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Tridentinosaurus antiquus represents one of the oldest fossil reptiles and one of the very few skeletal specimens with evidence of soft tissue preservation from the Cisuralian (Early Permian) of the Italian Alps. The preservation and appearance of the fossil have puzzled palaeontologists for decades and its taphonomy and phylogenetic position have remained unresolved. We reanalysed T. antiquus using ultraviolet light (UV), 3D surface modelling, scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM‐EDS), micro x‐ray diffraction (μ‐XRD), Raman and attenuated total reflectance Fourier transformed infrared (ATR‐FTIR) spectroscopy to determine the origin of the body outline and test whether this represents the remains of organically preserved soft tissues which in turn could reveal important anatomical details about this enigmatic protorosaur. The results reveal, however, that the material forming the body outline is not fossilized soft tissues but a manufactured pigment indicating that the body outline is a forgery. Our discovery poses new questions about the validity of this enigmatic taxon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cement Creek and Haystack caves in Colorado have produced a diverse record of high-elevation late Quaternary mammals. Intermixed with the abundant mammalian remains were rare occurrences of amphibian and reptile fossils reported here. Cement Creek Cave (2860 m elevation) contained the fossils of only a few anurans and a limited number of snakes, whereas Haystack Cave, at a substantially lower elevation (2450 m), contained the fossils of a salamander, a larger number of snakes, and an extensive number of lizard remains, yet no anurans. The 2 faunas are overall distinct in composition, and, although not diverse or abundant in terms of species or number of faunal remains, they provide a rare and exceptional record of a late Pleistocene high-elevation herpetofauna from the Intermountain West. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Invertebrate bioerosion on fossil bone can contribute to reconstructions of benthic taxonomic assemblages and inform us about oxygenation levels, water depth and exposure time on the seafloor prior to burial. However, these traces are not commonly described in the fossil record. To date, there have been only 13 published studies describing a total of 15 instances of invertebrate bioerosion on marine reptile fossil bones from the Mesozoic globally. We surveyed the collections of several UK museums with substantial occurrences of Mesozoic marine reptiles for evidence of invertebrate bioerosion. Here, we document 153 specimens exhibiting 171 newly recorded instances of invertebrate bioerosion on Jurassic and Cretaceous marine reptile bones. Several major bioeroding taxonomic groups are identified. Within the geological strata of the United Kingdom, there is a higher prevalence of bioerosion in the Cretaceous relative to the Jurassic, despite greater sampling of specimens from the Jurassic. Although biotic turnover and food web restructuring might have played a role, potentially pertaining to heightened productivity during the later stages of the Mesozoic Marine Revolution, we consider it more likely that this temporal change corresponds to differences in depositional environment and taphonomic history between the sampled rock units. In particular, the Cretaceous deposits are characterized by heightened oxygenation levels relative to their Jurassic counterparts, as well as reworking, which would have allowed two phases of bioerosion. A spatiotemporally broader dataset on invertebrate bioerosion on vertebrate bone will be important in further testing this and other hypotheses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prolacerta broomi is one of the most important of fossil reptiles. First considered as one of the earliest members of squamates, this basal archosauromorph has been used as a model for diapsid morphological evolution ever since its discovery, playing a pivotal role in hypotheses on the origin of diapsid reptiles. The holotype of Prolacerta broomi (UCMZ 2003.41R) is known from a mostly complete skull, but the original description is limited to the superficial features of the skull roof and palate. Since then, many other specimens of Prolacerta broomi have been recovered that potentially account for this limited access to anatomical information, but it remains unclear whether these aspects correspond well to the known material of the holotype. Here, the skull morphology of the holotype of Prolacerta broomi is revisited through the use of μCT scans. The identifications of some cranial elements have been corrected, such as the left prefrontal and lacrimal, and several new elements are revealed, including the epi- and ectopterygoids, prearticular, coronoid, and braincase bones. The orbitonasal region is described in detail and significantly shows a contribution of the lacrimal to the dorsal alveolar canal. Finally, the addition of the holotype as an independent OTU in recently published analyses indicate conflicts with the current knowledge on Prolacerta broomi phylogenetic affinity and taxonomy. First, it points to potential taxonomic inconsistency since the holotype does not form a monophyletic group with other Prolacerta broomi OTUs in any of the analyses and, second, it suggests a more basal position for the holotype than that recovered in some studies, more basal than rhynchosaurs and close to the origin of Crocopoda. Together, these findings indicate areas of future research interest in the study of early evolving archosauromorphs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prolacerta broomi is one of the most important of fossil reptiles. First considered as one of the earliest members of squamates, this basal archosauromorph has been used as a model for diapsid morphological evolution ever since its discovery, playing a pivotal role in hypotheses on the origin of diapsid reptiles. The holotype of Prolacerta broomi (UCMZ 2003.41R) is known from a mostly complete skull, but the original description is limited to the superficial features of the skull roof and palate. Since then, many other specimens of Prolacerta broomi have been recovered that potentially account for this limited access to anatomical information, but it remains unclear whether these aspects correspond well to the known material of the holotype. Here, the skull morphology of the holotype of Prolacerta broomi is revisited through the use of µCT scans. The identifications of some cranial