The Phylogenetic Relationships of the Sauropterygia (Reptilia: Diapsida)

这项研究是由芝加哥自然历史博物馆的脊椎动物古生物学家奥利维尔·里佩尔博士进行的。里佩尔博士正在研究已灭绝的双翼类爬行动物Sauropterygia。这项研究集中在一系列解剖特征的变异上，主要侧重于了解蜥脚亚族之间的关系。这些关系的推导对于理解更现代的背包植物的多样性是必不可少的。这项研究的另一个重要方面是，水生爬行动物肢体的变化可以作为研究发育速度模式的模型，特别是当它们与脊椎动物骨骼的变化有关时。这项研究得出的关系将为评估这些发展过程提供必要的解释框架。

This research is being conducted by Dr. Olivier Rieppel, a vertebrate paleontologist from the Chicago Field Museum of Natural History. Dr. Rieppel is examining the Sauropterygia, an extinct group of diapsid reptiles. The research focuses on variation in a host of anatomical features, with a primary emphasis on understanding the relationships among sauropterygian groups. The derivation of these relationships are essential to understanding diversification in more modern diapsids. Another important aspect of this research is that changes in the limbs of aquatic reptiles can be used as a model for studying patterns of developmental rates, especially as they relate to changes in the vertebrate skeleton. The relationships derived from this study will provide the necessary interpretive framework for assessing these developmental processes.