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Csiki-Sava Z, Vremir M, Meng J, Vasile Ş, Brusatte SL, Norell MA. Spatial and Temporal Distribution of the Island-Dwelling Kogaionidae (Mammalia, Multituberculata) in the Uppermost Cretaceous of Transylvania (Western Romania). BULLETIN OF THE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY 2022. [DOI: 10.1206/0003-0090.456.1.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Zoltán Csiki-Sava
- Laboratory of Paleontology, Faculty of Geology and Geophysics, and Center for Risk Studies, Space Modeling and Dynamics of Terrestrial and Coastal Systems, University of Bucharest
| | - Mátyás Vremir
- Deceased; formerly Department of Natural Sciences, Transylvanian Museum Society, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Jin Meng
- Division of Paleontology, American Museum of Natural History, New York
| | - Ştefan Vasile
- Laboratory of Paleontology, Faculty of Geology and Geophysics, and Center for Risk Studies, Space Modeling and Dynamics of Terrestrial and Coastal Systems, University of Bucharest
| | | | - Mark A. Norell
- Division of Paleontology, American Museum of Natural History, New York
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A New Mammal Skull from the Late Cretaceous of Romania and Phylogenetic Affinities of Kogaionid Multituberculates. J MAMM EVOL 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10914-021-09564-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
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3
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The Tetrapod Fossil Record from the Uppermost Maastrichtian of the Ibero-Armorican Island: An Integrative Review Based on the Outcrops of the Western Tremp Syncline (Aragón, Huesca Province, NE Spain). GEOSCIENCES 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/geosciences11040162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The South-Pyrenean Basin (northeastern Spain) has yielded a rich and diverse record of Upper Cretaceous (uppermost Campanian−uppermost Maastrichtian) vertebrate fossils, including the remains of some of the last European dinosaurs prior to the Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) extinction event. In this work, we update and characterize the vertebrate fossil record of the Arén Sandstone and Tremp formations in the Western Tremp Syncline, which is located in the Aragonese area of the Southern Pyrenees. The transitional and continental successions of these sedimentary units are dated to the late Maastrichtian, and exploration of their outcrops has led to the discovery of numerous fossil remains (bones, eggshells, and tracks) of dinosaurs, including hadrosauroids, sauropods, and theropods, along with other tetrapods such as crocodylomorphs, testudines, pterosaurs, squamates, and amphibians. In particular, this fossil record contains some of the youngest lambeosaurine hadrosaurids (Arenysaurus and Blasisaurus) and Mesozoic crocodylomorphs (Arenysuchus and Agaresuchus subjuniperus) in Europe, complementing the lower Maastrichtian fossil sites of the Eastern Tremp Syncline. In addition, faunal comparison with the fossil record of Hațeg island reveals the great change in the dinosaur assemblages resulting from the arrival of lambeosaurine hadrosaurids on the Ibero-Armorican island, whereas those on Haţeg remained stable. In the light of its paleontological richness, its stratigraphic continuity, and its calibration within the last few hundred thousand years of the Cretaceous, the Western Tremp Syncline is one of the best places in Europe to study the latest vertebrate assemblages of the European Archipelago before the end-Cretaceous mass extinction.