elements have been corrected, such as the left prefrontal and lacrimal, and several new elements are revealed, including the epi- and ectopterygoids, prearticular, coronoid, and braincase bones. The orbitonasal region is described in detail and significantly shows a contribution of the lacrimal to the dorsal alveolar canal. Finally, the addition of the holotype as an independent OTU in recently published analyses indicate conflicts with the current knowledge on Prolacerta broomi phylogenetic affinity and taxonomy. First, it points to potential taxonomic inconsistency since the holotype does not form a monophyletic group with other Prolacerta broomi OTUs in any of the analyses and, second, it suggests a more basal position for the holotype than that recovered in some studies, more basal than rhynchosaurs and close to the origin of Crocopoda. Together, these findings indicate areas of future research interest in the study of early evolving archosauromorphs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new species of the genus Belebey (Bolosauridae), Be. shumovi sp. nov., is described from the Upper Kazanian Substage (Guadalupian) of European Russia based on elements of the upper jaw, a maxilla and two premaxillae. This is the largest known bolosaurid, the skull length of which could be estimated to be around 160 mm. In addition to its overall size, Be. shumovi differs from other species of the genus in the shape of the maxilla, maxillary teeth, and their distribution along the tooth row. The holotype of Be. shumovi (maxilla) exhibits marginal dentition at the earliest stage of the tooth replacement process. Computed tomography (CT) scan data indicate the presence of almost completely formed replacement teeth along the entire tooth row, confirming the hypothesis of a single-wave cycle of tooth replacement in bolosaurids. Based on the material studied, the tertiary dentine formation was discovered for the first time among fossil reptiles. The tertiary dentine is one of the most evident adaptations of bolosaurids to high-fibre herbivory and demonstrates uniformity of the protection mechanism of the pulp in tetrapod history throughout most of the Phanerozoic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sauropterygians were the stratigraphically longest-ranging clade of Mesozoic marine reptiles with a global fossil record spanning ∼180 million years 1. However, their early evolution has only been known from what is now the Northern Hemisphere, extending across the northern and trans-equatorial western margins of the Tethys paleo-ocean 1 after the late-Early Triassic (late Olenekian, ∼248.8 million years [Ma] ago 2), and via possible trans-Arctic migration 1 to the Eastern Panthalassa super-ocean prior to the earliest Middle Triassic (Olenekian–earliest Anisian 3,4 , ∼247 Ma). Here, we describe the geologically oldest sea-going reptile from the Southern Hemisphere — a nothosaur (basal sauropterygian 5) from the Middle Triassic (Anisian, after ∼246 Ma6) of New Zealand. Time-scaled ancestral range estimations thus reveal an unexpected circum-Gondwanan high-paleolatitude (>60° S7) dispersal from a northern Tethyan origination center. This coincides with the adaptive diversification of sauropterygians after the end-Permian mass extinction 8 and suggests that rapid globalization accompanied their initial radiation in the earliest Mesozoic. Benjamin Kear and colleagues describe the geologically oldest sea-going reptile from the Southern Hemisphere. This fossil evidences the trans-oceanic dispersal and rapid global radiation of sauropterygians after the end-Permian mass extinction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vertebrate fossils usually consist only of mineralized skeletons and rarely preserve soft body parts. However, the buried soft body releases the degraded material into the surrounding sediments. The degraded material can be preserved as invisible signals of some chemicals or authigenic minerals, which can be revealed by the elemental distribution of the fossils' surface and their surrounding rock. As a method for surface elemental mapping, X‐ray fluorescence (XRF) measurement requires the samples to be ground and polished as a mirror‐like plane that keeps a stable distance of X‐ray source‐sample‐detector. This destructive pretreatment is undesirable for precious fossils. To rectify this problem, a nondestructive XRF for element mapping of the fossils' 3D surface is newly invented. The new equipment can follow the 3D shape model to keep the distance for every XRF scanned point. We performed the element mapping of Ca and Fe on the surface of a marine sauropterygian fossil (Keichousaurus hui) and its surrounding sediments, and found that the soft tissue around the thoracic cage is thicker than the abdomen. The abnormal elemental distribution on the area of the angular and surangular of the skull can be explained as unprofessionally prepared. In addition, this research found that elemental mapping revealed the invisible signals of the paleoenvironment around fossils and information for the reconstruction of soft‐tissue anatomy. We also give an example that based on the wide application of the "Internet of Things" and "Industrial Network," the design and development of specialized equipment for paleontologists' requirements are going simple. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The morphology of the neurovascular canal in the jaw has been analysed in several fossil reptiles, including theropod dinosaurs. However, the details of the neurovascular canal in the dentary of theropods have not been fully elucidated. In this study, we described the well-preserved dentary of Tyrannosaurus rex, analysed the morphology of the neurovascular canal in the dentary using computed tomography techniques, and compared its distribution pattern with other dinosaurs and extant crocodiles. The results show that the neurovascular canal in the dentary of Tyrannosaurus exhibits a rather complex branching amongst the sampled dinosaurs, and that the complexity is comparable to that of extant crocodilians. The complexity of the canal branching is likely related to the high tactile sensitivity of the dentary, suggesting that the jaw tip of Tyrannosaurus may have played an essential role as a sensitive tactile sensor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The extinct freshwater choristoderan reptiles Champsosaurus and Simoedosaurus are characterised by large body size and an elongated snout. They have often been considered as eco‐analogues of crocodilians based on superficial