Article
Paleontology
K. Christopher Beard, Gregoire Metais, Faruk Ocakoglu, Alexis Licht
Summary: A new genus and species of omomyid primate was discovered in north-central Anatolia, Turkey, belonging to the middle Eocene period. This new taxon closely resembles North American omomyines and its occurrence on the Pontide microcontinent may have been a result of sweepstakes dispersal. The Eocene greenhouse climatic conditions played a role in facilitating the dispersal of various terrestrial mammal clades during this period.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Shuchen Jin, Xinxin Sun, Xianqing Jing, Zijian Zhang, Xiang Zhang, Zhenyu Yang
Summary: This study presents new paleomagnetic data from the Zongpu Formation Member I in Tingri, indicating that the Tethyan Himalaya was located at 3.9 +/- 2.6 degrees S during 62-59 Ma. The findings challenge the prevailing hypothesis of the initial collision between India and Asia during this period, suggesting that Greater India and the Tethyan Himalaya were still connected, leaving a Neo-Tethys Ocean of approximately 2,000 km. The drift rate of the India plate further suggests that the northern margin of Greater India collided with Asia at around 50 Ma, closing the Neo-Tethys Ocean.
GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Hukam Singh, Walter S. Judd, Bandana Samant, Priya Agnihotri, David A. Grimaldi, Steven R. Manchester
Summary: Early Eocene ambers from Gujarat, India, have revealed a new fossil flower, Maryendressantha succinifera, which represents the oldest remains of Rauvolfioids. This finding complements the fossil records of other Apocynoid and Asclepioid seeds, indicating the well-established presence of Apocynaceae by the early Eocene. The fossilized flowers also provide insights into potential pollinators present in the Cambay amber, such as mosquitos, gnats, small moths, and stingless bees.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY
(2021)
Article
Paleontology
Raef Minwer-Barakat, Arnau Bolet, Pere Anadon, Laia Alegret, Ainara Badiola, Alejandro Blanco, Laura Cotton, Joan Femenias-Gual, Marc Furio, Marc Godinot, Salvador Moya-Sola, Pablo Pelaez-Campomanes, Josep Sanjuan, Judit Marigo
Summary: The Pontils fossil site in the Ebro Basin is an important locality for studying the transition from land to sea during the middle Eocene. Intensive sampling conducted recently has yielded diverse vertebrate remains, including abundant primate fossils. The age of the site has been determined to be between 39.58 and 41 Ma, making it a valuable reference section for studying marine and continental biostratigraphy during this time period.
JOURNAL OF VERTEBRATE PALEONTOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Anthropology
Catherine J. Llera Martin, Kenneth D. Rose, Adam D. Sylvester
Summary: This study examines the talar and calcaneal morphology of early Eocene primate fossils from the Vastan lignite mine in India to refine their locomotor reconstructions. The results show that locomotor behavior can be predicted from the morphology of these bones.
JOURNAL OF HUMAN EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Zoology
Hannah M. Wood, Hukam Singh, David A. Grimaldi
Summary: This study documents the first fossil Archaeidae found in Cambay amber from India, dating back to the Eocene era. The specimen is identified as a spider exuvium, likely belonging to the genus Myrmecarchaea. This discovery extends the distribution of the family and genus to India and suggests affinities between Early Eocene India and the Palearctic mainland.
Article
Plant Sciences
Y. Raghumani Singh, Mark B. Abbott, T. Elliot Arnold, Sh Priyokumar Singh
Summary: The analysis of the Tura Formation suggests that it was deposited in the early Eocene under warm and humid tropical-subtropical climate conditions. The composition of palynotaxa indicates a shallow marine environment near the shore line where terrestrial, coastal and marine elements were present in the assemblages. The rock eval pyrolysis results show that the organic matter composition is primarily type III kerogen.
REVIEW OF PALAEOBOTANY AND PALYNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Dinesh Kumar, Santanu Ghosh, Balram Tiwari, Atul Kumar Varma, Runcie Paul Mathews, Rimpy Chetia
Summary: This study investigates the Palaeocene-Eocene organic sedimentary archives from the Palana Formation in the Bikaner-Nagaur Basin, Rajasthan, India, using an array of elemental and biogeochemical proxies. The findings suggest that the organic matter was mainly sourced from C3 plants, including a significant contribution from mangroves.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF COAL GEOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Mohammed Amir Ali, Bhagawat Pran Duarah
Summary: This article focuses on the tectono-stratigraphic evolution of the Shillong Plateau and its adjoining regions, examining the detachment and conversion of the plateau from rift-intercratonic basin to platformal configuration, as well as the driving mechanisms behind it. The study provides valuable insights into the distinct tectonic and environmental factors in the region.
