Neuroanatomy of the mekosuchine crocodylian Trilophosuchus rackhami Willis, 1993

Although our knowledge on crocodylomorph palaeoneurology has experienced considerable growth in recent years, the neuroanatomy of many crocodylomorph taxa has yet to be studied. This is true for Australian taxa, where thus far only two crocodylian crocodylomorphs have had aspects of their neuroanatomy explored. Here, the neuroanatomy of the Australian mekosuchine crocodylian Trilophosuchus rackhami is described for the first time, which significantly increases our understanding on the palaeoneurology of Australian crocodylians. The palaeoneurological description is based on the taxon’s holotype specimen (QMF16856), which was subjected to a µCT scan. Because of the exceptional preservation of QMF16856, most neuroanatomical elements could be digitally reconstructed and described in detail. Therefore, the palaeoneurological assessment presented here is hitherto the most in-depth study of this kind for an extinct Australian crocodylomorph. Trilophosuchus rackhami has a brain endocast with a...

尽管近年来我们对鳄形类（crocodylomorph）古神经学（palaeoneurology）的认知已有长足进展，但诸多鳄形类分类单元的神经解剖学（neuroanatomy）特征仍有待研究。澳大利亚的鳄形类类群便是如此，迄今仅两种鳄类（crocodylian）的神经解剖学特征得到过部分探究。本研究首次对澳大利亚梅科苏奇鳄类（mekosuchine crocodylian）三脊鳄（Trilophosuchus rackhami）的神经解剖学特征进行描述，这极大地深化了我们对澳大利亚鳄类古神经学的认知。本次古神经学描述基于该类群的正模标本（holotype specimen）QMF16856，该标本经显微CT（µCT）扫描获取数据。由于QMF16856保存状态极佳，绝大多数神经解剖结构均可通过数字化重建并得到详细描述。因此，本研究提出的古神经学评估，是迄今为止针对已灭绝澳大利亚鳄形类开展的最为深入的同类研究。三脊鳄（Trilophosuchus rackhami）的脑内模（brain endocast）具有……