
Figure 1. On the left, lepidosaur pelves from Grinham and Norman 2019, reordered phylogenetically here. On the right several tritosaur pelves and prepubes, most of which strongly demonstrate bipedal traits (elongate anterior ilium, increased sacral number). Yellow boxes indicate facultatively bipedal extant lepidosaurs.
“Facultative bipedality is regarded as an enigmatic middle ground in the evolution of obligate bipedality and is associated with high mechanical demands in extant lepidosaurs. Traits linked with this phenomenon are largely associated with the caudal end of the animal: hindlimbs and tail. The articulation of the pelvis with both of these structures suggests a morphofunctional role in the use of a facultative locomotor mode. Using a three-dimensional geometric morphometric approach, we examine the pelvic osteology and associated functional implications for 34 species of extant lepidosaur. Anatomical trends associated with the use of a bipedal locomotor mode and substrate preferences are correlated and functionally interpreted based on musculoskeletal descriptions. Changes in pelvic osteology associated with a facultatively bipedal locomotor mode are similar to those observed in species preferring arboreal substrates, indicating shared functionality between these ecologies.”
tritosaur lepidosaurs from their study. In the Triassic many of them became bipeds and among these, pterosaurs achieved bipedalism supported with four, five and more sacral vertebrae between horizontally elongate ilia, convergent with dinosaurs. The addition of the prepubis virtually extended the anchorage for the puboischial muscles. After achieving flight, beach-combing pterosaurs reverted to a quadrupedal configuration with finger 3 pointing posteriorly. Giant Korean bipedal pterosaur tracks are best matched to large dsungaripterid/tapejarid clade taxa.
“we have used 3D landmark-based geometric morphometrics to demonstrate that the overall morphospace for the lepidosaur pelvis is broad and wide-ranging. Within this overall morphospace, a small region is occupied by facultative bipeds. The vast majority of this smaller morphospace overlaps that occupied by species that show a preference for arboreal habitats. Pelvic morphological adaptations relevant for living in an arboreal environment are similar to those necessary to facilitate facultative bipedality.”
the arboreal abilities of volant basal bipedal pterosaurs and their ancestors. Maybe next time Grinham and Norman will expand their study to include tritosaur lepidosaurs.
References
Grinham LR and Norman DB 2019. The pelvis as an anatomical indicator for facultative bipedality and substrate use in lepidosaurs. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, blz190 (advance online publication) doi: https://doi.org/10.1093/biolinnean/blz190
https://academic.oup.com/biolinnean/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/biolinnean/blz190/5687877Â
Peters D 2000b. A Redescription of Four Prolacertiform Genera and Implications for Pterosaur Phylogenesis. Rivista Italiana di Paleontologia e Stratigrafia 106 (3): 293–336.
Snyder RC 1954. The anatomy and function of the pelvic girdle and hind limb in lizard locomotion. American Journal of Anatomy 95:1-46.