Ariana Paulina-Carabajal

National Scientific and Technical Research Council | conicet · INIBIOMA Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medio Ambiente

The worldwide record of Cretaceous Neornithes and Neornithine-like birds is both controversial and poorly understood. However, in recent years, the Antarctic continent has yielded a substantial number of Maastrichtian avian specimens, contributing significantly to our understanding of the early evolution of this group. Simultaneously, the keen inte...

Non‐crocodylomorph loricatans, traditionally known as “rauisuchians,” are considered as the top predators of the Triassic continental faunas that reigned before the emergence of the well‐known theropod dinosaurs. In particular, Saurosuchus galilei is a large quadrupedal prestosuchid loricatan found in the Ischigualasto Formation from northwestern A...

Proterochampsids are non-archosaurian archosauriforms spatio-temporally restricted to the latest Middle-early Late Triassic of Argentina and Brazil. They are the closest relatives to Archosauria and are crucial to understanding the assemblage of the Archosaurian body plan. Gualochus reigi is the least known proterochampsid species of the Chañares F...

Describimos el molde endocraneano de una stem-Neornithes cretácica de Isla Marambio (Antártida Argentina) e incluimos comparaciones con otras Aves mesozoicas.

We present here a natural cranial endocast assigned to an abelisaurid theropod found in Cretaceous rocks of the outcropping Bajo de la Carpa Formation (Santonian) in Neuquén Province, Northern Patagonia, Argentina. The specimen was found in association with fragmentary braincase remains, which include an otic capsule and part of the skull roof. The...

The Supplemental Data includes a brief summary of the general aspects of the dentition of Manidens condorensis, and six different supplemental figures: 1, recognized areas of bone remodeling in the laterally projected jugal boss on MPEF-PV 3211 and captions for the supplemental figures; 2, inferred areas of origin and insertion for musculature in t...

Heterodontosauridae is a clade that appears early in the ornithischian fossil record, and includes small-bodied, highly specialized species characterized by an unusual heterodont dentition. Although known from relatively few taxa, the early representation of the clade and unsolved phylogenetic relationships within heterodontosaurids and among early...

The diversity of the Upper Cretaceous (Cenomanian to Maastrichtian) crocodyliforms in Argentina is represented by several families of notosuchians (Notosuchidae, Comahuesuchidae, Baurusuchidae, Peirosauridae), and basal mesoeucrocodylian taxa. Most species (such as Neuquensuchus universitas, Notosuchus terrestris, Comahuesuchus brachybuccalis, Cyno...

Since the arrival of clinical imaging in paleontology, paleoneurology became a flourishing scope for investigations, especially in dinosaurs. Sauropods have been one of the most studied groups, and Dicraeosauridae was not an exception. Cranial remains and/or endocasts are preserved for several Jurassic and Cretaceous dicraeosaurids (Amargasaurus, D...

El Museo Paleontológico Bariloche alberga tres ejemplares (incluyendo el holotipo MAP BAR 3839-26) del bagre Genidens ancestralis Bogan y Agnolin 2011 del Mioceno marino (Fm. Gran Bajo del Gualicho) de Rio Negro, Argentina. Los materiales corresponden a cráneos incompletos que preservan el neurocráneo y otros elementos asociados. Las cavidades inte...

Araripesuchus patagonicus was the first species of the Gondwanan Uruguaysuchidae (Crocodyliformes, Notosuchia), to be described in the Lower Cretaceous (Cenomanian, Candelero Formation) of Patagonia (Argentina). It is based on six likely juvenile associated specimens, housed at the Museo de la Universidad Nacional del Comahue, Paleontología Vertebr...

During the Late Triassic of Argentina, the continental tetrapod diversity is mainly represented by archosauriforms like Proterochampsia, Aetosauria, Erpetosuchidae, Ornithosuchidae, Poposauroidea, and Loricata, among others sauropsids. Saurosuchus galilei Reig 1959 is a quadrupedal, short-necked large basal loricatan (Pseudosuchia) recovered from t...

