[Paleontology • 2026] Patagoniaemys aeschyli • A New meiolaniform Turtle from the Maastrichtian of Northern Patagonia, Argentina

Patagoniaemys aeschyli

Agnolin, Rolando, Sterli, Chimento, Novas & Muñoz, 2026

DOI: doi.org/10.4202/app.01268.2025 

 www.macnconicet.gob.ar 

Meiolaniformes are a group of chelonians including the famous horned-turtles Niolamia argentina (Patagonia) and Meiolania platyceps (Australia). In South America, the Late Cretaceous meiolaniforms are represented by two named taxa: Patagoniaemys gasparinae coming from Campanian–Maastrichtian beds of the La Colonia Formation, Chubut province, and Trapalcochelys sulcata from the Campanian–Maastrichtian beds of the Allen Formation, Río Negro Province. The aim of the present contribution is to describe a new meiolaniform chelonian coming from the Upper Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) Los Alamitos Formation, at Río Negro Province, Argentina. The material is represented by a partial basicranium, incomplete carapace and fragmentary postcranial bones (MPMIK 1839/P/33) belonging to a new species Patagoniaemys aeschyli. To this new species we refer all the material previously referred as indeterminate meiolaniid, meiolaniform and cf. Niolamia sp., coming from the same site and locality, and described by different authors since the 1980s. This new species differs from the type species P. gasparinae, particularly by the presence of longitudinal ridges in the nuchal bone. We also include brief comments about meiolaniform palaeobiogeography and the impact of K/Pg extinction event in Patagonian chelonians.

Key words: Testudinata, Meiolaniformes, Los Alamitos Formation, Maastrichtian, Cretaceous, Patagonia, Argentina.

Meiolaniform turtle Patagoniaemys aeschyli sp. nov. holotype (MPMIK 1839/P/33); Cerro Cuadrado locality, Argentina, Los Alamitos Formation Maastrichtian (Upper Cretaceous).
A. Carapace; anterior border in dorsal (A1, A2) and ventral (A3, A4) views, detail of the anterior margin in ventral view (A7, A8), showing the presence of longitudinal ridges that characterize the new species (light grey, nuchal bone; dark grey, broken surfaces).
B. Left hyoplastron fragment Scale bars 100 mm.

Testudinata Klein, 1760 

Meiolaniformes Sterli & de la Fuente, 2013 

Genus Patagoniaemys Sterli & de la Fuente, 2011a 

Type species: Patagoniaemys gasparinae Sterli & de la Fuente, 2011a;
Chubut Province, Argentina, Campanian–Maastrichtian. 

Patagoniaemys aeschyli sp. nov.

Diagnosis.—Large chelonian (maximum anterior carapace width about 60 cm, maximum inferred carapace length 80 cm). Referable to meiolaniforms by several features, namely the presence of small pits and grooves ornamenting carapace bones, anteriorly curved grooves among marginal scutes, opisthocoelous caudal vertebrae, and carapace-plastron connection through ligaments (Gaffney 1996; Hirayama et al. 2000; Sterli and de la Fuente 2013; Sterli et al. 2013). It is referred to Patagoniaemys by having a basioccipital with well-developed basal tubera with a concave surface between them, posteriorly flat occipital condyle, a shallowly notched anterior carapace margin, presence of a thickened bump on ...

Etymology: In reference to Aeschylus (525–455 BC), an ancient Greek writer often described as the father of tragedy. During a visit to the city of Gela (Italy), he was killed outside the city by a tortoise dropped by an eagle, which had mistaken his bald head for a rock suitable for shattering the shell.

the excavation work at the Los Alamitos Formation southwest of Cerro Cuadrado.  

