Nuevos datos sobre los saurópodos de Sant Antoni de la Vespa (Morella) en las XXXVII Jornadas de la SEP

En las pasadas XXXVII Jornadas de Paleontología SEP de Cuenca se ha presentado en formato póster nuevos datos sobre los saurópodos del yacimiento de Sant Antoni de la Vespa en Morella, y en particular, sobre los miembros del clado Titanosauriformes. En este trabajo, titulado "New information about the sauropod dinosaurs of the Sant Antoni de la Vespa quarry (Morella, Spain)", presentamos una breve descripción de los ejemplares encontrados en el yacimiento y discutimos su posicionamiento sistemático.

Sant Antoni de la Vespa (Morella, Castellón) fossil-site was found in 1998 in levels of the Arcillas de Morella Formation (upper Barremian). Remains of at least four individuals of sauropods were collected. A detailed analysis allows us to consider that most of them correspond to the taxon discussed here, but some remains belong to a second taxon. The most complete individual comprises an articulated posterior cervical-to-anterior dorsal vertebrae sequence, dorsal ribs, caudal vertebrae, chevrons, interclavicle, and pelvic and hindlimb. Near this specimen, two other smaller individuals were identified. At least two almost complete pes were recovered in this site, which corresponds to a unique opportunity to analyses the anatomy (including intra-specific variability) of this sector of the hindlimb, which is rarely found preserved in the fossil record. This sauropod corresponds to a new titanosauriform taxon being characterized by an exclusive set of features. The femur is characterized by the presence of the linea intermuscularis cranialis, which suggests a wider distribution of this character within Neosauropoda. Its pes presents a unique mosaic of features, some of them was posteriorly acquired by titanosaurs: the loss of the calcaneum, reduction of the metatarsal V, the loss of the pedal phalanx V-1, and the reduction of the ungual of the digit III. This sauropod can be differentiated from other Iberian titanosauriforms such as Tastavinsaurus sanzi, Europatitan eastwoodi and Soriatitan golmayensis. The most complete individual of Sant Antoni de la Vespa is recovered as member of Titanosauriformes, and our preliminary phylogenetic analyses suggest two distinct hypotheses: (i) as a member of Somphospondyli; or (ii) as a member of Brachiosauridae. The phylogenetic relationships of the Hauterivian–Aptian titanosauriforms of the Iberian Peninsula is still debated, but the known fossil record allows us to recognize a sauropod fauna mainly composed by diplodocoids and titanosauriforms, including brachiosaurids and somphospondylans.

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• Referencia: Mocho, P., Escaso, F., Gasulla, J. M., Galobart, A., Poza, B., Santos-Cubedo, A., Sanz, J. L., Ortega, F. 2022. New information about the sauropod dinosaurs of the Sant Antoni de la Vespa quarry (Morella, Spain). In: Blanco et al. (Eds.), Libro de Resúmenes de las XXXVII Jornadas SEP y V Congreso Ibérico de Paleontología. Palaeontological publications, 2, 116.