Date of Award
2011
Degree Name
Biological Sciences
College
College of Science
Type of Degree
M.S.
Document Type
Thesis
First Advisor
Robin O’Keefe
Second Advisor
Suzanne G. Strait
Third Advisor
Paul J. Constantino
Abstract
Due to the overall morphological similarities between the Triassic archosaurs of the order Phytosauria and extant crocodilians, most studies have assumed that the two shared similar lifestyles. Many studies involving phytosaurs have focused on the external cranial morphology of various taxa. Internal cranial anatomy has received relatively little attention. As a result, comparative morphology studies of the braincases interior, or endocast, of phytosaurs are an area of potential exploration. Just as modern medical Xray computed tomography (CT) can be used to create three-dimensional images of internal structures of living subjects, such technology offers a non-invasive means of studying the internal anatomy of fossil specimens. CT scan data, used to virtually model and analyze the endocast of a phytosaur specimen, reveals an endocast morphology conserved among phytosaurs, crocodilians, and other Crurotarsi. This conservatismpersists in taxa with numerous synapomorphies and distinctive ecologies, unlike theendocast specialization seen in other archosaurs like Dinosauria.
Subject
Phytosauridae
Subject
Dinosaurs - Anatomy
Recommended Citation
Holloway, Waymon, "A Virtual Phytosaur Endocast and its Implications for Sensory System Evolution in Archosaurs" (2011). Theses, Dissertations and Capstones. 83.
https://mds.marshall.edu/etd/83
