[Paleontology • 2026] Heterocarinella japonica • A New ammonoid Genus (Ammonoidea: Turrilitidae) from the late Cretaceous in the Northwestern Pacific Realm

 

Heterocarinella japonica

Aiba, 2026 

 

「ヘテロカリネラ・ジャポニカ」DOI: doi.org/10.2517/prpsj.260014

  fukadaken.or.jp 

 Abstract  

A new genus and species of the family Turrilitidae, Heterocarinella japonica gen. et sp. nov., is described from the Santonian (Upper Cretaceous) of the Haboro and Kotanbetsu areas in Hokkaido, northern Japan. This taxon is characterized by a persistently turriconic shell, a siphuncle positioned near the upper edge of the flank, and a vertically asymmetrical keel at or below the middle flank of the whorls. Notably, the keel differentiates Heterocarinella japonica gen. et sp. nov. from all other genera belonging to the Turrilitidae. The family Turrilitidae has previously been considered to range from the middle Albian to the late Cenomanian. However, the occurrence of Heterocarinella japonica gen. et sp. nov. demonstrates that this family survived until at least the Santonian. In addition, Tridenticeras from the Turonian to Coniacian of Europe, which is often assigned to the Nostoceratidae, is here re-evaluated as more appropriately belonging to the Turrilitidae. The previous misclassification likely resulted from limited knowledge of the position of the siphuncle, an internal structure, and from the tendency to prioritise stratigraphic consistency over morphological characters in taxonomic assignments. The discovery of Heterocarinella japonica gen. et sp. nov. suggests that the Turrilitidae survived the Cenomanian–Turonian Oceanic Anoxic Event 2 (OAE-2) while progressively narrowing their palaeogeographic range, ultimately contracting only in the northwestern Pacific realm.

KEYWORDS: ammonoid, Heterocarinella, Northwestern Pacific realm, Santonian, Turrilitidae, Yezo Group

Order Ammonitida Haeckel, 1866

Suborder Ancyloceratina Wiedmann, 1966

Superfamily Turrilitoidea Gill, 1871

Family Turrilitidae Gill, 1871

Heterocarinella japonica gen. et sp. nov. from the Haboro and Kotanbetsu areas, Hokkaido, northern Japan.
A–J, MCM-A1322 (holotype): A, lateral view with the aperture facing the observer; B–D, lateral views after successive 90° rotations; E, apical view; F, basal view; G, tomographic image; H, whorl section; I, suture line; J, 3D model, viewed at approximately 45° posteriorly from the orientation of D.  

 Genus Heterocarinella gen. nov.

 Type species.—Heterocarinella japonica Aiba gen. et sp. nov.  

Diagnosis.—This genus is characterised by turriconic whorls in contact with each other, each bearing a keel at or just below the middle flank, and a siphuncle located near the upper edge of the flank. The whorl cross-section is vertically asymmetrical with respect to the keel, with a gently curved upper part above the keel apex and a somewhat steeper, sharper lower part. The keel is continuous and is not interrupted by ribs, except for a double collar rib associated with a constriction that appears in the later growth stage.

Discussion.—Heterocarinella gen. nov. exhibits several features consistent with those of other turrilitid genera, including the presence of a siphuncle near the upper edge of the flank, turriconic whorls throughout ontogeny, and a double collar rib associated with a constriction appearing in the later growth stage.

Heterocarinella japonica sp. nov.

Type locality.—Float in a tributary of Machiyoizawa Creek in the Haboro area of northwestern Hokkaido, northern Japan.

Daisuke Aiba. 2026. Heterocarinella, a New Ammonoid Genus: Turrilitidae Survived into the Santonian (Late Cretaceous) in the Northwestern Pacific Realm. Paleontological Research. 30(1); 164-173. DOI: doi.org/10.2517/prpsj.260014  (29 August 2026) 

  Daisuke AIBA (相場 大佑；深田地質研究所). 2026. Heterocarinella, a new ammonoid genus: Turrilitidae survived into the Santonian (Late Cretaceous) in the north-western Pacific realm [新属アンモナイト類Heterocarinella：北西太平洋地域ではツリリテス科はサントニアン期（白亜紀後期）まで生き残っていた]. Paleontological Research. vol.30, p.164-173. DOI: doi.org/10.2517/prpsj.260014 [2026年8月29日]

【プレスリリース】北海道で中生代白亜紀の新属新種アンモナイトを発見 Heterocarinella japonica (ヘテロカリネラ・ジャポニカ) と命名（10/14更新 https://fukadaken.or.jp/?p=9866

[Paleontology • 2026] Hintighernia edingerae • A tapejarid Pterosaur from the Cambridge Greensand (Cretaceous of England), with comments on its Neuroanatomy and the Biogeography of the Group

Hintighernia edingerae

Pêgas, Bandeira, Naish & Holgado, 2026

DOI: doi.org/10.1093/zoolinnean/zlag162 

  x.com/TetZoo

Artwork by Matheus Gadelha.

