Journal of Systematic Palaeontology
@journalsystpal
Publishing research that uses systematics to advance palaeontology 📃Our papers: 🏛️We're based at the Natural History Museum, London:
New paper out! Astrop reports a new pygocephalomorph crustacean from the Brymbo Fossil Forest (Moscovian), North Wales, UK with a reassessment of the genus 𝙋𝙮𝙜𝙤𝙘𝙚𝙥𝙝𝙖𝙡𝙪𝙨: buff.ly/mKNWzUJ This study describes 𝙋𝙮𝙜𝙤𝙘𝙚𝙥𝙝𝙖𝙡𝙪𝙨 𝙗𝙧𝙮𝙢𝙗𝙤𝙚𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙨 sp. nov. and reviews the taxonomic history of the genera #PaleoSky
For #FossilFriday - the skull of 𝙊𝙤𝙙𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙚𝙨 𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙥𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙞𝙙𝙚 From the phylogeny of the carnivora: Basal relationships among the carnivoramorphans, and assessment of the position of ‘miacoidea’ relative to carnivora by Wesley‐Hunt & Flynn (2005). Read the full study here: buff.ly/JiHMkNQ #PaleoSky #skull
🐬 Lambert 𝘦𝘵 𝘢𝘭. report a new species of 𝙈𝙞𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙖𝙘𝙚𝙩𝙪𝙨 from the Middle Miocene of Peru: buff.ly/qeky7Pc A beautifully preserved skull from the Pisco Formation reveals a new large delphinidan: 𝙈𝙞𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙖𝙘𝙚𝙩𝙪𝙨 𝙗𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙖𝙞, with a similar cranium to the modern beluga- 𝘿𝙚𝙡𝙥𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙪𝙨 𝙡𝙚𝙪𝙘𝙖𝙨 #PaleoSky
New paper out in the Journal of Systematic Palaeontology! Weiss 𝘦𝘵 𝘢𝘭. present a revised anatomical and osteohistological study of the early crocodyliform ‘𝙀𝙧𝙮𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙤𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙢𝙥𝙨𝙖’ 𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙜𝙞𝙥𝙚𝙨, one of South Africa’s first described crocodyliform taxa: buff.ly/qrcPQ05 #PaleoSky #Crocodylomorpha #Jurassic
Holotype of 𝘾𝙝𝙖𝙤𝙮𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙞𝙖 𝙗𝙚𝙞𝙨𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙚𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙨 from: A redescription of 𝘾𝙝𝙖𝙤𝙮𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙞𝙖 𝙗𝙚𝙞𝙨𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙚𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙨 (Aves) and a comprehensive phylogeny of Mesozoic birds by O’Connor & Zhou (2013) buff.ly/tb8BOJe #Paleosky #PaleobirdNerd buff.ly/2S8vjc0 #FossilFriday
Gernelle 𝘦𝘵 𝘢𝘭. present a comprehensive evolutionary reconstruction of Peradectidae (Mammalia), Laurasian ‘opossum‑like’ marsupialiforms, with a new phylogenetic framework derived from detailed dental morphology and informed by late early Eocene material from France: buff.ly/lSbi2Hr #PaleoSky
Nelson 𝘦𝘵 𝘢𝘭. (2025) show the cranium, atlas and axis of 𝙀𝙤𝙨𝙦𝙪𝙖𝙡𝙤𝙙𝙤𝙣 𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙬𝙞𝙚𝙨𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙞, revealing features linked to feeding behaviour: an enlarged temporal fossa, a dorsoventrally tall coronoid process, and a pronounced fossa for jaw‑adductor musculature: buff.ly/43FWxpK #FossilFriday #PaleoSky
Did you know..? The living echinoderms have a body plan which is equivalent to only the head of other bilateral animals. @echinerd.bsky.social Read about the Ordovician diversification of sea urchins by Thompson 𝘦𝘵 𝘢𝘭. (2022): buff.ly/FseMBZR #PaleoSky #Echinoderms #ECE12 www.euroechino.net
New paper out in JSP! Wang et al. introduce trajectory smoothness as an ichnotaxonomic criterion. Trajectory smoothness helps us understand locomotory mode, body profile, and behavioural evolution— enhancing ichnotaxonomy and the information it provides. Full article: buff.ly/cGwwrSG #PalaeoSky
New paper out in JSP! Skeletal morphology and phylogenetics relationships of the Late Cretaceous freshwater ray Myledaphus bipartitus (Chondrichthyes; Batomorphii) by Türtscher 𝙚𝙩 𝙖𝙡., clarifying the evolutionary relationships of batomorph lineages: buff.ly/gDhmnXZ #PaleoSky #FossilFriday
New study out in JSP! Phylogeny of the Cenozoic planktonic foraminifera by Lamyman 𝙚𝙩 𝙖𝙡. Read the full study here: buff.ly/r6Lznng This study provides an updated phylogeny of Cenozoic planktonic foraminifera, adding new morphospecies and genera, while calibrating to GTS2020. #PaleoSky
New paper out in JSP! Jerry Hooker revisits the genus Lessnessina, the affinities of which have been long debated, with 𝙇𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙖 𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙤𝙧𝙪𝙢, a new sp. from the early Ypresian Blackheath Formation (UK) providing key morphological evidence. Read here: buff.ly/zoKuNWk #PaleoSky #FossilFriday
