here, we propose a hypothesis on the developmental origin of these small ossicles in the ankylosaurian Antarctopelta oliveroi using light microcopy, scanning electron microscopy and three-dimensional virtual histology through propagation phase-contrast synchrotron radiation micro-computed tomography (PPC-SRμCT). Ossicles are located in the dermis. They are composed of two layers: (1) a thin external layer, and (2) a thick basal plate, composed of collagen fiber bundles, which forms the main part of the ossicle. The external layer is made of a smooth, vitreous mineralized tissue that does not look like bone. The basal plate, however, is of osseous origin. In this basal plate, the collagen fiber bundles are organized in two orthogonal systems: one horizontal-observable in cross-sections-and one vertical-observable in the primary plane of sections sensu (Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, 2004, 24, 874). The horizontal system is itself composed of successive layers of collagen fiber bundles arranged into an orthogonal plywood-like structure. The bundles of the vertical system radiate from the center of the ossicle at the level of the transition between the external layer and the basal plate and run towards the periphery of the basal plate. Their thickness increases from the center of the ossicle towards its periphery. Numerous bundles of the vertical system form thin threads that interweave and penetrate within the thick bundles of the horizontal system. Our new data suggest that the ossicles were at least partially formed by metaplasia, that is, through the ossification of a preexisting fibrous matrix of connective tissue. This process was probably supplemented by a cell-induced differentiation of new fiber bundles laid down prior to their incorporation into the fibrous system and its mineralization. This process looks more akin to neoplasia sensu (Zeitschrift für Wissenschaftliche Zoologie, 1858, 9, 147) than to metaplasia. Consequently, metaplastic and neoplastic processes may coexist in these ossicles with a possible differential expression during ontogeny.

University of Alberta fossil fish type catalogue update

This list updates the fossil fish types deposited in the collections of the University of Alberta Laboratory for Vertebrate Palaeontology (UALVP). This collection contains 111 fish holotypes, 1073 fish paratypes, 62 casts of fish holotypes from other museums, and 31 casts of fish paratypes from other museums. The catalogue number, the latest classification, a short description of the material, the collector(s) of the holotype (if known), the type locality, the full citation including the pages on which it was described, tables, and listings of any figures are provided for each type specimen. As in Bruner's (2019) list, this includes unpublished “types” languishing in Ph.D. and M.Sc. theses, as these specimens are labeled in the collections as “types” on the museum labels and in the computer catalogue. Also, this type catalogue lists specimens incorrectly cited as holotypes and paratypes in the scientific literature, mistakes made in Bruner's (2019) listing, and type specimens on long term loan to the UALVP (Paleontology Collections (PAL) of the Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB)).

The pharynx of the iconic stem-group chondrichthyanAcanthodesAgassiz, 1833 revisited with micro-computed tomography

AbstractAcanthodes has long been the primary source of information on the pharyngeal skeleton of ‘acanthodians’. Because of this its anatomy has played a disproportionate role in attempts to understand the evolution of the jawed vertebrate pharynx and the clade as a whole. However, the anatomy of the pharynx of Acanthodes, now understood to be a stem-group chondrichthyan, remains poorly characterized and subject to several competing interpretations. We used computed tomography to image the articulated pharyngeal skeletons of three specimens of Acanthodes confusus from Lebach, Germany. Acanthodes has a mélange of osteichthyan-like and chondrichthyan-like morphologies in its pharyngeal skeleton. Like many other chondrichthyans, Acanthodes lacked hypohyals, and had four pairs of posteriorly oriented pharyngobranchials. Like osteichthyans, Acanthodes possessed an interhyal, but lacked the separate infra- and supra-pharyngobranchial elements present in osteichthyans and the crown-chondrichthyan Ozarcus. Using these new data we built and animated a digital 3D model of the pharyngeal endoskeleton in Acanthodes, showing that the jaws could have swung outwards during the opening cycle, increasing the anteriorly facing area of the gape for suspension feeding. These new data provide a more definitive picture of the anatomy of a taxon that has long been of great significance in early vertebrate palaeontology.

