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Cretaceous Research
Academic Press.
Cretaceous Research

Academic Press.

0195-6671

Cretaceous Research/Journal Cretaceous ResearchSCIISTP
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    The role of microbial mats in the exquisite preservation of Aptian insect fossils from the Crato Lagersta euro tte, Brazil

    Dias, Jaime JoaquimCarvalho, Ismar de Souza
    13页
    查看更多>>摘要：The insect fossils recorded in the lithographic limestones of the Crato Formation (Aptian of the Araripe Basin, Brazil) have a high degree of morphological fidelity of external and internal anatomical features, including cuticular remains, muscles and organs. The main factor for this exquisite preservation is considered to be the influence of microbial mats in the fossilization process. Petrographic and scanning electron microscope analysis with coupled x-ray spectroscopy (SEM/EDS) showed direct and indirect microbial features associated with the microfabric of the orthopteran insect fossils. We propose a four steps model for insect fossil preservation, with the capture, protection, creation of the microbial sarcophagus, and mineralization of the organic remains mediated by microbial mats. The confluence of morphological and taphonomic data indicates possible climatic variations on the Aptian of the Araripe Basin, with the exquisitely preserved insect fossils associated with favorable environmental conditions for the installation of microbial mats on the lacustrine substrate. 0 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
      原文链接:
    • NSTL
    • Elsevier

    Dental assessment of Stegoceras validum (Ornithischia: Pachycephalosauridae) and Thescelosaurus neglectus (Ornithischia: Thescelosauridae): paleoecological inferences

    Hudgins, Michael NaylorCurrie, Philip J.Sullivan, Corwin
    20页
    查看更多>>摘要：Small herbivorous dinosaurs of the clades Pachycephalosauridae and Thescelosauridae occur in multiple Cretaceous formations in North America, their coexistence likely made possible by differences in feeding style. Fossils of these taxa are generally rare, but isolated pachycephalosaurid and thescelosaurid teeth are common at microfossil sites, and easily confused with one another in field and museum settings. Using qualitative features and a set of 12 measurements, the dentitions of the pachycephalosaurid Stegoceras validum and the thescelosaurid Thescelosaurus neglectus were compared, based on teeth preserved in identified skeletons. S. validum and T. neglectus possess heterodont dentitions, and their teeth differ in size, denticulation, crown symmetry, root and crown cross-sectional shapes, apical geometry, crown ornamentation, and wear facet patterns. Principal components analysis of the measurements shows that T. neglectus premaxillary, maxillary, and dentary crowns are readily morphologically distinguishable from one another, whereas all S. validum crowns cluster close to each other and to dentary crowns of T. neglectus. Linear discriminant analysis shows little overlap between S. validum and T. neglectus. The results indicate strong heterodonty in T. neglectus, whereas S. validum teeth are more uniform. Dental differences between the two species may imply that they differed in feeding function. The teeth of T. neglectus, combined with the narrow rostrum, suggest a selective feeding strategy. By contrast, S. validum has a wide rostrum and may have engaged in indiscriminate bulk-feeding behavior. This analysis of dental differences between S. validum and T. neglectus should facilitate identification of isolated pachycephalosaurid and thescelosaurid teeth from microfossil sites. (c) 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
      原文链接:
    • NSTL
    • Elsevier

    The first fossil of the pseudoscorpion family Ideoroncidae (Arachnida: Pseudoscorpiones): A new taxon from the mid-Cretaceous of northern Myanmar