Next in our a series of short reviews on the systematics of major fossil groups from leading experts. Spiekman and Ezcurra's contribution looks at the evolutionary origins of modern reptiles, one ofthe key unanswered questions in vertebrate evolution. Read here: buff.ly/ulDNoNx #PaleoSky
Six species of previously published hexangulaconulariids from the Terreneuvian of South China, and morphological terms. Image taken from: Phylogenetic affinities and evolution of the Early Cambrian hexangulaconulariids by Song et al. (2024) Read here: buff.ly/9jLGU9P #FossilFriday #PaleoSky
Abello 𝘦𝘵 𝘢𝘭. present a comprehensive systematic revision of Argyrolagidae, a distinctive lineage of small, herbivorous, rodent‑like marsupials from South America. The updated phylogenetic framework was based on dental morphology and geometric morphometrics. Read here: buff.ly/qg5k10P #PaleoSky
𝙇𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙚𝙤𝙭𝙮𝙡𝙤𝙣 𝙘𝙪𝙮𝙚𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙨 gen. et sp. nov., holotype. Franco 𝘦𝘵 𝘢𝘭. reported new evidence of Zygophyllaceae evolution: insights from the Miocene fossil wood records and their associations with the orogeny of the Andes and arid climates. Read the full study: buff.ly/q1rJuFV #FossilFriday #PaleoSky
New paper out in JSP! A new aeduellid from the Permian Franchesse Lagerstätte (Bourbon-l’Archambault Basin, Allier, France) highlights the evolution of Palaeozoic actinopterygians by Gonçalves et al. Ontogeny based on the holotype, 3 paratypes and 25 referred specimens: buff.ly/RJpYPUm #PaleoSky
Zhang 𝘦𝘵 𝘢𝘭. (2023) introduced 𝙂𝙖𝙣𝙨𝙪𝙗𝙖𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙝𝙪𝙨 𝙦𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙖𝙣𝙚𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙨 gen. 𝘦𝘵 sp. nov., a frog from the Lower Cretaceous Zhonggou Formation of the Jiuquan Basin, expanding the known diversity of Early Cretaceous frogs and our understanding of anuran evolution: buff.ly/2wPnXwb #FossilFriday #PaleoSky
Read the first review in our new special collection- Perspectives on the Systematics of Fossil Organisms: Challenges and Opportunities. A decade after Deuteropoda – insights into the systematics, evolution and dynamics of Cambrian euarthropods by Ortega-Hernández. 🔗 buff.ly/r4sZQez #PaleoSky
Excellent progress in the restoration of the Crystal Palace Dinosaurs! Originally designed by Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkins and Sir Richard Owen in 1852 for the Crystal Palace Great Exhibition, these were the first dinosaur (and marine reptile) sculptures in the world. #crystalpalacedinosaurs
🦕 Its Dinosaur Day and we have a new study out in the Journal of Systematic Palaeontology! Duarte‑Bigurra 𝘦𝘵 𝘢𝘭. describe new hadrosaurid material from the middle Campanian of Sonora, Mexico — reshaping Late Cretaceous biogeography. 🔗 Full article: buff.ly/YOESP2T #PaleoSky #DinosaurDay
🦖 A new study by Duarte-Bigurra 𝘦𝘵 𝘢𝘭. reports hadrosaurid fossils from the middle Campanian Cabullona Group of Mexico, a region rich in non‑marine vertebrate remains, establishing dinosaur dispersal pathways North and South American ecosystems before the end‑Cretaceous: buff.ly/2fh8Lnq #PaleoSky
Today we celebrate Mary Anning's birthday (21 May 1799) — pioneering fossil collector, palaeontologist, and one of the most influential figures in the history of Earth science. To mark her birthday and her discoveries, check out Moon's phylogenetic study of ichthyosaurs: buff.ly/ovaAjuM #PaleoSky
Meet our brilliant team of Associate Editors! Dr Jeffrey R. Thompson (University of Southampton) studies how the morphology and body plans of animals evolve, using echinoderms as a model system. Read more about his research here: buff.ly/q4dwt1N @echinerd.bsky.social #PaleoSky
Fossil snakes from the Neogene of Venezuela 🐍 by Head 𝘦𝘵 𝘢𝘭. (2006) Read the full study here: buff.ly/E66x80O #FossilFriday #PaleoSky
Did you know..? Planktonic foraminifera build intricate shells smaller than a grain of sand, yet their fossils record one of the most complete evolutionary histories of any group on Earth. Read more about the systematic taxonomy of planktonic foraminifera here: buff.ly/JGIl6DB @tracy_aze #PaleoSky
New paper out in the Journal of Systematic Palaeontology! Taxonomic reassessment of tristichopterid materials (Sarcopterygii, Tetrapodomorpha) from Middle Devonian Red Hill, Nevada, USA by Leong and Liu (2026). Read the full study here: buff.ly/kqHxf4E #PaleoSky #NewResearch #Devonian