Moving Forward for a Revised Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous Geological Time Scale

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Moving Forward for a Revised Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous Geological Time Scale

Geophysical Research Abstracts Vol. 21, EGU2019-18330, 2019 EGU General Assembly 2019 © Author(s) 2019. CC Attribution 4.0 license. Moving forward for a revised Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous Geological Time Scale Beatriz Aguirre-Urreta (1), Mathieu Martinez (2), Marina Lescano (1), Maximiliano Naipauer (3), Andrea Concheyro (1), Rafael Lopez-Martinez (4), Veronica Vennari (5), and Victor A. Ramos (1) (1) University of Buenos Aires, Instituto de Estudios Andinos, Department of Geological Sciences, Buenos Aires, Argentina ([email protected]), (2) Univ Rennes, CNRS, Géosciences Rennes - UMR 6118, F-35000 Rennes, France, (3) University of Buenos Aires, INGEIS, Buenos Aires, Argentina, (4) Laboratorio Universitario de Carbonatos y Procesos Kársticos, Instituto de Geología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México, DF., (5) Museo de Historia Natural de San Rafael, Mendoza, Argentina. The geologic time scale shows large uncertainties regarding the absolute age and durations of several stages in the Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous. Recent studies are analysing these issues and the results differ from the Geologic Time Scale 2016 by several millions of years. New high precision techniques for absolute dating together with classic biostratigraphic, magnetostratigraphic and cyclostratigraphic approaches are being applied around to world to tackle this problem. These studies range from Re-Os geochronology in the Boreal Realm to CA-ID TIMS U-Pb geochronology in the southern Andes for the Upper Jurassic; astrochronology, geochronology and biostratigraphy for the Valanginian-Hauterivian in the Mediterranean Tethys and the Andes; and magnetostratigraphy, biostratigraphy and geochronology for resolving the controversy on the absolute age of the Barremian-Aptian boundary. Although it is necessary to perform more chronostratigraphic, magnetostratigraphic and radiometric analyses from regions of the world expanding the classic Tethyan Realm, we present here a summary of these topics showing that the Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous geologic time scale is ready for revision..

Copy Link

Recommended publications

Early Cretaceous (Albian) Decapods from the Glen Rose and Walnut Formations of Texas, USA
Bulletin of the Mizunami Fossil Museum, no. 42 (2016), p. 1–22, 11 ﬁ gs., 3 tables. © 2016, Mizunami Fossil Museum Early Cretaceous (Albian) decapods from the Glen Rose and Walnut formations of Texas, USA Carrie E. Schweitzer*, Rodney M. Feldmann**, William L. Rader***, and Ovidiu Fran㶥escu**** *Department of Geology, Kent State University at Stark, 6000 Frank Ave. NW, North Canton, OH 44720 USA <[email protected]> **Department of Geology, Kent State University, Kent, OH 44242 USA ***8210 Bent Tree Road, #219, Austin, TX 78759 USA ****Division of Physical and Computational Sciences, University of Pittsburgh Bradford, Bradford, PA 16701 USA Abstract Early Cretaceous (Albian) decapod crustaceans from the Glen Rose Limestone and the Walnut Formation include the new taxa Palaeodromites xestos new species, Rosadromites texensis new genus, new species, Karyosia apicava new genus new species, Aetocarcinus new genus, Aetocarcinus muricatus new species, and the new combinations Aetocarcinus roddai (Bishop, 1983), Necrocarcinus pawpawensis (Rathbun, 1935) and Necrocarcinus hodgesi (Bishop, 1983). These two formations have yielded a much less diverse decapod fauna than the nearly coeval and proximally deposited Pawpaw Formation. Paleoenvironment is suggested as a controlling factor in the decapod diversity of these units. Key words: Brachyura, Nephropidae, Dromiacea, Raninoida, Etyioidea, North America Introduction deposited in the shallow waters of a broad carbonate platform. Deposition occurred on the southeastern flank of Late Early Cretaceous decapod faunas from the Gulf the Llano Uplift and, on the seaward margin to the Coastal Plain of North America have been well reported northwest, behind the Stuart City Reef Trend. Coral and and described since the early part of the twentieth century rudist reefs, algal beds, extensive ripple marks, evaporites, (Rathbun, 1935; Stenzel, 1945).
