Stratigraphy and evolution of the Galve sub-basin (Spain) in the middle Tithonian–early Barremian: Implications for the setting and age of some dinosaur fossil sites

A review of the stratigraphy of the Galve sub-basin (western Maestrazgo Basin, eastern Spain) around the Jurassic–Cretaceous transition is presented here, based on new data acquired after extensive geological mapping and logging complemented with facies analysis, new biostratigraphic data and a revision of the published information available. The results obtained are relevant for a more detailed understanding of the tecto-sedimentary evolution of the studied basin during the transition between two stages of rift evolution (i.e., syn-rift sequences 1 and 2). In addition, new information on the age and setting of numerous dinosaur fossil- and track-sites found across the Galve sub-basin and in the northern part of the nearby Penyagolosa sub-basin is provided here. Two new lithostratigraphic units are defined and characterized, the Aguilar del Alfambra and the Galve formations. The previous stratigraphic framework considered only two lithostratigraphic units (the Villar del Arzobispo and El Castellar formations) bounded by a single regional unconformity, and this resulted in significant misinterpretations. The whitish limestones, red lutites and cross-bedded sandstones of the Aguilar del Alfambra Formation were deposited in transitional environments, ranging from coastal lutitic plains to restricted lagoons. Of particular interest are the laminated micritic-peloidal limestones with abundant fenestral porosity (supratidal ponds to intertidal flats), which preserve common dinosaur footprints. This unit is bounded by widespread unconformities and is of very variable thickness (0–450 m), controlled by extensional tectonics operating at the climax of syn-rift sequence 1 during the latest Tithonian–middle Berriasian. The overlying Galve Formation is of variable thickness (from 0 to 100 m) and is also bounded by regional unconformities described in detail here. It consists of red lutites with cross-bedded and tabular-burrowed sandstones representing channel and overflow deposits in an alluvial floodplain. The sauropod dinosaur Aragosaurus ischiaticus found in this unit has a controversial age assignment. The age of the Galve Formation is poorly constrained from late Berriasian to Hauterivian, but new biostratigraphic data presented here, combined with the correlation with the nearby Penyagolosa and Salzedella sub-basins, suggest a possible equivalence to the upper Berriasian–lower Valanginian sequence deposited during the initial stage of syn-rift sequence 2.     

Une Microflore du Barrémien dans la Province de Valencia,Espagne

A Barremian microflora is recorded in the terrigenous facies (Weald) of the Lower Cretaceous in the northern region of the Province of Valencia (Spain), these beds have been poorly dated up to now due to the absence of fossils. The Villar del Arzobispo microflora correspond unquestionably to the Barremian-Aptien period, but the numerical importance of derived forms from the Jurassic, the remarkable variety of forms of Cicatricosisporites, and the rareness of pollen of Angiosperms, indicate a Barremian age to be more likely.This discovery permits us to establish the stratigraphical relationship of this terrigenousfacies of Villar del Arzobispo with the dated “Weald” of other areas of the Iberian Chain and to give a complete chrono-stratigraphical interpretation to the different litho-stratigraphical units that constitute the Lower Cretaceous of this region.     

The turtles from the uppermost Jurassic and Early Cretaceous of Galve (Iberian Range,Spain): Anatomical,systematic, biostratigraphic and palaeobiogeographical implications

The faunal associations of the uppermost Jurassic and Early Cretaceous Villar del Arzobispo, El Castellar, and Camarillas formations of the Spanish town of Galve (Maestrazgo Basin of the Iberian Range) are composed of more than fifty taxa belonging to Chondrichthyes, bony fishes, lissamphibians, mammals, and reptiles. Although the presence of turtles has been recognized in these three formations, being very abundant, the published information is limited. The detailed study of these turtles allows us to recognize at least nine taxa, several of them previously not identified in the Spanish record. These taxa correspond to stem Testudines (Solemydidae), members of Paracryptodira (Pleurosternidae), several representatives of Plesiochelyidae and taxa closely related with this clade, representatives of the stem group of Cryptodira (Xinjiangchelyidae) and members of crown Cryptodira. The chelonian fauna of Galve increases the systematic, anatomical, biostratigraphic, and paleobiogeographic knowledge on several clades, represented by taxa shared with other European regions, clades also present in Early Cretaceous sites of North America or Asia, as well as taxa exclusive of the Iberian record.     

