Geology Publications 1 Fieldiana: Geology Pub
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Load more
Recommended publications
-
Cranial Anatomy, Taxonomic Implications
[Palaeontology, Vol. 55, Part 4, 2012, pp. 743–773] CRANIAL ANATOMY, TAXONOMIC IMPLICATIONS AND PALAEOPATHOLOGY OF AN UPPER JURASSIC PLIOSAUR (REPTILIA: SAUROPTERYGIA) FROM WESTBURY, WILTSHIRE, UK by JUDYTH SASSOON1, LESLIE F. NOE` 2 and MICHAEL J. BENTON1* 1School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Wills Memorial Building, Queen’s Road, Bristol BS8 1RJ, UK; e-mails: [email protected], [email protected] 2Geociencias, departamento de Fisica, Universidad de los Andes, Bogota´ DC, Colombia; e-mail: [email protected] *Corresponding author. Typescript received 5 December 2010; accepted in revised form 6 April 2011 Abstract: Complete skulls of giant marine reptiles of the genera. The two Westbury Pliosaurus specimens share many Late Jurassic are rare, and so the discovery of the 1.8-m- features, including the form of the teeth, but marked differ- long skull of a pliosaur from the Kimmeridge Clay Forma- ences in the snout and parietal crest suggest sexual dimor- tion (Kimmeridgian) of Westbury, Wiltshire, UK, is an phism; the present specimen is probably female. The large important find. The specimen shows most of the cranial size of the animal, the extent of sutural fusion and the and mandibular anatomy, as well as a series of pathological pathologies suggest this is an ageing individual. An erosive conditions. It was previously referred to Pliosaurus brachy- arthrotic condition of the articular glenoids led to pro- spondylus, but it can be referred reliably only to the genus longed jaw misalignment, generating a suite of associated Pliosaurus, because species within the genus are currently in bone and dental pathologies. -
New Materials of Chalicotherium Brevirostris (Perissodactyla, Chalicotheriidae)
Geobios 45 (2012) 369–376 Available online at www.sciencedirect.com Original article New materials of Chalicotherium brevirostris (Perissodactyla, Chalicotheriidae) § from the Tunggur Formation, Inner Mongolia Yan Liu *, Zhaoqun Zhang Laboratory of Evolutionary Systematics of Vertebrate, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 142, Xizhimenwai Street, PO Box 643, Beijing 100044, PR China A R T I C L E I N F O A B S T R A C T Article history: Chalicotherium brevirostris was named by Colbert based on a skull lacking mandibles from the late Middle Received 23 March 2011 Miocene Tunggur Formation, Tunggur, Inner Mongolia, China. Here we describe new mandibular Accepted 6 October 2011 materials collected from the same area. In contrast to previous expectations, the new mandibular Available online 14 July 2012 materials show a long snout, long diastema, a three lower incisors and a canine. C. brevirostris shows some sexual dimorphism and intraspecific variation in morphologic characters. The new materials differ Keywords: from previously described C. cf. brevirostris from Cixian County (Hebei Province) and the Tsaidam Basin, Tunggur which may represent a different, new species close to C. brevirostris. The diagnosis of C. brevirostris is Middle Miocene revised. Chalicotheriinae Chalicotherium ß 2012 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved. 1. Abbreviations progress in understanding the Tunggur geology and paleontology (Qiu et al., 1988). The most important result of this expedition so far is -
The Carnivora (Mammalia) from the Middle Miocene Locality of Gračanica (Bugojno Basin, Gornji Vakuf, Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Palaeobiodiversity and Palaeoenvironments https://doi.org/10.1007/s12549-018-0353-0 ORIGINAL PAPER The Carnivora (Mammalia) from the middle Miocene locality of Gračanica (Bugojno Basin, Gornji Vakuf, Bosnia and Herzegovina) Katharina Bastl1,2 & Doris Nagel2 & Michael Morlo3 & Ursula B. Göhlich4 Received: 23 March 2018 /Revised: 4 June 2018 /Accepted: 18 September 2018 # The Author(s) 2018 Abstract The Carnivora (Mammalia) yielded in the coal mine Gračanica in Bosnia and Herzegovina are composed of the caniform families Amphicyonidae (Amphicyon giganteus), Ursidae (Hemicyon goeriachensis, Ursavus brevirhinus) and Mustelidae (indet.) and the feliform family Percrocutidae (Percrocuta miocenica). The site is of middle Miocene age and the biostratigraphical interpretation based on molluscs indicates Langhium, correlating Mammal Zone MN 5. The carnivore faunal