Baurusuchus salgadoensis, a New Crocodylomorpha from the Bauru Basin (Cretaceous), Brazil

Baurusuchus salgadoensis is a new baurusuchid crocodylomorph from Bauru Basin (Cretaceous), Brazil, partially preserved through a complete skull. The fossil comes from a fine sandstone sequence of Adamantina Formation, General Salgado County, São Paulo State. The sedimentary sequence where it was found, located in Fazenda Buriti, is considered Turonian-Santonian in age. The described species _Baurusuchus salgadoensis sp. nov. _ is a baurusuchid with an antorbital fenestra, double external nares with a bony septum, two well-fused supraorbitals, the supratemporal fenestrae larger than the orbits and a quadrangular-shaped laterotemporal fenestra. The position of the external nares, located on anterior and terminal portion of the rostrum together with the theropod-like lateral compression of the snout and teeth are indicators that Baurusuchus salgadoensis was a terrestrial crocodyliform. This was a carnivorous species and the lateral compression of the rostrum could be interpreted as a mechanism to increase the skull resistance forces during biting. The pointed, conical teeth, some with crenulated borders, could be used to perforate and to carve the prey. The geological context of Baurusuchus salgadoensis indicates that it probably lived in a hot and arid climate.     

The terrestrial fauna of the Late Triassic Pant-y-ffynnon Quarry fissures,South Wales,UK and a new species of Clevosaurus (Lepidosauria: Rhynchocephalia)

Pant-y-ffynnon Quarry in South Wales yielded a rich cache of fossils in the early 1950s, including articulated specimens of new species (the small sauropodomorph dinosaur Pantydraco caducus and the crocodylomorph Terrestrisuchus gracilis), but no substantial study of the wider fauna of the Pant-y-ffynnon fissure systems has been published. Here, our overview of existing specimens, a few described but mostly undescribed, as well as freshly processed material, provides a comprehensive picture of the Pant-y-ffynnon palaeo-island of the Late Triassic. This was an island with a relatively impoverished fauna dominated by small clevosaurs (rhynchocephalians), including a new species, Clevosaurus cambrica, described here from a partially articulated specimen and isolated bones. The new species has a dental morphology that is intermediate between the Late Triassic Clevosaurus hudsoni, from Cromhall Quarry to the east, and the younger C. convallis from Pant Quarry to the west, suggesting adaptive radiation of clevosaurs in the palaeo-archipelago. The larger reptiles on the palaeo-island do not exceed 1.5?m in length, including a small carnivorous crocodylomorph, Terrestrisuchus, and a possible example of insular dwarfism in the basal dinosaur Pantydraco.     

Review of the Late Cretaceous-early Paleogene crocodylomorphs of Europe: Extinction patterns across the K-PG boundary

Although the European dinosaur succession during the latest Cretaceous and its relationship with the Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) mass extinction has been the focus of recent work, other continental vertebrates, such as crocodylomorphs, have received less attention. The European continental record of crocodylomorphs in general, and of eusuchians in particular, is relatively dense through the Maastrichtian until the K-Pg boundary. Traditionally it has been argued that continental crocodylomorphs were minimally impacted by the K-Pg extinction, but they were substantially affected in Europe with the disappearance of endemic eusuchians such as Hylaeochampsidae, Allodaposuchus and their close relatives, and non-eusuchians such as Doratodon or Theriosuchus. Despite extensive sampling in Danian continental deposits, only scarce fragmentary crocodylomorph remains have been cited. It is not until the late Paleocene and Eocene that a recovery in continental crocodylomorphs is observed. The presence of taxa such as planocraniids, the alligatoroids Diplocynodon and Hassiacosuchus, and stem crocodyloids during this period provide the first reliable continental records of Crocodylia in Europe and is best explained by post-extinction immigration from Asia or North America. By contrast, marine forms such as Thoracosaurus are found on both sides of the K-Pg boundary in Europe. The adaptation of these marine animals to different environments, from shallow seas to more transitional or fluvial environments, could be the key to their success and survival across the K-Pg boundary, as seen in other marine crocodylomorph clades such as Dyrosauridae.     