Late Cretaceous stratigraphy,sediments and structure: Gems of the Dorset and East Devon Coast World Heritage Site (Jurassic Coast), England

Extraordinary, long-distance litho-marker beds such as the Lewes and Shoreham Tubular Flints and associated marl seams and fossils, recognised in cliff exposures and cliff-fall boulders, are keys to unlocking the stratigraphy and tectonic structures in the Late Cretaceous of the Dorset and East Devon Coast World Heritage Site (Jurassic Coast). Durdle Cove is a special gem exposing the Lewes and Seaford Chalk stratigraphy where new marker beds are identified and sediments and tectonic structures provide clues to timing of movements that produced a Late Cretaceous pericline which grew into a Miocene monocline along the line of the underlying Purbeck Reverse Fault. During ‘inversion’ along this fault some Late Cretaceous Chalk formations were in part or completely ‘lost’ (e.g. Middle Turonian New Pit Chalk Formation) and others were condensed (e.g. Late Santonian and Early Campanian Newhaven Chalk Formation). Excavation of the A354 road cutting at the Lower Bincombe Farm, has greatly added to the stratigraphical records of Late Cretaceous fossils in South Dorset, especially Coniacian and Early Campanian inoceramid bivalves and the various stratigraphically specific forms of the Late Santonian to Early Campanian echinoid fossil Echinocorys scutata spp. not recorded before in this coastline. The very large bivalve fossil Platyceramus sp. provides clues to chalk sea-floor environments.     

论敦达古鲁巴哈里亚地区的陆相夹层及非洲其他地层中早白垩世恐龙化石的时代

列举并尝试对比了非洲早白垩世脊椎动物化石的主要产地。晚侏罗世(坦桑尼亚的敦达古鲁基默里奇期提塘期)至白垩纪最早期(南非的阿尔戈阿盆地凡兰吟期)的组合中含有剑龙、腕龙和梁龙,到前阿普特期(欧特里沃期巴列姆期?)被另一组合所取代。这一更年轻的组合中含有重爪龙亚科棘龙类、大头鳄类鳄鱼Sarcosuchus以及大型禽龙,它们主要来自尼日尔(ElRhaz组和喀麦隆(Koum组),部分来自利比亚(Cabao组)和突尼斯(Douiret组),后两组中还含有鲨鱼Priohybodus ar ambourgi。阿普特期(?)至早阿尔必期组合中仍含有禽龙,但是棘龙科棘龙类取代了重爪龙亚科。早塞诺曼期组合(Bahariya,Kem Kem)以恐龙Spinosaurus、Carcharodonto saurus,鲨鱼(Onchopris tisnumidus)和鳄鱼(利比亚鳄类、无棘腔鳄类)为特征。由此可知,中非的一些原先被认为是早白垩世的地层(坦桑尼亚的Galula组、马拉维的含恐龙层)为晚白垩世。脊椎动物化石在非洲陆相地层的对比中具有重要作用。     

Dinosaur ichnofauna of the Upper Jurassic/Lower Cretaceous of the Paraná Basin (Brazil and Uruguay)

