Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Yann Rollot, Serjoscha W. Evers, Richard L. Cifelli, Walter G. Joyce
Summary: In this study, the skull of Lakotemys australodakotensis is described using micro-computed tomography. Preliminary comparisons show that it shares similar cranial anatomy with Arundelemys dardeni and possesses a combination of features found in both baenids and non-baenid paracryptodires. Furthermore, it is the only known baenid to possess a canal for the palatine artery.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Yann Rollot, Serjoscha W. Evers, Stephanie E. Pierce, Walter G. Joyce
Summary: This study utilizes micro-computed tomography to analyze the skull of an Early Cretaceous baenid turtle, providing new insights into its cranial anatomy and the evolutionary relationship with other baenid and paracryptodire species.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Caizhi Shen, Rodrigo Pegas, Chunling Gao, Martin Kundrat, Lijun Zhang, Xuefang Wei, Xuanyu Zhou
Summary: The article explores the taxonomy of tapejarine specimens, focusing on a new postcranial specimen of Sinopterus dongi from the Jiufotang Formation in China. While abundant specimens exist, detailed revisions on the taxonomic issues are still lacking, highlighting the need for further comparative studies and taxonomic revisions.
Article
Entomology
Davide Badano, Qingqing Zhang, Michela Fratini, Laura Maugeri, Inna Bukreeva, Elena Longo, Fabian Wilde, David K. Yeates, Pierfilippo Cerretti
Summary: Phoroid flies constitute an ancient lineage within Diptera, featuring diverse species like scuttle flies and less species-rich groups like flat-footed and ironic flies. A new species of the enigmatic Lebambromyia genus, Lebambromyia sacculifera sp. nov., is described from mid-Cretaceous amber in Myanmar, expanding the geographic and temporal distribution of the genus. The study of the fossil fly reveals a mix of ancient and modern features, with phylogenetic analyses suggesting a relationship with flat-footed and ironic flies but with uncertain placement.
Article
Zoology
Raymond H. Bate, David J. Horne, Sarah E. Horne, Lyndsey Douglas, C. Giles Miller, Alan R. Lord
Summary: This study re-illustrates the type materials of 10 genera, one subgenus, 110 species, and 28 subspecies described by Wicher et al. (1959), Krommelbein et al. (1961, 1962, 1963, 1964a,b, 1965a,b), Krommelbein & Weber (1971), and Bate (1972, 1994) using optical digital technology, aiming to provide a standard reference for future systematic work and its biostratigraphical and palaeoenvironmental application.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ricardo Melchor, Mariano Perez, Pablo Villegas, Nahuel Espinoza, Aldo Umazano, M. Cristina Cardonatto
Summary: Scarcely found in Cretaceous rocks, tetrapod burrows from Patagonia provide insights into paleoecology and paleoenvironment. These burrows, preserved in pyroclastic rocks of eolian dunes and ash-fall deposits, suggest the presence of lepidosaurs, possibly eilenodontine sphenodontians. The rare occurrence of these burrows can be attributed to harsh conditions caused by volcanic ash and a semiarid climate.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Alexandre V. Demers-Potvin, Hans C. E. Larsson, Mario Cournoyer, Olivier Bethoux
Summary: This study presents a new fossil species Labradormantis guilbaulti from Canada, displaying a unique combination of ancestral and derived character states. The fossil is classified within the extinct family Baissomantidae, and helps to elucidate the phylogenetic relationships of early-diverging extant lineages. The inclusion of fossils is crucial for understanding the evolutionary trends of modern mantises and resolving their phylogenetic relationships.
SYSTEMATIC ENTOMOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Haibing Wang, Yuanqing Wang
Summary: This study reports a well-preserved detached middle ear structure in a eutherian mammal from the Early Cretaceous Jehol Biota, suggesting an independent evolution of hearing and chewing apparatuses in early eutherians.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Min Wang, Jingmai K. O'Connor, Tao Zhao, Yanhong Pan, Xiaoting Zheng, Xiaoli Wang, Zhonghe Zhou
Summary: Enantiornithes, the most successful group of Mesozoic birds, may have evolved their extravagant tail plumage through sexual selection, resembling those in neornithines. The contrasting tail morphotypes between Enantiornithes and early Ornithuromorpha suggest unique pressures from sexual and natural selections. Early avialans repeatedly evolved extravagant structures, showcasing the importance of sexual selection in shaping feathered dinosaurs' plumage early in their evolutionary history.