assemblage suggests a possible assignement to MN 6 defined by the late occurrence of A. giganteus and the early occurrence of H. goeriachensis and P. miocenica. Despite the scarcity of remains belonging to the order Carnivora, the fossils suggest a diverse fauna including omnivores, mesocarnivores and hypercarnivores of a meat/bone diet as well as Carnivora of small (Mustelidae indet.) to large size (A. giganteus). Faunal similarities can be found with Prebreza (Serbia), Mordoğan, Çandır, Paşalar and Inönü (all Turkey), which are of comparable age. The absence of Felidae is worthy of remark, but could be explained by the general scarcity of carnivoran fossils. Gračanica records the most eastern European occurrence of H. goeriachensis and the first occurrence of A. giganteus outside central Europe except for Namibia (Africa). The Gračanica Carnivora fauna is mostly composed of European elements. Keywords Amphicyon . Hemicyon . -
Chapter 1 - Introduction
EURASIAN MIDDLE AND LATE MIOCENE HOMINOID PALEOBIOGEOGRAPHY AND THE GEOGRAPHIC ORIGINS OF THE HOMININAE by Mariam C. Nargolwalla A thesis submitted in conformity with the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Graduate Department of Anthropology University of Toronto © Copyright by M. Nargolwalla (2009) Eurasian Middle and Late Miocene Hominoid Paleobiogeography and the Geographic Origins of the Homininae Mariam C. Nargolwalla Doctor of Philosophy Department of Anthropology University of Toronto 2009 Abstract The origin and diversification of great apes and humans is among the most researched and debated series of events in the evolutionary history of the Primates. A fundamental part of understanding these events involves reconstructing paleoenvironmental and paleogeographic patterns in the Eurasian Miocene; a time period and geographic expanse rich in evidence of lineage origins and dispersals of numerous mammalian lineages, including apes. Traditionally, the geographic origin of the African ape and human lineage is considered to have occurred in Africa, however, an alternative hypothesis favouring a Eurasian origin has been proposed. This hypothesis suggests that that after an initial dispersal from Africa to Eurasia at ~17Ma and subsequent radiation from Spain to China, fossil apes disperse back to Africa at least once and found the African ape and human lineage in the late Miocene. The purpose of this study is to test the Eurasian origin hypothesis through the analysis of spatial and temporal patterns of distribution, in situ evolution, interprovincial and intercontinental dispersals of Eurasian terrestrial mammals in response to environmental factors. Using the NOW and Paleobiology databases, together with data collected through survey and excavation of middle and late Miocene vertebrate localities in Hungary and Romania, taphonomic bias and sampling completeness of Eurasian faunas are assessed. -
A New Classification of the Xanthoidea Sensu Lato
Contributions to Zoology, 75 (1/2) 23-73 (2006) A new classifi cation of the Xanthoidea sensu lato (Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachyura) based on phylogenetic analysis and traditional systematics and evaluation of all fossil Xanthoidea sensu lato Hiroaki Karasawa1, Carrie E. Schweitzer2 1Mizunami Fossil Museum, Yamanouchi, Akeyo, Mizunami, Gifu 509-6132, Japan, e-mail: GHA06103@nifty. com; 2Department of Geology, Kent State University Stark Campus, 6000 Frank Ave. NW, North Canton, Ohio 44720, USA, e-mail: [email protected] Key words: Crustacea, Decapoda, Brachyura, Xanthoidea, Portunidae, systematics, phylogeny Abstract Family Pilumnidae ............................................................. 47 Family Pseudorhombilidae ............................................... 49 A phylogenetic analysis was conducted including representatives Family Trapeziidae ............................................................. 49 from all recognized extant and extinct families of the Xanthoidea Family Xanthidae ............................................................... 50 sensu lato, resulting in one new family, Hypothalassiidae. Four Superfamily Xanthoidea incertae sedis ............................... 50 xanthoid families are elevated to superfamily status, resulting in Superfamily Eriphioidea ......................................................... 51 Carpilioidea, Pilumnoidoidea, Eriphioidea, Progeryonoidea, and Family Platyxanthidae ....................................................... 52 Goneplacoidea, and numerous subfamilies are elevated -