Upper Jurassic and Lower Cretaceous sedimentary layers are represented in the Brazilian Paraná Basin by the fluvio–aeolian Guará Formation and the Botucatu Formation palaeoerg, respectively, overlapped by the volcanic Serra Geral Formation. In Uruguay, the corresponding sedimentary units are named Batoví and Rivera Members (both from the Tacuarembó Formation), and the lava flows constitute the Arapey Formation (also in Paraná Basin). Despite the lack of body fossils in the mentioned Brazilian formations, Guará/Batoví dinosaur fauna is composed of theropod, ornithopod and wide–gauge sauropod tracks and isolated footprints, as well as theropod teeth. In turn, the Botucatu/Rivera dinosaur fauna is represented by theropod and ornithopod ichnofossils smaller than those from the underlying units. The analysis of these dinosaur ichnological records and comparisons with other global Mesozoic ichnofauna indicates that there is a size reduction in dinosaur fauna in the more arid Botucatu/Rivera environment, which is dominated by aeolian dunes. The absence of sauropod trackways in the Botucatu Sandstone fits with the increasingly arid conditions because it is difficult for heavy animals to walk on sandy dunes, as well as to obtain the required amount of food resources. This comparison between the Upper Jurassic and Lower Cretaceous dinosaur fauna in south Brazil and Uruguay demonstrates the influence of aridization on the size of animals occupying each habitat.     

Dinosaur eggshells from the Santonian Milk River Formation of Alberta,Canada

The North American fossil record of dinosaur eggshells for the Cretaceous is primarily restricted to formations of the middle (Albian–Cenomanian) and uppermost (Campanian–Maastrichtian) stages, with a large gap in the record for intermediate stages. Here we describe a dinosaur eggshell assemblage from a formation that represents an intermediate and poorly fossiliferous stage of the Upper Cretaceous, the Santonian Milk River Formation of southern Alberta, Canada. The Milk River eggshell assemblage contains five eggshell taxa: Continuoolithus, Porituberoolithus, Prismatoolithus, Spheroolithus, and Triprismatoolithus. These ootaxa are most similar to those reported from younger Campanian–Maastrichtian formations of the northern Western Interior than they are to ootaxa reported from older middle Cretaceous formations (i.e., predominantly Macroelongatoolithus). Characteristics of the Milk River ootaxa indicate that they are ascribable to at least one ornithopod and four small theropod species. The taxonomic affinity of the eggshell assemblage is consistent with the dinosaur fauna known based on isolated teeth and fragmentary skeletal remains from the formation, although most ornithischians and large theropods are not represented by eggshell. Relative to the Milk River Formation eggshell, similar oospecies occurring in younger Cretaceous deposits tend to be somewhat thicker, which may reflect an increase in body size of various dinosaur lineages during the Late Cretaceous.     

长羽毛恐龙及翼龙研究新发现

在江西赣州地区晚白垩世地层中发现的窃蛋龙类化石——赣州华南龙,属于进步窃蛋龙类,其独特的头部特征为研究窃蛋龙类恐龙的颅面演化、古地理分布及古生态环境提供重要信息;在辽西早白垩世义县组地层中发现的大型、前肢短的驰龙类恐龙——孙氏振元龙,为大型、短前肢类型的驰龙类提供羽毛形态学方面的重要信息,为研究驰龙类的多样性、鸟类羽毛以及飞行起源提供了重要依据;在辽西发现的喙嘴龙类翼龙——朝阳东方颌翼龙,是该地区晚侏罗世地层中发现的第一件翼龙标本,不仅填补了时代上的空白,同时对于印证晚侏罗世喙嘴龙类的辐射演化具有重要作用。这些重要发现对于研究窃蛋龙类的演化、驰龙类羽毛演化及鸟类羽毛起源等热点与难点问题提供了重要的参考依据,尤其在发现华南龙的基础上,命名了赣州恐龙动物群。     

Palynostratigraphy of a Jurassic–Cretaceous transitional succession in the Himalayan Tethys,southern Xizang (Tibet), China

