New papers for Mesozoic vertebrates

[bh480@scn.org]

From: Ben Creisler bh480@scn.org

Here are some articles about Mesozoic vertebrates I don't 
recall seeing mentioned here:

Godefroit, P., Zan Shuqin, Jin Liyong, 2001. 
The Maastrichtian (Late Cretaceous) lambeosaurine dinosaur 
Charonosaurus jiayinensis from north-eastern China.
Bulletin de l'Institut Royal des Sciences Naturelles 
de Belgique Sciences de la Terre. 71: 119-168.

AB: Since the beginning of the 20th century, the Yuliangze 
Formation of the Jiayin locality, in north eastern China, 
has yielded abundant dinosaur material. Palynological data 
suggest that the Yuliangze Formation is late Maastrichtian 
(Late Cretaceous) in age. About 90 percent of the bones 
recovered from this locality belong to the lambeosaurine 
(Hadrosauridae) dinosaur Charonosaurus jiayinensis 
Godefroit, Zan & Jin, 2000. An osteological reconstruction 
of this dinosaur is proposed in the present paper. A 
phylogenetic analysis, based on 34 cranial, dental and 
postcranial characters, indicates that Charonosaurus is 
the sister taxon of the Late Cretaceous North American 
genus Parasaurolophus. Comparisons of postcranial features 
indicate that Charonosaurus jiayinensis was probably less 
well adapted for quadruped gait than was Iguanodon 
bernissartensis, but was probably a more efficient biped. 
It is suggested that the great development of the distal 
ischial foot in lambeosaurines, that served as attachment 
site for M. rectus abdominis, may be correlated to the 
hypertrophy of the nasal passage in these dinosaurs. If 
lambeosaurine dinosaurs dominated potential late 
Maastrichtian localities in eastern Asia, these dinosaurs 
are not represented anymore in synchronous Lancian 
localities from western North America, dominated either by 
ceratopsian or by titanosaurid dinosaurs.


Gatesy, Stephen M., 2001. Skin impressions of Triassic 
theropods as records of foot movement. Bulletin of the 
Museum of Comparative Zoology. 10 October, 2001; 156 (1): 
137-149.

AB: A sample of 20 Late Triassic theropod footprints from 
Greenland preserves evidence of pedal integument. Skin 
impressions range from dimples, valleys, peaks, and 
ridges, to parallel striations. These features were 
created by the scale-covered digital pads as the skin-
sediment interface was broken. Therefore, skin impressions 
document aspects of both the direction and timing of skin 
motion, allowing foot movements during the stance phase of 
locomotion to be inferred. Skin impressions represent a 
previously unrecognized source of functional data for 
reconstructing theropod locomotion.

Jenkins, Farish A., Jr, Shubin, Neil H., Gatesy, Stephen 
M., & Padian, Kevin, 2001. A diminutive pterosaur 
(Pterosauria: Eudimorphodontidae) 
from the Greenlandic Triassic. Bulletin of the Museum of 
Comparative Zoology. (October, 2001) 156(1): 151-170.

AB: A diminutive eudimorphodontid pterosaur, from the Late 
Triassic Fleming Fjord Formation of East Greenland, 
possesses relatively short wings, short ulnae and tibiae, 
and long metatarsals. The new species, smaller than any 
known individual of Eudimorphodon, is unique among known 
pterosaurs in having proximal limb segments (humerus, 
ulna, femur, tibia) of nearly equal length. Although the 
Greenlandic pterosaur is probably a juvenile, as indicated 
primarily by the lack of synostosis of axial and limb 
girdle components, the appendicular proportions of the 
specimen are too different from those in other known 
pterosaurian taxa to be accounted for solely by 
immaturity. The bicondylar fourth metacarpophalangeal 
joint, in which the dorsal condyle has a larger radius of 
curvature and a more extensive articular surface than the 
ventral condyle, appears to be intermediate between a 
primitive unicondylar joint and the asymmetric trochlea 
common among pterosaurs. This spectrum of joint 
configurations represents increasing mechanical stability, 
consonant with the interpretation that the mechanism 
evolved among basal pterosaurs to accommodate wing folding 
during the upstroke in flapping flight.
[New Taxon: Eudimorphodon cromptonellus]

Rieppel, O. 2002. The dermal armor of the cyamodontoid 
placodonts (Reptilia, Sauropterygia): Morphology and 
systematic value.
Fieldiana-Geology. February 28, 2002; (46): i-iii; 1-41.