Canadian Society of Vertebrate Palaeontology Annual Meeting Abstracts 2024

CSVP 2024 Abstract Volume

Current developments in Paleogene vertebrate palaeontology in view of India’s final drift phase and India–Eurasia docking: an appraisal

Current developments in Paleogene vertebrate palaeontology in view of India’s final drift phase and India–Eurasia docking: an appraisal

Evolving trends in vertebrate palaeontology (2013–2022): a bibliometric analysis using DeepBone and Web of Science databases

ABSTRACT Vertebrate palaeontology, essential for understanding the evolutionary processes of backboned animals, has witnessed substantial increase in research activity and publications over the past decade. This bibliometric analysis utilising the data from the DeepBone database, which includes 9,255 literature entries, with 8,259 overlapping entries from the Web of Science, to capture these changes. Our analysis reveals a continuous growth in publication volumes over the decade, alongside a marked expansion in interdisciplinary collaborations and the integration of innovative technological methodologies. The contribution of key regions such as the U.S.A., UK, Argentina, and China underscores the global collaboration in vertebrate palaeontology. The EU, despite its foundational economic and political union focus, stands out as a key contributor in vertebrate palaeontology, showing its extensive influence on scientific collaboration and research funding. A thematic exploration using keyword analysis and Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) analysis identifies prominent research themes, highlighting the field’s towards integrated research approaches. This study offers a quantitative overview of the recent decade in vertebrate palaeontology, providing insights into dynamic trends, major contributions, and future research directions in the field.

Dietary tendencies of the Early Jurassic pterosaurs Campylognathoides Strand, 1928, and Dorygnathus Wagner, 1860, with additional evidence for teuthophagy in Pterosauria

ABSTRACT The diets and feeding strategies of pterosaurs remain a poorly known although speculatively debated topic in vertebrate paleontology. Fossilized gut contents, which offer a crucial direct line of evidence to help decipher these elusive questions, are only known from a handful of pterosaur specimens in a few notable fossil Lagerstätten, such as the Solnhofen Limestone of Bavaria. Although extremely rare, pterosaurs can be exceptionally well preserved in the Lower Jurassic (Toarcian) Posidonia shale of Baden–Württemberg but, until now, none have been reported with identifiable gut contents. Here, we describe fossilized gut contents in two Posidonia Shale pterosaurs: Dorygnathus banthensis (Rhamphorhynchidae) and Campylognathoides zitteli (Campylognathoididae). Dorygnathus is shown to be piscivorous as indicated by the inclusion of the small teleost Leptolepis sp. preserved inside of the abdominal cavity. The gastrointestinal tract of Campylognathoides preserves associated accumulations of belemnoid hooklets referrable to Clarkeiteuthis conocauda and thereby demonstrating a teuthophagous diet. These findings represent the first convincing evidence for belemnoids contributing to the diet of a pterosaur and hint at a possible nocturnal hunting behavior for Campylognathoides. Previous hypotheses regarding dietary trophic partitioning based on differentiating skull anatomy in Posidonia Shale pterosaurs are supported.

Skeletal reconstruction of fossil vertebrates as a process of hypothesis testing and a source of anatomical and palaeobiological inferences

Reconstructions of extinct animals play an important role in vertebrate palaeontology. Such reconstructions represent visual hypotheses regarding the original morphology of the vertebrates they depict, which are amenable to future testing as additional information comes to light through discoveries of new specimens and re-examination of specimens that have already been collected. In this contribution, we argue that the scientific value of reconstructing a fossil vertebrate extends beyond simple presentation of a visual hypothesis, because the process of creating a reconstruction is itself analytical and hypothetico-deductive. Successive drafts of the reconstruction represent provisional visual hypotheses that can be tested on the basis of their internal consistency and their congruence with empirical evidence about the extinct taxon that is the reconstruction’s subject. Iterative refinement of the reconstruction over successive rounds of testing and modification is likely to lead to discoveries about the subject’s anatomy, as certain anatomical possibilities are rejected and others found to be plausible. These anatomical discoveries, here termed first-order inferences, may in turn lead to second-order inferences about functional morphology or other aspects of palaeobiology. Three case studies from dinosaur palaeontology, respectively involving the skull of the hadrosaurid Edmontosaurus Lambe, 1917, the forelimb of the ceratopsid Pachyrhinosaurus Sternberg, 1950, and the hindlimb of an indeterminate ceratopsid, are provided to illustrate how the process of reconstruction can be a fertile source of discoveries.

