The dinosaur Plateosaurus engelhardti is the most abundant dinosaur in the Late Triassic of Europe and the best known basal sauropodomorph. Plateosaurus engelhardti was one of the first sauropodomorph dinosaurs to display a large body size. Remains can be found in the Norian stage of the Late Triassic in over 40 localities in Central Europe (France, Germany, and Switzerland) and in Greenland. Since the first discovery of P. engelhardti no juvenile specimens of this species had been described in detail. Here we describe the first remains of juvenile individuals, isolated cervical and dorsal neural arches from Switzerland. These were separated postmortem from their respective centra because of unfused neurocentral sutures. However the specimens share the same neural arch morphology found in adults. Morphometric analysis suggests body lengths of the juvenile individuals that is greater than those of most adult specimens. This supports the hypothesis of developmental plasticity in Plateosaurus engelhardti that previously had been based on histological data only. Alternative hypotheses for explaining the poor correlation between ontogenetic stage and size in this taxon are multiple species or sexual morphs with little morphological variance or time-averaging of individuals from populations differing in body size.
A new and uniquely structured matrix of mammalian phenotypes, MaTrics (Mammalian Traits for Comparative Genomics) in a digital form is presented. By focussing on mammalian species for which genome assemblies are available, MaTrics provides an interface between mammalogy and comparative genomics.MaTrics was developed within a project aimed to find genetic causes of phenotypic traits of mammals using Forward Genomics. This approach requires genomes and comprehensive and recorded information on homologous phenotypes that are coded as discrete categories in a matrix. MaTrics is an evolving online resource providing information on phenotypic traits in numeric code; traits are coded either as absent/present or with several states as multistate. The state record for each species is linked to at least one reference (e.g., literature, photographs, histological sections, CT scans, or museum specimens) and so MaTrics contributes to digitalization of museum collections. Currently, MaTrics covers 147 mammalian species and includes 231 characters related to structure, morphology, physiology, ecology, and ethology and available in a machine actionable NEXUS-format*. Filling MaTrics revealed substantial knowledge gaps, highlighting the need for phenotyping efforts. Studies based on selected data from MaTrics and using Forward Genomics identified associations between genes and certain phenotypes ranging from lifestyles (e.g., aquatic) to dietary specializations (e.g., herbivory, carnivory). These findings motivate the expansion of phenotyping in MaTrics by filling research gaps and by adding taxa and traits. Only databases like MaTrics will provide machine actionable information on phenotypic traits, an important limitation to genomics. MaTrics is available within the data repository Morph·D·Base (www.morphdbase.de).
6The dinosaur Plateosaurus engelhardti is the most abundant dinosaur in the Late Triassic of 7Europe and the best known basal sauropodomorph. Plateosaurus engelhardti was one of the 8 first sauropdomorph dinosaurs to display a large body size. Remains can be found in the 9Norian stage of the Late Triassic in over 40 localities in Central Europe (France, Germany, 10Greenland and Switzerland). Since the first discovery of P. engelhardti no juvenile specimens 11 of this species had been found. Here we describe the first remains of juvenile individuals, 12 isolated cervical and dorsal neural arches. These were separated postmortem from their 13 respective centra because of unfused neurocentral sutures. However the specimens share the 14 same neural arch morphology found in adults. Morphometric analysis suggests a body lengths 15 of the juvenile indivduals that is greater than those of most adult specimens. This supports the 16 hypothesis of developmental plasticity in Plateosaurus engelhardti that previously had been 17 based on histological data only. Alternative hypotheses for explaining the poor correlation 18 between ontogenetic stage and size in this taxon are multiple species or sexual morphs with 19 little morphological variance or time-averaging of individuals from populations differing in 20 body size. 21
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