How to Become a Crab: Phenotypic Constraints on a Recurring Body Plan
Preprints (www.preprints.org) | NOT PEER-REVIEWED | Posted: 25 December 2020 doi:10.20944/preprints202012.0664.v1 How to become a crab: Phenotypic constraints on a recurring body plan Joanna M. Wolfe1*, Javier Luque1,2,3, Heather D. Bracken-Grissom4 1 Museum of Comparative Zoology and Department of Organismic & Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 26 Oxford St, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA 2 Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa–Ancon, 0843–03092, Panama, Panama 3 Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520-8109, USA 4 Institute of Environment and Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, Biscayne Bay Campus, 3000 NE 151 Street, North Miami, FL 33181, USA * E-mail: [email protected] Summary: A fundamental question in biology is whether phenotypes can be predicted by ecological or genomic rules. For over 140 years, convergent evolution of the crab-like body plan (with a wide and flattened shape, and a bent abdomen) at least five times in decapod crustaceans has been known as ‘carcinization’. The repeated loss of this body plan has been identified as ‘decarcinization’. We offer phylogenetic strategies to include poorly known groups, and direct evidence from fossils, that will resolve the pattern of crab evolution and the degree of phenotypic variation within crabs. Proposed ecological advantages of the crab body are summarized into a hypothesis of phenotypic integration suggesting correlated evolution of the carapace shape and abdomen. Our premise provides fertile ground for future studies of the genomic and developmental basis, and the predictability, of the crab-like body form. Keywords: Crustacea, Anomura, Brachyura, Carcinization, Phylogeny, Convergent evolution, Morphological integration 1 © 2020 by the author(s). -
The Importance of Winterswijk for Under- Standing Placodontiform Evolution U Vindt Een Samenvatting Aan Het Eind Van De Tekst
Zurich Open Repository and Archive University of Zurich Main Library Strickhofstrasse 39 CH-8057 Zurich www.zora.uzh.ch Year: 2019 The importance of Winterswijk for understanding placodontiform evolution Neenan, James M ; During, Melanie A D ; Scheyer, Torsten M Abstract: Placodontiformes are basal, semi-aquatic sauropterygians that mostly preyed upon hard-shelled organisms and often had substantial dermal armour. While their fossil remains are rare, they can be found in Triassic sediments throughout Europe, the Middle East and southern China, often in the form of their unusually large, tablet-shaped teeth. Winterswijk, however, boasts one of the most important fossil records for placodontiforms in the world, with two unique genera that are not currently known from anywhere else: Palatodonta bleekeri and Pararcus diepenbroeki. Other than these, more widespread genera are probably also represented in the form of Placodus sp. and Cyamodus sp. Posted at the Zurich Open Repository and Archive, University of Zurich ZORA URL: https://doi.org/10.5167/uzh-181650 Journal Article Published Version Originally published at: Neenan, James M; During, Melanie A D; Scheyer, Torsten M (2019). The importance of Winterswijk for understanding placodontiform evolution. Staringia, 73(5/6):222-225. A B C FIGURE 1. | Placodontiform morphotypes that have been found in Winterswijk. Palatodonta bleekeri (A) is the closest relative of the placodonts, and had small sharp teeth for eating soft prey. The placodonts Placodus gigas (B) and Cyamodus hildegardis (C) had large crushing teeth for eating hard-shelled prey. Note the heavy armour in Cyamodus. Reconstructions by Jaime Chirinos. The importance of Winterswijk for under- standing placodontiform evolution U vindt een samenvatting aan het eind van de tekst. -
Universidad Nacional Del Comahue Centro Regional Universitario Bariloche
