cometadata/datacite-titles-descriptions-related-identifiers huggingface dataset:
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.22926291
title: The phylogenetic relationships and evolutionary history of the armoured dinosaurs (Ornithischia: Thyreophora)

description: The armoured dinosaurs (Thyreophora) were a significant component of Mesozoic terrestrial ecosystems, appearing in the earliest Jurassic and surviving until the latest Cretaceous, and fossils of the group have been found on all continents, including Antarctica. However, a patchy fossil record and highly modified anatomy has hindered reconstruction of their evolutionary history. For example, the relationships of many early-diverging taxa are labile and the degree of convergence between the two major clades, Ankylosauria and Stegosauria, has been difficult to assess. There has never been a species-level phylogenetic analysis of the thyreophoran dinosaurs; until recently, the computational ability to analyse such a dataset did not exist and, consequently, the interrelationships of taxa within the group are debated. Here, we address these issues with a new phylogenetic dataset that includes the majority of named thyreophoran taxa (340 characters, 91 taxa). This dataset was analysed using equal- and implied-weights parsimony and Bayesian inference, and further explored using constraint trees and partitioned datasets. Stratigraphical congruence was used to identify a ‘preferred tree’ and these analyses reveal a novel hypothesis for thyreophoran relationships. The traditional ankylosaurian dichotomy is not supported: instead, four distinct ankylosaur clades are identified, with the long-standing ‘traditional’ clade Nodosauridae rendered paraphyletic. Ankylosauridae, Panoplosauridae, Polacanthidae and Struthiosauridae have distinct morphotypes, typified by <i>Euoplocephalus</i>, <i>Edmontonia/Panoplosaurus</i>, <i>Gastonia</i> and <i>Struthiosaurus</i>, respectively. <i>Isaberrysaura</i> is an early stegosaur and <i>Scelidosaurus</i> is a non-eurypodan. Many characters related to feeding and quadrupedality are coincident with the diversification of Eurypoda. Unstable taxa in the analyses are generally highly incomplete but other better-known taxa are also unstable, suggesting the need for taxonomic revisions. Partitioned datasets show a high degree of convergence in thyreophoran postcrania and that osteoderm characters do not contain a strong phylogenetic signal.
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.22926291.v1
title: The phylogenetic relationships and evolutionary history of the armoured dinosaurs (Ornithischia: Thyreophora)

description: The armoured dinosaurs (Thyreophora) were a significant component of Mesozoic terrestrial ecosystems, appearing in the earliest Jurassic and surviving until the latest Cretaceous, and fossils of the group have been found on all continents, including Antarctica. However, a patchy fossil record and highly modified anatomy has hindered reconstruction of their evolutionary history. For example, the relationships of many early-diverging taxa are labile and the degree of convergence between the two major clades, Ankylosauria and Stegosauria, has been difficult to assess. There has never been a species-level phylogenetic analysis of the thyreophoran dinosaurs; until recently, the computational ability to analyse such a dataset did not exist and, consequently, the interrelationships of taxa within the group are debated. Here, we address these issues with a new phylogenetic dataset that includes the majority of named thyreophoran taxa (340 characters, 91 taxa). This dataset was analysed using equal- and implied-weights parsimony and Bayesian inference, and further explored using constraint trees and partitioned datasets. Stratigraphical congruence was used to identify a ‘preferred tree’ and these analyses reveal a novel hypothesis for thyreophoran relationships. The traditional ankylosaurian dichotomy is not supported: instead, four distinct ankylosaur clades are identified, with the long-standing ‘traditional’ clade Nodosauridae rendered paraphyletic. Ankylosauridae, Panoplosauridae, Polacanthidae and Struthiosauridae have distinct morphotypes, typified by <i>Euoplocephalus</i>, <i>Edmontonia/Panoplosaurus</i>, <i>Gastonia</i> and <i>Struthiosaurus</i>, respectively. <i>Isaberrysaura</i> is an early stegosaur and <i>Scelidosaurus</i> is a non-eurypodan. Many characters related to feeding and quadrupedality are coincident with the diversification of Eurypoda. Unstable taxa in the analyses are generally highly incomplete but other better-known taxa are also unstable, suggesting the need for taxonomic revisions. Partitioned datasets show a high degree of convergence in thyreophoran postcrania and that osteoderm characters do not contain a strong phylogenetic signal.
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.24159020
title: Mesozoic stem-group zoroasterid sea stars imply a delayed radiation of the crown group and adaptation to the deep seas

