EARLY TRENDS OF SKULL REDUCTION IN SAUROPODOMORPHA

ACCORDING TO A NEW SPECIMEN OF Saturnalia tupiniquim

1.2.
1.2. 2.3.
LÍSIE V.S. DAMKE , ÁTILA A.S. DA-ROSA , RODRIGO T. MÜLLER
1
Centro de Apoio à Pesquisa Paleontológica da Quarta Colònia, UFSM, Santa Maria, RS, Brasil, lisiesd@hotmail.com; rodrigotmuller@hotmail.com
2
Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biodiversidade Animal, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, Brasil.
3
Laboratório de Estratigrafía e Paleobiología, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, Brasil, atiladarosa@gmail.com

1. Introduction
Suropodomorph were the largest herbivores during the Mezozic Era,
with a massive body, small head, elongated neck, ang quadrupedal
gait.
Although the evolutionary history of several of these conditions have
been traced througt time, the reduction in skull size is still poorly
understood.
Saturnalia tupiniquium (Carnian, Brazil), is considered the oldest
sauropodomorph with a propotionalety reduced skull. However, the
specimens with cranial remains are poorly preserved.
3. Results
Skull anatomy of UFSM 11660
The specimen preserves the first complete rostral region for the species
(Fig. 2; beyond several postcranial remains). The premaxial of UFSM
11660 differs from Eoraptor lunesis, in which it bears an elongated
caudolateral process in the latter. Distinct from Eodromaeus murphi,
the maxilla lacks a promaxillary fenestra. As previously suggested, the
dentition resembles that of Buriolestes schultzi, composed of siphodont
teeth with small serrations. In addition, the maxilla bears 19 tooth
positions, contrasting with 24 tooth positions of B. schultzi
(CAPPA/UFSM 0035). The reduced number of tooth positions of
UFSM 11660 in comparison to B. schultzi reflects the proportionately
shorter rostrum of S. tupiniquim.

Saturnalia tupiniquium vy Mauricio S. Garcia; Brachiosaurus altihorax from

Phylopic. Not to scale.

In the present study, we investigate the putative skull reduction of

Saturnalia tupiniquium according to a new specimen: UFSM 11660

2. Material and Methods

UFSM 11660 comprises an assemblage of at least three

disarticulated to partially articulated individuals from the type-
locality of Saturnalia tupiniquium (Fig. 1).

Figure 1: Study area and geological context of UFSM 11660. (A)

Locarion and geological context of Cerro da Alemoa outcrop. (B)
general view of the Cerro da Alemoa outcrop; (C) plaster jacket
containning the elements of UFSM 11660 partially exposed and
reconstruction of preserved elements of UFSM 11660 (artwork by
Maurico Garcia).
To estimate the skull length we employed a least squares
regression using the maxillary length as a predictive variable
to skull lenght. Thus, we compiled a dataset of Triassic
sauropodomorphs.
We also calculate the ratio between skul length and femoral
length (as a proxy for body size).
Figure 2: Skull of UFSM 11660A. (A,B) lateral and (C,D) medial
views, Abbreviations; d, dentary; j, jugal; l, lacrimal; mx, maxilla; n,
nasal; pm, premaxilla; l, left and r, right.
Skull length of UFSM 11660
The linear regression resulted in 104.37 mm of skull length
(p=4.27x10^-5; R^2=0.9403).
Whereas in B. Schultzi the skull is 79% of the lenght of the
femur, in UFSM 11660 it is 66% the femoral length.

4. Conclusions
The new data provides further support for a proportionately reduced
skull in S. tupiniquium when compared to the earliest forms (Fig. 3).
This information is interesting because the skull reduction is a well-
established trait within the lineage of Sauropodomorpha. S.
tupiniquium comprises the oldest sauropodomorph expressing this
condition, indicating that it was already evolving during the early
evolutionary history of the group.
Although fossil remains of S. tupiniquium and B. schultzi have not
been excavated from the same site so far, both species are putatively
coeval. If this hypothesis is correct, the co-occurrence of faunivorous
sauropodomorph with distinct skull proportions could demostrate
some degree of niche specializations. The new data reinforces Figure 3: Ratio between skill and femoral length of earliest
previous works on the skull size of S. tupiniquium and can help future sauropodomorphs. Artwork by Jeremy “Mingau” Pauly Vieira.
works on taxonomy of early sauropodomorph.

For doubts or suggestions, please contact me lisiesd@hotmail.com