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
Geology
Alexander O. Averianov, Alexey Lopatin
Summary: Ondogurvel alifanovi, a new species of alvarezsaurid, is described in this study. It differs from other alvarezsaurids in the complete fusion of metatarsals II and IV in the contact area. Phylogenetic analysis places Ondogurvel in a clade with Late Cretaceous Asian parvicursorines Xixianykus and Albinykus. Two morphological types of the parvicursorine carpometacarpus are recognized.
CRETACEOUS RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Geology
Alexander O. Averianov, Alexey Lopatin
Summary: Isolated sacrum fragments, manual ungual phalanges, and a third metatarsal from the Upper Cretaceous (Santonian) Yalovach Formation at the Kansai locality in Tajikistan, are similar to those elements in various dromaeosaurid theropods. They are identified as Kansaignathus sogdianus and further analysis confirms its position as the basalmost Asiatic velociraptorine. It is also the oldest known member of this clade in Asia and worldwide.
CRETACEOUS RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Geology
Jake Kotevski, Ruairidh J. Duncan, Adele H. Pentland, James P. Rule, Patricia Vickers-Rich, Thomas H. Rich, Erich M. G. Fitzgerald, Alistair R. Evans, Stephen F. Poropat
Summary: The cranial remains of non-avian theropod dinosaurs from the Cretaceous period in Australia are poorly understood. This study presents new evidence of non-mandibular cranial material, possibly belonging to the Megaraptoridae family, and contributes to the limited knowledge of Australian Cretaceous theropod cranial remains.
CRETACEOUS RESEARCH
(2024)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Min Wang, Thomas A. Stidham, Zhiheng Li, Xing Xu, Zhonghe Zhou
Summary: The study describes a new enantiornithine bird from the Early Cretaceous in China, revealing the components of cranial kinesis and highlighting the highly modular and mosaic evolution of avialan skulls. Early birds not only had major innovations in their locomotor system, but also evolved highly derived skulls.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Geology
Nicholas R. Longrich, David M. Martill, Megan L. Jacobs
Summary: The Lower Cretaceous in England has yielded a diverse assemblage of dinosaurs, including ornithischians, sauropods, and theropods. A newly discovered dromaeosaurid dinosaur, Vectiraptor greeni, from the Isle of Wight shows similarities to Early Cretaceous eudromaeosaurs from North America, suggesting faunal interchange between Europe and North America. The Early Cretaceous dinosaur assemblage in England and Europe resulted from dispersal from North America, Asia, and West Gondwana.
CRETACEOUS RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Stephen F. Poropat, Matt A. White, Tim Ziegler, Adele H. Pentland, Samantha L. Rigby, Ruairidh J. Duncan, Trish Sloan, David A. Elliott
Summary: The Snake Creek Tracksite in the Upper Cretaceous Winton Formation of Queensland, Australia, presents an important vertebrate ichnoassemblage, including the first sauropod tracks reported from eastern Australia. This site also preserves a small number of theropod and ornithopod tracks, as well as the first fossilised crocodyliform and possible turtle tracks reported from Australia.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Hans-Dieter Sues, Alexander Averianov, Brooks B. Britt
Summary: The Upper Cretaceous Bissekty Formation in Uzbekistan has yielded various non-avian theropod dinosaur remains, including a large dromaeosaurid and a neovenatorid carcharodontosaurian named Ulughbegsaurus uzbekistanensis. However, the classification of Ulughbegsaurus uzbekistanensis remains uncertain due to the lack of definitive diagnostic features. Furthermore, a giant dromaeosaurid and a medium-sized tyrannosauroid called Timurlengia euotica coexisted in the same formation.
GEOLOGICAL MAGAZINE
(2023)
Article
Geology
Roy E. Smith, David M. Martill
Summary: This passage describes the discovery of a unique tooth from the Ifezouane Formation in eastern Morocco, which exhibits a series of severe paleopathologies, including enhanced inner curvature to the crown and the formation of three deep grooves. This is the first report of external dental pathologies in a spinosaurine spinosaurid tooth.
