Review of Cretaceous sauropod dinosaurs from Central Asia

There are 24 known localities for skeletal remains of sauropod dinosaurs in the republics of Central Asia (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan). Sauropod remains are very rare at all these localities and represented usually only by isolated teeth. Only narrow-crowned teeth are known from the Cretaceous of Central Asia. The oldest record of such teeth is from the Aptian Sultanbobo Formation of Uzbekistan. Exposures of the Turonian Bissekty Formation at the most productive vertebrate locality in the region, Dzharakuduk in Uzbekistan, has yielded many isolated teeth and a few skeletal remains that can be attributed to a non-lithostrotian titanosaur. Similar narrow-crowned, cylindrical teeth from Cenomanian-to Coniacian-age strata in the Kyzylkum Desert, Uzbekistan, may belong to a closely related taxon. Another taxon, with teeth that are pentagonal in cross-section, is known from the Santonian Yalovach and Bostobe formations of Tajikistan and western Kazakhstan, respectively. A femur reported from the Santonian Syuksyuk Formation of southern Kazakhstan possibly belongs to a lithostrotian titanosaur. The change in tooth structure at the Coniacian–Santonian boundary in the region possibly suggests replacement of non-lithostrotian titanosaurs by lithostrotians. The titanosaur from the Bissekty Formation is similar to Dongyangosaurus sinensis from the Cenomanian–Turonian of Zhejiang (China) in the extensive pneumatization of the neural arch on the anterior caudal vertebrae with several fossae. It also resembles Baotianmansaurus henanensis from the Cenomanian of Henan (China) in the possession of very short anterior caudal centra. These three taxa possibly represent an as yet formally unrecognized endemic clade of Asian non-lithostrotian titanosaurs.     

Multiple paleopathologies in the dinosaur Bonitasaura salgadoi (Sauropoda: Titanosauria) from the Upper Cretaceous of Patagonia,Argentina

Bones in the fossil record sometimes exhibit unusual structures that can be attributed to pathologies, taphonomic alterations, or morphological variation. The goal of this work is to describe three bone abnormalities present in the type specimen of Bonitasaura salgadoi from the Cretaceous of north Patagonia, Argentina. The studied material corresponds to a left femur, a left metatarsal III, and a right prezygapophysis of a mid-caudal vertebra. Macroscopic and/or histological examinations were conducted, and a discussion concerning the origin of each abnormality is provided. The results of this study suggest that the anomalous structures are pathologies. In the femur, an osteoblastic tumor was identified by the presence of a large outgrowth of ovoid appearance with a spiculated microstructural pattern. The metatarsal III shows an enthesophyte (or bone spur) based on its location, shape and growth in parallel to the long axis of the bone element. Finally, the abnormal tissue observed in the prezygapophysis of the caudal vertebra was determined to be an infection by the presence of reactive new bone associated with a local widening of the subperiosteal margin and a sinus of drainage. This is the first report of multiple pathologies in a single specimen of a titanosaur, and it provides new insights about paleopathologies in sauropod dinosaurs.     

The structural preservation of a titanosaurid (Dinosauria: Sauropoda) vertebral ligament

Within the past decade exceptional preservation of original organic components have been reported from several dinosaurian families, including members of Sauropodomorpha. Here we document the partial preservation of a vertebral ligament in the dorsal and sacral series of a titanosaur. Unlike other cases of tissue preservation, this structure does not represent biomineralization of the original organic components. Histology, morphology, and comparative anatomy from extant taxa as well as the preferential placement on the vertebral column suggests that it represents the partial preservation of the nuchal ligament. While preservation of other sauropod connective tissues are known, this case represents the first reported non-biomineralized tissue from a sauropod. In consideration of the location and external and internal morphologies compared to modern vertebral ligaments, we believe this structure to be the micritic replacement of the original tissue via microbially-mediated processes. Along with the suggestive external morphology, internally we interpret some of the unusual structures to represent the remnants of the collagen and elastin fascicles that are strongly overprinted by a clotted, thrombolytic-like fabric recording microbial activity and deposition of micrite prior to lithification. In consideration of the interpreted depositional history, we theorize that post-deposition, bacteria deposited the micrite as a byproduct of metabolization. Subsequently, the recognition of this structure as a vertebral ligament, the largest of such thus documented, substantiates previous findings on the morphological attributes of sauropod vertebral ligaments.     

