[Paleontology • 2026] Antusuchus rionegrinus • A New early peirosaurid terrestrial Crocodile (Notosuchia: Peirosauridae) from La Buitrera (Candeleros Formation), Río Negro, Argentina

Antusuchus rionegrinus 

Fernández-Dumont, Apesteguía, Pol, Bona, Pérez Mayoral & Vega, 2026

 

DOI: doi.org/10.1080/08912963.2026.2683112  

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ABSTRACT

Notosuchia represents one of the most morphologically diverse groups of Mesozoic crocodyliforms and was particularly abundant in the Cretaceous of Gondwana. Among them, Peirosauridae comprises medium-sized terrestrial predators widely distributed across southern continents during the Late Cretaceous. Here we describe a new peirosaurid crocodyliform, Antusuchus rionegrinus gen. et sp. nov., from the Cenomanian Candeleros Formation of the Neuquén Basin (Río Negro Province, Argentina). The material, recovered from the La Buitrera Palaeontological Area, includes cranial and postcranial remains. Micro-computed tomography and anatomical comparisons reveal a unique combination of characters, including a short rostrum, an elongated palatal depression adjacent to the maxillary tooth row, a rod-shaped jugal bar, and a prominent sagittal crest. The dentition is ziphodont and includes a hypertrophied third maxillary tooth, consistent with predatory habits. Phylogenetic analyses recover Antusuchus rionegrinus as the earliest-branching member of Peirosauridae, sister to all remaining peirosaurids. This discovery provides new insights into the early evolution of peirosaurids and highlights the importance of the La Buitrera fauna for understanding mid-Cretaceous terrestrial ecosystems and the diversification of notosuchian crocodyliforms.

KEYWORDS: Peirosauridae, La Buitrera, Cretaceous, Notosuchia, Candeleros Formation, Neuquén Basin

Systematic Palaeontology

Crocodyliformes Hay, 1930

Notosuchia Gasparini, 1971 [Ruiz et al., 2021]

Peirosauria Leardi et al., 2024

Peirosauridae Gasparini, 1982 [Leardi et al., 2024]

Antusuchus rionegrinus gen. et sp. nov.

 

Etymology: Antu means sun in the Mapudungún language. Suchus is Latinised from Greek Souchos in references to the Egyptian crocodile-headed god Sebek. Rionegrinus named after Río Negro Province.

Holotype: MPCA PV 1294 (Figures 37), articulated skull and jaws.

 

Geographical and geological proceeding: The material was found in rocks representing the last 50 m of the Candeleros Formation deposit, at the base of the levels containing the La Buitrera fauna. The site corresponds to the base of the ‘Cañadón de Las Tortugas’ site, within the La Buitrera locality, one of the localities of the LBPA.

Diagnosis: A notosuchian crocodyliform characterised by the following unique combination of characters (autapomorphies indicated with asterisk): third premaxillary tooth larger than the fourth; large elongated depression close to the medial margin of the mid maxillary toothrow*; rostrum shorter than 50% of the total skull length; maxillary contribution to antorbital fossa as dorsoventrally high as the maxillary lateral surface between antorbital fossa and alveolar margin and extending posteriorly up to the posterior end of the antorbital fossa*; antorbital fossa restricted to posteroventral corner of antorbital fenestra; lacrimal extensively sutured to jugal; subtriangular ...

  

María Lucila Fernández-Dumont, Sebastián Apesteguía, Diego Pol, Paula Bona, Joaquín Pérez Mayoral and Nahuel Vega. 2026. A New early peirosaurid terrestrial Crocodile (Notosuchia) from La Buitrera (Candeleros Formation), Río Negro, Argentina. Historical Biology: An International Journal of Paleobiology. DOI: doi.org/10.1080/08912963.2026.2683112 [23 Jun 2026]

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[PaleoOrnithology • 2026] Meterchen luti • A Review of Fossil Goose (Anseriformes: Anserinae) Records from the Miocene St Bathans deposits, New Zealand, with the Description of A New Species

 

 Meterchen luti 

Tennyson, Steell, Lubbe, Adams, Greer, Brown, Wilson, Campbell, Dale & Rawlence, 2026

 