CRETACEOUS RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Anatomy & Morphology
Steven E. Jasinski, Robert M. Sullivan, Aja M. Carter, Erynn H. Johnson, Sebastian G. Dalman, Juned Zariwala, Philip J. Currie
Summary: Dineobellator notohesperus, a recently described dromaeosaurid from the late Cretaceous of the southwestern United States, exhibits unique physical attributes and pathologic features. Its presence reveals physical variation among dromaeosaurids and suggests the coexistence of multiple dromaeosaurids in its environment.
ANATOMICAL RECORD-ADVANCES IN INTEGRATIVE ANATOMY AND EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY
(2023)
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
Biology
Zichuan Qin, Chun-Chi Liao, Michael J. Benton, Emily J. Rayfield
Summary: This study investigates the functions and formation process of the hand claws of early-branching maniraptoran dinosaurs using finite element analysis and functional-space analysis. The results show distinct functional divergence among the hand claws, with early-branching ones being used for digging and late-branching ones for display. The study also confirms that most therizinosaurians were herbivores.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Alexis M. Aranciaga Rolando, Matias J. Motta, Federico L. Agnolin, Makoto Manabe, Takanobu Tsuihiji, Fernando E. Novas
Summary: This study describes a partial skeleton of a megaraptorid from the Maastrichtian beds in Argentina, which is the most informative megaraptoran known from this time period and is identified as a new taxon. Phylogenetic analysis shows that South American megaraptorans form a monophyletic clade, while Australian and Asian members are stem groups. South American megaraptorans differ from more basal forms in several anatomical features and are larger and more robustly built.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Lindsay E. Zanno, Terry A. Gates, Haviv M. Avrahami, Ryan T. Tucker, Peter J. Makovicky
Summary: Intensifying macrovertebrate reconnaissance and age-dating techniques in recent decades have provided a more detailed understanding of the impact of the Cretaceous Thermal Maximum on terrestrial ecosystems. A new early-diverging ornithopod, Iani smithi gen. et sp. nov., has been discovered in Utah, USA, adding to the knowledge of Cretaceous fauna. This finding confirms the coexistence of at least five neornithischian clades in the earliest Late Cretaceous terrestrial ecosystems of North America.
Article
Geology
Nicholas R. Longrich, Erik Isasmendi, Xabier Pereda-Suberbiola, Nour-Eddine Jalil
Summary: The end of the Cretaceous witnessed the diversification of dinosaur faunas on different landmasses, primarily due to continental fragmentation. This study focuses on the understudied dinosaur faunas of southern land masses, particularly the latest Cretaceous of Africa, which remains largely unknown. The authors report two new abelisaurid fossils from Morocco, suggesting the coexistence of multiple abelisaurid taxa in the late Maastrichtian, indicating a high level of dinosaur diversity in North Africa prior to the mass extinction at the end of the Cretaceous.
CRETACEOUS RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Anatomy & Morphology
Jesus Marugan-Lobon, Sergio M. Nebreda, Guillermo Navalon, Roger B. J. Benson
Summary: The study explored skull morphology variation in birds, revealing similarities in evolution between avian and mammal skull features predicted by the Spatial Packing Hypothesis (SPH). The results show that craniofacial variation is influenced by allometry, but independently of the SPH impact on skull morphology and volumetric encephalization. These findings validate the hypothesis that a general architectural constraint underlies skull homoplasy evolution among avian clades and possibly between birds and mammals.