A New Darwinopterid Pterosaur from the Middle Jurassic of Western Liaoning, Northeastern China and its Ecological Implications

A new species of Darwinopterus, D. robustodens sp. nov. is described and named. Based on the new specimen, the diagnostic characters of Darwinopterus are amended and include: rostral dentition composed of well-spaced, spike-like teeth; the longest teeth are confined to the anterior half of the tooth row; tooth alveoli have raised margins; nasoantorbital fenestra confluent; inclined quadrate; elongate cervical vertebrae with low neural spine and reduced or absent ribs; long tail of more than 20 caudals partially enclosed by filiform extensions of the pre- and postzygapophyses; short metacarpus less than 60 per cent length of humerus, fifth toe with two elongate phalanges and curved second pedal phalanx of the fifth toe with the angle between the proximal and distal segments about 130 degrees. The complete specimen of the new pterosaur D. robustodens sp. nov. provides much more osteological information. The differences in tooth morphologies between Darwinopterus modularis and D. robustodens sp. nov. suggest that they filled different ecological niches. The hard integument-bearing Coleoptera may have been the main food source of Darwinopterus robustodens.     

Anterior dental microwear texture analysis of the Krapina Neandertals

Some Neandertal anterior teeth show unusual and excessive gross wear, commonly explained by non-dietary anterior tooth use, or using the anterior dentition as a tool, clamp, or third hand. This alternate use is inferred from aboriginal arctic populations, who used their front teeth in this manner. Here we examine anterior dental microwear textures of the Krapina Neandertals to test this hypothesis and further analyze tooth use in these hominins. Microwear textures from 17 Krapina Dental People were collected by white-light confocal profilometry using a 100x objective lens. Four adjacent scans were generated, totaling an area of 204x276 ??m, and were analyzed using Toothfrax and SFrax SSFA software packages. The Neandertals were compared to six bioarchaeological/ethnographic samples with reported variation in diet, abrasive load, and non-dietary anterior tooth use. Results indicate that Krapina anterior teeth lack extreme microwear textures expected of hominins exposed to heavy abrasives or those that regularly generated high stresses associated with intense use of the front teeth as tools. Krapina hominins have microwear attributes in common with Coast Tsimshian, Aleut, and Puye Pueblo samples. Collectively, this suggests that the Krapina Neandertals faced moderate abrasive loads and only periodically used their anterior teeth as tools for non-diet related behaviors.     

Differential diagenesis of strontium in archaeological human dental tissues

The investigation of prehistoric human migration from the measurement of Sr-isotope ratios within preserved tissue is critically dependent on the preservation of biogenic Sr. A number of recent studies have involved isotope ratio measurements on samples of archaeological tooth and bone, but doubt remains as to the extent of diagenesis in various skeletal tissues and the effectiveness of procedures designed to decontaminate them. The authors have compared Sr abundance and isotope ratios in enamel and dentine from archaeological teeth in order to assess the integrity of the biogenic Sr signal preserved within the respective tissues. It is concluded that enamel appears, in most cases, to be a reliable reservoir of biogenic Sr, but that dentine, and by implication bone, is not. The diagenesis of dentine is highly variable even between burials within a single site. For the majority of teeth, dentine diagenesis was not simply by addition of soil-derived Sr, but involved substantial, sometimes complete, turnover of the original biogenic material. It is suggested that, for most of the samples investigated, current decontamination techniques may not have been effective in isolating biogenic Sr from dentine. Similar considerations are likely to apply to archaeological and fossil bone, but the possibility arises to use dentine and enamel measurements to assess the effectiveness of decontamination procedures which may then be used for bone.     

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.     

