New Papers

["Jerry D. Harris" <jharris@dixie.edu>]

Hi All -

   A few new things cropping up:

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Veevers, J.J. 2006. Updated Gondwana (Permian-Cretaceous) Earth history of 
Australia. Gondwana Research 9(3):231-260. doi: 10.1016/j.gr.2005.11.005.

ABSTRACT: Permo-Carboniferous glaciation, confined to icecaps and mountain 
glaciers, was followed by Permian coal measures and Early Triassic barren 
measures and redbeds, in the east terminally deformed in the mid-Triassic. 
Coal deposition resumed during the Late Triassic, and tholeiite was erupted 
in the southeast. After rifting, the western margin was formed by the 
opening of the Indian Ocean at 156 and 132 Ma. At 140 Ma, a brief glaciation 
affected central Australia. By the 99 Ma mid-Cretaceous, the southern margin 
was finally shaped by the opening of the southeastern Indian Ocean, the 
shoreline retreated to the present coast from the maximum Aptian shoreline 
of an epeiric sea, and the Eastern highlands were uplifted to produce the 
present morphology of Australia.
New data relate to the Permo-Carboniferous and Early Cretaceous glaciations, 
the Kiaman Reversed Paleomagnetic Interval, events about the 
Permian-Triassic boundary, including possible impact craters, advances in 
palynology, invertebrate paleontology, macrofloral paleontology, and 
paleobiogeography, the provenance of sediments by U-Pb ages and host-rock 
affinity of zircons, stable-isotopes and biomarkers in petroleum systems, 
coal environments, calibrating the time scale with U-Pb ages of zircons, 
fission-track thermotectonic imaging, geothermal energy, and terranes split 
off the western margin.

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Paik, I.S., and Kim, H.J. 2006. Playa lake and sheetflood deposits of the 
Upper Cretaceous Jindong Formation, Korea: Occurrences and 
palaeoenvironments. Sedimentary Geology 187(1-2):83-103. doi: 
10.1016/j.sedgeo.2005.12.006.

ABSTRACT: Lake model of the Upper Cretaceous Jindong Formation in Korea was 
established on the basis of sedimentological and palaeobiological records of 
the playa lake and sheetflood deposits and their palaeoenvironmental 
implications. The playa lake and sheetflood deposits of the Jindong 
Formation are characterized by the common presence of traces of vanished 
evaporites, complicated polygonal desiccation cracks and rainprints, the 
pedogenic carbonate development, and the preservation of invertebrate traces 
and dinosaur and bird tracks. The traces of vanished evaporites including 
halite and sulphate evaporite occur as evaporite pseudopmorphs and moulds. 
The occurrence of all of the evaporite minerals as traces suggests that 
flooding stages persisted much longer than evaporation and desiccation 
stages. Invertebrates, birds, and dinosaurs inhabited the playa lake 
environment of the Upper Cretaceous Jindong Lake.
The Jindong Lake formed by the combination of humid source area and arid 
depositional site due to an orographic effect in fault-bounded basin. 
Extensive development of the playa lake and sheetflood deposits with 
evaporite mineral casts and very limited association of shoreline deposits 
in the Jindong Formation are characteristic of closed lake, and the Jindong 
Lake is compared to a lake formed in partly drained closed basin. The 
aggradation of mudflat deposits indicates continued subsidence of the basin 
and continuation of an underfilled lake basin. The Jindong Lake expanded and 
stabilized as a playa lake surrounded by dry to saline mudflats, and 
palaeoclimate and subsidence rates changed little throughout the period of 
the Jindong Lake development.



LeTourneau, P.M., and Huber, P. 2006. Early Jurassic eolian dune field, 
Pomperaug basin, Connecticut and related synrift deposits: stratigraphic 
framework and paleoclimatic context. Sedimentary Geology 187(1-2):63-81. 
doi: 10.1016/j.sedgeo.2005.12.005.