Federico L. Agnolin, Mauro Aranciaga Rolando, Juliana Sterli, Nicolás R. Chimento, Fernando E. Novas, and Gonzalo L. Muñoz. 2026. A New meiolaniform Turtle from the Maastrichtian of Northern Patagonia, Argentina. Acta Palaeontologica Polonica. 71(1); 173-184. DOI: doi.org/10.4202/app.01268.2025 

 Researchgate.net/publication/403290389_A_new_meiolaniform_turtle_from_the_Maastrichtian_of_Northern_Patagonia_Argentina

DESCUBREN UNA TORTUGA GIGANTE DEL FIN DE LA ERA DE LOS DINOSAURIOS EN PATAGONIA

https://www.macnconicet.gob.ar/descubren-una-tortuga-gigante-del-fin-de-la-era-de-los-dinosaurios-en-patagonia

[Paleontology • 2026] Kank australis • New unenlagiid (Theropoda: Unenlagiidae) from the Chorrillo Formation (Late Cretaceous, Maastrichtian), SW Patagonia, Argentina

 

Kank australis

Motta, Rolando, Rozadilla, Agnolín, Egli, Herrera, Chimento, Coco, Tsuihiji, Manabe, Pol & Novas, 2026

 

DOI: doi.org/10.1080/02724634.2026.2656456 

A reconstruction by Gabriel Díaz Yantén

 

ABSTRACT

Unenlagiids constitute a group of paravian theropods up to now represented in Gondwanan landmasses. They are particularly diverse in northern Patagonia, where at least seven species were discovered in Upper Cretaceous beds. In southern Patagonia, by contrast, the record is restricted to a few isolated remains of indeterminate taxa from Argentina and Chile. The aim of the present contribution is to describe an unenlagiid, Kank australis gen. et sp. nov. from the Maastrichtian beds of southern Santa Cruz, southern Patagonia, Argentina. Kank australis is represented by vertebrae, isolated pedal phalanges, and shed teeth. The holotype individual has a unique combination of characters, including a highly pneumatized cervical vertebra with well-developed parapophysis and carotid processes. Further, a pedal phalanx II-2 resembles those of troodontids due the reduction of the distal condyles, and differs from other known unenlagiids. The apomorphic condition of the few available elements suggests that Kank australis was probably distinct from its kin and reinforces the hypothesis that Unenlagiidae was a morphologically disparate clade.

SYSTEMATIC PALEONTOLOGY

DINOSAURIA OWEN, 1842

SAURICHIA SEELEY, 1888

THEROPODA MARSH, 1881

PARAVES SERENO, 1997

UNENLAGIIDAE (Bonaparte, 1999)

KANK AUSTRALIS gen. et sp. nov.

Diagnosis—Medium-sized unenlagiid (phalanges similar in size to Neuquenraptor argentinus estimated in ∼27 kg; Motta, 2023) showing the following combination of characters (autapomorphies marked by an asterisk): (1) dentary teeth having mesial carinae restricted to the apical third of the crown (shared with Austroraptor); (2) labiolingually compressed maxillary teeth “8” in cross-section (shared with Buitreraptor); (3) dentary teeth having a crenulate mesial carina restricted to its apical third; (4) cervicodorsal vertebra having three pneumatic foramina on its ventral surface*; (5) cervicodorsal vertebra having epipophyseal fossa*; and (6) phalanx 2-II showing reduced distal condyles and collateral pits located very close to the anterodorsal corner of the condyles (shared with troodontids).

Etymology—“Kank,” in reference to the “elder Rhea,” who created the constellation Choiols (Southern Cross constellation) in the Aonikenk mythology, and “australis,” which means “from south” in Latin, in reference to the southern latitude where this dinosaur was found.

 

Matías J. Motta, Alexis M. Aranciaga Rolando, Sebastián Rozadilla, Federico L. Agnolín, Federico Brissón Egli, Gerardo P. Álvarez Herrera, Nicolás R. Chimento, Gastón Lo Coco, Takanobu Tsuihiji, Makoto Manabe, Diego Pol and Fernando E. Novas. 2026. New unenlagiid from the Chorrillo Formation (Late Cretaceous, Maastrichtian), SW Patagonia, Argentina. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. e2656456. DOI: doi.org/10.1080/02724634.2026.2656456  [28 May 2026]

https://newsroom.taylorandfrancisgroup.com/heron-like-fish-eating-dinosaur-from-70-million-years-ago-discovered-in-argentina

https://www.macnconicet.gob.ar/kank-australis-el-nuevo-raptor-descubierto-en-la-patagonia-argentina