Abstract

A reassessment of azhdarchoid pterosaur material from the Cretaceous Cambridge Greensand Member of the West Melbury Marly Chalk Formation of Great Britain is presented. The partial cranium CAMSM B54406, often referred to Ornithostoma sedgwicki, is here identified as a sinopterine tapejarid. Diagnostic traits, including the shape of the upper temporal fenestra margins and a robust, elongate supraoccipital median ridge, lead us to diagnose a new taxon, which we name Hintighernia edingerae gen. et sp. nov. Micro-CT scanning of CAMSM B54406 reveals a neuroanatomy closely resembling that of Tapejara wellnhoferi. Some additional remains from the Cambridge Greensand Member can also be referred to Tapejaridae, and we tentatively refer an isolated fragment of rostrum to cf. Hintighernia. In turn, Ornithostoma sedgwicki is regarded as a chaoyangopterid azhdarchoid, and its hypodigm is restricted to four jaw fragments. The existence of at least a third azhdarchoid species (a non-azhdarchid concilazhian) in the Cambridge Greensand is suggested based on both jaw and cervical remains. We also provide new insights regarding the biogeography of tapejarid pterosaurs. Europe appears to have been an early hotspot of phylogenetic diversity for this group and a potential point of origin for the sinopterines of Eastern Laurasia and tapejarines of South America.

Azhdarchoidea, systematics, Cambridge Greensand Member, Cretaceous

Pterosauria Burmeister, 1837

Pterodactyloidea Plieninger, 1901

Azhdarchoidea Unwin, 1995

Tapejaridae Kellner, 1989

Sinopterinae Lü et al., 2016

Hintighernia gen. nov.

Hintighernia edingerae gen. et sp. nov.

Etymology: The generic epithet is a combination of hɨnt and tɨɣern, which are the reconstructed Proto-Brittonic words for ‘path’ and ‘lord’, respectively, with the intended meaning of ‘lord of the paths’. This is in reference to the name Tapejara, which shares the same meaning in Ancient Tupi. The intended pronunciation in International Phonetic Alphabet is [hɨn‧tɨ‧ɣern‧i‧a]. The specific epithet honours palaeontologist Johanna Ottilie ‘Tilly’ Edinger (1897–1967), founder of modern palaeoneurology. Edinger was responsible for impor- tant advances in pterosaur palaeoneurology, including the description of a pterodactyloid endocast from the Cambridge Greensand (Edinger 1927), similar to that of CAMSM B54406.

Hintighernia edingerae holotype (CAMSM B54406).
 Left lateral view: A, photograph; and B, reconstructed 3D model. Posterior view: C, photograph; and D, reconstructed 3D model. Posterodorsal view: E, photograph; and F, reconstructed 3D model.

Abbreviations: add.r, adductor ridge; f, frontal; fm, foramen magnum; fpc, frontoparietal crest; or, orbit; p, parietal; pmcv, posterior middle cerebral vein foramen; soc.r, supraoccipital ridge; utf.pm, upper temporal fenestra posterior margin. Scale bar: 20 mm.

Virtually reconstructed braincase endocast of CAMSM B54406.
Views: A, anterior; B, posterior; C, left lateral; D, ventral, E, dorsal; F, right lateral.

Abbreviations: Cer, cerebrum; Cbl, cerebellum; Flo, flocculus; Op, optic lobe; Mat, matrix; Med, medulla; PoC, posterior semicircular canal. Scale bar: 20 mm.

Life restoration of Hintighernia edingerae, with schematic reconstruction of its skull and encephalon.

Artwork by Matheus Gadelha.

 

Rubi V Pêgas, Kamila L N Bandeira, Darren Naish and Borja Holgado. 2026. A tapejarid Pterosaur from the Cambridge Greensand (Cretaceous of England), with comments on its neuroanatomy and the biogeography of the group. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 208(3); zlag162, DOI: doi.org/10.1093/zoolinnean/zlag162 [01 November 2026] 

  x.com/TetZoo/status/2117179164037976309

[Paleontology • 2026] Paludohadros proudlovii • A New iguanodontian Dinosaur (Iguanodontia: Hadrosauroidea) from the Weald Clay Formation (Lower Cretaceous) of Smokejacks Brickworks, southern England

 Paludohadros proudlovii 

Sacamoto, Lockwood, Langer, Clark, Barrett, Turner & Maidment, 2026

DOI: doi.org/10.1080/14772019.2026.2726221

artwork by Guilherme Gehr.

 

Abstract

A new genus and species of an early-diverging hadrosauroid dinosaur, Paludohadros proudlovii gen. et sp. nov., is described from the Lower Cretaceous Weald Clay Formation of Smokejacks Brickworks, southern England. This new taxon can be diagnosed by the following autapomorphies and combination of characters: dentary teeth with two secondary ridges and a variable number of accessory ridges on the lingual surface of the crown; surangular with a dorsally projecting lateral process that is offset laterally from the dorsal surface of the anterior process; humerus with a proximally extending ridge on the anteromedial surface of the distal condyle; ischium with a posteroventrally curved shaft, a well-developed ischial boot and an obliquely oriented crest dorsal to the obturator process on the lateral surface of the shaft and a tibia with bosses on the medial and lateral surfaces near the proximal end. Although iguanodontians from the Weald Sub-basin have long been known from older Valanginian strata, represented by Barilium dawsoni, Hypselospinus fittoni and Kukufeldia tilgatensis, the description of Paludohadros proudlovii from the Barremian represents an increase in this diversity of iguanodontians from the Wealden Group, and it is the only valid iguanodontian taxon from the Barremian Weald Clay Formation reported so far. Although broadly contemporaneous, the iguanodontians of the Wessex Formation of the Isle of Wight are different taxa, raising the possibility that the Wessex and Weald Clay formations were deposited at slightly different times.