[Show full text]
The Late Jurassic Tithonian, a Greenhouse Phase in the Middle Jurassic–Early Cretaceous ‘Cool’ Mode: Evidence from the Cyclic Adriatic Platform, Croatia
Sedimentology (2007) 54, 317–337 doi: 10.1111/j.1365-3091.2006.00837.x The Late Jurassic Tithonian, a greenhouse phase in the Middle Jurassic–Early Cretaceous ‘cool’ mode: evidence from the cyclic Adriatic Platform, Croatia ANTUN HUSINEC* and J. FRED READ *Croatian Geological Survey, Sachsova 2, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia Department of Geosciences, Virginia Tech, 4044 Derring Hall, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA (E-mail: [email protected]) ABSTRACT Well-exposed Mesozoic sections of the Bahama-like Adriatic Platform along the Dalmatian coast (southern Croatia) reveal the detailed stacking patterns of cyclic facies within the rapidly subsiding Late Jurassic (Tithonian) shallow platform-interior (over 750 m thick, ca 5–6 Myr duration). Facies within parasequences include dasyclad-oncoid mudstone-wackestone-floatstone and skeletal-peloid wackestone-packstone (shallow lagoon), intraclast-peloid packstone and grainstone (shoal), radial-ooid grainstone (hypersaline shallow subtidal/intertidal shoals and ponds), lime mudstone (restricted lagoon), fenestral carbonates and microbial laminites (tidal flat). Parasequences in the overall transgressive Lower Tithonian sections are 1– 4Æ5 m thick, and dominated by subtidal facies, some of which are capped by very shallow-water grainstone-packstone or restricted lime mudstone; laminated tidal caps become common only towards the interior of the platform. Parasequences in the regressive Upper Tithonian are dominated by peritidal facies with distinctive basal oolite units and well-developed laminate caps. Maximum water depths of facies within parasequences (estimated from stratigraphic distance of the facies to the base of the tidal flat units capping parasequences) were generally <4 m, and facies show strongly overlapping depth ranges suggesting facies mosaics. Parasequences were formed by precessional (20 kyr) orbital forcing and form parasequence sets of 100 and 400 kyr eccentricity bundles.
[Show full text]
And Early Jurassic Sediments, and Patterns of the Triassic-Jurassic
and Early Jurassic sediments, and patterns of the Triassic-Jurassic PAUL E. OLSEN AND tetrapod transition HANS-DIETER SUES Introduction parent answer was that the supposed mass extinc- The Late Triassic-Early Jurassic boundary is fre- tions in the tetrapod record were largely an artifact quently cited as one of the thirteen or so episodes of incorrect or questionable biostratigraphic corre- of major extinctions that punctuate Phanerozoic his- lations. On reexamining the problem, we have come tory (Colbert 1958; Newell 1967; Hallam 1981; Raup to realize that the kinds of patterns revealed by look- and Sepkoski 1982, 1984). These times of apparent ing at the change in taxonomic composition through decimation stand out as one class of the great events time also profoundly depend on the taxonomic levels in the history of life. and the sampling intervals examined. We address Renewed interest in the pattern of mass ex- those problems in this chapter. We have now found tinctions through time has stimulated novel and com- that there does indeed appear to be some sort of prehensive attempts to relate these patterns to other extinction event, but it cannot be examined at the terrestrial and extraterrestrial phenomena (see usual coarse levels of resolution. It requires new fine- Chapter 24). The Triassic-Jurassic boundary takes scaled documentation of specific faunal and floral on special significance in this light. First, the faunal transitions. transitions have been cited as even greater in mag- Stratigraphic correlation of geographically dis- nitude than those of the Cretaceous or the Permian junct rocks and assemblages predetermines our per- (Colbert 1958; Hallam 1981; see also Chapter 24).