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Puértolas-Pascual E, Young MT, Brochu CA. Introducing the First European Symposium on the Evolution of Crocodylomorpha. Zool J Linn Soc 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlaa012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
AbstractThe First European Symposium on the Evolution of Crocodylomorpha took place during the XVI Annual Meeting of the European Association of Vertebrate Palaeontologists (EAVP) organized by NOVA University of Lisbon (UNL) in Caparica, Portugal. Fourteen lectures and five posters were presented at the symposium in June 26th–July 1st, 2018. This special issue showcases twelve papers based on symposium contributions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eduardo Puértolas-Pascual
- Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia-GeoBioTec, NOVA University of Lisbon, Monte de Caparica, Caparica, Portugal
- Museu da Lourinhã, Lourinhã, Portugal
- Aragosaurus-IUCA Research Group, Universidad de Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Mark T Young
- School of GeoSciences, Grant Institute, The King’s Buildings, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Christopher A Brochu
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City, USA
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Puértolas-Pascual E, Mateus O. A three-dimensional skeleton of Goniopholididae from the Late Jurassic of Portugal: implications for the Crocodylomorpha bracing system. Zool J Linn Soc 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlz102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
AbstractWe here describe an articulated partial skeleton of a small neosuchian crocodylomorph from the Lourinhã Formation (Late Jurassic, Portugal). The skeleton corresponds to the posterior region of the trunk and consists of dorsal, ventral and limb osteoderms, dorsal vertebrae, thoracic ribs and part of the left hindlimb. The paravertebral armour is composed of two rows of paired osteoderms with the lateral margins ventrally deflected and an anterior process for a ‘peg and groove’ articulation. We also compare its dermal armour with that of several Jurassic and Cretaceous neosuchian crocodylomorphs, establishing a detailed description of this type of osteoderms.These features are present in crocodylomorphs with a closed paravertebral armour bracing system. The exceptional 3D conservation of the specimen, and the performance of a micro-CT scan, allowed us to interpret the bracing system of this organism to assess if previous models were accurate. The characters observed in this specimen are congruent with Goniopholididae, a clade of large neosuchians abundant in most semi-aquatic ecosystems from the Jurassic and Early Cretaceous of Laurasia. However, its small size, contrasted with the sizes observed in goniopholidids, left indeterminate whether it could have been a dwarf or juvenile individual. Future histological analyses could shed light on this.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Puértolas-Pascual
- Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia-GeoBioTec, Monte de Caparica, Portugal
- Museu da Lourinhã, Lourinhã, Portugal
- Aragosaurus-IUCA Research group, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - O Mateus
- Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia-GeoBioTec, Monte de Caparica, Portugal
- Museu da Lourinhã, Lourinhã, Portugal
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6
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Groh SS, Upchurch P, Barrett PM, Day JJ. The phylogenetic relationships of neosuchian crocodiles and their implications for the convergent evolution of the longirostrine condition. Zool J Linn Soc 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlz117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Since their origin in the Late Triassic, crocodylomorphs have had a long history of evolutionary change. Numerous studies examined their phylogeny, but none have attempted to unify their morphological characters into a single, combined dataset. Following a comprehensive review of published character sets, we present a new dataset for the crocodylomorph clade Neosuchia consisting of 569 morphological characters for 112 taxa. For the first time in crocodylian phylogenetic studies, quantitative variation was treated as continuous data (82 characters). To provide the best estimate of neosuchian relationships, and to investigate the origins of longirostry, these data were analysed using a variety of approaches. Our results show that equally weighted parsimony and Bayesian methods cluster unrelated longirostrine forms together, producing a topology that conflicts strongly with their stratigraphic distributions. By contrast, applying extended implied weighting improves stratigraphic congruence and removes longirostrine clustering. The resulting topologies resolve the major neosuchian clades, confirming several recent hypotheses regarding the phylogenetic placements of particular species (e.g. Baryphracta deponiae as a member of Diplocynodontinae) and groups (e.g. Tethysuchia as non-eusuchian neosuchians). The longirostrine condition arose at least three times independently by modification of the maxilla and premaxilla, accompanied by skull roof changes unique to each longirostrine clade.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian S Groh
- Department of Earth Sciences, University College London, London, UK
