How The Amphibians Got Their Vertebrae: Ancient amphibians evolved stiffer intervertebral joints for aquatic lives (IMAGE)

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How The Amphibians Got Their Vertebrae: Ancient amphibians evolved stiffer intervertebral joints for aquatic lives

Caption

Traces of neural arch and intercentra shape convergence characterized by environment. Top row: Reconstructions borrowed with permission from Nobu Tamura. From left to right: Cacops aspidephorus Paracyclotosaurus davidi, Archegosaurus decheni. Middle row: a) Cacops aspidephorus (ancestrally terrestrial); b) Paracyclotosaurus davidi (ancestrally semiaquatic); c) Metoposaurus diagnosticus (ancestrally aquatic). Bottom row: d) Lydekkerina huxleyi (secondarily terrestrial); e) Mastodonsaurus giganteus (variation on semiaquatic form, note no secondarily semiaquatic taxa were reported from this study); f) Archegosaurus decheni (secondarily aquatic).

Credit

N. Tamura

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