Article
Geography, Physical
Seongyeong Kim, In Gul Hwang, Yong Sik Ghim, Noe-Heon Kim, Yuong-Nam Lee
Summary: The dinosaur egg-bearing deposits of the Upper Cretaceous Wido Volcanics in South Korea were studied to better understand nesting behaviors. The study revealed that dinosaurs preferred nesting in the crevasse splay lobes, with Propagoolithus widoensis being the most common type, possibly benefiting from the higher paleoelevation. The findings suggest that the nesting site was relatively protected and favorable for fossil preservation, enhancing our understanding of dinosaur nesting behavior.
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Geology
Juan Pablo Garderes, Pablo Ariel Gallina, John Andrew Whitlock, Nestor Toledo
Summary: The study of the braincase, cranial endocast, and inner ear of diplodocid sauropods has deepened our understanding of neuroanatomy of South American sauropods.
CRETACEOUS RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Harsha Dhiman, Vishal Verma, Lourembam R. Singh, Vaibhav Miglani, Deepak Kumar Jha, Prasanta Sanyal, Sampat K. Tandon, Guntupalli V. R. Prasad
Summary: The Upper Cretaceous Lameta Formation in central India is known for its abundant sauropod fossils and egg remains. A new study has documented ninety-two titanosaur clutches from the Dhar District, providing valuable quantitative data for understanding titanosaur palaeobiology and egg preservation. The study identified 256 eggs and three types of clutch patterns, suggesting a high oospecies diversity and providing insights into the reproductive biology of titanosaurs. The lithologies of the egg-bearing rocks indicate a fluvial/alluvial setting, and the presence of certain fabric structures suggests a palustrine depositional condition.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Huali Chang, Hai-Lu You, Li Xu, Waisum Ma, Diansong Gao, Songhai Jia, Mengli Xia, Jiming Zhang, Yu Li, Xirui Wang, Di Liu, Jie Li, Jianhua Zhang, Lili Yang, Xuefang Wei
Summary: The study reports the discovery of an early diverging somphospondylan sauropod mandible in the Ruyang Basin, Henan Province, China, with a tooth replacement rate of 76 days, intermediate between that of Brachiosaurus and typical late diverging lithostrotian titanosaurians.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Stephen F. Poropat, Timothy G. Frauenfelder, Philip D. Mannion, Samantha L. Rigby, Adele H. Pentland, Trish Sloan, David A. Elliott
Summary: This study presents the first description of sauropod teeth from the Upper Cretaceous Winton Formation in Queensland, Australia. The teeth resemble those of early branching members of the titanosauriform radiation, supporting a 'basal' titanosaurian position for Diamantinasauria. A comprehensive review of the early titanosauriform global record reveals a transition in tooth morphotypes from diverse at the start of the Berriasian to limited dental variability dominated by titanosaurs by the end-Turonian.
ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Geology
Homare Sakaki, Daniela E. Winkler, Tai Kubo, Ren Hirayama, Hikaru Uno, Shinya Miyata, Hideki Endo, Kazuhisa Sasaki, Toshio Takisawa, Mugino O. Kubo
Summary: Sauropod teeth from the Tamagawa Formation in northeastern Japan were studied to infer the diet of a titanosauriform sauropod. The research suggests that the sauropod primarily fed on soft plant materials and existed during the late Turonian in East Asia.
CRETACEOUS RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Zoology
Pedro Mocho, Fernando Escaso, Jose M. Gasulla, Angel Galobart, Begona Poza, Andres Santos-Cubedo, Jose L. Sanz, Francisco Ortega
Summary: A new somphospondylan titanosauriform fossil, found in the Lower Cretaceous of Morella, Spain, is described. This fossil exhibits unique features and is possibly an early-branching somphospondylan. The discovery supports the somphospondylan hypothesis and reveals the complex phylogenetic mosaic of the sauropod fauna during the Early Cretaceous in the Iberian Peninsula.
ZOOLOGICAL JOURNAL OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY
(2023)
Article
Geology
Huan Xu, Yongqing Liu, Hongwei Kuang, Nan Peng, Kemin Xu, Jun Chen
Summary: Recent research on Mesozoic trace fossils preserved in eolianites in North America, South America, and East Asia suggests that ancient deserts could have diverse inhabitants. This study in western Shandong Province, China, presents a diversified preserved dinosaur track assemblage from the Jurassic-Cretaceous transition eolian dune deposits. The sedimentological and ichnological analysis of the tracksites indicates different dinosaur habits and climatic conditions, expanding our understanding of dinosaur fauna in severe environments.
CRETACEOUS RESEARCH
(2021)
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
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Stephen F. Poropat, Philip D. Mannion, Samantha L. Rigby, Ruairidh J. Duncan, Adele H. Pentland, Joseph J. Bevitt, Trish Sloan, David A. Elliott
Summary: The discovery of a new specimen of Diamantinasaurus matildae in Queensland, Australia provides further insight into this species, including a more complete skull and partial postcranial skeleton. The skull exhibits similarities to the coeval Sarmientosaurus musacchioi from Argentina, supporting their inclusion within the clade Diamantinasauria. Additionally, plesiomorphic features suggest an early-branching position for Diamantinasauria within Titanosauria.
ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Geography, Physical
Gabriel Teofilo Guedes Silva, Diego Luciano Nascimento, Alessandro Batezelli, Francisco Sergio Bernardes Ladeira, Marcio Luiz Silva
Summary: Burrowing behavior is an important adaptation for animals in arid conditions. This paper describes turtle burrows from the Upper Cretaceous period in the Bauru Basin, Brazil. The burrows were preserved in fluvial sandstone and showed a J-shaped tunnel structure. Based on their morphology and features, it is suggested that these burrows were formed by turtles during aestivation.
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biology
Jeong-Hyun Lee, Martin G. Lockley, Sungheuk Jung, Yeoncheol Ha, Kwon Rae Cho, Jong Deock Lim, Kyung Soo Kim
Summary: This article describes two dinosaur tracksites from the Lower Cretaceous in Korea, one of which is the first designated Korean Natural Monument. The study of these tracksites reveals different types of dinosaur footprints and emphasizes the importance of understanding their spatiotemporal distribution.
HISTORICAL BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
R. Esperante, G. Rocha-Rodriguez, J. A. McLarty, R. E. Biaggi, K. E. Nick, H. D. Baltazar, A. C. Varquera
Summary: In January 2021, a new dinosaur track site was discovered during the construction of the Anzaldo to Torotoro highway. The site contained two layers of trackways on quartz arenites, totaling about 160 m2. Only the upper layer, which featured a large number of theropod tracks and swim traces, was studied before the road construction removed the bed. This discovery adds to the significance of the dinosaur track record in Torotoro National Park, Bolivia.
JOURNAL OF SOUTH AMERICAN EARTH SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Geology
Hye Ri Yang, Chan Hee Lee, Jun Hyoung Park
Summary: The Sinseongri site contains various dinosaur footprints, primarily in siltstone and mudstone which have been metamorphosed into hornfels due to thermal alterations. The host rocks exhibit high physical properties, but reinforcement is still needed in conserving the dinosaur footprint fossils to control cracks.
ECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL GEOLOGY
(2021)