Journal
BIOLOGICAL JOURNAL OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY
Volume 113, Issue 3, Pages 854-871Publisher
OXFORD UNIV PRESS
DOI: 10.1111/bij.12387
Keywords
Dyrosauridae; Ferruginous Sands Formation; Pholidosauridae; Sandrock Formation; Tethysuchia; Upper Greensand Formation
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Funding
- SYNTHESYS Project - European Community Research Infrastructure Action under the FP7 'Capacities' Program
- Natural Environment Research Council [1317778] Funding Source: researchfish
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A marine tethysuchian crocodyliform from the Isle of Wight, most likely from the Upper Greensand Formation (upper Albian, Lower Cretaceous), is described. However, we cannot preclude it being from the Ferruginous Sands Formation (upper Aptian), or more remotely, the Sandrock Formation (upper Aptian-upper Albian). The specimen consists of the anterior region of the right dentary, from the tip of the dentary to the incomplete fourth alveolus. This specimen increases the known geological range of marine tethysuchians back into the late Lower Cretaceous. Although we refer it to Tethysuchia incertae sedis, there are seven anterior dentary characteristics that suggest a possible relationship with the Maastrichtian-Eocene clade Dyrosauridae. We also review middle' Cretaceous marine tethysuchians, including putative Cenomanian dyrosaurids. We conclude that there is insufficient evidence to be certain that any known Cenomanian specimen can be safely referred to Dyrosauridae, as there are some cranial similarities between basal dyrosaurids and Cenomanian-Turonian marine pholidosaurids'. Future study of middle Cretaceous tethysuchians could help unlock the origins of Dyrosauridae and improve our understanding of tethysuchian macroevolutionary trends.(c) 2014 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2014, 113, 854-871.
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