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1 November 2011 Osteohistology of the Triassic Archosauromorphs Prolacerta, Proterosuchus, Euparkeria, and Erythrosuchus from the Karoo Basin of South Africa
Jennifer Botha-Brink, Roger M. H. Smith
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Abstract

The South African non-archosauriform archosauromorph Prolacerta and the archosauriforms Proterosuchus, Erythrosuchus, and Euparkeria were important constituents of the Early to early Middle Triassic Karoo ecosystem following the end-Permian mass extinction. We present new data on the osteohistology of these stem archosaurs and provide insight into their paleobiology. Bone tissues of the Early Triassic Prolacerta contain a poorly defined fibro-lamellar complex, with parallelfibered bone in some regions, whereas the contemporaneous Proterosuchus exhibits rapidly forming uninterrupted fibrolamellar bone early in its ontogeny, which becomes slow forming lamellar-zonal bone with increasing age. The early Middle Triassic Erythrosuchus deposited highly vascularized, uninterrupted fibro-lamellar bone throughout ontogeny, whereas the growth of the contemporaneous Euparkeria was relatively slow and cyclical. When our data are combined with those of previous studies, preliminary results reveal that Early and Middle Triassic non-crown group archosauromorphs generally exhibit faster growth rates than many of those of the Late Triassic. Early rapid growth and rapid attainment of sexual maturity are consistent with life history expectations for taxa living in the unpredictable conditions following the end-Permian mass extinction. Further research with larger sample sizes will be required to determine the nature of the environmental pressures on these basal archosaurs.

© 2011 by the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology
Jennifer Botha-Brink and Roger M. H. Smith "Osteohistology of the Triassic Archosauromorphs Prolacerta, Proterosuchus, Euparkeria, and Erythrosuchus from the Karoo Basin of South Africa," Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 31(6), 1238-1254, (1 November 2011). https://doi.org/10.1080/039.031.0623
Received: 3 December 2010; Accepted: 22 August 2011; Published: 1 November 2011
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