[Paleontology • 2026] Tylosaurus rex • A gigantic New Species of Tylosaurus (Squamata: Mosasauridae) from Texas: and A revised character list for phylogenetic analyses of Mosasauridae

Tylosaurus rex

Zietlow, Polcyn & Tykoski, 2026

 

hdl.handle.net/2246/7549 

 x.com/TyrantLzrdQueen

Abstract

At least four subfamily-level clades of mosasaurs are broadly recognized (Mosasaurinae, Plioplatecarpinae, Tylosaurinae, Halisaurinae), each of which independently evolved flippers and other aquatic adaptations, including large body size. Tylosaurine mosasaurs are distinguished from other mosasaurs, in part, by edentulous extensions of both upper and lower jaws, proportionally long tails, and poorly ossified limbs, and they were the first mosasaur clade to achieve gigantic (>8 m) body size. Several tylosaurine species are known from Europe, Asia, New Zealand, Africa, and Antarctica, but they were most common in the Western Interior Seaway of North America. Here, we describe a new species, Tylosaurus rex, sp. nov., from the Campanian of Texas and analyze tylosaurine in-group systematics using a significantly updated phylogenetic character list. Our new species is distinguished by a unique suite of characters, including some associated with increased jaw and neck musculature, and others that may be convergent with other giant mosasaur species (e.g., Mosasaurus). Body length estimates for specimens referred to our new species are consistently larger (7.7–13.2 m) than those for the largest Niobrara species, T. proriger (3.9–9.5 m), although it is unclear whether this is a taxonomic signal or taphonomic bias. Several specimens that we refer to T. rex were previously referred to T. proriger in various collections databases, and some of the traits distinguishing them had been previously attributed to ontogenetic differences. However, we rule out this possibility as specimens of T. proriger and T. rex that do overlap in size can be differentiated by unique suites of diagnostic characters. The implicit association between body size and ontogeny, as well as the general absence of reliable locality and stratigraphic data associated with historical collections of North American mosasaurs, raises the possibility of the presence of other currently unrecognized species, previously dismissed as ontogenetic stages of other species.

 

Keywords: Tylosaurus rex, Tylosaurus, Texas, Classification, Mosasauridae, Phylogeny 

The holotype for the newly described Tylosaurus rex is a giant specimen displayed at the Perot Museum of Nature and Science in Dallas that was first discovered in 1979.

 Perot Museum of Nature and Science

Tylosaurus rex, sp. nov.

A reconstruction of Tylosaurus rex in the Cretaceous-era Western Interior Seaway of North America

artwork by Alderon Games - Path of Titans

Zietlow, Amelia R.; Polcyn, Michael J. and Tykoski, Ronald S. 2026. A gigantic New Species of Tylosaurus (Squamata, Mosasauridae) from Texas: and A revised character list for phylogenetic analyses of Mosasauridae. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History. 482; DOI: 10.1206/0003-0090.482.1.1 https://hdl.handle.net/2246/7549

  x.com/TyrantLzrdQueen/status/2057493465521393765

[Paleontology • 2026] Phosphatotitan khouribgaensis • A Titanosaurian Sauropod with South American Affinities (Lognkosauria: Argentinosauridae) from the Late Maastrichtian of Morocco and Evidence for Dinosaur Endemism in Africa

 

