The fossil record of cetaceans documents how terrestrial animals acquired extreme
adaptations and transitioned to a fully aquatic lifestyle,. In whales, this is associated with a …

Paleobiological reconstructions of joint mobility are an essential component of functional
analyses of extinct animals. Over the past half-decade, the methods underlying mobility …

Convergent evolution is a central concept in evolutionary theory but the underlying
mechanism has been largely debated since On the Origin of Species. Previous hypotheses …

The giant theropod Spinosaurus was an unusual animal and highly derived in many ways,
and interpretations of its ecology remain controversial. Recent papers have added …

The use of more than one nomenclatural code is becoming increasingly common in some
biological sub-disciplines. To minimize nomenclatural instability, we have decided to …

The postcranial anatomy of Crocodyliformes has historically been neglected, as most
descriptions are based solely on skulls. Yet, the significance of the postcranium in …

Thalattosuchians were highly specialised aquatic archosaurs of the Jurassic and Early
Cretaceous, and represent a peak of aquatic adaptation among crocodylomorphs. Relatively …

Background Previous studies have demonstrated that the clear morphological differences
among vertebrae across the presacral column are accompanied by heterogeneous …

Thalattosuchian crocodylomorphs were a ubiquitous component of shallow marine
ecosystems during the Jurassic and Early Cretaceous. Alas, their origins remain a mystery …

Unravelling the functional steps that underlie major transitions in the fossil record is a
significant challenge for biologists owing to the difficulties of interpreting functional …