Bombastic claims for a lagerpetid braincase
Bronzati et al (4 co-authors) 2024 described
a small braincase (Figs 1, 2) they claimed was “the first detailed description of cranial materials of Lagerpetidae, an enigmatic group of Late Triassic (c. 236–200 Million years ago) animals that are the closest known relatives of pterosaurs, the flying reptiles.”
This is cranial material has nothing to do with pterosaurs. Lagerpetids (Fig 3) are bipedal chanerisuchids in the LRT. They are not enigmas.
There is not much known of Dromomeron.
According to the authors, “The recovered lagerpetid remains are mostly represented by postcranial elements (vertebral series and limbs), with much scarcer cranial parts.”
In other words, this is a genus known from scattered scraps.
Figure 1. Dromomeron braincase compared to Tropidosuchus, the closest relative of Lagerpeton in the LRT.
” data-medium-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.files.wordpress.com/2024/03/dromomeron-gregorii-braincase588.gif?w=277″ data-large-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.files.wordpress.com/2024/03/dromomeron-gregorii-braincase588.gif?w=584″ class=”size-full wp-image-85058″ src=”https://pterosaurheresies.files.wordpress.com/2024/03/dromomeron-gregorii-braincase588.gif?w=584&h=632″ alt=”Figure 1. Dromomeron braincase compared to Tropidosuchus, the closest relative of Lagerpeton in the LRT. ” width=”584″ height=”632″ srcset=”https://pterosaurheresies.files.wordpress.com/2024/03/dromomeron-gregorii-braincase588.gif?w=584&h=632 584w, https://pterosaurheresies.files.wordpress.com/2024/03/dromomeron-gregorii-braincase588.gif?w=139&h=150 139w, https://pterosaurheresies.files.wordpress.com/2024/03/dromomeron-gregorii-braincase588.gif?w=277&h=300 277w, https://pterosaurheresies.files.wordpress.com/2024/03/dromomeron-gregorii-braincase588.gif 588w” sizes=”(max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px” />
Figure 1. Dromomeron braincase compared to Tropidosuchus, the closest relative of Lagerpeton in the LRT. Skull from Bronzati et al. DGS colors and restoration added here.
The alternate hypothesis of pterosaur origins
(Peters 2000. 2009) is ignored, as are the actual ancestors of pterosaurs, like Cosesaurus. as are any references to Tropidosuchus (Fig 1), as are any references to Bergamodactylus (Fig 2). as are any references to chanersuchids. Taxon exclusion is rampant in this paper.
How can you get away with talking about the origin of pterosaurs without comparing the original pterosaur, Bergamodactylus (Fig 2)? Or providing a phylogneetic analysis? Answer: only 3D taxa represented by at least a brain case were studied…
in great detail.
Here again, a broader view is necessary in order to link clades.
Figure 2. Bergamodactylus, the basal-most pterosaur compared to scale with Cosesaurus and Dromomeron.
” data-medium-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.files.wordpress.com/2024/03/bergamodactylus-dromomeron588.jpg?w=174″ data-large-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.files.wordpress.com/2024/03/bergamodactylus-dromomeron588.jpg?w=584″ class=”size-full wp-image-85059″ src=”https://pterosaurheresies.files.wordpress.com/2024/03/bergamodactylus-dromomeron588.jpg?w=584&h=1005″ alt=”Figure 2. Bergamodactylus, the basal-most pterosaur compared to scale with Cosesaurus and Dromomeron.” width=”584″ height=”1005″ srcset=”https://pterosaurheresies.files.wordpress.com/2024/03/bergamodactylus-dromomeron588.jpg?w=584&h=1005 584w, https://pterosaurheresies.files.wordpress.com/2024/03/bergamodactylus-dromomeron588.jpg?w=87&h=150 87w, https://pterosaurheresies.files.wordpress.com/2024/03/bergamodactylus-dromomeron588.jpg?w=174&h=300 174w, https://pterosaurheresies.files.wordpress.com/2024/03/bergamodactylus-dromomeron588.jpg 588w” sizes=”(max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px” />
Figure 2. Bergamodactylus, the basal-most pterosaur compared to scale with Cosesaurus and Dromomeron.
