Article
Geography, Physical
Fernando A. Ferratges, Samuel Zamora, Marcos Aurell
Summary: The lower Eocene coral reef in the Ramals area of the southern Pyrenees in northeast Spain preserved a high diversity of invertebrate groups, including decapod crustaceans. Statistical analysis of the distribution of decapod crustaceans across different reefal domains showed preferences for specific reef areas for certain species, with most crustaceans concentrated in the periphery of the reef mounds.
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Carrie Tyler, Michal Kowalewski
Summary: Despite the focus on molluscs, which have high fossilization potential, the study found that the fossil record is likely to be reliable for relative comparisons of composition and diversity in shallow marine paleocommunities. The differences in community composition between live and dead assemblages were predictable, with an overabundance of more preservable groups. Dead molluscs were found to be a good proxy for all taxa when tracking spatio-temporal patterns and shifts in community structure using various ecological metrics.
Article
Geology
Cristine Trevisan, Tania Dutra, Roberto Ianuzzi, Andrea Sander, Thiers Wilberger, Leslie Marcela Elizabeth Manriquez, Hector Mansilla, Marcelo Leppe
Summary: Fossil plants from the Late Cretaceous period have been discovered on the South Shetland Islands in Antarctica, indicating suitable climate conditions for plant survival during this time and the existence of refuges in isolated island environments.
CRETACEOUS RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Arianny P. Storari, Taissa Rodrigues, Renan A. M. Bantim, Flaviana J. Lima, Antonio A. F. Saraiva
Summary: This study provides insight into a mass mayfly mortality event in the Crato Formation, revealing the biological community structure and environmental changes in this layer. The findings suggest that the palaeolake in the Crato Formation likely experienced high evaporation during dry seasons, impacting the fauna living in this setting.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Geography, Physical
Jakub Brezina, David M. Alba, Martin Ivanov, Martin Hanacek, Angel H. Lujan
Summary: This study re-describes the Czujan's sandpit site in terms of sedimentology, taphonomy, and paleoenvironments, clarifying the age of the vertebrate assemblage. Through new biostratigraphic data, the fauna is constrained to the late MN6 period, resolving a longstanding controversy about the age of the site. Two taphonomic explanations for the genesis of the vertebrate assemblage are proposed.
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Geology
Andrea De Sosa Tomas, Carles Martin-Closas, Patricia Vallati
Summary: This study describes and illustrates the charophyte assemblages from the Pozo D-129 Formation in Sierra Silva, Golfo San Jorge Basin. Three charophyte species belonging to the families Characeae and Clavatoraceae are documented. The composition of the charophyte floras is related to changing paleoecological conditions from temporary, unstable water bodies to more stable and permanent lake conditions. The charophyte assemblages provide information about the age and paleobiogeographic history of certain taxa in the Lower Cretaceous deposits of the basin.
CRETACEOUS RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Geology
Francisco Irineudo Bezerra, Monica M. Solorzano-Kraemer, Marcio Mendes
Summary: This study compares the taphonomic characteristics of kerogenized and pyritized fossil insects in the Crato Formation of northeastern Brazil, revealing that pyritized insects have higher preservation quality than kerogenized insects, contrary to previous findings. The study provides insight into the taphonomic bias resulting from different preservation pathways in insect fossils within the same geological setting.
CRETACEOUS RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Enrique Penalver, David Peris, Sergio Alvarez-Parra, David A. Grimaldi, Antonio Arillo, Luis Chiappe, Xavier Delclos, Luis Alcala, Jose Luis Sanz, Monica M. Solorzano-Kraemer, Ricardo Perez-de la Fuente
Summary: Extant terrestrial vertebrates, including birds, have symbiotic relationships with insects and arachnids, but arthropod-vertebrate symbioses in the fossil record are rarely found. In this study, direct and indirect evidence of beetles feeding on feather remains from an undetermined theropod host 105 million years ago is presented. An exceptional amber assemblage was found, including beetle larval exuviae associated with feathers, along with additional amber pieces containing isolated larval exuviae. The morphological and taphonomic data suggest that these beetle larval exuviae belonged to a keratophagous species, indicating a symbiotic relationship between beetles and their Early Cretaceous relatives similar to current ecosystems.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2023)
Article
Geology
Jihed Dridi
Summary: The Ain El Guettar Formation in southeastern Tunisia contains a diverse assemblage of Lower Cretaceous vertebrates, and the study of associated coprolites provides insights into the predator community. The coprolites analyzed in this study were produced by a wide range of carnivorous vertebrates, including bony fishes, elasmobranchs, and crocodylomorphs. The presence of different types of coprolites suggests a diverse predator community and provides evidence for a climatic change in the study area during the late Early Cretaceous.