    Geissler, CarolinKotthoff, UlrichHammel, Joerg U.Harvey, Mark S....
    12页
    查看更多>>摘要：Pseudoscorpions have a sparse fossil record although they are among the oldest terrestrial lineages with origins that go back to the Devonian (ca. 385 Ma). Amongst the 25 extant families of pseudoscorpions, only 14 are known from fossils, most of which are preserved in European ambers from the Eocene. Burmese amber from the Cenomanian (mid-Cretaceous) of northern Myanmar is an important source of Mesozoic pseudoscorpion fossils but only six species have been described from this amber to date. In this paper, we establish the first fossil record for the pseudoscorpion family Ideoroncidae Chamberlin, 1930, which is coequally the oldest record of the pseudoscorpion superfamily Neobisioidea. The new genus Proalbiorix is established for the two species P. gracilis sp. nov. and P. compactus sp. nov. which already show all diagnostic features of members belonging to this family to date. Interestingly, Proalbiorix shows morphological features that align the fossils with present-day fauna from the Americas and Africa rather than Asia, which has biogeographical implications. Overall, the description provides another example of relative morphological stasis of pseudoscorpions compared to other arachnid lineages such as spiders, and that all major clades of pseudoscorpions were established long before the Cretaceous. (c) 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
      原文链接:
    • NSTL
    • Elsevier

    Arthropod trackways and their preservational variants from the Bagh Formation (Upper Cretaceous), India

    Kulkarni, KantimatiUchman, Alfred
    15页
    查看更多>>摘要：Tidal siliciclastic deposits of the Turonian Nimar Sandstone (Bagh Formation), India, contain several arthropod trackways which have been ascribed to different ichnogenera by Chiplonkar and Badve (1970). Examination of their type material along with additional material from the same deposits allows a revision of these ichnotaxa. As a result, Oniscoidichnus communis Chiplonkar and Badve, 1970 is retained, and Oniscoidichnus ampla Chiplonkar and Badve, 1970, O. elegans Chiplonkar and Badve, 1970, O. robustus Chiplonkar and Badve, 1970, Dreginozoum orientale Chiplonkar and Badve, 1970, Nereites malwaensis Chiplonkar and Badve, 1970, Arthropodichnus indicus Chiplonkar and Badve, 1970, Tasmanadia sp. indet., and Permichnium bosei Chiplonkar and Badve, 1970, are treated as its subjective synonyms. Their morphological differences are treated as morphological variants of the same trace fossils, with several transitions between them, which resulted from minor changes in behavior of the tracemaker, changes in substrate properties and preservation. The morphological features of the O. communis point to a trace maker having segmented locomotion appendages, segmented carapace, and a short abdomen, which was probably an isopod. Supposedly, the same tracemaker produced the associated Rusophycus ispp. A, B, cf. Rusophycus ispp. C, D and the chevron traces A, B, C, D and E. Diplopodomorpha cretaceca Chiplonkar and Badve, 1970 is maintained as a separate ichnogenus and ichnospecies being a trackway of an unknown arthropod. (c) 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
      原文链接:
    • NSTL
    • Elsevier

    A Lower Cretaceous palynoflora from Carregueira (Lusitanian Basin, westernmost Iberia): taxonomic, stratigraphic and palaeoenvironmental implications

    Mendes, Mario MiguelVajda, ViviCunha, Pedro ProencaDinis, Pedro...
    14页
    查看更多>>摘要：Here we describe a new Lower Cretaceous palynoflora from the Lusitanian Basin, located in the westernmost sector of the Iberian Peninsula. The spore-pollen assemblage was extracted from samples collected in the Carregueira clay pit complex, located near the village of Juncal, western Portugal, from sedimentary deposits belonging to the Figueira da Foz Formation. A rich and well-preserved palynoflora, typical of non-marine fluvial environments, was recovered. Fifty-eight species and morphological groups of palynomorphs in 43 genera were recognized. The palynoflora is dominated by fern spores and conifer pollen. Angiosperm pollen is scarce and mainly represented by Afropollis, Clavatipollenites, Stellatopollis and Senectotetradites. Comparisons with described marine sections in Portugal suggest that the fossil horizon is lower Albian, corresponding to a hiatus between Zone I and Zone II in the Potomac Group of the eastern USA. The same beds contain a mesofossil flora dominated by angiosperm seeds, fruits and flowers. A similar contrast in the relative abundance of angiosperm mesofossils and pollen is seen at other Portuguese localities but is not evident in the Potomac Group. The palynoflora and the sedimentological data suggest deposition in wet lowland environments in a moderately humid regional setting. (c) 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
      原文链接:
    • NSTL
    • Elsevier