[Show full text]
Kimmeridgian (Late Jurassic) Cold-Water Idoceratids (Ammonoidea) from Southern Coahuila, Northeastern Mexico, Associated with Boreal Bivalves and Belemnites
REVISTA MEXICANA DE CIENCIAS GEOLÓGICAS Kimmeridgian cold-water idoceratids associated with Boreal bivalvesv. 32, núm. and 1, 2015, belemnites p. 11-20 Kimmeridgian (Late Jurassic) cold-water idoceratids (Ammonoidea) from southern Coahuila, northeastern Mexico, associated with Boreal bivalves and belemnites Patrick Zell* and Wolfgang Stinnesbeck Institute for Earth Sciences, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 234, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany. *[email protected] ABSTRACT et al., 2001; Chumakov et al., 2014) was followed by a cool period during the late Oxfordian-early Kimmeridgian (e.g., Jenkyns et al., Here we present two early Kimmeridgian faunal assemblages 2002; Weissert and Erba, 2004) and a long-term gradual warming composed of the ammonite Idoceras (Idoceras pinonense n. sp. and trend towards the Jurassic-Cretaceous boundary (e.g., Abbink et al., I. inflatum Burckhardt, 1906), Boreal belemnites Cylindroteuthis 2001; Lécuyer et al., 2003; Gröcke et al., 2003; Zakharov et al., 2014). cuspidata Sachs and Nalnjaeva, 1964 and Cylindroteuthis ex. gr. Palynological data suggest that the latest Jurassic was also marked by jacutica Sachs and Nalnjaeva, 1964, as well as the Boreal bivalve Buchia significant fluctuations in paleotemperature and climate (e.g., Abbink concentrica (J. de C. Sowerby, 1827). The assemblages were discovered et al., 2001). in inner- to outer shelf sediments of the lower La Casita Formation Upper Jurassic-Lower Cretaceous marine associations contain- at Puerto Piñones, southern Coahuila, and suggest that some taxa of ing both Tethyan and Boreal elements [e.g. ammonites, belemnites Idoceras inhabited cold-water environments. (Cylindroteuthis) and bivalves (Buchia)], were described from numer- ous localities of the Western Cordillera belt from Alaska to California Key words: La Casita Formation, Kimmeridgian, idoceratid ammonites, (e.g., Jeletzky, 1965), while Boreal (Buchia) and even southern high Boreal bivalves, Boreal belemnites.
[Show full text]
Reconstructions of the Continents Around the North Atlantic at About the 60Th Parallel
CORE Metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk Provided by RERO DOC Digital Library 1 Published in Earth and Planetary Science Letters 187: 55-69, 2001 Reconstructions of the continents around the North Atlantic at about the 60th parallel Trond H. Torsvik a;d, Rob Van der Voo b;*, Joseph G. Meert a;e, Jon Mosar a, Harald J. Walderhaug c a VISTA, c/o Geological Survey of Norway, Leiv Eiriksonsvei 39, N-7491 Trondheim, Norway b Department of Geological Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1063, USA c University of Bergen, Institute of Solid Earth Physics, Allegt. 41, N-5007Bergen, Norway d Institute for Petroleum Technology and Applied Geophysics, S.P. Andersens v. 15a, N-7491 Trondheim, NTNU, Norway e Department of Geography and Geology, Indiana State University, Terre Haute, IN 47809, USA Received 12 September 2000; received in revised form 16 February 2001; accepted 21 February 2001 Abstract Late Carboniferous^Early Tertiary apparent polar wander (APW) paths (300^40 Ma) for North America and Europe have been tested in various reconstructions. These paths demonstrate that the 500 fathom Bullard et al. fit is excellent from Late Carboniferous to Late Triassic times, but the continental configuration in northern Pangea changed systematically between the Late Triassic (ca. 214 Ma) and the Mid-Jurassic (ca. 170 Ma) due to pre-drift extension. Best fit North Atlantic reconstructions minimize differences in the Late Carboniferous^Early Jurassic and Late Cretaceous^ Tertiary segments of the APW paths, but an enigmatic difference exists in the paths for most of the Jurassic, whereas for the Early Cretaceous the data from Europe are nearly non-existent.