A palynological analysis of a Late Jurassic–Early Cretaceous succession in the Himalayan Tethys, Gyangzê County, southern Xizang (Tibet) provides, for the first time, evidence of changing palynofloras through the Jurassic/Cretaceous (J/K) boundary. Species that are stratigraphically important and potential markers for delineating the boundary include both miospores and dinoflagellate cysts. The presence of the spores Crybelosporites sp. cf. stylosus, Foraminisporis wonthaggiensis, Jiaohepollis verus and Toroisporis welzowense and the cysts Cassiculosphaeridia delicata and Rhynchodiniopsis serrata imply that the J/K boundary is between samples 06-21-1 and 06-21-3. The occurrence of Aequitriradites spinulosus and Cicatricosisporites spp. a little below this level and of ?Dictyotosporites sp. cf. speciosus slightly above it is also significant. These results show that it is possible to locate the J/K boundary in the Himalayan Tethys near top of the Weimei Formation and the lower part of the Gyabula Formation in southern Xizang. This succession also contains various marine invertebrate fossils, including ammonites, bivalves and belemnites, and thus has considerable potential for erecting an integrated biostratigraphy around the J/K boundary in the eastern Tethyan realm. Palynofloristic correlation implies a more northerly location for the fossil locality at Gyangzê than that of northwest Australia during the latest Jurassic and earliest Cretaceous, which can be further constrained to around 43°S.     

The bivalve Anopaea (Inoceramidae) from the Upper Jurassic–lowermost Cretaceous of Mexico

In Mexico, the Upper Jurassic to lowermost Cretaceous La Casita and coeval La Caja and La Pimienta formations are well-known for their abundant and well-preserved marine vertebrates and invertebrates. The latter include conspicuous inoceramid bivalves of the genus Anopaea not formally described previously from Mexico. Anopaea bassei (Lecolle de Cantú, 1967), Anopaea cf. stoliczkai (Holdhaus, 1913), Anopaea cf. callistoensis Crame and Kelly, 1995 and Anopaea sp. are rare constituents in distinctive Tithonian–lower Berriasian levels of the La Caja Formation and one Tithonian horizon of the La Pimienta Formation. Anopaea bassei was previously documented from the Tithonian of central Mexico and Cuba, while most other members of Anopaea described here are only known from southern high latitudes. The Mexican assemblage also includes taxa which closely resemble Anopaea stoliczkai from the Tithonian of India, Indonesia and the Antarctic Peninsula, and Anopaea callistoensis from the late Tithonian to ?early Berriasian of the Antarctic Peninsula. Our new data expand the palaeogeographical distribution of the high latitude Anopaea to the Gulf of Mexico region and substantiate faunal exchange, in the Late Jurassic–earliest Cretaceous, between Mexico and the Antarctic Realm.     

Palynostratigraphy and paleobiogeography of the Jurassic – Lower Cretaceous succession in Kabrit-1 well,northeastern Egypt

Well-preserved and abundant Jurassic–Early Cretaceous palynomorph assemblages were recorded from the Kabrit-1 well, north Eastern Desert, Egypt. Thirty-one rock-cutting samples were analyzed and six rock units were differentiated. Seventy-one palynomorph species were identified from the productive samples. Six palynozones were differentiated, and they covered all the studied succession except for a palynomorph barren interval present in the uppermost part. These palynozones arranged in ascending order are as follows: two palynozones were recorded from the Middle-Upper Jurassic (Gonyaulacysta jurassica – Lithodinia jurassica Assemblage Zone and Klukisporites pseudoreticulatus- Systematophora penicillata – Escharisphaeridia pocockii Assemblage Zone) and the other four palynozones characterize the Lower Cretaceous deposits (Pilosisporites trichopapillosus – Cribroperidinium orthoceras Assemblage Zone; Dicheiropollis etruscus Interval Zone; Murospora florida – Afropollis operculatus Assemblage Zone and Afropollis jardinus Range Zone). We infer open marine conditions during deposition of the lower part of the Khalig El Ayoun Formation (Oxfordian-Kimmeridgian) and within the Kharita Formation (Albian), and shallow marine or coastal environments during deposition of the remainder of the studied succession. Paleobiogeographically, Late Jurassic index terrestrial palynomorph species documented here are in common with those previously recorded from North Africa, while marine dinocyst species are common to those documented from the West European and North American province. During the Early Cretaceous, the recorded terrestrial microfloral species were similar to those previously recorded from the West African-South American Province, while the marine dinocyst species were still related to the West European and North American marine palynofloral province.     