Phosphatotitan khouribgaensis

Longrich, Pérez-Moreno, Díez Díaz, Pereda-Suberbiola, Bardet & Jalil, 2026

DOI: doi.org/10.3390/d18050241

Artwork by Andrey Atuchin facebook.com/AndreyAtuchin

Abstract

The latest Cretaceous saw the final diversification of dinosaurs before the K/Pg extinction. Discussions of end-Cretaceous dinosaur diversity have focused on well-sampled faunas from Laurasia; far less is known about dinosaurian faunas of the Southern Hemisphere, especially Africa. The late Maastrichtian Phosphates of Morocco provide a rare window into African dinosaur diversity. Abelisaurids, lambeosaurines, and titanosaurian sauropods are known. However, no diagnostic titanosaur remains have been recovered, leaving the affinities of these sauropods unclear. We describe Phosphatotitan khouribgaensis gen. et sp. nov., a new titanosaur from the Maastrichtian of Sidi Chennane, Khouribga Province. Phosphatotitan is represented by dorsal, sacral, and caudal vertebrae, and the pelvis. The new species differs from titanosaurs described from the Cretaceous of Africa and Europe but resembles South American Lognkosauria, and especially Patagotitan, in having short dorsal and caudal centra, expanded dorsal and caudal neural spines, and a broad pubis. Its small size relative to other Lognkosauria (3.5–4 tonnes) suggests a lineage selected for small size. The close relationships of Morocco’s titanosaurs and abelisaurids to South American species may reflect a wide distribution of these clades prior to the opening of the South Atlantic and the separation of Africa and South America ~100 Ma, while a complex pattern of oceanic dispersal may explain the presence of distinct saltasauroid lineages worldwide. The latest Cretaceous Gondwanan dinosaur faunas were highly endemic due to a combination of continental fragmentation, extinction, and dispersal, creating high endemism in southern continents and within Africa, suggesting that Maastrichtian dinosaur diversity is underestimated.

Keywords: Dinosauria; Sauropoda; Titanosauria; Argentinosauria; Upper Cretaceous; biogeography; Gondwana

Phosphatotitan khouribgaensis gen. et sp. nov.

 Nicholas R. Longrich, Agustín Pérez-Moreno, Verónica Díez Díaz, Xabier Pereda-Suberbiola, Nathalie Bardet and Nour-Eddine Jalil. 2026. A Titanosaurian Sauropod with South American Affinities (Lognkosauria: Argentinosauridae) from the Late Maastrichtian of Morocco and Evidence for Dinosaur Endemism in Africa. Diversity. 18(5); 241. DOI: doi.org/10.3390/d18050241 [22 April 2026]

 facebook.com/AndreyAtuchin/posts/26756211193972997

[Paleontology • 2026] Prognathodon cipactli • A New Species of Prognathodon (Squamata: Mosasauridae) from the Early Maastrichtian of Nuevo León, Mexico

 

Prognathodon cipactli 

Rivera-Sylva, Sánchez-Uribe, Guzmán-Gutierrez, Rodríguez, Rangel-Morelos, & Longrich, 2026

 DOI: doi.org/10.1127/njgpa/1303

Abstract

Mosasaurs staged a major radiation at the end of the Cretaceous period before perishing at the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary. Although mosasaurs are well-known from the Late Cretaceous of North America, relatively little is known about the mosasaurids of Mexico. In 2001 the largely complete skull of a mosasaurid was collected from outcrops of the Early Maastrichtian Mendez Formation at Rancho Las Barretas, 10 kilometers northeast of Linares. Although much of the skeleton was reported to have been present, only the skull was collected and the quarry has not been relocated. The specimen was described and figured in 2007 by Buchy et al. (2007) and reported as an indeterminate mosasaurid. Although the specimen has suffered some erosion after exposure in the desert, it includes most of the skull. We redescribe this specimen and show that it represents a derived species of Prognathodon, P. cipactli sp. nov. The specimen shows specializations for an apex predator niche, including a a short rostrum with robust jaws and teeth, suggesting that specialization for taking large prey preceded the evolution of large size in prognathodontins. The specimen enhances our understanding of the fossil record and paleoecology of the Western Interior Seaway during the Late Cretaceous, showing how prognathodontins successfully exploited the top predator niche globally in the Maastrichtian.  

Keywords: Mosasauridae • Prognathodon • Maastrichtian • Mexico • Mendez Formation

Prognathodon cipactli sp. nov. 