Saurosuchus gallilei is a well-known prestosuchid loricatan from the Upper Triassic of Ischigualasto Formation in Argentina. Basal loricatans are terrestrial quadrupedal hypercarnivores with recurved serrated teeth, sizes reaching up to 7 meters, and numerous convergent characteristics with theropod dinosaurs. This group is considered a key compone...

Braincase descriptions of lepidosaurian clades (Rhynchocephalia and Squamata) are scarce, and paleoneurological studies are even scarcer when compared to other reptiles. Regarding paleoneurology sensu stricto, so far mosasauroids and snakes (the latter by means of a single published study) remain the better known lepidosaur groups. Further comparis...

An overview of the neuroanatomy and the principal anatomical transformations of the cranial endocast of the main lineages of Crocodylomorpha are presented. One of the main transformations of the cranial endocast within pseudosuchians seems to be the lateral extension of the cerebral hemispheres, occurred near the node Crocodyliformes and interprete...

This chapter aims to provide an overview of the state of knowledge on non-avian dinosaur paleoneurology, throughout the history and synthesis of recent advances in the field. Today, the endocranial morphology of approximately 150 dinosaur taxa has been described using natural or artificial cranial endocasts. They represent all major clades, althoug...

ARGENTINEAN WOMEN IN PALEOHERPETOLOGY: A HISTORY OF ALMOST 100 YEARS. The history of Argentinean women in the development of paleoherpetology is very interesting and crucial, evidencing the role of women in the academic field, in the family environment, and the society. Throughout almost 100 years, the investigations carried out by women have been...

The fossil record of abelisaurid theropods in South America is mostly limited to Brazil and Argentina. In Argentina, abelisaurids are generally known from Patagonia, where their record is relatively abundant and includes well-known and complete specimens. However, for Northwestern Argentina, abelisaurids are represented by incomplete and isolated b...

En un ámbito donde la presencia de mujeres no era particularmente común, Mathilde Dolgopol de Sáez (1901-1957) se destacó como la primera paleontóloga de Argentina. Sus investigaciones en vertebrados e invertebrados fósiles, desde el año 1927 hasta su muerte, son conocidas a nivel mundial, pero no así su interesante vida profesional y personal. Has...

La Publicación Electrónica de la Asociación Paleontológica Argentina (PE-APA) nació en el año 2015 como una iniciativa de la APA para relanzar su Publicación Especial, que había sido creada en 1981 y de la cual se publicaron 14 volúmenes especiales. A diferencia de esta, la PE-APA se lanzó como una revista electrónica periódica, contando con una pá...

The Late Cretaceous dinosaur record in southern South America has been improved recently; particularly with findings from Chorrillo and Cerro Fortaleza formations, both bearing ankylosaur remains, a clade that was not previously recorded in the Austral Basin. The dinosaur fauna of the type locality of Cerro Fortaleza Formation is known from -and bi...

For sheer complexity, braincases are generally considered anatomically conservative. However, recent research on the braincases of tyrannosaurids have revealed extensive morphological variations. This line of inquiry has its root in Dale Russell’s review of tyrannosaurids in which he established Daspletosaurus torosus — a large tyrannosaurine from...

Two new specimens of abelisaurid theropods from La Invernada fossil area (Bajo de la Carpa Formation; Santonian) are described. They correspond to an incomplete skull and several postcranial remains. MAU-Pv-LI-582 (skull) shares some morphological traits with other furileusaurs (Viavenator exxoni and Llukalkan aliocranianus) from the same area, as:...

El Museo Paleontológico Bariloche, a cargo de la Asociación Paleontológica Bariloche, alberga una importante colección de fósiles de carácter regional. Considerando la situación sanitaria que impulsó el cierre del establecimiento desde marzo de 2020 y el ingreso de subsidios provinciales, resultó oportuno realizar una remodelación edilicia y una re...

