The oldest record of Saurosphargiformes (Diapsida) from South China could fill an ecological gap in the Early Triassic biotic recovery

Long Cheng; Benjamin C. Moon; Chunbo Yan; Ryosuke Motani; Dayong Jiang; Zhihui An; Zichen Fang

doi:10.7717/peerj.13569

The oldest record of Saurosphargiformes (Diapsida) from South China could fill an ecological gap in the Early Triassic biotic recovery

Long Cheng^*, Benjamin C. Moon^*, Chunbo Yan, Ryosuke Motani, Dayong Jiang, Zhihui An, Zichen Fang

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article (Academic Journal) › peer-review

5 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Diversification following the end-Permian mass extinction marks the initiation of Mesozoic reptile dominance and of modern marine ecosystems, yet major clades are best known from the Middle Triassic suggesting delayed recovery, while Early Triassic localities produce poorly preserved specimens or have restricted diversity. Here we describe Pomolispondylus biani gen. et sp. nov. from the Early Triassic Nanzhang-Yuan'an Fauna of China assigned to Saurosphargiformes tax. nov., a clade known only from the Middle Triassic or later, which includes Saurosphargidae, and likely is the sister taxon to Sauropterygia. Pomolispondylus biani is allied to Saurosphargidae by the extended transverse processes of dorsal vertebrae and a low, table-like dorsal surface on the neural spine; however, it does not have the typical extensive osteoderms. Rather an unusual tuberous texture on the dorsal neural spine and rudimentary ossifications lateral to the gastralia are observed. Discovery of Pomolispondylus biani extends the known range of Saurosphargiformes and increases the taxic and ecological diversity of the Nanzhang-Yuan'an Fauna. Its small size fills a different ecological niche with respect to previously found species, but the overall food web remains notably different in structure to Middle Triassic and later ecosystems, suggesting this fauna represents a transitional stage during recovery rather than its endpoint.

Original language	English
Article number	e13569
Number of pages	26
Journal	PeerJ
Volume	10
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.13569
Publication status	Published - 14 Jul 2022

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This work was supported by the China National Natural Science Foundation grant (No. 41972014), the China Geological Survey (Nos. DD20190811 and DD20221634), the NERC BETR grant (NE/P013724/1) and the ERC grant (788203). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

Funding Information:
The following grant information was disclosed by the authors: National Natural Science Foundation, China: 41972014. Geological Survey, China: DD20190811 and DD20190315. NERC BETR: NE/P013724/1. ERC: 788203.

Funding Information:
We thank Michael Benton (University of Bristol), Xiao-chun Wu (Canadian Museum of Nature), and Li Tian (China University of Geosciences, Wuhan) for discussion on this specimen. We also thank Dongyi Niu for fossil collection and preparation. We also thank Valentin Buffa, Donald Brinkmann, and two anonymous reviewers for their comments. This work was supported by the China National Natural Science Foundation grant (No. 41972014), the China Geological Survey (Nos. DD20190811 and DD20221634), the NERC BETR grant (NE/P013724/1) and the ERC grant (788203). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. The following grant information was disclosed by the authors: National Natural Science Foundation, China: 41972014. Geological Survey, China: DD20190811 and DD20190315. NERC BETR: NE/P013724/1. ERC: 788203.

Publisher Copyright:
© Copyright 2022 Cheng et al.

