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The sauropod Turiasaurus riodevensis in the Late Jurassic of Portugal

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Octávio Mateus at University NOVA of Lisbon
Octávio Mateus
  • University NOVA of Lisbon
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Abstract

A partial sauropod was found in 1996 in Vale Pombas, north of Lourinhã, Central West of Portugal, in the Lourinhã Formation, top of Amoreira Porto Novo member dated as c. 150 M.a. (Early Tithonian, Late Jurassic) and is currently housed at Museum of Lourinhã, in Portugal. The specimen (ML368) comprises a complete tooth with root, anterior chevron and almost complete right forelimb including partial scapula, complete coracoid, humerus, ulna, radius, metacarpals I, III and V, phalanx, and ungual phalanx I. It can be ascribed to Turiasaurus riodevensis, which was previously described from the Villar del Arzobispo Formation at Riodeva (Teruel, Spain). Characters shared with T. riodevensis holotype include: curvature and asymmetry of tooth crown, expansion of crown, outline of humerus, medial deflection of the proximal end of humerus, shape and prominence of deltopectoral crest, vertical ridge in the distal half of the ulna (considered as diagnostic of Turiasauria), configuration of metacarpals, and bone proportions. It differs from T. riodevensis holotype by the smaller size and the more rectangular ungual phalanx in lateral view. The sediments from which the Riodeva specimen was recovered were previsouly thought to be Tithonian to Berriasian in age. The presence of this species in Portugal, in beds confidently dated as Early Tithonian, may allow a more precise date for the Riodeva type locality of early Tithonian in age. The humerus of the Portuguese T. riodevensis is 152 cm long. Although shorter than the Spanish specimen (790 mm), it represents a large individual. All adult sauropods recovered in Portugal thus far are very large individuals: Dinheirosaurus (estimated body length is 20-25 m), Lusotitan (humerus length estimated to be 205 cm), Lourinhasaurus (femur length: 174 cm), and Turiasaurus here reported. The lack of of small or medium adult body-size sauropods in the Late Jurassic of Portugal, suggests browsing niches thought to be occupied by smaller forms, could be have been available for other dinosaurs, like the long necked stegosaur Miragaia longicollum.
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144A © 2009 by the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology
Technical Session X, Friday 10:30
SEDIMENTOLOGY, TAPHONOMY, AND ICHNOLOGY OF LATE JURASSIC
DINOSAUR TRACKS FROM THE JURA CARBONATE PLATFORM (NW
SWITZERLAND): INSIGHTS INTO THE TIDAL-FLAT PALEOENVIRONMENT
AND DINOSAUR DIVERSITY, LOCOMOTION, AND PALEOECOLOGY
MARTY, Daniel, Palaeontology A16, Section d’archeologie et paleontologie, Porrentruy,
Switzerland
This study is based on dinosaur tracks from the Swiss Jura Mountains, excavated on multiple
superimposed paleosurfaces located within Late Jurassic (Kimmeridgian) biolaminite
intervals. The approach is first actualistic by studying processes acting during the formation
and taphonomy of human footprints on tidal-flats, notably the stabilizing role of microbial
mats. When compared with these recent prints, dinosaur tracks and the encasing sediment
provide insight into walking dynamics, properties of the substrate, processes modifying
and preserving tracks, consolidation history, and they identify true tracks, undertracks,
and overtracks. These observations can be linked with the exposure index and suggest
that the paleoenvironment was a supratidal flat. Trackway configuration (e.g. gauge) and
patterns (degree of manus overprinting) are quantified and analyzed. Their variability is
an expression of locomotion capabilities related to walking style and speed, behavior,
and substrate properties. Manus-only and pes-only sauropod trackways are explained by
animals exerting more pressure on manus than pes, and to overprinting of manus by pes.
Sauropod trackways with similar track morphology vary from medium- to wide-gauge (not
clearly related to speed and ontogeny) challenging the traditional classification of sauropod
trackways. Nonetheless, wide-gauge trackways are tentatively assigned to Brontopodus and
narrow-ones to Parabrontopodus. Small (i.e. < 0.2 m long) tridactyl tracks are assigned to
Carmelopodus (extending this ichnogenus into the Late Jurassic), and larger (i.e. > 0.2 m
long) ones to Therangospodus. Trackway orientation and alignment indicates gregarious
behavior amongst sauropods, and the common presence of small bipedal dinosaurs on
supratidal flats. Small tridactyl and small (i.e. < 0.3 m) sauropod tracks are abundant,
but large tridactyl (up to 0.8 m) and sauropod (up to 1.2 m) tracks are also common.
