scholarly journals The Biogeography of Coelurosaurian Theropods and its Impact on their Evolutionary History

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anyang Ding ◽  
Michael Pittman ◽  
Paul Upchurch ◽  
Jingmai O’Connor ◽  
Daniel J. Field ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTThe Coelurosauria are a group of mostly feathered theropods that gave rise to birds, the only dinosaurs that survived the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction event and are still found today. Between their first appearance in the Middle Jurassic up to the end Cretaceous, coelurosaurs were party to dramatic geographic changes on the Earth’s surface, including the breakup of the supercontinent Pangaea, and the formation of the Atlantic Ocean. These plate tectonic events are thought to have caused vicariance or dispersal of coelurosaurian faunas, influencing their evolution. Unfortunately, few coelurosaurian biogeographic hypotheses are supported by quantitative evidence. Here, we report the first, broadly-sampled quantitative analysis of coelurosaurian biogeography using the likelihood-based package BioGeoBEARS. Mesozoic geographic configurations and changes are reconstructed and employed as constraints in this analysis, including their associated uncertainties. We use a comprehensive time-calibrated coelurosaurian evolutionary tree produced from the Theropod Working Group phylogenetic data matrix. Six biogeographic models in the BioGeoBEARS package with different assumptions about the evolution of spatial distribution are tested against the geographic constraints. Our results statistically favour the DIVALIKE+J and DEC+J models, which allow vicariance and founder events, supporting continental vicariance as an important factor in coelurosaurian evolution. Ancestral range estimation indicates frequent dispersal events via the Apulian Route (connecting Europe and Africa during the Early Cretaceous) and the Bering Land Bridge (connecting North America and Asia during the Late Cretaceous). These quantitative results are consistent with commonly inferred Mesozoic dinosaurian dispersals and continental-fragmentation-induced vicariance events. In addition, we recognise the importance of Europe as a dispersal centre and gateway in the Early Cretaceous, as well as other vicariance events like those triggered by the disappearance of land-bridges.

2009 ◽  
Vol 146 (4) ◽  
pp. 602-616 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. KNOLL ◽  
J. I. RUIZ-OMEÑACA

AbstractThe theropod teeth from the Berriasian (Early Cretaceous) site of Anoual (N Morocco) are described. The assemblage is important in that it comes from one of the very few dinosaur sites of this age globally and the only one for the whole of Gondwana. The theropod teeth from Anoual are morphologically diverse. Most of the material possibly belongs to the clade Dromaeosauridae, which would be an early occurrence for this taxon. The palaeogeographic position of Anoual enables it to provide data on the dispersal events that affected terrestrial faunas during Mesozoic times. A Laurasian influence is evidenced by the presence of Velociraptorinae and, on the whole, the theropod fauna from Anoual provides support for the existence of a trans-Tethyan passage allowing terrestrial faunal interchanges during Late Jurassic and/or earliest Cretaceous times. Additionally, Anoual records the existence of diminutive theropods. However, it cannot yet be determined whether the small size of the specimens is genetic or ontogenetic.


2009 ◽  
Vol 180 (2) ◽  
pp. 105-115 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean-Pierre Masse ◽  
Michel Villeneuve ◽  
Emmanuelle Leonforte ◽  
Jean Nizou