Mammoth tooth enamel growth rates inferred from stable isotope analysis and histology

Mammoth (Mammuthus sp.) teeth are relatively abundant in Quaternary deposits from Eurasia and North America, and their isotopic compositions can be used to reconstruct past seasonal patterns in precipitation, diet, and migration. Strategies for collecting and interpreting such data, however, are strongly dependent on growth rates, which can vary among species, individuals, and within teeth. In this study, we use histological and isotopic measurements to determine enamel growth rates for a Columbian mammoth (Mammuthus columbi) tooth in two directions. Using histology, the growth rate through the enamel thickness (ET; perpendicular to the height of the tooth) is estimated at 0.8 to 1.5 mm/yr. Isotopic sampling through the innermost 0.36 mm of the ET recovered less than half a period of variation (i.e., half an inferred year of growth), which is consistent with the histological estimate for ET growth rate. A combination of histological and isotopic measurements suggests that the enamel extension rate (growth in the height of the tooth) is 13–14 mm/yr. Knowledge of enamel growth rates should improve the design and interpretation of future isotopic studies of mammoth teeth. The combination of histological and isotopic measurements may also prove useful in determining growth rates for other extinct taxa.     

The Bivalves Megadesmus Sowerby and Astartila Dana from the Permian of Eastern Australia

Megadesmus Sowerby 1838 and Astartila Dana 1847 are bivalves from the Australian Permian, which belong to a group that Newell has termed “primitive desmodonts”. Both genera have a single blunt tooth in the right valve and a corresponding socket in the left. The tooth and socket are derived from folds in the valve margin and are not related to the teeth of heterodonts. Differences in shape, size, and pedal musculature separate Astartila from Megadesmus. Cleobis Dana 1847 differs only in having slightly different dentition and a small siphonal gape and is retained as a subgenus of Megadesmus. Astartila (Pleurikodonta) n. subgen. has been proposed for a small Astartila‐like species with well‐developed radial ornament.     

A New Lizard (Lepidosauria: Squamata) from the Upper Cretaceous of Henan, China

Funiusaurus luanchuanensis gen. et sp. nov. was described on the basis of an incomplete skull from the Upper Cretaceous Qiupa Formation of the Tantou Basin in Luanehuan County, Henan Province. It is the second representative of lizards known from Luanchuan and adds a new member to the Luanchuan Fauna. F. luanchuanensis is a small-sized lizard and systematically assigned to the Polyglyphanodontidae of the Teiioidea because of the presence of a caniniform tooth and an elongate posterior process of the postorbital. It is distinctive in that the heterodont dentition bears 19 teeth in both the upper and lower jaws, the 3^rd maxillary tooth is large and caniniform, the post-caniniform teeth in maxilla and those posterior to the 3^rd dentary tooth are chisel-like in lateral view, the prefrontal possesses a fossa on its lateral surface, the postorbital with an extremely elongate posterior process and the well-developed retroarticular process has a deep fossa on its dorsal surface. In phylogeny, our analysis suggests a close relationship of Funiusaurus to the large-sized Tianyusaurus from the same basin within the Tuberocephalosaurinae. The discovery of Funiusaurus is significant in confirming the status of the Tuberocephalosaurinae, which includes a group of the Asian members of the Polyglyphanodontidae only.     

A previously undescribed specimen reveals new information on the dentition of Sapeornis chaoyangensis

Here we describe the well-preserved skull of a juvenile specimen of Sapeornis, STM 16-18. Only the tail and hindlimb plumage of this specimen have been previously described. It preserves what we consider to be the complete dentition of Sapeornis with four premaxillary teeth, three maxillary teeth and two tiny dentary teeth on each side, the latter feature being previously unknown for this taxon. Based on a study of 71 specimens of Sapeornis preserving dentition, we infer the absence of dentary teeth in previously described specimens of Sapeornis is taphonomic, and consider the true dental formula of Sapeornis to be 4-3-2 (premaxillary teeth number – maxillary teeth number – dentary teeth number). Rostral to the dentary teeth, STM 16-18 preserves three shallow, empty aveoli. We hypothesize that this morphology captures an early stage in dental reduction and indicates that in at least some avian lineages, the loss of teeth was gradual.     