Living archosaurs (birds and crocodylians) have disparate locomotor strategies that evolved since their divergence ∼250 mya. Little is known about the early evolution of the sensory structures that are coupled with these changes, mostly due to limited sampling of early fossils on key stem lineages. In particular, the morphology of the semicircular...

Abelisaurids are among the most abundant and diverse Patagonian Late Cretaceous theropods. Here, we present a new furileusaurian abelisaurid, Llukalkan aliocranianus gen. et sp. nov., represented by cranial remains from the Bajo de la Carpa Formation (Santonian) at La Invernada fossil area, northwestern Patagonia. Features characterizing this taxon...

Spheniscus urbinai represents one of four extinct Spheniscus species from the Cenozoic of southern South America, known from several poorly described diversely complete skulls and postcranial elements. Here, we present a review of the cranial osteology of all known specimens (collected in Argentina, Chile, and Peru), including a paleoneurological a...

This contribution contains the 3D models described and figured in the following publication: Paulina-Carabajal A and Calvo JO 2021. Re-description of the braincase of the rebbachisaurid sauropod Limaysaurus tessonei and novel endocranial information based on CT scans. Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências 93(Suppl. 2): e20200762

CT scans of the type braincase of Limaysaurus tessonei (MUCPv-205) allowed the first study of the endocranial cavities (brain and inner ear) for this South American taxon. Comparisons of the cranial endocast of L. tessonei with other sauropods indicate that 1) South American rebbachisaurids are more similar to each other than to Nigersaurus, and 2)...

Teeth with split carina is an uncommon trait recorded in archosaurs with ziphodont dentition (laterally compressed teeth bearing serrated margins). This condition has been reported in few theropod dinosaurs (Allosaurus, tyrannosaurids, dromaeosaurids and carcharodontosaurids) and in one Triassic phytosaur. Here, we report by the first time a split...

The most austral South American ankylosaur record correspond to the preliminary report of an isolate tooth recovered from a microsite (MPM-PV-18805, Museo Padre Molina, Río Gallegos) at Cerro Fortaleza (Cerro Fortaleza Formation, Campanian-Maastrichtian), in Southern Patagonia. Associate materials were recently identified as interstitial armor ossi...

Stylemys nebrascensis is a testudinid tortoise from North America that lived in subtropical areas during the Paleogene, being one of the anatomically best-known species within extinct turtles. The specimen at the Raymond M. Alf Museum (USA), RAM 8315, corresponds to an almost complete skull with articulated jaws, which were virtually removed — toge...

Caviomorphs are a diverse group of South American rodents exhibiting broad ecological and morphological diversity, and variable habits. Between them, the cavioid “Prodolichotis” pridiana Field, from the middle Miocene of La Venta (Colombia) is the sister-group of the striking Caviidae (current maras, capybaras, and guinea-pig relatives). A microCT...

Sauropods, the giant long-necked dinosaurs, became the dominant group of large herbivores in terrestrial ecosystems after multiple related lineages became extinct towards the end of the Early Jurassic (190-174 Ma). The causes and precise timing of this key faunal change, as well as the origin of eusauropods (true sauropods), have remained ambiguous...

Narambuenatitan palomoi is a titanosaurian sauropod from the Upper Cretaceous of North Patagonia. Considered initially as a basal titanosaur, this taxon has uncertain phylogenetic relationships within the clade. An X-ray Computed Tomography (CT) scan of the holotype braincase allowed the first reconstruction of the brain and inner ear of this taxon...

Abelisaurids were one of the most successful theropod dinosaurs during Cretaceous times. They are featured by numerous derived skull traits, such as heavily ornamented bones, short and tall snout, and a strongly thickened cranial roof. Furthermore, nasals are distinctive on having two distinct nasal patterns: strongly transversely convex and heavil...

