[Paleontology • 2026] Austronaga minuta • Highly aquatic marine stem Archosaur with soft tissue preservation

Austronaga minuta Wang, Lei & Li, 2023

 

in Wang, Fraser, Spiekman, Z. Li, et C. Li, 2026. 

DOI: doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aeb7528 

Artwork by Gabriel Ugueto

 

Abstract

Archosauromorpha is a dominant reptile clade that primarily occupied terrestrial ecosystems with limited secondarily aquatic invasions that are poorly known. Here we report on a well-preserved Triassic reptile representing the earliest stem-archosaur to evolve unequivocal aquatic specializations. This taxon exhibits a suite of aquatic adaptations previously unknown in stem-archosaurs, such as hyperphalangy, enhanced paddle-like forelimbs, and a loss of articulation between the sacrum and pelvis, indicating an advanced aquatic lifestyle. The fossil exhibits the oldest known stomach, liver, and intestinal preservations in reptiles. Our findings provide unexpected insights into the early aquatic diversification of Archosauromorpha during the Triassic marine ecosystem recovery and highlight a conservative gastrointestinal system in an early Mesozoic vertebrate. In the absence of clear terrestrial members of the other major Mesozoic marine reptile lineages (e.g., ichthyosaurs and sauropterygians), this discovery provides an unambiguous example of such a lineage including both decidedly terrestrial and extensively marine forms, providing tantalizing evidence for the land-to-sea transition in Triassic reptiles.

Systematic paleontology

Diapsida, Osborn, 1903.

Archosauromorpha, von Huene, 1946.

Tanysauria, Spiekman et al., 2024.

Trachelosauridae, Abel 1919 (sensu Spiekman et al., 2024).

Skeleton of the holotype of Austronaga minuta (IVPP V18579). Abbreviations are in the Supplementary Materials. Scale bars, 2 cm (A) and 1 cm (B to D).

Austronaga minuta, Wang et al., 2023.

Type specimen: Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology (IVPP) V18579, a complete articulated skeleton preserved on two slabs (Fig. 1).

Locality and horizon: Waina Village, Luoping County, Yunnan Province, China; Member II of Guanling Formation, middle Anisian (Pelsonian), Middle Triassic.

Emended diagnosis: A tanysaur with the following features: quadrate anteroposteriorly broad and plate-like in lateral view with concave posterior margin; 18 cervical, 24 dorsal vertebrae; tall axe-shaped neural spine on axis; cervical neural spines prominent, with convex dorsal margin and without anterodorsal or posterodorsal projections; chevrons of mid-caudal region hatchet-shaped, with prominent distal expansion and a notch at the midpoint of its ventral margin; forelimb distinctly longer than hindlimb with humerus to femur length ratio over two; hyperphalangy present in both manus and pes.

Reconstruction of the long-necked marine reptile Austronaga minuta.

Artwork by Gabriel Ugueto

Wei Wang, Nicholas C. Fraser, Stephan N. F. Spiekman, Zhiheng Li, Olivier Rieppel, Hong Lei, Torsten M. Scheyer and Chun Li. 2026. Highly aquatic marine stem Archosaur with soft tissue preservation. Science Advances. 12(31); DOI: doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aeb7528 [29 Jul 2026]

[Paleontology • 2026] New Fossil unveils the Dentary Anatomy of the rare lepidosauromorph Cargninia enigmatica from the Upper Triassic of Southern Brazil

 Cargninia enigmatica Bonaparte, Schultz, Soares & Martinelli, 2010, 

in Damke, Dalle-Laste,  Kerber, Roberto-da-Silva et Müller, 2026. 

DOI: doi.org/10.1002/ar.70268

Artwork by Márcio L. Castro.

Abstract

Nowadays, Lepidosauria is a diverse group represented by squamates and the rhynchocephalian tuatara. However, their origins date back to the end of the Permian Period, when the stem lineages Lepidosauromorpha and Archosauromorpha diverged. Within the lepidosauromorph stem lineage, a few species have been described with unstable phylogenetic placements. In Brazilian strata, the only representative of this lineage is the rare species Cargninia enigmatica. The taxon was found in Norian beds (upper portion of the Candelária Sequence) and is known from the posterior end of a dentary and a tentatively referred partial maxilla. Here, we describe a new specimen (CAPPA/UFSM 0519) referred to Cargninia enigmatica, consisting of a partial dentary recovered from the type locality. The specimen provides new anatomical information on the anterior portion of the dentary. In addition, for the first time, the phylogenetic placement of Cargninia enigmatica was investigated in a computational framework, and the results are congruent with previous suggestions that it represents a non-lepidosaur lepidosauromorph. Finally, the new specimen reveals details of the anatomy of the mandibular ramus of the trigeminal nerve, demonstrating that it shares a similar condition with its extant relatives.

Keywords: Caturrita Formation, Gondwana, Lepidosauromorpha, Norian, Pangea

Left dentary of CAPPA/UFSM 0519 in lateral view. (a) Photograph. (b) Interpretative drawing. (c) Detail of the rostralmost preserved teeth. (d) Additional details of the second and third preserved teeth. fo, foramina.