- Department of Earth Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, UK
| | - Paul Upchurch
- Department of Earth Sciences, University College London, London, UK
| | - Paul M Barrett
- Department of Earth Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, UK
| | - Julia J Day
- Department of Genetics, Environment and Evolution, University College London, London, UK
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Tennant JP, Mannion PD, Upchurch P, Sutton MD, Price GD. Biotic and environmental dynamics through the Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous transition: evidence for protracted faunal and ecological turnover. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2017; 92:776-814. [PMID: 26888552 PMCID: PMC6849608 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2015] [Revised: 01/18/2016] [Accepted: 01/20/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous interval represents a time of environmental upheaval and cataclysmic events, combined with disruptions to terrestrial and marine ecosystems. Historically, the Jurassic/Cretaceous (J/K) boundary was classified as one of eight mass extinctions. However, more recent research has largely overturned this view, revealing a much more complex pattern of biotic and abiotic dynamics than has previously been appreciated. Here, we present a synthesis of our current knowledge of Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous events, focusing particularly on events closest to the J/K boundary. We find evidence for a combination of short-term catastrophic events, large-scale tectonic processes and environmental perturbations, and major clade interactions that led to a seemingly dramatic faunal and ecological turnover in both the marine and terrestrial realms. This is coupled with a great reduction in global biodiversity which might in part be explained by poor sampling. Very few groups appear to have been entirely resilient to this J/K boundary 'event', which hints at a 'cascade model' of ecosystem changes driving faunal dynamics. Within terrestrial ecosystems, larger, more-specialised organisms, such as saurischian dinosaurs, appear to have suffered the most. Medium-sized tetanuran theropods declined, and were replaced by larger-bodied groups, and basal eusauropods were replaced by neosauropod faunas. The ascent of paravian theropods is emphasised by escalated competition with contemporary pterosaur groups, culminating in the explosive radiation of birds, although the timing of this is obfuscated by biases in sampling. Smaller, more ecologically diverse terrestrial non-archosaurs, such as lissamphibians and mammaliaforms, were comparatively resilient to extinctions, instead documenting the origination of many extant groups around the J/K boundary. In the marine realm, extinctions were focused on low-latitude, shallow marine shelf-dwelling faunas, corresponding to a significant eustatic sea-level fall in the latest Jurassic. More mobile and ecologically plastic marine groups, such as ichthyosaurs, survived the boundary relatively unscathed. High rates of extinction and turnover in other macropredaceous marine groups, including plesiosaurs, are accompanied by the origin of most major lineages of extant sharks. Groups which occupied both marine and terrestrial ecosystems, including crocodylomorphs, document a selective extinction in shallow marine forms, whereas turtles appear to have diversified. These patterns suggest that different extinction selectivity and ecological processes were operating between marine and terrestrial ecosystems, which were ultimately important in determining the fates of many key groups, as well as the origins of many major extant lineages. We identify a series of potential abiotic candidates for driving these patterns, including multiple bolide impacts, several episodes of flood basalt eruptions, dramatic climate change, and major disruptions to oceanic systems. The J/K transition therefore, although not a mass extinction, represents an important transitional period in the co-evolutionary history of life on Earth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan P. Tennant
- Department of Earth Science and EngineeringImperial College LondonSouth KensingtonLondonSW7 2AZU.K.
| | - Philip D. Mannion
- Department of Earth Science and EngineeringImperial College LondonSouth KensingtonLondonSW7 2AZU.K.
| | - Paul Upchurch
- Department of Earth SciencesUniversity College LondonLondonWC1E 6BTU.K.
| | - Mark D. Sutton
- Department of Earth Science and EngineeringImperial College LondonSouth KensingtonLondonSW7 2AZU.K.
| | - Gregory D. Price
- School of Geography, Earth and Environmental SciencesPlymouth UniversityPlymouthPL4 8AAU.K.
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Schwarz D, Raddatz M, Wings O. Knoetschkesuchus langenbergensis gen. nov. sp. nov., a new atoposaurid crocodyliform from the Upper Jurassic Langenberg Quarry (Lower Saxony, northwestern Germany), and its relationships to Theriosuchus. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0160617. [PMID: 28199316 PMCID: PMC5310792 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0160617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2016] [Accepted: 09/26/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