DOI: doi.org/10.1080/08912963.2025.2601236  

  x.com/nic_rawlence_nz

Artwork by Sasha Votyakova

ABSTRACT

The early-middle Miocene deposits of St Bathans, New Zealand, are renowned for their diverse and internationally important avian fossil biota that includes an abundance of fragmentary yet recognisable fossils from the crown bird clade Anseriformes (ducks and geese). We reviewed the taxonomic status of 11 isolated fossil bones previously referred to geese (Anserinae, Anseriformes) from St Bathans. Rigorous reassessment of these specimens using an expanded comparative morphological dataset demonstrated that four specimens can be assigned to the tadornine Miotadorna sanctibathansi and five are probably from a large anatid, potentially the purported anserine Notochen bannockburnensis. A second, slightly smaller, probable anserine is represented by one or possibly two bones, which we name as a new species, Meterchen luti gen. et sp. nov. We did not find any bones that showed a clear affinity with cereopsine anserines, thereby contradicting a previous hypothesis that cereopsines have a long history in Zealandia dating back to at least the early-middle Miocene. Our findings are consistent with current molecular divergence time estimates suggesting that the ancestors of the recently extinct cereopsine Cnemiornis arrived in Zealandia in the late Miocene.

 

KEYWORDS: Altonian, Anseriformes, Bannockburn Formation, Burdigalian, Otago

An artist’s impression of the St Bathans goose Meterchen luti that once lived in New Zealand.

Artwork by Sasha Votyakova/Te Papa Tongarewa, CC BY-NC-SA  

 Meterchen luti gen. et sp. nov. 

Alan J. D. Tennyson, Elizabeth M. Steell, Pascale Lubbe, Amy L. Adams, Liam Greer, Alex H. Brown, Laura J. E. Wilson, Timothy C. Campbell, Tobia C. Dale and  Nicolas J. Rawlence. 2026. A Review of Fossil Goose (Aves: Anserinae) Records from the Miocene St Bathans deposits, New Zealand, with the Description of A New Species. Historical Biology: An International Journal of Paleobiology. DOI: doi.org/10.1080/08912963.2025.2601236 [17 Feb 2026]

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[Paleontology • 2026] Yeneen houssayi gen. et sp. nov. and An overview of the Sauropod titanosaurian Diversity from Cerro Overo – La Invernada Area (Bajo de la Carpa Formation, Santonian)

Yeneen houssayi 

Filippi, Bellardini, Carballido, Méndez & Garrido, 2026

DOI: doi.org/10.1080/08912963.2025.2584707 

Illustration: Gabriel Lío

ABSTRACT

The fossil record of titanosaur sauropods for the Upper Cretaceous of the Neuquén Basin is remarkably extensive. However, for the Bajo de la Carpa Formation (Santonian) only five nominate species are recorded (Rinconsaurus caudamirus, Bonitasaura salgadoi, Traukutitan eocaudata, Overosaurus paradasorum, and Inawentu oslatus), the latter two coming from the Cerro Overo-La Invernada (CO-LI) area. Here we present a new titanosaur sauropod from La Invernada, Yeneen houssayi gen. et sp. nov. (MAU-Pv-LI-538). The new species is characterised by a series of distinctive features in dorsal, sacral and caudal vertebrae. Phylogenetic analysis indicates that Yeneen is closely related to Narambuenatitan and Overosaurus, as a basal member of an unnominated clade (called ‘Clade A’) of derived non-lithostrotian saltasauroids. The evidence provided by the Cerro Overo – La Invernada sauropod titanosaur fauna suggests that, during the Santonian, species diversity was relatively high and that at least two lineages coexisted: Collossosauria and Saltasauroidea. This finding makes the CO-LI area the one with the greatest diversity of titanosaurs for the Santonian of the Neuquén basin (as it is also for abelisaurid theropods), which makes it an exceptional area to understand the evolution of dinosaur faunas for this period.

KEYWORDS: Titanosauria, diversity, upper Cretaceous, Neuquen Basin, Gondwana

Systematic Paleontology

Dinosauria Owen, 1842

Saurischia Seeley, 1888

Sauropoda Marsh, 1878

Titanosauriformes Salgado, Coria and Calvo, Citation1997

Somphospondyli Wilson and Sereno, 1998

Titanosauria Bonaparte and Coria, Citation1993

Yeneen houssayi gen. et sp. nov.

Derivation name: Yeneen, is known in the Tehuelche (Aonikenk) Culture as a spirit or entity related to winter, cold and winter nature in general, alluding to the La Invernada, a Spanish word that refers to the site where the cattle spend the winter. The specific epithet, houssayi, is in honour of Dr. Bernardo Alberto Houssay, Nobel Laureate in Medicine and member of the commission that promoted the creation of CONICET (Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Argentina).

