New information on the Jurassic lepidosauromorph Marmoretta oxoniensis

Journal article

Abstract:: The earliest known crown-group lepidosaurs are known from the Middle Triassic; however, their stem group is poorly sampled, with only a few representative fossils found. This is partly due to the small size and delicate bones of early stem-lepidosaurs (= non-lepidosaurian lepidosauromorphs), which make both preservation in the fossil record and subsequent discovery less likely. The Middle Jurassic lepidosauromorph Marmoretta oxoniensis Evans is re-examined using high-resolution µCT scanning to reveal parts of the skull anatomy that were previously unknown. These include a squamosal, postorbital, more complete parietal, pterygoids, and an articulated posterior section of the mandible. Some differences between this and other Marmoretta specimens were identified as a result, such as the arrangement of palatal teeth and the shape of the parabasisphenoid. The status of Marmoretta as a stem lepidosaur or stem squamate has been debated. To evaluate this, we tested the phylogenetic position of Marmoretta by including our new data in an adapted phylogenetic character matrix. We recover Marmoretta as a stem-lepidosaur and sister to Fraxinisaura rozynekae. Our findings support the hypothesis that both taxa belonged to a clade of non-lepidosaurian lepidosauromorphs that co-existed with lepidosaurs into the Middle Jurassic.

Files:: Griffiths_et_al_2021_new_information_on.pdf

(Preview, Accepted manuscript, pdf, 11.9MB, Terms of use)

Copyright holder:: The Palaeontological Association
Notes:: This is the accepted manuscript version of the article. The final version is available online from Wiley at: https://doi.org/10.1002/spp2.1400

Licence:: Terms and Conditions of Use for Oxford University Research Archive

If you are the owner of this record, you can report an update to it here: Report update to this record