ABSTRACT: The discovery of an extensive eolian sandstone in the Pomperaug 
basin, Connecticut is noteworthy because it is the most significant 
occurrence of eolian rocks in the continental rifts of the Newark Supergroup 
south of the Fundy basin, Canada. Climate-sensitive rocks provide important 
constraints for the influence of supercontinent landmass configurations on 
models of early Mesozoic Pangaean climate. The sedimentary structures and 
textures in the Pomperaug basin sandstone compare favorably with modern and 
ancient eolian sands. The eolian sandstone is traceable for at least 5 km 
and occupies a stratigraphic interval that is dominated by arid facies in 
the Pomperaug and Hartford basins, indicating that the eolian deposit is 
indicative of regional climate. The eolian sands were stabilized by a return 
to more humid conditions and subsequently buried beneath a thick, basin-wide 
basalt flow, preserving the dune field. Also described are related synrift 
eolian sandstones from the Hartford (Connecticut, USA), Fundy (Nova Scotia, 
Canada), and Argana (Morocco) basins. Using revised paleolatitude models for 
the Pangaean rifts, the distribution of eolian sandstones suggests that the 
Norian-Hettangian world had zonal climate belts with modified latitudinal 
gradients.

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Codorniú, L., Gasparini, Z., and Paulina-Carabajal, A. 2006. A Late Jurassic 
pterosaur (Reptilia, Pterodactyloidea) from northwestern Patagonia, 
Argentina. Journal of South American Earth Sciences 20(4):383-389. doi: 
10.1016/j.jsames.2005.07.014.

ABSTRACT: A small to medium-sized pterodactyloid pterosaur (wingspan 
approximately 1.10 m) from the Upper Jurassic (middle-late Tithonian) marine 
deposits of the Vaca Muerta Formation of Patagonia (Los Catutos area, 
central Neuquén Province, Argentina) is reported. The specimen lacks the 
skull but constitutes a nearly complete postcranial skeleton, which includes 
cervical and dorsal vertebrae; a few thoracic ribs; both pectoral girdles; 
the left pelvic girdle; a proximal right wing (humerus, ulna, and radius) 
and metacarpal IV; a left wing that lacks only wing phalanx four; and both 
hindlimbs, the right one without the foot. Ontogenetic features suggest that 
the new fossil corresponds to a relatively mature individual, probably a 
subadult. Observed characters support its assignment to the 
Archaeopteroactyloidea, a basal clade within the Pterodactyloidea. This 
specimen is the second pterosaur from Los Catutos and the most complete 
Jurassic pterosaur so far known from South America.

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Buffetaut, E., Azar, D., Nel, A., Ziadé, K., and Acra, A. 2006. First 
nonavian dinosaur from Lebanon: a brachiosaurid sauropod from the Lower 
Cretaceous of the Jezzine District. Naturwissenschaften On-line First. doi: 
10.1007/s00114-006-0124-z.

ABSTRACT: Two sauropod teeth from an Early Cretaceous (Neocomian) 
fluviodeltaic sandstone near Jezzine (Southern Lebanon) are the first 
nonavian dinosaur remains to be reported from Lebanon. Their distinctive 
character places them within Brachiosauridae. The sauropod teeth from 
Lebanon are a significant addition to the very scanty dinosaur record from 
the Levant, which hitherto consisted mainly of very poorly preserved and not 
easily identifiable specimens. The Basal Cretaceous Sandstone of Lebanon, 
thus, appears to be a potentially important source of fossil vertebrate 
material.

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Buffetaut, E. 2005. Late Cretaceous vertebrates from the Saint-Chinian area 
(southern France): a review of previous research and an update on recent 
finds. Acta Palaeontologica Romaniae 5:39-48.

ABSTRACT: This paper traces the history of research on the Late Cretaceous 
vertebrates of the Saint-Chinian area of southern France since the first 
report of dinosaur bones by Gervais in 1877. A number of researchers, 
including Miquel, Depéret, Nopcsa and Lapparent, were involved in the early 
studies on this faunal assemblage, from the 1890s to the 1950s, but the 
known number of taxa remained low because
specimens were recovered almost exclusively by surface collecting. A faunal 
list showing a significantly higher diversity is presented, on the basis of 
recent work involving systematic excavations and screenwashing. This list 
includes actinopterygians, coelacanths, amphibians, turtles, squamates, 
crocodilians, pterosaurs, dinosaurs, birds and mammals. Fossil eggs are also 
common.