This is what the golden ticket
of a PhD and academic affiliation offers as pterosaur workers continue to wear blinders = approved to cherry-pick taxa and citations.
Young lead author, Mario Bronzati,
has published widely on archosaur neuroanatomy. His only paper dealing with pterosaurs is this one. “The main topic of his PhD research is the evolution of the braincase anatomy in sauropodomorph dinosaurs.”
Pterosaurs mentioned in this paper include:
Allkaruen, an Early Jurassic proto-Pterodaustro ctenochasmatid
Cacibupteryx, an Early Jurassic basal dorygnathid close to Sordes.
Caelestiventus, a Triassic dimorphodontid,
The authors also report,
“The braincase anatomy is not well known in early pterosaurs.”
Figure 1. Tropidosuchus and Lagerpeton compared to the new material (MCZ 101542).
” data-medium-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.files.wordpress.com/2021/03/lagerpeton588-1.jpg?w=243″ data-large-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.files.wordpress.com/2021/03/lagerpeton588-1.jpg?w=584″ class=”size-full wp-image-53669″ src=”https://pterosaurheresies.files.wordpress.com/2021/03/lagerpeton588-1.jpg?w=584&h=722″ alt=”Figure 1. Tropidosuchus and Lagerpeton compared to the new material (MCZ 101542).” width=”584″ height=”722″ srcset=”https://pterosaurheresies.files.wordpress.com/2021/03/lagerpeton588-1.jpg?w=584&h=722 584w, https://pterosaurheresies.files.wordpress.com/2021/03/lagerpeton588-1.jpg?w=121&h=150 121w, https://pterosaurheresies.files.wordpress.com/2021/03/lagerpeton588-1.jpg?w=243&h=300 243w, https://pterosaurheresies.files.wordpress.com/2021/03/lagerpeton588-1.jpg 588w” sizes=”(max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px” />
Figure 3. Tropidosuchus and Lagerpeton compared to the new material (MCZ 101542). The foot of Ltgerpeotn does not resemble a pterosaur foot. See figure 2.
The authors also report,
“This might indicate that the anterior region of the braincase had considerable variability
in its degree of ossification soon after their split of the two main avemetatarsalian lineages, Pterosauromorpha and Dinosauromorpha.”
Avemetatarsalia, Pterosauromorpha, and Dinosauromorpha are traditional clades not recovered in the LRT, which tests a wider gamut of taxa in order to minimize taxon exclusion, still the number one problem in paleontology.
The authors have no clue
that pterosaurs are lepidosaurs because they do not have a comprehensive, wide-gamut analysis that tests all pterosaur ancestor candidate taxa Instead they are relying on Mike Benton’s university textbook, and invlaid recent papers, which also omit taxa and citations.
References
Bronzati M, Langer MC, Ezcurra M, Stocker MR and Nesbitt S 2024. Braincase and neuroanatomy of the lagerpetid Dromomeron gregorii (Archosauria, Pterosauromorpha) with comments on the early evolution of the braincase and associated soft tissues in Avemetatarsalia. The Anatomical Record 307:1147–1174.
Peters D 2000b. A Redescription of Four Prolacertiform Genera and Implications for Pterosaur Phylogenesis. Rivista Italiana di Paleontologia e Stratigrafia 106 (3): 293–336.
Peters D 2009. A reinterpretation of pteroid articulation in pterosaurs. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 29: 1327-133.
reptileevolution.com/cosesaurus
reptileevolution.com/Bergamodactylus
Source: https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/2024/03/27/bombastic-claims-for-a-lagerpetid-braincase/
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