SYSTEMATIC PALEONTOLOGY

DIAPSIDA Osborn, 1903

SAURIA Macartney, 1802

LEPIDOSAUROMORPHA Gauthier, 1984 (sensu Gauthier et al., 1988)

Cargninia enigmatica Bonaparte et al., 2010

 Holotype: UFRGS-PV-1027-T, posterior end of a left dentary with five preserved teeth.

 Type locality, age, and horizon: Linha São Luiz site (29°33′45″S, 53°26′48″W), municipality of Faxinal do Soturno, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Candelária Sequence of the Santa Maria Supersequence (Horn et al., 2014; Zerfass et al., 2003). These layers are early Norian in age (225.42 ± 0.37) (Langer et al., 2018).

New referred material: CAPPA/UFSM 0519, partial left dentary with several teeth. The specimen was collected from the type locality.

  Amended diagnosis: In addition to the unique traits of Cargninia enigmatica listed by Bonaparte et al. (2010) and Romo de Vivar et al. (2020), we recognize the following additional features based on the study of CAPPA/UFSM 0519 that distinguish the species from closely related taxa: the symphyseal region is medially recurved and formed by the Meckelian groove, and the presence of foramina restricted to the anterior region of the dentary.

A landscape from the Late Triassic of southern Brazil showing Cargninia enigmatica being observed by the sauropodomorph dinosaur Macrocollum itaquii. Artwork by Márcio L. Castro.

Lísie Vitória Soares Damke, Vitória Zanchett Dalle-Laste, Leonardo Kerber, Lúcio Roberto-da-Silva and Rodrigo Temp Müller. 2026. New Fossil unveils the Dentary Anatomy of the rare lepidosauromorph Cargninia enigmatica from the Upper Triassic of Southern Brazil. The Anatomical Record. DOI: doi.org/10.1002/ar.70268  [04 July 2026]

[Paleontology • 2026] Carinthiasuchus kandutschi • A New Archosaur (Reptilia: Diapsida) from the Triassic of Austria

 

Carinthiasuchus kandutschi 

 Vecchia & Cau, 2026 

DOI: doi.org/10.54103/2039-4942/29890

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Abstract 

A partial skeleton of a small reptile with a distinctive maxilla, dentition, caudal vertebrae and osteoderms from the marine Partnach Formation (Ladinian-earliest Carnian) near Jadersdorf (Gitschtal, Hermagor) in the Gailtal Alps of Carinthia (Austria), represents a new archosaur taxon Carinthiasuchus kandutschi gen. n. sp. n.. It is diagnosed by autapomorphies in the anterior process and subnarial foramen of the maxilla, accessory articular processes in the neural arches of mid-distal caudal vertebrae, and shape and arrangement of the caudal osteoderms. It also shows a unique combination of features regarding the extent of the antorbital fossa in the maxilla and the morphology of its ventral edge, dentary shape, dentition, caudal vertebrae elongation and morphology. A segment of 16 mid-distal caudal vertebrae is one of the better articulated tail segments ever found in Triassic archosaurs, showing the arrangement of the dorsal osteoderms and the presence of accessory processes in the neural arches stiffening the posterior termination of the tail. Phylogenetic analysis recovered Carinthiasuchus kandutschi as a pseudosuchian in a basal position within the Poposauroidea. Absence of swimming adaptation in the tail and the presence of terrestrial plant remains in the same outcrop suggest terrestrial habits for this archosaur reptile.

Carinthiasuchus kandutschi, gen. n. sp. n., Nockalm7030u, holotype. Scale bar equals 100 mm.

Carinthiasuchus kandutschi, gen. n. sp. n., Nockalm7030u, ho-lotype, skull and mandible. (A) Photograph, (B) drawing (bone is gray and teeth darker gray).

Abbreviations: d, den-tary; f, frontal; j, jugal; la, lacrimal; mx, maxilla; n, nasal; pt, pterygoid; q, quadrate; snf, subnarial foramen; sq, squamo-sal; th, tooth; v, vomer; *, left element.

Legenda: 1 = actual margin of the bone; 2 = broken margin of the bone; 3 = margin of the impression of the bone; 4 = probable margin of the skeletal element; 5 = broken surface of the skeletal element. Scale bar is 10 mm.

Reptilia Laurenti, 1768 sensu Modesto & Anderson, 2004

Diapsida Osborn, 1903 

Archosauromorpha von Huene, 1946 sensu Dilkes, 1998

Archosauriformes Gauthier, Kluge & Rowe,1988

Archosauria Cope, 1869

Pseudosuchia Zittel, 1887-1890

Suchia Krebs, 1974 (sensu Nesbitt, 2011)

Paracrocodylomorpha Parrish, 1993

Poposauroidea Nopcsa, 1923

Carinthiasuchus kandutschi gen. n. sp. n.

Holotype: Nockalm7030u, part of the skull including the right maxilla with two teeth, part of the two mandibular rami, and parts of the mid-distal portion of the tail with osteoderms (Fig. 3).

Locality and stratigraphic horizon: Southern flank of Mt. Großboden NE of Jadersdorf in the Gitschtal close to Hermagor, Carinthia, SE Austria. Partnach-Schichten/Fellbach Kalk, Ladinian-lo-wermost Carnian.