Size-frequency distributions suggest the establishment of in situ, saurischian-dominated
populations on the Jura carbonate platform, which consequently was regularly connected
with the neighboring massifs and could also serve as a migration corridor.
The Evolution of Birds in the Mesozoic: a Symposium in Honor of Cyril A. Walker,
Thursday 11:15
MORPHOMETRICS AS A PROXY FOR DEDUCING THE LIFE-HISTORY OF THE
EARLY CRETACEOUS BIRD CONFUCIUSORNIS SANTUS
MARUGÁN-LOBÓN, Jesús, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Los Angeles,
CA, USA; CHIAPPE, Luis, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Los Angeles,
CA, USA
In the last decade, hundreds of specimens of the basal pygostylian bird Confuciusornis
sanctus have been collected from the Early Cretaceous Yixian and Jiufotang formations
(~ 125-120 mya) of Liaoning Province, in northeastern China. Such a great number of
specimens has resulted in detailed information regarding the anatomy of this early bird
but many aspects of its ecology and life-history remained unclear and/or controversial.
There have been interpretations about its feeding habits, flying abilities and foraging styles,
growth rates, and life-history and reproductive behavior. Here we focus on the latter,
namely, on the hypothesis that the presence of a pair of long stiff caudal feathers in some
specimens indicates the existence of marked sexual dimorphism as well as lekking behavior.
Morphometrics and multivariate statistics of measurements of the large sample available
for this early bird allow us to evaluate this null hypothesis. Our study aims to determine
whether the alleged dimorphism in plumage is also expressed by differences in the size of
the males and females. Our analyses are based on the maximum lengths of five limb bones
(humerus, ulna, radius, femur, and tibiotarsus) measured in 106 specimens. Our results refute
the null hypothesis—while size variability within the sample is divided into two size classes,
the pair of long stiff caudal feathers is distributed throughout the sample. Not surprisingly,
these analyses also revealed further insights about other important life-history attributes.
The most notable is the fact that the two size classes resultant from the analyses indicate
that the growth in these animals was isometric. Other interesting aspects of the life-history
of Confuciusornis sanctus are explored through an expansion of our analytical tools and a
larger data set that includes more than 1000 measurements of the skull and the post-cranium.
Technical Session XVIII, Saturday 2:30
THE SAUROPOD DINOSAUR TURIASAURUS RIODEVENSIS IN THE LATE
JURASSIC OF PORTUGAL
MATEUS, Octávio, New University of Lisbon (CICEGe-FCT) & Museum of Lourinhã,
Lisboa, Portugal
A partial sauropod was found in 1996 in Vale Pombas, north of Lourinhã, Central West of
Portugal, in the Lourinhã Formation, top of Amoreira Porto Novo member dated as c. 150
M.a. (Early Tithonian, Late Jurassic) and is currently housed at Museum of Lourinhã, in
Portugal. The specimen (ML368) comprises a complete tooth with root, anterior chevron
and almost complete right forelimb including partial scapula, complete coracoid, humerus,
ulna, radius, metacarpals I, III and V, phalanx, and ungual phalanx I. It can be ascribed
to Turiasaurus riodevensis, which was previously described from the Villar del Arzobispo
Formation at Riodeva (Teruel, Spain). Characters shared with T. riodevensis holotype
include: curvature and asymmetry of tooth crown, expansion of crown, outline of humerus,
medial deflection of the proximal end of humerus, shape and prominence of deltopectoral
crest, vertical ridge in the distal half of the ulna (considered as diagnostic of Turiasauria),
configuration of metacarpals, and bone proportions. It differs from T. riodevensis holotype
by the smaller size and the more rectangular ungual phalanx in lateral view. The sediments
from which the Riodeva specimen was recovered were previsouly thought to be Tithonian to
Berriasian in age. The presence of this species in Portugal, in beds confidently dated as Early
Tithonian, may allow a more precise date for the Riodeva type locality of early Tithonian in
age. The humerus of the Portuguese T. riodevensis is 152 cm long. Although shorter than the
Spanish specimen (790 mm), it represents a large individual. All adult sauropods recovered
in Portugal thus far are very large individuals: Dinheirosaurus (estimated body length is 20-
25 m), Lusotitan (humerus length estimated to be 205 cm), Lourinhasaurus (femur length:
174 cm), and Turiasaurus here reported. The lack of of small or medium adult body-size
sauropods in the Late Jurassic of Portugal, suggests browsing niches thought to be occupied
by smaller forms, could be have been available for other dinosaurs, like the long necked
stegosaur Miragaia longicollum.