The largest thalattosuchian (Crocodylomorpha) supports teleosaurid survival across the Jurassic-Cretaceous boundary

A new teleosaurid from the Lower Cretaceous of Tataouine (Tunisia), Machimosaurus rex sp. nov., definitively falsifies that these crocodylomorphs faced extinction at the end of the Jurassic. Phylogenetic analysis supports its placement closer to M. hugii and M. mosae than M. buffetauti. With the skull length up to 160 cm and an estimated body length of 10 m, M. rex results the largest known thalattosuchian, and the largest known crocodylomorph at its time. This giant thallatosuchian probably was an ambush predator in the lagoonal environments that characterized the Tethyan margin of Africa during the earliest Cretaceous. Whether the Jurassic-Cretaceous mass extinction was real or artefact is debated. The discovery of M. rex supports that the end-Jurassic crisis affected primarily Laurasian biota and its purported magnitude is most likely biased by the incomplete Gondwanan fossil record. The faunal turnovers during the J-K transition are likely interpreted as local extinction events, triggered by regional ecological factors, and survival of widely-distributed and eurytypic forms by means of habitat tracking.     

Paleocene resurrection of a crocodylomorph taxon: Biotic crises,climatic and sea level fluctuations

Postcranial material of a crocodylomorph from the Danian of Oulad Abdoun Basin (Morocco) is described. Several characters, in particular the shape of its dorsal osteoderms, allows its attribution to Pholidosauridae. Up till now, the latest known pholidosaurid was Terminonaris, from the Early Turonian of North America, so, the Moroccan pholidosaurid extends the stratigraphic range of the group to more than 20 million years younger, and shows that the pholidosaurids survived the K-Pg crisis. The reevaluation and the phylogenetic analysis of Dakotasuchus kingi, Woodbinesuchus byersmauricei, and Sabinosuchus coahuilensis, previously considered as goniopholidids and dyrosaurid, respectively, revealed rather that they are pholidosaurids. This analysis also suggests that at least two independent pholidosaurid lineages reached the Maastrichtian, among which one crossed the K-Pg boundary. This study proposes the first analysis of tethysuchian diversity from the Late Jurassic to the Early Paleogene. Two diversity peaks are observed during the Oxfordian and Cenomanian, two stages of high paleotemperatures evaluated with the δ¹⁸O. The tethysuchian diversity strongly decreases after the Cenomanian, a decline that may be correlated with the “Ocean Anoxic Event” (OAE 2), which caused the strong marine faunal turnover during the Cenomanian-Turonian time interval. The large Turonian-Coniacian oceanic regression could also be a factor in the tethysuchian decline. After that, tethysuchian diversity remains low until the Maastrichtian-lower Paleocene marine tethysuchian dyrosaurid diversification, correlated with the Late Cretaceous-Paleocene transgression. At least one pholidosaurid lineage crossed the K-Pg boundary, confirming the weak impact of this crisis on the crocodylomorphs. Pholidosaurids seem to go extinct at the beginning of the Paleocene, possibly due to the strong radiation of dyrosaurids in marine environments and crocodylians in fresh-water during this time period.     

Kaikaifilu hervei gen. et sp. nov., a new large mosasaur (Squamata,Mosasauridae) from the upper Maastrichtian of Antarctica

We present a large, fragmentary skull and the humerus of a mosasaur (Squamata, Mosasauroidea) recovered from upper Maastrichtian beds of the López de Bertodano Formation in Marambio (=Seymour) Island, Antarctica. The material belongs to a large, adult individual with marked heterodonty as well as unusual humeral features. Different phylogenetic analyses returned the studied specimen within the Tylosaurinae, while the distinctive features of the skull and humerus allow distinguish it from the unique Antarctic known tylosaurine species, Taniwhasaurus antarcticus (Novas et al., 2002), as well as from other known Late Cretaceous mosasaurids from the Southern Hemisphere, thus, justifying the erection of a new taxon, Kaikaifilu hervei gen. et. sp. nov. The different dental types documented in the specimen studied have been previously recorded through isolated teeth from the same locality and were subsequently referred to several genera. This new find is relevant for assessing the previously known fragmentary records of Antarctic mosasaurids, suggesting that its local diversity could be more reduced than previously interpreted. The new material represents the youngest occurrence of tylosaurines in Antarctica.     

