[Paleontology • 2025] Obelignathus septimanicus • Exploring the Diversity and Disparity of rhabdodontomorph Ornithopods from the Late Cretaceous European Archipelago

  

Obelignathus septimanicus  Buffetaut & Le Loeuff, 1991

in Czepiński et Madzia, 2025. 

DOI: doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-98083-z  

 facebook.com/LukaszCzepinski 

  x.com/DanielMadzia

 Artwork by Edyta Felcyn-Kowalska

Abstract

The origin and early diversification of ornithopods, a major clade of ornithischian dinosaurs, remain poorly understood, with conflicting phylogenetic hypotheses regarding rootward neornithischian relationships. Some topological stability is inferred near the basal divergence of Iguanodontia, though the ingroup relationships remain unclear. For instance, Rhabdodontidae, a clade of Late Cretaceous European ornithopods ‘traditionally’ considered to include eight to nine species, presents significant taxonomic challenges. We explore the diversity and disparity of European Rhabdodon-lineage iguanodontians. We assembled a novel dataset comprising morphological and morphometric data obtained from rhabdodontomorph dentaries, which are abundant, well-preserved in the majority of the taxa, and distinctive. Special attention is given to Rhabdodon septimanicus, a poorly known taxon from the upper Campanian to lower Maastrichtian of southern France, established based on a particularly robust dentary bone that has been subjected to conflicting taxonomic interpretations. Our restudy of the specimen, combined with a multivariate and phylogenetic assessment, shows that this taxon is a clear morphological outlier among European rhabdodontomorphs, providing a basis for its assignment to a new genus, Obelignathus. Although further large-scale studies, especially detailed osteological descriptions, are needed to clarify the taxonomic significance of certain European rhabdodontomorphs, our results indicate that the group exhibits greater diversity than currently recognized, with several sympatric taxa co-occurring, at least in southern France and possibly also in Romania.

Obelignathus septimanicus gen. et comb. nov. holotype, MDE D30 from the ‘Grès à Reptiles’ Formation of Montouliers, southern France.
Photographs and photogrammetric models of the right dentary in dorsal (A), anterior (B), medial (C), and lateral (D) views.

Life restoration of Obelignathus septimanicus gen. et comb. nov. in the Late Cretaceous environment recorded in the ‘Grès à Reptiles’ Formation, with a pair of dromaeosaurid dinosaurs in the background.

 Artwork by Edyta Felcyn-Kowalska (CC BY 4.0).

 

Łukasz Czepiński and Daniel Madzia. 2025. Exploring the Diversity and Disparity of rhabdodontomorph Ornithopods from the Late Cretaceous European Archipelago. Scientific Reports. 15: 15209. DOI: doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-98083-z [30 April 2025]

  facebook.com/LukaszCzepinski/posts/10238804784762400

  x.com/DanielMadzia/status/1917550382626267474

  

[Paleontology • 2023] Ferussina petofiana (Gastropoda: Caenogastropoda: Cyclophoridae) • the Oldest representative of its subfamily from the Late Cretaceous of Romania

Ferussina petofiana Páll-Gergely, 

  

in Páll-Gergely, Magyar, Csiki-Sava et Botfalvai, 2023. 

DOI: 10.17109/AZH.69.4.337.2023 

 Researchgate.net/publication/374571540

Artwork by Márton Zsoldos  facebook.com: Zsoldos Paleo Art

  

Abstract

The terrestrial gastropod Ferussina petofiana Páll-Gergely sp. n. is described from uppermost Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) deposits from the Haţeg Basin, Romania. It represents the first properly diagnosed and described snail taxon from these deposits, despite numerous earlier reports of gastropod occurrences. This new species is characterized by a depressed, mostly smooth shell, three spiral carinae on the ventral side (inside the umbilicus), and an upward-turning aperture. The last feature characterizes two European fossil snail genera, the cyclophoroidean Ferussina, and the stylommatophoran Strophostomella. The new species is classified in the former group due to its nearly circular aperture, and the presence of conspicuous spiral carinae. In contrast, the aperture of most stylommatophoran genera (including Strophostomella) is semilunar, and if raised sculptural elements are present, they are mostly radially oriented. The identification of this new taxon in the uppermost Cretaceous of Romania represents an important range extension for the genus Ferussina, and adds it to the brief list of European clades that appear to have survived the mass extinction event at the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary.