Poster Session IV, (Saturday)
THE HANKSVILLE-BURPEE QUARRY: NEW INSIGHTS INTO A SAUROPOD
DOMINATED BONEBED IN THE MORRISON FORMATION OF EASTERN UTAH
MATHEWS, Joshua, Burpee Museum of Natural History, Rockford, IL, USA; WILLIAMS,
Scott, Burpee Museum of Natural History, Rockford, IL, USA; BONNAN, Matthew,
Western Illinois University, Macomb, IL, USA; HENDERSON, Michael, Burpee Museum
of Natural History, Rockford, IL, USA
The late Jurassic Morrison Formation is one of the most productive and diverse dinosaur
bearing formations in the world. Perhaps one of the most striking features of the formation is
the abundance of sauropod dinosaur remains. Notable Morrison Formation dinosaur quarries
include Dinosaur National Monument, the Cleveland-Lloyd Quarry, and the Mygatt-Moore
Quarry. A newly discovered bonebed in eastern Utah preserves the remains of at least six
different dinosaur taxa including Camarasaurus, Diplodocus, Stegosaurus, Allosaurus and
possibly Brachiosaurus and Barosaurus. The site, designated as the Hanksville-Burpee
Quarry, was discovered in the summer of 2007 by a small crew from the Burpee Museum of
Natural History on federal land managed by the Bureau of Land Management. In the initial
days available to explore the site, many well preserved dinosaur bones were discovered,
including sauropod scapulae, limb elements, and partially articulated vertebrae. Subsequent
excavations over in the summer of 2008 by Burpee Museum and Western Illinois University
crews have uncovered over 150 bone from the site which measures at least 100 meters
wide and 400 meters long. Sauropod dinosaur account for the majority of the remains. Of
particular interest at the site is the absence of large specimens. Other interesting features
of the site include numerous large petrified logs, possible mammal burrows and abundant
unionid bivalves. A preliminary analysis of the geology, taphonomy and vertebrate
paleontology of the site indicates that this quarry represents a series of sand bars in a braided
river system, upon which dinosaur carcasses washed. Due to the size of the site, taxa present
and good preservation of the site, the site has considerable long term research potential.
Poster Session III, (Friday)
PALEOENVIRONMENT ESTIMATION OF THE CHAINGZAUK MAMMAL
FAUNA (LATE NEOGENE, MYANMAR) USING STABLE ISOTOPES OF TOOTH
ENAMEL
MAUNG-THEIN, Zin-Maung, Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Inuyama,
Japan; EGI, Naoko, Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Inuyama, Japan;
TSUBAMOTO, Takehisa, Center for Paleobiological Research, Hayashibara Biochemical
Laboratories, Inc., Okayama, Japan; UNO, Hikaru, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan;
WYNN, Jonathan, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
The upper Neogene Irrawaddy Sediments are widely distributed in central Myanmar and
are mainly composed of fluviatile sediments characterized by the abundance of the silicified
fossil wood. These sediments yield a variety of mammalian fossils that have been correlated
with those from the Siwalik Group of the Indian Subcontinent. In the Siwalik, the isotopic
evidences from paleosols and fossil teeth have indicated that many C3 plant dominant forests
were replaced by C4 grasslands around 6 Ma, corresponding to a global floral turnover.
Such floral transition probably occurred in Southeast Asia due to the effect of an enhanced
monsoon, but paleoenvironment in this region have not been studied in detail. Here, we
present paleoenvironmental estimation for a mammal fauna from the Upper Miocene/
Lower Pliocene part of the Irrawaddy sediments at Chaingzauk area in the western part
of central Myanmar. We carried out the stable carbon and oxygen isotopic analyses using
tooth enamel of several ungulates that are relatively abundant in the Chaingzauk Fauna.
The rhinoceros (Rhinoceros), an elephant (Stegodon) and boars (Propotamochoerus and
Sivachoerus) have δ13C values from -12.8‰ to -10.0‰ (n=12), indicating that they were
forest dwelling browsers. In contrast, the bovids (Tragoportax and cf. Selenoportax) and
hippopotamids (Hexaprotodon iravaticus and Hex. sivalensis) have δ13C values ranging
from -4.0‰ to 1.9‰ (n=16), supporting that they mainly consumed C4 plants in grasslands.