similarities. The slender‐snouted Champsosaurus has been described as a 'gavial‐like reptile', which implies it feeds underwater with a lateral swipe of the head and neck, as in the living slender‐snouted crocodilians such as Gavialis gangeticus. In contrast, the short‐snouted Simoedosaurus is often compared with short‐snouted living crocodilians and is considered to take single prey items. However, the neck mobility and flexibility needed for feeding movements are poorly understood even in extant crocodilians. This study explores the relationship between cervical morphology and neck flexion, focusing particularly on lateral and dorsal movements in G. gangeticus by comparison with shorter‐snouted crocodilians. The paper also describes a method to estimate the maximum angle of neck dorsiflexion in choristoderes based on the cervical morphology of extant crocodilian species. Three indices were used in this study, of which Index 3 is newly proposed, to compare cervical morphology and intervertebral joint flexibility: (1) Enclosed zygapophyseal angles (EZA) as an index of dorsoventral/ bilateral flexibility, (2) moment arm (M) of dorsiflexor muscles as an Index of resistance against ventroflexion and (3) the orientations of zygapophysial facets for a maximum angle of dorsiflexion. These Indices were validated using µCT scanning of fresh specimens of G. gangeticus and Caiman latirostris in lateral and dorsal flexion. A unique mechanism of lateral flexion was identified in G. gangeticus that uses a combination of the following features: (1) lateral flexion mainly restricted to the anterior cervical vertebrae (v2/v3: high EZA, with more horizontal zygapophyses) and (2) high degree of dorsiflexion at the v3/v4 and v4/v5 joints with potential for dorsal flexibility through the middle‐posterior neck, which is used in inertial feeding. In contrast, Champsosaurus and Simoedosaurus possess relatively short cervical vertebrae, as in short‐snouted crocodilians. The middle‐posterior cervical vertebrae of Champsosaurus are specialised for lateral flexion (high EZA), and there is only limited capacity for dorsiflexion throughout the neck. Like G. gangeticus, therefore, Champsosaurus may have used its slender snout to grab fish from shoals using lateral sweeping motions of the head and neck, but the movement is through the neck, not the craniocervical joint. However, inertial feeding is less likely to have occurred in this genus, and the aligned palatal dentition may have aided the lingual transport of prey into the mouth. Simoedosaurus, on the other hand, appears to have been less specialised, with a neck that combined lateral and dorsolateral flexion, a move that could have been effective in catching both terrestrial and aquatic prey. Where these two choristoderan genera occurred in the same place, they may have divided their niche by prey types. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Functional traits of vertebrates can be used to infer paleoenvironmental conditions, allowing research into past climate changes and biotic responses. Birds are generally considered poor palaeoclimatic proxies due to their high vagility. Here, we analyze biogeographical and climatic niche information from multiple vertebrate groups including small mammals, reptiles, and birds to infer the paleoclimatic conditions present during the Late Pleistocene (∼14,500–17,000 years BP) at Talara, an asphaltic paleontological locality on the northern Peruvian coast. We created Ecological Niche Models for the nearest living relative of each fossil species identified at Talara. We then used the Mutual Ecogeographic Range method, obtaining the overlapping area between distributions for each vertebrate group (birds, reptiles, and small mammals) as well as for combinations of groups, to infer the paleoclimate at Talara and to determinate what taxonomic groups are best for reconstructing climate in this system. Our analyses indicate that conditions at Talara were slightly cooler and significantly wetter than those of the present day. Individually, different vertebrate groups provide different paleoclimatic information. Birds were found to be a poor paleoclimatic proxy. Mammals were good for inferring paleoprecipitation but not paleotemperature. Reptiles were good group for inferring paleotemperature but not paleoprecipitation. While analyzing all vertebrate groups together yields the most robust conclusions, reptiles and small mammals combined are a good proxy for inferring both paleoprecipitation and paleotemperature. Our results suggest an interstadial period that agrees with paleotemperatures inferred from isotopic and sedimentary information. Our research indicates that today, the southern portion of the Cauca biogeographic province (230 km NE from Talara) has comparable climatic conditions to Late Pleistocene Talara. Understanding how the Talara region transitioned from this biodiverse ecosystem to the hyperarid coastal desert of today could have important implications for predicting biotic response and tipping points in the context of modern climate change. • The Pleistocene of Talara was slightly cooler and significantly wetter than today. • Past climatic conditions are similar to the present-day Cauca biogeographic province. • Individually, different vertebrate groups provide different paleoclimatic information. • Reptiles and mammals together are an effective proxy for paleoclimate. • Birds alone were found to be a poor paleoclimatic proxy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The marine Middle Triassic sediments of Svalbard are rich in fossiliferous material and are particularly well-known for marine reptile fossils. Here, we present a new specimen of the small-bodied mixosaurid ichthyosaur Phalarodon fraasi from the Botneheia Formation. PMO 235.393 is unusual in being the first three-dimensional mixosaurid skull recovered from this formation, allowing us to use computed tomography to reconstruct the obscured right side of the cranium, resulting in the first 3D model available for a mixosaurid ichthyosaur. Although separated into different slabs, the specimen preserves most of the dermatocranium as well as some partial post-cranial elements. In particular, the rostrum, external naris, dentition, quadrate and sclerotic ring are well-preserved. This methodology gave new insights into the adaptations this taxon has to durophagy, as well as a detailed look at the heterodont dentition present in PMO 235.393. After comparing with other Phalarodon specimens, it was clear that the maxillary heterodonty of this genus is a synapomorphy. As