Diane Scott: extraordinary researcher and scientific illustrator in vertebrate paleontology

Abstract

Vertebrate paleontology of the Cloverly Formation (Lower Cretaceous), IV: the oldest edentulous frog (Salientia) from Laurasia

ABSTRACT Edentulism—lack of teeth—is a derived condition among salientians (total-group frogs and toads) that has arisen independently at least 22 times within the crown group, Anura. Despite this frequency, edentulism (in part or complete) is seldom documented in the salientian fossil record, and thus its evolutionary history remains obscure. A ∼90 Ma gap presently exists between the edentulous salientians Notobatrachus reigi (late Toarcian; Argentina) and the five known species from the latest Cretaceous of Argentina, South Africa, Canada, and the U.S.A. Here we report a new instance of edentulism in an Early Cretaceous salientian, Ostrombatrachos nodos gen. et sp. nov., based on a maxilla from an early Albian age (∼ 111 Ma) locality in the Cloverly Formation of Wyoming, U.S.A. Although incomplete, the holotype maxilla exhibits a distinctive suite of features (i.e., edentulous; pit-and-ridge external ornament; shallow groove across anteriormost portion of margo orbitalis and continuing anteroventrally down lateral surface of pars facialis to interrupt the external ornament; medially expanded orbital flange; moderately broad, deep lamina horizontalis; and weakly developed processus pterygoideus) that is unknown in any other salientian. This new taxon represents the oldest occurrence of edentulous maxillae in a Laurasian salientian and helps fill the long temporal gap in edentulism among salientians. O. nodos gen. et sp. nov. does not appear to be closely related to other edentulous Mesozoic salientians, suggesting it represents yet another independent evolution of this feature.

Sampling and collector biases as taphonomic filters: an overview.

Sampling (or sample) bias is a widespread concern in scientific research, across several disciplines. The concept of sampling bias originated in statistical studies. The consequence of a biased sample is that scientists will conclude about a population different from their target. In paleontology, sampling bias is typically related to fieldwork context. Human factors, known as sullegic (e.g. collection method, historic resampling) and trephic (transport, and curatorial processes) factors can generate bias. Other factor is the ugly fossil syndrome (i.e. choosing based on completeness of the specimens, or according to the researcher interest). Thus, sampling implies information loss. Biased samples add artificial results and can be considered an additional taphonomic filter. Therefore, sampling bias and the collector role and choices are frequently linked and almost indistinguishable. Compared to the treatment of this topic in other research fields, little related discussion has been held in vertebrate paleontology, especially regarding what happens at the interface between the biosphere, lithosphere, and anthroposphere, and during the transition between the anthroposphere and the patrisphere (museums). Numerous questions still arise. As a community, we must pay attention, to minimize the loss of information, from field activities to cataloging.

Tracing the Origin and Migration of Humans— Significant Progress in Paleoanthropological and Paleolithic Fields Made by IVPP

Over the past 15 years, the Paleoanthropological and Paleolithic team from the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology (IVPP), Chinese Academy of Sciences, has made significant progress in understanding modern human origins and evolution through extensive fieldwork, fossil and artifact discoveries, and cutting-edge ancient molecular analysis. The new fossil findings from Hualongdong, Xuchang, the first report on Harbin, and the reevaluations of previously found fossils like Xujiayao revealed high population diversity in East Asia during the late Middle Pleistocene, implying multiple evolutionary lineages linked to modern humans, Neanderthals, or Denisovans. Different species names were proposed for these unique fossils. Discoveries from Zhiren Cave and Fuyan Cave refreshed our knowledge of modern human emergence in China, sparking debates between the “Recent African Origin” and “Multiregional Evolution” hypothesis. Additionally, new archaeological evidence from Nwya Devu and Xiamabei highlighted human adaptations to extreme climates and technological innovations. Genomic studies further revealed complex patterns of modern human dispersal, admixture, and adaptation in China, especially in the past 40,000 years. The first mitochondrial DNA of Denisovan outside Denisova Cave was successfully extracted from the sediments on the Plateau, suggesting the long-term occupation of this population in this area.