L. S. Filippi, F. Bellardini, J. l. Carballido, A. H. Méndez and A. C. Garrido. 2026. Yeneen houssayi gen. et sp. nov. and An overview of the Sauropod titanosaurian Diversity from Cerro Overo – La Invernada area (Bajo de la Carpa Formation, Santonian), North Patagonia, Argentina. Historical Biology: An International Journal of Paleobiology. DOI: doi.org/10.1080/08912963.2025.2584707 [12 Jan 2026]

[PaleoBotany • 2026] Simojoflorum mijangosii gen. et sp. nov. preserved in the Mexican Amber unravels the polycarpellate condition in the tribe Mimoseae (Fabaceae: Caesalpinioideae)

  

Simojoflorum mijangosii 

Hernández-Damián, Rubalcava-Knoth, Gómez-Acevedo, Cruz-Durán & Cevallos-Ferriz, 

in Hernández-Damián, Knoth, Gómez-Acevedo, Cruz-Durán et Cevallos-Ferriz, 2026. 

DOI: doi.org/10.1080/08912963.2025.2604147

Drawings by Aldo Domínguez de la Torre.

 

ABSTRACT

An inflorescence preserved in amber from the middle-early Miocene from southern Mexico is identified as a new extinct member of Fabaceae. We described and identified the fossil material, comparing it with extant and fossil members of the Fabaceae using light microscopy and computed microtomography. The fossil inflorescence has morphological characters that allow a near comparison with Caesalpinioideae (Fabaceae), including flowers aggregated in a capitate inflorescence. Even more, bisexual and staminate flowers, valvate aestivation, many stamens, a superior, unilocular ovary with marginal placentation are characters that allow their comparison with the tribe Mimoseae, especially the polycarpellate gynoecium is comparable to the Acacieae and Ingeae tribes in the traditional classification. However, other floral characteristics, such as anther glands, partially united filaments, a basal nectariferous disk, and a stalk ovary, are comparable to Mariosousa Seigler & Ebinger, 2006, Senegalia Raf., 1838, and Parasenegalia Seigler & Ebinger, 2017. The phylogenetic relationship between them is unresolved, and information on the floral structure is limited for further comparison. Thus, we support the identification of Simojoflorum mijangosii gen. et sp. nov. as a new extinct member of the tribe Mimoseae that suggests the diversification of the lineage during the Miocene.

KEYWORDS: Fossil inflorescence, Fabaceae, Mimoseae, Miocene, polycarpellate

Simojoflorum mijangosii gen. et sp. nov. from Simojovel de Allende, Chiapas, Mexico.
(A) Overall view showing the spherical capitate inflorescence, scale bar: 1.0 mm. (B), Lateral view of spherical inflorescence, scale: 1.0 mm. (C) Detail of staminate and bisexual flowers arranged in the spherical capitate inflorescence, inferior left arrow indicates staminate flower, superior left arrow indicates the differentiated perianth, and right arrow indicates a bisexual flower with a large style, scale: 1.0 mm. (D) Detail of sessile flowers with differentiate perianth, right arrow indicates sepal and left arrow to indicate petal, scale: 0.5 mm. (E) Detail of anthers, right arrow indicates dorsifixed anthers, and left arrow indicates glandular appendage, scale: 0.2 mm. (F) Detail of stigma and style, scale: 0.5 mm.

Family: Fabaceae Lindley, Citation1836

Subfamily Caesalpinioideae De Candolle, Citation1825

Tribe: Mimoseae sensu Queiroz et al. Citation2024

Genus: Simojoflorum Hernández-Damián, Rubalcava-Knoth, Gómez-Acevedo, Cruz-Durán et Cevallos-Ferriz gen. nov.

Etymology: The epithet Simojo refers to Simojovel de Allende, the locality from which the fossil was collected, and florum, of Latin meaning flowers.

Generic diagnosis: Inflorescence capitate and spherical with staminate and bisexual flowers. Staminate flowers sessile with pentamerous and differentiate perianth, actinomorphic; calyx and corolla with valvate aestivation, androecium with more than 30 stamens slightly fused at the base with stalked glands. Bisexual flowers with a basal nectariferous disk; central carpel stipitate, ovary superior, unilocular with ca. twenty ovules in two rows, and marginal placentation along a ventral suture. Some bisexual flowers present 4–5 peripheral carpels that surround the central carpel, these carpels are poorly differen and smaller than the central one.