[Show full text]
Orbital Pacing and Secular Evolution of the Early Jurassic Carbon Cycle
Orbital pacing and secular evolution of the Early Jurassic carbon cycle Marisa S. Storma,b,1, Stephen P. Hesselboc,d, Hugh C. Jenkynsb, Micha Ruhlb,e, Clemens V. Ullmannc,d, Weimu Xub,f, Melanie J. Lengg,h, James B. Ridingg, and Olga Gorbanenkob aDepartment of Earth Sciences, Stellenbosch University, 7600 Stellenbosch, South Africa; bDepartment of Earth Sciences, University of Oxford, OX1 3AN Oxford, United Kingdom; cCamborne School of Mines, University of Exeter, TR10 9FE Penryn, United Kingdom; dEnvironment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter, TR10 9FE Penryn, United Kingdom; eDepartment of Geology, Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland; fDepartment of Botany, Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland; gEnvironmental Science Centre, British Geological Survey, NG12 5GG Nottingham, United Kingdom; and hSchool of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, LE12 5RD Loughborough, United Kingdom Edited by Lisa Tauxe, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, and approved January 3, 2020 (received for review July 14, 2019) Global perturbations to the Early Jurassic environment (∼201 to where they are recorded as individual shifts or series of shifts ∼174 Ma), notably during the Triassic–Jurassic transition and Toar- within stratigraphically limited sections. Some of these short-term cian Oceanic Anoxic Event, are well studied and largely associated δ13C excursions have been shown to represent changes in the with volcanogenic greenhouse gas emissions released by large supraregional to global carbon cycle, marked by synchronous igneous provinces. The long-term secular evolution, timing, and changes in δ13C in marine and terrestrial organic and inorganic pacing of changes in the Early Jurassic carbon cycle that provide substrates and recorded on a wide geographic extent (e.g., refs.
[Show full text]
Archaeorhynchus Preserving Significant Soft Tissue Including Probable Fossilized Lungs
Archaeorhynchus preserving significant soft tissue including probable fossilized lungs Xiaoli Wanga,b,1, Jingmai K. O’Connorc,d,1,2, John N. Mainae, Yanhong Panf, Min Wangc,d, Yan Wanga,b, Xiaoting Zhenga,b, and Zhonghe Zhouc,d,2 aInstitute of Geology and Paleontology, Linyi University, Linyi, 276000 Shandong, China; bShandong Tianyu Museum of Nature, Pingyi, 273300 Shandong, China; cKey Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 10010 Beijing, China; dCAS Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, 10010 Beijing, China; eDepartment of Zoology, University of Johannesburg, 2006 Johannesburg, South Africa; and fKey Laboratory of Economic Stratigraphy and Palaeogeography, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 21008 Nanjing, China Contributed by Zhonghe Zhou, September 13, 2018 (sent for review April 10, 2018; reviewed by C. G. Farmer and Mark A. Norell) We describe a specimen of the basal ornithuromorph Archaeor- of preserved traces of lung tissue in a stem bird, occurring in a hynchus spathula from the Lower Cretaceous Jiufotang Formation specimen of the basalmost ornithuromorph Archaeorhynchus with extensive soft tissue preservation. Although it is the fifth spathula (STM7-11; Shandong Tianyu Museum of Nature, Pingyi, specimen to be described, unlike the others it preserves signifi- China; Fig. 1) from the Early Cretaceous Jehol Lagerstätte in cant traces of the plumage, revealing a pintail morphology pre- northeastern China. This Lagerstätte has produced more ex- viously unrecognized among Mesozoic birds, but common in ceptional specimens of early birds and dinosaurs preserving extant neornithines. In addition, this specimen preserves the prob- soft tissue than any other (1, 6, 7), a taphonomic phenomenon able remnants of the paired lungs, an identification supported by likely exaggerated by the enormous volume of collected spec- topographical and macro- and microscopic anatomical observa- imens.