 

Keywords: Maastrichtian, Strophostomella, Anostomopsidae, Paleogene, K-Pg boundary

Holotype and only specimen of Ferussina petofiana Páll-Gergely, sp. n.:
 A–D, F = vari-ous views of the shell; E = aperture; G: protoconch and first teleoconch whorls; H = Arrows on Fig. E indicate the positions of the spiral carinae

Artistic reconstruction of Ferussina petofiana Páll-Gergely, sp. n.

 (artwork by Márton Zsoldos)

Barna Páll-Gergely, János Magyar, Zoltán Csiki-Sava and Gábor Botfalvai. 2023. Ferussina petofiana sp. n. (Gastropoda, Caenogastropoda, Cyclophoridae), the Oldest representative of its subfamily from the Late Cretaceous of Romania. Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae. 69(4) 337-352. DOI: 10.17109/AZH.69.4.337.2023  

Researchgate.net/publication/374571540_Ferussina_petofiana_from_the_Late_Cretaceous_of_Romania

 twitter.com/bakonyi_gabor/status/1711438594869506061

 facebook.com/100057533405806/posts/824628156131624

  

[Entomology • 2023] Commatarcha galicicae • A Genus New for Europe (Lepidoptera: Carposinidae)

Commatarcha galicicae Tokár & Srnka, 

in Tokár, Srnka et Mutanen, 2023. 

 DOI: 10.3897/nl.46.90182

 

Abstract

Commatarcha galicicae Tokár & Srnka, sp. nov. is described from specimens taken in two south-eastern European localities, the Galičica Mountain in North Macedonia, and Dubova in Banat, Romania. The new species belongs to the genus Commatarcha Meyrick, 1935, which is new for the European Lepidoptera fauna. It resembles some Asian species from this genus and also the American species Bondia comonana (Kearfott, 1907) in external characters. In the genitalia of both sexes, it is similar to C. oresbia Diakonoff, 1989 but differs markedly in the colour and pattern of the forewing. The immature stages of the new species are unknown. Colour photographs of the adults and of the habitat are included with illustrations of the female and male genitalia.

Commatarcha galicicae Tokár & Srnka, sp. nov., female, holotype, Galičica Planina, 27–29.vi.2016. Scale bar: 3.0 mm.

Commatarcha galicicae Tokár & Srnka, sp. nov.,   
heads 4. Female, holotype, Galičica Planina, 27–29.vi.2016; 5. Male, paratype, Galičica Planina, 14.vii.2021.
2-3. males, paratypes, Galičica Planina, 14.vii.2021. Scale bar: 3.0 mm.

 Commatarcha galicicae Tokár & Srnka, sp. nov.

Diagnosis: 

The male and female genitalia of Commatarcha galicicae Tokár & Srnka, sp. nov. closely resemble those of C. oresbia. The male genitalia of the new species differ from C. oresbia mainly in having an indistinct uncus, and the vinculum and saccus wide and V-shaped, whilst in the latter the uncus is a small, sclerotised triangle, and the vinculum and saccus is long and rather slender. In the female genitalia, the new species can be distinguished from C. oresbia by the different characters of the ostium and ductus bursae; posterior margin of the ostium bursae and the margins of the colliculum being concave, whilst in C. oresbia they are convex.

In addition, both species differ significantly from each other in external appearance. Externally the new species is somewhat similar to several Chinese Commatarcha species (C. acidodes, C. convoluta, C. fanjingshana), but perhaps the most similar looking species is the American species Bondia comonana. However, all these species differ considerably in the structure of the genitalia of both sexes.

Etymology: The specific name galicicae, a noun in the genitive case, is derived from the Galičica Mountain, where the first specimens of the new species were discovered.

Zdenko Tokár, Ľubomír Srnka and Marko Mutanen. 2023. Commatarcha galicicae Tokár & Srnka, sp. nov., and A Genus New for Europe (Lepidoptera, Carposinidae). Nota Lepidopterologica. 46: 19-29. DOI: 10.3897/nl.46.90182

[Paleontology • 2023] The Rhabdodontidae (Dinosauria: Ornithischia), An enigmatic Dinosaur Group endemic to the Late Cretaceous European Archipelago

From left to right: 

Mochlodon suessi from eastern Austria (the smallest member of the group), 
Rhabdodon priscus from southern France (the largest member of the group), and 
Transylvanosaurus platycephalus from western Romania (the most recently named member of the group).

 in Augustin, Ősi & Csiki-Sava, 2023.