We report a new, small-sized atoposaurid crocodyliform from the Upper Jurassic of Langenberg, Northeastern Germany. Atoposaurids are small-sized Mesozoic crocodyliforms of mainly European distribution, which are considered to be phylogenetically close to the origin of Eusuchia. Knoetschkesuchus langenbergensis gen. nov. sp. nov. is represented by two well-preserved skulls and additional cranial and postcranial remains representing different ontogenetic stages. 3D reconstructions of a juvenile skull based on micro-computed tomography allow the most detailed description of cranial remains of any atoposaurid hitherto presented. Our new analysis contradicts previous preliminary assignment of the Langenberg atoposaurids to Theriosuchus. Knoetschkesuchus gen. nov. is characterized in particular by the presence of two dental morphotypes in the maxilla and dentary, slit-like secondary choanae within a narrow groove on the surface of the pterygoid, absence of lacrimonasal contact, presence of an antorbital foramen and an external mandibular fenestra, and proportional characters of the interorbital and intertemporal region. A similar combination of characters allows attribution of Theriosuchus guimarotae to Knoetschkesuchus, forming the new combination Knoetschkesuchus guimarotae. Our analysis provides an osteological basis for the separation of Theriosuchus and Knoetschkesuchus and helps further delineate generic differences in other closely related crocodylomorphs. Our phylogenetic analysis corroborates inclusion of Knoetschkesuchus into Atoposauridae and supports a position of Atoposauridae within Eusuchia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Schwarz
- Museum fuer Naturkunde Berlin, Leibniz Institute for Evolutionary and Biodiversity Research, Berlin, Germany
- * E-mail:
| | - Maik Raddatz
- Museum fuer Naturkunde Berlin, Leibniz Institute for Evolutionary and Biodiversity Research, Berlin, Germany
| | - Oliver Wings
- Department of Natural Sciences, Landesmuseum Hannover, Hannover, Germany
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9
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Tennant JP, Mannion PD, Upchurch P. Evolutionary relationships and systematics of Atoposauridae (Crocodylomorpha: Neosuchia): implications for the rise of Eusuchia. Zool J Linn Soc 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/zoj.12400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan P. Tennant
- Department of Earth Science and Engineering; Imperial College London; South Kensington London SW7 2AZ UK
| | - Philip D. Mannion
- Department of Earth Science and Engineering; Imperial College London; South Kensington London SW7 2AZ UK
| | - Paul Upchurch
- Department of Earth Sciences; University College London; Gower Street London WC1E 6BT UK
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Martin JE, Delfino M, Garcia G, Godefroit P, Berton S, Valentin X. New specimens ofAllodaposuchus precedensfrom France: intraspecific variability and the diversity of European Late Cretaceous eusuchians. Zool J Linn Soc 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/zoj.12331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy E. Martin
- Laboratoire de Géologie de Lyon: Terre, Planète, Environnement; UMR CNRS 5276 (CNRS, ENS, Université Lyon1); Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon; 69364 Lyon cedex 07 France
| | - Massimo Delfino
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra; Università di Torino; Via Valperga Caluso 35 Torino I-10125 Italy
- Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont; Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona; Edifici Z (ICTA-ICP) Carrer de les Columnes s/n Campus de la UAB E-08193 Cerdanyola del Valles Barcelona Spain
| | - Géraldine Garcia
- Université de Poitiers; IPHEP UMR CNRS 7262 6 rue M. Brunet 86073 Poitiers cedex 9 France
| | - Pascal Godefroit
- Directorate ‘Earth and History of Life’; Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences; rue Vautier 29 1000 Brussels Belgium
| | - Stéphane Berton
- Directorate ‘Earth and History of Life’; Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences; rue Vautier 29 1000 Brussels Belgium
| | - Xavier Valentin
- Université de Poitiers; IPHEP UMR CNRS 7262 6 rue M. Brunet 86073 Poitiers cedex 9 France
- Palaios Association; 86300 Valdivienne France
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Young MT, Tennant JP, Brusatte SL, Challands TJ, Fraser NC, Clark NDL, Ross DA. The first definitive Middle Jurassic atoposaurid (Crocodylomorpha, Neosuchia), and a discussion on the genus Theriosuchus. Zool J Linn Soc 2015; 176:443-462. [PMID: 27594716 PMCID: PMC4989461 DOI: 10.1111/zoj.12315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2014] [Revised: 06/23/2015] [Accepted: 06/24/2015] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Atoposaurids were a clade of semiaquatic crocodyliforms known from the Late Jurassic to the latest Cretaceous. Tentative remains from Europe, Morocco, and Madagascar may extend their range into the Middle Jurassic. Here we report the first unambiguous Middle Jurassic (late Bajocian–Bathonian) atoposaurid: an anterior dentary from the Isle of Skye, Scotland, UK. A comprehensive review of atoposaurid specimens demonstrates that this dentary can be referred to Theriosuchus based on several derived characters, and differs from the five previously recognized species within this genus. Despite several diagnostic features, we conservatively refer it to Theriosuchus sp., pending the discovery of more complete material. As the oldest known definitively diagnostic atoposaurid, this discovery indicates that the oldest members of this group were small‐bodied, had heterodont dentition, and were most likely widespread components of European faunas. Our review of mandibular and dental features in atoposaurids not only allows us to present a revised diagnosis of Theriosuchus, but also reveals a great amount of variability within this genus, and indicates that there are currently five valid species that can be differentiated by unique combinations of dental characteristics. This variability can be included in future broad‐scale cladistics analyses of atoposaurids and closely related crocodyliforms, which promise to help untangle the complicated taxonomy and evolutionary history of Atoposauridae. © 2015 The Authors. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of The Linnean Society of London
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark T Young
- School of GeoSciences, Grant Institute, The King's BuildingsUniversity of EdinburghJames Hutton RoadEdinburghEH9 3FEUK; School of Ocean and Earth Science, National Oceanography CentreUniversity of SouthamptonEuropean WaySouthamptonSO14 3ZHUK
| | - Jonathan P Tennant
- Department of Earth Science and Engineering Imperial College London London SW6 2AZ UK
| | - Stephen L Brusatte
- School of GeoSciences, Grant Institute, The King's BuildingsUniversity of EdinburghJames Hutton RoadEdinburghEH9 3FEUK; National Museums ScotlandChambers StreetEdinburghEH1 1JFUK
| | - Thomas J Challands
- School of GeoSciences, Grant Institute, The King's Buildings University of Edinburgh James Hutton Road Edinburgh EH9 3FE UK
| | - Nicholas C Fraser
- School of GeoSciences, Grant Institute, The King's BuildingsUniversity of EdinburghJames Hutton RoadEdinburghEH9 3FEUK; National Museums ScotlandChambers StreetEdinburghEH1 1JFUK
| | - Neil D L Clark
- The Hunterian University of Glasgow University Avenue Glasgow G12 8QQ UK
| | - Dugald A Ross
- Staffin Museum 6 Ellishadder Staffin Isle of Skye IV51 9JE UK
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12
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Turner AH. A review of Shamosuchus and Paralligator (Crocodyliformes, Neosuchia) from the Cretaceous of Asia. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0118116. [PMID: 25714338 PMCID: PMC4340866 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0118116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2014] [Accepted: 01/07/2015] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The crocodyliform Shamosuchus is known from numerous Late Cretaceous localities in southern and eastern Mongolia and fragmentary remains from Uzbekistan. Seven species of Shamosuchus have been named from six localities in Mongolia and three in Uzbekistan. Six species originally described as Paralligator were later referred to Shamosuchus. Only the type species, Shamosuchus djadochtaensis has been examined in detail. Many of the named species of Shamosuchus show striking similarity in size and cranial morphology but most are based on partial remains suggesting that the true species diversity is overestimated. A review of all species referred to Shamosuchus recognizes three valid taxa: Shamosuchus djadochtaensis, S. gradilifrons, and S. major. Shamosuchus sungaricus, S. borealis, and S. karakalpakensis are nomena dubia, whereas S. ancestralis, S. ulgicus, S. tersus, and S. ulanicus are junior subjective synonyms of S. gradilifrons. Phylogenetic analysis of 318 phenotypic characters recovers a Paralligatoridae clade consisting of Shamosuchus, Rugosuchus, Batrachomimus, Glen Rose Form, and Wannchampsus. Shamosuchus is non-monophyletic: S. djadochtaensis is near the base of Paralligatoridae whereas S. gradilifrons + S. major are the most deeply nested. The name Paralligator is resurrected for this clade. Rugosuchus and Batrachomimus are sister taxa to Paralligator. Paralligatoridae is closely related to Theriosuchus, hylaeochampsids and a speciose Allodaposuchus clade, which together are the sister group of Borealosuchus plus Crocodylia. These results support the presence of a diverse clade in eastern Asia and western North America throughout the Cretaceous with origins in the Late Jurassic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan H. Turner
- Department of Anatomical Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, United States of America
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Turner AH, Pritchard AC. The monophyly of Susisuchidae (Crocodyliformes) and its phylogenetic placement in Neosuchia. PeerJ 2015; 3:e759. [PMID: 25699208 PMCID: PMC4330912 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.759] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2014] [Accepted: 01/21/2015] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Eusuchian crocodyliforms, which include all living crocodylians, have historically been characterized by two anatomical specializations: a ball-in-socket vertebral joint and an extensive secondary hard palate with a pterygoid-bound internal choana. The Early Cretaceous neosuchian clade Susisuchidae is typically regarded as phylogenetically near Eusuchia. The putative susisuchid Isisfordia duncani was initially described as a transitional form exhibiting incipient versions of these eusuchian traits. Here we examine aspects of the morphology of Isisfordia and comment on the morphology of its putative sister taxon Susisuchus. Our reexamination supports the notion of Isisfordia possessing transitional vertebral morphology but we present a new interpretation of its palate construction that shows it to be more plesiomorphic than previously thought. The secondary choana of Isisfordia is not pterygoid bound. Instead, long palatines expand distally lapping under the pterygoid to form the anterior border of the choana as is common among many advanced neosuchians. Incorporation of these observations into an expanded phylogenetic dataset of neosuchian crocodyliforms results in a new phylogenetic hypothesis for Susisuchidae. Isisfordia and Susisuchus form a monophyletic Susisuchidae that sits near the base of Neosuchia, and is not the sister taxon of Eusuchia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan H. Turner