The coexistence of browsers and grazers suggest presence of both forests/woodlands
and grasslands that were large enough to support both ecological niches. Therefore, the
Chaingzauk mammals have possibly inhabited mosaic environment ranging from forests
... A systematic revision of the Portuguese taxa of the Late Jurassic was recently performed (for Dinheirosaurus see Mannion et al., 2012;Tschopp et al., 2015; Lusotitan see Mannion et al., 2013;Mocho et al., 2016c; and for Lourinhasaurus, see Mocho et al., 2014b). Several new occurrences have also been reported (Antunes and Mateus, 2003;Mateus, 2005;Royo-Torres et al., 2006;Yagüe et al., 2006;Mateus, 2009;Royo-Torres et al., 2009;Ortega et al., 2010;Mannion et al., 2012;Mocho et al., 2012Mocho et al., , 2013aMocho et al., , 2013bMateus et al., 2014;Mocho et al., 2014aMocho et al., , 2016bMocho et al., , 2017. This new information suggests a more diverse scenario for sauropod fauna during the Late Jurassic of the Lusitanian Basin than previously considered, with the identification of a clade previously unidentified in this basin, the non-neosauropod eusauropod group Turiasauria. ...
... This new information suggests a more diverse scenario for sauropod fauna during the Late Jurassic of the Lusitanian Basin than previously considered, with the identification of a clade previously unidentified in this basin, the non-neosauropod eusauropod group Turiasauria. Royo-Torres et al. (2006) suggested the presence of Turiasauria in the Portuguese Upper Jurassic record, and this hypothesis was subsequently corroborated by the presence of new teeth and postcranial material (Mateus, 2009;Royo-Torres et al., 2009;Ortega et al., 2010;Mocho et al., 2012;Royo-Torres et al., 2014a;Mocho et al., 2016b). Four taxa, so far exclusively, were described in the Upper Jurassic of the Lusitanian Basin: the camarasaurid Lourinhasaurus alenquerensis (Lapparent and Zbyszewski, 1957;Dantas et al., 1998;Mocho et al., 2014b); the diplodocid Dinheirosaurus lourinhanensis (Bonaparte and Mateus, 1999;Mannion et al., 2012; recently referred as Supersaurus lourinhanensis by Tschopp et al., 2015), the basal macronarian and putative brachiosaurid Lusotitan atalaiensis (Lapparent and Zbyszewski, 1957;Antunes and Mateus, 2003;Mannion et al., 2013), and the turiasaur Zby atlanticus . ...
... The holotype of Zby atlanticus (Figure 13.13-16, ML 368) was found in the Vale de Pombas cliffs (north of Forte de Paimogo), in the Praia da Amoreira-Porto Novo Formation. This partial skeleton includes a tooth, a chevron, a right partial scapula, and coracoid, an almost complete right forelimb, and some indeterminate elements (Mateus, 2005(Mateus, , 2009Mateus et al., 2014;pers. observ. ...
Upper Jurassic Sauropod record in the Lusitanian Basin (Portugal): Geographical and Lithostratigraphical distribution
Article
Full-text available
Sauropod remains are relatively abundant in the Upper Jurassic sediments of the Lusitanian Basin. These dinosaurs are recorded in several sub-basins formed during the third rifting episode related to the evolution of the Lusitanian Basin. The Kimmeridgian-Tithonian sedimentary sequence is dominated by siliciclastic deposits, indicating a continental environment. Sauropods are present all along this mainly terrestrial sequence, being recorded in the Alcobaça, Praia da Amoreira-Porto Novo, Sobral, Freixial, and the Bombarral Formations, ranging from the early Kimmeridgian to the late Tithonian. Sauropoda is the most abundant dinosaur group in the Upper Jurassic fossil record of the Lusitanian Basin and is especially well-represented in the Bombarral and Turcifal Sub-basins. Several new specimens, so far unpublished, are reported here. The sauropod fauna identified mainly includes non-neosauropod eusauropods (including turiasaurs), diplodocoids (some specimens with diplodocine affinities), basal macronarians (non-camarasaurids and camarasaurids), and titanosauriforms (some specimens with brachiosaurid affinities). Macronarians, turiasaurs and diplodocoids are generally present along the entire Kimmeridgian-Tithonian continental to transitional deposits of the Lusitanian Basin, but the known fossil record for some more exclusive groups such as camarasaurids, brachiosaurids, and diplodocines, present a more restricted stratigraphic distribution. Doi: http://palaeo-electronica.org/content/2017/1856-portuguese-sauropods
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... The Upper Jurassic record of the Lusitanian Basin (Portugal) is known for its abundant fossil vertebrates, in particular sauropods (Sauvage, 1897(Sauvage, -1898Lapparent and Zbyszewski, 1957;Dantas, 1990;Antunes and Mateus, 2003;Ortega et al., 2006Ortega et al., , 2009Ortega et al., , 2013. Despite the recent systematic revision of the Portuguese Late Jurassic taxa (Mannion et al., 2012(Mannion et al., , 2013aMocho et al., 2014aMocho et al., , 2016d, several new occurrences (Yagü e et al., 2006;Mateus, 2009;Ortega et al., 2010;Mannion et al., 2012;Mocho et al., 2012Mocho et al., , 2013Mocho et al., , 2014bMocho et al., , 2016aMocho et al., , 2016cMateus et al., 2014) have been recently referred, denoting an even more diverse scenario for sauropods in the Lusitanian Basin during the Late Jurassic. For example, the nonneosauropod eusauropod group Turiasauria (Royo-Torres et al., 2006) was recently identified in the Upper Jurassic sediments of this basin (Mateus, 2009;Ortega et al., 2010;Mocho et al., 2012Mocho et al., , 2016cRoyo-Torres and Upchurch, 2012). ...