JOURNAL OF ANATOMY
(2022)
Article
Anatomy & Morphology
Julia A. Schwab, Mark T. Young, Stig A. Walsh, Lawrence M. Witmer, Yanina Herrera, Christopher A. Brochu, Ian B. Butler, Stephen L. Brusatte
Summary: Crocodilians living in tropical to subtropical environments mainly reside in shallow waters and undergo changes in size and shape of their endosseous labyrinths during ontogeny. These changes are influenced by skull growth constraints rather than alterations in locomotion, diet, or other biological functions or behaviors.
JOURNAL OF ANATOMY
(2022)
Article
Paleontology
Elsa Panciroli, Roger B. J. Benson, Vincent Fernandez, Matthew Humpage, Alberto Martin-Serra, Stig Walsh, Zhe-Xi Luo, Nicholas C. Fraser
Summary: During the Middle Jurassic, there was an early diversification of mammal groups, with Docodonta exhibiting ecological diversity similar to small-bodied mammals in the Cenozoic. The discovery of the Borealestes skeletons in Scotland provides important anatomical information for understanding the evolution and ecological diversity of the clade. The morphology of Borealestes suggests it may represent an unspecialized basal bauplan, contributing to the ecological diversity in Docodonta.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Julia A. Schwab, Mark T. Young, Stig A. Walsh, Lawrence M. Witmer, Yanina Herrera, Zena L. Timmons, Ian B. Butler, Stephen L. Brusatte
Summary: The vestibular system of the inner ear plays a crucial role in balance and equilibrium sensation, with otoliths being common but often overlooked components. Research on crocodylian species shows that otoliths continue to grow during ontogeny and play an important role in sensory detection. Further studies on the size, shape, and distribution of otoliths in tetrapods promise to provide insights into sensory abilities.
ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Anatomy & Morphology
Elizabeth M. Steell, Jacqueline M. T. Nguyen, Roger B. J. Benson, Daniel J. Field
Summary: The study focuses on the morphological analysis of passerine carpometacarpi, revealing previously undescribed variations and providing support for the presence of both crown Passeri and crown Tyranni in Europe during the Oligocene period.
JOURNAL OF ANATOMY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jorge Garcia-Giron, Alfio Alessandro Chiarenza, Janne Alahuhta, David G. DeMar, Jani Heino, Philip D. Mannion, Thomas E. Williamson, Gregory P. Wilson Mantilla, Stephen L. Brusatte
Summary: Researchers reconstructed North American food webs and simulated ecological conditions before and after the mass extinction event. They found that stable and static ecological niches may have contributed to the extinction of non-avian dinosaurs, while early ecological diversification played a role in the survival of mammals.
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Hans P. Puschel, Jhonatan Alarcon-Munoz, Sergio Soto-Acuna, Raul Ugalde, Sarah L. Shelley, Stephen L. Brusatte
Summary: This study describes a new fossil of the macraucheniine macraucheniid, Micrauchenia saladensis, from Chile. The specimen includes various skeletal elements and shows consistent features with terrestrial and cursorial locomotion. It is the smallest member of the Macraucheniinae subfamily and shares certain characteristics with other macraucheniines. Phylogenetic analyses confirm its affiliation with the Macraucheniinae subfamily, but its exact placement within the subfamily remains uncertain.
JOURNAL OF MAMMALIAN EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Anatomy & Morphology
Pei-Chen Kuo, Roger B. J. Benson, Daniel J. J. Field
Summary: This study investigates the evolutionary changes in the quadrate bone shape in Galloanserae, a major clade of extant birds, and reconstructs the ancestral quadrate morphology using three-dimensional geometric morphometrics and fossil data. The results suggest that the quadrate of the last common ancestor of galloanserans may have been more similar to extant galliforms than to extant anseriforms. These findings highlight the importance of incorporating fossil taxa into ancestral shape reconstructions and provide insights into the early evolution of avian feeding apparatus.
