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Secondarily marine tetrapod lineages have independently evolved osmoregulatory adaptations for life in salt water but inferring physiological changes in extinct marine tetrapods is difficult. The Mesozoic crocodylomorph clade Thalattosuchia is unique in having both direct evidence from natural endocasts and several proposed osteological correlates for salt exocrine glands. Here, we investigate salt gland evolution in thalattosuchians by creating endocranial reconstructions from CT scans of eight taxa (one basal thalattosuchian, one teleosauroid, two basal metriorhynchoids and four metriorhynchids) and four outgroups (three extant crocodylians and the basal crocodyliform Protosuchus) to identify salt gland osteological correlates. All metriorhynchoids show dorsolateral nasal cavity expansions corresponding to the location of nasal salt glands in natural casts, but smaller expansions in teleosauroids correspond more with the cartilaginous nasal capsule. The different sizes of these expansions suggest the following evolutionary sequence: (1) plesiomorphically small glands present in semi-aquatic teleosauroids draining through the nasal vestibule; (2) moderately sized glands in the basalmost metriorhynchoid Pelagosaurus; and (3) hypertrophied glands in the clade comprising Eoneustes and metriorhynchids, with a pre-orbital fenestra providing a novel exit for salt drainage. The large gland size inferred from basal metriorhynchoids indicates advanced osmoregulation occurred while metriorhynchoids were semi-aquatic. This pattern does not precisely fit into current models of physiological evolution in marine tetrapods and suggests a unique sequence of changes as thalattosuchians transitioned from land to sea.

Pterosaurs, the first vertebrates to evolve powered flight, were key components of Mesozoic terrestrial ecosystems from their sudden appearance in the Late Triassic until their demise at the end of the Cretaceous1–6. However, the origin and early evolution of pterosaurs are poorly understood owing to a substantial stratigraphic and morphological gap between these reptiles and their closest relatives6, Lagerpetidae7. Scleromochlus taylori, a tiny reptile from the early Late Triassic of Scotland discovered over a century ago, was hypothesized to be a key taxon closely related to pterosaurs8, but its poor preservation has limited previous studies and resulted in controversy over its phylogenetic position, with some even doubting its identification as an archosaur9. Here we use microcomputed tomographic scans to provide the first accurate whole-skeletal reconstruction and a revised diagnosis of Scleromochlus, revealing new anatomical details that conclusively identify it as a close pterosaur relative1 within Pterosauromorpha (the lagerpetid + pterosaur clade). Scleromochlus is anatomically more similar to lagerpetids than to pterosaurs and retains numerous features that were probably present in very early diverging members of Avemetatarsalia (bird-line archosaurs). These results support the hypothesis that the first flying reptiles evolved from tiny, probably facultatively bipedal, cursorial ancestors1.

Pterosaurs, the first vertebrates to evolve powered flight, were key components of Mesozoic terrestrial ecosystems from their sudden appearance in the Late Triassic until their demise at the end of the Cretaceous

International audience; This chapter presents a detailed review of works published on Artiodactyla endocasts and provides a comprehensive examination of artiodactyl brain evolutionary history, including Cetacea, from the early Eocene (c.a. 45 Ma) onwards. Artiodactyl endocasts have been studied from the second half of the nineteenth century to the 1970s. These works on natural or artificial endocasts widely took place outside the frame of phylogenetic concerns. We compile the data available, including recent works using μCT-scan imagery techniques, and place them in a phylogenetic framework. We also provide new data regarding Paleogene representatives of North American extinct clades (Homacodon, Helohyus, Leptauchenia, Agriochoerus), endemic European clade (Mouillacitherium, Dichobune), and Suoidea (Palaeochoerus). The brain of modern artiodactyls is remarkable by the expansion and by the folding of the neopallium. Their brains are highly gyrencephalic and differ in their neocortical pattern. We highlight diversity of neopallium patterns of Artiodactyla and their convergent nature on the last 45 millions years and show that encephalization increases with time, but with different modes between terrestrial and fully aquatic taxa (i.e. Cetacea). Each clade shows a mosaic pattern of derived and plesiomorphic features that now has to be put in perspective with both the history and ecology of taxa