[Show full text]
Late Jurassic Dinosaurs on the Move, Gastroliths and Long-Distance Migration" (2019)
Augustana College Augustana Digital Commons Geography: Student Scholarship & Creative Works Geography Winter 12-8-2019 Late Jurassic Dinosaurs on the Move, Gastroliths and Long- Distance Migration Josh Malone Augustana College, Rock Island Illinois Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.augustana.edu/geogstudent Part of the Geology Commons, Physical and Environmental Geography Commons, Sedimentology Commons, and the Spatial Science Commons Augustana Digital Commons Citation Malone, Josh. "Late Jurassic Dinosaurs on the Move, Gastroliths and Long-Distance Migration" (2019). Geography: Student Scholarship & Creative Works. https://digitalcommons.augustana.edu/geogstudent/8 This Student Paper is brought to you for free and open access by the Geography at Augustana Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Geography: Student Scholarship & Creative Works by an authorized administrator of Augustana Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. LATE JURASSIC DINOSAURS ON THE MOVE, GASTROLITHS AND LONG- DISTANCE MIGRATION a senior thesis written by Joshua Malone in partial fulfillment of the graduation requirements for the major in Geography Augustana College Rock Island, Illinois 61201 1 Table of Contents 1. Abstract ................................................................................................................................................ 4 2. Introduction ........................................................................................................................................
[Show full text]
Report 2015–1087
Chronostratigraphic Cross Section of Cretaceous Formations in Western Montana, Western Wyoming, Eastern Utah, Northeastern Arizona, and Northwestern New Mexico, U.S.A. Pamphlet to accompany Open-File Report 2015–1087 U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey Chronostratigraphic Cross Section of Cretaceous Formations in Western Montana, Western Wyoming, Eastern Utah, Northeastern Arizona, and Northwestern New Mexico, U.S.A. By E.A. Merewether and K.C. McKinney Pamphlet to accompany Open-File Report 2015–1087 U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Department of the Interior SALLY JEWELL, Secretary U.S. Geological Survey Suzette M. Kimball, Acting Director U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia: 2015 For more information on the USGS—the Federal source for science about the Earth, its natural and living resources, natural hazards, and the environment—visit http://www.usgs.gov or call 1–888–ASK–USGS. For an overview of USGS information products, including maps, imagery, and publications, visit http://www.usgs.gov/pubprod/. Any use of trade, firm, or product names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. Although this information product, for the most part, is in the public domain, it also may contain copyrighted materials as noted in the text. Permission to reproduce copyrighted items must be secured from the copyright owner. Suggested citation: Merewether, E.A., and McKinney, K.C., 2015, Chronostratigraphic cross section of Cretaceous formations in western Montana, western Wyoming, eastern Utah, northeastern Arizona, and northwestern New Mexico, U.S.A.: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2015–1087, 10 p.
[Show full text]
A New Middle Jurassic Diplodocoid Suggests an Earlier Dispersal and Diversification of Sauropod Dinosaurs
ARTICLE DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-05128-1 OPEN A new Middle Jurassic diplodocoid suggests an earlier dispersal and diversification of sauropod dinosaurs Xing Xu1, Paul Upchurch2, Philip D. Mannion 3, Paul M. Barrett 4, Omar R. Regalado-Fernandez 2, Jinyou Mo5, Jinfu Ma6 & Hongan Liu7 1234567890():,; The fragmentation of the supercontinent Pangaea has been suggested to have had a profound impact on Mesozoic terrestrial vertebrate distributions. One current paradigm is that geo- graphic isolation produced an endemic biota in East Asia during the Jurassic, while simul- taneously preventing diplodocoid sauropod dinosaurs and several other tetrapod groups from reaching this region. Here we report the discovery of the earliest diplodocoid, and the first from East Asia, to our knowledge, based on fossil material comprising multiple individuals and most parts of the skeleton of an early Middle Jurassic dicraeosaurid. The new discovery challenges conventional biogeographical ideas, and suggests that dispersal into East Asia occurred much earlier than expected. Moreover, the age of this new taxon indicates that many advanced sauropod lineages originated at least 15 million years earlier than previously realised, achieving a global distribution while Pangaea was still a coherent landmass. 1 Key Laboratory of Evolutionary Systematics of Vertebrates, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology & Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100044 Beijing, China. 2 Department of Earth Sciences, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK. 3 Department of Earth Science and Engineering, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, London SW7 2AZ, UK. 4 Department of Earth Sciences, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD, UK. 5 Natural History Museum of Guangxi, 530012 Nanning, Guangxi, China.
