Unraveling Amphibian and Reptile Evolution Through Recent Fossil Discoveries

The fossil record is crucial for understanding the origins and diversification of amphibians and reptiles. New discoveries continuously yield new insights into their evolutionary history, challenging existing beliefs.

This research topic will focus on amphibian and reptile fossil discoveries from recent decades. The primary goal is to integrate these new data to refine taxonomy, reconstruct phylogenies, detail morphological innovations, and elucidate the broader evolutionary trajectories of these vertebrate groups.

Key Areas of Focus:

• New Discoveries: Critically review the most impactful recent fossil finds.
• Taxonomy & Systematics: Re-evaluate existing taxa and propose new ones based on new discoveries.
• Phylogenetics: Resolve evolutionary relationships using morphological data from new specimens.
• Morphology & Functional Anatomy: Conduct detailed comparative analyses of newly described fossils.
• Evolutionary Implications: Synthesize findings to reconstruct major evolutionary events and diversification patterns.

This research topic will advance our understanding of herpetological evolution by providing a current synthesis of amphibian and reptile paleontological data. It highlights the dynamic nature of the fossil record and its continuous capacity to refine our knowledge, informing modern biodiversity and conservation.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Classification
• Clinical Trial
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Classification
• Clinical Trial
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: Fossil record, Amphibians, Reptiles, Evolution, New discoveries, Taxonomy, Phylogenetics, Morphology, Herpetology, Paleontology

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.