    An unusual conchorhynch from the upper Maastrichtian of the southeast Netherlands and the distinction between nautiloid and ammonoid conchorhynchs (Mollusca, Cephalopoda)*

    Mironenko, Aleksandr A.Jagt, John W. M.Jagt-Yazykova, Elena A.
    9页
    查看更多>>摘要：A single, atypical conchorhynch (calcitic tip of a cephalopod lower jaw), recovered from the uppermost Meerssen Member (Maastricht Formation, upper Maastrichtian) at the former ENCI-HeidelbergCement Group quarry, south of Maastricht, is described as a new parataxon, Conchorhynchus illustris sp. nov. The specimen can be differentiated from all previous conchorhynch records on account of its large size, elongated shape and, in particular, of the structure of its apical part which is smooth and forwardly elongated. During the Late Cretaceous, conchorhynchs formed part of the jaw apparatus of nautilids and of two ammonoid suborders, Phylloceratina and Lytoceratina. Since conchorhynchs are most often found separated from jaws, establishing to which group of cephalopods their bearer belonged can be complicated. Here, for the first time, we propose a set of morphological criteria to differentiate clearly between nautiloid and ammonoid conchorhynchs. Although Conchorhynchus illustris sp. nov. is distinct from all currently known nautilid conchorhynchs, the sum of its morphological features is indicative of assignment to that cephalopod group. The upper portion of the Maastricht Formation in the Maastricht area (Nekum and Meerssen members) has yielded internal and external moulds of shells of the nautilid Eutrephoceras and the hercoglossid Cimomia. The new conchorhynch type described herein most likely belonged to one of these shell-based taxa. Judging from its unusual shape, the feeding strategy of its bearer must have differed from that of modern nautilids, in that it held and pierced prey rather than crushed sturdy shells. (c) 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
      原文链接:
    • NSTL
    • Elsevier

    The first record of pterosaurs from the Lower Cretaceous Hutubei Formation (lower Tugulu Group) of the southern Junggar Basin (NW China)-A glimpse into an unusual ecosystem

    Augustin, Felix J.Matzke, Andreas T.Maisch, Michael W.Kampouridis, Panagiotis...
    8页
    查看更多>>摘要：The Lower Cretaceous Hutubei Formation of the southern Junggar Basin (northwestern China) is characterised by a very low faunal diversity, yielding almost exclusively the sinemydid turtle Wuguia. Here we describe the first pterosaur remains from the Hutubei Formation comprising a complete right ulna and the distal part of a left wing metacarpal. The ulna shares a synapomorphy with the Dsun-garipteridae and is morphologically similar to that of the dsungaripterid Dsungaripterus. The wing metacarpal also shares a synapomorphy with the Dsungaripteridae and the more inclusive clade Dsungaripteroidea, and is morphologically nearly indistinguishable from those of the dsungaripterids Dsungaripterus, Lonchognathosaurus and Noripterus. We therefore assign both specimens to the Dsun-garipteridae. They represent one of the oldest records of dsungaripterids from the Tugulu Group and one of the few occurrences of pterosaurs from the southern Junggar Basin. Additionally, they shed light on the community structure of a highly unusual ecosystem preserved in the Lower Cretaceous Hutubei Formation, an ecosystem that appears to have persisted for several millions of years in the southern Junggar Basin. (c) 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
      原文链接:
    • NSTL
    • Elsevier

    A fossil Monstersauria (Squamata: Anguimorpha) from the Lower Cretaceous Ohyamashimo Formation of the Sasayama Group in Tamba City, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan

    Ikeda, TadahiroOta, HidetoshiTanaka, TomonoriIkuno, Kenji...
    10页
    查看更多>>摘要：A nearly complete left dentary of a lizard was excavated from the Lower Cretaceous Ohyamashimo Formation of the Sasayama Group in Tamba City, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan. The specimen shows several characters, which suggest its allocation in Monstersauria of the superfamily Varanoidea (Squamata: Anguimorpha). However, the specimen exhibits obvious differences from the known members of the whole Varanoidea. Thus, the specimen is described as a new taxon of cf. Monstersauria, Morohasaurus kamitakiensis gen. et sp. nov.. This new species is characterized by a suit of unique features, such as the sinuous posteroventral rim of the dentary with a large U-shaped upper notch and small V-shaped lower notch, posteroventral corner of intramandibular septum with a weakly pointed eminence projecting posteriorly, and unicuspid, curved trenchant teeth with distinct blade-like carinae on their mesial and distal sides without grooves or serrations. Morohasaurus kamitakiensis might possibly be the oldest representative of the Monstersauria. (c) 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
      原文链接:
    • NSTL
    • Elsevier

    New genera Buserphites and Mesoserphites (Hymenoptera: Serphitidae) from mid-Cretaceous amber of Myanmar

    Herbert, Melanie C. M.McKellar, Ryan C.
    18页
    查看更多>>摘要：Two new genera, Burserphites and Mesoserphites, belonging to the subfamily Serphitinae (Serphitidae, Hymenoptera) are described from Burmese mid-Cretaceous amber. Two new species are erected within Buserphites n. gen.: B. applanatus, and B. myanmarensis; and five new species are established within Mesoserphites n. gen.: M. annulus, M. giganteus, M. engeli, M. scutatus, and M. viraneacapitis. These taxa show that the family Serphitidae was highly diverse in Burmese amber, adding substantially to recent discoveries within the endemic subfamily Supraserphitinae Rasnitsyn and O euro hm-Kuhnle. The presence of multiple serphitid genera in Burmese amber that are unknown from other amber deposits adds support to the idea that the Western Burma Block supported a fauna with multiple endemic groups as it approached contact with mainland Asia in the latest Albian or earliest Cenomanian. Despite the growing number of species recognized from Burmese amber, most of the newly described taxa are represented by very few specimens, suggesting that we are still within the early stages of documenting the fauna, or that the collections from this region represent a broader range of time and habitats than originally thought. (C) 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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    • NSTL
    • Elsevier

    A new troodontid from the Upper Cretaceous Gobi Basin of inner Mongolia, China

    Pei, RuiQin, YuyingWen, AishuZhao, Qi...
    12页
    查看更多>>摘要：A new troodontid dinosaur, Papiliovenator neimengguensis gen. et sp. nov., from the Upper Cretaceous (Campanian) Wulansuhai Formation at Bayan Manduhu, Inner Mongolia, China, is described here. The holotype (BNMNH-PV030) consists of a nearly complete cranium and fragmentary postcranial bones in semi-articulation and this specimen is inferred as a subadult based on the osteohistological information and the fusion of bones. Papiliovenator neimengguensis is distinguishable from other troodontids based on a suite of features such as the lateral groove of the dentary not posteriorly expanded, a deep surangular fossa anteroventral to the glenoid fossa and hosting the surangular foramen, the ventral ridge of the surangular fossa mainly on the surangular, and a unique anterolaterally broadened and butterfly shaped neural arch of the anteriormost dorsal vertebrae in dorsal view. Our phylogenetic analysis recovered Papiliovenator neimengguensis at the earliest-diverging branch of a clade including all other Late Cretaceous troodontids except Almas. The discovery of Papiliovenator neimengguensis allows for an improved understanding of troodontid anatomy, as well as the regional variation of troodontids from the Upper Cretaceous of the Gobi Basin. (c) 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
      原文链接:
    • NSTL
    • Elsevier