A new genus and species of damsel-dragonfly (Odonata: Stenophlebiidae) from the Lower Cretaceous of Inner Mongolia,China

A taxon of the Stenophlebiidae, Yixianstenophlebia magnifica gen. et sp. nov., is described from the Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation at Liutiaogou, Ningcheng County, Inner Mongolia of China. Its closest relative is the Late Jurassic European genus Stenophlebia. This new discovery is helpful to understand the Jehol Biota assemblage at Liutiaogou Locality. It also confirms that the Stenophlebiidae was a very diverse and widespread family during the Early Cretaceous. The causes of its extinction in the Late Cretaceous remain enigmatic.     

The oldest known metriorhynchid crocodylian from the Middle Jurassic of North-eastern Italy: Neptunidraco ammoniticus gen. et sp. nov.

Metriorhynchidae is a clade of marine-adapted crocodilians known from several Middle Jurassic–Early Cretaceous specimens collected predominantly in South America and Europe, but poorly known in the northern margin of Gondwana. The “Portomaggiore crocodile” is the most complete specimen of an Italian metriorhynchid to date: it consists of a partial skeleton that has been provisionally referred to an unnamed species of Late Jurassic Metriorhynchus or Geosaurus. The specimen is preserved in the reddish, nodular limestone of the Rosso Ammonitico Veronese Formation (Bajocian–Tithonian); new data on microfossil associations constrain the age of the metriorhynchid to the late Bajocian–earliest Bathonian. On the basis of cranial synapomorphies, the “Portomaggiore crocodile” falls as the closest sister-taxon of the Late Jurassic–Early Cretaceous geosaurines, and is referred to Neptunidraco ammoniticus gen. et sp. nov. It is unique among Middle Jurassic metriorhynchids in showing an incipient streamlining of the skull, shared with Late Jurassic and Cretaceous taxa. Since Neptunidraco is the oldest known member of Metriorhynchidae, its phylogenetic position supports the hypothesis that the timing of the initial metriorhynchid and geosaurine diversifications should start in the Bajocian.     

A protoceratopsid skeleton with an associated track from the Upper Cretaceous of Mongolia

The Djadokhta Formation of the Gobi Desert is known for the number and diversity of dinosaur and other vertebrate bones and skeletons found there, but only theropod, hadrosaur and supposed ankylosaurid footprints have been reported from this stratum. Dinosaur footprints are also noted from the Nemegt Formation, and occur as typical dinosaur track accumulations (tracksites). An articulated protoceratopsid skeleton - specimen ZPAL Mg D-II/3 - was collected by the Polish-Mongolian Expedition of 1965 from the Djadokhta Formation of Flaming Cliffs in Mongolia. Recently, the natural cast of a tetradactyl digitigrade footprint was found underneath the pelvic girdle while the skeleton and matrix were being prepared. This is possibly the first find of a dinosaur track in close association with an articulated skeleton. Although Protoceratops is an extremely common dinosaur in Mongolia, its footprints have never previously been reported from the Late Cretaceous of the Gobi Desert.     