such this was added as a new character in our phylogenetic analysis, supporting the separation of Phalarodon and Mixosaurus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The marine Middle Triassic sediments of Svalbard are rich in fossiliferous material and are particularly well-known for marine reptile fossils. Here, we present a new specimen of the small-bodied mixosaurid ichthyosaur Phalarodon fraasi from the Botneheia Formation. PMO 235.393 is unusual in being the first three-dimensional mixosaurid skull recovered from this formation, allowing us to use computed tomography to reconstruct the obscured right side of the cranium, resulting in the first 3D model available for a mixosaurid ichthyosaur. Although separated into different slabs, the specimen preserves most of the dermatocranium as well as some partial post-cranial elements. In particular, the rostrum, external naris, dentition, quadrate and sclerotic ring are well-preserved. This methodology gave new insights into the adaptations this taxon has to durophagy, as well as a detailed look at the heterodont dentition present in PMO 235.393. After comparing with other Phalarodon specimens, it was clear that the maxillary heterodonty of this genus is a synapomorphy. As such this was added as a new character in our phylogenetic analysis, supporting the separation of Phalarodon and Mixosaurus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the Triassic, many groups of predatory marine reptiles appeared and diversified. On Mallorca, fossils of marine reptiles have been found in Muschelkalk (Anisian–Ladinian) and Keuper (Carnian–Norian) facies. Here we describe an anterior caudal vertebra of a basal ichthyosauriform similar to Grippidia (Reptilia: Ichthyosauriformes) from the Ladinian carbonate ramps of the Muschelkalk of Mallorca, which fills a biogeographic gap for the group, hitherto only known from the eastern and western margins of Panthalassa. The most plausible hypothesis to explain the fact that the Mallorcan specimen is younger than all the other related species described so far is supported by a rather isolated condition of the carbonate ramps surrounding eastern Iberia during the Anisian, which might point to a relict character of the Mallorcan species, representing the youngest record of basal ichthyosauriforms to date. Moreover, an epiphysis of an indeterminate reptile and four vertebrae assigned to Nothosaurus sp. (Reptilia: Eosauropterygia) from the Keuper sabkhat provide a new record of the latter genus on Mallorca, which falls within its known distribution area. Therefore, the present work provides an exhaustive review of all the marine vertebrate fossils found so far in the Middle–Upper Triassic of Mallorca, some of them with remarkable palaeobiogeographical implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fossil-bearing Jagua Formation of western Cuba was deposited during the early Late Jurassic (middle to late Oxfordian) in the marine corridor developed between western Laurasia and Gondwana, providing a rich assemblage of terrestrial to marine fossils including reptiles, fish and invertebrates. From this formation, De la Torre y Callejas reported in 1949 an isolated dinosaur bone, now missing, originally identified as 'Diplodocus' or 'Brontosaurus' humerus. Later, this fossil was referred as a camarasauromorph metacarpal. Within Macronaria, metacarpals became long and robust in Titanosauriformes. The strong curvature of the Cuban metacarpus suggests that it probably belongs to the first or second metacarpal of a somphospondylan. The achievement of a eugraviportal forelimb in Sauropoda was a unique event evidenced in metacarpal morphology. The bowed first metacarpal is present only in somphospondylans, particularly in some basal titanosaurs, and reverses in derived forms. Somphospondylans were not recorded yet for the early Late Jurassic neither in North nor in South America. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Records of Pleistocene reptiles are relatively well known in different countries. However, reptile fossil records of Pleistocene from Latin America are scarce and limited to presence data associated with records of megafauna remains. Taphonomic studies in Pleistocene reptiles are focused on finding out the origin of the paleontological remains; that is, if the remains found at a particular place correspond to organisms that lived and died there or if they were carried out and deposited there by water currents or predators. Pleistocene reptiles have been used as a proxy for qualitative paleoclimatic reconstructions of localities. In this study, we describe the fossil record of squamate reptiles from the Pleistocene of San José Buenavista (Puebla, Mexico), and the taphonomic relationship between them and the associated megafauna, as well as reconstruct the paleoclimate of the paleontological site in Central Mexico where the remains were found. We present the first Mexican Pleistocene record of Anolis and Storeria , the third fossil record of the alligator lizard Barisia sp. in Mexico, and the first North American Pleistocene record for the rattlesnake Crotalus triseriatus. The rattlesnake (C. triseriatus) was found inside the mandible of the American mastodon (Mammut americanum). This finding suggests that the mastodon remains were used as burrow by the rattlesnake during the Pleistocene. Paleoclimate was reconstructed using the Mutual Ecogeographic Range method, which uses the distribution and climate niche of the nearest extant representatives of the identified fossil taxa. A mean annual temperature of 13.91 ± 1.54 °C and an annual precipitation of 964.04 ± 316.82 mm were inferred for the locality. This suggests that the assemblage of fossil species found inhabited the locality during a glacial period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2016, two fossil marine reptiles were re-discovered in the collections of the Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Verona. Originally recovered near Asiago, Vicenza province (northern Italy) from an outcrop of the Rosso Ammonitico Veronese Fm. (Middle-Upper Jurassic), they were never described. Morphological analysis carried out under UV-light allowed enhancing contrast with the surrounding matrix and better identifying some anatomical details. Both specimens consist of partially articulated postcranial elements from two distinct ichthyosaurs, including vertebrae, ribs, and some fragmentary elements of the appendicular skeleton. The first specimen V7101 is here tentatively assigned to Ophthalmosauridae based on a combination