AB: The dermal armor of cyamodontoid placodonts is 
described and discussed in detail. A review of all 
available data on the ontogeny and phylogeny of the 
cyamodontoid dermal armor precedes the discussion of its 
value in placodont systematics. The cyamodontoid dermal 
armor is known from Middle to Upper Triassic fossil 
remains found in the Germanic and Alpine Triassic and at 
various circum-Mediterranean localities, most notably 
Makhtesh Ramon in the Negev, as well as in southern China. 
This paper recognizes five, possibly six species of 
cyamodontoids from the Middle Triassic of Makhtesh Ramon. 
two of them new. The morphology of the cyamodontoid dermal 
armor is compared in detail to the morphology of the 
turtle shell. The similarity is shown to be superficial 
only. The study concludes with comments on the functional 
anatomy of the cyamodontoid dermal armor.
[New Genus: Psephosauriscus + various new species]

Shapiro, Michael D. & Jenkins,Farish A., Jr 2001. A 
cynodont from the Upper Triassic of East Greenland: Tooth 
replacement and double-rootedness.
Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology. 10 October, 
2001; 156 (1): 49-58.

AB: A new genus and species of cynodont from the Upper 
Triassic Fleming Fjord Formation of East Greenland 
possesses double-rooted postcanine teeth and a 
nonalternate pattern of tooth replacement. The specimen 
represents an addition to the known diversity of Early 
Mesozoic taxa with multirooted dentitions (tritylodontids, 
Sinoconodon sp., haramiyids, morganucodontids, Meurthodon 
gallicus), and casts doubt on traditional interpretations 
of the interdependency of reduced tooth replacement 
patterns and teeth with multiple roots.
[New Taxon: Mitredon cromptoni] 

Sues, Hans-Dieter, 2001. On Microconodon, a Late Triassic 
cynodont from the Newark Supergroup of Eastern North 
America. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology. 10 
October, 2001; 156 (1): 37-48.

AB: Three incomplete dentaries with teeth and several 
isolated postcanine teeth of a small cynodont synapsid 
from the Upper Triassic (Carnian) Tomahawk Member of the 
Vinita Formation of the Richmond basin (Newark Supergroup) 
in Virginia are referable to Microconodon tenuirostris 
Osborn, 1886. This taxon was previously known only from a 
single specimen, an incomplete right dentary with four 
post-canine teeth from the Upper Triassic (Carnian) 
Cumnock Formation of North Carolina. Once considered one 
of the earliest and most primitive mammals, Microconodon 
is a derived eucynodont of uncertain affinities. Its more 
posterior postcanine teeth have three or four 
anteroposteriorly aligned cusps, lack cingula, and the 
roots of some postcanines are incipiently divided.

Bonaparte, Jose F. 2001. On two advanced carnivorous 
cynodonts from the Late Triassic of Southern Brazil. 
Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology. 10 October, 
2001; 156 (1): 59-80.

AB: Cranial and postcranial remains of the cynodonts 
Therioherpeton cargnini (Therioherpetidae) and a taxon 
originally referred to as Thrinaxodon brasiliensis (of 
indeterminate familial status) are described and compared 
with other advanced cynodonts and morganucodontids. Our 
study provides evidence that these early Late Triassic 
cynodonts, which possessed primitive carnivorous 
dentitions of the Thrinaxodon liorhinus type, evolved 
derived characters of the skull and postcranium that 
approximated the mammalian level of organization as 
represented in morganucodontids.

Codrea, V., Thierry Smith, Paul Dica, Annelise Folie, 
Géraldine Garcia, Pascal Godefroit and Jimmy Van 
Itterbeeck, (2002). Dinosaur egg nests, mammals and other 
vertebrates from a new Maastrichtian site of the Hatzeg 
Basin (Romania). Comptes Rendus Palevol (Articles in 
Press).
Abstract
About ten dinosaur nests of large megaloolithid-type eggs 
have been discovered in the new Maastrichtian locality of 
Tote ti-baraj (Hatzeg Basin, Romania). This is the largest 
dinosaur egg nest site discovered in Romania. Teeth and 
other micro-remains of vertebrates such as hadrosaurs, 
ankylosaurs, theropods, lizards and amphibians are 
associated with the eggs in the sediments, reflecting the 
great biodiversity of the Hatzeg Basin during the 
Maastrichtian. But the most remarkable collected micro-
remains are teeth of mammals representing at present the 
richest multituberculate collection from the Upper 
Cretaceous of Europe. 
This one can be seen online (click "Publications," 
then "C" and scroll to Comptes Rendus Palevol):
http://www.sciencedirect.com/