Cerebros de placodontos en el 63rd Annual Meeting of the Palaeontological Association

Entre el 15 y el 21 del pasado diciembre de 2019 tuvo lugar en la ciudad de Valencia el Sexagésimo Tercer Encuentro Anual de la Asociación Paleontológica, y como en muchos otros eventos de este tipo, varios miembros del Grupo de Biología Evolutiva de la UNED estuvimos allí presentando nuestros trabajos. Uno de ellos es un estudio neuroanatómico del placodonto Parahenodus atancensis, del Triásico superior de El Atance (Guadalajara). Esperad próximamente más noticias al respecto; por ahora os dejamos aquí con el abstract del trabajo:

Parahenodus atancensis is a recently described cyamodontoid placodont from the Carnian-Norian interval (Upper Triassic) of El Atance fossil site (Guadalajara Province, Spain). It was identified as the sister taxon of the German highly specialized Henodus chelyops, both taxa composing the clade Henodontidae.
The holotype and only known specimen of Parahenodus atancensis, a partial but well-preserved skull, was CT scanned, allowing to significantly increase the knowledge on its cranial anatomy. In addition, the internal cavities were digitally reconstructed, including the partial brain, nerves, blood vessels and part of the bony labyrinth.
The CT scanning of the holotype of Parahenodus atancensis allows the characterization of several bones and structures previously unknown for this taxon, as well as the identification of several synapomorphies of the braincase of Cyamodontoidea so far unknown in Henodontidae. The study of the brain and neurosensory structures of Parahenodus atancensis suggests a relatively lower reliance of the vision, the pineal system and the pituitary than in other Triassic sauropterygians. The morphology of the labyrinth supports a life-style associated to shallow marine waters. These results provide a new reconstruction of the animal, based on the skeletal remains and the inferred neuroanatomy.

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Más información:

• Referencia: de Miguel Chaves, C., Serrano-Martínez, A., Gascó, F., Ortega, F., Pérez-García, A. 2019. Reconstructing the braincase and inner skull cavities of Parahenodus atancensis, a henodontid placodont from the Upper Triassic of Spain. Abstracts Book of the 63rd Annual Meeting of the Palaeontological Association.
• Imagen: Carlos de Miguel Chaves, uno de los autores del trabajo, delante del póster de dicho trabajo en el congreso en Valencia.