The neuroanatomy of Carcharodontosaurinae theropods (sensu Novas et al., 2013), is known for only two taxa (and two specimens): Carcharodontosaurus saharicus (Depéret and Savorin 1925) from the Upper Cretaceous of Africa, and Giganotosaurus carolinii (Coria and Salgado 1995) from the Upper Cretaceous of South America. Details of the endocranial ana...

Fossil turtles are one of the least studied clades in regard to endocranial anatomy. Recently, the use of non-invasive technologies, such as radiographic computed tomography (CT), increased the knowledge of the neuroanatomy of several extinct and extant taxa. Here, we provide the description of the nasal cavity, cranial endocast, and inner ear of t...

The endocranial morphology of the abelisaurid Carnotaurus sastrei, from the Upper Cretaceous of Patagonia, is studied using X-ray Computed Tomography (CT). The CT scans provided information that allowed the first reconstruction of the brain, inner ear and braincase pneumaticity for this South American taxon. The endocranial morphology confirms that...

The present 3D Dataset contains the 3D model analyzed in the following publication: Paulina-Carabajal, A., Sterli, J., Werneburg, I., 2019. The endocranial anatomy of the stem turtle Naomichelys speciosa (Early Cretaceous, North America). Acta Palaeontologica Polonica, https://doi.org/10.4202/app.00606.2019

The present 3D Dataset contains the 3D models analyzed in the following publication: Paulina-Carabajal, A., Ezcurra, M., Novas, F., 2019. New information on the braincase and endocranial morphology of the Late Triassic neotheropod Zupaysaurus rougieri using Computed Tomography data. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. https://doi.org/10.1080/027246...

Zupaysaurus rougieri is an early neotheropod from the middle Norian Los Colorados Formation of northwestern Argentina represented by an almost complete skull and several postcranial bones. Most of its braincase morphology has remained obscured by other skull bones and sediment. Additional mechanical preparation and X-ray computed tomography on the...

Associated penguin remains found in Bartonian levels of the Submeseta Formation (Seymour Island, Antarctica), including cranium and mandible, both partial tarsometatarsi, and some other fragmentary bones, are here analyzed. This specimen preserves the first cranium reliably assigned to the giant form Anthropornis grandis, and constitutes the first...

Crocodyliform tracks are reported from the Upper Cretaceous ?Cenomanian-Santonian) Bayanshiree Formation in southeastern Mongolia. Ten tracks are preserved as natural casts, forming a trackway with a quadrupedal gait pattern with a tail trail. All tracks are short and wide, and dominated by toe traces without plantar impressions. Pes tracks are cha...

Las marcas de dientes sobre huesos son evidencia para inferir interacciones tróficas. En el caso de dinosaurios carnívoros, dichas evidencias son raras en el registro fósil. Presentamos aquí un fragmento de hueso apendicular de dinosaurio saurópodo de 10,5 cm de longitud, que exhibe marcas de dientes consistentes con depredación por parte de múltip...

Antifer es el cérvido más grande para el Cuaternario de América del Sur, conocido hasta la fecha solo por sus astas. Presentamos aquí el primer molde endocraneano de este taxón, en base a tomografías computadas del neurocráneo de un individuo adulto (MRS 202) con volteo completo. El mismo proviene del Pleistoceno Tardío (edades OSL 84- 95 ka AP) de...

Protypotherium incluye numerosas especies a lo largo del Mioceno de Argentina, Chile y Bolivia. En Patagonia, P. colloncurensis fue descrita en niveles de la Formación Collón Curá (Mioceno medio tardío) de las provincias de Río Negro y Chubut (Argentina). En esta contribución, se describe la neuroanatomía de esta especie, a partir de un ejemplar pr...

Abelisauroid theropods constitute the most commonly recorded meat-eating dinosaurs from the Upper Cretaceous of Gondwana. In Argentina, they are known mainly from central and northern Patagonia, especially at the Neuquina basin. However, their record in the southern region of Patagonia is scarce, although the Cretaceous outcrops of the Magallanes b...

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0069264.].

