An enigmatic new archosauriform from the Carnian-Norian Ischigualasto Formation of Northwestern Argentina

Researchers have uncovered Incertovenator longicollum, an enigmatic new archosauriform from the Carnian-Norian Ischigualasto Formation in northwestern Argentina. This discovery sheds light on the evolutionary diversity of Late Triassic archosaurs, with its elongated cervical vertebrae presenting a unique combination of traits found in early avemetatarsalian and pseudosuchian clades. Phylogenetic analyses place Incertovenator within Archosauria, either as an early diverging avemetatarsalian or loricatan, closely related to Aphanosauria, Ornithodira, or Mandasuchus tanyauchen. The study highlights convergent evolution in neck elongation across multiple Triassic archosauriform clades, providing new insights into the morphological and phylogenetic complexity of this pivotal period in vertebrate history.

Yáñez, I., Pol, D., Leardi, J., Alcober, O., & Martinez, R. (2021). An enigmatic new archosauriform from the Carnian-Norian Ischigualasto Formation of Northwestern Argentina. Acta Palaeontologica Polonica, 66. https://doi.org/10.4202/app.00806.2020