of features shared with other taxa in this family, such as the regionalization of the vertebral column. Taphonomical analysis suggests a long exposure of the carcass on the sea floor before burial; two teeth of the hexanchiform shark Notidanodon found near the ribcage could indicate scavenging. An ichthyosaur tooth most probably not belonging to the same specimen was found stuck on a rib and can also be attributed to scavenging - the first ever record of this interaction between two ichthyosaurs. The second specimen V7102 is represented by a poorly preserved partial vertebral column and is here referred to Ichthyosauria indet. due to the absence of taxonomically significant characters. Calcareous nannofossil data and microfacies analyses allow us to assign both specimens to the basal Kimmeridgian. This makes the two Notidanodon teeth associated with V7101 the oldest recorded occurrence of this genus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extreme neck elongation was a common evolutionary strategy among Mesozoic marine reptiles, occurring independently in several lineages 1,2. Despite its evolutionary success, such an elongate neck might have been particularly susceptible to predation 1 , but direct evidence for this possibility has been lacking. Composed of only 13 hyperelongate vertebrae and associated strut-like ribs, the configuration of the long neck of the Triassic archosauromorph Tanystropheus is unique among tetrapods. It was probably stiffened and used to catch prey through an ambush-strategy 2. Here, we show that the neck was completely severed in two Tanystropheus specimens (Figure 1), most likely due to a predatory attack, providing vivid evidence of predator–prey interactions among Mesozoic marine reptiles that are rarely preserved in the fossil record. The recurring incidence of decapitation suggests that the elongate neck was a functional weak spot in Tanystropheus , and possibly the long-necked marine reptile bauplan more generally. Spiekman and Mujal report on two fossils of the Triassic reptile Tanystropheus in which the long neck preserves bite traces and is completely severed [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knowledge about marine reptile diversity and disparity during the Late Jurassic is increasing. This contribution describes marine reptile skeletal elements (ichthyosaur and plesiosaur) from Kingofjeld mountain in NE Greenland. The assemblage is early Late Oxfordian (Late Jurassic) in age, and consists of c. 100 disarticulated skeletal elements. The location is of biogeographic importance as it was at the time situated between the Boreal realm and the Tethys Sea and is promising in terms of future prospecting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The decline in species richness from the equator to the poles is referred to as the latitudinal diversity gradient (LDG). Higher equatorial diversity has been recognized for over 200 years, but the consistency of this pattern in deep time remains uncertain. Examination of spatial biodiversity patterns in the past across different global climate regimes and continental configurations can reveal how LDGs have varied over Earth history and potentially differentiate between suggested causal mechanisms. The Late Permian–Middle Triassic represents an ideal time interval for study, because it is characterized by large-scale volcanic episodes, extreme greenhouse temperatures and the most severe mass extinction event in Earth history. We examined terrestrial and marine tetrapod spatial biodiversity patterns using a database of global tetrapod occurrences. Terrestrial tetrapods exhibit a bimodal richness distribution throughout the Late Permian–Middle Triassic, with peaks in the northern low latitudes and southern mid-latitudes around 20–40° N and 60°S, respectively. Marine reptile fossils are known almost exclusively from the Northern Hemisphere in the Early and Middle Triassic, with highest diversity around 20° N. Reconstructed terrestrial LDGs contrast strongly with the generally unimodal gradients of today, potentially reflecting high global temperatures and prevailing Pangaean super-monsoonal climate system during the Permo-Triassic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores the introduction to the tetrapod biozonation of the Karoo Supergroup at the main Karoo Basin of South Africa. It discusses that abundant plant and animal fossils occur in the rock units of the Karoo Supergroup, providing insights into continental biodiversity from the Guadalupian to the Early Jurassic.

Archosauriformes are a major group of fossil and living reptiles that include the crown group Archosauria (birds, crocodilians and their extinct relatives) and closely related taxa. Archosauriformes are characterized by a highly diagnostic skull architecture, which is linked to the predatory habits of their early representatives, and the development of extensive cranial pneumaticity associated with the nasal capsule. The evolution of the archosauriform skull from the more plesiomorphic configuration present ancestrally in the broader clade Archosauromorpha was, until recently, elusive. This began to change with the discovery and description of Teyujagua paradoxa , an early archosauromorph from the Lower Triassic Sanga do Cabral Formation of Brazil. Here, we provide a detailed osteological description of the holotype and, thus far, only known specimen of T. paradoxa. In addition to providing new details of the anatomy of T. paradoxa , our study also reveals an early development of skull pneumaticity prior to the emergence of the antorbital fenestra. We use these new data to discuss the evolution of antorbital openings within Archosauriformes. Reappraisal of the phylogenetic position of T. paradoxa supports previous hypotheses of a close relationship with Archosauriformes. The data presented here provide new insights into character evolution during the origin of the archosauriform skull. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The historical biogeography and origin of the modern vertebrate fauna of the Antillean islands, which is characterized by a high level of endemism, are subjects of great interest and numerous studies (e.g., Pregill, [38]; Hedges, [20], [21]). If the vertebrae belong to two different taxa, then considering the low number of amphisbaenian fossils (i.e., three remains) in El Abrón Cave, we can presume a relatively large taxonomic diversity of Amphisbaenia in the late Pleistocene of Cuba. I C. blanoides i to the specific level, the presence of fossil I Cadea i , which is close to the recent I C. blanoides i , in the late Pleistocene is especially interesting due to well-known extinctions of vertebrates in the late Pleistocene and Holocene of the West Indies. [Extracted from the article]