Diagnosis. Carinthiasuchus kandutschi gen. n. sp. n. is an archosaur (see discussion) with the following apomorphies: short, straight and pointed anterior process of the maxilla with a dorsal articular facet and bordering dorsally a comparatively large subnarial foramen; accessory articular processes of the neural arches in the last middle and in the distal caudal vertebrae; paired and symmetrical paramedian osteoderms above the proximal mid-caudal vertebrae, drop-shaped, with coarse denticles along the margins posteriorly, with longitudinal median ridge dorsally but without sculpturing; single median row of elongated and lying 8-shaped osteoderms in the following mid-distal caudals with three osteoderms per vertebra, one above the middle of the vertebra and half on the anterior and ...

Etymology: The genus is named after Carinthia, the Latin name of Kärnten, the southernmost federate state of Austria where the specimen was discovered and the Greek term soúkhos (σούχος) for crocodile. The species name is inhonourof the discoverer of the holotype, Georg Kandutsch (Arriach/Hinterwinkl, Austria).

FABIO MARCO DALLA VECCHIA and ANDREA CAU. 2026. Carinthiasuchus kandutschi, A NEW ARCHOSAUR (REPTILIA: DIAPSIDA) from the Triassic of AUSTRIA. RIVISTA ITALIANA DI PALEONTOLOGIA E STRATIGRAFIA. 132(2); DOI: doi.org/10.54103/2039-4942/29890 [08-06-2026]

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[Paleontology • 2026] Isodapedon varzealis • A New hyperodapedontine rhynchosaur (Archosauromorpha: Rhynchosauria) from a Cynodont-dominated Site (Upper Triassic) of southern Brazil

 

Isodapedon varzealis  

Schiefelbein, Garcia, Doering & Müller, 2026

DOI: doi.org/10.1098/rsos.260176 

Artwork by Caio Fantini.

 

Abstract

We describe Isodapedon varzealis gen. et sp. nov., a new hyperodapedontine rhynchosaur from the Carnian deposits of the Candelária Sequence, southern Brazil. Phylogenetic analyses place this taxon outside known South American hyperodapedontines, including Macrocephalosaurus mariensis and ‘Hyperodapedon’ species, and support the restriction of the genus Hyperodapedon to its type species, thereby revealing greater diversity within the group than previously recognized. Isodapedon varzealis gen. et sp. nov. is characterized by symmetrical maxillary tooth bearing areas and distinctive dentary morphology, indicating divergent feeding adaptations relative to known rhynchosaurs. Stratigraphic occurrence in beds correlated with the Exaeretodon sub-zone of the Hyperodapedon Assemblage Zone, and its phylogenetic affinities with early diverging hyperodapedontines from Argentina and Scotland, imply a geographically widespread radiation of conservative morphotypes across southwestern Gondwana. This study highlights the complexity of Late Triassic rhynchosaur evolution and underscores the importance of continued palaeontological investigation in refining the taxonomy, biostratigraphy and palaeoecology of this key herbivorous clade.

Keywords: Rhynchosauria, Late Triassic, Candelária Sequence, Archosauromorpha

Subjects:palaeontology

Geological context of the Várzea do Agudo site and provenance of CAPPA/UFSM 0371. (A) Geologic map of the central region of Rio Grande do Sul (southern Brazil) showing the surface distribution of stratigraphic units of the Paraná Basin. (B) Field photograph of the Várzea do Agudo site. (C) Stratigraphic column of the Várzea do Agudo site depicting its fossiliferous content distribution. (D) Life reconstruction of CAPPA/UFSM 0371 by Caio Fantini. (E) Tridimensional model of the partial cranium of CAPPA/UFSM 0371 in right lateral view.

Abbreviations: cs, coarse-sandstone; Fm, formation; fs, fine-sandstone; g, gravel-sandstone; m, mudstone; ms, medium-sandstone. Silhouettes based on artwork by Caio Fantini and Felipe Elias.

Skull and lower jaws of Isodapedon varzealis gen. et sp. nov. (CAPPA/UFSM 0371).
(A) photographs, interpretative illustration and three-dimensional model from surface scan of the skull of CAPPA/UFSM 0371 in right lateral view. (B) Photographs, interpretative illustration and three-dimensional model from surface scan of the skull of CAPPA/UFSM 0371 in left lateral view.

Abbreviations: a, angular; aoc, anguli oris crest; d, dentary; jug, jugal; max, maxilla; mf, mental foramen; pmx l, left premaxilla; pmx r, right premaxilla; sa, surangular; sp, splenial. Black arrow points anteriorly.

Isodapedon varzealis gen. et sp. nov. craniomandibular elements.
 (A) Left skull in lateral view of Isodapedon varzealis gen. et sp. nov. (CAPPA/UFSM 0371) with emphasis on maxillary dentition area (occlusal view). (B) Left lower jaw in medial view with emphasis on lingual dentition area (oblique occlusal view).

Abbreviations: dg, diagonal gaps; lbt, labial teeth; lgt, lingual teeth; ls, longitudinal sulcus; sg, shallow groove; sms, short medial shelf. Black arrow points anteriorly.