GEOLOGICAL JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Filipe Natalio, Tomas P. Corrales, Maria Pierantoni, Irit Rosenhek-Goldian, Adrian Cernescu, Emeline Raguin, Raquel Maria, Sidney R. Cohen
Summary: The study of Eocene flint from the Negev desert in Israel revealed the presence of organic micro-inclusions composed of carbon, sulfur, and nitrogen distributed within the siliceous matrix, containing amino acids and hydrocarbons. Various analytical techniques provided comprehensive chemical composition and structural information on these organic micro-inclusions.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Dhanesh Kumar Phaye, Biplab Bhattacharya, Snehasis Chakrabarty
Summary: The heterogeneity of Cambay Shale Formation in Cambay Basin, India has been characterized and discussed at different scales through core observations, electrolog data, and correlations. Sequence stratigraphic analysis identified eleven T-R sequences with different facies distribution within the formation, providing clues for exploring unconventional hydrocarbon potential in the study area.
MARINE AND PETROLEUM GEOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biology
Iyra E. M. Maharaj, Anusuya Chinsamy, Roger M. H. Smith
Summary: Dicynodonts were herbivorous non-mammalian synapsids that were relatively common during the late Permian and Early Triassic periods in the Pangea landmass. The dicynodont genus Endothiodon, particularly Endothiodon bathystoma, is well-represented in late Permian strata of the Karoo Basin in South Africa. An almost complete skeleton of Endothiodon bathystoma was recently discovered in the uppermost Pristerognathus Assemblage Zone of the Karoo Supergroup, providing researchers with valuable insights into its postcranial anatomy.
HISTORICAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Zoology
Raman Patel, Rajendra Singh Rana, Andre Nel
Summary: The study describes the first two Blattodea fossils from the early Eocene Palana Formation in the Gurha opencast lignite mine in western Rajasthan, India. The large wings of these fossils suggest a warm and humid paleoclimate for the area at that time.
Article
Geology
Chenwei Li, Zhijun Li, Min Zeng, Robert J. Stern
Summary: By studying the Eocene lavas in the northwestern Gangdese belt, the research suggests that they are different from other rocks in the area and may be a result of far-field tectonic effect and crustal delamination caused by the India-Eurasia collision.
INTERNATIONAL GEOLOGY REVIEW
(2023)
Article
Anthropology
Mayowa T. Adegboyega, Peter A. Stamos, Jean-Jacques Hublin, Timothy D. Weaver
Summary: The lack of well-preserved pelvises in the hominin fossil record has hindered robust analyses of shifts in critical biological processes throughout human evolution. The Kebara 2 pelvis remains one of the best preserved hominin pelvises, providing a rare opportunity to assess Neanderthal pelvic morphology and function. The new reconstructions show differences in pelvic morphology compared to previous measurements, highlighting specific features of the Kebara 2 pelvis.
JOURNAL OF HUMAN EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Biology
Adan Perez Garcia, Florias Mees, Thierry Smith
HISTORICAL BIOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Floreal Sole, Corentin Noiret, Delphine Desmares, Sylvain Adnet, Louis Taverne, Thierry De Putter, Florias Mees, Johan Yans, Thomas Steeman, Stephen Louwye, Annelise Folie, Nancy J. Stevens, Gregg F. Gunnell, Daniel Baudet, Nicole Kitambala Yaya, Thierry Smith
GEOSCIENCE FRONTIERS
(2019)
Article
Plant Sciences
Thomas Steeman, Julie De Weirdt, Thierry Smith, Thierry De Putter, Florias Mees, Stephen Louwye
Article
Geology
Gerald Mayr, Vlad Codrea, Alexandru Solomon, Marian Bordeianu, Thierry Smith
CRETACEOUS RESEARCH
(2020)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Jeremy E. Martin, Thierry Smith, Celine Salaviale, Jerome Adrien, Massimo Delfino
JOURNAL OF SYSTEMATIC PALAEONTOLOGY
(2020)
Editorial Material
Geology
Gerald Mayr, Vlad Codrea, Alexandru Solomon, Marian Bordeianu, Thierry Smith
CRETACEOUS RESEARCH
(2020)
Article
Paleontology
Hussam Zaher, Annelise Folie, Ana B. Quadros, Rajendra S. Rana, Kishor Kumar, Kenneth D. Rose, Mohamed Fahmy, Thierry Smith
Summary: The Ypresian Cambay Shale Formation in Gujarat, western India, has yielded a rich vertebrate fauna including various types of snakes. Among them, Thaumastophis missiaeni and Procerophis, as well as Renenutet enmerwer from Egypt, exhibit unique vertebral characteristics, suggesting evolutionary relationships and potential geographic exchanges between different snake species.
