Swimming Secrets of Prehistoric Reptiles Unlocked by New Study
Published:03 May2023 Source:University of Bristol
In a new paper, published in the journal Palaeontology, a Bristol team of palaeobiologists used state-of-the-art statistical methods to perform a large-scale quantitative study, the first of its kind, on the locomotion of Mesozoic marine reptiles.
The researchers collected measurements from 125 fossilised skeletons, and used these to explore changes in swimming styles within lineages and through time, discovering that there was no explosive radiation at the beginning of the Mesozoic, but a gradual diversification of locomotory modes, which peaked in the Cretaceous period. In the aftermath of the end-Permian extinction, about 250 million years ago, various groups of reptiles became aquatic hunters, populating the early Mesozoic seas.
This paper sheds light into the swimming of specific groups. It also delves into the evolution of size, a feature related to locomotion, animal physiology and ocean productivity. The transition to life in water is usually accompanied by an increase in body mass, as seen in cetaceans, large sizes benefit aquatic animals in reducing the mass-specific costs of drag. Thus, it was essential to explore this trait in the wider ensemble of Mesozoic marine reptiles.