Archosauromorpha 

Rhynchosauria  

Rhynchosauridae 

Hyperodapedontinae 

Isodapedon gen. nov.

Type and only species: Isodapedon varzealis sp. nov.

Etymology. The genus name is derived from the Ancient Greek ἴσος (ísos), meaning ‘equal’ or ‘the same’, as a reference to the equally wide tooth-bearing areas of the maxilla.

Isodapedon varzealis sp. nov.

Etymology. The species name refers to the locality of ‘Várzea do Agudo’ in which the specimen was collected.

Diagnosis. The holotype of Isodapedon varzealis is distinguished from all other known rhynchosaurids by the following unique combination of morphological traits (* asterisk denotes autapomorphies): maxilla divided into two tooth-bearing areas by a single longitudinal sulcus; equally wide maxillary lateral and medial tooth-bearing areas; same number (three) of longitudinal rows of teeth in both maxillary lateral and medial tooth-bearing areas; absence of lingual teeth in the medial surface of the maxilla; straight posterior margin of the parietal; sharp sagittal crest extending up to the posterior margin of the parietal; short and rounded ventral process of the squamosal; distinct posterior process in the squamosal; no contact between the lacrimal and palatine; ‘blunt’ and greatly reduced posteroventral process of the dentary; single dorsal blade in the dentary; medial shelf in the medial surface of the posterior portion of the dentary that does not reach half the length of the bone*; medial shelf separated from the dorsal blade of the dentary by a shallow groove; dorsal margin of the posterior portion of the dorsal blade extending markedly further dorsally than the posterior portion of the medial shelf at the level of the posteriormost lingual tooth; and single well-defined row of small, dorsally projected, closely packed lingual teeth in the dentary.

Artistic representation of a Late Triassic landscape of southern Brazil depicting individuals of Isodapedon varzealis gen. et sp. nov. in the foreground and a proterochampsid in the background.

Artwork by Caio Fantini.

 

Jeung Hee Schiefelbein; Maurício Silva Garcia; Mariana Doering and Rodrigo Temp Müller. 2026. A New hyperodapedontine rhynchosaur from a Cynodont-dominated Site (Upper Triassic) of southern Brazil. R Soc Open Sci. 13(4); 260176. DOI: doi.org/10.1098/rsos.260176 [15 Apr 2026]

[Paleontology • 2025] Lijiangosaurus yongshengensis • Earliest Long-necked sauropterygian (Sauropterygia: Nothosauria) and Plasticity of Vertebral Evolution in Sauropterygian marine reptiles

 

Lijiangosaurus yongshengensis

W. Wang, Shang, J. Wang, Zi & Li, 2025

 

DOI: doi.org/10.1038/s42003-025-08911-1

Artwork by Kelai LI

Abstract

A long neck is a morphological innovation in vertebrates, particularly iconic in many plesiosaurs, while the function of these long necks in plesiosaurs remains controversial. Here, we report Lijiangosaurus yongshengensis gen. et sp. nov. from a previously unknown early Middle Triassic locality in southwestern China. This taxon represents the earliest known sauropterygian evolving an exceptionally long neck with 42 cervical vertebrae, and is identified as a nothosaur rather than the immediate ancestors of plesiosaurs. Our discovery demonstrates that extreme cervical elongation developing more than 30 cervical vertebrae emerged in sauropterygians prior to the rise of plesiosaurs and their pistosaur ancestors. Furthermore, Lijiangosaurus possesses a unique type of accessory intervertebral articulation compared with other reptiles, and we attribute this structure to reducing body undulation. This discovery increases the known diversity of accessory intervertebral articulations in reptiles, and underscores the high plasticity of the vertebral column in the early evolution of sauropterygians.

Type specimen (YSBB208) of Lijiangosaurus yongshengensis nov. gen. et sp. 
 Image of the skeleton on a large block of limestone (a); interpreted illustration of the skeleton with different osteological parts labeled and marked in multiple colors (b); cv is the abbreviation of cervical vertebra; reconstruction of the complete skeleton in strict accordance with the preserved morphology in corresponding colors (c); scale bars equal 10 cm.

Systematic paleontology

Reptilia Linnaeus, 1758

Diapsida Osborn, 1903

Sauropterygia Owen, 1860

Nothosauria Baur, 1889

Emended definition: Referred to the phylogenetic hypotheses recovered in this paper, the maximum clade definition of Nothosauria is reformulated as follows: all taxa more closely related to Brevicaudosaurus jiyangshanensis, Germanosaurus schafferi, and Nothosaurus species than Keichousaurus hui, Simosaurus gaillardoti, or Corosaurus alcovensis.

Composition: Based on the phylogenetic hypotheses in this study, Nothosauria includes Brevicaudosaurus jiyangshanensis, Germanosaurus schafferi, Lijiangosaurus yongshengensis, Wangosaurus brevirostris, and all the species of Nothosaurus and Lariosaurus.

Diagnosis: Nothosauria is a clade distinguished from other eosauropterygians by a combination of the following characters: dorsal exposure of prefrontal reduced, pineal foramen displaced posteriorly, mandibular articulation approximately at the level of the occipital condyle, diastema between premaxillary and maxillary teeth present, and four or more sacral ribs.

