Carlos De Miguel Chaves, Francisco Ortega, and AdÃn PÃrez-GarcÃa (2018)
Cranial variability of the European Middle Triassic sauropterygian Simosaurus gaillardoti.
Acta Palaeontologica Polonica (in press)
Simosaurus is a Triassic eosauropterygian genus known from cranial and postcranial elements, found in the Middle and Upper Triassic strata of Europe and the Middle East. Simosaurus gaillardoti is currently recognised as the only valid species of the genus, identified in Ladinian strata of an area that includes northeastern France (Lorraine) and southwestern Germany (Baden-WÃrttemberg). The remains from this area include more than 20 skulls. Although some of them were described in detail and figured by several authors since the discovery of S. gaillardoti, many others remained unpublished. Here we study and figure 25 skulls from this taxon, reviewing the previously known specimens, and presenting and analyzing numerous unpublished skulls. This significant sample of skulls from a single taxon of a European Triassic eosauropterygian allows us to recognise intraspecific variability in characters previously identified as non-variable in this species, including some that are often included in phylogenetic analyses of these reptiles. Therefore, we markedly increase our knowledge of the cranial skeleton in this taxon.
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Ãscar Navarro & Jose J. Moratalla (2018)
Swimming reptile prints from the Keuper facies (Carnian, Upper Triassic) of Los Gallegos new tracksite (Iberian Range, Valencia province, Spain).
Journal of Iberian Geology (advance online publication)
A new locality of Carnian reptile tracks (Upper Triassic) is described from the Manuel Sandstone Formation (Keuper facies). The track-bearing layer is located in the Los Gallegos creek (municipality of Cortes de PallÃs, Valencia province) and the prints are preserved as natural casts. The tracks are isolated and, although there are certain alignments, these do not constitute trackways. Most of the prints are made up of sub-parallel digital marks. The number of digits and their size is variable, being tetradactyl the most complete ones. In some cases, the heel area has been preserved, although the impression of the V toe has never been so. No handprints have been found either. This preservation does not allow precise identification, although general characters as well as age suggest that these tracks may be related to the chirotheroid group and therefore, with archosauriform or archosaur crurotarsal reptiles. The characteristics of sediment, footprints and the presence of structures such as digit reflectures, Z-traces, posterior overhangs and longitudinal striations suggest that the ichnites were produced by swimming, totally or partially buoyant reptiles in a context dominated by a fluvial system with restricted marine influence during the Carnian Humid Episode.
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