Abstract In the western part of the Castellane tectonic arc, the so-called “ Provence platform area “, corresponding to the foreland of the Alpine nappes (figs. 1–2), is marked by Tithonian-Berriasian shallow water carbonates capped by hemipelagic sediments deposited from the Valanginian up to the Aptian-Albian. A detailed biostratigraphic study of the Berriasian succession, based on calcareous algae and foraminifera, allows us to distinguish a Lower to Middle Berriasian, with Clypeina sulcata, Clypeina isabellae and Holosporella sarda, from an Upper Berriasian with Pfenderina neocomiensis, Danubiella cernavodensis, Falsolikanella campanensis and Macroporella praturloni (fig. 3). We performed a field survey of 30 sites located from Quinson to the west, and Escragnolles to the east (figs. 4–5) including the study of measured stratigraphic sections and the collection of samples for biostratigraphic interpretations. These stratigraphic investigations show that below the Valanginian beds, the Berriasian platfom carbonate succession, is locally incomplete, i.e. Upper Berriasian beds are frequently absent. During the Early and Middle Berriasian, depositional environments are marked by a strong bathymetric instability, with frequent subaerial exposure events, and a significant marine restriction; by contrast, during the Late Berriasian, the overall biological diversity increases and water agitation as well, which means a significant marine opening towards the basin. The Upper Berriasian hiatus is consequently regarded as the result of a Berriasian/Valanginian and/or a lowermost Valanginian erosion (fig. 6). The spatial distribution of complete or truncated Berriasian successions identifies east-west bands, in each band truncated series are located northward and complete series are located southward. Bands are limited by thrust or strip faults interpreted as palaeofaults reactivated during the Alpine orogeny (fig. 7). These fault-bounded blocks, 3 to 10 km in width, known as the Aiguine, La Palud-sur-Verdon, Carajuan-Audibergue and Peyroulles-La Foux blocks, are southerly rotated by 1 to 2o. We regard this structural architecture as the result of basinward tilting of blocks. Due to their rotation, the uplifted parts were eroded whereas the depressed parts were protected against erosion (fig. 8). Such a dynamic behavior reflects a distensive tectonic regime, which has been active at least during the Valanginian, that is after the drowning of the North-Provence carbonate platform. These structural events are considered as the regional expression of the Neocimmerian tectonic phase coupled with an enhancement of the Atlantic rifting. The orientation of the major Alpine structural elements (folds and faults) of the Castellane arc, is mostly inherited from these early Cretaceous tectonic events.


2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (8) ◽  
pp. 191057 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philip D. Mannion ◽  
Paul Upchurch ◽  
Xingsheng Jin ◽  
Wenjie Zheng

Titanosaurs were a globally distributed clade of Cretaceous sauropods. Historically regarded as a primarily Gondwanan radiation, there is a growing number of Eurasian taxa, with several putative titanosaurs contemporaneous with, or even pre-dating, the oldest known Southern Hemisphere remains. The early Late Cretaceous Jinhua Formation, in Zhejiang Province, China, has yielded two putative titanosaurs, Jiangshanosaurus lixianensis and Dongyangosaurus sinensis . Here, we provide a detailed re-description and diagnosis of Jiangshanosaurus , as well as new anatomical information on Dongyangosaurus . Previously, a ‘derived’ titanosaurian placement for Jiangshanosaurus was primarily based on the presence of procoelous anterior caudal centra. We show that this taxon had amphicoelous anterior-middle caudal centra. Its only titanosaurian synapomorphy is that the dorsal margins of the scapula and coracoid are approximately level with one another. Dongyangosaurus can clearly be differentiated from Jiangshanosaurus , and displays features that indicate a closer relationship to the titanosaur radiation. Revised scores for both taxa are incorporated into an expanded phylogenetic data matrix, comprising 124 taxa scored for 548 characters. Under equal weights parsimony, Jiangshanosaurus is recovered as a member of the non-titanosaurian East Asian somphospondylan clade Euhelopodidae, and Dongyangosaurus lies just outside of Titanosauria. However, when extended implied weighting is applied, both taxa are placed within Titanosauria. Most other ‘middle’ Cretaceous East Asian sauropods are probably non-titanosaurian somphospondylans, but at least Xianshanosaurus appears to belong to the titanosaur radiation. Our analyses also recover the Early Cretaceous European sauropod Normanniasaurus genceyi as a ‘derived’ titanosaur, clustering with Gondwanan taxa. These results provide further support for a widespread diversification of titanosaurs by at least the Early Cretaceous.