DOI: 10.3897/fr.26.108967

Abstract

The Rhabdodontidae was one of the most important dinosaur groups inhabiting the Late Cretaceous European Archipelago. Currently, the clade comprises nine species within six genera, which have been found in southern France, northern Spain, eastern Austria, western Hungary and western Romania, ranging from the Santonian to the late Maastrichtian. Phylogenetic analyses consistently place the Rhabdodontidae at the very base of the iguanodontian radiation, whereas the in-group relationships of rhabdodontids are relatively poorly understood; nevertheless, the clade seems to have had a rather complicated biogeographical history. Generally, rhabdodontids were small- to medium-sized, probably habitually bipedal herbivores, characterised by a rather stocky build and a comparatively large, triangular skull. Several lines of evidence suggest that they were presumably gregarious animals, as well as selective browsers that fed on fibrous plants and occupied different ecological niches than sympatric herbivorous dinosaur clades. Moreover, the sympatry of at least two rhabdodontid taxa was rather common and can be explained, at least in some instances, by niche partitioning. While rhabdodontids disappeared prior to the K/Pg extinction event in Western Europe, they survived close to the end of the Cretaceous in Eastern Europe, where they were amongst the last non-avian dinosaurs still present before the end of the Cretaceous. In this paper, we provide an overview of the rhabdodontid taxonomic history, diversity, phylogenetic relationships and palaeobiogeographic history, as well as palaeoecology and extinction. In addition, we also highlight still open questions on each of these topics and suggest potential future research directions.

Key Words: Iguanodontia, Late Cretaceous European Archipelago, palaeobiogeography, palaeoecology, Rhabdodontidae, taxonomy

Life reconstructions and size comparison of three rhabdodontids.
From left to right: Mochlodon suessi from eastern Austria (the smallest member of the group), Rhabdodon priscus from southern France (the largest member of the group), and Transylvanosaurus platycephalus from western Romania (the most recently named member of the group).

Also shown is the silhoutte of a human (1.8 m tall) for scale.

Reconstruction by Peter Nickolaus

    Felix J. Augustin, Attila Ősi and Zoltán Csiki-Sava. 2023. The Rhabdodontidae (Dinosauria, Ornithischia), An enigmatic Dinosaur Group endemic to the Late Cretaceous European Archipelago. Fossil Record. 26(2): 171-189. DOI: 10.3897/fr.26.108967

[Paleontology • 2022] Transylvanosaurus platycephalus • A New Ornithopod Dinosaur (Ornithischia: Ornithopoda: Rhabdodontidae) from the Upper Cretaceous of the Haţeg Basin, Romania

Transylvanosaurus platycephalus 

Augustin, Bastiaans, Dumbravă & Csiki-Sava, 2022

DOI: 10.1080/02724634.2022.2133610 

ABSTRACT

Rhabdodontid dinosaurs were a group of medium-sized iguanodontian ornithopods from the Late Cretaceous of Europe. The uppermost Cretaceous continental deposits from the Haţeg Basin of western Romania yielded a very rich assemblage of vertebrates including abundant rhabdodontid remains, which have been exclusively referred to the genus Zalmoxes thus far. Here we describe a new rhabdodontid dinosaur, Transylvanosaurus platycephalus gen. et sp. nov., from the uppermost Cretaceous of the Haţeg Basin. The holotype of the new taxon was discovered in early–late Maastrichtian strata near Pui in the eastern part of the basin and comprises the articulated basicranium and both frontals. Transylvanosaurus differs from all previously reported rhabdodontids in having particularly wide and crested frontals, elongated and straight paroccipital processes that make only a gentle lateral curve and project mostly posterolaterally, prominent and massive prootic processes that extend mainly anterolaterally and ventrally, wide and crest-like basal tubera that meet the long axis of the braincase at a very flat angle, widely splayed basipterygoid processes that extend mainly ventrolaterally and slightly anteriorly, as well as a well-developed notch on the lateral side of the basicranium that is continuous, straight, and inclined anteroventrally. Phylogenetic analyses employing two different datasets consistently recovered the new taxon within the Rhabdodontidae, at the base of the iguanodontian radiation. Based on the morphological comparisons presented herein, we propose a particularly close relationship between Transylvanosaurus and Rhabdodon from southern France, which in turn provides evidence for a more complex biogeographic history of the Rhabdodontidae than previously thought.

