The Phylogenetic Relationships of the Sauropterygia (Reptilia: Diapsida)

这项研究由Olivier Rieppel博士进行， 来自芝加哥菲尔德自然博物馆的脊椎动物古生物学家 历史 里佩尔博士正在研究龙翼虫，一种已经灭绝的 双壳类爬行动物的一个类群。 该研究的重点是一种 一系列解剖学特征，主要强调 了解龙翼类动物之间的关系。 的 这些关系的推导对于理解 更现代的双孔类的多样性。 另一个重要方面 水生爬行动物四肢的变化 可以作为研究发展模式的模型， 率，特别是当它们与脊椎动物的变化有关时， 骷髅 从这项研究中得出的关系将提供 必要的解释框架，以评估这些 发展过程。

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.