A5046990654- Evolution and Paleontology Studies
- Paleontology and Evolutionary Biology
- Amphibian and Reptile Biology
- Paleontology and Stratigraphy of Fossils
- Ichthyology and Marine Biology
- Forensic Anthropology and Bioarchaeology Studies
- Plant Ecology and Taxonomy Studies
- Fish biology, ecology, and behavior
- Methane Hydrates and Related Phenomena
- Turtle Biology and Conservation
- Morphological variations and asymmetry
Idaho State University
2023-2025
Arizona State University
2017-2020
Millerettidae are a group of superficially lizard-like Permian stem reptiles originally hypothesized as relevant to the ancestry reptile crown group, and particularly lepidosaurs archosaurs. Since advent cladistics, millerettids have typically been considered be more distant relatives earliest-diverging parareptiles therefore outside ‘Eureptilia’. Despite this cladistic consensus, some conspicuous features millerettid anatomy invite reconsideration their relationships. We provide detailed...
Abstract The fossil reptile Milleretta holds a prominent role in phylogenetic analyses of early relationships. It has often been used as the sole marker for anatomically diverse middle to late Permian Millerettidae, clade that hypothesized earliest diverging parareptiles and therefore only distantly related crown group. However, anatomy remains incompletely documented, presenting an obstacle studies evolution. We re-examine cranial rubidgei using synchrotron micro-computed tomography two...
Abstract Recumbirostra is a clade of heavily modified, superficially lizard‐like tetrapods that were originally interpreted as ‘microsaurian lepospondyls’ unrelated to the amniote crown. However, recent work has placed within Reptilia, based on many similarities between braincase and postcranium recumbirostrans with early reptiles. Here, Permian hapsidopareiid recumbirostran Hapsidopareion lepton re‐described using high‐resolution μCT data three individuals across distinct ontogenetic...
Abstract Libognathus sheddi, a leptopleuronine procolophonid from the Upper Triassic Cooper Canyon Formation, Dockum Group, West Texas, was based on an isolated left dentary and partial coronoid. New material referable to sheddi , provides new information cranial anatomy. This includes antorbital portion of skull, maxilla premaxilla, quadratojugals, dentaries, including intact tooth rows in upper lower jaws. shows autapomorphies including; deep with ventral margin oblique row immediately...
Fossils of drepanosauromorphs, a clade non-saurian diapsids, were once considered relatively rare in the Chinle Formation southwestern United States as well Upper Triassic rocks globally. Recent discoveries have shown that there are at least four drepanosauromorph taxa present including Dolabrosaurus aquatilis, Drepanosaurus sp., Ancistronychus paradoxus, and new genus species described here, Skybalonyx skapter. This taxon is represented by disarticulated manual unguals preserved...
Living reptiles include more than 20,000 species with disparate ecologies. Direct anatomical evidence from Neodiapsida, which includes the reptile crown-group Sauria and its closest extinct relatives, shows that this diversity originates a single common reptilian ancestor lived some 255 million years ago in Paleozoic. However, evolutionary assembly of crown traits is poorly understood due to lack anatomically close outgroups Neodiapsida. We present substantially revised phylogenetic...
Triassic dinosaurs represent relatively rare but important components of terrestrial faunas across Pangea. Whereas this record has been well studied at various locales the American West, there no previous systematic review material assigned to Dinosauria from Utah. Here, we critically examine published body fossil and footprint Utah revise their state. In addition, describe a sacrum locality within Upper Chinle Formation southeastern _is specimen represents only unambiguous dinosaur MWC 5627...
We describe new macro- and microfossils recovered on a field expedition to the North Quarry of Poponguine, locality in western Senegal that spans Late Cretaceous through Early Paleogene, albeit with likely unconformity at base Danian. Newly discovered macrovertebrates from Maastrichtian Cap de Naze Formation include pycnodonts, dyrosaurids, chelonians, latter two oldest first representatives these clades Senegal. Screenwashing this deposit revealed matrix also consists abundant microscopic...
Triassic dinosaurs represent relatively rare but important components of terrestrial faunas across Pangea. Whereas this record has been well studied at various locales the American West, there no previous systematic review material assigned to Dinosauria from Utah. Here, we critically examine published body fossil and footprint Utah revise their state. In addition, describe a sacrum locality within Upper Chinle Formation southeastern _is specimen represents only unambiguous dinosaur MWC 5627...