... Despite the recent systematic revision of the Portuguese Late Jurassic taxa (Mannion et al., 2012(Mannion et al., , 2013aMocho et al., 2014aMocho et al., , 2016d, several new occurrences (Yagü e et al., 2006;Mateus, 2009;Ortega et al., 2010;Mannion et al., 2012;Mocho et al., 2012Mocho et al., , 2013Mocho et al., , 2014bMocho et al., , 2016aMocho et al., , 2016cMateus et al., 2014) have been recently referred, denoting an even more diverse scenario for sauropods in the Lusitanian Basin during the Late Jurassic. For example, the nonneosauropod eusauropod group Turiasauria (Royo-Torres et al., 2006) was recently identified in the Upper Jurassic sediments of this basin (Mateus, 2009;Ortega et al., 2010;Mocho et al., 2012Mocho et al., , 2016cRoyo-Torres and Upchurch, 2012). Mateus et al. (2014) defined a new turiasaur genus and species, Zby atlanticus, collected from Vale de Pombas. ...
... Assigning these procoelous anterior caudal vertebrae to a non-neosauropod eusauropod is congruent with the presence of non-neosauropod eusauropods with procoelous anterior caudal vertebrae during the Iberian Late Jurassic, such as the turiasaur Losillasaurus giganteus (Casanovas et al., 2001). Several other specimens from the Upper Jurassic of the Iberian Peninsula are also related to Turiasauria, including Z. atlanticus and T. riodevensis (Royo-Torres et al., 2006Mateus, 2009;Ortega et al., 2010;Mocho et al., 2012;Royo-Torres and Upchurch, 2012). L. giganteus and T. riodevensis (assuming that assigning the Puntal de Santa Cruz specimen to T. riodevensis is correct) are the only known Iberian Late Jurassic taxa with this anterior caudal vertebral morphology. ...
First occurrences of non-neosauropod eusauropod procoelous caudal vertebrae in the Portuguese Upper Jurassic record
Article
  • Dec 2016
The Upper Jurassic of the Lusitanian Basin (Portugal) is particularly rich in sauropod fossil remains, with four established taxa: Dinheirosaurus, Lusotitan, Lourinhasaurus and Zby. The presence of sauropod caudal procoelous vertebrae is reported for the first time in the Upper Jurassic of Portugal, with specimens described from the localities of Baleal, Paimogo, Praia da Areia Branca, Porto das Barcas, and Praia da Corva. The presence of slightly procoelous centra and fan-shaped caudal ribs with smooth prezygapophyseal centrodiapophyseal fossa in the more anterior caudal vertebrae allows for the assignment of these specimens to an indeterminate eusauropod, probably belonging to a non-neosauropod eusauropod form. The absence of several features in the Portuguese specimens that are common in diplodocids, mamenchisaurids and titanosaurs, prevents the establishment of sound relationships with these clades. The described specimens are almost identical to the anterior caudal vertebrae of the Iberian turiasaur Losillasaurus. During the Iberian Late Jurassic, Turiasauria is the only Iberian group of sauropods which shares this type of morphology with the Baleal, Paimogo, Praia da Areia Branca, Porto das Barcas and Praia da Corva specimens. These specimens represent one of the four anterior caudal vertebral morphotypes recorded in the Upper Jurassic of the Lusitanian Basin and briefly described herein.
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... More recently, the presence of more turiasaurian occurrences in Spain, Portugal, France, the UK, Tanzania and Morocco has been suggested (Mateus 2009;Santos et al. 2009;Ortega et al. 2010;Cobos et al. 2011;Mocho et al. 2012;Royo-Torres and Upchurch 2012;Mateus et al. 2014;Suñer et al. 2014;Xing et al. 2015). From Spain, an unnamed specimen from Riodeva (Teruel) with postcranial material ) and an isolated caudal vertebra from Veguillas de la Sierra (Teruel) were related to Turiasauria . ...
