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''Orobates'' is an 
The trace fossil species ''Ichniotherium sphaerodactylum'', from Bromacker in Germany, has been attributed to ''Orobates''. A study in 2015 found that the genus was characterized by a long body and tail, with fairly short legs and a short skull compared to the more derived '' Diadectes''. This indicates ''Orobates'' was less specialised for long treks compared to ''Diadectes''. A three-dimensional digital reconstruction of the holotype specimen allowed further analysis of the postcranium. An analysis of the mobility of the hip joint of the reconstructed holotype indicated that its limb function was similar to that of modern salamanders.
A detailed multidisciplinary study published in 2019 found that ''Orobates'' moved more like modern caimans than salamanders. The study began with the digitization of its holotype specimen using CT scanning to figure out the range of motion of its joints. A digital model of its fossil trackways helped narrow down the possibilities. The researchers also studied the locomotion of four
extinct
Extinction is the termination of a kind of organism or of a group of kinds (taxon), usually a species. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of the species, although the capacity to breed and ...
genus of diadectid reptiliomorphs that lived during the Early Permian 01 or '01 may refer to:
* The year 2001, or any year ending with 01
* The month of January
* 1 (number)
Music
* '01 (Richard Müller album), 01'' (Richard Müller album), 2001
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. Its fossilised
A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserved in ...
remains were found in Germany. A combination of primitive and derived traits (i.e. autapomorphic
In phylogenetics, an autapomorphy is a distinctive feature, known as a derived trait, that is unique to a given taxon. That is, it is found only in one taxon, but not found in any others or outgroup taxa, not even those most closely related to t ...
and plesiomorphic
In phylogenetics, a plesiomorphy ("near form") and symplesiomorphy are synonyms for an ancestral character shared by all members of a clade, which does not distinguish the clade from other clades.
Plesiomorphy, symplesiomorphy, apomorphy, and ...
) distinguish it from all other well-known members of Diadectidae, a family of herbivorous reptiliomorphs. It weighed about 4 kg and appears to have been part of an upland fauna, browsing on high fibre plants.
Locomotion
The trace fossil species ''Ichniotherium sphaerodactylum'', from Bromacker in Germany, has been attributed to ''Orobates''. A study in 2015 found that the genus was characterized by a long body and tail, with fairly short legs and a short skull compared to the more derived '' Diadectes''. This indicates ''Orobates'' was less specialised for long treks compared to ''Diadectes''. A three-dimensional digital reconstruction of the holotype specimen allowed further analysis of the postcranium. An analysis of the mobility of the hip joint of the reconstructed holotype indicated that its limb function was similar to that of modern salamanders.
A detailed multidisciplinary study published in 2019 found that ''Orobates'' moved more like modern caimans than salamanders. The study began with the digitization of its holotype specimen using CT scanning to figure out the range of motion of its joints. A digital model of its fossil trackways helped narrow down the possibilities. The researchers also studied the locomotion of four extant
Extant is the opposite of the word extinct. It may refer to:
* Extant hereditary titles
* Extant literature, surviving literature, such as ''Beowulf'', the oldest extant manuscript written in English
* Extant taxon, a taxon which is not extinct, ...
sprawling tetrapods using X-ray motion analysis
X-ray motion analysis is a technique used to track the movement of objects using X-rays. This is done by placing the subject to be imaged in the center of the X-ray beam and recording the motion using an image intensifier and a high-speed camera, ...
. The extant tetrapods chosen for the study were axolotls, blue-tongued skinks, green iguanas, and spectacled caimans.
The biomechanical data of the locomotion of the extant tetrapods and the digital models of ''Orobates holotype and fossilized trackways were then used to create a dynamic simulation. It allowed the researchers to account for physical factors like gravity, friction, and balance. The simulation was then validated under real-world conditions with a life-sized robot called OroBOT. The researchers tested 512 different gait
Gait is the pattern of movement of the limbs of animals, including humans, during locomotion over a solid substrate. Most animals use a variety of gaits, selecting gait based on speed, terrain, the need to maneuver, and energetic efficiency. Di ...
s and found that ''Orobates'' moved most like a caiman. It had a relatively erect posture and walked with a slight side-to-side motion. A follow-up study focused on the muscle strains occurring within the muscles of the hindlimb in modelled strides at different postures. While results remained inconclusive towards favouring a single posture during locomotion, the overall results did not contradict the previous study based on OroBOT.
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q772545 Diadectids Artinskian genera Cisuralian tetrapods of Europe Permian Germany Fossils of Germany Fossil taxa described in 2004