Dieciséis especies de pingüinos se han descripto para el Paleógeno de la Isla Marambio (Antártida), la mayor parte de ellas conocidas exclusivamente a partir del tarsometatarso. Lamentablemente, todos los cráneos previamente hallados en esta isla, carecen de elementos diagnósticos para una más acertada asignación sistemática. El ejemplar MLP 14-XI-...

Megaraptorid neuroanatomy has been studied in a single species with known braincase: Murusraptor barrosaensis Coria and Currie from the Upper Cretaceous of Patagonia. Here, we report the brain and inner ear of a juvenile specimen (MUCPV 595) of Megaraptor namunhuaiquii Novas, which were reconstructed using a microCT scan. The preserved braincase is...

El registro actual de los eusaurópodos del Jurásico Temprano y Medio es pobre a nivel mundial. El espécimen MPEF-PV 3301-1 colectado en la localidad de Cañadón Bagual (Formación Cañadón Asfalto, Chubut) confirmaría un origen del clado Eusauropoda mucho antes de lo que se creía (Toarciano), y es destacable que, además de material apendicular, se pre...

En estudios paleoneurológicos recientes del oído interno de los dinosaurios, el aumento del tamaño del canal semicircular anterior (CSA) con respecto al canal semicircular posterior (CSP) ha sido utilizado como indicador de agilidad. En aquellos casos donde los CSA y CSP son sub-iguales en tamaño, se habla de una reducción del primero pero no de un...

La morfología del oído interno de los tiranosáuridos se conoce en tres especies: Tyrannosaurus rex Osborn, Gorgosaurus libratus Lambe y Alioramus altai Kurzanov. El oído interno es una estructura importante para el estudio de los sentidos de animales extintos debido a su rol en el balance, equilibrio y audición. Utilizando tomografías computadas, s...

The endocranial morphology of Secernosaurus koerneri (= Kritosaurus australis junior synonym), a hadrosaurid from the Upper Cretaceous of Argentina, was studied using latex and digital endocasts based on three fragmentary braincases. This new information allowed describing and comparing the neuroanatomy of this South American representative of the...

Supplementary Figure 3. 1,2. 3D reconstruction of the braincase of Murusraptor (MCF-PVPH 411) in dorsal and lateral views, showing the position of the skull roof. 3–7, virtually isolated parietals and frontals. 3, dorsal view; 4, ventral view; 5, anteroventral view; 6, Isolate frontal in posterolateral view; 7, isolate parietal in anterolateral vie...

Supplementary Figure 5. 1–3. 3D reconstruction of the braincase of Murusraptor (MCF-PVPH 411) showing location of basicranium. 1, right lateral view; 2, posterior view; 3, ventral view. 4–7. Isolated basicranium. 4, right lateral view; 5, posterior view; 6, ventral view; 7, anterolateral view. Abbreviations: bt, basal tuber; btp, basipterygoid proc...

Supplementary Figure 4. 3D reconstruction of the braincase of Murusraptor (MCF-PVPH 411). 1,2 shows the location of left and right prootic respectively; 7,8, shows the location of the supraoccipital. 3–6, virtually isolated prootics. 3. Left prootic in lateral view; 4, right prootic in lateral view; 5, left prootic in medial view; 6, right prootic...

Supplementary Figure 2. 3D reconstruction of the braincase of Murusraptor (MCF-PVPH 411). 1, dorsal view; 2, ventral view; 3, right lateral view; 4, left lateral view, 5, posterior view and 6, anterior view. Individual bones are identified with different colors. Exoccipital-opisthotic, laterosphenoid-orbitosphenoid and elements of the basicranium (...

A partially preserved sauropod natural cranial endocast (MLL-003) was collected from the Lower Cretaceous Mulichinco Formation in Argentina. The cast consists of cemented sandstone that has preserved in detail the general endocranial morphology, but not the cranial nerves. The dural expansion, the dorsal portion of the medulla oblongata, the cerebr...