 

Simojoflorum mijangosii Hernández-Damián, Rubalcava-Knoth, Gómez-Acevedo, Cruz-Durán et Cevallos-Ferriz sp. nov.

Etymology: The epithet mijangosii refers to Luis Alonso Zuñiga Mijangos who contributed to the study of Mexican amber through the Museo del ámbar, Lilia Mijangos.

 

Holotype: MALM-00111 (Museo del Ámbar, Lilia Mijangos)

 

Locality: Simojovel de Allende, Chiapas, Mexico

Stratigraphic horizon: La Quinta Formation, middle-early Miocene

Artistic reconstruction of inflorescence, flowers, and hypothetical whole plant of Simojoflorum mijangosii gen. et sp. nov. in the Mexican amber.
(A) Spherical capitate inflorescence of Simojoflorum mijangosii, scale=1.0 mm. (B) Details of staminate flower, scale = 0.25 mm. (C) Details of anther glands, scale=0.05 mm. (D) Details of monocarpellate bisexual flower, scale = 0.25 mm; (E) Details of polycarpellate bisexual flower, scale = 0.25 mm. (F) Hypothetical Simojoflorum mijangosii small tree, scale = 2.0 m.

Drawings by Aldo Domínguez de la Torre.

 Ana L. Hernández-Damián, Marco A. Rubalcava Knoth,Sandra L. Gómez- Acevedo, Ramiro Cruz-Durán and Sergio R. S. Cevallos-Ferriz. 2026. Simojoflorum mijangosii gen. et sp. nov. preserved in the Mexican Amber unravels the polycarpellate condition in the tribe Mimoseae (Caesalpinioideae, Fabaceae). Historical Biology: An International Journal of Paleobiology. DOI: doi.org/10.1080/08912963.2025.2604147 [13 Jan 2026]

[Paleontology • 2025] Shri rapax • A New bird-like Dinosaur from the Upper Cretaceous of Mongolia with extremely robust hands supports niche partitioning among velociraptorines

Shri rapax

Moutrille, Cau, Chinzorig, Escuillié, Tsogtbaatar, Ganzorig, Mallet & Godefroit, 2025

DOI: doi.org/10.1080/08912963.2025.2530148  

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ABSTRACT

Dromaeosauridae is a clade of bird-like theropod dinosaurs including, among others, the genera Deinonychus and Velociraptor, and characterised by a specialised second toe bearing an enlarged and falciform ungual. Here, we describe an exquisitely-preserved velociraptorine dromaeosaurid from the Upper Cretaceous Djadokhta Formation of Mongolia, and refer it to the new species Shri rapax. This dromaeosaurid is diagnosed by a peculiar combination of vertebral and pelvic features and by an exceptionally robust hand with a very stout pollex bearing the ungual proportionally larger than in any other dromaeosaurid. Combined with cranial adaptations which could support a bite more powerful than in other velociraptorines, the enlarged unguals in both Shri species suggest ecological partitioning in prey preference among the sympatric Djadokhtan dromaeosaurids.

KEYWORDS: Cretaceous, Djadokhta Formation, Dromaeosauridae, Mongolia, Theropoda

Shri rapax

 

 

Léa Moutrille, Andrea Cau, Tsogtbaatar Chinzorig, François Escuillié, Khishigjav Tsogtbaatar, Bayasgaa Ganzorig, Christophe Mallet and Pascal Godefroit. 2025. A New bird-like Dinosaur from the Upper Cretaceous of Mongolia with extremely robust hands supports niche partitioning among velociraptorines. Historical Biology: An International Journal of Paleobiology. DOI: doi.org/10.1080/08912963.2025.2530148 [13 Jul 2025] 

  theropoda.blogspot.com/2025/07/move-over-velociraptor-its-shri-rapax.html

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[Paleontology • 2025] Xingxiulong yueorum • A New Species of Xingxiulong (Dinosauria: Sauropodomorpha) from the lower Jurassic Lufeng Formation of Yunnan Province, China

 