2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gustavo R. Oliveira ◽  
Jessyca S. Rezende ◽  
Carina M. Figueiredo ◽  
Sergio Alex K. Azevedo ◽  
Diogenes A. Campos

Background. Pelomedusoides turtles are an important group in extant fauna of northern South America, Africa and Madagascar, which have a long fossil record, with numerous records through the Cretaceous, Paleogene, and Neogene in South America. One of high- diversified clade of this linage is Bothremydidae, and its record extends from Early Cretaceous (Barreminan) to Eocene. So far, no named species from the Paleocene of Brazil were described. The single Paleocene record is a peripheral bone associated to pelomedusoid turtle from the Maria Farinha Formation (Danian), of Pernambuco State. Herein we present an almost complete shell (DGM 1310LE) from the Maria Farinha Formation, Paraíba Basin, which is the first early Paleocene South American bothremydid turtle. Methods. The new specimen have been analyzed through traditional paleontological methodology. We performed a CT scan in DGM 1310LE in search for internal bones and structures. In addition, we scored DGM 1310LE in a modified data matrix of Pelomedusoides, with 43 taxa and 175 characters, and the phylogenetic analysis were performed in TNT. Branch supports were provided using bootstrap and Bremer support. Results. The new specimen is the most complete turtle coming of Maria Farinha Formation. DGM 1310LE has seven neurals, and an incomplete neural series to suprapygal, as the most Podocnemidoidae turtles. Our preliminary phylogeny resulted in 4 most parsimonious trees of 428 steps. The strict consensus tree places DGM 1310LE as a member of Bothremydidae, which was recovered in a polytomy together with early Cretaceous turtle Galianemys. 5th Turtle Evolution Symposium Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil | July, 2015 Discussion. Despite of the almost complete nature of the DGM 1310LE, we were unable to determine if DGM 1310LE is a new species due to the lack of diagnostic characteristics. However, this new Paleocene specimen is important because it expands the record of Bothremydidade to the Cenozoic of Brazil; up to date only the Early Cretaceous genera Cearachelys and Atolchelys were recognized. Moreover, Bothremydidae shows a great diversification, occupying marine environments as well as diverse freshwater environments. Since the depositional context of the Maria Farinha Formation is considered a shallow marine environment (continental shelf), including the presence of marine taxa such as lamniforms sharks (e.g. Cretolamna appendiculata) and the dyrosaurid crocodyliform Guarinisuchus munizi, the presence of a Bothremydidae in these strata confirm the great paleoecological diversification of this family, varying from near-shore marine to freshwater environments.


2000 ◽  
Vol 74 (4) ◽  
pp. 701-711 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Peláez-Campomanes ◽  
N. López-Martínez ◽  
M.A. Álvarez-Sierra ◽  
R. Daams

A new species of multituberculate mammal,Hainina pyrenaican. sp. is described from Fontllonga-3 (Tremp Basin, Southern Pyrenees, Spain), correlated to the later part of chron C29r just above the K/T boundary. This taxon represents the earliest European Tertiary mammal recovered so far, and is related to otherHaininaspecies from the European Paleocene. A revision of the species ofHaininaallows recognition of a new species,H. vianeyaen. sp. from the Late Paleocene of Cernay (France). The genus is included in the family Kogaionidae Rãdulescu and Samson, 1996 from the Late Cretaceous of Romania on the basis of unique dental characters. The Kogaionidae had a peculiar masticatory system with a large, blade-like lower p4, similar to that of advanced Ptilodontoidea, but occluding against two small upper premolars, interpreted as P4 and P5, instead of a large upper P4. The endemic European Kogaionidae derive from an Early Cretaceous group with five premolars, and evolved during the Late Cretaceous and Paleocene. The genusHaininarepresents a European multituberculate family that survived the K/T boundary mass extinction event.


1986 ◽  
Vol 60 (1) ◽  
pp. 107-115 ◽  
Author(s):  
Douglas S. Jones ◽  
David Nicol

Rudists arose in the Late Jurassic and survived for nearly 100 m.y. before becoming extinct at the end of the Cretaceous. Over this interval they diversified gradually during the Late Jurassic and Early Cretaceous, rapidly in the mid-Cretaceous, then more slowly in the Late Cretaceous. Total rates of origination and extinction during the Late Jurassic and Early Cretaceous were uniform and comparable to those reported for other groups. The Late Cretaceous, however, was characterized by high and widely fluctuating total origination and extinction rates. Per taxon rates reveal a similar pattern except for high and variable rates in the Jurassic. The number of genera increased from the Oxfordian to a peak in the Cenomanian, decreased in the Turonian and Coniacian coinciding with a minor mass extinction event, and rose to a zenith in the Maastrichtian. Unlike other groups investigated, the rudists were at their highest level of diversity immediately prior to their disappearance.Rudist genera survived for a mean of 12 m.y., whereas families survived for a mean of 48 m.y. Survivorship curves for generic cohorts, based upon survival of all rudist genera that evolved during each stage, exhibit a concave shape when the effects of mass extinction and variance at low diversities are considered. Causal factors involved in the final disappearance of the rudists remain unclear; however, their tropical provinciality in the Late Cretaceous contributed to their vulnerability to mass extinction.