 

Rivera-Sylva, Héctor E.; Sánchez-Uribe, Iván E.; Guzmán-Gutierrez, José Rubén; Rodríguez, Rosalba Lizbeth Nava; Rangel-Morelos, Adolfo A. and Longrich, Nicholas. 2026. A New Species of Prognathodon (Squamata: Mosasauridae) from the Early Maastrichtian of Nuevo León, Mexico. Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie - Abhandlungen. DOI: doi.org/10.1127/njgpa/1303 [Mar 9, 2026]

[Paleontology • 2026] The ontogenetically youngest known pachycephalosaur (Dinosauria: Ornithischia) postcranium

 

juvenile Pachycephalosauria indet. (CMNFV 22039)
Life reconstruction in an environment typical of the upper Maastrichtian Frenchman Formation, Saskatchewan. 

in Moore, Evans, Ryan, Patterson et Mallon, 2026. 

  DOI: doi.org/10.1080/02724634.2026.2616325

Illustration by Kaitlin Lindblad. 

 x.com/Jordan_Mallon

 

ABSTRACT

Pachycephalosaurian dinosaurs are represented in the fossil record primarily by their taphonomically resistant frontoparietal domes that developed fully only at maturity. Consequently, the postcranial record of Pachycephalosauria is poor, particularly for immature forms. Here, we describe the ontogenetically youngest known, and Canada’s second-most complete, pachycephalosaur postcranium, collected from the uppermost Maastrichtian Frenchman Formation, Saskatchewan. Despite its small size (estimated total length ∼90 cm), the skeleton shows several characters diagnostic of Pachycephalosauria, including a double ridge-and-groove articulation on the pre- and postzygapophyses of the dorsal neural arches, a medial flange on the postacetabular process of the ilium, and a highly reduced pubis that contributes only minimally to the acetabular margin. Histological sectioning of the crural bones shows an immature woven bone texture. The absence of cyclical or annual growth indicators suggests that this specimen was less than a year old at the time of death. Phylogenetic analysis recovers the specimen as a member of Pachycephalosaurinae, perhaps related to Prenocephale, but the lack of cranial data for our specimen and the complementary lack of postcranial data for other pachycephalosaurs make this determination tenuous. Spatiotemporal considerations suggest a possible but currently untestable affiliation with Sphaerotholus buchholtzae. The relatively long hindlimbs of the juvenile compared with those of adult pachycephalosaurs indicate probable negative ontogenetic allometry in the hindlimbs.

 Preserved elements (in red) of juvenile Pachycephalosauria indet. (CMNFV 22039).
 The preserved left ischium does not show in this view. Diagram illustrates preserved elements only and does not accurately reflect the proportions of CMNFV 22039.

Skeletal drawing modified after original illustrations of Pachycephalosaurus (postcranium) and “Dracorex” (cranium) by Gregory Paul. Used with permission.

Life reconstruction of CMNFV 22039 in an environment typical of the upper Maastrichtian Frenchman Formation. 

Illustration by Kaitlin Lindblad. Used with permission.

 

Bryan R. S. Moore, David C. Evans, Michael J. Ryan, R. Timothy Patterson and Jordan C. Mallon. 2026. The ontogenetically youngest known pachycephalosaur (Dinosauria: Ornithischia) postcranium. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. e2616325. DOI: 10.1080/02724634.2026.2616325 [26 Feb 2026]

 www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02724634.2026.2616325

 x.com/Jordan_Mallon/status/2027031604879835644

[PaleoOrnithology • 2025] Pujatopouli soberana • Diving in the Maastrichtian of Marambio (Seymour) Island: A New Member of the Neoaves in the Cretaceous Antarctic Avifauna

  

Pujatopouli soberana 

Irazoqui, Hospitaleche, Gelfo, Carabajal, Bona & Burlaille, 2026

DOI: doi.org/10.1016/j.cretres.2025.106259 

facebook.com/CarolinaAcostaHospitaleche 

 facebook.com/CONICETLaPlata

Illustration by Samanta Faiad. 

Highlights

• A new genus and species of Cretaceous Neoaves is described.

• Phylogenetic analysis suggests its relationship to Aequornithes.

• A coeval existence of Galloanseres and Neoaves in the Maastrichtian of Marambio Island is postulated.

• The López de Bertodano Formation is the only lithostratigraphic showing a high diversity of Cretaceous Neornithes.

• This avifauna is characterized by the predominance of foot-propelled diving birds.

