El Spinophorosaurus virtual se pasea por las VII Jornadas de Salas de los Infantes

Continuamos con las crónicas de las recientemente celebradas VII Jornadas de Paleontología de Dinosaurios y su Entorno en Salas de los Infantes (Burgos). En esta ocasión, os traemos las conclusiones obtenidas acerca del plan corporal de los saurópodos, derivadas del montaje del esqueleto virtual de Spinophorosaurus nigerensis en un trabajo presentado por Daniel Vidal:

Spinophorosaurus nigerensis (Remes et al., 2009) from the Middle Jurassic of Niger is a basal eusauropod. Originally thought to be a very primitive sauropod, it is now considered to share some similarities with mamenchisaurids (Mocho et al., 2013). Spinophorosaurus is mainly known from an almost complete specimen found articulated. A second specimen from the same locality, found a few meters away, preserves some elements the holotype does not, such as some skull elements, a humerus, the interclavicle, and posteriormost dorsal ribs.

Virtual dinosaur models have proven to be an useful tool to study functional morphology by creating virtual skeletons from original fossils 3D models (Mallison, 2010a, 2010b). Virtual skeletons are becoming more common in analyses of the functional evolution of the long neck and tail sauropod bauplan (Bates et al., 2016).

Spinophorosaurus holotype is an almost complete and well‐preserved articulated skeleton from a single individual. This makes it a good candidate for studying the full‐body anatomy of basal eusaudopods. The bones of the Spinophorosaurus holotype were scanned with photogrammetry. This technique uses slightly overlapped pictures taken so that the whole surface of each bone is covered to develop a 3D mesh (Mallison & Wings, 2014). The resulting virtual bones are very accurate to the original fossils, with a scaling error smaller than 0.1 mm. The virtual bones were then manually articulated in Autodesk 3D Studio Max in osteological neutral pose by bone pairs following Carpenter et al. (1994), Stevens & Parrish (1999) and Mallison (2010a).

The virtual skeleton measures 11.7 meters from head to tail, and it is one of the first digital models of a sauropod dinosaur made from scans coming from a single, highly complete individual. Its body proportions, interestingly, are a little different from previous 2D skeletal reconstructions made from tracing bone outlines from pictures of the fossils and using measurements of the bones. The torso of Spinophorosaurus is shorter and the neck is longer than in previous reconstructions. The presacral vertebrae form a 30o angle with the horizontal in osteological neutral pose, resulting in much taller shoulders than in previous reconstructions.

This body plan with antero‐dorsally projected series of presacral vertebrae resulting in tall shoulders differs from the previous reconstructions in other non‐neosauropods, in which the presacral column was reconstructed as sub‐horizontal with low shoulders (i.e. Patagosaurus Bonaparte, 1986; Barapasaurus Bandyopadhyay et al., 2010; Shunosaurus Zhang, 1988 or Omeisaurus He et al., 1988). The herein proposed body plan for Spinophorosaurus is more similar to the reconstructions of Atlasaurus (Monbaron et al., 1999) or Mamenchisaurus youngi (Paul, 2007).

All in all, the virtual skeleton of Spinophorosaurus shows a body plan with a relative inclination toward vertical lengthening, as evidenced by many skeletal traits: i) moderately elongated cervical vertebrae, ii) antero‐dorsally inclined presacral column, iii) elongate scapulo‐ coracoid and iv) moderately elongate humerus. Although this body plan seems to fit with a high browsing model for Spinophorosaurus, further range of motion, myological, biomechanical, phylogenetic and paleoecological analyses will have to be performed to find better evidence support of that model.

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Más información:

• Referencia: Vidal, D., Aberasturi, A., Mocho, P., Ortega, F., Sanz, J.L. 2016. Assembling a virtual Spinophorosaurus: what can it teach us about the evolution of Eusauropoda?. In: Torcida Fernández-Baldor, F., Canudo, J.I., Huerta, P., Pereda, X. (eds.) Abstracts book of the VII International Symposium about Dinosaurs Palaeontology and their Environment, 95-96.
• Imagen: Daniel Vidal durante la charla.

Nuevos datos sobre Camerochelys en las VII Jornadas de Salas de Los Infantes

En el registro del Cretácico Inferior español se identifica un número relativamente elevado de tortugas. Así, la diversidad actualmente reconocida para las tortugas del Cretácico Inferior de esta región es mayor que la identificada para cualquier otro país europeo. Una de las tortugas recientemente descritas para el registro español, y hasta ahora reconocida como exclusiva, es Camerochelys vilanovai. Aunque se había descrito a partir de varios ejemplares, todos ellos correspondían a caparazones parciales o a placas aisladas. Un nuevo ejemplar de Camerochelys ha sido presentado en las VII Jornadas de Salas de Los Infantes. Se trata de un caparazón relativamente completo, que permite profundizar en el conocimiento sobre esta tortuga.

El resumen publicado en el libro de actas del congreso es el siguiente:

Camerochelys vilanovai is a turtle defined in 2013, belonging to the Spanish Lower Cretaceous record. This turtle was defined by scarce remains, corresponding to some partial shells and plates, from the Enciso Group (Hauterivian-Barremian), found in Igea (La Rioja, eastern Cameros Basin). The so far available information on its shell is relatively limited, and only allowed its attribution to Pan-Cryptodira indet.

A new, relatively complete and well-preserved shell, attributable to Camerochelys vilanovai, is presented here. This new specimen comes from Igea, as all previously remains attributed to this taxon, having also been found in levels corresponding to the Enciso Group. The new specimen allows knowing much of the shell of this taxon. Its study allows us to analyze hitherto unknown regions of both the carapace and the plastron, confirm or refute some previously proposed anatomical hypotheses, and identify more characters to be included in the diagnosis of this taxon (i.e. those corresponding to the morphology and relative size of both the entoplastron and the gular scutes), the diagnosis being amended. The study of the fossil presented here allows us to propose a new and more precise hypothesis about the phylogenetic position of this poorly known form, being identified as a basal member of Pan-Cryptodira (i.e. a representative of the stem group of Cryptodira).

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Más información:

• Referencia: Pérez-García, A., Murelaga, X. 2016. New insights on the anatomy and systematics of the Iberian Lower Cretaceous turtle Camerochelys vilanovai. In: Torcida Fernández-Baldor, F., Canudo, J.I., Huerta, P., Pereda, X. (eds.) Abstracts book of the VII International Symposium about Dinosaurs Palaeontology and their Environment, 113.
• Imágen: Poster presentado en el congreso, explicado tanto por uno de los autores del trabajo como por su colaborador habitual Godzillin.

Una de brazos de Concavenator en las VII Jornadas de Salas de los Infantes

Un nuevo trabajo sobre Concavenator corcovatus fue enviado este año a las VII Jornadas Intenracionales de Dinosaurios y su entorno en Salas de los Infantes. En esta ocasión se definieron y revisaron caracteres filogenéticos asociados a la extremidad anterior de Concavenator. Dentro del clado Carcharodontosauridae, el registro de elementos anatómicos pertenecientes a la extremidad anterior son escasos, estando completos solo aquellos pertenecientes a Acrocanthosaurus y Concavenator. Este estudio, por tanto, permite esclarecer la historia evolutiva de esta extremidad dentro de este amplio clado de terópodos.

Concavenator corcovatus Ortega et al. (2010) is a carcharodontosaurid theropod that was found in the Las Hoyas fossil site (Lower Cretaceous, Spain). Carcharodontosaurids are a monophyletic group with a wide distribution around Laurasia and Gondwana (Csiki-Sava et al. 2016) during the Cretaceous. Although the clade is well represented by a high diversity of taxa, only Acrocanthosaurus and Concavenator preserve all the elements of the forelimb. Thus, it is particularly interesting to consider Concavenator to test the distribution of forelimb characters in the phylogenetic context of the group.

Here, we analyze thephylogenetic distribution of features of the complete anterior appendicular skeleton of Concavenator within the phylogeny of Tetanurae. This approach allows to discuss the relevance of the forelimb morphology in a phylogeny framework, and identify some novelties in this anatomical region of carcharodontosaurid theropods.