Article
Zoology
Stephen F. Poropat, Martin Kundrat, Philip D. Mannion, Paul Upchurch, Travis R. Tischler, David A. Elliott
Summary: The article describes the dinosaur Diamantinasaurus matildae from northeastern Australia, revealing its relationship with the contemporary dinosaur Savannasaurus elliottorum through analysis of a data matrix. A new clade named Diamantinasauria was established, suggesting the dispersal of some titanosaurians between South America and Australia via Antarctica.
ZOOLOGICAL JOURNAL OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY
(2021)
Article
Geography, Physical
Barry W. M. van Bakel, Rene H. B. Fraaije, John W. M. Jagt, Petr Skupien
Summary: Recent fieldwork in northeastern Czech Republic has uncovered new decapod crustacean material from Upper Jurassic-lowest Cretaceous bioclastic limestones, including the oldest known gymnopleuran crabs. The discovery of a new genus and species, as well as the re-examination of primitive crabs from southern Germany, sheds light on the evolutionary pathways of Mesozoic gymnopleurans influenced by the planktonic revolution.
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Haiyan Tong, Eric Buffetaut, Patrick Mechin, Annie Mechin-Salessy, Julien Claude
Summary: The first skull of Solemys gaudryi is discovered from Bastide Neuve in Fox Amphoux, Var, France. It is identified based on associated shell elements and provides new insights into the skull morphology of the family Helochelydridae. The study suggests that Helochelydra from England and Naomichelys from North America are more closely related to each other than to Solemys.
Article
Biology
Cedric Aria
Summary: The rise of arthropods in different ecosystems has significantly impacted ecological networks. Recent discoveries of well-preserved Palaeozoic fossils have shed light on the appearance of extant arthropods during the Cambrian explosion and the role of plankton and hard integuments in their diversification. The understanding of arthropod evolution has been altered, and important questions have been raised, such as cephalic plasticity and the development of specialized appendages for suspension-feeding.
BIOLOGICAL REVIEWS
(2022)
Article
Entomology
Xinran Li, Diying Huang
Summary: There are more wild cockroaches than household species, and they have a similar lifestyle of feeding on dead organic material and hiding in confined spaces. A unique fossil cockroach was discovered and initially thought to be a predator, but this hypothesis is uncertain. The study provides a redescription of the fossil cockroach and proposes a new closely related species. The discussion suggests that these species may feed on flowers instead of hunting for prey.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Demian A. Nelson, John M. Cottle, Ilya N. Bindeman, Alfredo Camacho
Summary: The Butcher Ridge Igneous Complex in the Early Jurassic period contains glass with high water content and low hydroxyl component, indicating secondary hydration. The glass also has the most depleted hydrogen isotopes ever measured in terrestrial rocks, suggesting it was hydrated by polar glacial ice and melt water during the Late Cretaceous, contradicting previous reconstructions of an ice-free Antarctica in a global hot greenhouse.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Biology
A. Perez-Garcia, M. Martin-Jimenez, M. Aurell, J. I. Canudo, D. Casternera
Summary: This study presents a partial skeleton of a pleurosternid turtle, attributed to a new species Pleurosternon moncayensis, from the Jurassic-Cretaceous transition in Spain. It is the third lineage of pleurosternids recognized in Europe, with previous specimens found in British species. The research confirms the Pleurosternidae as freshwater inhabitants through the first neuroanatomical study for this lineage, showing convergent adaptations with freshwater members of crown Testudines.
HISTORICAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Paleontology
Erik Isasmendi, Angelica Torices, Jose Ignacio Canudo, Philip J. Currie, Xabier Pereda-Suberbiola
Summary: A total of 227 theropod teeth have been recovered from the Lano site, making it the richest and most diverse latest Cretaceous theropod site in Europe. The sample includes medium to large abelisaurids, small coelurosaurians, and a large terrestrial bird. The findings suggest multiple dispersal events of theropods during the Cretaceous, resulting in a mixture of European endemic, Asiamerican, and Gondwanan forms.