黑龙江省东部中侏罗世至早白垩世沟鞭藻组合序列

对近二十年来黑龙江省东部海相侏罗纪—白垩纪沟鞭藻地层资料进行了综合研究 ,首次为该地区建立起侏罗纪—白垩纪沟鞭藻地层序列 ,主要包含 7个组合带 (含 3个高峰带 ) ,其中绥滨地区 Callovian— Valanginian期有 4个带 ;鸡西盆地早白垩世也有 4个带 (其中包括与绥滨地区早白垩世早期同时异相的一个 )。它们自下而上为 :1)绥滨组的 Pareodinia ceratophora- N annoceratopsispellucida组合带 ;　 2 )东荣组下部的 Gonyaulacysta jurassica组合带 (高峰带 ) ;　 3)东荣组上部的 Amphorula delicata组合带 ;　 4 )东荣组最上部的海相 Oligosphaeridium pul-cherrimum组合带 (高峰带 )或鸡西盆地滴道组的微咸水—半咸水的 Vesperopsis didaoensis- L agenorhytis granoru-gosa组合带 ,两者为同时异相关系 ;　 5 )城子河组下部海相层的 Odontochitina operculata- Muderongia tetracantha组合带 (该带可进一步划分出 2个亚组合带 ) ;　 6 )城子河组上部海相层的 Canningia reticulata组合带 ;　 7)穆棱组下段的 Cribroperidinium ?parorthoceras组合带 (高峰带 )。     

1∶25万比如县幅、丁青县幅、嘉黎县幅、边坝县幅地质调查成果与进展

在丁青蛇绿岩以西的色扎岩体顶部单元硅质岩中首次发现早侏罗世菊石化石;在丁青县雪拉山口南的雀莫错组、布曲组中新采获双壳、桦树等化石;在巴青县雅安大山雀莫错组、马里组板岩中新采获云雀贝化石;边坝县的多尼组可分为3套岩性组合,在灰岩中发现大量的双壳类化石,可望建立一个新的岩性地层单位;拉孜北凼木曲东岸的拉贡塘组碳酸盐岩应为一套多旋回凝灰岩,发现丰富的苏铁类和真蕨类植物化石,具有晚侏罗世至早白垩世植被面貌;在索县次汝乡北多尼组中新发现白云母花岗岩岩滴;将嘉黎断裂带南侧娘蒲乡至错高乡一带的原蒙拉组解体为4套地层,并在其中发现变质侵入体;新发现几处蛇绿岩。     

江西修水第四系网纹红土的地层学研究

根据大量野外观察和室内分析结果，较详细论述了江西修水地区第四系网纹红土的地貌地层、岩石地层、磁性地层和年代地层等方面的特征，并在此基础上，就有关网纹红土的形成时代、成因以及与黄土的对比等问题进行了讨论，提出１）网纹红土可分为强网纹化红土和弱网纹化红土两个岩性段，每个岩性段又由若干个密集网纹层与稀疏网纹层构成；网纹红土与下伏红色砾石层属同期产物；２）网纹红土中的密集网纹层的地质意义相当于北方黄土中的古土壤；３）网纹红土形成于早更新世末（约０．９ＭａＢ．Ｐ．）至晚更新世初（约０．１ＭａＢ．Ｐ．）；４）网纹红土发育于湿热气候条件下，地下水埋深浅，地表低洼、排水不畅的环境。     

A new alvarezsaurid dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous Qiupa Formation of Luanchuan,Henan Province,central China

An alvarezsaurid dinosaur skeleton was discovered from the Late Cretaceous Qiupa Formation of Luanchuan, Henan Province of central China. It represents a new alvarezsaurid dinosaur Qiupanykus zhangi gen. et sp. nov. A phylogenetic analysis recovers Qiupanykus nested within the unresolved clade, which includes Asian and north American taxa. The skeleton of the new specimen is preserved in association with eggshells. The eggshell morphologies show that these eggs belong to oviraptorid eggs, skeletal remains of which were discovered from the same area. The alvarezsaurid skeleton associated with eggshell fragments may indicate that these eggs were broken by the strong thumb-claws of the former and that alvarezsaurid dinosaurs may be egg-eaters.     