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Pincemaille-Quillevere, M., Buffetaut, E., and Quillevere, F. 2006. 
Description ostéologique de l'arrière-crâne de Rhabdodon (Dinosauria, 
Euornithopoda) et implications phylogénétiques. Bulletin de la Société 
Geologique de France 177(2):97-104.

ABSTRACT (English summary, actually): Since the 19th century, the Campanian 
and Maastrichtian continental deposits of southern France have yielded 
numerous dinosaur remains [Le Loeuff, 1991; 1998; Buffetaut et al., 1997; 
Laurent et al., 1991; Allain and Suberbiola, 2003]. The ornithopod remains 
that have not been referred to the hadrosaurids have been systematically 
attributed to Rhabdodon [Buffetaut and Le Loeuff, 1991; Buffetaut et al., 
1996; Garcia et al., 1999; Pincemaille-Quillévéré, 2002]. This genus, 
initially named by Matheron [1869] after its discovery in the lower 
Maastrichtian of La Nerthe (Bouches-du-Rhône), belongs to the Euornithopoda 
[sensu Sereno, 1999]. Rhabdodon represents the most common element of the 
dinosaur assemblages from the late Cretaceous of southern France [e.g. 
Allain and Suberbiola, 2003]. Nevertheless, since the localities have only 
provided some fragmentary material [Pincemaille-Quillévéré, 2002], the 
global morphology of this dinosaur and its phylogenetic placement within the 
euornithopods are still debated. The cranial morphology of Rhabdodon is 
particularly poorly understood due to the rarity of cranial remains 
preserved in the localities of southern France [Matheron, 1869; Garcia et 
al., 1999; Buffetaut et al., 1999; Pincemaille-Quillévéré, 2002]. Buffetaut 
et al. [1999] first mentioned the discovery of a braincase (M4) referred to 
Rhabdodon, at Massecaps, a locality close to the village of Cruzy (Hérault, 
France). More recently, a new braincase (MN25) has been discovered at 
Montplô Nord, another locality close to Cruzy (specimens M4 and MN25 are 
conserved in the Museum of Cruzy). Both these localities have revealed a 
diverse and abundant vertebrate fauna suggesting a late Campanian to early 
Maastrichtian age [Buffetaut et al., 1999].
These braincases are described here in an attempt to detect potential 
autapomorphic characters in Rhabdodon, and compared to a more complete 
braincase of Tenontosaurus, an euornithopod from the Lower Cretaceous of 
North America, considered as the sister group of Rhabdodon [Weishampel et 
al., 1998; 2003; Garcia et al., 1999; Pincemaille-Quillévéré, 2002], in 
order to determine the potential differences and synapomorphies between the 
occiputs of the two genera. Finally, the braincases from Cruzy are compared 
to those of the other euornithopods described in the literature.
Specimen M4 (figs. 1-4) is incomplete but exceptionally well preserved. This 
braincase belongs to a juvenile individual, as shown by the numerous visible 
suture lines between the different cranial elements. Specimen MN25 (fig. 5) 
is badly deformed and attributable to an adult individual. Until now, all 
the ornithopods from the Upper Cretaceous of southern France have been 
referred either to hadrosaurs or to Rhabdodon. The Hadrosauridae show a low 
nuchal crest and their exoccipitals meet and form a bar on the dorsal border 
of the foramen magnum, excluding the supraoccipital from this border. 
Specimens M4 and MN25 do not present any nuchal crest and the supraoccipital 
participates in the dorsal border of the foramen magnum. Both braincases M4 
and MN25 are therefore attributable to Rhabdodon.
Specimens M4 and MN25 have been compared to the occiput of a juvenile 
Tenontosaurus tilletti (fig. 6 : MCZ 4205, conserved in the Museum of 
Comparative Zoology, Harvard University). This reveals that Tenontosaurus 
and Rhabdodon share numerous characters : (1) the exoccipitals form the 
lateral borders of the foramen magnum, its ventral border being occupied by 
the basioccipital; (2) the occipital condyle is partly constituted by the 
exoccipitals, and in the same proportions; (3) the supraoccipital is 
rostrally oriented; (4) the suture line located between the prootic and the 
laterosphenoid shows the same outline; (5) the cresta prootica starts within 
the paroccipital process and extends onto the opisthotic; (6) the cresta 
prootica is transversal and non-horizontal; (7) the distribution of the 
cranial nerves is homologuous along the lateral surface of the braincase. 
Nevertheless, the braincase of Tenontosaurus differs from that of Rhabdodon 
in several significant respects : (1) the exoccipitals are dorsally 
connected, excluding the supraoccipital from the dorsal border of the 
foramen magnum; (2) two small dorsal humps are present at the level of the 
suture of the exoccipitals; (3) the supraoccipital is excluded from the 
dorsal border of the foramen magnum, which gives it a triangular shape; (4) 
the paroccipital processes are short, laterally flattened, and wing-shaped, 
and are more medio-dorsally oriented than in Rhabdodon; (5) the cresta 
prootica follows a concave line and ends up on the prootic, at the level of 
the opening of the trigeminal nerve; (6) the external curve of the 
laterosphenoids is stronger; (7) the suture between the basioccipital and 
the opisthotic is very clear. The first of these unshared characters 
suggests that Rhabdodon belongs to Norman's [1984] 'hypsilophodontoid' clade 
and Tenontosaurus to the more evolved 'iguanodontoid' clade. The fusion of 
the exoccipitals on the dorsal border of the foramen magnum, together with 
other cranial adaptations, may have reduced the stress caused by a more 
elaborate mastication. Rhabdodon appears to have had a more primitive type 
of mastication. The strip formed by the reunion of the exoccipitals is less 
expanded dorso-ventrally in Tenontosaurus tilletti than in the 
'iguanodontoid' and 'hadrosauroid' clades. Tenontosaurus may therefore 
represent an intermediate group between the 'hypsilophodontoid' and 
'iguanodontoid' clades.