Reuniting the “head hunted” Corythosaurus excavatus (Dinosauria: Hadrosauridae) holotype skull with its dentary and postcranium

A Corythosaurus skull (UALVP 13) was collected in 1920 from what is now Dinosaur Provincial Park in southern Alberta, Canada and was designated the holotype of Corythosaurus excavatus, a new hadrosaur species by Gilmore (1923). In 1992, a previously uncovered, weathered, headless skeleton was found. This was collected in 2012 by the University of Alberta as there was potential it could belong to the holotype skull. In addition, an isolated hadrosaur dentary had been found in 1992 close to the articulated postcranial skeleton and may be one of the missing jaws of Corythosaurus excavatus. The hypothesis that it may be the skeleton of the holotype of Corythosaurus excavatus is tested using anatomical information and statistical analyses. Statistical comparisons suggest it is possible that the skull and dentary belong to the same specimen. Furthermore, bivariate plots and percentage prediction errors also indicate that the postcranial material could belong to the UALVP 13 skull. Because many large vertebrate fossil specimens (even types) are not always collected in their entirety, this method may be used as a line of evidence to determine whether independently collected specimens potentially belong to the same individual. The problems described herein highlight the need to collect specimens in their entirety, and for good field documentation, including the spatial and stratigraphic context of all finds.     

Uberabasuchus terrificus sp. nov., a New Crocodylomorpha from the Bauru Basin (Upper Cretaceous), Brazil

A new fairly complete and articulated skull of a Peirosauridae crocodylomorph from Bauru Basin (Late Cretaceous), Brazil, is described. The fossil is from a level of clayish sandstone within Serra do Veadinho sequence, Peirópolis, Uberaba County, Minas Gerais State. The sedimentary strata of Serra do Veadinho belong to the Marília Formation (Serra da Galga Member), Bauru Group, considered to be Campanian-Maastrichtian in age. The species -Uberabasuchus terrificus sp. nov. - is a peirosaurid with moderately narrow snout, large round orbits protected by supraorbital bones of triangular shape and an antorbital fenestra bounded posteriorly by a deep groove. This fossil resembles Peirosaurus tormini Price, 1955 in the size pattern of premaxillary teeth and by showing a similar wedge-like maxillary process in the premaxilla. It also shares some morphological features with the other species of the Peirosauridae, namely the crocodylomorph Lomasuchus palpebrosus Gasparini, Chiappe and Fernandez, 1991 from Argentina. Their common features comprise a moderately narrow snout and the deep lateral groove at the premaxilla and maxilla articulation for the reception of a large mandibular tooth. However, the nasal participates in the external nares and does not divide the nasal aperture, producing a “beak-like” structure at the extremity of the snout which is unique among peirosaurids. The stratigraphic setting suggests that the specimen was buried when a flash flood overflowed the shallow channels of a braided fluvial system.

Parsimony analysis of 183 morphological characters is performed for 23 crocodylomorphs. Analysis of the morphological data matrix resulted in three most parsimonious trees (374 steps, CI = 0.679; RI = 0.826). The new species is closely related to Mahajangasuchus and both, in addition to Peirosaurus and Lomasuchus, compose the Peirosauridae.     