JOURNAL OF MORPHOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Paleontology
Gemma Louise Benevento, Roger B. J. Benson, Roger A. Close, Richard J. Butler
Summary: The extinction of non-avian dinosaurs led to the diversification of placental mammals, with increases in diversity observed in all body size classes. Small-bodied mammals experienced similar diversity increases to larger species, likely due to greater access to resources and finer resource partitioning. The extinctions and ecological changes during the Late Cretaceous and across the K/Pg boundary contributed to this diversification.
Article
Biology
Talia M. Lowi-Merri, Oliver E. Demuth, Juan Benito, Daniel J. Field, Roger B. J. Benson, Santiago Claramunt, David C. Evans
Summary: Avian skeletal morphology can provide insights into locomotor function in both extant and extinct taxa. In this study, the researchers examined the sternal shape and skeletal proportions of the fossil taxon Ichthyornis to infer its locomotor capabilities. Their analysis suggests that Ichthyornis had both soaring and foot-propelled swimming capabilities. Furthermore, they found that sternal shape and skeletal proportions provide complementary information on avian locomotion, with skeletal proportions predicting flight capacity and sternal shape predicting more specific locomotor abilities. These findings have important implications for understanding the ecology of extinct birds and highlight the significance of sternum morphology in investigations of fossil bird locomotion.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Alexander D. Clark, Han Hu, Roger B. J. Benson, Jingmai K. O'Connor
Summary: The Longipterygidae are a unique clade among the enantiornithines, characterized by their elongate rostra and pedal morphologies suited for an arboreal lifestyle. The interpretation of their diet and ecology has been challenging due to the lack of analogous taxa with similar morphologies. The presence of rostral elongation only partially refines predictions of their trophic habits, and other features such as dentition should be considered. Drawing from avian bill proportions and dental morphology, it is hypothesized that the Longipterygidae were animalivorous, with a stronger tendency towards insectivory.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Mark T. Young, Charlotte I. W. Bowman, Arthur Erb, Julia A. Schwab, Lawrence M. Witmer, Yanina Herrera, Stephen L. Brusatte
Summary: Thalattosuchian crocodylomorphs were a diverse group that lived in water from the Early Jurassic to the Early Cretaceous. The subclade Metriorhynchoidea went through a remarkable evolution from semi-aquatic ambush predators to fully aquatic forms living in open oceans. Thalattosuchians share a unique palatal morphology with fossil cetaceans, having paired grooves along the palatal surface. By investigating CT scans of thalattosuchian and extant crocodylian species, this study reveals that all thalattosuchians had osseous canals connected to the oral cavity, which transmitted hypertrophied nasal vessels for heat exchange. This suggests that thalattosuchians had a complex thermoregulatory system to maintain stable temperatures for their neurosensory tissues.
Article
Anatomy & Morphology
Ornella C. Bertrand, Marina Jimenez Lao, Sarah L. Shelley, John R. Wible, Thomas E. Williamson, Jin Meng, Stephen L. Brusatte
Summary: This study analyzed the morphology of the archaic order Tillodontia during the Eocene period. The results show that Trogosus, a species of Tillodontia, possessed ancestral characteristics and possibly shared some features with Pantodonta and Arctocyonidae. The relatively small neocortex of Trogosus may have put it at a disadvantage in competition and predation avoidance, which could have contributed to its extinction.
JOURNAL OF ANATOMY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Bruna M. Farina, Pedro L. Godoy, Roger B. J. Benson, Max C. Langer, Gabriel S. Ferreira
Summary: There is no evidence for directional body size evolution in turtles, and paleotemperature does not significantly affect body size patterns. However, habitat preference does have a significant influence on turtle body size.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Paleontology
Annabel K. Hunt, David P. Ford, Vincent Fernandez, Jonah N. Choiniere, Roger B. J. Benson
Summary: Using synchrotron x-ray micro-computed tomography, new features of the anatomy of Youngina capensis, a non-saurian neodiapsid, were discovered. The research suggests that Youngina may represent a more primitive lineage among non-saurian neodiapsids.
PAPERS IN PALAEONTOLOGY
(2023)