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Ji, Q., Liu, Y.-Q., and Ji, S.-A. 2006. The Early Cretaceous Jehol Biota of 
northern China: feathered dinosaurs, basal birds, mammals and angiosperms, 
Second International Palaeontological Congress (IPC2006) Pre-Congress 
Excursion A5. 
http://www.ipc2006.ac.cn/pdf/Pre-Congress%20Excursion%20A5.pdf, 6 pp.

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Reynolds, R.E. 2006. Jurassic tracks in California; pp. 19-24 in Reynold, 
R.E. (ed.), Making Tracks Across the Southwest. California State University 
Desert Studies Consortium and LSA Associates, Inc., Zzyzx.

Hamblin, A.H. 2006. Spectrum Tracksite - also known as the Grapevine Pass 
Wash Tracksite; pp. 29-34 in Reynold, R.E. (ed.), Making Tracks Across the 
Southwest. California State University Desert Studies Consortium and LSA 
Associates, Inc., Zzyzx.

Milner, A.R.C., and Lockley, M.G. 2006. History, geology and paleontology: 
St. George Dinosaur Discovery Site at Johnson Farm, Utah; pp. 35-48 in 
Reynold, R.E. (ed.), Making Tracks Across the Southwest. California State 
University Desert Studies Consortium and LSA Associates, Inc., Zzyzx.

Difley, R., and Ekdale, A.A. 2006. Trace fossils and paleoenvironments of 
the Early Jurassic Kayenta Formation, Washington County, Utah; pp. 49-51 in 
Reynold, R.E. (ed.), Making Tracks Across the Southwest. California State 
University Desert Studies Consortium and LSA Associates, Inc., Zzyzx.

Lofgren, D.L., Greening, J.A., Johnson, C.F., Lewis, S.J., and Torres, M.A. 
2006. Footprints on the sands of time: fossil tracks at the Raymond Alf 
Museum of Paleontology; pp. 52-62 in Reynold, R.E. (ed.), Making Tracks 
Across the Southwest. California State University Desert Studies Consortium 
and LSA Associates, Inc., Zzyzx.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jerry D. Harris
Director of Paleontology
Dixie State College
Science Building
225 South 700 East
St. George, UT  84770   USA
Phone: (435) 652-7758
Fax: (435) 656-4022
E-mail: jharris@dixie.edu
and     dinogami@gmail.com
http://cactus.dixie.edu/jharris/

"Actually, it's a bacteria-run planet, but
mammals are better at public relations."
                                     -- Dave Unwin