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Más información:

• Referencia: Cuesta, E., Ortega, F., Sanz, J.L. 2016. Phylogenetic distribution of morphological features of the Concavenator corcovatus forelimb (Carcharodontosauria. Lower Cretaceous, Spain). In: Torcida Fernández-Baldor, F., Canudo, J.I., Huerta, P., Pereda, X. (eds.) Abstracts book of the VII International Symposium about Dinosaurs Palaeontology and their Environment, 61-63.

Muslitos de titanosaurio de Lo Hueco en las VII Jornadas de Salas de los Infantes

Seguimos con la Crónica de unas Jornadas, en Salas de los Infantes. Entre los trabajos presentados, vuelve el turno de los saurópodos. Una de las comunicaciones orales dedicó unos minutos a tratar la variabilidad intrasepecífica en los elementos del esqueleto apendicular de los titanosaurios del yacimiento de Lo Hueco, Cuenca. Entre los numerosos restos de titanosaurios, una gran cantidad son elementos desarticulados de las extremidades, con cierta variabilidad entre ellos y los problemas de clasificación que conlleva. En estas jornadas se expuso la metodología empleada para identificar a qué taxón de los hallados en el yacimiento pertenecerían algunos de los fémures de la muestra y explorar cambios como los que se producen durante el crecimiento del titanosaurio.

Sauropod dinosaur present a very conservative bauplan along the phylogeny, especially in their limbs. While axial skeleton usually brings enough information to diagnose at genus or species level, appendicular bones tend to retain more general morphology common between upper clades (see Otero et al., 2008, Otero, 2010).
Multiple specimen association with scattered appendicular elements or even isolated appendicular bones from titanosaur sauropods have been reported from the Upper Cretaceous of Europe (Le Loeuff, 2005, Vila et al., 2012). While some have been attributed to known genus such as Ampelosaurus, Lirainosaurus or Magyarosaurus albeit having some variability within the sample. However, it has been also considered that some specimens have morphologies that differ enough of the forms already known as to consider that correspond to taxa still undescribed (Vila et al., 2012). This results in a possible very high diversity of titanosaur species in the Late Cretaceous of the Iberoarmorican domain when combining the described genus and the morphotypes attributable to different and unknown species.
The Upper Cretaceous fossil site of Lo Hueco was found during the construction of the AVE (Spanish high speed railroad) Madrid-Levante in 2007. In this site, thousands of dinosaur remains have been recovered, in which it is highlighted the high abundance of bones attributable to titanosaur sauropods. Several articulated partial skeletons and a sample of hundreds of scattered appendicular bones among them (Ortega et al., 2015). It is possible to identify, at least, two titanosaur morphotypes based on two types of cranial morphologies, appendicular elements, and teeth (Ortega et al. 2015). Two main appendicular morphotypes of femora and humeri have been also assessed in previous studies based on geometric morphometrics studies (Paramo et al. 2015).
In this study, a sample of femora are compared with those of other Iberoarmorican titanosaur taxa, such Lirainosaurus astibiae, and others of Gondwanan titanosaur belonging to several clades mostly of the Upper Cretaceous. Taxa with multiple specimen are selected in order to attempt to capture the variability of some characters, especially those having systematic relevance such as the variation in the presence of a linea cranialis intermuscularis and other muscular insertions (Vila et al. 2012).
Differences between both morphotypes from Lo Hueco could be attributed with some confidence to two different taxa. However, the variability in several features should be only attributed to intraspecific or ontogenetic variation. The extension of structures such as the trochanteric shelf (Paramo et al. 2015) or the variation in the presence of insertions like accessory trochanters of the fourth trochanter are discussed as possible intraspecific variation. Also, some other structures related with condylar rugosities, similar to those described for Ampelosaurus atacis (Vila et al. 2012) may be related with possible growth patterns, as they are present in bigger forms and less developed or absent in smaller specimens of Lo Hueco and other titanosaurs.
This instraspecific variation may affect previous estimations of Iberian diversity during Late Cretaceous as some undiagnostical elements may pertain to the same undescribed forms or attributable to already known taxa.

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Más información:

• Referencia: Páramo, A., Ortega, F., Mocho, P., Sanz, J.L. 2016. Femoral variability in two titanosaur taxa from Lo Hueco (Cuenca, Spain): Insights for iberoarmorican titanosaur diversity assessment. In: Torcida Fernández-Baldor, F., Canudo, J.I., Huerta, P., Pereda, X. (eds.) Abstracts book of the VII International Symposium about Dinosaurs Palaeontology and their Environment, 107-108.
• Imagen: Única fotografía de la presentación de A. Páramo rescatada de la catástrofe de sesión tomada por C. de Miguel Chaves.

Dientes de dinosaurios terópodos del Jurásico Superior de Portugal en las VII Jornadas de Salas de los Infantes

En las VII Jornadas Internacionales sobre Paleontología de Dinosaurios y su Entorno en Salas de los Infantes (Burgos, España) se presentó el estudio de una colección de dientes aislados de dinosaurios terópodos del Jurásico Superior de la cuenca lusitánica. En este trabajo, se ha analizado la diversidad de morfotipos dentarios representados en esta colección, depositada en la Sociedade de História Natural en Torres Vedras (Portugal), así como la distribución geográfica y estratigráfica de los diferentes grupos representados.

Se han identificado trece morfotipos, algunos que se interpretan como pertenecientes a taxones bien conocidos en el Jurásico Superior Portugués, como Ceratosaurus, Torvosaurus y Allosaurus, pero otros grupos no pueden relacionarse a un taxón en particular identificado previamente. Estos grupos con identificación indeterminada podrían corresponder a un taxón para el cual no se conoce material dentario o pueden representar formas hasta el momento no identificadas en el registro portugués. 

Isolated theropod teeth are currently the principal evidence for study the diversity of small-sized theropod dinosaurs from the Late Jurassic of the Lusitanian Basin. Although some of the previously identified taxa may need revision based on more recent works on isolated theropod teeth, this record suggests a relatively diverse fauna. The sample of isolated teeth here described allowed to identify six morphotypes belonging to large-sized primitive theropods and basal tetanurans (including Ceratosaurus, a possible abelisaurid, Torvosaurus, Allosaurus and an indeterminate allosauroid) and six morphotypes related to small and probably coelurosarian forms (including an indeterminate dromaeosaurid, a possible velociraptorine, an indeterminate basal coelurosaur, and three morphotypes usually assigned to Richardoestesia and Paronychodon).

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Más información:

• Referencia: Malafaia, E., Ortega, F., Escaso, F., Mocho, P., Cachão, M. 2016. Analysis of diversity, stratigraphic and geographical distribution of tooth morphotypes of theropod dinosaurs from the Upper Jurassic of the Lusitanian Basin, Portugal. In: Torcida Fernández-Baldor, F., Canudo, J.I., Huerta, P., Pereda, X. (eds.) Abstracts book of the VII International Symposium about Dinosaurs Palaeontology and their Environment, 83-86.

La histología de los titanosaurios de Lo Hueco en las VII Jornadas de Salas de los Infantes

En las recientemente celebradas VII Jornadas Internacionales sobre Paleontología de Dinosaurios y su Entorno de Salas de los Infantes (España) se presentó un póster con los primeros datos histológicos de los saurópodos de Lo Hueco. La paleohistología puede arrojar luz a la hora de determinar si algunas diferencias entre individuos son debidas a su desarrollo ontogenético (sus cambios conforme crecen desde crías hasta adultos), a variabilidad dentro de una población, o a la pertenencia a especies diferentes. Con este objetivo se han empezado a aplicar técnicas paleohistológicas a los huesos de los titanosaurios de Lo Hueco, proyecto que encabeza Francisco Gascó. Los datos preliminares apuntan a que el primer ejemplar estudiado es un adulto que posiblemente habría dejado de crecer. Además, se describen las dificultades para procesar y observar las láminas delgadas derivadas de las condiciones de fosilización del yacimiento de Lo Hueco.

