Article
Geology
Sergey Solonin, Alexey V. Vodorezov, Benjamin P. Kear
Summary: Marine reptile remains were discovered in Central Russia near a quarry, along with fossils of pterosaurs, chondrichthyan, and actinopterygian fish. These fossils were found in strata belonging to the Dmitrov Formation, indicating diverse marine vertebrate faunas from the Cenomanian-Turonian transition period.
CRETACEOUS RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Geology
Jose P. O'Gorman
Summary: This study describes a new specimen of the small sized elasmosaurid Kawanectes lafquenianum, along with new features of the basicranium and palate. Differences between specimens referred to K. lafquenianum are discussed, with sexual dimorphism being concluded as the most plausible explanation.
CRETACEOUS RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Geology
Sven Sachs, Johan Lindgren, Daniel Madzia, Benjamin P. Kear
Summary: Thalassomedon haningtoni is one of the most completely preserved elasmosaurid plesiosaurians known, with distinct cranial traits indicating conspecificity and consistent phylogenetic relationships with other North American elasmosaurid taxa. The species may demonstrate successive lineage divergences within the Western Interior Seaway during the middle to latest Cretaceous.
CRETACEOUS RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Geology
Rodrigo A. Otero, Mario E. Suarez
Summary: This study presents new material of ray-finned fishes from Upper Cretaceous strata in central Chile, including specimens of the genus Enchodus and teeth of Pachyrhizodus and indeterminate pachycormids. It provides a critical review of historical ray-finned fishes in the region and suggests that the latest Cretaceous actinopterygian diversity along the southeastern Pacific was more discrete and scarce than previously thought.
CRETACEOUS RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Paleontology
Arthur S. Brum, Tiago R. Simoes, Geovane A. Souza, Andre E. P. Pinheiro, Rodrigo G. Figueiredo, Michael W. Caldwell, Juliana M. Sayao, Alexander W. A. Kellner
Summary: The study of Antarctic plesiosaurian record is crucial for understanding the evolution of elasmosaurids in the southern hemisphere. Through analyzing the cervical vertebral shapes of elasmosaurids, this research provides insights into the diversity and changes in shape throughout ontogeny and phylogeny. The findings reveal that Antarctic elasmosaurids show greater diversity than previously recognized.
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Elliott Armour Smith, F. Robin O'Keefe
Summary: This study examines four elasmosaurid specimens from the Late Cretaceous of the Western Interior Seaway to clarify the systematics of the Elasmosaurinae clade. It confirms that the Nebraska specimen belongs to the genus Styxosaurus and proposes it as a new species, Styxosaurus rezaci. The study concludes that Styxosaurus was a long-lived clade inhabiting the Western Interior Seaway for at least 12 million years.
JOURNAL OF SYSTEMATIC PALAEONTOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Paleontology
Jose P. O'Gorman, Franco Aspromonte, Marcelo Reguero
Summary: Elasmosaurids are a commonly found marine reptile fossil in the Campanian-Maastrichtian strata of Antarctica. A study on an early discovered specimen reveals that non-aristonectine elasmosaurids may have originally possessed 17 to 18 dorsal vertebrae, with the higher count of 24 in aristonectine elasmosaurids likely being a derived state associated with larger body size.
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Daniel E. Figueroa, Santiago A. Barbini, Mauro Belleggia, David E. Sabadin, Jorge M. Roman, Agustin M. De Wysiecki
Summary: This article focuses on the geological processes that shaped the southern Southwest Atlantic Ocean and explores the diverse marine ichthyofauna found between 33 degrees and 56 degrees from a paleobiological perspective. The article explains that during the early Cretaceous, the South Atlantic was not yet formed, and Gondwana likely consisted of united plates with shallow continental waters. As the major Gondwanan plates began to diverge in the middle Cretaceous, shallow marine intrusions occurred, leading to the diversification of a unique fish fauna. The connection between the proto-South Atlantic and the North Atlantic in the late Mesozoic allowed the ichthyofauna to migrate southwards and reach the Antarctic region.
MARINE ECOLOGY-AN EVOLUTIONARY PERSPECTIVE
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Nicolas Riel, Joao C. Duarte, Jaime Almeida, Boris J. P. Kaus, Filipe Rosas, Yamirka Rojas-Agramonte, Anton Popov
Summary: Geodynamic models were used to simulate the evolution of the Caribbean region during the Cretaceous period, showing that the collision between the old Caribbean plateau and the Central America margin led to the formation of a new subduction zone in the Atlantic and triggered the formation of the Caribbean Large Igneous Province.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Agronomy
Zeliha Kayaaslan, Sabriye Belguzar, Yusuf Yanar, Mustafa Mirik
Summary: This study aimed to determine the lifespan of Xanthomonas euvesicatoria (Xeu) in seeds, soil, and plant residues, as well as the initial source of inoculum causing disease onset. The study was conducted in Tokat province, Turkey. Results showed that Xeu remained viable in inoculated seeds for up to 220 days (7 months), survived in summer soil for 105 days, and in winter soil for 14 days. In plant residues, Xeu survived for 60 days at 0 cm depth and 30 days at 20 cm depth in summer, and for 30 days at 0 cm depth and 15 days at 20 cm depth in winter. It was found that Xeu did not persist for a long time in plant residues and soil in Tokat province, indicating that the seed was the primary source of inoculum.
Review
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Allan Silva Gomes, Paulo Marcos Vasconcelos
Summary: Constraining the timing of large igneous provinces is crucial for evaluating their petrogenetic evolution and potential links to mass extinctions. The Parana-Etendeka continental flood basalts erupted during the Early Cretaceous, lasting approximately 1.6-3.0 million years and possibly temporally connected to the Weissert event.
EARTH-SCIENCE REVIEWS
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jonathan Pekar, Michael Worobey, Niema Moshiri, Konrad Scheffler, Joel O. Wertheim
Summary: The study found that SARS-CoV-2 may have emerged in Hubei province, China between mid-October and mid-November 2019. The dynamics of the virus before discovery showed that over two-thirds of SARS-CoV-2-like zoonotic events would self-limit, without causing a pandemic. The study highlights shortcomings in current zoonosis surveillance methods.
Article
Geology
Yucel Yilmaz, Omer Feyzi Gurer
Summary: Western Anatolia is a rapidly stretching continental region. It underwent three phases of north-south extension, resulting in grabens of different ages and orientations. The first phase occurred during the late Oligocene-Early Miocene, forming NNE trending grabens in northern areas. The second phase happened in the Late Miocene, leading to the rise of the Bozdag Horst. The third phase created the dominant morphotectonic features of western Anatolia, including E-W trending normal faults and associated grabens in the Quaternary. The rotation of western Anatolia began counter-clockwise in the Holocene due to the westward escape of the Anatolian Plate.
INTERNATIONAL GEOLOGY REVIEW
(2023)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Dora Paprika, Axel Hofmann, Andrea Agangi, Marlina Elburg, Hangqiang Xie, Simone Hartmann
Summary: Research on the Kaapvaal Craton reveals the importance of the Dominion-Nsuze Igneous Province as a significant igneous activity zone in understanding geological history.
PRECAMBRIAN RESEARCH
(2021)
Letter
Immunology
Meiling Zhang, Jienan Zhou, Senquan Jia, Xiaonan Zhao, Yaoyao Chen, Yanhong Sun, Zhaosheng Liu, Xiaofang Zhou, Duo Li, Chunrui Luo, Yong Zhang, Violet Magoma Onsongo, Yong Shao, Xiaoqing Fu
Summary: By analyzing undocumented migrants as potential transmitters of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 in China, we can gain insights into the transmission pathways of the virus and potential prevention measures.
EMERGING INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Geology
Jimmy de Rooij, Sybrand A. N. Lucassen, Charlotte Furer, Anne S. Schulp, P. Martin Sander
Summary: This study presents a detailed osteohistological analysis on Triceratops horridus and Triceratops cf. prorsus specimens, aiming to understand the growth and development of ceratopsids. The analysis reveals a distinct pattern of bone tissue growth in Triceratops limb elements, but also suggests that taxonomic ambiguity between Torosaurus and Triceratops cannot be solely resolved based on histological data.
CRETACEOUS RESEARCH
(2024)
Review
Geology
J. R. Ovando-Figueroa, J. A. Moreno-Bedmar, M. Company, J. A. Jacobo-Delgado
Summary: This article presents a review of ammonoid specimens from the Berriasian and Valanginian age in Zacatecas, Mexico. The study includes updated museographic information, new images, and 3D models of the specimens. Taxonomic identification has revealed six species and two genera. Stratigraphic range data suggests that the specimens belong to the uppermost upper Berriasian to lower Valanginian interval, with several biozones identified. Additionally, a paleobiogeographic analysis indicates a clear affinity with contemporaneous ammonoid assemblages from the Mediterranean region.
CRETACEOUS RESEARCH
(2024)
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
Geology
Josh Jenkins Shaw, Alexey Solodovnikov, Evgeny E. Perkovsky
Summary: A fossil of the monogeneric rove beetle subfamily Trichophyinae (genus Trichophya) has been discovered in the Upper Cretaceous Taimyr amber from northern Siberia. This finding indicates the morphological differences between ancient and modern Trichophya species groups. By comparing the morphology, distribution, and habitat requirements of extant species, the taxonomy, biogeography, and paleoecology of the Trichophya in Taimyr amber can be better understood.
CRETACEOUS RESEARCH
(2024)
Article
Geology
Martin Kostak, Frank Wiese, Zuzana Kozlova, Adam Culka, Martin Mazuch, Martin Soucek
Summary: A well-preserved fossil of an upper Cretaceous acanthoceratoid ammonite has been discovered in the Bohemian Cretaceous Basin, providing important insights into the jaw anatomy of these extinct organisms.
CRETACEOUS RESEARCH
(2024)
Article
Geology
Gustavo Santiago, Marcelo de Araujo Carvalho, Renato Rodriguez Cabral Ramos, Sandro Marcelo Scheffler
Summary: The Santa Marta Formation in the Antarctic Peninsula is an important sedimentary sequence that provides insights into paleoenvironmental changes. The distribution of sedimentary organic matter reveals three distinct palynofacies associations and shows a progressive transgression from terrestrial to marine environments.
CRETACEOUS RESEARCH
(2024)
Article
Geology
B. J. Vazquez, D. Castanera, B. Vila
Summary: In Europe, the fossil record of sauropods in the uppermost Cretaceous is mainly found in Spain, France, and Romania. Recently, a significant discovery of titanosaurs' teeth was made in Els Nerets, Spain, which contains the largest tooth sample from the Late Cretaceous in Europe. The teeth show distinct characteristics but cannot be attributed to any known European species. Based on tooth morphology and wear facets distribution, a new taxon is proposed.
CRETACEOUS RESEARCH
(2024)
Article
Geology
Youssef S. Bazeen, Walid G. Kassab, El Sayed M. Moneer, Gebely A. Abu El-Kheir, Mohamed K. Abdelgawad, Haitham M. Ayyad
Summary: This study investigates the Maastrichtian-Danian succession in the Abu Minqar section of the Western Desert of Egypt, using an integrated analysis of biostratigraphy and chemostratigraphy. The results suggest that regional tectonics played a substantial role in the depositional history and paleoenvironmental circumstances of the southern Tethys margin.
CRETACEOUS RESEARCH
(2024)
Article
Geology
Fernando R. Rios, Ana M. P. Mizusaki, Rualdo Menegat, Isaque C. Rodrigues
Summary: This study examines the temporal and spatial relationships between fluvio-aeolian, aeolian, and volcanic systems in the southernmost part of the Parana Basin during the Late Jurassic and Early Cretaceous. By analyzing facies and architectural elements, the evolution of the volcano-sedimentary record is reconstructed.
CRETACEOUS RESEARCH
(2024)
Article
Geology
Antonio M. Casas, Arsenio Munoz, Alberto Tella, Carlos L. Liesa
Summary: This work proposes the application of magnetic surveying to study the cyclicity in sedimentary basins. Through measuring the total magnetic field and vertical magnetic gradient, the short-wavelength magnetic anomalies associated with the sedimentary sequence can be analyzed, providing information about the magnetic susceptibility and magnetic remanence of different sedimentary units. The cyclostratigraphic analysis reveals the existence of various cycles and enables the dating of the basin fill, offering new constraints for basin evolution.
CRETACEOUS RESEARCH
(2024)
Article
Geology
Ottilia Szives, Josep A. Moreno-Bedmar, Beatriz Aguirre-Urreta, Miguel Company, Camille Frau, Mikel Lopez-Horgue, Antoine Pictet, Izabela Ploch, Christian Salazar, Ricardo Barragan, Jean -Louis Latil, Jens Lehmann, Stephane Reboulet, Emmanuel Robert
Summary: The 7th meeting of the IUGS Lower Cretaceous Ammonite Working Group discussed important changes in the geological age classification, including adjustments and improvements to the upper Tithonian-Berriasian, upper Aptian, and Albian stages. The meeting also discussed the Valanginian and Hauterivian stages, and provided discussions on zonal indices and units, emphasizing the use of interval zones and subzones.
CRETACEOUS RESEARCH
(2024)
Article
Geology
Felix Schlagintweit, David Gercar, Bostjan Rozic
Summary: A mixed assemblage of planktonic and benthonic foraminifera has been found in the Lower Flyschoid Formation in the western part of the Slovenian Basin. These findings provide valuable insights into the biostratigraphy and paleogeographic configuration of the region during the Early to Middle Cretaceous.
CRETACEOUS RESEARCH
(2024)
Article
Geology
Arkaprava Mukhopadhyay, Debarati Chattopadhyay, Arghya Poddar, Ranita Saha, Sachin Patil, Tushar Sonkar, Sujoy Das, Rudranil Basak, Shubhabrata Paul, Arindam Roy
Summary: Predator-prey interaction exerts significant selection pressure on the evolutionary pathways of both parties. This research presents a new dataset of gastropod drilling predation on molluscan prey from the Upper Cretaceous, highlighting the influence of drilling predation during this period. The study utilizes a hybrid method of surface sampling without physically breaking the host rock. Findings suggest that drilling predation was an established form of predation during the Late Cretaceous, yet remains understudied.
CRETACEOUS RESEARCH
(2024)
Article
Geology
Dany Azar, Andre Nel
Summary: Lebanoaktassia curiosa is a new genus and species of strange dragonfly, representing the first Gondwanan species of the family Aktassiidae. It was found in Hjoula, Lebanon, along with two endemic dragonfly families, suggesting a possible connection to an island insular system in the Early Cretaceous.
CRETACEOUS RESEARCH
(2024)
Article
Geology
Pablo M. Villegas, A. Martin Umazano, Marcelo Krause, Mariana Brea
Summary: Conifer fossil woods from the Campanian Puntudo Chico Formation were studied, confirming the presence of Brachyoxylon currumillii and the introduction of Cupressinoxylon sp. cf. C. artabeae in the formation. The new specimens of Podocarpoxylon mazzonii suggest that this taxon is common in the Cretaceous to Eocene floristic assemblages. The growth-ring analysis of these fossil trees indicates their development under temperate and humid conditions, with slight sensitivity from year to year and a terminal event representing a cessation or retardation of cambial activity. Other paleoclimatic proxies suggest a temperate-warm and humid depositional environment with some semi-arid events in the Puntudo Chico Formation.
CRETACEOUS RESEARCH
(2024)