description: The family Zoroasteridae is a clade of extant sea stars found exclusively in deep marine environments (i.e. bathyal environments deeper than 200 m). In the fossil record, seven species have been compared and/or assigned to the Zoroasteridae, on a time span ranging from the Middle Jurassic to the Miocene. This study describes a new taxon, <i>Viridisaster guerangeri</i> gen. et sp. nov., from the Cenomanian of Le Mans (Sarthe, France) and reappraises two Mesozoic species, the Jurassic <i>Terminaster cancriformis</i> and the Early Cretaceous <i>Protothyraster priscus</i>. To test the relationships of the putative fossil zoroasterids with modern taxa, a phylogenetic analysis was performed combining six of the best-known fossil species and 29 forcipulatacean species, including four Zoroasteridae. Many of the characters that define the extant Zoroasteridae do not appear in the fossil record before the Cenozoic. The family name is maintained for the crown group only. The family Terminasteridae, that accounted for the genera <i>Terminaster</i> and <i>Alkaidia</i>, is found paraphyletic and is rejected here. The order Zorocallida, initially erected for the family Zoroasteridae only, is redefined as the sister clade to the Forcipulatida that includes the crown-group Zoroasteridae and its stem relatives. Mesozoic Zorocallida are small in size compared to the Cenozoic Zorocallida, and they express morphological characters that are typical of juvenile Zoroasteridae; thus, the emergence of modern forms is likely associated with peramorphic evolution. The palaeoecology of the Zoroasteridae and their restriction to deep-sea environments after the Eocene is discussed. http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:1755AFC6-198F-45F2-A2F6-011EAC6BE10F
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.24450372
title: The origins of major sessile cirripede groups; a revision of Cretaceous Brachylepadomorpha and Verrucomorpha

description: The taxonomy of Cretaceous cirripedes referred to the sessile orders Brachylepadomorpha and Verrucomorpha is revised. New taxa include the brachylepadid genera <i>Crithmumlepas</i> (type species <i>C. hoensis</i> sp. nov., <i>C. aycliffensis</i> sp. nov.) and <i>Calvatilepas</i> (type species <i>C. recurvus</i> sp. nov.). The family Pycnolepadidae nov. is established (constituent genera <i>Pycnolepas</i>, <i>Faxelepas</i>) and <i>Pycnolepas batchelorum</i> sp. nov. is described; a new eoverrucid species, <i>E. barringtonensis</i> sp. nov. is erected. Cladistic analysis of 48 characters of 18 operational taxonomic units, including 16 in-group sessile taxa yielded a consensus tree showing the strongly supported monophyly of Brachylepadomorpha + Verrucomorpha + Balanomorpha. It is recommended that the Order Brachylepadomorpha is abandoned, and its constituent families are identified as, respectively, stem group Verrucomorpha (Pycnolepadidae) and stem group Balanomorpha (Brachylepadidae). The sister-group relationship of Verrucomorpha and Balanomorpha, identified from many molecular studies, is confirmed from shell morphological data. The Neolepadoidea are shown to closely parallel the sessile adaptations of verrucomorphs and balanomorphs. The fossil record of key segments of cirripede evolution is demonstrated to be remarkably, and surprisingly, complete. http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:8F450F22-94BA-49D3-BAF9-A8377359D0E8
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.24591803
title: New odonatans (Odonata: Gomphaeschnidae; Synlestidae) from the Paleocene Paskapoo Formation: systematic and biogeographical implications