 

Keywords: Barremian, diversity, Iguanodontia, Lower Cretaceous, Smokejacks Brickworks, Wealden Group

Systematic palaeontology

Dinosauria Owen, 1842

Ornithischia Seeley, 1888

Ornithopoda Marsh, 1881

Iguanodontia Baur, 1891

Ankylopollexia Sereno, 1986

Styracosterna Sereno, 1997

Hadrosauriformes Sereno, 1997

Hadrosauroidea Huene, 1952

Paludohadros gen. nov.

Etymology. Paludohadros is derived from the Latin word palus (genitive paludis), meaning swamp, reflecting the swampy environment of the Weald Clay Formation during the Early Cretaceous, and that Smokejacks Pit is often very muddy today, and the Greek word hadros, meaning robust or stout, a term frequently used for iguanodontians.

Locality and horizon. UK National Grid Reference TQ 11252 37263 (± 6 m), Smokejacks Pit (also known as Ewhurst Works, and sometimes referred to as Ockley Pit), Ockley, Surrey, UK. Weald Clay Formation, Barremian, Lower Cretaceous. The specimen was found in the same horizon but about 100 m west of the Baryonyx walkeri type locality.

Paludohadros proudlovii gen. et sp. nov.

Etymology. The specific name honours the late Mr William Proudlove, former factory manager of Ewhurst Works. Will passed away in 2000 at the age of 35, shortly before the specimen was excavated, leaving behind a young family. He was an important coach and mentor to current manager Tim Burgess, and we name the specimen in his memory here.

Holotype. NHMUK PV R 16396, a partial skeleton ....

 

Diagnosis. Paludohadros proudlovii differs from all other iguanodontians by possessing the following autapomorphies and a unique combination of characters (autapomorphies indicated with an asterisk): dentary teeth with two secondary ridges and a variable number of accessory ridges on the lingual surface of the crown (1); surangular with a dorsally projecting lateral process that is laterally offset from the dorsal margin of the anterior process and separated from it by a shallow groove* (2); humerus with a proximally extending ridge on the anteromedial surface of the medial distal condyle (3); ischium with a combination of a posteroventrally curved shaft, a well-developed ischial boot and a laterally projecting crest on the lateral surface on the proximal portion of the shaft* (4); tibia with a boss on the medial surface of the proximal end (5).

 Paludohadros proudlovii life restoration.

Original artwork by Guilherme Gehr.

Ricardo J. Sacamoto, Jeremy A. F. Lockwood, Max C. Langer, Brett Clark, Paul M. Barrett, Alice Turner and Susannah C. R. Maidment. 2026. A New iguanodontian Dinosaur from the Weald Clay Formation (Lower Cretaceous) of Smokejacks Brickworks, southern England. Journal of Systematic Palaeontology. 24(2); 2726221. DOI: doi.org/10.1080/14772019.2026.2726221 [26 Oct 2026]  

[PaleoEntomology • 2026] Folimantis hyalinala • Mimicry of Mantis and Selaginella from Cretaceous provides New Evidence for the Deep-time Co-evolution of Insects and Plants

 

Folimantis hyalinala

Yang, Chen, Engel, Ren & Gao, 2026

DOI: doi.org/10.1111/nph.71619  

  Researchgate.net/publication/415223879

Ecological reconstruction by Xiaoran Zuo

 

Summary

• Mimicry between insects and plants represents sophisticated survival strategies. Their long-term evolutionary interactions led to mutual adaptation, creating a complex ecological symbiosis. However, the deep-time ecological associations of mimicry between insects and plants remain limited due to the scarcity of preserved fossils.

• Here, we report the fossil evidences of mimicry between praying mantis and spike mosses in 98-Myr-old Kachin amber. The new Cretaceous mantis, Folimantis hyalinala gen. et sp. nov., has a rare form of leaf mimicry via abdominal leaf-shaped extensions that resemble contemporaneous vegetative leaves (trophophylls) of Selaginella in shape, size, and pattern of arrangement.

• The new findings provide the earliest direct evidence of the co-associations between mantis and its mimetic plants during the Cretaceous and suggest that the stem-group had already developed distinct structural features that mimic plant leaves during the early divergences of Mantodea.

• A diversification analysis of mimicry between fossil insects and plants from the Late Paleozoic and Mesozoic indicates that, before the rise of angiosperms in the Late Cretaceous, mimicry between insects and gymnosperms, ferns, lichens, and even Selaginella had existed for a long time and that changes in mimicry forms paralleled the evolutionary succession of plant lineages.

Keywords: camouflage, Folimantis hyalinala, insect–plant co-evolution, Mantodea, Mesozoic, Selaginella

Ecological reconstruction of mimicry between Folimantis hyalinala and Selaginella grimaldii

(reproduced by kind permission of Xiaoran Zuo).

Folimantis hyalinala gen. et sp. nov.