Xingxiulong yueorum

Chen, Y.-M. Wang, Zhang, T. Wang & You, 2025

DOI: doi.org/10.1080/08912963.2025.2458130  

ABSTRACT

The Lufeng Formation of Lufeng City, Yunnan Province, China, is one of the most important sedimentary units for understanding the evolution of the Early Jurassic sauropodomorph dinosaurs. Here, a new species of the early-diverging sauropodomorph Xingxiulong from the Lower Jurassic Lufeng Formation is erected on the basis of a postcranial skeleton. Xingxiulong yueorum, sp. nov. is distinguished from Xingxiulong chengi by possessing a pendant-shaped fourth trochanter with distal termination, an astragalus with almost straight dorsal margin of the posterior surface, and pedal digit V with two phalanges. A phylogenetic analysis supports the monophyly of genus Xingxiulong. Both the two species of Xingxiulong have four sacral vertebrae, which are typically associated with the late-diverging sauropodiforms and sauropods, suggesting a complex early evolution within the sauropodomorphs. This discovery adds to the diversity of the sauropodomorphs from the Lufeng Formation and contributes to our understanding of the intricate patterns characterising the early evolution of sauropodomorphs in Asia.

KEYWORDS: Early jurassic, Lufeng, Sauropodomorpha, Xingxiulong, diversity

 

Xingxiulong yueorum, sp. nov.

Xiang-Yuan Chen, Ya-Ming Wang, Qian-Nan Zhang, Tao Wang and Hai-Lu You. 2025. A New Species of Xingxiulong (Dinosauria, Sauropodomorpha) from the lower Jurassic Lufeng Formation of Yunnan Province, China. Historical Biology: An International Journal of Paleobiology

DOI: doi.org/10.1080/08912963.2025.2458130  

[Paleontology • 2025] First Occurrence of the Duck-billed Dinosaur Tribe Lambeosaurini (Hadrosauridae: Lambeosaurinae) in South China

Lambeosaurini from Dalangshan Formation of Sihui City, China

in Wang, Xing, Mallon, Miyashita, Za. Liang, Zhang, Ren, Zh. Liang et Xian, 2025.

DOI: doi.org/10.1080/08912963.2025.2454652 

ABSTRACT

Late Cretaceous Laurasia contained a typical dinosaur fauna consisting of herbivorous hadrosaurids, ceratopsians, and carnivorous tyrannosauroids. Previously, tyrannosauroid teeth have been found in the Upper Cretaceous Dalangshan Formation of Sihui City, China. We describe a fragmentary skeleton of a duck-billed dinosaur from the same general region. The skeleton includes dorsal and caudal vertebrae, a humerus, ilium, femur and tibia. Morphological comparison and cladistic analyses support that this specimen belongs to the tribe Lambeosaurini, which is otherwise poorly represented in China. The new specimens and the previously discovered tyrannosauroid teeth represent the dominant taxa of the typical Late Cretaceous dinosaur fauna of Laurasia.

KEYWORDS: Dinosauria, Hadrosauridae, Lambeosaurinae, Lambeosaurini, Maastrichtian

 the Sihui Museum specimen

Restoration drawing by Han Zhixin

Donghao Wang, Lida Xing, Jordan C. Mallon, Tetsuto Miyashita, Zaoqun Liang, Xianqiu Zhang, Zheng Ren, Zhicong Liang and Minyi Xian. 2025. First Occurrence of the Duck-billed Dinosaur tribe Lambeosaurini (Hadrosauridae: Lambeosaurinae) in South China. Historical Biology: An International Journal of Paleobiology. DOI: doi.org/10.1080/08912963.2025.2454652 

[PaleoBotany • 2024] Phoenicites insula-lacuna • A fossil pinnate palm leaf (Arecaceae: Arecoideae) from Island Lagoon, in the arid zone of South Australia

 

Phoenicites insula-lacuna D.R.Greenw. & Conran, 

in Greenwood et Conran, 2024.

DOI: doi.org/10.1080/08912963.2024.2403591 

ABSTRACT

Fossil pinnate palm leaves (Arecaceae, subfam. Arecoideae) are described from the Eocene or Miocene Island Lagoon fossil site near Woomera in the arid zone of South Australia. These leaves are described as a new species, Phoenicites insula-lacuna and shown to share morphological similarities to the extant genus Archontophoenix (subtr. Archontophoenicinae), endemic to eastern Australia. This fossil record constitutes a significant temporal and geographic range extension for Archontophoenicinae and likely Archontophoenix. The presence in Australia of Archontophoenicinae as early as the Eocene or more likely Miocene, is in accordance with molecular analyses that propose dispersal of this clade into Australia from New Guinea, with subsequent dispersal from Australia to New Caledonia and divergence of the Archontophoenix and Chambeyronia lineages during this interval of time. Previously reported co-occurring myrtaceous woody fruits from Island Lagoon and proximal-coeval silcrete floras previously referred to Angophora, Callistemon, Eucalyptus, Melaleuca and fossils of other sclerophyllous taxa such as Banksia are consistent with this palm being part of a landscape mosaic with riparian rainforest that included mesic plants growing within wider sclerophyllous forest or woodland vegetation comparable to the eastern coastal zone of modern-day Australia and the modern range of Archontophoenix.