... The first evidence of turiasaurian remains in the Lusitanian Basin was based on an isolated tooth (Royo-Torres et al. 2006 from Alcobac a Formation (Kimmeridgian). Subsequently, Mateus (2009) referred to Turiasaurus riodevensis, an incomplete specimen composed by an almost complete hindlimb associated with a scapula, a coracoid, a tooth and a middle chevron, collected in Vale de Pombas (ML 368). This specimen was firstly related to Camarasaurus (Mateus 2005), but a recently systematic revision established a new genus and species, Zby atlanticus, which was tentatively placed within Turiasauria as a closely related form to Turiasaurus riodevensis (Mateus et al. 2014). ...
... Turiasaurus riodevensis and the Portuguese Upper Jurassic heartshaped are plotted together and they show a narrow range (Martínez et al. 2000). Mateus (2009) assigned as Turiasaurus riodevensis a tooth and postcranial material (ML 368) found in Vale das Pombas (Lourinhã), previously related with Camarasaurus (Mateus 2005), and now part of the Zby atlanticus holotype (Mateus et al. 2014). Two other sauropod teeth referred by Sauvage (1897 -98) as 'Pelorosaurus humerocristatus' (Hulke 1874) found in Fervenc a (MG 277, Figure 9(a)) (lower Figure 7. Temporal patterns in sauropodomorph tooth shape modified from Chure et al. (2010). ...
Turiasauria-like teeth from the Upper Jurassic of the Lusitanian Basin, Portugal
Article
Turiasauria is a clade of eusauropods with a wide stratigraphic range that could extend from the Bathonian to the lower Aptian including Turiasaurus, Losillasaurus, Zby and putatively, Galveosaurus, Atlasaurus and isolated remains from Middle Jurassic-to-Lower Cretaceous. Some are characterised by the presence of heart-shaped teeth. Several tooth occurrences from the Portuguese Upper Jurassic with this type of morphology (SI: 1.1–1.8) are reported and discussed. If this morphology is regarded as synapomorphic of Turiasauria, the teeth will be tentatively related to this clade. From a sample of 43 teeth, three main morphotypes are described. Three hypotheses might explain the morphological variation: (1) the range of tooth morphologies indicates variation in the jaw, (2) the range of tooth morphologies indicates taxonomic variation or (3) a combination of both. The general wear pattern in morphotypes I and II starts with a distal facet, then the appearance of mesial/apical facet and finally a ‘V’-shaped facet. In morphotype III, the wear begins with a mesial facet. The variability observed for Portuguese Upper Jurassic specimens is congruent with the morphological variability along the tooth row shown by other sauropods with spatulate/spoon-shaped teeth and it is considered the most parsimonious hypothesis to explain it.
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... Several older (Sauvage 1897-98; Lapparent and Zbyszewski1957) and recent occurrences (e.g. Dantas et al. 1992;Bonaparte and Mateus 1999;Rauhut 2000;Royo-Torres et al. 2006Yagüe et al. 2006;Mateus 2009;Ortega et al. 2010;Mannion et al. 2012;Mocho et al. 2012;Mocho, Royo-Torres, Ortega and Silva 2013;Mateus et al. 2014;Mocho, Royo-Torres, Malafaia, et al. 2014; have been referred, denoting higher sauropod diversity in the Lusitanian Basin during the Late Jurassic. The presence of turiasaurs in the Upper Jurassic beds of Portugal was firstly suggested by Royo-Torres et al. (2006), and posteriorly corroborated by the presence of teeth and postcranial material (Mateus 2009;Mocho et al. 2012, Forthcoming;Mateus et al. 2014). ...
... Dantas et al. 1992;Bonaparte and Mateus 1999;Rauhut 2000;Royo-Torres et al. 2006Yagüe et al. 2006;Mateus 2009;Ortega et al. 2010;Mannion et al. 2012;Mocho et al. 2012;Mocho, Royo-Torres, Ortega and Silva 2013;Mateus et al. 2014;Mocho, Royo-Torres, Malafaia, et al. 2014; have been referred, denoting higher sauropod diversity in the Lusitanian Basin during the Late Jurassic. The presence of turiasaurs in the Upper Jurassic beds of Portugal was firstly suggested by Royo-Torres et al. (2006), and posteriorly corroborated by the presence of teeth and postcranial material (Mateus 2009;Mocho et al. 2012, Forthcoming;Mateus et al. 2014). A new turiasaurian taxon, Zby atlanticus, was established from a specimen found in Vale de Pombas (Lourinhã) (Mateus et al. 2014). ...
New data on Late Jurassic sauropods of the Turcifal Sub-basin (Portugal).
Conference Paper
Full-text available
  • Jul 2016
Mocho P, Royo-Torres R, Escaso F, Malafaia E, Miguel Chaves C de, Narváez I, Pérez-García A, Ortega F. 2016. New data on Late Jurassic sauropods of the Turcifal Sub-basin (Portugal). In: Holwerda F, Madern A, Voeten D, van Heteren A, Meijer H, den Ouden N (eds.), XIV Annual Meeting of the European Association of Vertebrate Palaeontologists, 6-10 July 2016, Haarlem, The Netherlands, Programme and Abstract Book Haarlem: 220.
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... Several older (Sauvage 1897-98; Lapparent and Zbyszewski1957) and recent occurrences (e.g. Dantas et al. 1992;Bonaparte and Mateus 1999;Rauhut 2000;Royo-Torres et al. 2006Yagüe et al. 2006;Mateus 2009;Ortega et al. 2010;Mannion et al. 2012;Mocho et al. 2012;Mocho, Royo-Torres, Ortega and Silva 2013;Mateus et al. 2014;Mocho, Royo-Torres, Malafaia, et al. 2014; have been referred, denoting higher sauropod diversity in the Lusitanian Basin during the Late Jurassic. The presence of turiasaurs in the Upper Jurassic beds of Portugal was firstly suggested by Royo-Torres et al. (2006), and posteriorly corroborated by the presence of teeth and postcranial material (Mateus 2009;Mocho et al. 2012, Forthcoming;Mateus et al. 2014). ...
... Dantas et al. 1992;Bonaparte and Mateus 1999;Rauhut 2000;Royo-Torres et al. 2006Yagüe et al. 2006;Mateus 2009;Ortega et al. 2010;Mannion et al. 2012;Mocho et al. 2012;Mocho, Royo-Torres, Ortega and Silva 2013;Mateus et al. 2014;Mocho, Royo-Torres, Malafaia, et al. 2014; have been referred, denoting higher sauropod diversity in the Lusitanian Basin during the Late Jurassic. The presence of turiasaurs in the Upper Jurassic beds of Portugal was firstly suggested by Royo-Torres et al. (2006), and posteriorly corroborated by the presence of teeth and postcranial material (Mateus 2009;Mocho et al. 2012, Forthcoming;Mateus et al. 2014). A new turiasaurian taxon, Zby atlanticus, was established from a specimen found in Vale de Pombas (Lourinhã) (Mateus et al. 2014). ...
New data on Late Jurassic sauropods of central and northern sectors of the Bombarral Sub-basin (Lusitanian Basin, Portugal)
Article
The Upper Jurassic’s central and northern sectors of the Bombarral Sub-basin are relatively poor in sauropod material, highlighting the specimens (mainly teeth) found in the Guimarota mine (Leiria) and the Andrés (Pombal) fossil site. The study of published and the unpublished sauropod material allows for a revision of the present state of sauropod diversity of the Bombarral Sub-basin. These new specimens come from Pombal, Leiria, Batalha, Porto de Mós, Alcobaça and Caldas da Rainha, and include an almost complete posterior or middle dorsal neural spine and a partial caudal series. The systematic re-evaluation of the sauropod record of this sector indicates the presence of turiasaurs, diplodocines, titanosauriforms and an indeterminate eusauropod form. During the last part of the twentieth century, the discovery of fossil vertebrates has increased significantly in the sediments cropping out in the central and northern sectors of the Bombarral Sub-basin (Alcobaça and Bombarral Formations), improving our understanding of the Late Jurassic faunas of the Lusitanian Basin.
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... If this interpretation is correct, Duriatitan humerocristatus would be the first Late Jurassic sauropod shared between Iberian Peninsula and United Kingdom. Although, the Portuguese Late Jurassic sauropods have classical been considered to have close affinities with the Morrison Formation sauropods (e.g., Lapparent and Zbyszewski, 1957;McIntosh, 1990a;1990b;Mateus, 2006;Ortega et al., 2006;2013), the presence of forms typical of the European Upper Jurassic record are also present, such as the turiasaurian sauropods (Royo-Torres et al., 2006;Mateus, 2009;Ortega et al., 2009;2010;2013;Mocho et al., 2012;Royo-Torres and Upchurch, 2012;Mateus et al., 2014). ...