The first record of a neonatal ornithopod dinosaur from Gondwana

Discrete post-embryonic teeth and bone fragments have been recovered from the matrix with the holotype skeleton (MPM‐10001) of the ornithopod dinosaur, Talenkauen santacrucensis Novas et al., 2004 (Upper Cretaceous, Argentina). The minute tooth crowns are 1 mm apicobasally tall and 1.7 mm mesodistally wide. The crowns are symmetrical and have a centrally located primary ridge on the lingual surface. Secondary ridges lead to five marginal denticles on both teeth. The tooth morphology is consistent with dentary teeth in euiguanodontids. There is no evidence of transport, suggesting that the material is autochthonous with respect to the adult body block of T. santacrucensis (MPM‐10001). Steeply inclined wear facets on the lingual surface and associated microstriae support the conclusion that the minute teeth were from a post-embryonic euiguanodontid dinosaur rather than early stage replacement teeth. The morphology, size, and wear of the teeth and small bone fragments found in the body block of MPM‐10001 suggest that this material belongs to a neonatal T. santacrucensis. This is the first record of neonatal ornithopod remains from Gondwana.     

On the validity of the Permian bivalve family Pachydomidae Fischer 1887

Australian bivalve genera referred to the Family Pachydomidae Fischer (1887) and Newell (1956) are compared in details of dentition and ligament with genera placed in the Edmondiidae King (1850). It is found that the hinges of Myonia Dana (1847) and Pachymyonia Dun (1932) are edentulous like those of Edmondia de Koninck (1844). Megadesmus Sowerby (1838) ( = Pachydomus Morris 1845) has a rudimentary tooth in the right valve, but its anterior retractor connected to the adductor by the protractor resembles the musculature of Myonia and Pachymyonia, and the internal ligament is in between that of Edmondia unioniformis and E. josepha, so that the differences are scarcely of subfamilial and probably not of familial rank. Other genera referred to the Pachydomidae differ more. Pyramus, Notomya, and Globicarina have a well‐defined tooth in the right valve and a discrete anterior retractor, and Astartila has a tooth in each valve, and a discrete anterior retractor. Astartila appears to be close in its dentition to the Early Carboniferous genus Scaldia de Ryckholdt (1852). Thus, whilst the present study is incomplete because of the uncertain nature of the hinge and musculature of some edmondiid genera of the European Carboniferous, it appears that the Family Pachydomidae is polyphyletic, with several generic lineages, of which at least two can be traced back to Early Carboniferous members of the Family Edmondiidae.     

Huanglong Cave: A Late Pleistocene human fossil site in Hubei Province,China

This contribution discusses recent paleoanthropological findings from Huanglong Cave, a Late Pleistocene human fossil site from Yunxi County, Hubei Province, China. Three excavations in the Huanglong Cave from 2004 to 2006 yielded seven human teeth, some stone and bone tools, possible burnt sediment and other evidence possibly related to hominin activities. Based on the presence of extinct faunas (20% of total taxa identified), the deposits dated to the Late Pleistocene. Electron spin resonance (ESR) and uranium-series (U-series) dating analyses on associated teeth and speleothems have resulted in divergent chronometric ages (ESR: 44–34 ka; U-series: 103–79 ka). Analysis indicates: (1) most of the morphological and metric features of the human teeth from Huanglong Cave fall within the range of variation of modern Chinese, but a few characters may still link them to more archaic hominins; (2) some activity-induced abrasion and other tooth use-marks were identified, including pronounced tooth chipping and interproximal grooves on the anterior teeth; (3) the sample of blackened deposit has a high carbon content (over 70%), experienced high temperatures, and likely was of cultural origin and not natural; (4) the mammal fossils represent the “Ailuropoda-Stegodon” faunal unit which lived in southern China throughout the Pleistocene. Synthesizing all of these findings, especially the human teeth that display modern human characteristics, Huanglong Cave will offer some new insights into various issues currently being debated in Late Pleistocene human evolutionary research.     

四极杆电感耦合等离子体质谱仪测定动物牙化石中U和Th同位素

四极杆电感耦合等离子体质谱仪(Inductively Coupled Plasma-Quadrupole Mass Spectrometry,简称 ICP-QMS)可用于U和Th同位素分析。目前,ICP-QMS能实现精度大约为0.3 % (U)和1 % (Th)的测量分析,可提供误差在1 % ~10 % 的 230 Th/U年代数据。本文用ICP-QMS分析了采自意大利南都Loreto旧石器地点的4颗马牙化石样品,并对已发表的UTEVA树脂提纯U和Th的流程做了进一步改进,使其适用于动物牙化石样品。样品中的U和 Th含量的平均测量精度(2σ)分别为0.3 % 和0.6 %; 234 U/238 U和 230 Th/238 U活度比平均精度(2σ)分别为0.3 % 和0.8 % 。数据表明同一颗牙化石的不同组织的U含量可有数量级差别,同时它们的U-Th同位素活度比也可显著地离散( >2σ),从而导致不一致的 230 Th/U 年代结果。如今测定的各牙组织的U-Th同位素数据可用于模拟U的迁移历史; U-系分析与电子自旋共振测年技术相结合或可更好地估计样品的地质年代。     