Lijiangosaurus yongshengensis gen. et sp. nov

 

Etymology: Both the generic and species names refer to the fossil site of Yongsheng County, Lijiang City, Yunnan Province, China. This currently only known specimen of this genus and species is the first Mesozoic reptile collected from this area.

Diagnosis: A medium-to-large-sized nothosaurian distinguished from other nothosaurians by a proportionally small skull with body length over 2.5 m (smaller than a few species of Nothosaurus like N. giganteus and N. mirabilis, but larger than most nothosaurian taxa), a remarkably high count of 42 cervical vertebrae, a dorsal neural spine comparable to the corresponding centrum in height (distinctly shorter than N. mirabilis, but longer than all other nothosaurians), entepicondylar foramina lost, accessory intervertebral articulation of infraprezygapophysis and infrapostzygapophysis present in dorsal and anterior caudal vertebrae. It can be further distinguished from non-nothosaurian eosauropterygians (especially pistosauroids) by the absence of interpterygoid vacuity, a ventral flange along the ventromedial edge of the quadrate ramus of the pterygoid, well-developed and extending further posteriorly up to the quadrate, an obturator foramen opening in the adult, and other synapomorphies of nothosaurians.

Phylogenetic relationship of Lijiangosaurus yongshengensis nov. gen. et sp. with other sauropterygians.
The topology is based on a strict consensus tree from the 16 most parsimonious trees using an updated morphological character dataset from [Wang, et al. 2022]. Lijiangosaurus yongshengensis is the sister group of Wangosaurus brevirostris, both belonging to Nothosauria but not Plesiosauria.

Reconstruction of nothosaurs about 240 million years ago revealing a hidden diversity from southwestern China.
Taxa include Lijiangosaurus yongshengensis (central), Nothosaurus yangjuanensis (upper left), Nothosaurus luopingensis (upper right), Brevicaudosaurus jiyangshanensis (lower left), and Lariosaurus hongguoensis (lower right). All these nothosaurian taxa lived in the Middle Triassic in Yunnan and Guizhou provinces (Artwork by Kelai Li).

 Wei Wang, Qinghua Shang, Jiansheng Wang, Hongke Zi and Chun Li. 2025. Earliest Long-necked sauropterygian Lijiangosaurus yongshengensis and Plasticity of Vertebral Evolution in Sauropterygian marine reptiles. Communications Biology. 8, 1551. DOI: doi.org/10.1038/s42003-025-08911-1 [1 November 2025]

  

[Paleontology • 2025] Mirasaura grauvogeli • Triassic Diapsid shows early Diversification of Skin Appendages in Reptiles

  

Mirasaura grauvogeli

Spiekman, Foth, Rossi, Martín, Slater, Enright, Dollman, Serafini, Seegis, Grauvogel-Stamm, McNamara, Sues & Schoch, 2025

  

DOI: doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-09167-9

Abstract

Complex integumentary appendages such as avian feathers and mammalian hair play a principal role in tetrapod evolution, with critical functions in insulation, sensation, display and flight. Although feathers and hair originated in the stem-lineages of birds and mammals, respectively, their underlying gene regulatory network has much deeper amniote roots. The early evolution of amniote integumentary appendages, however, remains poorly understood because of the absence of fossil evidence. Here we present Mirasaura grauvogeli, a small-sized diapsid from the Middle Triassic epoch (about 247 million years ago) with a distinctive crest formed by elongate integumentary appendages extending serially along its back, similar to those of the poorly understood Triassic reptile Longisquama. Despite its superficially bird-like skull, Mirasaura is not closely related to avemetatarsalians but instead belongs to the exclusively Triassic reptilian clade Drepanosauromorpha. Melanosomes preserved in its integumentary appendages are consistent in geometry with melanosomes of feathers but not those of reptilian skin or mammalian hair. Nevertheless, the morphology of the integumentary appendages and phylogenetic placement of Mirasaura indicate that they are not structurally homologous to feathers or other integumentary appendages in living amniotes. Our findings show that complex integumentary appendages are not restricted to avemetatarsalians and mammaliaforms among amniotes and evolved in a lineage basal to all extant reptiles, challenging our understanding of the evolution of the reptilian integument.

Systematic palaeontology

Diapsida Osborn, 1903

Drepanosauromorpha Renesto, Spielmann, Lucas & Spagnoli, 2010

  The anatomy of Mirasaura grauvogeli.
a, The holotype SMNS 97278, preserving the skull, partial postcranial skeleton and crest. b, Skull of SMNS 97278 under ultraviolet (UV) light. c, Skull reconstruction of SMNS 97278 based on the synchrotron radiation microcomputed tomographic scan (mirrored). d, SMNS 97280, largely complete isolated crest. e, SMNS 97286, two overlapping integumentary appendages preserving distinct rugae. f, SMNS 97281, associated integumentary appendages. g, SMNS 97279, preserving a partial skull and impressions of a crest and a largely complete postcranial skeleton under UV light. h, Skeletal drawing of Mirasaura, based on the skull reconstruction of SMNS 97278, the postcranial anatomy of SMNS 97279 and the crests of SMNS 97278, SMNS 97281 and SMNS 97280.