Hongru Yang, Liang Chen, Michael S. Engel, Dong Ren and Taiping Gao. 2026. Mimicry of Mantis and Selaginella from Cretaceous provides New Evidence for the Deep-time Co-evolution of Insects and Plants. New Phytologist. DOI: doi.org/10.1111/nph.71619 [04 October 2026] 

 Researchgate.net/publication/415223879_Mimicry_of_Mantis_and_Selaginella_from_Cretaceous 

[Paleontology • 2026] Sinojapyx giganteus • Giant Jurassic Hunter: the Earliest dipluran (Hexapoda: Diplura) and Its Implications for hexapod body pattern evolution

Sinojapyx giganteus

Wang, Cai, Sánchez-García, Sendra & Huang, 2026

DOI: doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2026.1207 

Palaeoecological reconstruction by Jie Sun.

Abstract

Hexapoda comprises the hyperdiverse insects and three cryptic, early-diverging lineages, Protura, Collembola, and Diplura, that are key to understanding the hexapod body pattern but remain extremely rare as fossils. Here, we report the earliest dipluran, Sinojapyx giganteus gen. et sp. nov., from the Middle Jurassic Daohugou Biota (approx. 165 Mya). Its ectognathous mouthparts challenge the conventional view that all non‑insect hexapods are entognathous, providing solid evidence that entognathy evolved independently at least three times. The pincer‑like cerci of Sinojapyx are symmetrical and lack denticles, representing a transitional state preceding the sophisticated predatory appendages of extant japygoids. Exceeding 5 cm in body length and equipped with robust mandibles and pincer-like cerci, this giant soil dweller occupied the apex of the soil food web in the Jurassic, filling a niche typically held by scorpions or centipedes today. This discovery not only bridges a major gap in the dipluran fossil record but also offers critical insights into the ancestral body pattern of non‑insect hexapods and soil trophic networks in the Jurassic.

Keywords: diplura, hexapod evolution, mouthpart, entognathy, grasping apparatus

 

General habitus of Sinojapyx giganteus (holotype, NIGP205729) from the Middle Jurassic Daohugou Bed.
(A) Counterpart, inner view of dorsal aspect. (B) Part, inner view of ventral aspect. (C) Line drawing based on the part with reference to the counterpart; scale bar, 5 mm.

Systematic palaeontology

Superclass: Hexapoda Latreille, 1825 

Class: Diplura Börner, 1904 

Superfamily: Japygoidea Lubbock, 1873 

Family: Sinojapygidae fam. nov.

Type genus: Sinojapyx gen. nov.

Diagnosis. Body size gigantic, exceeding 5 cm (more than twice the length of typical extant Japygoidea, which are usually < 2 cm); head nearly triangular; mouthparts ectognathous, robust mandibles with large teeth and laciniae lacking pectinate laminae; maxillary and labial palps multi-segmented; abdominal segment IX strongly elongated; segment VIII−X not more sclerotized than the rest of abdomen, with urosternite X partly fused to the pleurite; pincer-like cerci equal, devoid of teeth and denticles.

 

Genus: Sinojapyx gen. nov.

Type species: Sinojapyx giganteus sp. nov.

Etymology. The prefix, ‘Sino-,’ refers to China. ‘Japyx’ denotes the type genus of the family Japygidae. The gender is masculine.

 

Sinojapyx giganteus sp. nov.

Etymology. The specific epithet is derived from the Latin word ‘gigante’ which means ‘giant.’ The gender is masculine.

Phylogenetic and evolutionary context of Diplura.
(A) Phylogeny of Diplura showing the phylogenetic placement of Sinojapyx giganteus and Ferrojapyx vivax.
(B) Evolutionary context of the cerci in Diplura.

Palaeoecological reconstruction of Sinojapyx giganteus, illustrated by Jie Sun.

Yehao Wang; Chenyang Cai; Alba Sánchez-García; Alberto Sendra and Diying Huang. 2026. A Giant Jurassic Hunter: the Earliest dipluran and Its Implications for hexapod body pattern evolution. Proc. R. Soc. B. 293 (2080): 20261207. DOI: doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2026.1207 [07 Oct 2026]

[Paleontology • 2026] Wyoteuthis linsterorum • ‘The big chunky belemnite’: A New relict megateuthidid from the Oxfordian (Late Jurassic) of Wyoming, USA, and its place in the evolutionary history of the group

 

Wyoteuthis linsterorum 

Ippolitov, Lippincott, Wahl & Lomax, 2026

 

DOI: doi.org/10.1002/spp2.70123

Abstract

We describe and discuss two finds of large and untypical belemnite rostra originating from the upper part of the Sundance Formation (Oxfordian) of Wyoming, USA. With a diameter reaching c. 60 mm at the anterior end, these rostra are the thickest known for belemnites so far. Herein they are ascribed to a new genus Wyoteuthis, comprising a single new species, W. linsterorum. Both primary and secondary morphological features (rostrum shape, alveolus position, alveolar angle, details of apical grooves and striation) allow us to justify the placement of our new taxon in the family Megateuthididae, which flourished in Toarcian to middle Jurassic time but mostly disappeared during the Bathonian, and is represented by few extremely rare and stratigraphically isolated records from younger strata. In turn, externally similar rostra previously reported in the literature from the same basin belong to Cylindroteuthididae, a common and previously only known family-level group for the Oxfordian of northwestern USA. The new genus represents a relict offshoot of the family Megateuthididae, most likely deriving from the Bajocian members of the genus Brevibelus, formerly described from North America. It demonstrates the presence of a previously unrecognized megateuthidid refugium in the north-eastern Pacific. We also discuss evolutionary macro-trends in belemnites and the possible correlations between rostrum size and soft-body size.