Preliminary examination of transverse thin sections from isolated appendicular bones has revealed bone walls composed of secondary completely remodeled bone tissue. These walls possess features that have been repeatedly listed as typically ‘titanosaurian’, such as an intense secondary remodeling, a possible absence of EFS (external fundamental system, which marks the end of bone growth in size), and generalized presence of parallel-fibered tissues in the cortices (Klein et al., 2009; Woodward and Lehman, 2009; Stein et al., 2010; Company, 2011). For now, none of the sampled specimens seem to belong to young individuals since there’s no presence of juvenile tissues and all bones possess post-juvenile histological features. On the other hand, the similarity of the histological patterns recognized in samples of appendicular bones with those described in the rest of titanosaurs is also discussed.
The first sampling from titanosaur ribs associated with articulated vertebrae, both from young adults and putative juvenile individuals, have revealed pneumatic camellate bone in all the ribs in various degrees of development. This camellate bone is filled with gypsum deposits as is usual with fossils from Lo Hueco (Ortega et al. 2008), which poses additional difficulties when working with such fragile fossils. Pre-sampling stabilizing techniques will have to be applied in future analyses in order to not damaging the tissue.

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Más información:

• Referencia: Gascó, F., Ortega, F., Vidal, D., Páramo, A., Mocho, P., Sanz, J.L. 2016. Preliminary approach to the palaeohistology of the titanosaur sauropods from the Upper Cretaceous of Lo Hueco (Cuenca, Spain). In: Torcida Fernández-Baldor, F., Canudo, J.I., Huerta, P., Pereda, X. (eds.) Abstracts book of the VII International Symposium about Dinosaurs Palaeontology and their Environment, 73-74.

Una de dortókidos en las VII Jornadas de Salas de Los Infantes

Los dortókidos son un grupo de tortugas pleurodiras primitivas, con un registro relativamente bueno en el Cretácico Superior. Sin embargo, hasta ahora se dispone de información muy escasa sobre los representantes más antiguos de este grupo, debido al limitado registro disponible en niveles del Cretácico Inferior. Un nuevo ejemplar, presentado en las VII Jornadas de Salas de Los Infantes, permite conocer algo más sobre estas primeras formas.

El resumen de esta contribución es el siguiente:

Dortokidae is a poorly known group of Pan-Pleurodira, exclusive to Europe. This clade is recognized as belonging to the stem group of Pleurodira. The dortokids are the only members of this stem group known in the Laurasian post-Jurassic record. Dortokidae is a lineage known from the Early Cretaceous to the Paleogene (Lapparent de Broin et al., 2004; Pérez-García et al., 2014). The oldest representative so far defined has recently been described: Eodortoka morellana, from the Barremian of Morella (Castellón, Spain) (Pérez-García et al., 2014). Although the material of Dortokidae from the Upper Cretaceous and Paleogene is relatively abundant, that of the Lower Cretaceous is very scarce. In fact, only another reference for the discovery of Dortokidae in the Lower Cretaceous levels in known: a finding reported in the Barremian of Vallipón (Teruel, Spain) (Murelaga Bereikua, 1998). Therefore, very little knowledge about the Lower Cretaceous forms of Dortokidae is so far available, but also the phylogenetic relationships between the representatives of Dortokidae are poorly known.

An element attributable to Dortokidae, from a Lower Cretaceous locality of Teruel where this group had not been recognized until now, is identified here. It corresponds to a partial plate of the plastron. This finding occurs in a formation where several groups of turtles had been identified (Pérez-García et al., 2013): Solemydidae, Pleurosternidae, Xinjiangchelyidae and, now, also Dortokidae. In addition, the study of abundant material of Dortokidae allows us the better characterization of the previously described members of this clade, in order to propose a new hypothesis about the phylogenetic relationships among the dortokids. Thus, the biostratigraphic and paleobiogeographic distributions of the representatives of this group are analyzed, and the oldest known reference to Dortokidae is presented here.

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Más información:

• Referencia: Pérez-García, A., Cobos, A., Royo-Torres, R. 2016. New discovery of Dortokidae in the Iberian Lower Cretaceous record and proposal of a new hypothesis about the phylogenetic relationships among the dortokid turtles. In: Torcida Fernández-Baldor, F., Canudo, J.I., Huerta, P., Pereda, X. (eds.) Abstracts book of the VII International Symposium about Dinosaurs Palaeontology and their Environment, 115.
• Imagen: Godzillín y Adán Pérez García tratando de defender el póster, sin perturbarse por la efusiva aparición del Dr. Mocho.

Morelladon y otros dinosaurios estiracosternos en las VII Jornadas de Salas de los Infantes

Uno de los grupos de dinosaurios más diverso y abundante durante el Cretácico Inferior, al menos en estos rincones de la Europa occidental, fueron también protagonistas en las VII Jornadas Internacionales sobre Paleontología de Dinosaurios y su Entorno delebradas hace unos días en la localidad burgalesa de Salas de los Infantes. A través de una ponencia se abordó una puesta al día de la diversidad de ornitópodos estiracosternos (Iguanodon, Morelladon y Mantellisaurus) presentes en la Formación arcillas de Morella y hallados en la cantera del Mas de la Parreta

Aquí os dejamos un pequeño resumen:

Styracosterna is a monophyletic clade of medium to large bodied, quadrupedal, plant‐eating ornithopod dinosaurs that lived in both Gondwana and Laurasia and with a fossil record that extends throughout the Cretaceous. Most of the basal representatives of this clade, the nonhadrosauriform styracosternans, are known from different localities along the European continent. Currently seven genera and eight species of styracosternans are recognized from several Lower Cretaceous European formations [...]
[...] A recent re‐evaluation of the styracosternans of the Arcillas de Morella Formation at Morella locality indicates a higher diversity than historically known. Thus, the styracosternans species recognized are Iguanodon bernissartensis, Mantellisaurus atherfieldensis and the recently described Morelladon beltrani. Among this species, remains of Iguanodon bernissartensis are the most amply represented throughout different localities of the Formation. Remains of the other two styracosternans species are less abundant and restricted to single individuals. Finally, the species newly described, M. beltrani, provides a distinguishing component of the Arcillas de Morella Formation respect to its equivalent upper Wealden facies from northwest Europe Belgium and England), also characterized by the presence of Iguanodon bernissartensis and Mantellisaurus atherfieldensis.

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Más información:

• Referencia: Gasulla, J.M., Escaso, F., Narváez, I., Ortega, F., Sanz, J.L. 2016. An update of the styracosternan diversity from the upper Barremian Arcillas de Morella Formation at Morella (Castellón, Spain). In: Torcida Fernández-Baldor, F., Canudo, J.I., Huerta, P., Pereda, X. (eds.) Abstracts book of the VII International Symposium about Dinosaurs Palaeontology and their Environment, 75-76.

Uso de técnicas analíticas para establecer protocolos de preparación paleontológica en las VII Jornadas de Salas de los Infantes

Y como no solo del estudio de los fósiles vive la paleontología, en las VII Jornadas Internacionales sobre Paleontología de Dinosaurios y su Entorno celebradas en Salas de los Infantes (España) también se presentó usen trabajo acerca de la optimización de las labores de preparación de los propios fósiles. La comunicación, encabezada por Fátima Marcos, empleó metodologías alternativas, como la Tomografía Axial Computerizada (TAC), como herramienta para poder examinar y planificar la metodología idónea a seguir incluso antes de desembalar el bloque a preparar. 

El resumen de la comunicación es el siguiente: 

Since 2007, the various research projects developed on the biota of the site since its discovery indicate that in the Konzentrat‐Lagerstätten of Lo Hueco (Upper Cretaceous, Fuentes, Cuenca) are composed by a complex set of fossils representing a wide diversity of Late Cretaceous tetrapods, such as turtles, crocodilyforms and dinosaurs like ornithopods, basal neotheropods and dromaeosaurid, and sauropod titanosaurs (Ortega et al., 2015).
From the first moments of the field work, it was obvious the fragility of the vertebrate fossils surrounded and filled for a complicated matrix containing clays, gypsum and iron. This matrix made the fossils extremely sensitive to humidity changes, which can completely destroy some specimens (Collins et al., 1995). Many of fossils are affected by the growth of gypsum crystals, sometimes deforming or even destroying some of its parts. Also, a large number of the fossils are totally or partially covered by a layer of insoluble iron that, in many cases, prevents the access of the consolidation treatments and the direct visual inspection of fossils (Marcos‐Fernández & Ortega, 2016).
A first analysis of the conservational state of the paleontological collection was carried out with the aim of identifying deterioration agents that need to be controlled to reduce risks and to ensure the continued integrity of fossils over time (Waller, 2003). [...]
Using these analytical techniques has helped us to better understand the fossils, their risk agents, including minimization of these by small changes in the application of some preparation techniques.