Mirasaura grauvogeli gen. et sp. nov.

Etymology. mirus (Latin): wonderful or marvellous; saura (Latin): reptile. The species name honours Louis Grauvogel, who extensively excavated the Grès à Voltzia localities and discovered Mirasaura.

Holotype. SMNS 97278 (Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde Stuttgart, Germany), an articulated skull and poorly preserved postcranium, including a largely complete crest.

 

Locality and horizon. Lower unit (Grès à meules) of the Grès à Voltzia Formation (early Anisian, early Middle Triassic), Vosges mountains, eastern France, (see Supplementary Information for geological context).

Diagnosis. Mirasaura grauvogeli is a drepanosauromorph distinguished by the following combination of character states (autapomorphies among non-saurian diapsids are marked with an asterisk*): elongate integumentary appendages extending dorsally from the anterior part of the trunk; long, narrow snout; dome-like skull roof; anterior portions of the jaws completely edentulous*; dorsoventrally low maxilla; frontal strongly constricted anteriorly; forward-facing orbits; transversely wide parietal; elongate, barrel-shaped trunk; seven cervical vertebrae; 24 dorsal vertebrae*; hypapophyses on cervical vertebrae; cervical ribs and gastralia absent; moderately elongate caudal haemal spines; narrow and elongate scapular blade; carpals lacking proximal elongation; ilium with tall, anterodorsally oriented blade; and large, curved pedal unguals.

 

Stephan N. F. Spiekman, Christian Foth, Valentina Rossi, Cristina Gascó Martín, Tiffany S. Slater, Orla G. Bath Enright, Kathleen N. Dollman, Giovanni Serafini, Dieter Seegis, Léa Grauvogel-Stamm, Maria E. McNamara, Hans-Dieter Sues and Rainer R. Schoch. 2025. Triassic Diapsid shows early Diversification of Skin Appendages in Reptiles. Nature. DOI: doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-09167-9 [23 July 2025]

[Paleontology • 2025] The neodiapsid Thadeosaurus colcanapi (Diapsida: Tangasauridae) from the upper Permian of Madagascar

Thadeosaurus colcanapi Carroll 1981 (Madagascar, upper Permian),
life reconstruction in riparian environment rich in Glossopteris

in Buffa, Jalil, Falconnet et Vincent, 2025.

DOI: doi.org/10.1002/spp2.70008  

 bsky.app/profile/thepalass.bsky.social

Reconstruction by S. Fernandez (MNHN)

Abstract

The enigmatic neodiapsid Thadeosaurus colcanapi (Lower Sakamena Formation, southwestern Madagascar), sole species of the genus Thadeosaurus, is revised here. The attribution of 12 of the 21 referred specimens is confirmed, spanning all ontogenetic stages, and the anatomy of Thadeosaurus is redescribed in detail with comments on ontogenetical differences. This new anatomical information is included in an expanded phylogenetical dataset tailored to examine the relationships of Permo-Triassic diapsids. A stem-saurian neodiapsid position is confirmed here for all ‘younginiforms’, which are here recovered paraphyletic, with Youngina representing an earlier-diverging taxon. However, this topology is extremely labile, and the monophyly or paraphyly of ‘younginiforms’ could not be unequivocally supported. In contrast, our analyses provide good support for a monophyletic Tangasauridae including all other ‘younginiforms’. Thadeosaurus is here recovered as a member of the Tangasauridae and as the sister-group to the putative semi-aquatic Tangasaurinae with a moderate degree of support, despite the large amounts of missing data in lesser-known tangasaurids partially obscuring our understanding of tangasaurid interrelationships. Last, Thadeosaurus is considered to have inhabited a nearshore, probably riparian, environment, although it remains unclear whether it was semi-aquatic or fully terrestrial. Further examinations of lesser-known tangasaurids, as well as a novel morphotype identified here in the Lower Sakamena Formation of Madagascar, could provide new evidence to deepen our understanding of the evolution and palaeoecology of the Tangasauridae.

Keywords: Tangasauridae, Thadeosaurus, phylogeny, Neodiapsida, late Permian, Madagascar

Thadeosaurus colcanapi Carroll 1981 (Madagascar, upper Permian), holotype MNHN.F.MAP360a, b.
A, MNHN.F.MAP360a, dorsal surface of individual preserved as a natural mould. B, silicone cast of A.
C, MNHN.F.MAP360b, ventral surface of individual preserved as a natural mould. D, silicone cast of C.

Scale bars represent 5 cm.

Thadeosaurus colcanapi Carroll 1981 (Madagascar, upper Permian), late subadult (MNHN.F.MAP349a) and adult (MNHN.F.MAP318a, MNHN.F.MAP341) specimens.
A, MNHN.F.MAP349a, ventral surface of individual preserved as a natural mould. B, silicone cast of A.
 C, MNHN.F.MAP318a, ventral surface of individual preserved as a natural mould; note the presence of a Glossopteris leaf overlying the left hindlimb of the individual. D, silicone cast of C.
E, MNHN.F.MAP341, ventral surface of individual preserved as a natural mould. F, silicone cast of E.

Scale bars represent 5 cm.