Abstract

A new genus and species of Cretaceous bird from Antarctica with implications for the early evolution of Neornithes is described here. The type specimen of Pujatopouli soberana gen. et sp. nov. (MLP-PV 08-XI-30-44), preserving part of the skull and postcranium, was recovered from Maastrichtian deposits of the López de Bertodano Formation on Marambio (Seymour) Island, James Ross Basin, West Antarctica. The phylogenetic relationships of Pujatopouli with other avian species, including all previously described Cretaceous birds from Antarctica, were assessed using two different datasets. The first, mainly composed of Mesozoic birds, places Pujatopouli within the crown group of birds (Neornithes), whereas the second, which includes a broad sampling of modern taxa, positions it within Neoaves, and closely related to the ‘core-waterbirds’ (Aequornithes). Besides, morphological evidence suggests that Pujatopouli was a foot-propelled diver with an ichthyophagous diet, living sympatrically with other neornithine birds along the Antarctic coast during the latest Cretaceous.

Systematic palaeontology

AVES Linnaeus, 1758.

ORNITHURAE Haeckel, 1866.

NEORNITHES Gadow (1892).

NEOGNATHAE Pycraft, 1900.

NEOAVES Sibley et al., 1988.

AEQUORNITHES Mayr (2011).

 

Pujatopouli gen nov. 

 

Pujatopouli soberana sp. nov.

 

Pujatopouli soberana nov. gen. et sp., swimming in the Antarctic waters of the Maastrichtian.

Illustration by Samanta Faiad. 

 

Facundo Irazoqui, Carolina Acosta Hospitaleche, Javier N. Gelfo, Ariana Paulina Carabajal, Paula Bona and Leonel Acosta Burlaille. 2026. Diving in the Maastrichtian of Marambio (Seymour) Island: A New Member of the Neoaves in the Cretaceous Antarctic Avifauna. Cretaceous Research. 179; 106259. DOI: doi.org/10.1016/j.cretres.2025.106259

 facebook.com/CarolinaAcostaHospitaleche/posts/26213376698262879

  facebook.com/CONICETLaPlata/posts/1168065938793032

https://acostacaro.wixsite.com/acostahospitaleche/publications

[PaleoIchthyology • 2025] Pseudocorax heteroserratus • Pseudocorax (Chondrichthyes: Lamniformes: Pseudocoracidae) in the Upper Maastrichtian Phosphates of Khouribga Province, Morocco

 

Pseudocorax heteroserratus

Egli, Goode, Rempert & Rego, 2025

 DOI: doi.org/10.1017/jpa.2025.10183  

 Researchgate.net/publication/397832548

Abstract

A new species of Pseudocorax (Lamniformes, Pseudocoracidae), Pseudocorax heteroserratus n. sp., is described from the upper Maastrichtian phosphates of Morocco. This novel taxon is recognized by a large sample of isolated teeth collected from the upper Couche III layer at the Sidi Chennane quarry in the Oulad Abdoun Basin, Khouribga Province, Morocco. P. heteroserratus is differentiated from other Pseudocorax species by bearing a mesiodistally elongated tooth base, broad crown, and highly variable serrations. The variability in number and extent of serrations along the carinae ranges from completely absent to fully serrated and finely to coarsely serrated, raising speculation on broader Pseudocorax phylogenetics and as to whether the genesis of serrations within Pseudocorax occurred in a singular progressive event or rather from two distinct events. The morphological variability within the new species highlights the importance of large sample sizes in selachian odontological studies using isolated teeth.

Systematic paleontology

Class Chondrichthyes Huxley, Reference Huxley, 1880

Subclass Elasmobranchii Bonaparte, Reference Bonaparte, 1838

Cohort Euselachii Hay, Reference Hay, 1902

Subcohort Neoselachii Compagno, Reference Compagno, 1977

Order Lamniformes Berg, Reference Berg, 1958

Family Pseudocoracidae Cappetta, Reference Cappetta, 2012

Genus Pseudocorax Priem, Reference Priem, 1897

Type species: Pseudocorax affinis (Münster in Agassiz, Reference Agassiz1843), from the upper Maastrichtian, Netherlands.