Early Pleistocene terrestrial climate conditions in the Mediterranean region, especially between 1.3 and 1.7 Ma, are poorly understood. Here, the amphibian and reptile fossil record from 24 fissures (Cava Pirro) of the Pirro Nord karstic complex (southern Italy) is used to infer quantitative paleoclimatic and paleoenvironmental reconstructions. These numerical data indicate that the mean annual temperature may have been somewhat lower (–1.6 to –3.6 °C compared to modern temperatures) than that of today, and the mean annual precipitation slightly higher (+90 to +240 mm) than modern values. Seasonality was more pronounced, with cooler summers (–0.4 to –2.0 °C) and much colder winters (–1.2 to –6.0 °C). Rainfall distribution patterns during the year show more precipitation during the winter (+14 to +43 mm), with quantities of summer rainfall (–1.7 to +6.6 mm) being similar to modern values. The associated landscape comprised an open dry environment with scattered patches of woodland, locally along water courses or around swamps. This ecological scenario fits with early Pleistocene cold conditions, where the first occurrence of some eastern emigrants suggests a scenario of trans-Adriatic dispersal, as may have also occurred for the earliest European hominins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two major evolutionary events in the early history of Mesozoic marine reptiles have been recorded in the Triassic of China. The first event evidenced by the Early Triassic Chaohu Fauna was the emergence of new marine communities and their subsequent radiation in the Spathian Subage of the late Olenekian (Early Triassic). The earliest marine reptile fossil horizon was found to be 248.81 Ma in age, therefore about 3.35 myr after the end-Permian mass extinction. The emergence time for the clade Ichthyosauromorpha has been suggested to be between 251.5 and 248.8 Ma. Moreover, the first occurrence of this clade is not thought to have been prior to the end-Permian mass extinction and this is therefore indicative of an exceptionally high evolutionary rate. Globally, twenty eight marine reptile species (six from Chaohu) have been recorded in an interval of just 2 myr in the Early Triassic, and these marine reptiles diversified and became the predators in the Mesozoic marine ecosystems that formed soon after the end-Permian mass extinction. The first event was followed by a transition from coastal to oceanic communities followed by selective disappearance of coastal species and emergence of oceanic species in the Ladinian of the Middle Triassic, as evidenced by the Xingyi Fauna. Here a 5.1 m thick fossiliferous unit yields 17 or more taxa of marine reptiles and can be subdivided into two separate assemblages. The lower assemblage is mainly composed of nearshore sauropterygians, close to that of the Anisian Panxian Fauna and with a strong palaeobiogeographic affinity to western Tethys. In the upper assemblage, the coastal pachypleurosaurian and nothosaurian sauropterygians disappear, to be replaced by the large ichthyosaurs and pistosaurs with a closer palaeobiogeographic affinity to Panthalassa. In this assemblage, there is an example of an ichthyosaur unequivocally feeding on another marine reptile. This is the oldest definitive record of a marine reptile acting as an apex predator. The transition from the lower assemblage to the upper one also records a turnover of Mesozoic marine reptiles from coastal to oceanic forms, and from a strong west Tethyan affinity to an assemblage showing a greater affinity with east Panthalassa by the late Middle Triassic. • Two major evolutionary events in the early history of Mesozoic marine reptiles after the end-Permian mass extinction are recorded. • The first event was the emergence and subsequent radiation of marine reptiles during the late Olenekian. • A diversity of predatory marine reptiles appeared in the newly established Mesozoic marine ecosystem soon after the end-Permian mass extinction. • The second event was the ecological shift from coastal to oceanic environments in the Ladinian. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe a partial dyrosaurid skeleton recently prepared out of a limestone block discovered in the 1930s from Danian strata along the Atlantic coast of Senegal. The specimen, from a single individual, comprises nicely preserved elements of the appendicular and axial skeleton from the abdominal and sacral region, which enables us to refine our knowledge on some postcranial characteristics of the Dyrosauridae. Although Dyrosauridae are abundant in early Eocene deposits of North Africa, the present discovery in the Danian of Senegal fills a patchier record early after the K/Pg boundary and provides an important comparative data point with the few other Danian dyrosaurid records such as Atlantosuchus from nearby Morocco or Guarinisuchus and Hyposaurus from Brazil and the USA, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The oofamily Dendroolithidae is a distinct group of dinosaur eggs reported from China and Mongolia, which is characterized by branched eggshell units and irregular pore canals. The ootaxonomic inferences, however, were rarely discussed until now. A colonial nesting site was recently uncovered from the Qinglongshan region, Yunxian, Hubei Province, China. More than 30 dendroolithid egg clutches outcrop on the Tumiaoling Hill, including an extremely gigantic clutch containing 77 eggs. All clutches were exposed in the Upper Cretaceous fluvial-deposited Gaogou For mation. In this study, we emend the diagnosis of the oogenus Placoolithus and assign all dendroolithid eggs from the Tumiaoling Hill to a newly emended oospecies Placoolithus tumiaolingensis that shows greatly variable eggshell microstructure. Moreover, our study also disentangles the previous vexing classification of dendroolithid eggs. We conclude that Dendroolithus tumiaolingensis, D. hongzhaiziensis, and Paradendroolithus qinglongshanensis, all of which were previously reported from Yunxian, should be assigned to the newly emended oospecies Placoolithus tumiaolingensis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The clade Tapejaridae is composed by pterosaurs commonly found in fossiliferous deposits in northeastern Brazil. It is constituted by two less inclusive clades: the smaller-bodied Tapejarinae and the larger Thalassodrominae. Here we describe