 Transylvanosaurus platycephalus gen. et sp. nov.

 

Felix J. Augustin, Dylan Bastiaans, Mihai D. Dumbravă and Zoltán Csiki-Sava. 2022. A New Ornithopod Dinosaur, Transylvanosaurus platycephalus gen. et sp. nov. (Dinosauria: Ornithischia), from the Upper Cretaceous of the Haţeg Basin, Romania. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.  e2133610. DOI: 10.1080/02724634.2022.2133610 

twitter.com/tandfnewsroom/status/1596095164057100288

[PaleoMammalogy • 2021] Smutsia olteniensis • The Youngest Pangolin (Mammalia, Pholidota) from Europe

Smutsia olteniensis

Terhune, Gaudin, Curran & Petculescu, 2021

 DOI: 10.1080/02724634.2021.1990075

ABSTRACT

The fossil record for pangolins is sparse. Current biogeographic data suggest this clade originated in Europe, though pangolins seem to have disappeared from the European paleontological record during the middle Miocene, when they were hypothesized to have been pushed toward more tropical and sub-tropical equatorial environments due to global cooling trends. Here we report on a nearly complete humerus of a pangolin from the early Pleistocene (∼2.2–1.9 Ma) site of Grăunceanu, Romania. This fossil revises this previous understanding of pangolin evolution and biogeography and represents both the youngest fossil pangolin from Europe and the only fossil from Pleistocene Europe. The new species described here, Smutsia olteniensis, sp. nov., shares several synapomorphic traits with other Smutsia species, which are currently found only in Africa. However, relative to extant Smutsia, it has several unique traits that set it apart, including a longer and narrower entepicondyle, an enlarged supinator crest, and an enlarged greater tubercle. Together this unique suite of features justifies the description of a new species. This specimen definitively demonstrates that pangolins were present in Europe during the Pleistocene. Further, Smutsia has previously been thought to be an African taxon, with the oldest specimen from South Africa at ∼5 Ma and living species found across Africa. This specimen now demonstrates that Smutsia previously had a far larger biogeographic range. Finally, Grăunceanu has been reconstructed to have consisted of relatively open grasslands and woodlands, which is an unusual habitat for most pangolins.

 

Claire E. Terhune, Timothy Gaudin, Sabrina Curran and Alexandru Petculescu. 2021. The Youngest Pangolin (Mammalia, Pholidota) from Europe. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. e1990075. DOI: 10.1080/02724634.2021.1990075

 news.uark.edu/articles/58635/researchers-discover-fossil-of-new-species-of-pangolin-in-europe

 phys.org/news/2022-01-fossil-species-pangolin-europe.html

[Paleontology • 2020] Albadraco tharmisensis • A New Species of Large-sized Pterosaur from the Maastrichtian of Transylvania (Romania)

Albadraco tharmisensis 

Solomon, Codrea, Venczel & Grellet-Tinner, 2020

 DOI: 10.1016/j.cretres.2019.104316

Highlights: 

• A new large-sized azhdarchid pterosaur is described.

• Although not fully-grown, Albadraco represents a new azhdarchid species.

• It is intermediate between giant and medium-sized azhdarchids.

• It indicates highly diverse ecosystems from Hațeg Island.

ABSTRACT

The Upper Cretaceous “Hațeg Island” is not only renowned mostly for its peculiar assemblage of dwarf dinosaurs, but also for its Azhdarchidae pterosaurs including giant specimens (e.g. Hatzegopteryx thambema) and medium-sized ones (e.g. Eurazhdarcho langendorfensis), discovered in the Hațeg and Transylvanian basins of Romania. Here, we report a new species of azhdarchid pterosaur, Albadraco tharmisensis gen. et sp. nov. The material refers to two well-preserved “beak” fragments and a cervical vertebra. These fossils were discovered together in a fossil assemblage in the Maastrichtian Șard Formation, located in the southwestern area of the Transylvanian Basin (Alba District, Romania). The association of a premaxilla and a mandibular symphysis from the same specimen is the first ever reported in Europe. The fourth cervical exhibits the best three-dimensional preservation of any azhdarchid mid-cervical vertebra in Transylvania, as all specimens reported previously are poorly preserved (e.g. in E. langendorfensis) or incomplete like the specimen from Pui with a broken condyle. Albadraco tharmisensis represents a new species of a large–sized azhdarchid from the “Hațeg Island”. Its size fits between that of E. langendorfensis and H. thambema, hence confirming the co-existence of medium, large, and giant–sized azhdarchids during the Maastrichtian in Transylvania. The possibility of Ad. tharmisensis being a young Hatzegopteryx is also discussed.