 Upper anterior Pseudocorax heteroserratus n. sp. 
 (1–5) MMNS VP-12820 (holotype), upper left anterior tooth in (1) lingual, (2) basal, (3) apical, (4) profile, and (5) labial views.
(6–10) MMNS VP-12827.01, upper left anterior tooth in (6) lingual, (7) basal, (8) apical, (9) profile, and (10) labial views. Scale bars = 5 mm.

Pseudocorax heteroserratus new species 

Diagnosis: Crown and tooth base mesiodistally expanded, especially along upper and lower jaw anterior teeth. Mesial shoulder generally more prominent along basal crown, extending further apically. Variable serrations, from absent to full and coarse to fine, regardless of jaw position or potential ontogenetic stage. Deep basal margin on tooth base with variable tooth base lobe morphology.

Occurrence: Upper Couche III layer of the Oulad Abdoun Basin, Sidi Chennane quarry, near Oued Zem, Khouribga Province, Morocco.

 

Etymology: “Hetero-”, Latin for “different”, and “serratus” for “serrations,” highlighting the variability in the presence and size of serrations along the crown.

 Upper lateroposterior Pseudocorax heteroserratus n. sp. teeth.
(1–5) MMNS VP-12823 (paratype), upper left lateroposterior tooth in (1) lingual, (2) basal, (3) apical, (4) profile, and (5) labial views. (6–10) MMNS VP-12827.05, (?) upper right lateroposterior tooth in (6) lingual, (7) basal, (8) apical, (9) profile, and (10) labial views.
(11–15) MMNS VP- 12827,06, (?) upper left lateroposterior tooth in (11) lingual, (12) basal, (13) apical, (14) profile, and (15) labial views. (16–20) MMNS VP-12827.07, upper left lateroposterior tooth in (16) lingual, (17) basal, (18) apical, (19) profile, and (20) labial views.
(21–25) MMNS VP-12827.08, upper right lateroposterior tooth in (21) lingual, (22) basal, (23) apical, (24) profile, and (25) labial views. (26–30) MMNS VP-12827.09, upper left lateroposterior tooth in (26) lingual, (27) basal, (28) apical, (29) profile, and (30) labial. Scale bars = 5 mm.

Hunter Chase Egli, Benjamin Goode, Trevor Rempert and Christopher Rego. 2025. Pseudocorax (Chondrichthyes, Lamniformes, Pseudocoracidae) in the Upper Maastrichtian phosphates of Khouribga Province, Morocco. Journal of Paleontology. Journal of Paleontology. DOI: doi.org/10.1017/jpa.2025.10183  [21 November 2025]

 Researchgate.net/publication/397832548_Pseudocorax_in_the_Upper_Maastrichtian_phosphates_of_Khouribga_Province_Morocco 

 

Non-technical Summary: A new species of extinct shark, Pseudocorax heteroserratus n. sp., has been identified through isolated teeth from fossil-rich Cretaceous rock in Morocco. Unlike previously known Pseudocorax species, this new species is distinguishable through its broad crown, elongated tooth base, and unusually variable serrations. These serrations range from unserrated to coarsely serrated and provide new insights into Pseudocorax evolutionary history. It raises the question of whether serrations in this lineage evolved gradually in a continuous process or from multiple independent origins. The findings of this study emphasize how large sample sizes of shark teeth are critical in palaeoichthyology, especially when species are known only from their teeth.

[Botany • 2025] Galgadraco zephyrius • The First Pterosaur from the Bauru Group: An Azhdarchid from the Upper Cretaceous of Brazil

Galgadraco zephyrius 

Giaretta, Navarro, Marinho & Pêgas, 2025

DOI: doi.org/10.1002/spp2.70039

Artwork by Matheus Gadelha.