CRETACEOUS RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Joyce Celerino de Carvalho, Rodrigo Miloni Santucci
Summary: New fossils from the Quiric ' o Formation in Minas Gerais, Brazil have increased the diversity of the ichthyofauna in the region. This discovery adds important information to the understanding of the relationships between Brazilian and African faunas during the initial stages of the opening of the Atlantic Ocean.
JOURNAL OF SOUTH AMERICAN EARTH SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Geology
Lucie Vankova, Martin Kostak, Martin Mazuch
Summary: This study systematically classified belemnites at the generic and species levels based on taxonomic work with rostra from the Stramberk locality in Northern Moravia, Czech Republic. A total of 23 species within 5 genera were recorded. The study provided important stratigraphical, palaeobiogeographical, and geological interpretations, and discussed the high diversity of belemnites in the sedimentary infills. The stratigraphic distribution of studied belemnites ranged from the ?latest Tithonian/Berriasian to Valanginian, ?Hauterivian and newly Barremian. The biogeographical position of the belemnite fauna from this region was found to belong to the Mediterranean Province.
CRETACEOUS RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Geography, Physical
Cory M. Redman, Jason R. Moore, David M. Lovelace, Julie A. Meachen
Summary: This study examines the stability of the local ecosystem surrounding Natural Trap Cave across the Late Pleistocene-Holocene transition by analyzing the rank abundance distribution of large-bodied vertebrates. The results show that the ecosystem composition and structure remained relatively stable, with a few dominant taxa. Rating: 7 out of 10.
QUATERNARY INTERNATIONAL
(2023)
Review
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Karma Nanglu, Thomas M. Cullen
Summary: Quantitative studies of fossil data have played a critical role in major macroevolutionary and macro-ecological discoveries, but issues such as bias, preservation, sampling, and taxonomy can affect the interpretative resolution and obscure biological signals. This study provides two case studies that illustrate the impact of biases on ecological reconstructions and analysis, and proposes recommendations for future paleoecological and macroecological studies.
EARTH-SCIENCE REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Adrienne Jochum, Tingting Yu, Thomas A. Neubauer
Summary: Rare finding of live birth by a terrestrial mother snail in the mid-Cretaceous period provides significant insights into early life forms and environments, revealing the importance of viviparity strategy during the Cretaceous era.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Jesus E. Velazquez-Heras, Reyna A. Castillo-Gamez, Rogelio Monreal, Francisco J. Cuen-Romero, Luis F. Enriquez-Ocana, Blanca E. Buitron-Sanchez
Summary: The Early Cretaceous period experienced regression and transgression events in the oceans, impacting species radiation processes. These events influenced the distribution of marine invertebrates by creating geographical barriers and connections between ecological niches. The paleoecological study of marine invertebrate fauna in central Sonora reveals a diverse community in a shallow lagoon environment with dominant guilds of suspension feeders.
JOURNAL OF SOUTH AMERICAN EARTH SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Geography, Physical
Viktor Karadi, Andrea Cau, Michele Mazza, Manuel Rigo
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Biology
Xuri Wang, Andrea Cau, Martin Kundrat, Luis M. Chiappe, Qiang Ji, Yang Wang, Tao Li, Wenhao Wu
Summary: The article describes a new taxon of advanced ornithuromorph bird, Khinganornis hulunbuirensis, from Inner Mongolia, China, with unique osteohistological characteristics and pedal morphology suggesting a wading and amphibious ecology. This discovery not only has significant implications in China but also expands the known paleogeographic range for the early diversification of Mesozoic birds on the eastern side of Laurasia.
HISTORICAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Xuri Wang, Jiandong Huang, Martin Kundrat, Andrea Cau, Xiaoyu Liu, Yang Wang, Shubin Ju
JOURNAL OF ASIAN EARTH SCIENCES
(2020)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Daniel Madzia, Andrea Cau
Article
Geology
Mattia A. Baiano, Rodolfo A. Coria, Andrea Cau
CRETACEOUS RESEARCH
(2020)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Riccardo Zubalich, Rossella Capozzi, Federico Fanti, Octavian Catuneanu
Summary: This study provides a high-resolution stratigraphic analysis of the Cretaceous Western Interior Basin in Alberta, revealing the presence of two T-R cycles in the Bearpaw Formation and the control of global eustasy on the evolution of the late Campanian Western Interior Seaway.
MARINE AND PETROLEUM GEOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Tomasz Jerzykiewicz, Philip J. Currie, Federico Fanti, Jerzy Lefeld
Summary: The Upper Cretaceous formations in the Nemegt Basin of Mongolia exhibit three distinct dinosaur-dominated faunas, characterized by different lithobiotopes. The physical processes controlling the life, death, and burial of taxa help explain the documented faunal differences. The Nemegt Basin can be envisioned as an oasis with a central pond surrounded by a semi-arid alluvial plain and dune fields.
CANADIAN JOURNAL OF EARTH SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Brayden Holland, Phil R. Bell, Federico Fanti, Samantha M. Hamilton, Derek W. Larson, Robin Sissons, Corwin Sullivan, Matthew J. Vavrek, Yanyin Wang, Nicolas E. Campione
Summary: Hadrosaurid (duck-billed) dinosaur bonebeds are commonly found in the upper Cretaceous strata of the Midwest of North America, but less frequent in more northern regions. The rediscovery of the Spring Creek Bonebed in the Wapiti Formation of northwestern Alberta revealed the first documented occurrence of lambeosaurines in the formation. The site also provided evidence suggesting age segregation as a life history strategy among hadrosaurids during their late juvenile stage, contributing to their diverse and cosmopolitan nature.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Andrea Cau, Vincent Beyrand, Rinchen Barsbold, Khishigjav Tsogtbaatar, Pascal Godefroit
Summary: The furcula, a key element of the pectoral skeleton in birds, has been confirmed to have originated from theropod dinosaurs. Its identification in the birdlike theropod Halszkaraptor escuilliei supports the primary homology of the furcula with the interclavicle. The evolution of the furcula in early theropods was associated with the loss of clavicles and changes in the function of forelimbs, leading to a shift towards grasping. Later evolution in maniraptoran theropods involved the re-acquisition of a stronger connection between the scapulocoracoids and the sternal complex.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Nathan J. Enriquez, Nicolas E. Campione, Matt A. White, Federico Fanti, Robin L. Sissons, Corwin Sullivan, Matthew J. Vavrek, Phil R. Bell
Summary: The Wapiti Formation in Canada is important for understanding the ecology, diversity, and distribution of terrestrial vertebrates during the late Cretaceous. The Tyrants Aisle locality within the Wapiti Formation represents the largest in-situ tracksite, providing valuable information about the presence and behavior of various dinosaur species. Hadrosaurid tracks are the most abundant, suggesting their dominance in the late Campanian period. The discovery also raises questions about possible social behavior among these dinosaurs.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Alfio Alessandro Chiarenza, Matteo Fabbri, Lorenzo Consorti, Marco Muscioni, David C. Evans, Juan L. Cantalapiedra, Federico Fanti
Summary: A study on the dinosaur fossils in Italy's Villaggio del Pescatore quarry provided valuable information on the dwarfed, insular dinosaurs in the European Archipelago during the Late Cretaceous. The analysis of skeletal remains suggests that the hadrosauroid Tethyshadros insularis did not exhibit a significant evolutionary trend towards miniaturization, contrary to previous beliefs.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Chris T. Barker, David W. E. Hone, Darren Naish, Andrea Cau, Jeremy A. F. Lockwood, Brian Foster, Claire E. Clarkin, Philipp Schneider, Neil J. Gostling
Summary: This study reports two new Early Cretaceous spinosaurid specimens from the Isle of Wight, which form a new clade within Baryonychinae and indicate a European origin for Spinosauridae with at least two dispersal events into Africa. These new finds contribute to updated palaeobiogeographic reconstructions for the clade and suggest potential sympatry between baryonychines and spinosaurids as a whole.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Paleontology
Xuri Wang, Andrea Cau, Xiaoling Luo, Martin Kundrat, Wensheng Wu, Shubin Ju, Zhen Guo, Yichuan Liu, Qiang Ji
Summary: A new enantiornithine species, Musivavis amabilis, has been discovered in the Lower Cretaceous Jehol Biota in western Liaoning, China. This species shares similarities with bohaiornithids but also displays features associated with other enantiornithine lineages. Phylogenetic analysis reveals the impact of homoplasy on the reconstruction of enantiornithine relationships, yet Musivavis remains a member of the bohaiornithid-grade group.