Keywords: Azhdarchidae, beak, Europe, Transylvanian Basin, Maastrichtian

Albadraco tharmisensis gen. et sp. nov.

 Alexandru A. Solomon, Vlad A. Codrea, Márton Venczel and Gerald Grellet-Tinner. 2019. A New Species of Large-sized Pterosaur from the Maastrichtian of Transylvania (Romania). Cretaceous Research. In Press. DOI: 10.1016/j.cretres.2019.104316

     

[Botany • 2017] Hieracium joannei • A New Species and A New Range Extension in Hieracium sect. Cernua (Asteraceae) from Romania

Hieracium joannei Szeląg

 DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.309.2.9 

 Abstract 

Hieracium joannei, a new, apomictic species in H. sect. Cernua is described from the Şureanu Mountains, Southern Carpathians, Romania, and illustrated with photos of the holotype and living plants in the locus classicus. Hieracium zanogae (= H. tubulare), previously considered to be endemic to the Retezat Mountains, has been found in the Parâng Mountains. This is the easternmost occurrence of the species, disjoined ca 50 km from the nearest localities in the Retezat Mountains. A key for the species of H. sect. Cernua in Romania is provided.

Key words: Carpathians, Compositae, Hieracium, taxonomy

Figure 3. Hieracium joannei: flowering plants in the locus classicus.

Hieracium joannei Szeląg, sp. nov. 

 Type:— Romania. Southern Carpathians, Şureanu Mountains, SE slope of Muntele Pravăţ ridge. ...

  

Distribution and habitats:— Endemic to the Şureanu Mountains, Southern Carpathians, known only from the type gathering; nevertheless its occurrence in the adjacent Parâng Mountains has been expected. The population of Hieracium joannei was composed of a few hundred flowering plants growing on a south-facing slope covered by grassy vegetation and Brucenthalia spiculifolia, and on siliceous rocks and crevices along the Picea abies forest margin. 

Mode of reproduction:— Agamospermous. 

Etymology:—The new species is named in honour of Dr. hab. Jan (Latin: Joannes) Bodziarczyk, University of Agriculture in Cracow, who accompanied me on a field trip to Romania in July 2014. 

Zbigniew Szeląg. 2017. A New Species and A New Range Extension in Hieracium sect. Cernua (Asteraceae) from Romania. Phytotaxa. 309(2); 173–178.   DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.309.2.9

  

[Botany • 2017] Validating the Systematic Placement of Eriosynaphe in the Genus Ferula (Apiaceae: Scandiceae: Ferulinae) Linked with the Description of Ferula mikraskythiana sp. nov. from Romania

Ferula mikraskythiana Mátis, A.Z.Szabó & L.Bartha

DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.298.3.3  BirdLife.org 

Abstract

The genus Eriosynaphe had a peculiar taxonomic history by having been considered also as member of the genus Johrenia in addition to originally having been established in Ferula. It has traditionally been regarded as monotypic and no previous molecular study examined its phylogenetic position. Based on sequences of the nrDNA ITS region, here we show that Eriosynaphe is ‘deeply’ nested in one of the well supported and repeatedly recognised clades of Ferula, thus arguing for its return to the genus Ferula. Additionally, a new species, Ferula mikraskythiana endemic to the Dobrogea region of southeastern Romania is described in the present paper. This species, with its overall habit and mericarp structure, closely resembles Eriosynaphe longifolia though it differs from the latter by its much larger stature, the morphology of the leaf terminal lobes and a distinct phenology. Moreover, F. mikraskythiana is a narrow endemic to a region beyond (westward to) the wide distribution range of E. longifolia.

Keywords: Dobrogea, morphology, new species, nrDNA ITS, phylogeny, taxonomy, Umbelliferae, Eudicots

Ferula mikraskythiana Mátis, A.Z.Szabó & L.Bartha, sp. nov. 