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Más información:

• Referencia: Marcos-Fernández, F., Serrano-Martínez, A., Ortega, F. 2016. Analytical techniques for marking protocols in paleontological preparation. In: Torcida Fernández-Baldor, F., Canudo, J.I., Huerta, P., Pereda, X. (eds.) Abstracts book of the VII International Symposium about Dinosaurs Palaeontology and their Environment, 89-91.

Nuevo titanosauriforme de Morella en las VII Jornadas de Salas de los Infantes

Durante las VII Jornadas Internacionales sobre Paleontología de Dinosaurios y su Entorno de Salas de los Infantes (España) se presentó una nueva comunicación sobre dinosaurios saurópodos del Cretácico Inferior de Morella. Este trabajo liderado por Pedro Mocho (Grupo de Biología Evolutiva de la UNED) se centra en el estudio del material de saurópodos encontrado en el yacimiento de Sant Antoni de la Vespa (Morella). Su descripción ha posibilitado incorporar uno de los tres ejemplares encontrados en este yacimiento y concluir que corresponde a un miembro de Titanosauriformes, y más concrétamente a una forma cercana al sauropodo Tastavinsaurus sanzi.

Titanosauriformes are recorded from the Upper Jurassic to the uppermost part of the Upper Cretaceous. Several new specimens have been reported in the Barremian‐Aptian sediments of the Iberian Peninsula, particularly in the Maestrazgo Basin. These new discoveries are improving our knowledge about the evolutionary history of this group in the European territory during the Early Cretaceous. The site of Sant Antoni de la Vespa (Arcillas de Morella Formation, upper Barremian; Morella, Castellón) was discovered in 1998. In 2005 and 2008, two excavation campaigns were conducted. At least, remains of three sauropod individuals were collected. The most complete one comprises an articulated posterior cervical‐to‐anterior dorsal vertebrae sequence (probably five vertebrae), ribs, caudal vertebrae, chevrons, pelvis elements, one leg including an almost articulated and complete pes, and the other incomplete limb. Near this specimen, ribs, caudal vertebrae and hindlimb elements of, at least, two other smaller individuals were identified, including two almost complete legs. All comparable elements present a similar morphology suggesting that they probably correspond to members of the same taxon. A brief description of Sant Antoni de la Vespa sauropods is provided, mainly based on one of the smaller individuals. The Sant Antoni de la Vespa sauropod presents several features commonly found within Titanosauriformes, such as the presence of a pronounced lateral bulge in the femur and an anteroposteriorly compressed femoral shaft (the lateromedial diameter of the shaft is 185% than the anteroposterior one). This sauropod also shares with more derived titanosauriforms than brachiosaurids the following features: i) crest‐like anterior trochanter on the fibula; ii) well‐developed trochanteric shelf in the femur; iii) transversely expanded tibial distal end; and iv) the presence of a well‐marked linea intermuscularis cranialis (shared by derived titanosaurs, including saltasaurines; Otero, 2010). Some distinctive features observed in one of the smaller specimens can be explained due to ontogeny. The Barremian‐Aptian sauropod faunas of the Iberian Peninsula include the titanosauriform Tastavinsaurus sanzi and the rebbachisaurid Demandasaurus darwini. A preliminary phylogenetic analysis places Sant Antoni de la Vespa sauropod within Titanosauriformes, in a phylogenetic position closely related with Tastavinsaurus. However, Sant Antoni de la Vespa sauropod does not share any authapomorphy of T. sanzi (see the revised diagnosis of Tastavinsaurus in Royo‐Torres et al., 2012) and both taxa mainly differ in the morphology of the femur and pes. This suggests that the Sant Antoni de la Vespa sauropod represents a different titanosauriform taxon. According to this, the known palaeodiversity of titanosauriforms for the Iberian realm during the Early Cretaceous seems to be higher than expected.

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Más información:

• Referencia: Mocho, P., Escaso, F., Gasulla, J.M., Galobart, A., Poza, B., Santos-Cubedo, A., Sanz, J.L., Ortega, F. 2016. A new titanosauriform sauropod from the Arcillas de Morella Formation (Early Cretaceous, Spain). In: Torcida Fernández-Baldor, F., Canudo, J.I., Huerta, P., Pereda, X. (eds.) Abstracts book of the VII International Symposium about Dinosaurs Palaeontology and their Environment, 97-98.

La enigmática tortuga Kallokibotion en las VII Jornadas de Salas de Los Infantes

Kallokibotion es una tortuga primitiva europea, definida hace casi un siglo pero, hasta ahora, mal conocida debido a la mala preservación del material clásico, y a la ausencia de nuevos ejemplares hasta ahora disponibles en la literatura. En las VII Jornadas de Salas de Los Infantes se han presentado varios nuevos ejemplares, muy bien preservados, que permiten tener una nueva visión sobre esta relevante tortuga.

El resumen de esta comunicación es el siguiente:

The information on the European continental turtle faunas of the Upper Cretaceous is relatively good. Two main groups of freshwater turtles are identified in both Western Europe and Central-Eastern Europe: Dortokidae (stem Pleurodira) and Bothremydidae (Podocnemidoidea, Pleurodira) The so far known fauna of terrestrial turtles in the uppermost Cretaceous of both regions of the European archipelago is composed of different taxa: Solemydidae in Western Europe and the enigmatic Kallokibotion in the other part of the archipelago, identified in the Haţeg Basin (Transylvania, Romania). Nopcsa (1923a, 1923b) defined Kallokibotion from several specimens. Gaffney and Meylan (1992) reviewed the classic specimens, performing a new study of this taxon. However, they indicated that the relatively poor preservation and the scarce availability of characters in the known remains restricted their ability to determine the osteology of Kallokibotion. Very scarce material of this taxon has subsequently being presented, and has been hardly analyzed in depth.

Abundant and well-preserved new material attributable to Kallokibotion, from several locations of the Haţeg Basin, is presented here. Its study, and the detailed comparison with both the classic material of this taxon and with other stem testudines, allow us describing many hitherto unknown characters for Kallokibotion, providing a better anatomical characterization for this primitive turtle. These characters correspond to both cranial and postcranial elements. Some previous hypotheses about the anatomy of this taxon are confirmed, but others are refuted. The new information is incorporated in several phylogenetic analyses. Thus, new information about its phylogenetic position, now under discussion, is also provided.

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Más información:

• Referencia: Pérez-García, A., Codrea, V.A. 2016. The European Upper Cretaceous primitive turtle Kallokibotion: new information provided by the study of new well-preserved remains. In: Torcida Fernández-Baldor, F., Canudo, J.I., Huerta, P., Pereda, X. (eds.) Abstracts book of the VII International Symposium about Dinosaurs Palaeontology and their Environment, 117.

Un nuevo ejemplar de un pequeño dinosaurio terópodo del Jurásico Superior de Portugal

Hace pocos días se publicó en la revista Historical Biology la descripción de un nuevo ejemplar de pequeño dinosaurio terópodo procedente del Jurásico Superior portugués. El ejemplar fue descubierto en el litoral del área central de la cuenca lusitánica por José Joaquim dos Santos, uno de los colaboradores de la Sociedade de História Natural de Torres Vedras, institución en la cual está depositado actualmente el ejemplar.

El material de estudio está constituido por un conjunto de vértebras cervicales, dorsales, sacras y caudales, costillas y elementos de la cintura pélvica. Es uno de los ejemplares de dinosaurios terópodos más completos y el unico individuo juvenil (no neonato) conocido hasta la fecha en el registro portugués.