SYSTEMATIC PALAEONTOLOGY

REPTILIA Laurenti 1768 sensu Modesto & Anderson 2004

DIAPSIDA Osborn 1903

NEOREPTILIA Ford & Benson 2020

NEODIAPSIDA Benton 1985 sensu Reisz et al. (2011a)

Family TANGASAURIDAE Piveteau 1926

Genus Thadeosaurus Carroll 1981

 

Thadeosaurus colcanapi Carroll 1981

Diagnosis: 

Differs from other tangasaurids in the following combination of characters (states indicated in brackets, and ‘*’ indicating unambiguous apomorphies recovered in Analysis U2): transverse flange of pterygoid edentulous (138:0)*; basipterygoid processes oriented laterally (166:1)*; ribs fused to costal facets in posterior dorsal vertebrae (273:1); ectepicondylar foramen fully enclosed by well-developed supinator process (319:2; shared with Hovasaurus boulei); proximal margin of entepicondyle roughly perpendicular to main axis of bone, resulting in angular entepicondyle (323:1; shared with Tangasaurinae); bulbous rugosity on supra-acetabular crest immediately dorsal to acetabulum (352:2)*; internal trochanter convergent with proximal femoral head (360:0)*; epipophyses above postzygapophyses of dorsal vertebrae (406:1)*; caudal pleurapophyses laterally expanded (409:1; shared with Tangasaurinae); pisiform notched distally (419:1)*.

...

Thadeosaurus colcanapi Carroll 1981 (Madagascar, upper Permian), life reconstruction in riparian environment rich in Glossopteris (a leaf of which is present on MNHN.F.MAP318a)

Reconstruction by S. Fernandez (MNHN)

Valentin Buffa, Nour-Eddine Jalil, Jocelyn Falconnet and Peggy Vincent. 2025. The neodiapsid Thadeosaurus colcanapi from the upper Permian of Madagascar. Papers in Palaeontology.  11(2); e70008. DOI: doi.org/10.1002/spp2.70008 [23 March 2025]

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[Paleontology • 2024] Oldest southern Sauropterygian reveals early Marine Reptile Globalization

  Morphology and biogeographic context of GNS CD 540, the oldest Southern Hemisphere sauropterygian.

in Kear, Roberts, Young, Terezow, Mantle, Barros & Hurum, 2024. 

DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.03.035

Artwork: Johan Egerkrans

Summary

Sauropterygians were the stratigraphically longest-ranging clade of Mesozoic marine reptiles with a global fossil record spanning ∼180 million years1. However, their early evolution has only been known from what is now the Northern Hemisphere, extending across the northern and trans-equatorial western margins of the Tethys paleo-ocean after the late-Early Triassic (late Olenekian, ∼248.8 million years [Ma] ago), and via possible trans-Arctic migration to the Eastern Panthalassa super-ocean prior to the earliest Middle Triassic (Olenekian–earliest Anisian, ∼247 Ma). Here, we describe the geologically oldest sea-going reptile from the Southern Hemisphere — a nothosaur (basal sauropterygian) from the Middle Triassic (Anisian, after ∼246 Ma) of New Zealand. Time-scaled ancestral range estimations thus reveal an unexpected circum-Gondwanan high-paleolatitude (>60° S7) dispersal from a northern Tethyan origination center. This coincides with the adaptive diversification of sauropterygians after the end-Permian mass extinction8 and suggests that rapid globalization accompanied their initial radiation in the earliest Mesozoic.

  Morphology and biogeographic context of the oldest Southern Hemisphere sauropterygian.
(A) mCT image of the GNS CD 540 dorsal vertebra in posterior view.
(B) Time-scaled Bayesian phylogeny (Figure S1G) of Nothosauroidea (silhouettes) with estimated ancestral ranges (pie charts), dispersal (orange circles) and vicariance (blue circles) events (Table S1). Node numbers indicate geographic ranges (red) and percent (>50%) support (black) for ancestral range estimations.
(C) Middle Triassic global map showing ancestral ranges (solid arrows) and possible dispersal routes (dashed arrows; modified from maps compiled by Colorado Plateau Geosystems Inc. https://deeptimemaps.com/).
(D) Middle Triassic southern polar map with occurrence of GNS CD 540 (red star).

Anatomical abbreviations: as, centrum articular surface; le, laterally expanded neural arch contact; ns, neural spine; tp, transverse process; zg, zygantrum; zy, postzygapophysis. 

Geographic ranges: (1) Northeastern to Northwestern Tethys; (2) Northwestern Tethys to Eastern Panthalassa; (3) Northern Tethys to Southern Polar Panthalassa; (4) Northern Tethys to Southwestern Tethys.

Reconstruction of the New Zealand nothosaur. The oldest sea-going reptile from the Southern Hemisphere.

Artwork: Johan Egerkrans

 

 Benjamin P. Kear, Aubrey J. Roberts, George Young, Marianna Terezow, Daniel J. Mantle, Isaias Santos Barros and Jørn H. Hurum. 2024. Oldest southern Sauropterygian reveals early Marine Reptile Globalization. Current Biology. 34(12);  R562-R563. DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.03.035

[Paleontology • 2024] Dinocephalosaurus orientalis Li, 2003: A remarkable marine archosauromorph (Diapsida: Archosauromorpha) from the Middle Triassic of southwestern China

 

Dinocephalosaurus orientalis Li, 2003

Restoration of Dinocephalosaurus orientalis depicted among a shoal of the large, predatory actinopterygian fish, Saurichthys.

in Spiekman, Wang, Zhao, et al., 2024. 

