Temporal and phylogenetic evolution of the sauropod dinosaur body plan
@article{Bates2016TemporalAP, title={Temporal and phylogenetic evolution of the sauropod dinosaur body plan}, author={Karl T. Bates and Philip D. Mannion and Peter L. Falkingham and Stephen Louis Brusatte and John R. Hutchinson and Alejandro Otero and William Irvin Sellers and Corwin Sullivan and Kent A. Stevens and Vivian R Allen}, journal={Royal Society Open Science}, year={2016}, volume={3} }
The colossal size and body plan of sauropod dinosaurs are unparalleled in terrestrial vertebrates. However, to date, there have been only limited attempts to examine temporal and phylogenetic patterns in the sauropod bauplan. Here, we combine three-dimensional computational models with phylogenetic reconstructions to quantify the evolution of whole-body shape and body segment properties across the sauropod radiation. Limitations associated with the absence of soft tissue preservation in fossils…
39 Citations
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