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Early Evolutionary History of the Synapsida pp 53–68Cite as

Postcranial Description and Reconstruction of the Varanodontine Varanopid Aerosaurus wellesi (Synapsida: Eupelycosauria)

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Part of the book series: Vertebrate Paleobiology and Paleoanthropology ((VERT))

Abstract

The postcranial skeleton of the varanopid synapsid Aerosaurus wellesi is reconstructed based on several specimens, including partly articulated material of an apparently fully adult specimen. Comparisons are made with other known varanopid taxa, reaffirming its position as a basal varanodontine. Aerosaurus was an obligatory sprawling-gaited animal with an extremely long tail and a presacral column that descended posteriorly at an angle of 25o. Aerosaurus shares many synapomorphies with other varanodontines: tall neural spines, double headed ribs, presence of a supraglenoid foramen, broadly expanded proximal and distal heads of humerus, high degree of twist or torque of the humeral heads about the shaft, radius shorter than humerus, expanded heads of femur, femur lacking a sigmoid curvature, and humerus and femur roughly subequal in length. The high degree of torque in the humerus, the extremely long tail, and the subequal lengths of the humerus and femur are considered primitive features of basal tetrapods, whereas the length of the centra being 23 % greater than the width and the expanded clavicular plate are specializations also seen in some later, derived varanodontines.

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Acknowledgments

I wish to thank Drs. Kevin Padian and Patricia Holroyd of the University of California Museum of Paleontology for loan of the specimens. I am greatly indebted to Dr. Stuart Sumida for suggesting this project and providing advice. Elaine Bayer provided assistance in transporting the specimens and many helpful discussions. I would also like to thank David Pelletier for all his support and understanding, and Dr. Elizabeth Rega and Darwin and Owen Sumida for allowing Stuart the time to help with this project.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, California State University San Bernardino, 5500 University Parkway, San Bernardino, CA, 92407, USA

    Valerie Pelletier

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  1. Valerie Pelletier
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Correspondence to Valerie Pelletier .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Paleontology and Richard Gilder, Graduate School American Museum of Natural History, New York, New York, USA

    Christian F. Kammerer

  2. Department of Geology, Field Museum, Chicago, Illinois, USA

    Kenneth D. Angielczyk

  3. Museum für Naturkunde, Leibniz-Institut für Evolutions- und Biodiversitätsforschung an der Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany

    Jörg Fröbisch

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Pelletier, V. (2014). Postcranial Description and Reconstruction of the Varanodontine Varanopid Aerosaurus wellesi (Synapsida: Eupelycosauria). In: Kammerer, C., Angielczyk, K., Fröbisch, J. (eds) Early Evolutionary History of the Synapsida. Vertebrate Paleobiology and Paleoanthropology. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-6841-3_4

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