the specimen MN 6566-V, from the Lower Cretaceous Romualdo Formation of the Araripe Basin, Brazil. The specimen is overall well preserved tridimensionally, and consists of three posterior cervical vertebrae, incomplete right and left scapulocoracoids, and the proximal portion of a right humerus. Comparisons to specimens described in the literature enable its identification as a thalassodromine, whose postcranial material is still poorly known despite the large amount of pterosaurs known from this unit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT: Pterosaurs are an extinct group of Mesozoic flying reptiles, whose fossil record extends from approximately 210 to 66 million years ago. They were integral components of continental and marginal marine ecosystems, yet their diets remain poorly constrained. Numerous dietary hypotheses have been proposed for different pterosaur groups, including insectivory, piscivory, carnivory, durophagy, herbivory/frugivory, filter‐feeding and generalism. These hypotheses, and subsequent interpretations of pterosaur diet, are supported by qualitative (content fossils, associations, ichnology, comparative anatomy) and/or quantitative (functional morphology, stable isotope analysis) evidence. Pterosaur dietary interpretations are scattered throughout the literature with little attention paid to the supporting evidence. Reaching a robustly supported consensus on pterosaur diets is important for understanding their dietary evolution, and their roles in Mesozoic ecosystems. A comprehensive examination of the pterosaur literature identified 314 dietary interpretations (dietary statement plus supporting evidence) from 126 published studies. Multiple alternative diets have been hypothesised for most principal taxonomic pterosaur groups. Some groups exhibit a high degree of consensus, supported by multiple lines of evidence, while others exhibit less consensus. Qualitative evidence supports 87.3% of dietary interpretations, with comparative anatomy most common (62.1% of total). More speciose groups of pterosaur tend to have a greater range of hypothesised diets. Consideration of dietary interpretations within alternative phylogenetic contexts reveals high levels of consensus between equivalent monofenestratan groups, and lower levels of consensus between equivalent non‐monofenestratan groups. Evaluating the possible non‐biological controls on apparent patterns of dietary diversity reveals that numbers of dietary interpretations through time exhibit no correlation with patterns of publication (number of peer‐reviewed publications through time). 73.8% of dietary interpretations were published in the 21st century. Overall, consensus interpretations of pterosaur diets are better accounted for by non‐biological signals, such as the impact of the respective quality of the fossil record of different pterosaur groups on research levels. That many interpretations are based on qualitative, often untestable lines of evidence adds significant noise to the data. More experiment‐led pterosaur dietary research, with greater consideration of pterosaurs as organisms with independent evolutionary histories, will lead to more robust conclusions drawn from repeatable results. This will allow greater understanding of pterosaur dietary diversity, disparity and evolution and facilitate reconstructions of Mesozoic ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT A new fossil tortoise, Chelonoidis dominicensis, is described from a flooded cave in La Altagracia Province in the southeastern Dominican Republic on the island of Hispaniola. The holotype, and only known specimen, includes a nearly complete shell, skull, and appendicular skeleton. The new Dominican species, Chelonoidis dominicensis, shares morphological features with the Bahamian tortoise, Chelonoidis alburyorum, and the Cuban tortoise, Chelonoidiscubensis. Chelonoidis dominicensis can be distinguished from C. alburyorum by its weak prognathous-shaped rostrum, stronger and sharper vomerine septum, more angular posterior skull margins, distinctive caudal hump as seen in shell profile, the centrum of first dorsal vertebra narrow without a strong ventral keel, massive sacral buttresses, weak presacral and sacral ribs, more tapered anterior plastral lobe with prominent gulars, elevated gular shelf. An interclavicular sculpture (bird face) occurs on the internal surface of the entoplastron, composed of a massive brow-line and an elongated, narrow keel (beak). Chelonoidis dominicensis is distinguished from C. cubensis (based on incomplete specimens), by its more narrow anterior plastral lobe and gulars, oval entoplastron, a strong wedge-shaped xiphiplastral notch, and a slight indentation at the junction of the cervical sulcus. The West Indian tortoises are allied with Galapagos tortoises, Chelonoidis nigra species complex, and possibly Chaco tortoises, Chelonoidischilensis, based on morphology. These relationships are further supported by DNA evidence. A second tortoise, Chelonoidis marcanoi, was recently named from dry caves in Pedernales Province, in the southwestern part of the country. The designated holotype for C. marcanoi is a right humerus, but this element is inadequate to differentiate taxa in the West Indian genus Chelonoidis; thus, we consider C. marcanoi a nomen dubium. The concept of multiple populations of tortoises on Hispaniola has merit and is discussed in terms of biotic patterns associated with south and north paleo-islands, which are separated from each other by the Hispaniolan Rift Valley. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past few decades, important fossils of dinosaurs, crocodylomorphs, and other latest Cretaceous vertebrates have been recovered from the Bauru Group of Brazil, giving unique insight into how Gondwanan faunas were evolving before the end-Cretaceous asteroid impact. Most of these records, however, come from a few regions, most notably Mato Grosso, western São Paulo, and Triângulo Mineiro. Here we describe a fossil reptile assemblage from the Late Cretaceous of the Adamantina and Marília formations (Bauru Group, Paraná Basin) in a region that has gone largely unexplored: southern Goiás State. Although these fossils are isolated and largely incomplete, they record a high diversity of vertebrates, including podocnemidoid turtles, crocodyliforms, and titanosaurid dinosaurs. As previous records from this region were limited to a single indeterminate sauropod bone, these new fossils are the first diagnostic members of their groups from southern Goiás State. Despite the fragmentary condition