Rise of the king: Gondwanan origins and evolution of megaraptoran dinosaurs
Late Cretaceous Earth was dominated by theropods such as tyrannosauroids and megaraptorans; however, it is unclear how these clades diversified and grew to massive proportions. This study aimed to conduct a biogeographical analysis and test climate as a potential mechanism for the increase in size....
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The Royal Society
2025-05-01
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| Online Access: | https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.242238 |
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| author | Cassius Morrison Charlie Roger Scherer Ezekiel V. O’Callaghan Collin Layton Colin Boisvert Mauro Aranciaga Rolando Leroy Durrant Pedro Salas Steven J. R. Allain Samuel J. L. Gascoigne |
| author_facet | Cassius Morrison Charlie Roger Scherer Ezekiel V. O’Callaghan Collin Layton Colin Boisvert Mauro Aranciaga Rolando Leroy Durrant Pedro Salas Steven J. R. Allain Samuel J. L. Gascoigne |
| author_sort | Cassius Morrison |
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| description | Late Cretaceous Earth was dominated by theropods such as tyrannosauroids and megaraptorans; however, it is unclear how these clades diversified and grew to massive proportions. This study aimed to conduct a biogeographical analysis and test climate as a potential mechanism for the increase in size. We used published phylogenetic matrices with the R package BioGeoBears to test different biogeographical hypotheses for both clades. We mapped body mass (BM) and body length against known climate data to test this potential hypothesis. Continental-scale variance did not drive tyrannosauroid biogeography and instead widespread ancestral populations, sympatric speciation and localized extinctions throughout these clades constricted geographic range. Both patterns were supported by statistical analyses. This biogeographical model also indicates the ancestor of the clade Tarbosaurus and Tyrannosaurus was present in both Asia and Laramidia, and therefore the ancestor of Tyrannosaurus came from Asia. Statistical data illustrated no correlation between Mean Annual Temperature (MAT) and BM but potential climatic shifts may be associated with gigantism in derived megaraptorids and eutyrannosaurians. This biogeographical model implies megaraptorans may have had a cosmopolitan distribution prior to the splitting of Laurasia and Gondwana. Also, gigantism in these clades may be associated with climatic shifts in the Late Cretaceous. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-5ce7f24332a248f5b3abe6aa7fa627e2 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2054-5703 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | The Royal Society |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Royal Society Open Science |
| spelling | doaj-art-5ce7f24332a248f5b3abe6aa7fa627e22025-08-20T02:14:42ZengThe Royal SocietyRoyal Society Open Science2054-57032025-05-0112510.1098/rsos.242238Rise of the king: Gondwanan origins and evolution of megaraptoran dinosaursCassius Morrison0Charlie Roger Scherer1Ezekiel V. O’Callaghan2Collin Layton3Colin Boisvert4Mauro Aranciaga Rolando5Leroy Durrant6Pedro Salas7Steven J. R. Allain8Samuel J. L. Gascoigne9Department of Earth Sciences, University College London, London, UKDepartment of Earth Sciences, University College London, London, UKDepartment of Biology, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, USADepartment of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USAOklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences, Tulsa, OK, USAMuseo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales Bernardino Rivadavia, Buenos Aires, ArgentinaDepartment of Geology and Geophysics, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USAIndependent Researcher, SpainWrittle School of Agriculture, Animal and Environmental Sciences, Anglia Ruskin University, Chelmsford, Essex, UKSchool of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UKLate Cretaceous Earth was dominated by theropods such as tyrannosauroids and megaraptorans; however, it is unclear how these clades diversified and grew to massive proportions. This study aimed to conduct a biogeographical analysis and test climate as a potential mechanism for the increase in size. We used published phylogenetic matrices with the R package BioGeoBears to test different biogeographical hypotheses for both clades. We mapped body mass (BM) and body length against known climate data to test this potential hypothesis. Continental-scale variance did not drive tyrannosauroid biogeography and instead widespread ancestral populations, sympatric speciation and localized extinctions throughout these clades constricted geographic range. Both patterns were supported by statistical analyses. This biogeographical model also indicates the ancestor of the clade Tarbosaurus and Tyrannosaurus was present in both Asia and Laramidia, and therefore the ancestor of Tyrannosaurus came from Asia. Statistical data illustrated no correlation between Mean Annual Temperature (MAT) and BM but potential climatic shifts may be associated with gigantism in derived megaraptorids and eutyrannosaurians. This biogeographical model implies megaraptorans may have had a cosmopolitan distribution prior to the splitting of Laurasia and Gondwana. Also, gigantism in these clades may be associated with climatic shifts in the Late Cretaceous.https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.242238BiogeographyLate CretaceousMegaraptoraTyrannosauroidea |
| spellingShingle | Cassius Morrison Charlie Roger Scherer Ezekiel V. O’Callaghan Collin Layton Colin Boisvert Mauro Aranciaga Rolando Leroy Durrant Pedro Salas Steven J. R. Allain Samuel J. L. Gascoigne Rise of the king: Gondwanan origins and evolution of megaraptoran dinosaurs Royal Society Open Science Biogeography Late Cretaceous Megaraptora Tyrannosauroidea |
| title | Rise of the king: Gondwanan origins and evolution of megaraptoran dinosaurs |
| title_full | Rise of the king: Gondwanan origins and evolution of megaraptoran dinosaurs |
| title_fullStr | Rise of the king: Gondwanan origins and evolution of megaraptoran dinosaurs |
| title_full_unstemmed | Rise of the king: Gondwanan origins and evolution of megaraptoran dinosaurs |
| title_short | Rise of the king: Gondwanan origins and evolution of megaraptoran dinosaurs |
| title_sort | rise of the king gondwanan origins and evolution of megaraptoran dinosaurs |
| topic | Biogeography Late Cretaceous Megaraptora Tyrannosauroidea |
| url | https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.242238 |
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