SYSTEMATIC PALAEONTOLOGY

Subclass COLEOIDEA Bather 1888

Order BELEMNITIDA Zittel 1895

Family MEGATEUTHIDIDAE Sachs & Nalnjaeva 1967

‘BREVIBELUS-GROUP’ sensu Ippolitov & Desai 2019

Genus Wyoteuthis nov. 

Type species: Wyoteuthis linsterorum sp. nov.

Derivation of name: A combination of ‘WYO’ (the abbreviation of the State name) and Greek τευθίς (‘squid’); together meaning ‘a squid from Wyoming’.

Differential diagnosis: It differs from Lotharingibelus Weis et al. 2025 by the much larger and more shortened rostrum, and absence of epirostrum; from Brevibelus Doyle 1992 by the same features and clear ventral displacement of the apex; from Arcobelus Sachs in Sachs & Nalnjaeva (1967) by the pronounced ventral, not dorsal displacement of the apex and less compressed cross-section, and smaller alveolar angle (29° in Wyoteuthis vs >35° in Arcobelus); from Pseudosimobelus Dzyuba & C.D. Schraer in Dzyuba et al. (2018) and from Dactyloteuthis Bayle 1878, by the absence of a single ventral groove and extremely short postalveolar part of the rostrum; from the latter additionally with a markedly less compressed rostrum. Other known members of the family Megateuthididae do not have blunt posterior ends comparable with Wyoteuthis.

Occurrence: Upper part of the Sundance Formation (Redwater Shale Member) of Wyoming, USA; late early to early middle Oxfordian (Late Jurassic).

Remarks

Systematic position: Wyoteuthis is a rare taxon with only two specimens known to date. It is stratigraphically isolated from other Megateuthididae, which are mainly restricted to the Toarcian–Bathonian interval. Explanation of its placement in that family and affinity with the genus Brevibelus is provided... 

Wyoteuthis linsterorum gen. et sp. nov., holotype, WYDICE INV-001;
upper lower to lower middle Oxfordian; upper part of Redwater Shale Member, Sundance Formation; 6 km south of Hyattville, Wyoming, USA. Collected by C. Linster.
A, dorsal view. B, right side view. C, alveolar view. D, cross-section 45 mm anterior to the presumed protoconch position. E, apical view. F, frontal CT section, view from ventral side. G, sagittal CT section, right side view. Scale bar represents: 10 mm (A–E; natural size); 30 mm (F, G).

Wyoteuthis linsterorum sp. nov.

 

Derivation of name: After the Linster Family, who discovered the holotype and donated it to the WDC, making it available for science and for the present study.

Diagnosis: Rostrum of large diameter (up to 30–32 mm at protoconch and 65–70 mm anteriorly), conical to subconical with a very short postalveolar part (Pa/DV = 0.37–0.43), posteriorly blunt with ventrally displaced mucronate apex bearing striae, grouped in unclear bunches modified as pit-like depressions. Alveolus extends into most of the length of the rostrum.

Alexey P. Ippolitov, Jessica L. Lippincott, William R. Wahl, Dean R. Lomax. 2026. ‘The big chunky belemnite’: A New relict megateuthidid from the Oxfordian (Late Jurassic) of Wyoming, USA, and its place in the evolutionary history of the group. Papers in Palaeontology. 12(5); e70123. DOI: doi.org/10.1002/spp2.70123 [09 September 2026]

[Paleontology • 2026] Invictibellatrix amberina • A new megaraptoran dinosaur (Coelurosauria: Megaraptora) from the Lower Cretaceous Wessex Formation, UK, and its implications for theropod evolution and biogeography

 

 Invictibellatrix amberina
with contemporary fauna in the lower part of the Wessex Formation. 

Morrison, Scherer, Mannion, Porro, Clark, Folkes & Barrett, 2026

DOI: doi.org/10.1098/rsos.260937 

Artwork by Sergey Krasovskiy and Pedro Salas

Abstract

Theropod dinosaur remains from the Barremian (Lower Cretaceous) Wessex Formation of the Isle of Wight, UK, are rare and often fragmentary. Here, we present a previously undescribed braincase from this formation that represents a new coelurosaurian, Invictibellatrix amberina gen. et sp. nov. Phylogenetic analysis and comparative anatomy indicate that Invictibellatrix is distantly related to all previously named theropods from this stratigraphic unit. Theropod braincases are often regarded as morphologically and phylogenetically conservative, but we demonstrate that neurocranial characters provide essential data that can help clarify the phylogenetic relationships of theropods. The sub-circular occipital condyle, sub-oval foramen magnum and presence of a sagittal nuchal crest indicate that Invictibellatrix is referable to Megaraptora, with phylogenetic analyses recovering it as an early-diverging member of this clade, within a paraphyletic array of Eurasian taxa. Incorporation of Invictibellatrix into a biogeographical analysis suggests that non-megaraptorid megaraptorans likely had a cosmopolitan distribution in the Early Cretaceous, and that the absence of megaraptorans in the Late Cretaceous of Laurasia is best explained by regional extinction. The recognition of this new genus increases our knowledge of Early Cretaceous European coelurosaurian diversity, which now includes tyrannosauroids, maniraptoriforms and megaraptorans.