Este ejemplar presenta una combinación de caracteres compartida con otras formas conocidas en el Jurásico Superior de Portugal como Allosaurus y Lourinhanosaurus, pero también diferencias con respecto a ambos taxones. Algunas de estas diferencias pueden estar relacionadas con la condición juvenil del ejemplar, pero otras características aparentemente no entran en el rango de la variabilidad conocida para estos taxones y podrían tener significado taxonómico. Debido a la presencia de tres formas estrechamente relacionadas y prácticamente sincrónicas, y a que no se conoce bien la variabilidad de estos taxones del Jurásico Superior portugués (especialmente Lourinhanosaurus), se ha optado por asignar el nuevo ejemplar como un alosauroideo indeterminado.

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Más información:

• Referencia: Malafaia, E.; Mocho, P.; Escaso, F.; & Ortega, F. 2016. A juvenile allosauroid theropod (Dinosauria, Saurischia) from the Upper Jurassic of Portugal, Historical Biology, DOI: 10.1080/08912963.2016.1231183
• Imagen: En la parte superior algunos de los autores en una campaña de excavación en el Jurásico Superior portugués. En la parte inferior, elementos pélvicos del material estudiado.

Los sauropterigios triásicos de Canales de Molina en las VII Jornadas de Salas de los Infantes

Seguimos con los trabajos presentados por miembros del Grupo de Biología Evolutiva de la UNED en las VII Jornadas Internacionales de Dinosaurios y su Entorno celebradas en la localidad burgalesa de Salas de los Infantes. Hoy es el turno de un trabajo presentado por Carlos de Miguel Chaves, que hizo una puesta al día de los restos de sauropterigios del Triásico Medio encontrados en las cercanías de la localidad de Canales de Molina (Guadalajara).

Estos fueron encontrados y notificados a principios de los años 80, pero a día de hoy permanecen sin figurar ni describir en detalle. Entre los restos estudiados se identifican fósiles pertenecientes a diferentes tipos de placodontos y eosauropterigios.

The sauropterygian remains from Canales de Molina include teeth, isolated vertebrae, ribs, appendicular elements and osteoderms of several clades. As noted by Alférez et al. (1983), several elements belong to non-cyamodontoid placodonts and nothosaurids, and some of the nothosaur remains could belong to the genus Nothosaurus. However, Alférez et al. (1983) did not mention the presence of cyamodontoids, represented by teeth, isolated osteoderms and carapace fragments. Thus, the study of all these elements allows the identification of indeterminate cyamodontoid and non-cyamodontoid placodonts, indeterminate eosauropterygians, and nothosaurids. Therefore, the record of Sauropterygia from the Muschelkalk of Canales de Molina is consistent with those from other fossil sites of the Iberian Peninsula, and its detailed study provides new information about the taxonomy, systematic and diversity of the Iberian representatives of the Triassic sauropterygians. 

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Más información:

• Referencia: Miguel Chaves, C. de, Ortega, F., Pérez-García, A. 2016. The sauropterygian fossil record from the Middle Triassic of Canales de Molina (Guadalajara, Spain): an update. In: Torcida Fernández-Baldor, F., Canudo, J.I., Huerta, P., Pereda, X. (eds.) Abstracts book of the VII International Symposium about Dinosaurs Palaeontology and their Environment, 95-96.
• Imagen: Carlos de Miguel Chaves durante la charla.

Reevaluación de ejemplares asignados al cocodrilo Allodaposuchus precedens en las VII Jornadas de Salas de los Infantes

En otra de las comunicaciones presentadas en las VII Jornadas Internacionales sobre Paleontología de Dinosaurios y su Entorno de Salas de los Infantes (Burgos), se llevaba a cabo una reevaluación de diferentes ejemplares fragmentarios de crocodilomorfos que tradicionalmente se han relacionado con el eusuquio basal Allodaposuchus precedens. Este taxón se describió en 1928 a partir de material craneal y postcraneal procedente del Maastrichtiense inferior (Cretácico Superior) de Rumania. El estudio detallado de nuevas formas de eusuquios basales que han ido apareciendo en los últimos veinte años en localidades campano-maastrichtienses de la Península Ibérica, Sur de Francia y Rumania ha permitido recientemente la definición de un nuevo clado denominado Allodaposuchidae. Por tanto, la revisión de toda esta colección de restos fragmentarios era necesaria teniendo en cuenta el nuevo paradigma del grupo. A continuación dejamos un resumen de la comunicación:

During the last two decades, several specimens of eusuchian crocodyliformes have been described from the Campanian and Maastrichtian (Late Cretaceous) record of Europe. Most of them are included in the recently described clade Allodaposuchidae. This clade has been placed, in the last phylogenetic hypotheses, as sister group of Hylaeochampsidae and forming with these a basal group of Eusuchia, or as the sister group of Crocodylia. The type species of Allodaposuchidae is Allodaposuchus precedens, described from fragmentary cranial and postcranial remains found in lower Maastrichtian levels of Vălioara (Romania). The group also comprises the species described in Spain Arenysuchus gascabadiolorum, Lohuecosuchus megadontos, Agaresuchus subjuniperus, Agaresuchus fontisensis and Musturzabalsuchus buffetauti, and the species from southern France Lohuecosuchus mechinorum, in addition to the problematic forms “Allodaposuchus palustris” and “Allodaposuchus hulki”, from Spain, and “Massaliasuchus affuvelensis”, from France.

Several specimens from Spain, southern France and Romania were assigned to Allodaposuchus precedens by different authors. The remains from Velaux-La Bastide Neuve probably represent an ontogenetic series of an allodaposuchid. A thorough review of these remains is necessary in order to clarify their phylogenetic status according the new paradigm within the group, with the restriction of Allodaposuchus precedens to some Romanian specimens. The cranial material from Armuña was included in the re-evaluation of Allodaposuchus precedens, while the mandibular remains of this site were assigned to Musturzabalsuchus buffetauti. This material has recently been proposed as belonging to a single taxon, currently under study, but its placement within Allodaposuchidae is still unknown. Due to its fragmentary nature, the remains from Vilamitjana, Laño, Cruzy and Bellevue probably do not provide characters that allow a precise systematic assignment, but the synapomorphies of the clade Allodaposuchidae can be recognized in all of these specimens. Thus, the detailed study of the material presented here provides a reevaluation of the taxonomic assignment of each of these remains. 

The result of this study support the hypothesis proposing a vicariant distribution pattern between the forms distributed in western Europe and those from central-eastern Europe during the uppermost Cretaceous.

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Más información:

• Referencia: Narváez, I., Brochu, C.A., Escaso, F., Pérez-García, A., Ortega, F. 2016. Re-evaluation of fragmentary Ibero-Armorican cranial remains assigned to Allodaposuchus precedens. In: Torcida Fernández-Baldor, F., Canudo, J.I., Huerta, P., Pereda, X. (eds.) Abstracts book of the VII International Symposium about Dinosaurs Palaeontology and their Environment, 103-104.
• Imagen: Momento de la presentación de Ignacio... perdón, Iván Narváez (Foto robada del twitter de El Pakozoico).

Vertebrados de la Cuenca de Tremp en las VII Jornadas de Salas de los Infantes

Como ya se ha comentado, los días 8 y 9 de septiembre se celebró en Salas de los Infantes la séptima edición de las Jornadas Internacionales sobre Paleontología de Dinosaurios y su Entorno, motivo por el cual la mayor parte del equipo del Grupo de Biología Evolutiva de la UNED se desplazó hasta la localidad burgalesa. Uno de los trabajos que se presentaron en forma de póster fue una revisión de parte de los fósiles de vertebrados recuperados en los años 50 por Emiliano Aguirre y Albert de Lapparent en la Cuenca de Tremp, y que fueron depositados en el MNCN de Madrid. A continuación el resumen del póster:

Although the paleontology of Mesozoic vertebrates was a discipline which experienced an important development during the second half of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th in several European countries (e.g. Great Britain, Germany or France), these studies barely had relevance in Spain during that period. Among the first notified discoveries of Spanish Mesozoic vertebrate remains highlighting those of dinosaur bones reported by Justo Egozcue and by Juan Vilanova y Piera, at the second half of XIX century (Vilanova y Piera, 1872, 1873; Egozcue, 1873). José Royo y Gómez was the first Spanish researcher who pursue several objectives focused on the discovery and systematic study of Spanish Mesozoic reptiles, most of them from Morella (Castellón) and Benagéber (Valencia). He published several results in various papers, over nearly a decade, between 1918 and 1927 (see Pérez García et al., 2009 and references there). However, the Spanish Civil War interrupted the career of Royo y Gómez in Spain, this discipline being paralyzed during the post-war period. The next relevant paleontological activities related to the Mesozoic sites with vertebrates were those performed in the Tremp Basin (Catalonia). In fact, these findings and activities can be considered as some of the most important from a historical perspective, since they are part of the origins of the modern Spanish vertebrate paleontology, and also the first collaborations between Spanish and foreign palaeontologists specialists in the study of Mesozoic vertebrates. Although some occasional discoveries at this Catalonian region occurred at the first quarter of the 20th century, close to the Sant Antoni dam, the first paleontological surveys and excavations in the region were not performed until the 1950s. In 1955, the “Instituto Lucas Mallada” (current Department of Geology of the “Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales”, in Madrid) sponsored an expedition in the area, which was attended by Emiliano Aguirre along with other national and European researchers, as is the case of the French paleontologist Albert de Lapparent. New sites were discovered and several Mesozoic vertebrate remains were recovered in 1955, but also in 1956 (Pereda-Suberbiola & Ruiz-Omeñaca, 2012). Thus, Lapparent and Aguirre (1956a, b) recognized the presence of the sauropod dinosaurs Hypselosaurus and Titanosaurus, the ornithopod Rhabdodon priscum, and also indeterminate crocodiles and turtles. All these sites in the Tremp Basin are now recognized as located in Maastrichtian levels, corresponding to the lower part of the Tremp Formation (Riera et al., 2009; Rosell et al., 2001).

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Más información:

• Referencia: Martín-Jiménez, M., Sánchez-Chillón, B., Escaso, F., Mocho, P., Narváez, I., Ortega, F., Pérez-García, A. 2016. Systematic study of the historical material of Upper Cretaceous reptiles from the Tremp Basin (Catalonia, Spain) deposited in the MNCN. In: Torcida Fernández-Baldor, F., Canudo, J.I., Huerta, P., Pereda, X. (eds.) Abstracts book of the VII International Symposium about Dinosaurs Palaeontology and their Environment, 93-94.

Hoy nos visita... Aitziber Suárez

Durante la semana pasada, el Grupo de Biología Evolutiva de la UNED recibió la visita de Aitziber Suárez Bilbao, del País Vasco. Aitziber es una estudiante de doctorado de la Universidad del País Vasco (UPV/EHU) que está realizando su tesis sobre las faunas de vertebrados del Pleistoceno del yacimiento de Artazu VII (Arrasate, Gipuzkoa). Durante su visita estuvo con varios miembros del GBE poniendo en práctica varias técnicas con algunos de sus restos. 

Los saurópodos de Morella del MNCN en las VII Jornadas de Salas de los Infantes

En las recientes VII Jornadas Internacionales sobre Paleontología de Dinosaurios y su Entorno celebradas en Salas de los Infantes (España) se presentó una comunicación enfocada en el material de dinosaurios saurópodos de las colecciones del Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales en Madrid. Este material clásico encontrado en la segunda mitad del siglo XIX se ha revisado en detalle en un trabajo liderado por Pedro Mocho (Grupo de Biología Evolutiva de la UNED). El estudio del material ha permitido identificar formas afines al grupo Titanosauriformes, y sugiere la presencia de al menos formas distintas registradas en los sedimentos de la Formación Arcillas de Morella (Barremiense Superior).

Barremian‐Aptian sauropod faunas of the Iberian Peninsula include two described taxa, the titanosauriform Tastavinsaurus sanzi and the rebbachisaurid Demandasaurus darwini. In addition, recently found and historical specimens have been referred, especially in the Spanish areas of Morella (Castellón, Comunidad Valenciana) and Burgos (Castilla y León) (e.g. Canudo et al., 2008; Torcida Fernández‐Baldor et al., 2011, 2013; Royo‐Torres et al., 2012). The sediments of the Arcillas de Morella Formation are known, since the second half of the 19th century, by their relatively abundant fossil record of Lower Cretaceous vertebrates, especially in the Morella region. Several classic specimens of fossil reptiles, so far unpublished or not studied in detail, are housed in the Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN), in Madrid (Spain). In fact, most of the first remains of dinosaurs discovered in Spain are part of the collection of vertebrate palaeontology of that institution. Juan Vilanova y Piera (1872; 1873) notified the finding of fragmentary remains of dinosaurs in Morella. Although he attributed these specimens to the ornithopod dinosaur Iguanodon, one of the currently preserved specimens at MNCN collections belong to a sauropod (Ruiz‐Omeñaca & Pereda‐Suberbiola, 1999; Ruiz‐Omeñaca et al., 2003). José Royo y Gómez was the first Spanish paleontologist who systematically collected dinosaur remains, and also performed the first systematic approaches based on comparative studies with specimens deposited in other European countries. However, the Spanish Civil War marked the end of these researches (see Pérez‐García et al., 2009). Most of the fossil remains collected by Royo y Gómez come from Morella. Herein, the sauropod historical material collected in Morella and housed in MNCN is described and discussed. Most of the elements were found isolated. These remains include a set of axial (dorsal and anterior and posterior caudal vertebrae) and appendicular elements (few appendicular bones, including two humeri, a femur, and pes and manus elements). The morphology presented by the caudal vertebrae is compatible with those of Titanosauriformes, sharing the presence of a significantly anteriorly displaced neural arch, and a dorsoventrally compressed centrum in the anterior caudal and some of the posterior caudal vertebrae. Two humeri morphotypes are recognized. The systematic study of this collection allows us to recognize two sauropod taxa (at least, one titanosauriform) in the sediments of the Barremian Arcillas de Morella Formation outcropping in the Morella area. None of them seems to represent a rebbachisaurid.

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Más información:

• Mocho, P., Pérez-García, A., Gasulla, J.M., Ortega, F. 2016. Systematic study of the Arcillas de Morella sauropod material from the MNCN collections. In: Torcida Fernández-Baldor, F., Canudo, J.I., Huerta, P., Pereda, X. (eds.) Abstracts book of the VII International Symposium about Dinosaurs Palaeontology and their Environment, 101-102.

Participación del GBE en las VII Jornadas de Salas de Los Infantes

Como ya anunciamos en este blog a finales de la semana pasada, recientemente se han celebrado las VII Jornadas Internacionales sobre Paleontología de Dinosaurios y su Entorno. Este congreso se realizó en Salas de los Infantes (Burgos), entre los días 8 y 10 de septiembre. La mayoría de los integrantes del Grupo de Biología Evolutiva de la UNED (GBE) asistieron a este evento, tal como se puede observar en esta imagen, tomada en la puerta de la facultad justo antes de emprender el viaje.

La relación de comunicaciones presentadas dentro del entorno del Grupo de Biología Evolutiva de la UNED es la siguiente (iremos ampliando información en los próximos días):

Conferencia:

• Pérez-García, A. 2016 An update on the Iberian fossil record of turtles. Systematic and paleobiogeographical implications. In: Torcida Fernández-Baldor, F., Canudo, J.I., Huerta, P., Pereda, X. (eds.) Abstracts book of the VII International Symposium about Dinosaurs Palaeontology and their Environment, 27.