Keywords

Early Triassic
Ecosystem recovery
End-Permian mass extinction
Marine reptile
Nanzhang-Yuan'an Fauna
Saurosphargidae
Saurosphargiformes

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@article{0185a68aa4bd4380b9a59b4b426b4f4e,

title = "The oldest record of Saurosphargiformes (Diapsida) from South China could fill an ecological gap in the Early Triassic biotic recovery",

abstract = "Diversification following the end-Permian mass extinction marks the initiation of Mesozoic reptile dominance and of modern marine ecosystems, yet major clades are best known from the Middle Triassic suggesting delayed recovery, while Early Triassic localities produce poorly preserved specimens or have restricted diversity. Here we describe Pomolispondylus biani gen. et sp. nov. from the Early Triassic Nanzhang-Yuan'an Fauna of China assigned to Saurosphargiformes tax. nov., a clade known only from the Middle Triassic or later, which includes Saurosphargidae, and likely is the sister taxon to Sauropterygia. Pomolispondylus biani is allied to Saurosphargidae by the extended transverse processes of dorsal vertebrae and a low, table-like dorsal surface on the neural spine; however, it does not have the typical extensive osteoderms. Rather an unusual tuberous texture on the dorsal neural spine and rudimentary ossifications lateral to the gastralia are observed. Discovery of Pomolispondylus biani extends the known range of Saurosphargiformes and increases the taxic and ecological diversity of the Nanzhang-Yuan'an Fauna. Its small size fills a different ecological niche with respect to previously found species, but the overall food web remains notably different in structure to Middle Triassic and later ecosystems, suggesting this fauna represents a transitional stage during recovery rather than its endpoint.",

keywords = "Early Triassic, Ecosystem recovery, End-Permian mass extinction, Marine reptile, Nanzhang-Yuan'an Fauna, Saurosphargidae, Saurosphargiformes",

author = "Long Cheng and Moon, {Benjamin C.} and Chunbo Yan and Ryosuke Motani and Dayong Jiang and Zhihui An and Zichen Fang",

note = "Funding Information: This work was supported by the China National Natural Science Foundation grant (No. 41972014), the China Geological Survey (Nos. DD20190811 and DD20221634), the NERC BETR grant (NE/P013724/1) and the ERC grant (788203). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. Funding Information: The following grant information was disclosed by the authors: National Natural Science Foundation, China: 41972014. Geological Survey, China: DD20190811 and DD20190315. NERC BETR: NE/P013724/1. ERC: 788203. Funding Information: We thank Michael Benton (University of Bristol), Xiao-chun Wu (Canadian Museum of Nature), and Li Tian (China University of Geosciences, Wuhan) for discussion on this specimen. We also thank Dongyi Niu for fossil collection and preparation. We also thank Valentin Buffa, Donald Brinkmann, and two anonymous reviewers for their comments. This work was supported by the China National Natural Science Foundation grant (No. 41972014), the China Geological Survey (Nos. DD20190811 and DD20221634), the NERC BETR grant (NE/P013724/1) and the ERC grant (788203). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. The following grant information was disclosed by the authors: National Natural Science Foundation, China: 41972014. Geological Survey, China: DD20190811 and DD20190315. NERC BETR: NE/P013724/1. ERC: 788203. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} Copyright 2022 Cheng et al.",

year = "2022",

month = jul,

day = "14",

doi = "10.7717/peerj.13569",

language = "English",

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T1 - The oldest record of Saurosphargiformes (Diapsida) from South China could fill an ecological gap in the Early Triassic biotic recovery

AU - Cheng, Long

AU - Moon, Benjamin C.

AU - Yan, Chunbo

AU - Motani, Ryosuke

AU - Jiang, Dayong

AU - An, Zhihui

AU - Fang, Zichen

N1 - Funding Information: This work was supported by the China National Natural Science Foundation grant (No. 41972014), the China Geological Survey (Nos. DD20190811 and DD20221634), the NERC BETR grant (NE/P013724/1) and the ERC grant (788203). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. Funding Information: The following grant information was disclosed by the authors: National Natural Science Foundation, China: 41972014. Geological Survey, China: DD20190811 and DD20190315. NERC BETR: NE/P013724/1. ERC: 788203. Funding Information: We thank Michael Benton (University of Bristol), Xiao-chun Wu (Canadian Museum of Nature), and Li Tian (China University of Geosciences, Wuhan) for discussion on this specimen. We also thank Dongyi Niu for fossil collection and preparation. We also thank Valentin Buffa, Donald Brinkmann, and two anonymous reviewers for their comments. This work was supported by the China National Natural Science Foundation grant (No. 41972014), the China Geological Survey (Nos. DD20190811 and DD20221634), the NERC BETR grant (NE/P013724/1) and the ERC grant (788203). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. The following grant information was disclosed by the authors: National Natural Science Foundation, China: 41972014. Geological Survey, China: DD20190811 and DD20190315. NERC BETR: NE/P013724/1. ERC: 788203. Publisher Copyright: © Copyright 2022 Cheng et al.