Etymology:— The specific epithet refers to the ancient Greek name Mikrá Skythia (Μικρὰ Σκυθία) of the historical region Scythia Minor or Lesser Scythia, where this species was found. This area, situated between the lower Danube River and the Black Sea, roughly corresponds to what is known today as Dobruja, a region shared by Romania and Bulgaria (Romanian: Dobrogea; Bulgarian: Добруджа, Dobrudža). This is in contrast to the presumably related E. longifolia, distributed along the historical region known as Great Scythia (the Pontic-Caspian steppe of Ukraine, southern Russia, and western Kazakhstan).

Attila Mátis, Anna Szabó, Dmitry Lyskov, Gábor Sramkó, Thomas Kuhn, Alexandru S. Bădărău and László Bartha. 2017. Validating the Systematic Placement of Eriosynaphe in the Genus Ferula (Apiaceae: Scandiceae: Ferulinae) Linked with the Description of Ferula mikraskythiana sp. nov. from Romania.  Phytotaxa. 298(3); 239–252. DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.298.3.3

Discovery! New plant species in Romania | BirdLife https://shar.es/1RGW5n

http://news.ubbcluj.ro/hu/ferula-mikraskythiana-a-tudomanyra-nezve-uj-ernyosviragzatu-novenyfajt-fedeztek-fel-dobrudzsaban-a-bbte-munkatarsai/

    

[Paleontology • 2017] Neck Biomechanics indicate that Giant Transylvanian Azhdarchid Pterosaurs, Hatzegopteryx sp., were Short-necked Arch Predators

 Transylvanian giant azhdarchid pterosaur Hatzegopteryx sp. preys on the rhabdodontid iguanodontian Zalmoxes. Because large predatory theropods are unknown on Late Cretaceous Haţeg Island, giant azhdarchids may have played a key role as terrestrial predators in this community. 

DOI:   10.7717/peerj.2908 

Abstract

Azhdarchid pterosaurs include the largest animals to ever take to the skies with some species exceeding 10 metres in wingspan and 220 kg in mass. Associated skeletons show that azhdarchids were long-necked, long-jawed predators that combined a wing planform suited for soaring with limb adaptations indicative of quadrupedal terrestrial foraging. The postcranial proportions of the group have been regarded as uniform overall, irrespective of their overall size, notwithstanding suggestions that minor variation may have been present. Here, we discuss a recently discovered giant azhdarchid neck vertebra referable to Hatzegopteryx from the Maastrichtian Sebeş Formation of the Transylvanian Basin, Romania, which shows how some azhdarchids departed markedly from conventional views on their proportions. This vertebra, which we consider a cervical VII, is 240 mm long as preserved and almost as wide. Among azhdarchid cervicals, it is remarkable for the thickness of its cortex (4–6 mm along its ventral wall) and robust proportions. By comparing its dimensions to other giant azhdarchid cervicals and to the more completely known necks of smaller taxa, we argue that Hatzegopteryx had a proportionally short, stocky neck highly resistant to torsion and compression. This specimen is one of several hinting at greater disparity within Azhdarchidae than previously considered, but is the first to demonstrate such proportional differences within giant taxa. On the assumption that other aspects of Hatzegopteryx functional anatomy were similar to those of other azhdarchids, and with reference to the absence of large terrestrial predators in the Maastrichtian of Transylvania, we suggest that this pterosaur played a dominant predatory role among the unusual palaeofauna of ancient Haţeg.

Figure 9: Diversity in predicted life appearance and ecologies for giant azhdarchid pterosaurs.

(A) two giant, long-necked azhdarchids—the Maastrichtian species Arambourgiania philadelphiae—argue over a small theropod;
(B) the similarly sized but more powerful Maastrichtian, Transylvanian giant azhdarchid pterosaur Hatzegopteryx sp. preys on the rhabdodontid iguanodontian Zalmoxes. Because large predatory theropods are unknown on Late Cretaceous Haţeg Island, giant azhdarchids may have played a key role as terrestrial predators in this community. 

Darren Naish​​ and Mark P. Witton​. 2017. Neck Biomechanics indicate that Giant Transylvanian Azhdarchid Pterosaurs were Short-necked Arch Predators.
   PeerJ. 5:e2908. DOI:   10.7717/peerj.2908

  

[Ichthyology • 2016] Barbus biharicus • Phylogenetic Evidence for A New Species of Barbus in the Danube River Basin

Biharian Barbel | Barbus biharicus

Antal, László & Kotlík, 2016  

 DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2015.11.023

Highlights

• Currently, three species of rheophilic barbels are recognized from the Danube basin.
• New samples from the Hungarian plain were sequenced for mtDNA and nuclear markers.
• Barbels from Sebes-Körös River form a new clade and differ morphologically.
• The newly discovered lineage is described here as Barbus biharicus sp. nov.