Comunicaciones:

• Cuesta, E., Ortega, F., Sanz, J. L. 2016. Phylogenetic distribution of morphological features of the Concavenator corcovatus forelimb (Carcharodontosauria. Lower Cretaceous, Spain). In: Torcida Fernández-Baldor, F., Canudo, J.I., Huerta, P., Pereda, X. (eds.) Abstracts book of the VII International Symposium about Dinosaurs Palaeontology and their Environment, 61-63.
• Díez-Díaz, V., Vidal, D. 2016. Reconstructing hypothetical sauropod tails by means of 3D digitization: Lirainosaurus astibiae as case study. In: Torcida Fernández-Baldor, F., Canudo, J.I., Huerta, P., Pereda, X. (eds.) Abstracts book of the VII International Symposium about Dinosaurs Palaeontology and their Environment, 69-70.
• Gascó, F., Ortega, F., Vidal, D., Paramo, A., Mocho, P., Sanz, J.L. 2016. Preliminary approach to the palaeohistology of the titanosaur sauropods from the Upper Cretaceous of Lo Hueco (Cuenca, Spain). In: Torcida Fernández-Baldor, F., Canudo, J.I., Huerta, P., Pereda, X. (eds.) Abstracts book of the VII International Symposium about Dinosaurs Palaeontology and their Environment, 73-74.
• Gasulla, J.M., Escaso, F., Narváez, I., Ortega, F., Sanz, J.L. 2016. An update of the styracosternan diversity from the upper Barremian Arcillas de Morella Formation at Morella (Castellón, Spain). In: Torcida Fernández-Baldor, F., Canudo, J.I., Huerta, P., Pereda, X. (eds.) Abstracts book of the VII International Symposium about Dinosaurs Palaeontology and their Environment, 75-76.
• Malafaia, E., Ortega, F., Escaso, F., Mocho, P., Cachão, M. 2016. Analysis of diversity, stratigraphic and geographical distribution of tooth morphotypes of theropod dinosaurs from the Upper Jurassic of the Lusitanian Basin, Portugal. In: Torcida Fernández-Baldor, F., Canudo, J.I., Huerta, P., Pereda, X. (eds.) Abstracts book of the VII International Symposium about Dinosaurs Palaeontology and their Environment, 83-86.
• Marcos-Fernández, F., Blanco, M., Barco, J.L., Rubio, C.J. 2016. Conservation and restoration activities on Los Arroturos tracksite (Middle Triassic. Paredes de Sigüenza, Guadalajara, Spain). In: Torcida Fernández-Baldor, F., Canudo, J.I., Huerta, P., Pereda, X. (eds.) Abstracts book of the VII International Symposium about Dinosaurs Palaeontology and their Environment, 87-88.
• Marcos-Fernández, F., Serrano-Martínez, A., Ortega, F. 2016. Analytical techniques for marking protocols in paleontological preparation. In: Torcida Fernández-Baldor, F., Canudo, J.I., Huerta, P., Pereda, X. (eds.) Abstracts book of the VII International Symposium about Dinosaurs Palaeontology and their Environment, 89-91.
• Martín-Jiménez, M., Sánchez-Chillón, B., Escaso, F., Mocho, P., Narváez, I., Ortega, F., Pérez-García, A. 2016. Systematic study of the historical material of Upper Cretaceous reptiles from the Tremp Basin (Catalonia, Spain) deposited in the MNCN. In: Torcida Fernández-Baldor, F., Canudo, J.I., Huerta, P., Pereda, X. (eds.) Abstracts book of the VII International Symposium about Dinosaurs Palaeontology and their Environment, 93-94.
• Miguel Chaves, C. de, Ortega, F., Pérez-García, A. 2016. The sauropterygian fossil record from the Middle Triassic of Canales de Molina (Guadalajara, Spain): an update. In: Torcida Fernández-Baldor, F., Canudo, J.I., Huerta, P., Pereda, X. (eds.) Abstracts book of the VII International Symposium about Dinosaurs Palaeontology and their Environment, 95-96.
• Mocho, P., Escaso, F., Gasulla, J.M., Galobart, A., Poza, B., Santos-Cubedo, A., Sanz, J.L., Ortega, F. 2016. A new titanosauriform sauropod from the Arcillas de Morella Formation (Early Cretaceous, Spain). In: Torcida Fernández-Baldor, F., Canudo, J.I., Huerta, P., Pereda, X. (eds.) Abstracts book of the VII International Symposium about Dinosaurs Palaeontology and their Environment, 97-98.
• Mocho, P., Páramo, A., Díez Díaz, V., Escaso, F., Marcos-Fernández, F., Sanz, J. L., Ortega, F. 2016. Looking through the axial skeleton of the Lo Hueco titanosaurs. In: Torcida Fernández-Baldor, F., Canudo, J.I., Huerta, P., Pereda, X. (eds.) Abstracts book of the VII International Symposium about Dinosaurs Palaeontology and their Environment, 99-100.
• Mocho, P., Pérez-García, A., Gasulla, J.M., Ortega, F. 2016. Systematic study of the Arcillas de Morella sauropod material from the MNCN collections. In: Torcida Fernández-Baldor, F., Canudo, J.I., Huerta, P., Pereda, X. (eds.) Abstracts book of the VII International Symposium about Dinosaurs Palaeontology and their Environment, 101-102.
• Narváez, I., Brochu, C.A., Escaso, F., Pérez-García, A., Ortega, F. 2016. Re-evaluation of fragmentary Ibero-Armorican cranial remains assigned to Allodaposuchus precedens. In: Torcida Fernández-Baldor, F., Canudo, J.I., Huerta, P., Pereda, X. (eds.) Abstracts book of the VII International Symposium about Dinosaurs Palaeontology and their Environment, 103-104.
• Páramo, A., Ortega, F., Sanz, J.L. 2016. Femoral variability in two titanosaur (Dinosauria, Sauropoda) taxa from Lo Hueco (Cuenca, Spain): Insights for iberoarmorican titanosaur diversity assessment. In: Torcida Fernández-Baldor, F., Canudo, J.I., Huerta, P., Pereda, X. (eds.) Abstracts book of the VII International Symposium about Dinosaurs Palaeontology and their Environment, 107-108.
• Pérez-García, A., Murelaga, X. 2016. New insights on the anatomy and systematics of the Iberian Lower Cretaceous turtle Camerochelys vilanovai. In: Torcida Fernández-Baldor, F., Canudo, J.I., Huerta, P., Pereda, X. (eds.) Abstracts book of the VII International Symposium about Dinosaurs Palaeontology and their Environment, 113.
• Pérez-García, A., Cobos, A., Royo-Torres, R. 2016. New discovery of Dortokidae in the Iberian Lower Cretaceous record and proposal of a new hypothesis about the phylogenetic relationships among the dortokid turtles. In: Torcida Fernández-Baldor, F., Canudo, J.I., Huerta, P., Pereda, X. (eds.) Abstracts book of the VII International Symposium about Dinosaurs Palaeontology and their Environment, 115.
• Pérez-García, A., Codrea, V.A. 2016. The European Upper Cretaceous primitive turtle Kallokibotion: new information provided by the study of new well-preserved remains. In: Torcida Fernández-Baldor, F., Canudo, J.I., Huerta, P., Pereda, X. (eds.) Abstracts book of the VII International Symposium about Dinosaurs Palaeontology and their Environment, 117.
• Vidal, D., Aberasturi, A., Mocho, P., Ortega, F., Sanz, J.L. 2016. Assembling a virtual Spinophorosaurus skeleton: what can it teach us about the evolution of eusauropods? In: Torcida Fernández-Baldor, F., Canudo, J.I., Huerta, P., Pereda, X. (eds.) Abstracts book of the VII International Symposium about Dinosaurs Palaeontology and their Environment, 147-148.

Tortugas ibéricas en las VII Jornadas de Salas de los Infantes

Hace unos días, entre el 8 y el 10 de septiembre, se celebraron en Salas de los Infantes (Burgos) las VII Jornadas Internacionales sobre Paleontología de Dinosaurios y su Entorno. Gran parte de los integrantes del Grupo de Biología Evolutiva de la UNED asistieron a este encuentro, participando de manera muy activa. Así, varias de las principales líneas de investigación actualmente en desarrollo fueron presentadas como pósteres y comunicaciones orales (de los que informaremos en los próximos días), pero también mediante una ponencia invitada. El objetivo de dicha ponencia era realizar una puesta al día sobre el registro de tortugas tanto mesozoicas como cenozoicas ibéricas, y resaltar sus principales implicaciones, tal como se aprecia en su título: “An update on the Iberian fossil record of turtles. Systematic and paleobiogeographical implications”. Su resumen es el siguiente:

Turtles are a group of diapsid reptiles, known from the Late Triassic. This clade is still part of the current biodiversity. The extant forms are very diverse, and are adapted to different environments. In this sense, terrestrial turtles and marine forms are identified, numerous freshwater taxa also being recognized. Thus, this group has adapted to multiple ecological niches, which has involved relevant anatomical modifications concerning, among other aspects, those relative to the locomotion or the feeding. The adaptation to many environments is a reason by which this group is well represented in the fossil record. However, an even more important aspect that justifies its good record is the presence of a shell, usually forming a robust structure. The shell provides many characters of great interest for the systematic and phylogenetic studies of this group.

