
Aetosauria is a clade of heavily armored, quadrupedal omnivorous to herbivorous archosaurs known from the Late Triassic across what was the supercontinent of Pangea. Their abundance in many deposits relative to the paucity of other Triassic herbivores indicates that they were key components of Late Triassic ecosystems. However, their evolutionary relationships remain contentious due, in large part, to their extensive dermal armor, which often obstructs observation of internal skeletal anatomy and limits access to potentially informative characters. In an attempt to address this problem we reanalyzed the holotype of a recently described species ofCoahomasuchus,C. chathamensis, from the Sanford sub-basin of North Carolina using computed tomography (CT). CT scans of the holotype specimen clarify preservation of the skeleton, revealing several articulated vertebrae and ribs, an isolated vertebra, left ulna, left scapula, and the right humerus, though none of the material resulted in updated phylogenetic scorings. Reexamination of aetosaur materials from the holotype locality also indicates that several isolated osteoderms and elements of the appendicular skeleton are newly referable. Based on these results, we update theCoahomasuchus chathamensishypodigm and conduct a revised phylogenetic analysis with improved character scorings forCoahomasuchusand several other aetosaurs. Our study recoversCoahomasuchusin a polytomy withAetosaurusand the Typothoracinae, in contrast with a recent analysis that recoveredCoahomasuchusas a wild-card taxon.
Carnian, CT reconstruction, Aetosauria, QH301-705.5, R, Aetosaurs, Evolutionary Studies, Specimen-based phylogeny, North Carolina, Medicine, Biology (General), Late Triassic
Carnian, CT reconstruction, Aetosauria, QH301-705.5, R, Aetosaurs, Evolutionary Studies, Specimen-based phylogeny, North Carolina, Medicine, Biology (General), Late Triassic
| selected citations These citations are derived from selected sources. This is an alternative to the "Influence" indicator, which also reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically). | 14 | |
| popularity This indicator reflects the "current" impact/attention (the "hype") of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network. | Top 10% | |
| influence This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically). | Average | |
| impulse This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network. | Top 10% |