Article
Paleontology
Gerald Mayr, Philip D. Gingerich, Thierry Smith
JOURNAL OF VERTEBRATE PALEONTOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Geology
Floreal Sole, Valentin Fischer, Julien Denayer, Robert P. Speijer, Morgane Fournier, Kevin Le Verger, Sandrine Ladeveze, Annelise Folie, Thierry Smith
Summary: The Quercy Phosphorites Formation in France is renowned for its rich Eocene to Miocene fauna, particularly the Upper Eocene to Lower Oligocene fauna, which has helped in understanding the 'Grande Coupure' event in Europe. This study reassesses and provides an overview of the barely known collections from the Quercy Phosphorites housed in three Belgian institutions, focusing on carnivorous mammals. The fossils are from various stratigraphic intervals in the Quercy area, making these collections of great interest for further systematic and evolutionary studies related to the 'Grande Coupure'.
Article
Paleontology
Adan Perez-Garcia, Thierry Smith
Summary: The famous paleontologist Louis Dollo identified two putative new species of giant soft-shelled turtles from the lowest Eocene record of Belgium in 1909. However, these proposals did not meet the requirements of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, so they were considered as nomina nuda. The information on these specimens or about any other specimen of this lineage of giant turtles from the Belgian record is currently extremely limited.
Article
Paleontology
Floreal Sole, Paul E. Morse, Jonathan Bloch, Philip D. Gingerich, Thierry Smith
Summary: Mesonychia is a group of ancient carnivorous mammals with uncertain phylogenetic relationships. Recent fossil discoveries suggest that D. praenuntius may have experienced a decrease in body size during the PETM, although this response was less pronounced compared to other mammals from the same period.
Editorial Material
Paleontology
Thierry Smith, Thierry De Putter, Stephen Louwye, Johan Yans, Matthew Borths, Nancy J. Stevens
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Thierry Smith, Vlad A. Codrea, Ghereint Devillet, Alexandru A. Solomon
Summary: Among the Late Cretaceous fossil sites of Europe, only the Hateg Island in Transylvania, western Romania, stands out for its abundance of mammal remains, all belonging to the Kogaionidae family. A new species, Kogaionon radulescui, has been discovered in the Sanpetru Formation. Phylogenetic analysis confirms Kogaionidae as a monophyletic clade at the base of Cimolodonta. The dental morphology of Romanian kogaionids suggests their origin from an eobaatarid-like ancestor originating from Asia or possibly existing in Europe much earlier.
JOURNAL OF MAMMALIAN EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Paleontology
Andrej Cernansky, Richard Smith, Thierry Smith, Annelise Folie
Summary: This study reports on iguanians from the Dormaal locality in Belgium during the warmest global climates of the past 66 million years. The findings document the presence of thermophilic faunas in the northern mid-latitudes, indicating the existence of greenhouse conditions in Europe. A new pleurodontan taxon with a unique tooth crown morphology was also discovered, suggesting a specialized feeding behavior.
JOURNAL OF VERTEBRATE PALEONTOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Paleontology
Shawn P. Zack, Kenneth D. Rose, Luke T. Holbrook, Kishor Kumar, Rajendra S. Rana, Thierry Smith
Summary: The newly discovered herbivorous mammal, Pahelia mysteriosa, has features that do not closely match those of any known mammal, but show some similarities to a variety of ungulates from Africa, Asia, Europe, and North America. The preserved morphology is insufficient to confidently assess the affinities of the new taxon, but a link to Quettacyonidae, endemic to the Indian subcontinent, is plausible morphologically and biogeographically.
PAPERS IN PALAEONTOLOGY
(2021)