Cranial anatomy of Pholidosaurus purbeckensis from the Lower Cretaceous of France and its bearing on pholidosaurid affinities

New and nearly complete cranial remains of Pholidosaurus purbeckensis are described on the basis of specimens recovered from the Berriasian locality of Cherves-de-Cognac, France. Two skulls, associated mandibles and a set of dorsal osteoderms are available and allow a refinement of the anatomy of the genus, known otherwise from coeval deposits in Germany and England. Because of its longirostrine morphology, convergent with other crocodylomorph lineages, the phylogenetic relationships of Pholidosaurus are likely to be affected by Long Branch Attraction problems. Various tests of removing/excluding longirostrine lineages confirm that Dyrosauridae have a labile position and that their affinities with Pholidosauridae are weakly supported. Results from comparative anatomy and phylogenetic analyses recover Pholidosaurus as the basalmost member of Pholidosauridae, a group closely related to Goniopholididae. Pholidosaurus is recovered together with abundant remains of Goniopholis and with more limited remains of Theriosuchus. The paleoecology of Pholidosaurus and more generally, of Pholidosauridae, is discussed.     

New cranial remains of titanosaurian sauropod dinosaurs from the Late Cretaceous of Fox-Amphoux-Métisson (Var,SE France)

The Fox-Amphoux Syncline of the Aix Basin (SE France) has yielded a diverse Late Cretaceous vertebrate assemblage, including several taxa of dinosaurs. Here, we report on cranial material of titanosaurian sauropods, which consist of a partial braincase, two fragmentary skull roofs, and nine teeth, from the Métisson locality (Var Department). The braincase differs from those found previously in Europe (i.e., Ampelosaurus atacis, Lirainosaurus astibiae, and an unnamed juvenile skull from Romania) as well as from other titanosaurian braincases in having a groove that extends along the ventral surface of the occipital condyle neck (this feature may be autapomorphic). One of the fragmentary skull roofs may belong to the same taxon, whereas the other suggests the presence of a second titanosaur at Métisson very close to Ampelosaurus. Two dental morphologies are present in the sample; one of them includes teeth of different sizes. We suggest that this could be accounted for by age differences within a single taxon, or be due to different positions in the tooth row. The presence of a new, still unnamed titanosaurian taxon in the Ibero-Armorican Island supports previous works indicating a high titanosaurian diversity during the Campanian-Maastrichtian in southern Europe.     

The youngest record of metriorhynchid crocodylomorphs,with implications for the extinction of Thalattosuchia

Here we describe an isolated tooth of a metriorhynchid crocodylomorph from the Hybla Formation (Aptian, Lower Cretaceous) of Rocca Chi Parra quarry (Montagna Grande, Calatafimi, Trapani Province), Sicily, Italy. The specimen shares with the Upper Jurassic taxon Plesiosuchus manselii a mediolaterally compressed conical tooth crown, noticeable lingual curvature, mesial and distal carinae with microscopic, rectangular contiguous denticles, strong distal curvature of the mesial margin, and the presence of weak 'carinal flanges' on the labial and lingual surfaces (which are preeminent at the mid-crown). This suite of morphologies is also present in an unnamed Valanginian (Lower Cretaceous) plesiosuchinan from France. However, the Sicilian tooth differs from these taxa in having more pronounced carinae, and faint apicobasally aligned enamel ridges. It also differs from P. manselii in having more extensive 'carinal flanges' on the labial surface. The specimen extends the known geological range of Metriorhynchidae and Thalattosuchia by approximately 7–8 million years. This overturns previous hypotheses of Metriorhynchidae becoming extinct early in the Early Cretaceous.     

The taxonomic identity of a nearly complete ankylosaurid dinosaur skeleton from the Gobi Desert of Mongolia

