Paleoneuroanatomy of the aetosaur Neoaetosauroides engaeus (Archosauria: Pseudosuchia) and its paleobiological implications among archosauriforms.

ABSTRACT: The paleoneuroanatomy of pseudosuchian archosaurs is poorly known, based on direct examination of the internal morphology of braincases and a few artificial endocasts. Among aetosaurs, only one endocast has been described almost a century ago by Case (1921) corresponding to Desmatosuchus spurensis from the Chinle Formation (Norian) of Texas, US, based on a resin cast. Here, we describe the first natural endocast of an aetosaur, Neoaetosauroides engaeus from the Los Colorados Formation (Norian) of NW Argentina, and also developed the first digital endocast of this taxon including the encephalon, cranial nerves, inner ear, and middle ear sinuses. The neuroanatomy of Neoaetosauroides engaeus exhibits several differences from that of Desmatosuchus spurensis despite

SUBMITTER: von Baczko MB 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6109373 | biostudies-literature | 2018

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature