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A New Specimen of Cricosaurus Saltillensis (Crocodylomorpha

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A New Specimen of Cricosaurus Saltillensis (Crocodylomorpha A new specimen of Cricosaurus saltillensis (Crocodylomorpha: Metriorhynchidae) from the Upper Jurassic of Mexico: evidence for craniofacial convergence within Metriorhynchidae Marie-Céline Buchy1, Mark T. Young2 & Marco B. de Andrade3 1 Museo del Desierto, Prolongación Pérez Treviño 3745, Parque Las Maravillas, CP 25015, Saltillo, Coahuila, Mexico; cur- rent address: 1, Tossen Hat, 22140 Kermoroc’h, France. E-mail: [email protected] 2 School of Geosciences, University of Edinburgh, Grant Institute, The King’s Buildings, West Mains Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3JW, UK. E-mail: [email protected] 3 Departamento de Paleontologia e Estratigrafia, Instituto de Geociências, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul – UFRGS, Av. Bento Gonçalves 9500, Porto Alegre (RS), Brazil, 91501-970, C.P. 15001. E-mail: [email protected]. br. Abstract - Here we describe a new specimen of the metriorhynchid crocodylomorph Cricosaurus saltillensis. Furthermore, we amend the specific epithet to use the masculine suffix rather than the neuter suffix (i.e., changesaltillense to saltillensis). The new specimen, like the holotype, is from the Tithonian (Upper Jurassic) La Caja Formation of Gomez Farías, Mexico. Based on this new specimen, C. saltillensis had proportionally the shortest snout and the shortest maxillary and dentary tooth rows of any member of the subfamily Metriorhynchinae. Furthermore, while the teeth are poorly preserved, carinae are vis- ible (a rare morphology within Cricosaurus). The enlarged intratemporal flanges (anteromedial corners of the supratemporal fossae) demonstrate that the fibre length of the supratemporal adductor muscles were increased in C. saltillensis, this would have increased the medial component of the force vectors thereby stabilising the skull against torque. The reduced tooth count and carinated teeth, and a skull adapted to better resist torque suggest C. saltillensis was better suited to feeding on large- bodied prey than other members of the genus Cricosaurus. Key words: Cricosaurus, Jurassic, Metriorhynchidae, Mexico, Rhacheosaurini, Tithonian. INTRODUCTION in the State of Coahuila (Buchy et al., 2006c). This section is a 1.5 m thick coquina layer considered a concentration Investigation of the marine outcrops of the La Lagerstätte due to its richness of marine vertebrates (Buchy Casita and La Caja Formations (Kimmeridgian to Berriasian) et al., 2006a). It has yielded hundreds of remains of marine in north-east Mexico, as well as studies of specimens held vertebrates (most held in the Museo del Desierto, Saltillo), in collections, has yielded a rich assemblage of marine rep- many of which are awaiting preparation and/or study. Most tiles (see a review in Buchy 2007, 2008a, b, 2010a, in press; unpublished thalattosuchian remains are still on loan at the Buchy & López Oliva, 2009; research financed by Deutsche Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde Karlsruhe, Germany. Forschungsgemeinschaft and Consejo Estatal de Ciencia y Although systematic statistical study of the composition Tecnología over the past decade). Although excavation and of the Gomez Farías assemblage is still wanting, metrio- study are ongoing, metriorhynchid crocodylomorphs are the rhynchids represent the majority of marine reptile remains most abundant marine reptile group from these formations from the Gomez Farías assemblage (MCB pers. obs.). Fol- (Frey et al., 2002; Buchy et al., 2006b, c, 2007; Buchy, 2007, lowing preliminary observations, Buchy et al. (2006a) sug- 2008a, b). Metriorhynchids are a highly aberrant clade of gested that the coquina was deposited in a shallow, subtidal, crocodylomorphs, which evolved numerous adaptations to mud bottom environment below the storm wave base. This a pelagic lifestyle, including a complete loss of their osteo- was suggested as the coquina shows a reduced rate of sedi- derm armour, hydrofoil-like forelimbs, a hypocercal tail and mentation and condensation, possibly due to transgression large salt glands (Fraas, 1902; Andrews, 1913; Fernández & (see also Velasco Segura, 2005, 2007). However, a proper Gasparini, 2000, 2008; Fernández & Herrera, 2009; Young taphonomical study of the vertebrate remains is still needed et al., 2010). (see Buchy et al., 2006a; Buchy, 2010a). One section of the La Caja Formation of particular Currently, only one species of metriorhynchid is interest is early Tithonian in age and is close to Gomez Farías known from the Gomez Farías site: Cricosaurus saltillensis ORYCTOS vol. 10, 2013, publié en ligne le 1er octobre 2013 9 (Buchy et al., 2006c). Here we describe another specimen of Holotype. MUDE CPC 218: poorly preserved skull C. saltillensis from the type