Abstract

The vertebrate fossil record of the Bauru Group (Upper Cretaceous, southeastern Brazil) is remarkably rich, with a predominance of titanosaurs and crocodyliforms, alongside theropods, turtles, squamates, fishes and even small mammals. In contrast, pterosaur remains from the Bauru Group have remained elusive until now. Here, we describe a fragmentary jaw from the upper Maastrichtian Serra da Galga Formation, representing the first confirmed pterosaur discovery from the Bauru Group. The specimen was collected in the Serra da Galga Geosite and is interpreted as a rostrum (upper jaw tip), showing diagnostic features that support its identification as a new azhdarchid species: Galgadraco zephyrius gen. et sp. nov. This new taxon represents the first Brazilian azhdarchid and bears striking similarities to the coeval Albadraco tharmisensis from the Haţeg Basin, Romania. Phylogenetic analysis recovered Galgadraco as a sister taxon to Albadraco, both deeply nested within the clade Quetzalcoatlida. Additional indeterminate pterosaur fragments were also recovered from the same level of the fossil site and include another jaw fragment, a diminutive (?hatchling) lower jaw with azhdarchid affinities, a distal metacarpal IV, and ungual fragments. This highlights a previously unrecognized archosaurian diversity, with important implications for the palaeoecology of the Serra da Galga Formation.

Keywords: Azhdarchoidea, systematics, Paraná Basin, Bauru Supersequence, Serra da Galga Formation, Maastrichtian

Holotype of Galgadraco zephyrius gen. et sp. nov. (CPPLIP 1853).
Rostrum fragment in: A, right lateral; B, left lateral; C, palatal; D, dorsal; E, anterior; F, posterior view. G–J, schematic drawings of A–D highlighting the slit-like foramina, the medial longitudinal groove, and broken parts (pattern). K, hypothetical reconstruction of a generalized Hatzegopteryx-like skull, showing the approximate anatomical position of the preserved fragment. Abbreviations: nf, neurovascular foramen; pg, palatal groove; snnf, supernumerary neurovascular foramen.

 Scale bar represents: 10 mm (A–J); 50 mm (K).

SYSTEMATIC PALAEONTOLOGY

PTEROSAURIA Owen 1842

PTERODACTYLOIDEA Plieninger 1901

AZHDARCHOIDEA Unwin 1995 (sensu Kellner 2003)

AZHDARCHIDAE Padian 1986 (sensu Pêgas et al. 2025)

Genus Galgadraco nov. 

Derivation of name: From Galga, referring to the Serra da Galga Formation and the Galga Hill, and draco, Latin for ‘dragon’, a common suffix used to designate pterosaurs.

Type species: Galgadraco zephyrius sp. nov.

 

Galgadraco zephyrius sp. nov.

 

Derivation of name: From Zéphuros (Ζέφυρος), the personification of the west wind in Ancient Greek mythology.

Holotype: CPPLIP 1853, a tridimensional partial rostrum (upper jaw close to tip) fragment (Fig. 3).

 

Type locality: Serra da Galga Geosite, a roadcut located at kilometre 153 of the BR-050 highway, c. 25 km north of Uberaba city (19°35′32.8″S 48°01′42″W).

Horizon & age: Serra da Galga Formation, Bauru Group, late Maastrichtian.

Diagnosis: The new species can be diagnosed based on the following combination of features (autapomorphy marked with an asterisk): edentulous rostrum (upper jaw) tip with lateral divergence of c. 7°; dorsoventral divergence of c. 15°; ventrolateral divergence of c. 18°; roughly triangular cross-section; slit-like occlusal foramina larger than lateral foramina; occlusal foramina mostly organized in a symmetrical pair of rows; relatively dense occlusal foramina (jaw tip foramination index of c. 0.40); low and rounded tomial edges; and a shallow median palatal groove*.

Life reconstruction of a pair of Galgadraco zephyrius gen. et sp. nov. in a late Maastrichtian environment, showcasing the palaeobiota of the Serra da Galga Geosite.

Artwork by Matheus Gadelha.

 

Ariovaldo A. Giaretta, Bruno A. Navarro, Thiago S. Marinho and R. Vargas Pêgas. 2025. The First Pterosaur from the Bauru Group: An Azhdarchid from the Upper Cretaceous of Brazil. Papers in Palaeontology. DOI: doi.org/10.1002/spp2.70039 [23 September 2025]