Displaced and overlooked postorbital bars
Whether or not
a postorbital bar (= postfrontal + jugal) is present or not is a trait scored in the large reptile tree (LRT, 2338 trees) because primates have one. So do oreodonts. So do other taxa.
Sometimes fragile postorbital bars are broken during taphonomy.
They must be located (Figs 1–3), then restored to in vivo positions prior to scoring.
Figure 1. Agriochoerus latifrons as preserved. In frame two a broken postfrontal is replaced to its invivo position.
” data-medium-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/agriochoerus_latifrons588.gif?w=145″ data-large-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/agriochoerus_latifrons588.gif?w=494″ class=”size-full wp-image-93023″ src=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/agriochoerus_latifrons588.gif” alt=”Figure 1. Agriochoerus latifrons as preserved. In frame two a broken postfrontal is replaced to its invivo position.” width=”584″ height=”1210″ srcset=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/agriochoerus_latifrons588.gif?w=584&h=1210 584w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/agriochoerus_latifrons588.gif?w=72&h=150 72w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/agriochoerus_latifrons588.gif?w=145&h=300 145w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/agriochoerus_latifrons588.gif 588w” sizes=”(max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px” />
Figure 1. Agriochoerus latifrons as preserved. In frame two a broken postfrontal is replaced to its invivo position. The attached portion of the postfrontal appeared to have a broken lateral process. The jugal appeared to have s splinter that other jugals don’t have. Finally it dawned on me to use Photoshop to see what would happen if the process was displaced during taphonomy.
Agriochoerus latifrons
(Fig 1) is the ‘artiodactyl with thumbs’ transitional between adapids (= early primates like Magnadapis, Fig 2) and artiodactyl oreodonts. A related example is Lophiodon.
Figure 2. Lophiodon also has a dislocated postorbital bar with a Bauplan similar to that of Magnadapis.
” data-medium-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/lophiodon.skull588.gif?w=186″ data-large-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/lophiodon.skull588.gif?w=584″ class=”size-full wp-image-93025″ src=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/lophiodon.skull588.gif” alt=”Figure 2. Lophiodon also has a dislocated postorbital bar with a Bauplan similar to that of Magnadapis.” width=”584″ height=”940″ srcset=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/lophiodon.skull588.gif?w=584&h=940 584w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/lophiodon.skull588.gif?w=93&h=150 93w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/lophiodon.skull588.gif?w=186&h=300 186w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/lophiodon.skull588.gif 588w” sizes=”(max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px” />
Figure 2. Lophiodon also has a dislocated postorbital bar with a Bauplan similar to that of Magnadapis. The arrow on the rostrum shows the tiny premaxilla – frontal connection, also scored in the LRT.
Here’s a close-up
of that Lophiodon dislocated and vestigial postorbital bar (Fig 3).
Figure 3. Lophiodon vestigial postorbital bar restored from dislocated parts.
” data-medium-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/lophiodon.postfrontal588.gif?w=300″ data-large-file=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/lophiodon.postfrontal588.gif?w=584″ class=”size-full wp-image-93027″ src=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/lophiodon.postfrontal588.gif” alt=”Figure 3. Lophiodon vestigial postorbital bar restored from dislocated parts. ” width=”584″ height=”329″ srcset=”https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/lophiodon.postfrontal588.gif?w=584&h=329 584w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/lophiodon.postfrontal588.gif?w=150&h=84 150w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/lophiodon.postfrontal588.gif?w=300&h=169 300w, https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/lophiodon.postfrontal588.gif 588w” sizes=”(max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px” />
Figure 3. Lophiodon vestigial postorbital bar restored from dislocated splinters.
When you have trouble trying to reconcile interrelationships
that would work if only a postorbital bar was present – look for splinters like these (Fig 3).
Be vigilant. Be careful. Some traits = splinters are easy to overlook. Some are just splinters. Make sure the parts fit and related taxa have the same structures = Bauplan.
This is not proof. This is not theory. This is in the realm of hypothesis.
When traits appear or disappear
they go through a genesis or a vestigial phase. That’s when they are small and fragile.
Lophiodon ballardi
(Cuvier 1822, Holbrook 2009, originally Tapirotherium Blainville 1817, Eocene) is traditionally considered a chalicothere or a tapir. Here it nests with Agriochoerus latifrons. Note the four fingers and three toes. The dentary tip rises. The skull length is equal to the neck length. The limbs are short and robust.
References
Cuvier G 1822. Recherches sur les Ossemens Fossiles (Nouvelle Edition)2(1): Chez G. Dufour et E. D’Ocagne, Paris, France.
Holbrook LT 2009. Osteology of Lophiodon Cuvier, 1822 (Mammalia Perissodactyla) and its phylogenetic implications. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 29(1):212–230.
wiki/Lophiodon
wiki/Agriochoerus
wiki/Groeberia
Source: https://pterosaurheresies.wordpress.com/2025/05/28/displaced-and-overlooked-postorbital-bars/
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