PY - 2022/7/14

Y1 - 2022/7/14

N2 - Diversification following the end-Permian mass extinction marks the initiation of Mesozoic reptile dominance and of modern marine ecosystems, yet major clades are best known from the Middle Triassic suggesting delayed recovery, while Early Triassic localities produce poorly preserved specimens or have restricted diversity. Here we describe Pomolispondylus biani gen. et sp. nov. from the Early Triassic Nanzhang-Yuan'an Fauna of China assigned to Saurosphargiformes tax. nov., a clade known only from the Middle Triassic or later, which includes Saurosphargidae, and likely is the sister taxon to Sauropterygia. Pomolispondylus biani is allied to Saurosphargidae by the extended transverse processes of dorsal vertebrae and a low, table-like dorsal surface on the neural spine; however, it does not have the typical extensive osteoderms. Rather an unusual tuberous texture on the dorsal neural spine and rudimentary ossifications lateral to the gastralia are observed. Discovery of Pomolispondylus biani extends the known range of Saurosphargiformes and increases the taxic and ecological diversity of the Nanzhang-Yuan'an Fauna. Its small size fills a different ecological niche with respect to previously found species, but the overall food web remains notably different in structure to Middle Triassic and later ecosystems, suggesting this fauna represents a transitional stage during recovery rather than its endpoint.

AB - Diversification following the end-Permian mass extinction marks the initiation of Mesozoic reptile dominance and of modern marine ecosystems, yet major clades are best known from the Middle Triassic suggesting delayed recovery, while Early Triassic localities produce poorly preserved specimens or have restricted diversity. Here we describe Pomolispondylus biani gen. et sp. nov. from the Early Triassic Nanzhang-Yuan'an Fauna of China assigned to Saurosphargiformes tax. nov., a clade known only from the Middle Triassic or later, which includes Saurosphargidae, and likely is the sister taxon to Sauropterygia. Pomolispondylus biani is allied to Saurosphargidae by the extended transverse processes of dorsal vertebrae and a low, table-like dorsal surface on the neural spine; however, it does not have the typical extensive osteoderms. Rather an unusual tuberous texture on the dorsal neural spine and rudimentary ossifications lateral to the gastralia are observed. Discovery of Pomolispondylus biani extends the known range of Saurosphargiformes and increases the taxic and ecological diversity of the Nanzhang-Yuan'an Fauna. Its small size fills a different ecological niche with respect to previously found species, but the overall food web remains notably different in structure to Middle Triassic and later ecosystems, suggesting this fauna represents a transitional stage during recovery rather than its endpoint.

KW - Early Triassic

KW - Ecosystem recovery

KW - End-Permian mass extinction

KW - Marine reptile

KW - Nanzhang-Yuan'an Fauna

KW - Saurosphargidae

KW - Saurosphargiformes

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U2 - 10.7717/peerj.13569

DO - 10.7717/peerj.13569

M3 - Article (Academic Journal)

C2 - 35855428

AN - SCOPUS:85135047379

SN - 2167-8359

VL - 10

JO - PeerJ

JF - PeerJ

M1 - e13569

ER -

The oldest record of Saurosphargiformes (Diapsida) from South China could fill an ecological gap in the Early Triassic biotic recovery

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

UN SDGs

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