[Show full text]
The Jurassic (Pliensbachian to Oxfordian) Palynology of the Algarve Basin and the Carrapateira Outlier, Southern Portugal
1 The Jurassic (Pliensbachian to Kimmeridgian) palynology of the Algarve Basin and the 2 Carrapateira outlier, southern Portugal 3 4 Marisa E.N. Borges a,b, James B. Riding c*, Paulo Fernandes a, Zélia Pereira b 5 6 a CIMA - Centro de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental. Universidade do Algarve, 7 Campus de Gambelas, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal 8 b LNEG-LGM, Rua da Amieira, 4465-965 S. Mamede Infesta, Portugal 9 c British Geological Survey, Kingsley Dunham Centre, Keyworth, Nottingham NG12 10 5GG, UK 11 12 * Corresponding author. Tel.: +44(0)115 9363447. 13 E-mail addresses: [email protected] (M.E.N. Borges), [email protected] (J.B. 14 Riding), [email protected] (P. Fernandes), [email protected] (Z. Pereira). 15 16 ABSTRACT 17 The palynology of the Jurassic (Upper Pliensbachian to Lower Kimmeridgian) 18 fill of the Algarve Basin and the Carrapateira outlier, southern Portugal was 19 investigated. Samples were collected from Armação Nova Bay, Mareta Beach, Cilheta 20 Beach and the Carrapateira outlier. At Armação Nova Bay the Upper Pliensbachian- 21 Lower Toarcian succession proved barren, or yielded sparse, non age-diagnostic 22 palynomorphs. Dinoflagellate cysts are confined to the Upper Bajocian to Upper 23 Callovian sedimentary rocks exposed at Mareta and Cilheta beaches and the Lower 24 Kimmeridgian strata of the Carrapateira outlier. At Mareta Beach, the Upper Bajocian, 25 Bathonian and Callovian produced relatively low to moderate diversity dinoflagellate 26 cyst assemblages. Several key bioevents confirm the Bathonian and Callovian ages of 27 the succession; no age-significant Late Bajocian bioevents were noted.
[Show full text]
A Fast-Growing Basal Troodontid (Dinosauria: Theropoda) from The
www.nature.com/scientificreports OPEN A fast‑growing basal troodontid (Dinosauria: Theropoda) from the latest Cretaceous of Europe Albert G. Sellés1,2*, Bernat Vila1,2, Stephen L. Brusatte3, Philip J. Currie4 & Àngel Galobart1,2 A characteristic fauna of dinosaurs and other vertebrates inhabited the end‑Cretaceous European archipelago, some of which were dwarves or had other unusual features likely related to their insular habitats. Little is known, however, about the contemporary theropod dinosaurs, as they are represented mostly by teeth or other fragmentary fossils. A new isolated theropod metatarsal II, from the latest Maastrichtian of Spain (within 200,000 years of the mass extinction) may represent a jinfengopterygine troodontid, the frst reported from Europe. Comparisons with other theropods and phylogenetic analyses reveal an autapomorphic foramen that distinguishes it from all other troodontids, supporting its identifcation as a new genus and species, Tamarro insperatus. Bone histology shows that it was an actively growing subadult when it died but may have had a growth pattern in which it grew rapidly in early ontogeny and attained a subadult size quickly. We hypothesize that it could have migrated from Asia to reach the Ibero‑Armorican island no later than Cenomanian or during the Maastrichtian dispersal events. During the latest Cretaceous (ca. 77–66 million years ago) in the run-up to the end-Cretaceous mass extinc- tion, Europe was a series of islands populated by diverse and distinctive communities of dinosaurs and other vertebrates. Many of these animals exhibited peculiar features that may have been generated by lack of space and resources in their insular habitats.
[Show full text]