期刊
ZOOLOGICAL JOURNAL OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY
卷 193, 期 2, 页码 700-745出版社
OXFORD UNIV PRESS
DOI: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlaa182
关键词
tetrapods; morphology; Carboniferous; Palaeozoic; vertebrate palaeontology; species redescription; Tetrapoda; postcranial skeleton
类别
资金
- Field Museum of Natural History
- National Geographic Society
- National Science Foundation [DEB 9207475, DEB 9306294]
- University of Chicago Committee on Evolutionary Biology Summer Travel Grant 2018
- University of Chicago Hinds Fund Fall 2019
- Field Museum Armour Graduate Student Fellowship
The study describes the postcranial skeleton of Whatcheeria deltae and presents the first full-body reconstruction, highlighting its unique skeletal proportions compared to other Devonian and Mississippian tetrapods. The research suggests that Whatcheeria exhibits a broader range of early amphibious morphologies and habits than previously considered, indicating a unique evolutionary path within tetrapods.
Here we describe the postcranial skeleton and present the first full-body reconstruction of the early tetrapod Whatcheeria deltae from the Visean of Iowa. The skeletal proportions, including an elongate neck and large limbs, are unlike those of other Devonian and Mississippian tetrapods. The robust limbs of Whatcheeria appear adapted for a walking gait, but the lateral lines of the cranium are fundamentally unsuited for sustained subaerial exposure. Thus, although Whatcheeria bears a general resemblance to certain terrestrially adapted Permian and Triassic members of crown tetrapod lineages, its unusual form signals a broader range of early amphibious morphologies and habits than previously considered. From the exceptionally rich collection it is evident that most Whatcheeria specimens represent immature individuals. Rare specimens suggest an adult body size of at least 2 m, over twice that of the holotype. Further comparison suggests that the Pederpes holotype might also be a juvenile and reveals a combination of hindlimb characters unique to Whatcheeria and Pederpes. These new data contribute to a revised diagnosis of the family Whatcheeriidae and a re-evaluation of fragmentary Devonian-Carboniferous fossils reported as 'whatcheeriid' but sharing no synapomorphies with the more precisely defined clade.
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