KEYWORDS: Palm, Arecaceae, paleogene–neogene, Australia, Archontophoenix, silcrete macrofloras

Phoenicites insula-lacuna sp. nov. 
(A) Holotype P14209 showing whole specimen. (B) Paratype (P14467) with midvein at arrow. (C) Detail showing asymmetry of pinnae base (P14209). (D, E) Detail of mid-pinnae showing midvein and secondary veins (P14209). (F) Rachis (P14209) showing patterned surface corresponding to ‘brown spots’ similar to those of extant Archontophoenix spp. (G) Detail of mid-pinnae with arrow showing midvein (P14467).

Scale bars in cm. All photos by John G. Conran.

Order: Arecales Bromhead (1840)

Family Arecaceae Bercht. et Presl (1820), nom. cons. et nom. alt.

Subfamily Arecoideae Burnett (1835)

Fossil genus Phoenicites Brongn. emend Read and Hickey (Citation1972)

Type species Phoenicites pumila Brongniart, 1828, 

from the Eocene Brives region of France.

Phoenicites insula-lacuna D.R.Greenw. & Conran, sp. nov.  

Diagnosis: Pinnate leaf with 11 or more pinnae per side. Rachis straight, rounded, minutely tuberculate or dotted. Pinnae linear-lanceolate, subopposite, reduplicate, inserted in a single plane along the rachis at acute angles (17–34°; n = 10), with 6–8 prominent lateral secondary veins and narrower at the base than medially; bases asymmetrical, broader basioscopically.

Etymology: The specific epithet is derived from the Latin for Island Lagoon, the fossil’s locality.

Location: Unnamed Tertiary unit at the decommissioned Island Lagoon tracking station, South Australia (31° 23′S, 136° 53′E, 139 m).

David R. Greenwood and John G. Conran. 2024. A fossil pinnate palm leaf (Arecaceae, subfam. Arecoideae) from Island Lagoon, in the arid zone of South Australia. Historical Biology: An International Journal of Paleobiology. DOI: doi.org/10.1080/08912963.2024.2403591   

[Paleontology • 2024] Baalemys mansillai • A New chelid Turtle with an ornamented bony shell (Pleurodira: Chelidae) from the Portezuelo Formation (Upper Cretaceous) of Patagonia, Argentina

Baalemys mansillai 

Sarda & Maniel, 2024

 

DOI: doi.org/10.1080/08912963.2024.2437832 

ABSTRACT

We describe Baalemys mansillai gen. et sp. nov. a chelid turtle, based on an articulated shell from the Portezuelo Formation of the Baal locality, northern shore of Barreales lake, Neuquén Province, Argentina. Baalemys mansillai gen. et sp. nov. is distinguished from other chelids by its oval shape, moderate size, distinctive granulated ornamentation, narrow nuchal plate, first hexagonal neural with short posterolateral margins, a second neural plate that is a regular hexagon, and a posterior lobe that is longer than both the anterior lobe and the bridge. This unique combination of features supports the establishment of a new genus and species. Baalemys mansillai gen. et sp. nov was discovered in the Baal locality with sauropod dinosaurs, theropod dinosaurs, crocodiles, pelomedusoid turtles and other genera of chelids; a similar biota was identified in other localities of the Portezuelo Formation. The identification of Baalemys mansillai gen. et sp. nov. significantly adds to our knowledge of the diversity of pleurodiran turtles from the Portezuelo Formation, the Neuquén Basin, and the broader Patagonian region.

KEYWORDS: Chelidae, Pleurodira, Cretaceous, Portezuelo Formation, Turtles

 Baalemys mansillai gen. et sp. nov.