Protracted diagenetic alteration of REE contents in fossil bioapatites: Direct evidence from Lu-Hf isotope systematics

Fossil bones and teeth are potentially important repository for geochemical proxy data and a target for radiometric dating. The concentration of many trace elements in bones and teeth increases by orders of magnitude after death and it is this diagenetic incorporation that forms the basis for several areas of geochemical study. The use of bones and teeth in this context relies on two assumptions: first, that target metal ions are incorporated rapidly after death, reflecting a known environmental signal, and second, that after early incorporation, the bone or tooth remains as an essentially closed system, resistant to later diagenetic change. A wide literature has developed exploring these assumptions, but relatively little direct evidence has been used to assess the long-term diagenetic stability of trace elements within bones and teeth. In this study, we use the Lu-Hf isotope system to show that bones and teeth of Cretaceous and Triassic age from both terrestrial and marine settings experience continued, long-term diagenetic change, most likely through gradual addition of trace elements. Modelling suggests that diagenetic addition after initial recrystallisation may account for >50% of the total REE content in the sampled bones, the extent depending on initial uptake conditions. Tooth enamel and enameloid may be more resistant to late diagenetic changes, but dentine is probably altered to the same extent as bone. These results have significant implications for the use of bones and teeth as hosts of chronological, palaeoceanographic, palaeoenvironmental and taphonomic information, particularly in Mesozoic and Palaeozoic contexts.     

Multiple neoplasms in a single sauropod dinosaur from the Upper Cretaceous of Brazil

Tumors are thought rare in dinosaurs, previously limited in distribution to a single family – hadrosaurs. Here we recognized two different neoplastic lesions, osteoma and hemangioma, in a single caudal vertebra of a titanosaur dinosaur from the Upper Cretaceous of Brazil, diagnosed on the basis of macroscopic, radiological and histological analysis. This is the first occurrence of neoplasia in a non-hadrosaur dinosaur. Therefore, neoplasia is not restricted to hadrosaur dinosaurs, as previously suggested.     

Preservation of large titanosaur sauropods in overbank fluvial facies: A case study in the Cretaceous of Argentina

Patagonia exhibits a particularly abundant record of Cretaceous dinosaurs with worldwide relevance. Although paleontological studies are relatively numerous, few include taphonomic information about these faunas. This contribution provides the first detailed sedimentological and taphonomical analyses of a dinosaur bone quarry from northern Neuquén Basin. At Arroyo Seco (Mendoza Province, Argentina), a large parautochthonous/autochthonous accumulation of articulated and disarticulated bones that represent several sauropod individuals has been discovered. The fossil remains, assigned to Mendozasaurus neguyelap González Riga, correspond to a large (18–27-m long) sauropod titanosaur collected in the strata of the Río Neuquén Subgroup (late Turoronian–late Coniacian). A taphonomic viewpoint recognizes a two-fold division into biostratinomic and fossil-diagenetic processes. Biostratinomic processes include (1) subaerial biodegradation of sauropod carcasses on well-drained floodplains, (2) partial or total skeletal disarticulation, (3) reorientation of bones by sporadic overbank flows, and (4) subaerial weathering. Fossil-diagenetic processes include (1) plastic deformation of bones, (2) initial permineralization with hematite, (3) fracturing and brittle deformation due to lithostatic pressure; (4) secondary permineralization with calcite in vascular canals and fractures, and (5) postfossilization bone weathering. This type of bone concentration, also present in Rincón de los Sauces (northern Patagonia), suggests that overbank facies tended to accumulate large titanosaur bones. This taphonomic mode, referred to as “overbank bone assemblages”, outlines the potential of crevasse splay facies as important sources of paleontological data in Cretaceous meandering fluvial systems.