Universidad Nacional del Comahue Centro Regional Universitario Bariloche Título de la Tesis Microanatomía y osteohistología del caparazón de los Testudinata del Mesozoico y Cenozoico de Argentina: Aspectos sistemáticos y paleoecológicos implicados Trabajo de Tesis para optar al Título de Doctor en Biología Tesista: Lic. en Ciencias Biológicas Juan Marcos Jannello Director: Dr. Ignacio A. Cerda Co-director: Dr. Marcelo S. de la Fuente 2018 Tesis Doctoral UNCo J. Marcos Jannello 2018 Resumen Las inusuales estructuras óseas observadas entre los vertebrados, como el cuello largo de la jirafa o el cráneo en forma de T del tiburón martillo, han interesado a los científicos desde hace mucho tiempo. Uno de estos casos es el clado Testudinata el cual representa uno de los grupos más fascinantes y enigmáticos conocidos entre de los amniotas. Su inconfundible plan corporal, que ha persistido desde el Triásico tardío hasta la actualidad, se caracteriza por la presencia del caparazón, el cual encierra a las cinturas, tanto pectoral como pélvica, dentro de la caja torácica desarrollada. Esta estructura les ha permitido a las tortugas adaptarse con éxito a diversos ambientes (por ejemplo, terrestres, acuáticos continentales, marinos costeros e incluso marinos pelágicos). Su capacidad para habitar diferentes nichos ecológicos, su importante diversidad taxonómica y su plan corporal particular hacen de los Testudinata un modelo de estudio muy atrayente dentro de los vertebrados. Una disciplina que ha demostrado ser una herramienta muy importante para abordar varios temas relacionados al caparazón de las tortugas, es la paleohistología. Esta disciplina se ha involucrado en temas diversos tales como el origen del caparazón, el origen del desarrollo y mantenimiento de la ornamentación, la paleoecología y la sistemática. -
(Diapsida: Saurosphargidae), with Implications for the Morphological Diversity and Phylogeny of the Group
Geol. Mag.: page 1 of 21. c Cambridge University Press 2013 1 doi:10.1017/S001675681300023X A new species of Largocephalosaurus (Diapsida: Saurosphargidae), with implications for the morphological diversity and phylogeny of the group ∗ CHUN LI †, DA-YONG JIANG‡, LONG CHENG§, XIAO-CHUN WU†¶ & OLIVIER RIEPPEL ∗ Laboratory of Evolutionary Systematics of Vertebrates, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, PO Box 643, Beijing 100044, China ‡Department of Geology and Geological Museum, Peking University, Beijing 100871, PR China §Wuhan Institute of Geology and Mineral Resources, Wuhan, 430223, PR China ¶Canadian Museum of Nature, PO Box 3443, STN ‘D’, Ottawa, ON K1P 6P4, Canada Department of Geology, The Field Museum, 1400 S. Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL 60605-2496, USA (Received 31 July 2012; accepted 25 February 2013) Abstract – Largocephalosaurus polycarpon Cheng et al. 2012a was erected after the study of the skull and some parts of a skeleton and considered to be an eosauropterygian. Here we describe a new species of the genus, Largocephalosaurus qianensis, based on three specimens. The new species provides many anatomical details which were described only briefly or not at all in the type species, and clearly indicates that Largocephalosaurus is a saurosphargid. It differs from the type species mainly in having three premaxillary teeth, a very short retroarticular process, a large pineal foramen, two sacral vertebrae, and elongated small granular osteoderms mixed with some large ones along the lateral most side of the body. With additional information from the new species, we revise the diagnosis and the phylogenetic relationships of Largocephalosaurus and clarify a set of diagnostic features for the Saurosphargidae Li et al. -
Mesozoic Marine Reptile Palaeobiogeography in Response to Drifting Plates
ÔØ ÅÒÙ×Ö ÔØ Mesozoic marine reptile palaeobiogeography in response to drifting plates N. Bardet, J. Falconnet, V. Fischer, A. Houssaye, S. Jouve, X. Pereda Suberbiola, A. P´erez-Garc´ıa, J.-C. Rage, P. Vincent PII: S1342-937X(14)00183-X DOI: doi: 10.1016/j.gr.2014.05.005 Reference: GR 1267 To appear in: Gondwana Research Received date: 19 November 2013 Revised date: 6 May 2014 Accepted date: 14 May 2014 Please cite this article as: Bardet, N., Falconnet, J., Fischer, V., Houssaye, A., Jouve, S., Pereda Suberbiola, X., P´erez-Garc´ıa, A., Rage, J.-C., Vincent, P., Mesozoic marine reptile palaeobiogeography in response to drifting plates, Gondwana Research (2014), doi: 10.1016/j.gr.2014.05.005 This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service to our customers we are providing this early version of the manuscript. The manuscript will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and review of the resulting proof before it is published in its final form. Please note that during the production process errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain. ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT Mesozoic marine reptile palaeobiogeography in response to drifting plates To Alfred Wegener (1880-1930) Bardet N.a*, Falconnet J. a, Fischer V.b, Houssaye A.c, Jouve S.d, Pereda Suberbiola X.e, Pérez-García A.f, Rage J.-C.a and Vincent P.a,g a Sorbonne Universités CR2P, CNRS-MNHN-UPMC, Département Histoire de la Terre, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, CP 38, 57 rue Cuvier, -