The Iberian fossil record of turtles so far known begins in the Late Jurassic. From that moment, the turtle remains represent relatively common fossils in both the Spanish and the Portuguese fossil records. The information on the forms that inhabited the Iberian Peninsula has increased significantly in recent years. Thus, this region is now known as one of the richest and most diverse in Europe considering the fossil record of turtles. Due to its geographical position, the Iberian Peninsula has been a region where clades of turtles from several continents have dispersed: North America, Africa and Asia. Several factors, such as the disappearance of geographical barriers, or changes in the global temperatures, can explain some of these migrations. In addition, several exclusively European lineages, as well as forms hitherto not known outside the Iberian Peninsula, are also recognized. An update on the record, diversity and systematics of the turtles that lived in the Iberian Peninsula, considering both their paleobiogeographical and biostratigraphic distributions, is performed here.

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Más información:

• Referencia: Pérez-García, A. 2016 An update on the Iberian fossil record of turtles. Systematic and paleobiogeographical implications. VII International Symposium about Dinosaurs Palaeontology and their Environment. Abstracts book, 27.
• Imágenes: Arriba: Todos preparados para comenzar la conferencia. Abajo: Conferenciantes invitados y otros colegas en el Museo de la Evolución Humana (Burgos).

Los saurópodos del Museu Geológico de Lisboa en los medios

La redescripción de los ejemplares de dinosaurios saurópodos del Museu Geológico de Lisboa, publicada en el Journal of Iberian Geology, han aparecido algunos medios de comunicación durante las últimas semanas. A continuación dejamos un resumen de algunas de las noticias más destacadas sobre esta publicación:

• Dinossáurio desconhecido fora do Reino Unido descoberto no Museu Geológico de Lisboa (SIC Notícias, 18/08/2016)
• Dinossauro desconhecido fora do Reino Unido descoberto em museu em Lisboa (Diário de Notícias, 18/08/2016) 
• Remains of dinosaur previously only identified in UK discovered in Peniche (Portugal Resident, 19/08/2016) 
• Lisboa e Londres unidas por dois ossos de dinossauro (Público, 20/08/2016)   

Calentando motores: ¡rumbo al XV EJIP!

Acabamos de enterarnos de que hoy mismo se ha presentado oficialmente en redes sociales el XV Encuentro de Jóvenes Investigadores en Paleontología. Esta decimoquinta edición del EJIP tendrá lugar entre los días 19 y 22 de abril de 2017 en la ciudad de Pombal (Portugal), en cuyas cercanías se encuentran importantes yacimientos fosilíferos del Jurásico Superior (como el yacimiento de Andrés, de donde se han recuperado abundantes restos de Allosaurus).  Así, el EJIP vuelve a Portugal, país donde ya se celebró la séptima edición en 2009, en la localidad de Torres Vedras (¡lo siento, España, tendrás que esperar a 2018!). Si os interesa estad atentos, porque próximamente saldrá la primera circular con toda la información que necesitéis sobre este congreso organizado (en esta ocasión) por miembros del Grupo de Biología Evolutiva de la UNED, la Unidad de Paleontología de la Universidad Autónoma de Madrid y la Universidade de Lisboa. 

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Hoy nos visita... Felipe Montefeltro

A lo largo de la semana pasada el laboratorio del Grupo de Biología Evolutiva de la UNED recibió la visita del Dr. Felipe Montefeltro, paleontólogo brasileño que trabaja como profesor ayudante en la Universidade Estadual Paulista-UNESP (Brasil). Felipe se dedica al estudio de la posición filogenética de Baurusuchidae dentro de Mesoeucrocodylia y durante su estancia en la UNED pudimos conversar con él acerca del registro cenozoico europeo de cocodrilos zifodontos.

Lohuecotitan, el gigante de Castilla-La Mancha

Ilustración de Lohuecotitan por Francesc Gascó y Eloy Manzanero

Estos últimos días fueron bastante movidos. Entre notas de prensa y excavaciones, se publicó finalmente la descripción de la primera especie de dinosaurio procedente del yacimiento de Lo Hueco (Fuentes, Cuenca): Lohuecotitan pandafilandi.

Lohuecotitan pandafilandi (“el gigante de Lo Hueco de Pandafilando”) es un dinosaurio saurópodo perteneciente al grupo de los titanosaurios, al que corresponden los últimos dinosaurios saurópodos que habitaron la Tierra. El nombre con el que se ha bautizado la nueva especie de dinosaurio hace referencia tanto al yacimiento de origen, como a “Pandafilando de la Fosca Vista”, uno de los gigantes que Miguel de Cervantes hizo habitar en la imaginación de Don Quijote.

Holotipo de Lohuecotitan in situ

El ejemplar tipo de Lohuecotitan se extrajo en el yacimiento de Lo Hueco en 2007, durante las obras de instalación de las vías del Ave Madrid-Levante, junto con una enorme colección de otros ejemplares de dinosaurios, cocodrilos y tortugas que se encuentran aún en fase de estudio. Por el momento, Lo Hueco es el único yacimiento de Europa que cuenta con una colección abundante de esqueletos parciales de estos animales, por lo que resulta especialmente relevante para comprender la historia de estos dinosaurios y los ecosistemas del Cretácico terminal en Europa.

Proceso de preparación del sacro de Lohuecotitan

En los últimos dos años reunimos esfuerzos para la preparación de uno de los conjuntos de saurópodos titanosaurios descubiertos en el yacimiento. Desde el principio el ejemplar tipo se llamó informalmente "Epi", y únicamente su estudio detallado nos ha permitido describirlo y caracterizarlo. Con "Epi" fuimos al encuentro anual de la SVP en Berlin en el año 2014, presentando un estudio sistemático preliminar, y a Japón, donde "Epi" fue incorporado a la exposición "Dinosaurios Maravillosos de España". Sin embargo, solamente con su regreso a la península hemos podido ajustar los últimos detalles para, finalmente, publicar el ejemplar.

Montaje de Lohuecotitan en la exposición de Japón

De esta forma, los paleontólogos del proyecto de investigación que trabajan en el yacimiento del Cretácico Superior de Lo Hueco han definido una nueva especie de dinosaurio saurópodo a la que han denominado Lohuecotitan pandafilandi. Esta investigación se ha publicado en la revista especializada Cretaceous Research y es el fruto del trabajo del Grupo de Biología Evolutiva de la UNED en el que participan Verónica Díez Díaz, Pedro Mocho, Adrián Páramo, Fernando Escaso, Fátima Marcos-Fernández, José Luis Sanz y Francisco Ortega, investigadores del Museum für Naturkunde de Berlín, la UNED, la Universidad Autónoma de Madrid y la Universidad Complutense de Madrid.

Proceso de estudio de los elementos presacrales de Lohuecotitan

El estudio sistemático ha permitido describir una serie de características únicas y establecer las relaciones de parentesco de Lohuecotitan con otros titanosaurios del registro fosil. Sin embargo, la investigación sobre la historia evolutiva de los titanosaurios de Lo Hueco, así como de los titanosaurios del Cretácico Superior de Europa continúa. Y como es habitual, por aquí os mantendremos informados sobre el desarrollo del trabajo, con algunas novedades que están a punto de salir.

Por fin, "Epi" tiene nombre: Lohuecotitan pandafilandi. =)

Presentación oficial de Lohuecotitan en el Museo de Paleontología de Cuenca

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Referencia:

• Díez Díaz V, Mocho P, Parámo A, Escaso F, Marcos-Fernández F, Sanz JL, Ortega F. 2016. A new titanosaur (Dinosauria, Sauropoda) from the Upper Cretaceous of Lo Hueco (Cuenca, Spain). Cretaceous Research, 68: 49-60.