Synchrotron tomography of a stem lizard elucidates early squamate anatomy.

Squamates (lizards and snakes) include more than 10,000 living species, descended from an ancestor that diverged more than 240 million years ago from that of their closest living relative, Sphenodon. However, a deficiency of fossil evidence, combined with serious conflicts between molecular and morphological accounts of squamate phylogeny (but see ref. ), has caused uncertainty about the origins and evolutionary assembly of squamate anatomy.

Multiple paths to morphological diversification during the origin of amniotes.

Early terrestrial vertebrates (amniotes) provide a classic example of diversification following adaptive zone invasion. The initial terrestrialization of vertebrates was closely followed by dietary diversification, as evidenced by a proliferation of craniomandibular and dental adaptations. However, morphological evolution of early amniotes has received limited study, in analyses with restricted taxonomic scope, leaving substantial questions about the dynamics of this important terrestrial radiation.

Serial disparity in the carnivoran backbone unveils a complex adaptive role in metameric evolution.

Organisms comprise multiple interacting parts, but few quantitative studies have analysed multi-element systems, limiting understanding of phenotypic evolution. We investigate how disparity of vertebral morphology varies along the axial column of mammalian carnivores - a chain of 27 subunits - and the extent to which morphological variation have been structured by evolutionary constraints and locomotory adaptation. We find that lumbars and posterior thoracics exhibit high individual disparity but low serial differentiation.

The origin of tetrapod herbivory: effects on local plant diversity.

The origin of herbivory in the Carboniferous was a landmark event in the evolution of terrestrial ecosystems, increasing ecological diversity in animals but also giving them greater influence on the evolution of land plants. We evaluate the effect of early vertebrate herbivory on plant evolution by comparing local species richness of plant palaeofloras with that of vertebrate herbivores and herbivore body size. Vertebrate herbivores became diverse and achieved a much greater range of body sizes across the Carboniferous-Permian transition interval.