JOURNAL OF PALEONTOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biology
Alessandro Paterna, Andrea Cau
Summary: The Kem Kem Compound Assemblage along the Algerian-Moroccan border is a fossil-rich area known for its large-bodied theropod dinosaurs. Two species of carcharodontosaurid allosauroids have been discovered there. However, the validity of the second species has been challenged, and all carcharodontosaurid material from the Kem Kem Compound Assemblage has been referred to the first species.
HISTORICAL BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Paleontology
Andrea Cau, Fabrizio Bizzarini
BOLLETTINO DELLA SOCIETA PALEONTOLOGICA ITALIANA
(2020)
Article
Geography, Physical
Huyue Song, Shixue Hu, Michael Benton, Dayong Jiang
Summary: This article examines the end Permian to Middle Triassic interval, which witnessed a significant marine mass extinction and delayed recovery. The focus is on Triassic marine sediments in South China, providing unique documentation of the collapse and recovery of marine ecosystems. Several papers analyze different fossils and their ecological significance, while others study biostratigraphy, reconstruct paleoenvironments, and link records to volcanic eruptions.
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Geography, Physical
Mohammad Firoze Quamar, Upasana Swaroop Banerji, Biswajeet Thakur, Ratan Kar
Summary: The Indian Summer Monsoon is a crucial component of the Asian Monsoon System, impacting rainfall, agricultural productivity, and socio-economic growth in India and nearby regions. The central monsoon zone in India is more responsive to strong monsoon phases than weak ones.
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Geography, Physical
Maria Laura Balestrieri, Valerio Olivetti, David Chew, Luca Zurli, Massimiliano Zattin, Foteini Drakou, Gianluca Cornamusini, Matteo Perotti
Summary: This study presents a multidisciplinary provenance study on legacy cores drilled in the central Ross Sea, Antarctica, providing insights into the oscillation of ice flows and advance and retreat phases of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet.
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Geography, Physical
P. Depuydt, S. Toucanne, C. Barras, S. Le Houedec, M. Mojtahid
Summary: This study provides a comprehensive overview of the dynamics of the upper branch of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) in the mid-latitudes of the Northeast Atlantic. It focuses on the European Slope Current (ESC) and its glacial equivalent known as the Glacial Eastern Boundary Current (GEBC). The study reveals significant changes in flow strength and ventilation during the glacial and deglaciation periods, as well as a gradual weakening of the slope current during the Holocene.
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Geography, Physical
Junhee Park, Holly J. Stein, Judith L. Hannah, Svetoslav V. Georgiev, Oyvind Hammer, Snorre Olaussen
Summary: This study reports new Re-Os ages for black shales from Svalbard and evaluates the paleoenvironment during organic-rich shale deposition. The study also proposes correlations of specific Late Jurassic ammonite zones between the Boreal and Tethyan realms.
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Geography, Physical
Guocheng Dong, Weijian Zhou, Feng Xian, Yunchong Fu, Li Zhang, Ling Tang, Pengkai Ding
Summary: The cause of ice-age cycles is still not fully understood, and studying the timing and magnitude of mountain glaciations can provide valuable insights. This study presents new dating results from the Niqingqu Valley in the Tibetan Plateau, showing multiple glacial activities prior to the Penultimate Glacial Maximum. The findings suggest that low atmospheric CO2 content and reduced summer solar insolation/high summer-monsoon precipitation played a role in these glacial fluctuations.