Keywords: megaraptora, endocast, Early Cretaceous, theropod, dinosaur, biogeography, Wessex Formation 

Systematic palaeontology

Dinosauria Owen, 1842

Saurischia Seeley, 1888

Theropoda Marsh, 1881

Tetanurae Gauthier, 1986

Coelurosauria Huene, 1914

Megaraptora

Photographs of the holotype braincase (NHMUK PV R6775) of Invictibellatrix amberina gen. et sp. nov. in A: anterior, B: posterior; C: right lateral; D: left lateral; E: ventral; F: dorsal views.

Abbreviations: atr, anterior tympanic recess; boc, basioccipital crest; bpr, basipterygoid recess; bsr, basisphenoid recess; bt, basal tubera; btw, basituberal web; CN, cranial nerves V, VII; cp, cultriform process; cvl, crista ventrolateralis of basisphenoid; fm, foramen magnum; oc, occipital condyle; ova, fenestra ovalis; pcr, paracondylar recess; pit, depression of the pituitary gland within the pituitary fossa; pp, paraoccipital process; prp, preotic pendant; psncr, parasagittal nuchal crest recess; scr, sub-condylar recess; snc, parasagittal nuchal crest; sok, supraoccipital knob; sta, sella turcica. Scale bar equals 50 mm.

Invictibellatrix amberina gen. et sp. nov.

Etymology: the generic name Invictibellatrix is derived from the Latin ‘invictus’ (‘unconquered’) and ‘bellatrix’ (‘warrior’ in the feminine form) and honours the future role of Megaraptora as Gondwanan apex predators, while early on in their evolutionary history they were smaller, non-apex predators [55–57]. This name is to give hope and strength to all those who are bullied, discriminated, victimized and oppressed that tomorrow will be theirs and not to give up in the face of such odds. The species epithet amberina is derived from the amber present in the plant debris beds of the Wessex Formation [58].

Locality and horizon: Sudmoor Point, near Brook, southwestern coast of the Isle of Wight, UK; Wessex Formation, Barremian, Lower Cretaceous. Most likely from the lower plant debris beds (L1 to L5).

Holotype: NHMUK PV R6775, a partial braincase.

Diagnosis: Invictibellatrix amberina can be diagnosed by the following unique character combination (autapomorphies marked with an asterisk): (i) *presence of a small basipterygoid recess anterior to the anterior tympanic recess (ATR) on each side of the parabasisphenoid, (ii) *slightly transversely compressed, hourglass-shaped nuchal crest, (iii) the presence of two large, deep and dorsoventrally elongate paracondylar recesses on the ventrolateral sides of the basioccipital, and (iv) *parasagittal nuchal crest recesses that are slightly curved and pronounced.

An artist's illustration of the new theropod dinosaur, Invictibellatrix amberina (center of the image), in its ecosystem on the Isle of Wight, United Kingdom, in the Early Cretaceous (around 120 million years ago). It lived in what was likely a seasonally wet-to-dry floodplain environment and is surrounded by other dinosaurs including large long-necked rebbachisaurid sauropods (directly behind Invictibellatrix, center) and relatives of Iguanodon (right). A spinosaurid theropod, potentially the apex predator of the time, fishes (left). Invictibellatrix has just caught and is consuming two small mammals. Gymnosperms dominate the environment as flowering plants (angiosperms) were not common at this time. Other reptiles including relatives of modern lizards, crocodiles and turtles enjoy the warm Early Cretaceous weather of the U.K.

Artwork by Sergey Krasovskiy and Pedro Salas

Cassius Morrison; Charlie R. Scherer; Philip Mannion; Laura B. Porro; Brett Clark; Daniel D. Folkes; Paul M. Barrett. 2026. A new megaraptoran dinosaur from the Lower Cretaceous Wessex Formation, UK, and its implications for theropod evolution and biogeography. R. Soc. Open Sci. 13(10): 260937. DOI: doi.org/10.1098/rsos.260937 [14 Oct 2026]

[Paleontology • 2026] Yuezhuornis yangyuanensis • Jurassic flightless Bird reveals early Ecological Diversity of avialans

Yuezhuornis yangyuanensis

L. Xu, Wang, G. Lin, Dong, Deng, X. Xu, Du, M. Lin, Chen & Zhou, 2026

DOI: doi.org/10.1038/s41586-026-10972-z

Life reconstruction by Min Wang.