M. Sarda and I.J Maniel. 2024. A New chelid Turtle with an ornamented bony shell (Pleurodira: Chelidae) from the Portezuelo Formation (Upper Cretaceous) of Patagonia, Argentina. Historical Biology: An International Journal of Paleobiology. DOI: doi.org/10.1080/08912963.2024.2437832  

 

[Paleontology • 2024] Huaxiazhoulong shouwen • A New ankylosaurid Dinosaur (Ankylosauria: Ankylosauridae) from the Upper Cretaceous of Jiangxi Province, southern China

Huaxiazhoulong shouwen 

Zhu, Wu, You, Jia, Chen, Yao, Zheng & Xu, 2024 

 

DOI: 10.1080/08912963.2024.2417208  

artwork by YE Jianhao

ABSTRACT

Huaxiazhoulong shouwen gen. et sp. nov. is a new ankylosaurid recovered from the Upper Cretaceous Tangbian Formation of Jiangxi Province, southern China. Huaxiazhoulong shouwen can be diagnosed on the basis of three autapomorphies (the middle shaft and distal end of the ischium are expanded; the ratio of width of distal end to minimum shaft width is greater than 3 in humerus, the maximum length of femur to humerus length ratio is about 1.45) and a unique combination of characters (the centra of anterior caudal vertebrae in anterior view is heart-shaped; the dorsal surface of scapula is straight; the scapulocoracoid has a large medial brace; the humeral head and deltopectoral crest are separated by a distinct notch anteriorly). The phylogenetic analysis shows that Huaxiazhoulong shouwen is an early member of Ankylosauridae.

KEYWORDS: Ankylosauria, Upper Cretaceous, Tangbian Formation, Jiangxi Province, Huaxiazhoulong shouwen

  

Huaxiazhoulong shouwen gen. et sp. nov.

Ziheng Zhu, Jie Wu, Yue You, Yingli Jia, Chujiao Chen, Xi Yao, Wenjie Zheng and Xing Xu. 2024. A New ankylosaurid Dinosaur from the Upper Cretaceous of Jiangxi Province, southern China. Historical Biology: An International Journal of Paleobiology. DOI: doi.org/10.1080/08912963.2024.2417208  

[Paleontology • 2024] Notosphenos finisterre • Southernmost Lepidosaur (Reptilia: Lepidosauria) assemblage from the Late Cretaceous of Patagonia

Notosphenos finisterre

Agnolín, Rolando, Manabe, Tsuihiji & Novas, 2024

DOI: 10.1080/08912963.2024.2341850  

Researchgate.net/publication/380311793

ABSTRACT

The aim of the present contribution is to describe new materials of lepidosaur reptiles coming from the late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) Chorrillo Formation, at Santa Cruz province, Argentina. The lepidosaur assemblage is composed by four different snakes (belonging to basal snakes, madtsoiids, and ‘anilioids’) and a tuatara sphenodont. The latter is a new genus and species represented by an incomplete maxilla that shows strong ties to extant Sphenodon. The snakes are represented by isolated vertebrae that indicate they belong to basal forms. Both are very apomorphic and in all probability are the representatives of poorly known lineages. In contrast with recent claims, the fact that most members of this lepidosaur assemblage are highly apomorphic may be indicative of some biogeographical isolation from other Cretaceous lepidosaur associations reported from northern Patagonia.

KEYWORDS: Lepidosauria, sphenodontidae, “anilioidea”, madtsoiidae, basal snakes

Lepidosauria Dúmeril and Bibron, 1839

Rhynchocephalia Gray, 1842

Sphenodontidae Günther, 1867

Sphenodontinae Cope, 1871 (sensu Reynoso, 1996)

Notosphenos finisterre gen. et sp. nov.

Holotype: MPM-PV-23097, incomplete right maxilla preserving two completeand one partial teeth. The specimen comes from the ‘Monotremesite’ (Figure 2). 

Etymology: Notosphenos comes from the Greek. The word ‘Noto’ means ‘South’ and ‘Sphenos’ means ‘Wedge’ but also refers to the general termsapplied to Tuatara (Sphenodon punctatus) and all its kin. The word finisterre, from the Latin, refers to the ‘end of the earth’. 

Federico Agnolín, Mauro Aranciaga Rolando, Makoto Manabe, Takanobu Tsuihiji and Fernando E. Novas. 2024. Southernmost Lepidosaur (Reptilia) assemblage from the Late Cretaceous of Patagonia. Historical Biology: An International Journal of Paleobiology. DOI: doi.org/10.1080/08912963.2024.2341850 

 Researchgate.net/publication/380311793_Southernmost_lepidosaur_assemblage_from_the_Late_Cretaceous_of_Patagonia

https://www.macnconicet.gob.ar/10147-2/

[Paleontology • 2024] Sousatitanosauripus robsoni • A new ichnosite and ichnogenus from the Lower Cretaceous Rio do Peixe Basin, Brazil, with novel insights into the evolution of Titanosauriformes