PAPERS IN PALAEONTOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Bernat Vila, Albert Selles, Miguel Moreno-Azanza, Novella L. Razzolini, Alejandro Gil-Delgado, Jose Ignacio Canudo, Angel Galobart
Summary: This article describes a new titanosaurian sauropod dinosaur, Abditosaurus kuehnei, found in Late Cretaceous Spain. It is placed in a clade separate from other European titanosaurs, grouped with South American and African saltasaurines. The co-occurrence with Gondwanan titanosaurian species in southern Europe suggests a connection with southern landmasses. The size and osteohistological features support the idea that Abditosaurus belongs to an immigrant lineage distinct from European island dwarfs. The study hypothesizes that Abditosaurus arrived in the Ibero-Armorican Island during the earliest Maastrichtian as a result of a sea-level drop between Africa and Europe.
NATURE ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Biology
Miguel Moreno-Azanza, Manuel Perez-Pueyo, Eduardo Puertolas-Pascual, Carmen Nunez-Lahuerta, Octavio Mateus, Blanca Bauluz, Beatriz Badenas, Jose Ignacio Canudo
Summary: This study reports the discovery of crocodylomorph eggshell fragments from a new fossil site in the Southern Pyrenees and establishes a new genus of crocodylomorph eggs based on their morphological features. The study also identifies similar eggshells from an earlier locality in the same region. The Late Cretaceous Tremp Basin had a diverse range of crocodylomorph taxa, making it difficult to attribute the newly established genus to a single clade.
HISTORICAL BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biology
Martin Linares Montes, Aranzazu Luzon, Gloria Cuenca-Bescos, Jose Ignacio Canudo, Diego Castanera
Summary: This article describes a new tracksite called La Sagarreta in the Ebro Basin, Spain, where avian and mammal tracks from the Palaeogene era have been discovered. The tracksite contains tracks from six different taxa, including mammals and birds, making it one of the most diverse Early Oligocene tracksites in the Ebro Basin.
HISTORICAL BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biology
Julia Galan Garcia, Sandra Banuls-Cardona, Gloria Cuenca-Bescos, Josep Maria Verges
Summary: The Lateglacial to Holocene transition is crucial for understanding the current status of bat populations in Western Europe. Fossil records from El Mirador in Spain reveal a previously unknown high biodiversity among the early Holocene bat communities in the Iberian Peninsula. The presence of eastern-coming M. blythii provides evidence of its earliest arrival in Europe, possibly due to the expansion of open environments during the Younger Dryas event.
HISTORICAL BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Geography, Physical
Sara Garcia-Morato, Dores Marin-Monfort, Sandra Banuls-Cardona, Gloria Cuenca-Bescos, Josep Maria Verges, Yolanda Fernandez-Jalvo
Summary: This study investigates the paleoclimatic context of the Chalcolithic and Bronze Age levels in El Mirador cave, Spain. The results suggest that these levels were affected by the 4.2 ka cal. BP event, which caused a cooling and aridification phase. The presence of European eagle owls in the area may have influenced the small mammal assemblage, leading to conflicting results with the palynological evidence. Taphonomic analyses also provide information about climatic conditions and fluctuations during the formation of these levels.
Article
Ecology
Mateusz Baca, Danijela Popovic, Anna Lemanik, Sandra Banuls-Cardona, Nicholas J. Conard, Gloria Cuenca-Bescos, Emmanuel Desclaux, Helen Fewlass, Jesus T. Garcia, Tereza Hadravova, Gerald Heckel, Ivan Horacek, Monika Vlasta Knul, Loic Lebreton, Juan Manuel Lopez-Garcia, Elisa Luzi, Zoran Markovic, Jadranka Mauch Lenardic, Xabier Murelaga, Pierre Noiret, Alexandru Petculescu, Vasil Popov, Sara E. Rhodes, Bogdan Ridush, Aurelien Royer, John R. Stewart, Joanna Stojak, Sahra Talamo, Xuejing Wang, Jan M. Wojcik, Adam Nadachowski
Summary: This study investigated the population dynamics of the common vole and found that the decrease in open habitat during the last glacial period was the main factor affecting their populations. Climate deterioration during the Last Glacial Maximum had little impact on their population dynamics.
