The northward extension of reptiles in the Palearctic, with the Jordan Valley (Israel) as a model: snakes outrace lizards (Reptilia: Squamata)

Figure 2. The geographical distribution, in the study area, of the records of two lizard species: Mesalina guttulata (Lacertidae), open circles, and Tropiocolotes nattereri (Gekkonidae), solid circles. Some key localities for orientation are shown in Figure 1.Published as part of Shacham, Boaz, Federman, Roy, Lahav-Ginott, Shimrit & Werner, Yehudah L., 2015, The northward extension of reptiles in the Palearctic, with the Jordan Valley (Israel) as a model: snakes outrace lizards (Reptilia: Squamata), pp. 1017-1033 in Journal of Natural History 50 on page 1022, DOI: 10.1080/00222933.2015.1083057, http://zenodo.org/record/399011

The braincase of a specimen of Proterochampsa Reig (Archosauriformes: Proterochampsidae) from the Late Triassic of Argentina

The proterochampsids are a Triassic group of superficially crocodile-like forms belonging to the Archosauriformes. In the present contribution, we present new information regarding the braincase of the proterochampsid Proterochampsa Reig 1959, from the Ischigualasto Formation (Carnian) of Argentina, and discuss its phylogenetic considerations. Some unique neurocranial features of Proterochampsa are described, including: the prominence and thickness of the V-shaped ridge that surrounds the basisphenoidal fossa; the medially concave lateral arms of the same ridge; and the semilunar depression on the parabasisphenoid ventrolaterally exposed. Other features are only shared with likely unrelated archosauriforms, including: the great lateral development of the basipterygoid processes and caudal development of its distal end; an eight-shaped metotic foramen; laterally directed basipterygoid processes; and rostral boundary of the basisphenoidal recess V-shaped. Proterochampsa differs in many other aspects from the archosauriform Chanaresuchus, including: a proportionally shorter basioccipital basal tubera; cultriform process ovoid in cross-section; longitudinal sulcus dorsal to the basipterygoid process; deep basisphenoidal recess; and the absence of a prominent intertuberal plate. In many braincase features, Proterochampsa is more similar to archosaurs than to Euparkeria, erythrosuchids and Proterosuchus. They include a reduced semilunar depression. A ventral border of the basioccipital forming a wide convexity and a dorsoventrally thin paroccipital process likely represents a feature shared with Chanaresuchus, but not with Doswellia and other basal archosauriforms.Fil: Trotteyn, Maria Jimena. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - San Juan; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de San Juan; ArgentinaFil: Haro, Jose Augusto. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de San Juan; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Centro de Investigaciones Paleobiológicas; Argentin