The world’s largest worm lizard: a new giant trogonophid (Squamata: Amphisbaenia) with extreme dental adaptations from the Eocene of Chambi, Tunisia

IF 3 2区 生物学 Q1 ZOOLOGY Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society Pub Date : 2024-11-21 DOI:10.1093/zoolinnean/zlae133
Georgios L Georgalis, Krister T Smith, Laurent Marivaux, Anthony Herrel, El Mabrouk Essid, Hayet Khayati Ammar, Wissem Marzougui, Rim Temani, Rodolphe Tabuce
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Abstract

We here describe Terastiodontosaurus marcelosanchezi, a new amphisbaenian genus and species from the Eocene of Chambi, Tunisia. Using micro-computed tomography (μCT), we document the peculiar anatomy of the new taxon, which is characterized by extreme dental morphology, including one massive tooth on the maxilla and dentary, flat cheek teeth, and an array of other diagnostic features that readily differentiate it from all other amphisbaenians. We also redescribe the oldest named African amphisbaenian, Todrasaurus gheerbranti, from the late Palaeocene of Morocco, using μCT. Phylogenetic analysis recovers Terastiodontosaurus and Todrasaurus as sister taxa and provides strong support for a sister-group relationship of those two large-toothed amphisbaenians with extant Trogonophis. Accordingly, Todrasaurus shows that the divergence of crown Trogonophidae occurred much earlier than currently thought. Our survey of μCT scans reveals that Terastiodontosaurus, Todrasaurus, and Trogonophis are characterized by a great enamel thickness on their teeth, a feature that is absent in other examined amphisbaenians. Size estimates show that Terastiodontosaurus was the largest known amphisbaenian ever to have lived, with an estimated skull length of >5 cm. Based on new muscle data of Trogonophis, we estimate very high bite forces for Terastiodontosaurus, which would allow it to crush a wide variety of snails.
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世界上最大的蠕虫蜥蜴:突尼斯尚比始新世一种牙齿适应性极强的新巨型蛙蜥(有鳞目:Amphisbaenia)。
我们在此描述了突尼斯尚比始新世的两栖类新属和新种--Terastiodontosaurus marcelosanchezi。利用微计算机断层扫描(μCT),我们记录了这一新类群的奇特解剖结构,其特点是极端的牙齿形态,包括上颌骨和牙槽骨上的一颗巨大牙齿、扁平的颊齿以及一系列其他诊断特征,这些特征很容易将其与所有其他两栖类区别开来。我们还利用μCT技术重新描述了非洲最古老的两栖类动物--来自摩洛哥古新世晚期的Todrasaurus gheerbranti。系统发育分析重新发现了Terastiodontosaurus和Todrasaurus这两个姊妹类群,并有力地支持了这两个大齿两栖类与现生Trogonophis的姊妹群关系。因此,Todrasaurus 表明冠蛙龙科的分化比目前认为的要早得多。我们对μCT扫描的调查显示,Terastiodontosaurus、Todrasaurus和Trogonophis的特点是它们牙齿上的珐琅质厚度很大,这是其他已研究过的两栖类所没有的。尺寸估计显示,Terastiodontosaurus是有史以来已知最大的两栖类恐龙,头骨长度估计为>5厘米。根据Trogonophis的新肌肉数据,我们估计Terastiodontosaurus的咬合力非常高,可以咬碎各种各样的蜗牛。
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来源期刊
CiteScore
6.50
自引率
10.70%
发文量
116
审稿时长
6-12 weeks
期刊介绍: The Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society publishes papers on systematic and evolutionary zoology and comparative, functional and other studies where relevant to these areas. Studies of extinct as well as living animals are included. Reviews are also published; these may be invited by the Editorial Board, but uninvited reviews may also be considered. The Zoological Journal also has a wide circulation amongst zoologists and although narrowly specialized papers are not excluded, potential authors should bear that readership in mind.
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