Fossil Middle Triassic “Sea Cows” – Placodont Reptiles As Macroalgae Feeders Along the North-Western Tethys Coastline with Pangaea and in the Germanic Basin
Vol.3, No.1, 9-27 (2011) Natural Science http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/ns.2011.31002 Fossil middle triassic “sea cows” – placodont reptiles as macroalgae feeders along the north-western Tethys coastline with Pangaea and in the Germanic basin Cajus G. Diedrich Paleologic, Nansenstr, Germany; [email protected] Received 19 October 2010; revised 22 November 2010; accepted 27 November 2010. ABSTRACT this plant-feeding adaptation and may even ex- plain the origin or at least close relationship of The descriptions of fossil Triassic marine pla- the earliest Upper Triassic turtles as toothless codonts as durophagous reptiles are revised algae and jellyfish feeders, in terms of the through comparisons with the sirenia and basal long-term convergent development with the si- proboscidean mammal and palaeoenvironment rens. analyses. The jaws of placodonts are conver- gent with those of Halitherium/Dugong or Mo- Keywords: Placodont Reptiles; Triassic; eritherium in their general function. Whereas Convergent Evolutionary Ecological Adaptation; Halitherium possessed a horny oral pad and Sirenia; Macroalgae Feeders; NW Tethys Shelf; counterpart and a special rasp-like tongue to Palaeoecology grind seagrass, as does the modern Dugong, placodonts had large teeth that covered their 1. INTRODUCTION jaws to form a similar grinding pad. The sirenia also lost their anterior teeth during many Mil- The extinct reptile group of the placodonts found in lions of years and built a horny pad instead and Germany and other European sites (Figure 1), a group specialized tongue to fed mainly on seagrass, of diverse marine diving reptiles, had large teeth cover- whereas placodonts had only macroalgae availa- ing the lower and complete upper jaws (Figsure 2-5) ble. -
The Biological Resources of Illinois Caves and Other
I LLINOI S UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN PRODUCTION NOTE University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Library Large-scale Digitization Project, 2007. EioD THE BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES OF ILLINOIS CAVES AND OTHER SUBTERRANEAN ENVIRONMENTS Determination of the Diversity, Distribution, and Status of the Subterranean Faunas of Illinois Caves and How These Faunas are Related to Groundwater Quality Donald W. Webb, Steven J. Taylor, and Jean K. Krejca Center for Biodiversity Illinois Natural History Survey 607 East Peabody Drive Champaign, Illinois 61820 (217) 333-6846 TECHNICAL REPORT 1993 (8) ILLINOIS NATURAL HISTORY SURVEY CENTER FOR BIODIVERSITY Prepared for: The Environmental Protection Trust Fund Commission and Illinois Department of Energy and Natural Resources Office of Research and Planning 325 W. Adams, Room 300 Springfield, IL 62704-1892 Jim Edgar, Governor John Moore, Director State of Illinois Illinois Department of Energy and Natural Resources ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Funding for this project was provided through Grant EPTF23 from the Environmental Protection Trust Fund Commission, administered by the Department of Energy and Natural Resources (ENR). Our thanks to Doug Wagner and Harry Hendrickson (ENR) for their assistance. Other agencies that contributed financial support include the Shawnee National Forest (SNF) and the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT). Many thanks to Mike Spanel (SNF) and Rich Nowack (IDOT) for their assistance. Several agencies cooperated in other ways; we are. grateful to: Illinois Department of Conservation (IDOC); Joan Bade of the Monroe-Randolph Bi- County Health Department; Russell Graham and Jim Oliver, Illinois State Museum (ISM); Dr. J. E. McPherson, Zoology Department, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale (SIUC). Further contributions were made by the National Speleological Society, Little Egypt and Mark Twain Grottoes of the National Speleological Society, and the Missouri Speleological Survey.