description: The Paleocene Paskapoo Formation in Alberta, Canada, offers a unique opportunity to gain insight into insect diversity at that time. This fossil insect-rich formation has yielded a variety of fossil arthropod specimens, including several wings of Odonata related to the genus <i>Alloaeschna</i> Wighton and Wilson, 1986. Here, we demonstrate that morphological characters previously used to separate three species are instead the result of intraspecific variability. We reinforce this demonstration using two examples of high variability and plasticity in modern species of the family Aeshnidae. Accordingly, we reinterpreted the taxonomic position of <i>Alloaeschna marklae</i> Wighton and Wilson, 1986 syn. nov. and <i>Alloaeschna quadrata</i> Wighton and Wilson, 1986 syn. nov. as junior synonyms of <i>Alloaeschna paskapooensis</i> Wighton and Wilson, 1986. In addition, we describe the first occurrence of a zygopteran in the Paskapoo Formation, namely <i>Albertalestes paskapooensis</i> gen. et sp. nov. (Synlestidae). Importantly, this new taxon is the first representative of the family found in North America. We also reconstructed the relationships within the Synlestidae under Bayesian inferences with a newly assembled matrix. Finally, we discuss the biogeography of the clade considering its fossil record using parsimony ancestral state reconstruction. http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:D5282228-2D59-46E9-B712-3DC5A71C42FD
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.23522462
title: A new ‘archaeohyracid’ (Notoungulata, Typotheria) from the Eocene of north-western Argentina: anatomy, phylogenetic relationships and evolutionary implications

description: Here we describe a new notoungulate taxon, <i>Pascualhyrax irqi</i> sp. nov., from Eocene levels of north-western Argentina. The materials studied include cranial and dental remains and were exhumed in sediments of the Quebrada de los Colorados Formation, corresponding to the late middle Eocene (Bartonian). General traits of the referred specimens (e.g. hypsodont postcanines, nasal bulge) point to a close relationship with different typotherian taxa traditionally included among the paraphyletic ‘Archaeohyracidae’. In turn, a combination of characters indicates that the new material represents a new taxon (e.g. smaller size, deep ectoflexus in upper molars in all wear stages, maxillary process extending posterior to the caudal end of the nasals). A phylogenetic analysis was performed, based in a previously published matrix and the addition of new characters, resulting in a close relationship of <i>Pascualhyrax irqi</i> sp. nov. with different ‘Archaeohyracidae’ of Oligocene radiation. This fact shows the early expression of some characters until now only known for later forms, and developed in the context of a recently acknowledged diversity of hypsodont typotherians in north-western Argentina. Regarding other evolutionary issues, the strong similitude of the juvenile specimens referred to <i>Pascualhyrax irqi</i> sp. nov. with adult individuals of the Neogene clade Pachyrukhinae, indicates possible heterochronic (paedomorphic) traits in the later forms. http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:5206B12E-AC66-4F17-AD7F-9A0CD08118ED
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.23522462.v1
title: A new ‘archaeohyracid’ (Notoungulata, Typotheria) from the Eocene of north-western Argentina: anatomy, phylogenetic relationships and evolutionary implications

description: Here we describe a new notoungulate taxon, <i>Pascualhyrax irqi</i> sp. nov., from Eocene levels of north-western Argentina. The materials studied include cranial and dental remains and were exhumed in sediments of the Quebrada de los Colorados Formation, corresponding to the late middle Eocene (Bartonian). General traits of the referred specimens (e.g. hypsodont postcanines, nasal bulge) point to a close relationship with different typotherian taxa traditionally included among the paraphyletic ‘Archaeohyracidae’. In turn, a combination of characters indicates that the new material represents a new taxon (e.g. smaller size, deep ectoflexus in upper molars in all wear stages, maxillary process extending posterior to the caudal end of the nasals). A phylogenetic analysis was performed, based in a previously published matrix and the addition of new characters, resulting in a close relationship of <i>Pascualhyrax irqi</i> sp. nov. with different ‘Archaeohyracidae’ of Oligocene radiation. This fact shows the early expression of some characters until now only known for later forms, and developed in the context of a recently acknowledged diversity of hypsodont typotherians in north-western Argentina. Regarding other evolutionary issues, the strong similitude of the juvenile specimens referred to <i>Pascualhyrax irqi</i> sp. nov. with adult individuals of the Neogene clade Pachyrukhinae, indicates possible heterochronic (paedomorphic) traits in the later forms. http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:5206B12E-AC66-4F17-AD7F-9A0CD08118ED
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.24159020.v1
title: Mesozoic stem-group zoroasterid sea stars imply a delayed radiation of the crown group and adaptation to the deep seas