Abstract
Three species of small-sized rheophilic Barbus fishes are endemic to and widely distributed throughout the mountain regions in the Danube River basin. In Hungary, barbels referred to as B. petenyi occur in streams in the foothills of the Carpathians near the borders with Slovakia, Ukraine and Romania. However, up to now, no genetic investigations were carried out on rheophilic barbels in this region. This study aims to clarify the taxonomic identity and distribution of the rheophilic barbels in the Hungarian plain based on molecular and morphological analyses. Two mitochondrial genes (cytochrome b, ATPase 6/8) and one nuclear gene (beta-actin intron 2) were sequenced and several morphometric and meristic characters were recorded. Phylogenetic and morphological analyses revealed that there are four genetically distinct lineages among the rheophilic barbels in the Carpathian Basin. The results demonstrated that North-Hungarian Barbus populations belong to B. carpathicus and that B. petenyi presumably does not occur in Hungary. As expected, B. balcanicus was only recorded in samples from the Balkans analyzed for reference. A distinct species, new to science, was discovered to be present in Sebes-Körös River (Crişul Repede) in eastern Hungary and western Romania and is formally described here as Barbus biharicus Antal, László, Kotlík – sp. nov.

 Antal, L., László, B., Kotlík, P., Mozsár, A., Czeglédi, I., Oldal, M., Kemenesi, G., Jakab, F. and Nagy, S.A. 2016. Phylogenetic Evidence for A New Species of Barbus in the Danube River Basin. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 96: 187–194.  DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2015.11.023

A tudomány előtt eddig ismeretlen új halfajt fedeztek fel a Körösben! - Ecolounge http://ecolounge.hu/vadon/a-tudomany-elott-eddig-ismeretlen-uj-halfajt-fedeztek-fel-a-korosben via @ecolounge_hu

[Paleontology • 2015] The Phylogenetic Affinities of the Bizarre Late Cretaceous Romanian Theropod Balaur bondoc (Dinosauria, Maniraptora): Dromaeosaurid or Flightless Bird?

Balaur bondoc

 illustration: Emily Willoughby  via theropoda.blogspot.com DOI: 10.7717/PeerJ.1032

Abstract

The exceptionally well-preserved Romanian dinosaur Balaur bondoc is the most complete theropod known to date from the Upper Cretaceous of Europe. Previous studies of this remarkable taxon have included its phylogenetic interpretation as an aberrant dromaeosaurid with velociraptorine affinities. However, Balaur displays a combination of both apparently plesiomorphic and derived bird-like characters. Here, we analyse those features in a phylogenetic revision and show how they challenge its referral to Dromaeosauridae. Our reanalysis of two distinct phylogenetic datasets focusing on basal paravian taxa supports the reinterpretation of Balaur as an avialan more crownward than Archaeopteryx but outside of Pygostylia, and as a flightless taxon within a paraphyletic assemblage of long-tailed birds. Our placement of Balaur within Avialae is not biased by character weighting. The placement among dromaeosaurids resulted in a suboptimal alternative that cannot be rejected based on the data to hand. Interpreted as a dromaeosaurid, Balaur has been assumed to be hypercarnivorous and predatory, exhibiting a peculiar morphology influenced by island endemism. However, a dromaeosaurid-like ecology is contradicted by several details of Balaur’s morphology, including the loss of a third functional manual digit, the non-ginglymoid distal end of metatarsal II, and a non-falciform ungual on the second pedal digit that lacks a prominent flexor tubercle. Conversely, an omnivorous ecology is better supported by Balaur’s morphology and is consistent with its phylogenetic placement within Avialae. Our reinterpretation of Balaur implies that a superficially dromaeosaurid-like taxon represents the enlarged, terrestrialised descendant of smaller and probably volant ancestors.