of the new fossils, they demonstrate that the local fauna was diverse during the latest Cretaceous, and generally similar to Bauru Group faunas from other parts of Brazil. These fossils lend further support to the hypothesis that a diverse terrestrial fauna, dominated by dinosaurs and crocodylomorphs but also including turtles, was widespread across South America (and possibly Gondwana) during the very end of the Cretaceous Period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Secondary marine adaptation is a major pattern in amniote evolution, accompanied by specific bone histological adaptations. In the aftermath of the end-Permian extinction, diverse marine reptiles evolved early in the Triassic. Plesiosauria is the most diverse and one of the longest-lived clades of marine reptiles, but its bone histology is least known among the major marine amniote clades. Plesiosaurians had a unique and puzzling body plan, sporting four evenly shaped pointed flippers and (in most clades) a small head on a long, stiffened neck. The flippers were used as hydrofoils in underwater flight. A wide temporal, morphological, and morphometric gap separates plesiosaurians from their closest relatives (basal pistosaurs, Bobosaurus). For nearly two centuries, plesiosaurians were thought to appear suddenly in the earliest Jurassic after the end-Triassic extinctions. We describe the first Triassic plesiosaurian, from the Rhaetian of Germany, and compare its long bone histology to that of later plesiosaurians sampled for this study. The new taxon is recovered as a basal member of the Pliosauridae, revealing that diversification of plesiosaurians was a Triassic event and that several lineages must have crossed into the Jurassic. Plesiosaurian histology is strikingly uniform and different from stem sauropterygians. Histology suggests the concurrent evolution of fast growth and an elevated metabolic rate as an adaptation to cruising and efficient foraging in the open sea. The new specimen corroborates the hypothesis that open ocean life of plesiosaurians facilitated their survival of the end-Triassic extinctions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of tracking tunnels to record footprints is becoming an important tool for monitoring fauna. This study demonstrated that Duvaucel’s gecko (Hoplodactylus duvaucelii) footprints (toe dimensions, foot length and foot area) can be used to predict snout-to-vent length (SVL). Back feet were larger than front feet and, as long as this was taken into account, all anatomical features of footprints predicted SVL withR2values > 0.73. Measurements of foot area were easy to make and providedR2values of 0.94–0.97. Footprint analysis of a population of Duvaucel’s geckos on Motuora Island in the Hauraki Gulf, confirmed the presence of island-born geckos and improved estimates of the number of individuals. We propose that image analysis of footprints can be used to increase knowledge of populations of geckos that occur at low density, are cryptic and/or hard to capture, and are being monitored by volunteers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new dinosaur tracksite was found in the Kirmenjak quarry in Istria. It is located about one kilometre from an already existing tracksite. The footprints are placed on a slightly inclined bedding plane at the base of the succession represented by heavily stylolitised limestones of the Kirmenjak informal lithostratigraphic unit. The age of the limestones is late Tithonian. Fifteen footprints of circular shape with no clear digit or claw impressions were found at the site and are interpreted to have been formed on a tidal flat during a sea-level fall. All of the footprints belong to sauropod dinosaurs. Pes prints are circular to elliptical in shape, whereas manus prints are more elliptical and of smaller size. The average length of the pes prints is 55 cm, which would correspond to a sauropod of approximately 16 meters in length. The trackway is of narrow-gauge type, where the internal trackway width often has a negative value. The length of the strides indicates slow movement of the individual with a speed of less than 2 km/h. Based on stratigraphic position and footprint morphology, the new and the pre-existing tracksites represent the same trackbearing layer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cretaceous pterosaurs tracksites are very rare worldwide. Until now,only one African Cretaceous site withtracks of ( Agadirichnus elegans and Pteraichnus ) was known. This makes the discovery of a new outcrop in the Upper Cretaceous of Anza (Morocco) the third manifestation of this type of footprint in Africa, extending the existence of such traces from the Coniacian-Santonian to the Maastrichtian. The site contains only manus tracks, which can be explained as a result of erosion of pes prints. The lack of pes prints and the morphometric characteristics of the manus prints only allow us to relate these prints to Agadirichnus , Pteraichnus or maybe to a new ichnogenus. It is possible that the trackmakers are related to Ornithocheiroidea or Azhdarchoidea superfamilies whose fossil bones have been found from the Late Cretaceous in Morocco. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A formerly undescribed Ichthyosaurus specimen from the collection of the Niedersächsisches Landesmuseum (Lower Saxony State Museum) in Hannover, Germany, provides valuable new information. The skeleton was collected from the Lower Jurassic strata (lower Hettangian, Blue Lias Formation) of Doniford Bay, Somerset, UK. However, the specimen is a composite as almost the entire tail has been added and other parts are reconstructed. Regardless of the incomplete preservation, the estimated total length of this individual, based on the skull and precaudal length, is between 300 and 330 cm and it is thus the largest unequivocal example of the genus Ichthyosaurus. Cranial and postcranial characters, specifically from the maxilla, lacrimal, jugal, the humerus, and the ilium justify a referral to I. somersetensis. A fork-like shape of the proximal end of the ilium is unusual and has not been reported for any species of Ichthyosaurus. Likewise the presence of four elements in the third row of the hindfin, indicated by the presence of a bifurcation is novel for the species and has wider implications for the taxonomic utility of hindfins within the genus. The specimen also bears an embryo, which is only the third embryo known for Ichthyosaurus and the first to be positively identified to species level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]