- Department of Anatomical Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | - Adam C. Pritchard
- Department of Anatomical Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
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14
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Csiki-Sava Z, Buffetaut E, Ősi A, Pereda-Suberbiola X, Brusatte SL. Island life in the Cretaceous - faunal composition, biogeography, evolution, and extinction of land-living vertebrates on the Late Cretaceous European archipelago. Zookeys 2015; 469:1-161. [PMID: 25610343 PMCID: PMC4296572 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.469.8439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 136] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2014] [Accepted: 11/20/2014] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The Late Cretaceous was a time of tremendous global change, as the final stages of the Age of Dinosaurs were shaped by climate and sea level fluctuations and witness to marked paleogeographic and faunal changes, before the end-Cretaceous bolide impact. The terrestrial fossil record of Late Cretaceous Europe is becoming increasingly better understood, based largely on intensive fieldwork over the past two decades, promising new insights into latest Cretaceous faunal evolution. We review the terrestrial Late Cretaceous record from Europe and discuss its importance for understanding the paleogeography, ecology, evolution, and extinction of land-dwelling vertebrates. We review the major Late Cretaceous faunas from Austria, Hungary, France, Spain, Portugal, and Romania, as well as more fragmentary records from elsewhere in Europe. We discuss the paleogeographic background and history of assembly of these faunas, and argue that they are comprised of an endemic 'core' supplemented with various immigration waves. These faunas lived on an island archipelago, and we describe how this insular setting led to ecological peculiarities such as low diversity, a preponderance of primitive taxa, and marked changes in morphology (particularly body size dwarfing). We conclude by discussing the importance of the European record in understanding the end-Cretaceous extinction and show that there is no clear evidence that dinosaurs or other groups were undergoing long-term declines in Europe prior to the bolide impact.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zoltán Csiki-Sava
- Department of Geology, Faculty of Geology and Geophysics, University of Bucharest, 1 N. Bălcescu Blvd, 010041 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Eric Buffetaut
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR 8538, Laboratoire de Géologie de l’Ecole Normale Supérieure, 24 rue Lhomond, 75231 Paris Cedex 05, France
| | - Attila Ősi
- MTA-ELTE Lendület Dinosaur Research Group, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/c, Budapest, 1117, Hungary
| | - Xabier Pereda-Suberbiola
- Universidad del País Vasco/Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea, Facultad de Ciencia y Tecnología, Departamento de Estratigrafía y Paleontología, Apartado 644, 48080 Bilbao, Spain
| | - Stephen L. Brusatte
- School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh, Grant Institute, King’s Buildings, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JW, UK
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Young MT, Steel L, Foffa D, Price T, Naish D, Tennant JP. Marine tethysuchian crocodyliform from the ?Aptian-Albian (Lower Cretaceous) of the Isle of Wight, UK. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/bij.12387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mark T. Young
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology; School of Biological Sciences; University of Edinburgh; The King's Buildings Edinburgh EH9 3JW UK
- School of Ocean and Earth Science; National Oceanography Centre; University of Southampton; Southampton SO14 3ZH UK
| | - Lorna Steel
- Department of Earth Sciences; Natural History Museum; London SW7 5BD UK
| | - Davide Foffa
- School of Earth Sciences; University of Bristol; Wills Memorial Building Bristol BS8 1RJ UK
| | - Trevor Price
- Dinosaur Isle Museum; Sandown Isle of Wight PO36 8QA UK
| | - Darren Naish
- School of Ocean and Earth Science; National Oceanography Centre; University of Southampton; Southampton SO14 3ZH UK
| | - Jonathan P. Tennant
- Department of Earth Science and Engineering; Imperial College London; London SW6 2AZ UK