JOURNAL OF BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Jose M. Gasca, Jara Parrilla-Bel, Miguel Moreno-Azanza, Pablo Navarro-Lorbes, Jose I. Canudo
Summary: Surface collecting is the main sampling method used in many fossil sites, but its representativeness is rarely tested. In this study, the usefulness of surface collection is evaluated by comparing the data obtained from Los Menires, a Barremian vertebrate microfossil assemblage, with those obtained from screen-washing. The results show that surface collection is effective in recognizing the main fossil groups, but it may overrepresent certain hard components.
Article
Geology
E. Medrano-Aguado, J. Parrilla-Bel, J. M. Gasca, A. Alonso, J. I. Canudo
Summary: A new material of an iguanodontid styracosternan ornithopod from the Lower Cretaceous of the Iberian Peninsula is described, representing the first medium-sized styracosternan from the Upper Sequence of the Blesa Formation. The unique combination of characters suggests that the new material may belong to a new taxon. The fossil record from the Barremian of the Iberian Peninsula shows a great diversity and abundance of ornithopod dinosaurs, making it a significant paleogeographic scenario for the evolutionary history of the group.
CRETACEOUS RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Geography, Physical
Raquel Moya-Costa, Gloria Cuenca-Bescos, Juan Rofes
Summary: This study examines nine soricid taxa from an archaeological site in Spain, providing valuable insights into the evolutionary history of these small mammals during the Late Early to Early Middle Pleistocene.
QUATERNARY SCIENCE REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Penelope Cruzado-Caballero, Leonardo Sebastian Filippi, Javier Gonzalez-Dionis, Jose Ignacio Canudo
Summary: Studies on paleopathology of vertebral column provide an intriguing and indirect approach to understanding their paleobiology and even paleoethology. They reveal possible ethological causes, such as accidental blows, social interactions, and defense against predators. This article focuses on injuries recorded in the caudal vertebrae of two indeterminate titanosaurids and presents a compilation and analysis of the pathological fossil record worldwide, with a particular emphasis on sauropod tails. Two pathologies, suspected spondyloarthropathy and suppurative spinal osteomyelitis, have been identified in the indeterminate titanosaurids from Gondwana. The study highlights that titanosaurs have the highest percentage of diagnosed pathologies (including the newly discovered cases from Neuquen province) among sauropods, and all of these pathologies have been found in Gondwanan specimens.
Article
Geology
F. Torcida Fernandez-Baldor, P. Huerta, E. Puertolas-Pascual, J. I. Canudo
Summary: In this study, a dentary and several teeth from the Valdepalazuelos-Tenadas del Carrascal site in Burgos, Spain, were examined. The specimens were identified as belonging to a basal macronarian, closely related to Camarasaurus. This discovery indicates the presence of two macronarian sauropods in the Tithonian-Berriasian transition of the Cameros Basin, and expands the diversity of the Iberian record during that time period.
JOURNAL OF IBERIAN GEOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Geology
E. Puertolas-Pascual, M. Aurell, D. D. Bermudez-Rochas, J. I. Canudo, A. E. Fernandes, A. Galobart, M. Moreno-Azanza, A. Perez-Garcia, D. Castanera
Summary: The Ribota site in Soria, Spain, is a new locality in the Matute Formation and contains abundant macrovertebrate remains. The fossils at this site have undergone an unusual replacement of bioapatite with quartz, and are found as positive reliefs on lacustrine limestone beds. The site is unique as it represents one of the few fully lacustrine environments from this time period, providing new data on the diversity of faunal ecosystems during the Jurassic/Cretaceous transition in the Iberian Basin Rift System.
JOURNAL OF IBERIAN GEOLOGY
(2023)