Exciting Fossil Discoveries Shed Light on the Origin and Evolution of Fishes and Reptiles

Over the last decade, numerous important vertebrate fossils have been discovered by scientists from the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology (IVPP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), which have significantly enriched understanding about the origin and early evolution of fish, amphibians, and reptiles. Particularly, researches about the origin of jawed vertebrates and origin of birds have systematically revised previous thoughts. These studies also demonstrate the globally leading role played by IVPP research teams in this field.

Bone histology supports gregarious behavior and an early ontogenetic stage to Decuriasuchus quartacolonia (Pseudosuchia: Loricata) from the Middle-Late Triassic of Brazil.

Decuriasuchus quartacolonia is a middle-sized basal "rauisuchian" (Pseudosuchia, Loricata) from the Triassic beds of Brazil, whose original description was based on 10 specimens of equivalent size found in aggregation. In this contribution, we explorethe osteohistology of its appendicular bones and a rib, aiming to infer growth patterns and ontogeny. In all analyzed bones (except in the rib) from three individuals, we found fibrolamellar bone (FLB) throughout the cortices, a pattern shared with other histologically sampled basal loricatans. We found evidence that suggests an early ontogenetic stage for all studied specimens: absence of secondary osteons, lack of transition from an inner highly vascularized FLB matrix to a poor vascularized parallel-fibred bone, one line of arrested growth, open vascular canals in the external surface of the cortex and absence of an external fundamental system. In addition, we observed that the neurocentral sutures in the caudal to cervical vertebrae of the holotype are unfused, strongly suggesting that these individuals were not skeletally mature, as had been previously assumed. In addition, our data support the prior hypothesis that Decuriasuchus is the oldest-known archosaur to show evidence of gregarious behavior and adds a probable cause of this as a strategy to obtain food and avoid predation until becoming independent as adults. Furthermore, our results open the possibility that Decuriasuchus may represent an earlier growth stage of the larger Prestosuchus chiniquensis, with two specimens recovered from the same stratigraphic level and paleontological site. Since the adult form of Decuriasuchus remains unknown, a deeper anatomical study is needed to discuss the validity of the species. This study case exemplifies the importance of paleohistology as an essential complementary tool to describe a new morphospecies in vertebrate paleontology.

Locating the Central Asiatic Expedition: Epistemic Imperialism in Vertebrate Paleontology

Locating the Central Asiatic Expedition: Epistemic Imperialism in Vertebrate Paleontology

The dawn of the Late Villafranchian: Paleoenvironment and age of the Pantalla paleontological site (Italy; Early Pleistocene)

Biochronology is the most widely used method for organizing the successions of continental vertebrate faunas in geological time and for allowing the correlation of continental deposits. However, due to the fragmentary nature of the paleontological record and the diachronicity of first and last occurrences of vertebrate taxa in different areas (i.e., bioevents), it is difficult to precisely define the temporal boundaries between biochronological units. That is why it is crucial to calibrate biochronological data with independent proxies wherever possible. Here, thanks to an interdisciplinary approach that combines sedimentology and stratigraphy, vertebrate paleontology, micropaleontology (ostracods), palynology, and geochronology, we provide a chronological framework and a paleoenvironmental reconstruction of the paleontological site of Pantalla (Central Italy). The combination between biochronological/biostratigraphic and geochronological (U-series/ESR dating and paleomagnetism) data allows us to refer the site to c. 2.2 Ma, i.e., in the transition phase between the Middle and Late Villafranchian in the European biochronological scheme. We reconstruct the environment as a fluvial area with a frequently flooded wet floodplain and marked (probably seasonal) variations of the water level of the channel river. The depositional system was surrounded by a conifer-dominated forest, which is suggestive of a glacial phase.