locality, show that this specimen (lacking snout) with atlas-axis and several cervical verte- and species had a craniodental morphology convergent with brae. Note the accession number of this specimen was for- geosaurine metriorhynchids, and finally we correct the suffix merly MUDE CEP 1823 (see Buchy et al., 2006c). of the specific epithet fromsaltillense to saltillensis. Etymology. ‘Ring lizard from Saltillo municipality’. Type Locality and Horizon. Early Tithonian Institutional abbreviations (Upper Jurassic) section of the La Caja Formation at the BSPG, Bayerische Staatssammlung für Paläontolo- Sierra El Jabalí (sometimes erroneously referred to as Sierra gie und Historische Geologie, München, Germany; CPC, de Buñuelos), near Gomez Farías, Municipio de Saltillo, Colección Paleontológica de Coahuila at MUDE; GLAHM, Coahuila, Mexico. Hunterian Museum, Glasgow, United Kingdom; MUDE, Referred specimen. MUDE CPC 487: Partial cra- Museo del Desierto, Saltillo, Coahuila, Mexico; NHMUK, nium and mandible with teeth, atlas-axis and four cervical Natural History Museum, London, United Kingdom; SMNS, vertebrae and ribs (from the type locality). Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde Stuttgart, Germany. Emended diagnosis. Metriorhynchid crocodylo- morph within the genus Cricosaurus with five autapomor- phic characters: 1) foreshortening of the rostrum relative SYSTEMATIC PALAEONTOLOGY to basicranial length, with a resultant reduction in maxil- lary (maximum of 17 teeth per maxillae) and dentary teeth Crocodylomorpha Hay, 1930 sensu Walker, 1970 (approximately 15 teeth per dentary ramus); 2) frontal Thalattosuchia Fraas, 1901 sensu Young & excluded from the centre of the dorsal margin of the orbit by Andrade, 2009 the prefrontal; 3) anterior portion of the supratemporal fos- Metriorhynchidae Fitzinger, 1843 sensu Young sae (intratemporal flange) are large and enter the minimum & Andrade, 2009 interorbital distance; 4) supratemporal fossae extremely Geosaurinae Lydekker, 1889 sensu Young & long: maximum length approximately 2.5 times the poste- Andrade, 2009 rior width; 5) the intertemporal bar is uniformly narrow in Rhacheosaurini Young et al., 2011a dorsal view, except at the anterior end of the parietal contri- Cricosaurus Wagner, 1858 bution which is transversely expanded. Note, the teeth are still poorly prepared, but based on an initial examination, the Type species. Stenosaurus elegans [sic] Wagner, tooth crowns have a blunt apex and mesial and distal carinae 1852. This follows Recommendation 67B of the Code of (bicarinate dentition). Future work will be necessary to con- the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN). firm this observation. Etymology. “Ring lizard”. Crico- is derived from Correction of name. The spelling of C. saltillense the Ancient Greek for ring (for the sclerotic ring within the is hereby corrected to C. saltillensis. This amendment of the orbit). While –saurus is the Latinised version of sauros, the specific epithet is based on using the masculine suffix rather Ancient Greek for lizard. than retaining the neuter suffix (i.e., –sis instead of –se). In Emended diagnosis. Metriorhynchid crocodylo- accordance with the ICZN Code, Article 30.1.3 the gender morph with the following unique combination of characters of the generic and epithet name must match (if the epithet is (autapomorphic characters are indicated by an asterisk*): adjectival). As Cricosaurus is masculine, the correct epithet procumbent dentition with a range of mediolateral compres- suffix is –sis. sion; cranial bones generally smooth, lacking conspicuous ornamentation; acute angle formed by the lateral and medial Preservation and taphonomy processes of the frontal; dorsal margin of the supratemporal The specimen was collected in March/April 2004 arcade lower than the medial process of the frontal*; orbit as (field number GF31). Mechanical preparation was initiated large as the supratemporal fenestra*; surangular and angu- at MUDE in October 2009 by Z.M. Casas Garcías, mostly lar well-developed, proceeding anteriorly beyond the orbit*; done by A.I. Oyervides Salazar and completed by MCB. symphysial part of the mandible low*; lateral margin of the The posterior and right edges of the specimen corre- prefrontals rounded*; external nares is divided along the spond to recent breaks that had weathered away recently, as skull midline by premaxillary septum; external nares termi- did the posterior part of the ventral face (Figs. 1-3). The plas- nates level to the second maxillary alveoli or further poste- ter jacket however encompassed whatever was left around riorly*; calcaneum tuber absent or vestigial*; proximal end the visible specimen of the bone-bearing level, resulting in an of metatarsal I greatly enlarged* (modified from Young & almost meter-wide jacket. No further remains were encoun- Andrade, 2009). tered, however there are
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