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Geography, Physical
Haoran Dong, Zhitong Chen, Yucheng Wang, Jie Chen, Zhiping Zhang, Zhongwei Shen, Xinwei Yan, Jianbao Liu
Summary: Through sediment records from Lake Nanyi in the lower Yangtze, we found that anthropogenic fire activity played a dominant role in the region, and the temporal pattern of fire activity was asynchronous from east to west. Archaeological evidence suggests an inverse relationship between agricultural and population levels and fire intensity during the mid-Holocene, with fire intensity being influenced by the diversity of landscape types associated with pre-historic subsistence patterns. Overall, changes in regional water-level delayed the transition from hunting-gathering to agriculture in the lower Yangtze region.
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Geography, Physical
Giovanni Coletti, Giulia Bosio, Alberto Collareta, Or Mordecai Bialik, Eleonora Regattieri, Irene Cornacchia, Gianni Insacco, John Buckeridge
Summary: This paper argues that sessile barnacles are an excellent proxy for palaeoenvironmental reconstructions. The shells of barnacles consist of diagenetically stable low-magnesium calcite and record short-term variations. Analyses of several Western Mediterranean barnacle-rich deposits demonstrate the utility of barnacles as proxies for water depth, distance from the coastline, and hydrodynamic conditions. Moreover, the stable isotope ratios of barnacle shells can provide detailed palaeoenvironmental information.
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Geography, Physical
Feng Wu, Xinong Xie, Wen Yan, Youhua Zhu, Beichen Chen, Jianuo Chen, Mo Zhou
Summary: This paper describes the Quaternary evolution of Meiji Atoll in the southern South China Sea. The findings show how variations in sea surface temperature, eustatic sea level, and tectonics have influenced the development of the atoll. These findings have broader implications for understanding the Quaternary evolution of similar tropical carbonate atolls in the region.
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Geography, Physical
Ana Mateos, Ericson Hoelzchen, Jesus Rodriguez
Summary: The Epivillafranchian and the transition to the Galerian was a period of environmental fluctuations and faunal turnover. Hominins and giant hyenas could coexist during the Epivillafranchian, but the transition to the Galerian led to a disruption of the scavenging niche, coinciding with the extinction of P. brevirostris.
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Geography, Physical
Tianyu Du, Wensheng Zhang, Bing Li, Linjing Liu, Yuecong Li, Yawen Ge, Shiyong Yu
Summary: This article presents sedimentary evidence for a dramatic channel displacement of the lower Yellow River about 3000-2600 years ago, and explains the impact of this displacement on the geomorphology and human migration.
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Geography, Physical
Johann Mueller, Michael M. Joachimski, Oliver Lehnert, Peep Mannik, Yadong Sun
Summary: The Late Ordovician mass extinction occurred during an ice age, with maximum ice coverage and a substantial drop in global sea level. This led to the exposure or shallowing of shallow tropical shelf environments. The study suggests that the burial rate of nutrient phosphorus (P) on shelves was minimal during this glacial period, leading to excess bioavailable P entering the open ocean and stimulating phytoplankton production, which in turn lowered oxygen concentrations.
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Geography, Physical
Marina Addante, Patrizia Maiorano, Giovanna Scopelliti, Angela Girone, Maria Marino, Samanta Trotta, Antonio Caruso
Summary: This study presents the first high-resolution results on planktonic foraminiferal stable oxygen isotopes and calcareous plankton assemblages, providing insights into the glacial-interglacial variability and North Atlantic climate variability. The research also reveals evidence of the first significant southward migration of the Subarctic Front in the mid-latitudes.
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Geography, Physical
Bing-Cai Liu, Rui-Wen Zong, Kai Wang, Jiao Bai, Yi Wang, Hong-He Xu
Summary: Phytogeography plays a vital role in the evolution of plants. This paper describes a new species of a spore-bearing plant from the upper Silurian period in West Junggar, China. By analyzing global Silurian macrofossil records, the study reveals the spatial-temporal distribution of Silurian plant macrofossils and identifies two phytogeographic realms during the Pridoli Epoch.
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Geography, Physical
Francois Fournier, Thomas Teillet, Alexis Licht, Jean Borgomano, Lucien Montaggioni
Summary: This study investigates the temporal evolution of neritic carbonates in the proto-South China Sea to reconstruct East Asian monsoonal currents and winds during the middle to late Paleogene. The results highlight that many of the features of the summer East Asian Monsoon large-scale circulation are rooted in the middle Paleogene.
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY
(2024)