Mongolian Paleontological Center (MPC) 100/1305 is one of the most complete ankylosaurid skeletons ever collected, and includes much of the postcranial skeleton and numerous in situ osteoderms. This specimen has been referred to Saichania chulsanensis, based on the similarity of the skull compared to the holotype of Saichania, MPC 100/151. However, MPC 100/1305 does not include a skull, and so referral of MPC 100/1305 to Saichania must be based on postcranial characters. Comparison of the postcrania of MPC 100/1305 and MPC 100/151 reveals several differences in the scapula, humerus, and metacarpals, indicating that MPC 100/1305 should not be referred to Saichania. Additionally, although it was previously reported that MPC 100/1305 was collected from the Baruungoyot Formation at Khulsan in Mongolia, collection records indicate that this specimen was instead collected from the Djadokhta Formation at Zamyn Khond. Two ankylosaurid species are known from the Djadokhta Formation of Mongolia and China, Pinacosaurus grangeri and P. mephistocephalus. There are no diagnostic characters in MPC 100/1305 that can be used to refer this specimen to P. grangeri or P. mephistocephalus, and there are a few differences between MPC 100/1305 and Pinacosaurus, such as the number of caudal vertebrae, and morphology of the coracoid, which have uncertain taxonomic implications. At present, MPC 100/1305 is best referred to Ankylosauridae indet., or cf. Pinacosaurus, based on its generally congruent morphology with Pinacosaurus and its provenance from the Djadokhta Formation, in which Pinacosaurus is the only recognized ankylosaurid taxon.     

A stegosaur tooth (Dinosauria, Ornithischia) from the Early Cretaceous of southwestern France

The spotty nature of the terrestrial fossil record for the Mesozoic hinders a more complete understanding of dinosaur diversity. For stegosaurs (Ornithischia), the plated dinosaurs, only a few and fragmentary remains are reported from the Early Cretaceous of Europe. A recent revision concluded that only a partial vertebra of the nomen dubium Craterosaurus (?Aptian, England) could be considered as stegosaurian. Here we report on a stegosaur tooth from the Early Cretaceous (Berriasian) Purbeckian deposits of Cherves-de-Cognac (Charente), southwestern France. This tiny tooth was examined in detail using microtomography. Comparisons being limited by the rarity of stegosaur tooth rows material (e.g., from the skull of the holotype of Stegosaurus stenops) and dental material, notably from Europe, we observed new material of cf. Stegosaurus armatus and Hesperosaurus mjosi from the Upper Jurassic Morrison Formation of Wyoming (USA). The tooth shows the most similarities to the Late Jurassic genera Stegosaurus and Hesperosaurus, but differs in having a distinctive downwardly arched (V-shaped) cingulum on the ?lingual face (maxillary tooth hypothesis). It is referred to as Stegosauria indeterminate, a medium-sized quadrupedal herbivore that inhabited an emerged land between the Armorican Massif and the Massif Central. This finding is the first evidence of a stegosaur from the Early Cretaceous of France and a welcome addition to the meagre European record of that time. In addition, it is the second stegosaurian tooth crown reported from Europe. The assemblage of ornithischians of Cherves-de-Cognac shares some similarities with that of the Early Cretaceous (Berriasian) of the Purbeck Limestone Group, southern England. The relative rarity of ornithischian osteological remains in both Purbeckian environments suggests that most of these dinosaurs were mainly inhabitants of inland terrestrial palaeoenvironments.     

Highly specialized suspension-feeding bony fish Rhinconichthys (Actinopterygii: Pachycormiformes) from the mid-Cretaceous of the United States,England, and Japan

We re-define the Cretaceous bony fish genus Rhinconichthys by re-describing the type species, R. taylori, and defining two new species; R. purgatorensis sp. nov. from the lowermost Carlile Shale (middle Turonian), southeastern Colorado, United States, and R. uyenoi sp. nov. from the Mikasa Formation (Cenomanian), Middle Yezo Group, Hokkaido, Japan. Rhinconichthys purgatoirensis sp. nov. is designated on a newly discovered specimen consisting of a nearly complete skull with pectoral elements. Only known previously by two Cenomanian age specimens from England and Japan, the North American specimen significantly extends the geographic and stratigraphic range of Rhinconichthys. The skull of Rhinconichthys is elongate, including an expansive gill basket, and estimated maximum body length ranges between 2.0 and 2.7 m. Rhinconichthys was likely an obligate suspension-feeder due to its derived cranial morphology, characterized by a remarkably large and elongate hyomandibula. The hyomandibula mechanically acts as a lever to thrust the jaw articulation and hyoid arch both ventrally and anterolaterally during protraction, thus creating a massive buccal space to maximize filtering of planktonic prey items. Cladistic analysis supports a monophyly of suspension-feeding pachycormids including Rhinconichthys, but further resolution within this clade will require more information through additional fossil specimens.     