 Abstract

The origin and early diversification of birds remain highly debated in vertebrate evolution. Although estimates of the evolutionary timescales suggest a Jurassic period radiation, a profound scarcity of fossils from this period has hampered how the distinctive bird bauplan was assembled. Selection for powered flight has been viewed as the primary driver of early avialan skeletal modifications, attesting to the independent occurrences of aerodynamic features among paravian lineages. Here we report on the discovery of a Late Jurassic avialan, Yuezhuornis yangyuanensis, gen. et sp. nov., from the Zhenghe Fauna of southeastern China. As one of the earliest diverging avialans, Y. yangyuanensis exhibits a striking mosaic of features, combining a mixture of avialan- and troodontid-like cranial characters, paired with derived postcranial traits and a deinonychosaur-like hyperextensible second pedal digit. Phylogenetically informed analyses show that Y. yangyuanensis possesses markedly short forelimbs—a condition present widely among non-avialan theropods. These findings provide strong evidence for a terrestrial, flightless lifestyle of Y. yangyuanensis. Our study demonstrates that evolution works intensively as exemplified by the occurrence of several, divergent ecological pathways being exploited in the initial diversification of birds.

 

Yuezhuornis yangyuanensis, gen. et sp. nov.

Life reconstruction of the Late Jurassic bird Yuezhuornis yangyuanensis.

Artwork by Min Wang.

 

Liming Xu, Min Wang, Ganmin Lin, Liping Dong, Ke Deng, Xing Xu, Honggang Du, Min Lin, Runsheng Chen and Zhonghe Zhou. 2026. Jurassic flightless Bird reveals early Ecological Diversity of avialans. Nature. 658; 690–697. DOI: doi.org/10.1038/s41586-026-10972-z [14 October 2026]

Liming Xu  (徐立明), Min Wang  (王敏), Ganmin Lin  (林淦旻), Liping Dong  (董丽萍), Ke Deng  (邓克), Xing Xu  (徐星), Honggang Du  (杜红岗), Min Lin  (林敏), Runsheng Chen  (陈润生) & Zhonghe Zhou  (周忠和)

[PaleoIchthyology • 2022] Dianodipterus huizeensis • A New dipnoan Genus (Sarcopterygii: Dipnoi) from the Middle Devonian of Huize, Yunnan, China

Dianodipterus huizeensis

Luo, Cui, Qiao & Zhu, 2022

DOI: doi.org/0.1080/14772019.2022.2042409 

 Researchgate.net/publication/359575707

 

Abstract

A new genus and species of tooth-plated lungfishes, Dianodipterus huizeensis gen. et sp. nov., is described from the Qujing Formation (late Eifelian, Middle Devonian) of Huize County, Qujing, north-eastern Yunnan, China. It differs from other lungfishes in the small proportion of the tooth-bearing part on the pterygoid (less than one-quarter), the extensively developed anteromedial edentulous portion of the pterygoid, and tooth rows few in number (only four). Phylogenetic analysis reveals that Dianodipterus is more plesiomorphic than Dipterus, yet crownward of Melanognathus. As the ninth Devonian lungfish genus from China, the new taxon displays a novel schema of lungfish dentition and increases the diversity of early lungfishes.

Keywords: Dipnoi, Middle Devonian, dentition, vomer, phylogeny, China

Dianodipterus huizeensis gen. et sp. nov.

Yanchao Luo, Xindong Cui, Tuo Qiao and Min Zhu. 2022. A New dipnoan Genus from the Middle Devonian of Huize, Yunnan, China. Journal of Systematic Palaeontology. 19(18); 1303-1315 DOI: doi.org/0.1080/14772019.2022.2042409 [29 Mar 2022]

 Researchgate.net/publication/359575707_A_new_dipnoan_genus_from_the_Middle_Devonian_of_Huize_Yunnan_China

x.com/ChinaScience/status/1514136308083412994

[PaleoIchthyology • 2026] Talentichthys kuragh • A new Devonian lungfish (Dipnoi: Holodontidae) from the western Karakoram of northern Pakistan

Talentichthys kuragh 

Young & Lu, 2026

DOI: doi.org/10.1016/j.palwor.2026.201130  

https://www.IVPP.ac.cn 

Abstract

A well-preserved sarcopterygian fish skull from the Famennian (Upper Devonian) Shogrãm Formation, of the Chitral region, northern Pakistan, is described. Collected as a calcareous nodule by J.A. Talent and colleagues, it has been investigated using high-resolution computed tomography to reveal the internal cranial architecture. It represents a new genus and species of tooth-plated, cosmine-covered dipnoan (lungfish), Talentichthys kuragh n. gen. n. sp., distinguished from all previously described Devonian dipnoans by its deep nasal notches, elongate narrow subnasal ridge, and uniquely shaped olfactory cavities. Additional specimens from the type locality, showing additional aspects of morphology, will be necessary to clarify the phylogenetic position of the new form within the Dipnoi.

Keywords: Devonian lungfish; Dipnoi; Talentichthys; Famennian; northern Pakistan

ANU V3736, holotype of Talentichthys kuragh n. gen. n. sp., the anterior portion of a lungfish skull preserved in calcareous matrix.
(A) Dorsal view. (B) Ventral view. (C) Anterior view.

ioc, infraorbital sensory canal; ri, dentine ridge; ?ri, broken possible lateral dentine ridge; snr, subnasal ridge; soc, supraorbital sensory canal; t, tooth; TP, tooth-plate.