Speculative skeletal reconstruction for Balaur bondoc, showing known elements in white and unknown elements in grey. Note that the integument would presumably have substantially altered the outline of the animal in life

qilong.wordpress.com || DOI: 10.7717/PeerJ.1032

Reconstruction of Balaur bondoc, by Emily Willoughby
based on the new interpretation of Cau et al. (2015)

via theropoda.blogspot.com DOI: 10.7717/PeerJ.1032

DOI: 10.7717/PeerJ.1032

Andrea Cau​, Tom Brougham​ and Darren Naish​. 2015. The Phylogenetic Affinities of the Bizarre Late Cretaceous Romanian Theropod Balaur bondoc (Dinosauria, Maniraptora): Dromaeosaurid or Flightless Bird? PeerJ. 3: E1032. DOI: dx.doi.org/10.7717/peerj.1032

http://theropoda.blogspot.com/2015/06/dodoraptor-returns.html
https://qilong.wordpress.com/2015/06/18/the-stocky-dragon/
twitter.com/TomHoltzPaleo/status/611508386383982594

Zoltán Csiki, Mátyás Vremir, Stephen L. Brusatte and Mark A. Norell. 2010. An Aberrant Island-Dwelling Theropod Dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous of Romania. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 107: 15357-15361. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1006970107

[Paleontology • 2013] Eurazhdarcho langendorfensis • A New Azhdarchid Pterosaur from the Late Cretaceous of the Transylvanian Basin, Romania: Implications for Azhdarchid Diversity and Distribution

Abstract

We describe a new taxon of medium-sized (wing span ca. 3 m) azhdarchid pterosaur from the Upper Cretaceous Transylvanian Basin (Sebeş Formation) of Romania. This specimen is the most complete European azhdarchid yet reported, comprising a partially articulated series of vertebrae and associated forelimb bones. The new taxon is most similar to the Central Asian Azhdarcho lancicollis Nessov but possesses a suite of autapomorphies in its vertebrae that include the relative proportions of cervicals three and four and the presence of elongated prezygapophyseal pedicles. The new taxon is interesting in that it lived contemporaneously with gigantic forms, comparable in size to the famous Romanian Hatzegopteryx thambema. The presence of two distinct azhdarchid size classes in a continental depositional environment further strengthens suggestions that these pterosaurs were strongly linked to terrestrial floodplain and wooded environments. To support this discussion, we outline the geological context and taphonomy of our new specimen and place it in context with other known records for this widespread and important Late Cretaceous pterosaurian lineage.

Map to show the global distribution of faunas containing small-medium and giant-sized azhdarchids, evidence for niche partioning.
doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0054268

Paleontologists Identify New Species of Pterosaur | Eurazhdarcho 

http://www.sci-news.com/paleontology/article00867.html

68-million-year-old fossil, named Eurazhdarcho langendorfensis, were collected from the Late Cretaceous rocks of Sebeş-Glod in the Transylvanian Basin, Romania.

“Eurazhdarcho belong to a group of pterosaurs called the azhdarchids. These were long-necked, long-beaked pterosaurs whose wings were strongly adapted for a soaring lifestyle. Several features of their wing and hind limb bones show that they could fold their wings up and walk on all fours when needed,” said Dr Darren Naish of the University of Southampton, who helped identify the new species and co-author a paper in the journal PLoS ONE.

“With a three-meter wingspan, Eurazhdarcho would have been large, but not gigantic. This is true of many of the animals so far discovered in Romania; they were often unusually small compared to their relatives elsewhere.”

The discovery is the most complete example of an azhdarchid found in Europe so far, and its discovery supports a long-argued theory about the behavior of these types of creatures.

“Experts have argued for years over the lifestyle and behavior of azhdarchids. It has been suggested that they grabbed prey from the water while in flight, that they patrolled wetlands and hunted in a heron or stork-like fashion, or that they were like gigantic sandpipers, hunting by pushing their long bills into mud,” explained senior author Dr Gareth Dyke of the National Oceanography Center Southampton.

“One of the newest ideas is that azhdarchids walked through forests, plains and other places in search of small animal prey. Eurazhdarcho supports this view of azhdarchids, since these fossils come from an inland, continental environment where there were forests and plains as well as large, meandering rivers and swampy regions.”

Fossils from the region show that there were several places where both giant azhdarchids and small azhdarchids lived side by side. Eurazhdarcho's discovery indicates that there were many different animals hunting different prey in the region at the same time, demonstrating a much more complicated picture of the Late Cretaceous world than first thought.

Vremir, M. T. S.; Kellner, A. W. A.; Naish, D.; Dyke, G. J. 2013. A New Azhdarchid Pterosaur from the Late Cretaceous of the Transylvanian Basin, Romania: Implications for Azhdarchid Diversity and Distribution. PLoS ONE. 8: e54268. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0054268