 Sousatitanosauripus robsoni

 Gomes, Erickson, Aureliano & Ghilardi, 2024

DOI: 10.1080/08912963.2024.2385613 

 x.com/Tito_Aureliano 

 x.com/AlineMGhilardi

ABSTRACT

Sauropods were a successful group of herbivorous dinosaurs that colonised all continents throughout the Mesozoic. At first glance, the organisms in this group present a conservative shape of quadrupedal animals with elongated necks and tails. However, there was great diversification in the morphology of sauropods, which is still poorly understood in detail, especially during the Early Cretaceous. In this study, we describe a new ichnosite dated from the earliest stages of the Cretaceous of Brazil. The site includes a well-preserved trackway of a large sauropod dinosaur, with manus and pes prints, as well as tracks of theropods and indeterminate tetrapods. The sauropod trackway shows a unique set of characteristics that allowed the erection of a new ichnogenus and ichnospecies, Sousatitanosauripus robsoni igen. nov. et isp. nov. The probable trackmaker was a Titanosauriformes with a mosaic of basal and advanced features, bringing new insights into the diversity and evolution of the group.

KEYWORDS: Dinosauria, Ichnology, Sauropoda, Titanosauria, Sousa Formation

 Sousatitanosauripus robsoni igen. nov. et isp. nov.

 

Zarah Trindade Gomes, Rebecca Fernandes Erickson, Tito Aureliano and Aline Marcele Ghilardi. 2024. A new ichnosite and ichnogenus from the Lower Cretaceous Rio do Peixe Basin, Brazil, with novel insights into the evolution of Titanosauriformes. Historical Biology: An International Journal of Paleobiology. DOI: doi.org/10.1080/08912963.2024.2385613 

 x.com/Tito_Aureliano/status/1823819619347652968 

x.com/AlineMGhilardi/status/1823019242628809124

[Paleontology • 2024] Campananeyen fragilissimus • They all floated in the Cretaceous: New rebbachisaurid (Sauropoda: Diplodocoidea) with a highly pneumatized skeleton from the Upper Cretaceous (lower Cenomanian) of Patagonia, Argentina

 

 Campananeyen fragilissimus

 Lerzo, Fernández-Baldor, Canale, Whitlock, Otero & Gallina, 2024

DOI: 10.1080/08912963.2024.2383708  

  facebook.com/LucasLerzo

ABSTRACT

Rebbachisaurids are a group of basal diplodocoid sauropods that diversified primarily in Gondwana between the early Lower Cretaceous and the early Upper Cretaceous. Their phylogenetic relationships are still under debate given the fragmentary and incomplete nature of its remains. Here, we provide a detailed description of the postcranial remains of Campananeyen fragilissimus gen. et sp. nov. from the Candeleros Formation (lower Cenomanian) of Neuquén Province, Argentina. Campananeyen presents notable features that allow it to be recognised as a new species by the presence of an underdeveloped crista prootica, paraoccipital process internally hollow and a fuse dorsal alar arm of the ilium. The phylogenetic analysis recovered this taxon as a basal rebbachisaurid closely related to Zapalasaurus, Sidersaura and the specimen from La Amarga Formation MACN-Pv-N 35. The new rebbachisaurid is recovered as the sister taxon of Sidersaura due the presence of procoelous posterior caudal vertebrae and dorsoventrally flattened posterior caudal centra. C. fragilissimus presents an extreme pneumatization of the sacral region with an autapomorphic dorsal alar arm of the sacral transverse processes. Finally, the phylogenetic analysis supports a South American origin for Rebbachisauridae and an early diversification to Africa and Europe by the Barremian-Aptian as previously suggested.

KEYWORDS: Candeleros formation, Dinosauria, Pneumatization, Gondwana, Campananeyen, Rebbachisauridae

Campananeyen fragilissimus gen. et sp. nov. 

 

Lucas N. Lerzo, Fidel Torcida Fernández-Baldor, Juan I. Canale, John A. Whitlock, Alejandro Otero and Pablo A. Gallina. 2024. They all floated in the Cretaceous: New rebbachisaurid (Sauropoda, Diplodocoidea) with a highly pneumatized skeleton from the Upper Cretaceous (lower Cenomanian) of Patagonia, Argentina. Historical Biology: An International Journal of Paleobiology. DOI: doi.org/10.1080/08912963.2024.2383708  

  facebook.com/LucasLerzo/posts/10232910661419069