2003 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
pp. 437-458 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tommy Egebjerg Mogensen ◽  
John A. Korstgård

In the Kattegat area, Denmark, the Sorgenfrei–Tornquist Zone, an old crustal weakness zone, was repeatedly reactivated during Triassic, Jurassic and Early Cretaceous times with dextral transtensional movements along the major boundary faults. These tectonic events were minor compared to the tectonic events of the Late Carboniferous – Early Permian and the Late Cretaceous – Early Tertiary, although a dynamic structural and stratigraphic analysis indicates that the Sorgenfrei–Tornquist Zone was active compared to the surrounding areas. At the end of the Palaeozoic, the area was a peneplain. Regional Triassic subsidence caused onlap towards the north-east, where the youngest Triassic sediments overlie Precambrian crystalline basement. During the Early Triassic, several of the major Early Permian faults were reactivated, probably with dextral strike-slip along the Børglum Fault. Jurassic – Early Cretaceous subsidence was restricted primarily to the area between the two main faults in the Sorgenfrei–Tornquist Zone, the Grenå–Helsingborg Fault and the Børglum Fault. This restriction of basin development indicates a change in the regional stress field at the Triassic–Jurassic transition. Middle Jurassic and Late Jurassic – Early Cretaceous subsidence followed the Early Jurassic pattern with local subsidence in the Sorgenfrei–Tornquist Zone, but now even more restricted to within the zone. The subsidence showed a decrease in the Middle Jurassic, and increased again during Late Jurassic – Early Cretaceous times. Small faults were generated internally in the Sorgenfrei–Tornquist Zone during the Mesozoic with a pattern that indicates a broad transfer of strike-slip/oblique-slip motion from the Grenå–Helsingborg Fault to the Børglum Fault.


Author(s):  
Gary Rodin ◽  
Sarah Hales

This chapter considers the qualitative and quantitative evidence base for Managing Cancer and Living Meaningfully (CALM) and the role of relevant, validated measures in substantiating its effectiveness and informing its clinical practice. The early qualitative evidence for the benefit of CALM is reviewed and the challenges inherent in generating meaningful quantitative results in an advanced cancer population are described. An important component of the early work on CALM included the development and validation of measures to assess relevant outcomes in this population. This resulted in development of new measures of distress related to death and dying and of perceived clinical benefit from CALM, and of modified measures for attachment security, quality of life, and treatment integrity. The results of a large randomized controlled trial (RCT) demonstrating the effectiveness of CALM are presented and the unique value of measures of treatment process and treatment integrity are described. Finally, the clinical utility of outcome and process measures in terms of guiding CALM therapy is considered.


Eos ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 101 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manik Talwani ◽  
Maria Desa

In a classic detective story, clues from data new and old helped researchers reveal the puzzling chain of tectonic events that followed the Early Cretaceous split between India and Antarctica.


2006 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 388-392 ◽  
Author(s):  
J Robert Macey ◽  
James A Schulte ◽  
Jared L Strasburg ◽  
Jennifer A Brisson ◽  
Allan Larson ◽  
...  

Darwin first recognized the importance of episodic intercontinental dispersal in the establishment of worldwide biotic diversity. Faunal exchange across the Bering Land Bridge is a major example of such dispersal. Here, we demonstrate with mitochondrial DNA evidence that three independent dispersal events from Asia to North America are the source for almost all lizard taxa found in continental eastern North America. Two other dispersal events across Beringia account for observed diversity among North American ranid frogs, one of the most species-rich groups of frogs in eastern North America. The contribution of faunal elements from Asia via dispersal across Beringia is a dominant theme in the historical assembly of the eastern North American herpetofauna.


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