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Tennant JP, Mannion PD. Revision of the Late Jurassic crocodyliform Alligatorellus, and evidence for allopatric speciation driving high diversity in western European atoposaurids. PeerJ 2014; 2:e599. [PMID: 25279270 PMCID: PMC4179893 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2014] [Accepted: 09/08/2014] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Atoposaurid crocodyliforms represent an important faunal component of Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous Laurasian semi-aquatic to terrestrial ecosystems, with numerous spatiotemporally contemporaneous atoposaurids known from western Europe. In particular, the Late Jurassic of France and Germany records evidence for high diversity and possible sympatric atoposaurid species belonging to Alligatorellus, Alligatorium and Atoposaurus. However, atoposaurid taxonomy has received little attention, and many species are in need of revision. As such, this potentially high European diversity within a narrow spatiotemporal range might be a taxonomic artefact. Here we provide a taxonomic and anatomical revision of the Late Jurassic atoposaurid Alligatorellus. Initially described as A. beaumonti from the Kimmeridgian of Cerin, eastern France, additional material from the Tithonian of Solnhofen, south-eastern Germany, was subsequently referred to this species, with the two occurrences differentiated as A. beaumonti beaumonti and A. beaumonti bavaricus, respectively. We provide a revised diagnosis for the genus Alligatorellus, and note a number of anatomical differences between the French and German specimens, including osteoderm morphology and the configuration and pattern of sculpting of cranial elements. Consequently, we restrict the name Alligatorellus beaumonti to include only the French remains, and raise the rank of the German material to a distinct species: Alligatorellus bavaricus. A new diagnosis is provided for both species, and we suggest that a recently referred specimen from a coeval German locality cannot be conclusively referred to Alligatorellus. Although it has previously been suggested that Alligatorellus, Alligatorium and Atoposaurus might represent a single growth series of one species, we find no conclusive evidence to support this proposal, and provide a number of morphological differences to distinguish these three taxa that appear to be independent of ontogeny. Consequently, we interpret high atoposaurid diversity in the Late Jurassic island archipelago of western Europe as a genuine biological signal, with closely related species of Alligatorellus, Alligatorium and Atoposaurus in both French and German basins providing evidence for allopatric speciation, potentially driven by fluctuating highstand sea levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan P Tennant
- Department of Earth Science and Engineering, Imperial College London , London , UK
| | - Philip D Mannion
- Department of Earth Science and Engineering, Imperial College London , London , UK
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Brusatte SL, Vremir M, Csiki-Sava Z, Turner AH, Watanabe A, Erickson GM, Norell MA. The Osteology of Balaur bondoc, an Island-Dwelling Dromaeosaurid (Dinosauria: Theropoda) from the Late Cretaceous of Romania. BULLETIN OF THE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY 2013. [DOI: 10.1206/798.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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Holliday CM, Gardner NM. A new eusuchian crocodyliform with novel cranial integument and its significance for the origin and evolution of Crocodylia. PLoS One 2012; 7:e30471. [PMID: 22303441 PMCID: PMC3269432 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0030471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2011] [Accepted: 12/21/2011] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Crocodyliforms were one of the most successful groups of Mesozoic tetrapods, radiating into terrestrial, semiaquatic and marine environments, while occupying numerous trophic niches, including carnivorous, insectivorous, herbivorous, and piscivorous species. Among these taxa were the enigmatic, poorly represented flat-headed crocodyliforms from the late Cretaceous of northern Africa. Here we report a new, giant crocodyliform from the early Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian) Kem Kem Formation of Morocco. Represented by a partial braincase, the taxon has an extremely long, flat skull with large jaw and craniocervical muscles. The skull roof is ridged and ornamented with a broad, rough boss surrounded by significant vascular impressions, likely forming an integumentary structure unique among crocodyliforms. Size estimates using endocranial volume indicate the specimen was very large. The taxon possesses robust laterosphenoids with laterally oriented capitate processes and isolated epipterygoids, features allying it with derived eusuchians. Phylogenetic analysis finds the taxon to be a derived eusuchian and sister taxon to Aegyptosuchus, a poorly understood, early Late Cretaceous taxon from the Bahariya formation. This clade forms the sister clade of crown-group Crocodylia, making these taxa the earliest eusuchian crocodyliforms known from Africa. These results shift phylogenetic and biogeographical hypotheses on the origin of modern crocodylians towards the circum-Tethyean region and provide important new data on eusuchian morphology and evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Casey M Holliday
- Department of Pathology and Anatomical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, United States of America.
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