description: The family Zoroasteridae is a clade of extant sea stars found exclusively in deep marine environments (i.e. bathyal environments deeper than 200 m). In the fossil record, seven species have been compared and/or assigned to the Zoroasteridae, on a time span ranging from the Middle Jurassic to the Miocene. This study describes a new taxon, <i>Viridisaster guerangeri</i> gen. et sp. nov., from the Cenomanian of Le Mans (Sarthe, France) and reappraises two Mesozoic species, the Jurassic <i>Terminaster cancriformis</i> and the Early Cretaceous <i>Protothyraster priscus</i>. To test the relationships of the putative fossil zoroasterids with modern taxa, a phylogenetic analysis was performed combining six of the best-known fossil species and 29 forcipulatacean species, including four Zoroasteridae. Many of the characters that define the extant Zoroasteridae do not appear in the fossil record before the Cenozoic. The family name is maintained for the crown group only. The family Terminasteridae, that accounted for the genera <i>Terminaster</i> and <i>Alkaidia</i>, is found paraphyletic and is rejected here. The order Zorocallida, initially erected for the family Zoroasteridae only, is redefined as the sister clade to the Forcipulatida that includes the crown-group Zoroasteridae and its stem relatives. Mesozoic Zorocallida are small in size compared to the Cenozoic Zorocallida, and they express morphological characters that are typical of juvenile Zoroasteridae; thus, the emergence of modern forms is likely associated with peramorphic evolution. The palaeoecology of the Zoroasteridae and their restriction to deep-sea environments after the Eocene is discussed. http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:1755AFC6-198F-45F2-A2F6-011EAC6BE10F
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.24450372.v1
title: The origins of major sessile cirripede groups; a revision of Cretaceous Brachylepadomorpha and Verrucomorpha

description: The taxonomy of Cretaceous cirripedes referred to the sessile orders Brachylepadomorpha and Verrucomorpha is revised. New taxa include the brachylepadid genera <i>Crithmumlepas</i> (type species <i>C. hoensis</i> sp. nov., <i>C. aycliffensis</i> sp. nov.) and <i>Calvatilepas</i> (type species <i>C. recurvus</i> sp. nov.). The family Pycnolepadidae nov. is established (constituent genera <i>Pycnolepas</i>, <i>Faxelepas</i>) and <i>Pycnolepas batchelorum</i> sp. nov. is described; a new eoverrucid species, <i>E. barringtonensis</i> sp. nov. is erected. Cladistic analysis of 48 characters of 18 operational taxonomic units, including 16 in-group sessile taxa yielded a consensus tree showing the strongly supported monophyly of Brachylepadomorpha + Verrucomorpha + Balanomorpha. It is recommended that the Order Brachylepadomorpha is abandoned, and its constituent families are identified as, respectively, stem group Verrucomorpha (Pycnolepadidae) and stem group Balanomorpha (Brachylepadidae). The sister-group relationship of Verrucomorpha and Balanomorpha, identified from many molecular studies, is confirmed from shell morphological data. The Neolepadoidea are shown to closely parallel the sessile adaptations of verrucomorphs and balanomorphs. The fossil record of key segments of cirripede evolution is demonstrated to be remarkably, and surprisingly, complete. http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:8F450F22-94BA-49D3-BAF9-A8377359D0E8
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.24591803.v1
title: New odonatans (Odonata: Gomphaeschnidae; Synlestidae) from the Paleocene Paskapoo Formation: systematic and biogeographical implications

description: The Paleocene Paskapoo Formation in Alberta, Canada, offers a unique opportunity to gain insight into insect diversity at that time. This fossil insect-rich formation has yielded a variety of fossil arthropod specimens, including several wings of Odonata related to the genus <i>Alloaeschna</i> Wighton and Wilson, 1986. Here, we demonstrate that morphological characters previously used to separate three species are instead the result of intraspecific variability. We reinforce this demonstration using two examples of high variability and plasticity in modern species of the family Aeshnidae. Accordingly, we reinterpreted the taxonomic position of <i>Alloaeschna marklae</i> Wighton and Wilson, 1986 syn. nov. and <i>Alloaeschna quadrata</i> Wighton and Wilson, 1986 syn. nov. as junior synonyms of <i>Alloaeschna paskapooensis</i> Wighton and Wilson, 1986. In addition, we describe the first occurrence of a zygopteran in the Paskapoo Formation, namely <i>Albertalestes paskapooensis</i> gen. et sp. nov. (Synlestidae). Importantly, this new taxon is the first representative of the family found in North America. We also reconstructed the relationships within the Synlestidae under Bayesian inferences with a newly assembled matrix. Finally, we discuss the biogeography of the clade considering its fossil record using parsimony ancestral state reconstruction. http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:D5282228-2D59-46E9-B712-3DC5A71C42FD
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.23989569
title: A new elasmothere genus and species from the middle Miocene of Tongxin, Ningxia, China, and its phylogenetic relationship