DOI: 10.1017/S175569102400001X

Artwork by Marlene Donnelly.

 

Abstract

The non-archosauriform archosauromorph Dinocephalosaurus orientalis was first described from the Upper Member of the Guanling Formation (late Anisian, Middle Triassic) of Guizhou Province by Li in 2003 on the basis of a complete articulated skull and the first three cervical vertebrae exposed in dorsal to right lateral view. Since then, additional specimens have been discovered in southwestern China. Here, five newly discovered specimens are described for the first time, and redescriptions of the holotype IVPP V13767 and another referred specimen, IVPP V13898, are provided. Together, these permit the description of the complete skeleton of this remarkable long-necked marine reptile. The postcranial skeleton is as much as 6 metres long, and characterised by its long tail and even longer neck. The appendicular skeleton exhibits a high degree of skeletal paedomorphosis recalling that of many sauropterygians, but the skull and neck are completely inconsistent with sauropterygian affinities. The palate does not extend back over the basisphenoid region and lacks any development of the closed condition typical of sauropterygians. The arrangement of cranial elements, including the presence of narial fossae, is very similar to that seen in another long-necked archosauromorph, Tanystropheus hydroides, which at least in part represents a convergence related to an aquatic piscivorous lifestyle. The long and low cervical vertebrae support exceptionally elongate cervical ribs that extend across multiple intervertebral joints and contribute to a ‘stiffening bundle of ribs’ extending along the entire ventral side of the neck, as in many other non-crocopodan archosauromorphs. The functional significance of the extraordinarily elongate neck is hard to discern but it presumably played a key role in feeding, and it is probably analogous to the elongate necks seen in pelagic, long-necked plesiosaurs. Dinocephalosaurus orientalis was almost certainly a fully marine reptile and even gave birth at sea.

Keywords: late Anisian, marine reptile, non-archosauriform, southern China,   

Diapsida Osborn, 1903

Archosauromorpha von Huene, 1946

Dinocephalosauridae Spiekman et al. , 2021

Dinocephalosaurus Li, 2003

Type species: Dinocephalosaurus orientalis Li,2003. 

Distribution: Upper Member of the Guanling Formation (late Anisian, Middle Triassic) near Xinmin in Panxian County, southwestern Guizhou Province, and in Luoping County, eastern Yunnan Province, P.R. China.

Dinocephalosaurus orientalis Li, 2003

Type locality: Xinmin, Panxian County, Guizhou Province, southwestern China.

Horizon: Upper Member of Guanling Formation, Pelsonian, Anisian, Middle Triassic.

 Restoration of Dinocephalosaurus orientalis depicted among a shoal of the large, predatory actinopterygian fish, Saurichthys.

Artwork by Marlene Donnelly.

Summary: 

The Middle Triassic (latest Anisian) marine reptile Dinocephalosaurus orientalis is fully described in detail on the basis of seven beautifully preserved specimens from southwestern Guizhou Province, southern China, five of which are presented for the first time. Characters in the skull and neck are consistent with Dinocephalosaurus orientalis being included within Archosauromorpha. With 32, mostly elongate, cervical vertebrae, it had an extraordinarily long neck that draws comparison with the neck of Tanystropheus hydroides, another aquatic non-crocopodan archosauromorph that has been recorded from the Middle Triassic of both Europe and China. Both taxa share several other cranial features, including a fish-trap type dentition, a distinct antorbital recess and a wide palatal ramus of the pterygoid. The phylogenetic placement of Dinocephalosaurus orientalis is hampered by high levels of homoplasy, but our analysis suggests that the similarities between Dinocephalosaurus orientalis and Tanystropheus hydroides are largely convergent. Instead, the results corroborate the presence of a monophyletic Dinocephalosauridae outside Tanystropheidae. A greater expression of paedomorphosis in the appendicular skeleton and the presence of paddle-shaped autopodia in Dinocephalosaurus orientalis also suggest an adaptation to more open waters than in Tanystropheus hydroides. Dinocephalosaurus orientalis and Tanystropheus sp. were not contemporaries in the eastern Tethys based on current fossil occurrences: all finds of Tanystropheus sp. to date being from latest Ladinian or earliest Carnian sequences. The exact function of the extraordinary long neck of Dinocephalosaurus orientalis is unclear but it almost certainly aided in catching fish, which are preserved in the stomach contents of one of the specimens.

Stephan N.F. SPIEKMAN, Wei WANG, Lijun ZHAO, Olivier RIEPPEL, Nicholas C. FRASER and Chun LI. 2024. Dinocephalosaurus orientalis Li, 2003: A remarkable marine archosauromorph from the Middle Triassic of southwestern China. Earth and Environmental Science Transactions of The Royal Society of Edinburgh. First View; 1 - 33. DOI: 10.1017/S175569102400001X