The early diversification of tetrapods into terrestrial environments involved adaptations of
their locomotor apparatus that allowed for weight support and propulsion on heterogeneous …

Adaptation to an aquatic lifestyle occurred in the evolution of several primarily terrestrial
clades of tetrapods. Among these lineages, aquatic birds' adaptations differ in many ways …

The diapsid plesiosaurs were pelagic and inhabited the oceans from the Triassic to the
Cretaceous. A key evolutionary character of plesiosaurs is the four wing‐like flippers. While …

Avian evolution led to morphological adaptive variations in feet. Diverse foot types are
accompanied by a diverse muscle system, allowing birds to adopt different primary lifestyles …

Within the field of evolutionary biology, divergence and convergence are two major
phenomena that have helped shape the diversity and disparity of the Earth's biota …

The evolution of Thalattosuchia documents the unique shift among Crocodylomorpha from
aquatic continental/coastal habitats to a fully pelagic lifestyle. This transition was coupled …

Novel phenotypic configurations can profoundly alter the evolutionary trajectories of species.
Although innovation can precede lengthy periods of evolutionary stasis, the potential for …

Land-to-sea evolutionary transitions are great transformations where terrestrial amniote
clades returned to aquatic environments. These secondarily aquatic amniote clades include …

Background Along with the transition to the aquatic environment, cetaceans experienced
profound changes in their skeletal anatomy, especially in the skull, including the …

After the end-Triassic extinction, parvipelvian ichthyosaurs diversified and became dominant
elements of marine ecosystems worldwide. By the Early Jurassic, they achieved a …