Systematic palaeontology

Class Osteichthyes Huxley, 1880

Subclass Sarcopterygii Romer, 1955

Superdivision Dipnomorpha Ahlberg, 1991

Division Dipnoi Müller, 1845

Family Holodontidae Gorizdro-Kulczyzka, 1950

Genus Talentichthys n. gen.

Etymology: The generic name commemorates Professor John Talent, with -ichthys (Gk) for fish.

 

Diagnosis: A tooth-plated, cosmine-covered dipnoan with deep notches for the anterior (incurrent) nares, elongate subnasal ridges, and the nasal cavity subdivided dorsally into a posteromesial reniform recess, and an anterolateral subdivision elongated rostrocaudally that extends as a groove to the nasal notch.

Remarks: The new taxon is represented by only one incomplete anterior skull portion, which displays nasal notches in the upper mouth margin, a long and deep nasal groove, prominent subnasal ridge and a pterygoid tooth plate. These features demonstrate dipnoan affinity, and are not consistent with porolepiforms, the other major dipnomorph subgroup, in which cosmine-covered forms are predominantly of Early Devonian age. We provisionally refer Talentichthys n. gen. to the family Holodontidae, based on the updated diagnosis and comprehensive review of the family provided by Long (2010). Although very incomplete, our new taxon displays features not shown in any previously described dipnoan. Further material from the Karakoram type area (currently inaccessible) will clarify the relationships of the new taxon.

Talentichthys kuragh n. gen. n. sp.

Etymology: The specific epithet is the local term ‘Kurãgh’ from the name of the stratigraphic section of Talent et al. (1999) which produced the specimen.

 

Locality and horizon: Collected from about 63 m above the base of the Kurãgh Spur stratigraphic section of Talent et al. (1999), about 55 km northeast of Chitral, northern Pakistan (Fig. 1), within the Upper Devonian (Famennian) Shogrãm Formation.

Holotype: ANU V3736, the only known specimen (ANU Department of Materials Physics, Research School of Physics, Canberra).

 Gavin C. Young and Jing Lu. 2026. A new Devonian lungfish from the western Karakoram of northern Pakistan. Palaeoworld. 35(5): 201130. DOI: doi.org/10.1016/j.palwor.2026.201130  [2026-10-09]

“喜马拉雅化石骗局”的回响——西喀喇昆仑泥盆纪肺鱼新知

https://www.IVPP.ac.cn/xwdt/kyjz/202610/t20261007_8289394.html

[PaleoIchthyology • 2026] Yipetalichthys maxiongensis • A New quasipetalichthyid placoderm from the Middle Devonian of China

 

 Yipetalichthys maxiongensis

 Pan, Dupret, Ahlberg, Zhao, Wang, Wang & Zhu, 2026

DOI: doi.org/10.1002/spp2.70124  

 www.IVPP.ac.cn 

Abstract

We describe Yipetalichthys maxiongensis gen. et sp. nov., a quasipetalichthyid placoderm from the Eifelian Shangshuanghe Formation (Qujing, Yunnan, China). High-resolution micro-CT reveals an endocranium bearing cranial nerve grooves and inner ear structures. The dermal neck joint permits a quantitative character, the angle between the ventral laminar ridge (v.l.r) and the skull-roof midline. Current specimens yield two non-overlapping bins (state 0: ≤15°; state 1: ≥28°), separating Macropetalichthyidae and Quasipetalichthyidae; the 15–28° interval is unsampled and the threshold remains testable with new material. Expanded parsimony analysis, adding Yipetalichthys and six additional ptyctodont taxa, recovers Petalichthyida as sister to Ptyctodontida and places Yipetalichthys within Quasipetalichthyidae. The diagnosis includes large unenclosed elliptical orbits, slender unbifid postorbital processes, an elongate occipital region, and a shallow posterolateral vagus canal. Yipetalichthys shows a high v.l.r angle, supporting its quasipetalichthyid placement and providing a reproducible metric for future comparisons across articulated specimens. Our analysis of the neck joint helps to clarify petalichthyid phylogeny and identifies distinct, recurring architectures among major placoderm groups: in Antiarcha, a reverse sliding joint; in Petalichthyida, an elaborate sliding joint guided by the ventral laminar ridge with laminar cranial articular facets forming a longitudinal sliding track opposing the articular flanges of the anterior dorsolateral plate (ADL); in Ptyctodontida, a sliding joint with spoon-shaped cranial articular facets opposing ADL articular flanges; in Actinolepidoidei, a simple sliding condition; in Brachythoraci, a ginglymoid joint. These distinct neck joint architectures demonstrate the high evolutionary plasticity of this structure and its multiple, independent pathways toward cranial mobility in placoderms.

Yipetalichthys maxiongensis gen. et sp. nov.

 

Zhaohui Pan, Vincent Dupret, Per E. Ahlberg, Wenjin Zhao, Jianhua Wang, Mengjun Wang and Min Zhu. 2026. A New quasipetalichthyid placoderm from the Middle Devonian of China. Papers in Palaeontology. DOI: doi.org/10.1002/spp2.70124 [24 September 2026] 

DeepBone团队发现瓣甲鱼新属种，揭示颈胸关节演化新线索

https://www.IVPP.ac.cn/xwdt/kyjz/202609/t20260928_8287312.html