A baby mosasauroid (Reptilia,Squamata) from the Turonian of Morocco – Tethysaurus ‘junior’ discovered?

New Middle Turonian mosasauroid remains were discovered in the same large-sized nodule that yielded a specimen referred to Tethysaurus nopcsai Bardet et al., 2003, from the Goulmima region (southern Morocco). They comprise isolated, fragmentary cranial elements (skull and mandible) and some vertebrae. Their very small size suggests a juvenile condition, an observation supported also by anatomical (spongious nature of numerous bone parts), micro-anatomical (loose inner spongiosa) and histological (numerous remains of calcified cartilage deep into the centrum; radial vascular canals) data. These bones belonged to a basal mosasauroid that cannot be distinguished from Tethysaurus nopcsai to which taxon we tentatively assign the material.     

Allometry and body length of abelisauroid theropods: Pycnonemosaurus nevesi is the new king

Abelisauroid dinosaurs normally reached an average body length (BL) of 5–9 m, but there are controversies due to the incomplete or fragmentary nature of most specimens. For Ekrixinatosaurus, for example, BL was estimated as 10–11 m or 7–8 m; for Pycnonemosaurus it was proposed 7–8 m, however its preserved bones are larger than any other described abelisauroid. The lack of a consistent methodology complicates comparisons of estimated BL, so we reevaluated the estimative for the seven most complete specimens of abelisauroids and compared the values against 40 measurements from the skull, vertebrae and appendicular elements using bivariate equations. It allowed estimating the BL of other 30, less complete, specimens of abelisauroids and to evaluate the allometric scaling of the skeletal parts. Strong correlations (R² > 0.96) were obtained for all vertebrae and hindlimb measurements, as well as skull height, and length of skull roof, lacrimal–squamosal, scapulocoracoid and humerus; other skull and forelimb measurements present weak correlation due to extreme morphological transformations observed in Abelisauridae and were not adequate for BL estimation. Abelisauroids gradually increased in size during evolution: the mean BL was 3.3 ± 2.5 m for basal abelisauroids and Noasauridae, 5.4 ± 1.8 m for basal Brachyrostra and Majungasauridae, and 7.1 ± 2.1 m for Furileusaura. Despite this variation, diversity of BL on each geographic region and stratigraphic epoch was relatively constant (BL usually varied from 4 to 8 m). The smallest noasaurid and abelisaurid are, respectively, Velocisaurus (1.5 ± 0.1 m) and Genusaurus (3.6 ± 0.0 m). The largest abelisaurids is Pycnonemosaurus nevesi (8.9 ± 0.3 m) followed by Carnotaurus (7.8 ± 0.3 m), Abelisaurus (7.4 ± 0.7 m) and Ekrixinatosaurus (7.4 ± 0.8 m). Skull measurement scale negatively at a similar rate but the height scales almost isometrically and the skull roof length scales more negatively; this probably caused a bending on the skull that may explain the upward orientation of the snout in large taxa.     

Pachycephalosaurs (Dinosauria: Ornithischia) from the Upper Cretaceous (upper Campanian) of New Mexico: A reassessment of Stegoceras novomexicanum

