INVESTIGADORES
EZCURRA Martin Daniel
artículos
Título:
Endocranial anatomy and life habits of the Early Triassic archosauriform Proterosuchus fergusi
Autor/es:
BROWN, EMILY E.; BUTLER, RICHARD J.; EZCURRA, MARTÍN D.; BHULLAR, BHART ANJAN S.; LAUTENSCHLAGER, STEPHAN
Revista:
PALAEONTOLOGY
Editorial:
WILEY-BLACKWELL PUBLISHING, INC
Referencias:
Año: 2020 vol. 63 p. 255 - 282
ISSN:
0031-0239
Resumen:
Proterosuchids are an important group of carnivorousbasal archosauriforms characterized by a bizarre andenigmatic downturned premaxilla that overhangs the lowerjaw. They are particularly significant because they radiated inthe immediate aftermath of the Permian?Triassic mass extinctionand represent one of the best known ?disaster taxa? followingthat event. While traditionally considered to be semiaquatic,recent histological studies and geological data havesuggested that it is more likely that they inhabited terrestrialenvironments. By using computed tomographic (CT) data, wevirtually reconstruct the brain endocast and endosseous labyrinthsof two adult specimens of Proterosuchus fergusi from theearliest Triassic of South Africa, in an attempt to understandits life habits within the context of basal archosauriform evolution.Endocasts reveal that the brain cavity is tubular in shapeand the endosseous labyrinths are highly pyramidal. The angleof the lateral semicircular canal suggests that P. fergusi naturallyheld its head upwards ~17°, while the length of thecochlear duct suggests its auditory abilities were specializedtowards low-frequency sounds. Furthermore, beam theoryanalysis suggests that the rostrum of P. fergusi is highly resistantto both bending and torsion when compared to moderncrocodilians, although this resistance is neither enhanced norreduced by the overhanging premaxilla. Comparative anatomicalanalyses suggest P. fergusi was probably a semi-aquatic,generalist apex predator capable of surviving the harsh environmentalperturbations of the Early Triassic.