The endocranial morphology of Secernosaurus koerneri (Brett-Surman, 1979; = Kritosaurus australis, Bonaparte, Franchi, Powell and Sepulveda, 1984) from Los Alamitos Formation (Late Campanian-early Maastrichtian), was studied using CT-scans of three fragmentary braincases (MACN-RN 02, 142 and 144). With this information we obtained a hypothetical br...

San Luis 2017 32 mayormente poco fluorescente, porcentajes destacados de colonias de Botryococcus, de fluorescencia amarilla, querógeno opaco y escasas miosporas. Hacia el tope de la columna el paleoambiente se interpreta como fluvial, con querógeno poco fluorescente, mayormente opaco, presencia de leño, escaso amorfo y miosporas (polen de corystos...

The complete skull of the type specimen of Gasparinisaura cincosaltensis (MUCPv-208)-a small ornithopod from the Upper Cretaceous of Argentina-was CT scanned using a medical tomographer. The markedly small size of the skull plus the lateromedial deformation prevented the observation of the endocranial cavity in the CT data set, and further neuroana...

A detailed description of the neuroanatomy of Murusraptor barrosaensis –a mid-sized non-maniraptoran theropod from the Late Cretaceous of north Patagonia – is based on the exceptionally preserved type braincase. CT scans provide new information on the braincase, brain, cranial nerves, encephalic vasculature, and inner ear of this taxon. Worldwide,...

Ankylosaur braincase and endocranial morphologies are poorly known. Furthermore, cranial endocasts have been described for fewer than ten taxa so far. The complete inner ear morphology is known for only three species – Euoplocephalus tutus, Kunbarrasaurus ieversi, and Pawpawsaurus campbelli. Here, the first cranial endocast morphologies are present...

Notosuchus terrestris was the first notosuchian described worldwide and the most abundant crocodyliform species in Gondwana during the Late Cretaceous. Here, the lectotype and more than 60 complete and fragmentary specimens were studied allowing the most detailed description of the cranio-mandibular anatomy of this taxon, including poorly known reg...

The type braincase of Viavenator exxoni (MAU-Pv-LI-530) was recovered complete and isolated from most of the other skull bones. Although the braincase is crossed by numerous fractures, using CT scans allowed the generation of 3D renderings of the endocranial cavity enclosing the brain, cranial nerves, and blood vessels, as well as the labyrinth of...

Turtles are one of the least explored clades of reptiles with respect to palaeoneuroanatomy. Few detailed descriptions of endocranial features such as the brain morphology or inner ear exist for extant and extinct forms. In this contribution , we present the first CT-based reconstructions of endocranial morphology (brain and inner ear) and the nasa...

Morphological studies of the braincase and cranial endocast of fossil crocodylians, especially gavialids, are scarce. Here, we present a detailed description of the neuroanatomy of Gryposuchus neogaeus from the Miocene of Argentina, based on CT scans. The cranial endocast is sub-horizontal and the angle formed between the mid-brain and the hind-bra...

La neuroanatomía de los Crocodyliformes es aún poco conocida, en especial para las muy diversas formas extintas. De este modo, estudios anatómicos detallados vinculando la morfología del encéfalo y órganos de los sentidos nos aportarán una novedosa aproximación a la paleobiología de uno de sus grupos más extraños y exitosos: los notosuquios. Aquí p...

El estudio anatómico de estructuras blandas en fósiles es de interés para inferir hábitos de vida en formas extintas y a la vez un desafío, ya que éstas no se preservan de manera directa. Las reconstrucciones hechas a partir de su correlato óseo se convierten entonces en una importante base empírica para estudios paleobiológicos. Los moldes endocra...

En los últimos años, la paleoneurología se ha beneficiado con el uso de tomografías computadas. En el caso particular de los dinosaurios (neurocráneos entre 20 y 50 cm de longitud), se han utilizado tomógrafos médicos -tanto helicoidales como multi-slice- con excelentes resultados. Sin embargo, con neurocráneos que no superan los 10-15 cm de longit...