Pachycephalosaurs, a group of ornithischian dinosaurs with distinctive cranial ornamentation and skull domes, underwent dramatic changes in cranial morphology during ontogeny. This has caused debate about whether some specimens belong to juveniles or adults, which impacts studies of pachycephalosaur phylogeny and evolution. One such debate concerns a small skull roof specimen from the Campanian (Upper Cretaceous) of New Mexico, NMMNH P-33898, which was originally described as an indeterminate juvenile but later regarded as a mature adult and erected as the holotype of a new small-bodied species, Stegoceras novomexicanum. We restudied NMMNH P-33898 using computed tomography scanning, morphometric and phylogenetic analyses, and comparisons to growth series of other pachycephalosaurs (Stegoceras validum, Pachycephalosaurus wyomingensis). We conclude that two purported paratype specimens of Stegoceras novomexicanum cannot be referred to the same taxon as the holotype, that the holotype and controversial paratypes all belong to immature specimens and not aberrant small-bodied adults, but that current evidence cannot clearly determine whether NMMNH P-33898 is a juvenile belonging to its own diagnostic species (S. novomexicanum) or is a juvenile of Stegoceras validum, Sphaerotholus goodwini, or another known taxon. We review the pachycephalosaur record of New Mexico and demonstrate that pachycephalosaurs were important components of dinosaur faunas in the southern part of Western North America during the ∼15 million years before the end-Cretaceous extinction, just as they were in roughly contemporaneous northern localities.     

A new species of Tupuxuara (Thalassodromidae,Azhdarchoidea) from the Lower Cretaceous Santana Formation of Brazil,with a note on the nomenclature of Thalassodromidae

A new species of the sail-crested pterosaur Tupuxuara is described from the Santana Formation of Brazil, Tupuxuara deliradamus sp. nov. The holotype, a partial skull, and a larger, partial skull referred to the same taxon differs from Tupuxuara leonardii by having a nasoantorbital fenestra with an acutely-angled posterior border with a long, straight posterodorsal margin, a reclined cranium, and an orbit situated entirely in the ventral half of the nasoantorbitral fenestra. Unfortunately, neither specimen is comparable with the fragmentary rostrum representing Tupuxuara longicristatus. In addition, resolution of a recent nomenclatural problem over the correct name for the clade containing Tupuxuara and its sister taxon, Thalassodromeus, is provided. Both genera are used by different authors as the nomenclatural basis for the group, but “Tupuxuaridae” has never been explicitly erected as a new taxon, and therefore fails to meet ICZN criteria that new taxa are only valid if authors clearly indicate their intention to establish new names. By contrast, “Thalassodrominae” was explicitly erected as a name for the Thalassodromeus + Tupuxuara clade, thereby fulfilling all ICZN requirements for naming of a new taxon and making Thalassodromeus stand as the type genus for this group.     

Discovery of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Elephas</Emphasis> cf. <Emphasis Type="Italic">namadicus</Emphasis> from the late Pleistocene strata of Marginal Ganga Plain

We describe an elephant skull recovered from a cliff section of Dhasan river of Marginal Ganga Plain. The dental morphology and cranial features of the skull have been compared with the known species of Elephas from the Indian subcontinent. Although it shows very near resemblance to Elephas namadicus, but being an isolated specimen its specific identity cannot be proclaimed with certainty. As such, the specimen is provisionally referred as E. cf. namadicus. The Optically Stimulated Luminescence ages place this find at ~56 ka BP. This is the first chronologically well constrained report of E. cf. namadicus from the Ganga Plain.     

Neuroanatomy of the abelisaurid theropod Viavenator: The most complete reconstruction of a cranial endocast and inner ear for a South American representative of the clade

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 the inner ear. Within the abelisaurids, the only taxon with a complete braincase and known endocranial morphology is Majungasaurus crenatissimus, from Madagascar. In turn, in Argentina, partial endocranial morphology is known for another two Cretaceous forms: Abelisaurus comahuensis and Aucasaurus garridoi. Here, we present the most complete reconstruction of the neuroanatomy for a representative of the clade in South America. These findings add knowledge to the field of theropod paleoneuroanatomy in general, and abelisaurid diversity in particular. Comparisons of Viavenator with other abelisaurids indicate greater similarity with Aucasaurus than with Majungasaurus, suggesting that South American forms shared the same neurosensorial capabilities, which include larger flocculus of the cerebellum and larger olfactory ratios than the form from Madagascar.