Stratigraphic context of Oligocene to Pliocene mammal-bearing deposits in Linxia Basin, Gansu Province, China: a historical review and a discussion of ongoing controversies

In this paper, we critically review the half-century (1962–2022) history of study of Oligocene to Pliocene mammal-bearing successions in the eastern Linxia Basin, Gansu Province, China. Despite great strides in our understanding of the regional geology and the discovery of a large quantity of mammal fossils, there remains major discrepancies concerning the definition and age assignment of the formations that comprise the Linxia Group. This has resulted in the development of two competing schemes for its subdivision: the first scheme was proposed by geologists of the Lanzhou University and the Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, and the second scheme is associated with paleontologists of the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology. In an attempt to solve these discrepancies, a five year project was initiated in 2017, and herein we report the main findings as follows: (1) The Jiaozigou Formation does not extend into the Miocene, with its top calibrated at about 23 Ma; (2) The Liushu Formation, as defined in the Maogou section, should be considered as the penecontemporaneous shallow water facies of the coarse-grained Hujialiang Formation of Middle Miocene age; (3) The widespread Hipparion-bearing deposits along the Guangtong River, which have been also referred to the “Liushu” Formation represent a different stratigraphic unit and should be given another name to eliminate confusion following further stratigraphic analysis.

The paleoichnofauna in bones of Brazilian Quaternary cave deposits and the proposition of two new ichnotaxa

The Quaternary vertebrate paleontology of the Brazilian Intertropical Region is well-known, but there are only a few publications on bone ichnology. In this paper, we analyzed trace fossils in 23 bones of the Gruna das Três Cobras, Complexo Suíço, and F3 caves, which are located in Bahia and Rio Grande do Norte states, in the Brazilian Intertropical Region. We discovered gnaw marks assigned to Machichnus and bite marks attributed to Nihilichnus, as well as insect modifications referring to single (Cuniculichnus, Gunnellichnus, Karethraichnus, and Osteocallis) and multiple behaviors (Munitusichnus, and Taotieichnus). Additionally, we proposed the new ichnospecies Nihilichnus sulcatus n. isp. (bite mark) and Cuniculichnus cascudoi n. isp. (insect feeding mark). Regarding the predation/scavenger marks, Protocyon troglodytes was the probable primary modification agent, but some traces may also be attributed to Smilodon populator and Caiman latirostris. Cuniculichnus, Karethraichnus, Munitusichnus, and Osteocallis are attributed to dermestids, whereas termites probably produced Gunnelichnus and Taotieichnus.

Crocodylian princess in Taiwan: Revising the taxonomic status of Tomistoma taiwanicus from the Pleistocene of Taiwan and its paleobiogeographic implications

AbstractToyotamaphimeia is an extinct crocodylian lineage whose name is derived from a mythological Japanese princess. Here, we re-examine the type specimens of a long-forgotten species: Tomistoma taiwanicus from the Pleistocene of Tainan (Taiwan) and revise its taxonomic status to Toyotamaphimeia taiwanicus n. comb., leading to the first recognized species of Toyotamaphimeia outside Japan. Our phylogenetic analyses also support this taxonomic assignment and, more interestingly, further suggest an East Asian lineage. In addition, Toyotamaphimeia taiwanicus n. comb. represents a tropical species, resolving a long-standing puzzle of why Toyotamaphimeia only inhabited a much higher latitudinal area (Japan). Given the large body size of Toyotamaphimeia taiwanicus n. comb. (~7 m) and the fact that it is geologically older than Toyotamaphimeia machikanensis from Japan, we propose a novel evolutionary scenario: the genus Toyotamaphimeia originated in Taiwan and evolved to a large body size with gigantothermic physiology, which resulted in migration out of Taiwan and dispersal farther north to Japan. Our taxonomic identification shows the presence of an extinct endemic crocodylian species from the Pleistocene of Taiwan with large-scale paleogeographic implications. This study, with our recent progress in vertebrate paleontology in Taiwan, should provoke more in-depth paleontological research on the Pleistocene extinction.