Multi-joint analysis of pose viability supports the possibility of a salamander-like walk in the Permian tetrapod Eryops megacephalus

Hutchinson, John

Abstract

Salamanders are often used as analogs for early tetrapods in paleontological reconstructions of locomotion. However,
concerns have been raised about whether this comparison is justifiable, necessitating comparisons of a broader range of
early tetrapods with salamanders. Here we test whether the osteological morphology of the hindlimb in the early tetrapod
(temnospondyl amphibian) Eryops megacephalus could have facilitated the limb configurations used by salamanders
during terrestrial locomotion. To do so, we present a new method that enables the examination of full limb configurations
rather than isolated joint poses. Based on this analysis, we conclude that Eryops may indeed have been capable of a
salamander-like walk. Our method facilitates the holistic visual comparison of limb postures between taxa without reliance
on coordinate system definitions, and can thus be applied to facilitate various comparisons between extinct and extant
taxa, spanning the diversity of locomotion we observe today.

Citation

Hutchinson, J. (in press). Multi-joint analysis of pose viability supports the possibility of a salamander-like walk in the Permian tetrapod Eryops megacephalus. Integrative and Comparative Biology, https://doi.org/10.1093/icb/icac083

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: May 22, 2022
• Online Publication Date: Jun 10, 2022
• Deposit Date: Apr 1, 2022
• Publicly Available Date: Dec 20, 2022
• Print ISSN: 1540-7063
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/icb/icac083