Systematic review of Late Jurassic sauropods from the Museu Geológico collections (Lisboa, Portugal)
Article
The Museu Geológico collections house some of the first sauropods found in the Upper Jurassic sediments of the Lusitanian Basin, including the Lourinhasaurus alenquerensis and Lusotitan atalaiensis lectotypes, previously considered as new species of the genera Apatosaurus and Brachiosaurus, respectively. Several fragmentary specimens have historically been referred to those taxa, but for the most part of these systematic attributions are not supported herein, excluding a caudal vertebra from Maceira (MG 8804) considered as cf. Lusotitan atalaiensis. The material housed in the Museu Geológico comprises remains of non-neosauropod eusauropods (including turiasaurs) and neosauropods (indeterminate neosauropods, diplodocids, camarasaurids and basal titanosauriforms). Middle caudal vertebrae with lateral fossae, with ventral hollow bordered by pronounced ventrolateral crests and, which are quadrangular in cross-section, indicate for the presence of diplodocine diplodocids in the northern part of the Lusitanian Basin Central Sector during the Late Jurassic. A humerus collected from Praia dos Frades (MG 4976) is attributed to cf. Duriatitan humerocristatus suggesting the presence of shared sauropod forms between the Portugal and United Kingdom during the Late Jurassic. Duriatitan is an indeterminate member of Eusauropoda and the discovery of new material in both territories is necessary to confirm its systematic position. The studied material is in accordance with the previously recorded sauropod fauna in the Portuguese Late Jurassic, which includes non-neosauropod eusauropods (including turiasaurs), diplodocids and macronarians (including camarasaurids and basal titanosauriforms). © 2016, Universidad Complutense de Madrid. All rights reserved.
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Sauropod tooth morphotypes from the Upper Jurassic of the Lusitanian Basin (Portugal)
Article
The Upper Jurassic of the Lusitanian Basin has yielded an important fossil record of sauropods, but little information is available about the tooth morphotypes represented in this region. A large sample of teeth, both unpublished and published, is described and discussed here. Four main tooth morphologies are identified: spatulate, heart-shaped, pencil-shaped, and compressed cone-chisel-shaped. Heart-shaped teeth are considered to be exclusive to a non-neosauropod eusauropod, tentatively referred to Turiasauria. The spatulate teeth can be attributed to members of the Macronaria; they have a complex cingulum, more than one lingual facet and a labial ridge. The compressed cone-chisel-shaped teeth are also attributed to macronarians and the presence of an axially twisted apex through an arc of 30°–45° suggests putative affinities with Europasaurus and basal titanosauriforms. The variability observed in the overall morphology and wrinkling pattern of the compressed cone-chisel-shaped teeth may be due to factors related to the tooth position or to the ontogeny of individuals. Finally, pencil-shaped teeth with high slenderness index values, oval and apically located wear facets, subcylindrical crowns and lacking carinae, are tentatively assigned to Diplodocoidea. The diversity of tooth morphologies is in accordance with the known palaeobiodiversity of the Portuguese Late Jurassic sauropod fauna, which is composed of non-neosauropod eusauropods (turiasaurs), diplodocoids (diplodocids) and macronarians (camarasaurids and probably brachiosaurids). The Late Jurassic sauropod fossil record of the Iberian Peninsula presents the broadest tooth morphospace range in the world from this period, suggesting a wide niche partition for sauropods, and corresponding high taxonomic diversity.
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The Anatomy and Phylogenetic Relationships of “Pelorosaurus“ becklesii (Neosauropoda, Macronaria) from the Early Cretaceous of England
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The sauropod dinosaur "Pelorosaurus" becklesii was named in 1852 on the basis of an associated left humerus, ulna, radius and skin impression from the Early Cretaceous (Berriasian-Valanginian) Hastings Beds Group, near Hastings, East Sussex, southeast England, United Kingdom. The taxonomy and nomenclature of this specimen have a complex history, but most recent workers have agreed that "P." becklesii represents a distinct somphospondylan (or at least a titanosauriform) and is potentially the earliest titanosaur body fossil from Europe or even globally. The Hastings specimen is distinct from the approximately contemporaneous Pelorosaurus conybeari from Tilgate Forest, West Sussex. "P." becklesii can be diagnosed on the basis of five autapomorphies, such as: a prominent anteriorly directed process projecting from the anteromedial corner of the distal humerus; the proximal end of the radius is widest anteroposteriorly along its lateral margin; and the unique combination of a robust ulna and slender radius. The new generic name Haestasaurus is therefore erected for "P." becklesii. Three revised and six new fore limb characters (e.g. the presence/absence of condyle-like projections on the posterodistal margin of the radius) are discussed and added to three cladistic data sets for Sauropoda. Phylogenetic analysis confirms that Haestasaurus becklesii is a macronarian, but different data sets place this species either as a non-titanosauriform macronarian, or within a derived clade of titanosaurs that includes Malawisaurus and Saltasauridae. This uncertainty is probably caused by several factors, including the incompleteness of the Haestasaurus holotype and rampant homoplasy in fore limb characters. Haestasaurus most probably represents a basal macronarian that independently acquired the robust ulna, enlarged olecranon, and other states that have previously been regarded as synapomorphies of clades within Titanosauria. There is growing evidence that basal macronarian taxa survived into the Early Cretaceous of Europe and North America.
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