A hypertrophied ungual phalanx from the lower Barremian of Spain: Implications for the diversity and palaeoecology of Spinosauridae (Theropoda) in Iberia

An enlarged theropod manual ungual (CSC1-4) from the Weald facies of Spain is described. The claw was found in the fossil locality of Caña Seca 1, Teruel province, within the El Castellar Formation of early Barremian (Early Cretaceous) in age.CSC1-4 is morphologically closer to megalosauroids than to any other theropod clade bearing enlarged manual claws and shows the greatest similarity to the manual ungual of digit I of Baryonyx walkeri. Both CS1-4 and this taxon share a particularly enlarged, elongated and transversely wide manual claw. CSC1-4, however, differs from Baryonyx's ungual in having less curvature, a straight dorsal edge in the proximal part, slightly more width above the grooves than below, and a certain asymmetry, with the lateral face more flattened. Taking into account the palaeogeographic and temporal context, these considerations suggest that they are closely related but distinct spinosaurid taxa.The presence of an enlarged manual claw in spinosaurids has been invoked as an anatomical feature typically associated with scavenging and hunting habits, as well as digging behaviour. The spinosaurid record from the Barremian of the Iberian Peninsula shows that members of this clade favored freshwater environments with some marine influence in this part of Europe.     

Calcium isotopes in fossil bones and teeth — Diagenetic versus biogenic origin

We present the first systematic study of Ca isotopes (δ^44/40Ca) in Late Triassic to Late Cretaceous dinosaur bones and teeth (enamel and dentin) from sympatric herbivorous and carnivorous dinosaurs. The samples derive from five different localities, and data from embedding sediments are also presented. Additional δ^44/40Ca in skeletal tissues from modern reptiles and birds (avian dinosaurs) were measured for comparison in order to examine whether the original Ca isotopic composition in dinosaur skeletal apatite was preserved or might have changed during the diagenesis and fossilization process.δ^44/40Ca of fossil skeletal tissues range from −1.62‰ (Tyrannosaurus rex enamel) to +1.08‰ (Brachiosaurus brancai bone), while values in modern archosaur bones and teeth range from −1.63‰ (caiman enamel) to −0.37‰ (ostrich bone). The average δ^44/40Ca of the three types of fossil skeletal tissue analyzed - bone, dentin and enamel - show some systematic differences: while δ^44/40Ca in bone exhibits the highest values, while δ^44/40Ca in enamel has the lowest values, and dentin δ^44/40Ca falls in between. Values of δ^44/40Ca in the remains of herbivorous dinosaurs (0.1-1.1‰) are generally higher than those of bones of modern mammalian herbivores (−2.6‰ to −0.8‰) and from modern herbivorous archosaurs, which exhibit intermediate δ^44/40Ca (−0.8‰ to −0.4‰). These systematic isotopic shifts may reflect physiological differences between dinosaurs, mammals and reptiles representing different taxonomic groups of vertebrates.Systematic offsets in skeletal apatite δ^44/40Ca between herbivorous and carnivorous dinosaurs are not obvious, indicating a lack of a clear-cut Trophic Level Effect (TLE) shift between herbivores and carnivores in dinosaurs. This observation can be explained if the carnivorous dinosaurs in this study fed mainly on soft tissues from their prey and did not ingest hard (calcified) tissue to much extent. The most striking indication that the primary δ^44/40Ca is actually preserved in most of the fossil teeth is a difference in δ^44/40Ca of about 0.35 ± 0.10‰ (1SD) between dentin and enamel, based upon 11 of 16 analyzed dentin-enamel pairs. This difference is close to that found in modern reptiles (0.28 ± 0.05‰), and strongly suggests that this tell-tale signature is a primary feature of the fossilized dinosaur material as well. Furthermore, simple mass balance calculations show that changes of the original δ^44/40Ca in bones and teeth by diagenetically-formed calcium-bearing minerals are either small or would require implausible high original δ^44/40Ca values in the skeletal apatite.