description: The elasmotheres were well diversified and widespread throughout the Neogene in Eurasia and East Africa. Here we report a new elasmothere genus and species, <i>Tongxinotherium latirhinum</i> gen. et sp. nov., from the Zhang’enbao Formation (middle Miocene) of Tongxin, Ningxia, China. The new genus is characterized by a broad and thick nasal bone, the ‘U’-shaped nasal notch located at the level of P3, the anterior margin of the orbit situated at the level of M2, subhypsodont teeth covered and filled by plentiful cement, slightly developed enamel foldings, expanded protocone with anterior and posterior constrictions, the middle valley and posterior valley closed on the premolars, protoloph separated from the ectoloph on P2, and buccal and lingual cingula present on premolars, but absent on molars. A phylogenetic analysis reveals that <i>Tongxinotherium latirhinum</i> gen. et sp. nov. is more derived than the early elasmotheres, and more primitive than <i>Iranotherium</i> and <i>Ningxiatherium</i>, bridging a morphological and stratigraphical gap between them. The discovery of new material improves the morphological characteristics of the early elasmotheres’ horns and increases the diversity of the middle Miocene elasmotheres. http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:7DF2F57F-38DD-4FBF-B3DF-57AADD510131
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.23989569.v1
title: A new elasmothere genus and species from the middle Miocene of Tongxin, Ningxia, China, and its phylogenetic relationship

description: The elasmotheres were well diversified and widespread throughout the Neogene in Eurasia and East Africa. Here we report a new elasmothere genus and species, <i>Tongxinotherium latirhinum</i> gen. et sp. nov., from the Zhang’enbao Formation (middle Miocene) of Tongxin, Ningxia, China. The new genus is characterized by a broad and thick nasal bone, the ‘U’-shaped nasal notch located at the level of P3, the anterior margin of the orbit situated at the level of M2, subhypsodont teeth covered and filled by plentiful cement, slightly developed enamel foldings, expanded protocone with anterior and posterior constrictions, the middle valley and posterior valley closed on the premolars, protoloph separated from the ectoloph on P2, and buccal and lingual cingula present on premolars, but absent on molars. A phylogenetic analysis reveals that <i>Tongxinotherium latirhinum</i> gen. et sp. nov. is more derived than the early elasmotheres, and more primitive than <i>Iranotherium</i> and <i>Ningxiatherium</i>, bridging a morphological and stratigraphical gap between them. The discovery of new material improves the morphological characteristics of the early elasmotheres’ horns and increases the diversity of the middle Miocene elasmotheres. http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:7DF2F57F-38DD-4FBF-B3DF-57AADD510131
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.24787154
title: Species of Inversiulidae Vigneaux, 1949 (Bryozoa: Cheilostomatida) in the early Miocene of Patagonia (Argentina), with a phylogenetic and palaeobiogeographical analysis of the family

description: The family Inversiulidae, and its only genus <i>Inversiula</i>, are unique among cheilostome bryozoans owing to the reverse orientation of the operculum, which hinges distally instead of proximally. <i>Inversiula</i> currently includes four extant and one fossil species almost exclusively distributed in the Southern Hemisphere. A phylogenetic analysis of the Inversiulidae based on morphological characters was performed, showing the existence of two clades with contrasting development of the frontal shield. As a result of this analysis, <i>Parainversiula</i> gen. nov. is erected to contain inversiulid species with an umbonuloid frontal shield structure and fewer than 30 central spoked pores. Two poorly known fossil species from the early Miocene of Patagonia (Argentina), originally assigned to the genus <i>Microporella</i>, are here redescribed as <i>Parainversiula</i> sp. and <i>P. chubutiana</i> (Canu) comb. nov. The historical, time-calibrated biogeography of Inversiulidae was estimated using an event-based, multi-model quantitative analysis. The analyses estimated that Australasia was the ancestral area of <i>Parainversiula</i> and a dispersion of the genus into South America occurred between the late Eocene and Oligocene (<i>c</i>. 23–42 Ma), an event that could have been helped by the origin of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current. http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:A2CFF6CE-9BC4-4D07-AA4A-890CC1F372D3