Redescription of the phytosaurs Paleorhinus (‘Francosuchus’) angustifrons and Ebrachosuchus neukami from Germany,with implications for Late Triassic biochronology

Phytosaurs are a diverse and morphologically distinctive clade of superficially crocodile‐like archosauriforms that had a near global distribution during the Late Triassic. Because their remains are among the most abundant vertebrate remains recovered in many Upper Triassic terrestrial formations, phytosaurs are used extensively in long‐range biochronological and biostratigraphic correlations. The biochronologically oldest and earliest branching known phytosaurs include an array of nominal species from the early Late Triassic of the United States, Germany, Poland, Morocco, and India that have been synonymized within the genus Paleorhinus, and subsequently used to define a global ‘Paleorhinus biochron’. However, recent phylogenetic work suggested that the North American species previously referred to Paleorhinus are paraphyletic. Here, we reassess the systematics and anatomy of putative specimens of Paleorhinus from southern Germany. Two well‐preserved basal phytosaur skulls from the Blasensandstein (Carnian) of Bavaria form the holotypes of Francosuchus angustifrons and Ebrachosuchus neukami, both of which were synonymized with Paleorhinus by previous workers. We demonstrate that Francosuchus angustifrons shares unique synapomorphies with specimens referred to Paleorhinus bransoni from the Late Triassic of Texas, and thus refer the species to Paleorhinus. By contrast, the longirostrine Ebrachosuchus is highly distinctive in morphology, and our new cladistic analysis of Phytosauria demonstrates that it represents a valid taxon that is more closely related to Phytosauridae than to Paleorhinus. We provide the first autapomorphy‐based support for a monophyletic but restricted Paleorhinus (supported by a nodal row on the jugal, and low paired ridges on the squamosal) and confirm that previous broader conceptions of Paleorhinus are likely to be paraphyletic. © 2013 The Linnean Society of London     

Basal dinosauriform and theropod dinosaurs from the mid–late Norian (Late Triassic) of Poland: implications for Triassic dinosaur evolution and distribution

The rise of dinosaurs during the Triassic is a widely studied evolutionary radiation, but there are still many unanswered questions about early dinosaur evolution and biogeography that are hampered by an unevenly sampled Late Triassic fossil record. Although very common in western North America and parts of South America, dinosaur (and more basal dinosauriform) remains are relatively rare in the Upper Triassic deposits of Europe, making any new discoveries critically important. One of the most diverse dinosauriform assemblages from Europe comes from the Por?ba site in Poland, a recently described locality with exposures of the Zb?szynek Beds, which have a palynomorph assemblage characteristic for the mid–late Norian in the biostratigraphic schemes of the Germanic Basin. Using a synapomorphy‐based approach, we evaluate several isolated dinosauriform specimens from Por?ba. This assemblage includes a silesaurid, a herrerasaurid and remains of another type of theropod (potentially a neotheropod). The Por?ba herrerasaurid is the first record of this rare group of primitive dinosaurs from Europe and one of the youngest records worldwide, whereas the silesaurid is the youngest record of a silesaurid from Europe. These findings indicate that silesaurids persisted alongside true dinosaurs into the mid–late Norian of Europe and that silesaurid–herrerasaurid–neotheropod assemblages (which are also known from the Norian of North America, at low latitudes) were more widespread geographically and latitudinally than previously thought. Silesaurid–herrerasaurid–neotheropod assemblages may have been a common ecological structuring of dinosaurs during their early evolution, and their widespread distribution may indicate weak palaeolatitudinal controls on early dinosaur biogeography during the latest Triassic.     

Evidence for Prosauropod Dinosaur Gastroliths in the Bull Run Formation (Upper Triassic,Norian) of Virginia

Definitive criteria for distinguishing gastroliths from sedimentary clasts are lacking for many depositional settings, and many reported occurrences of gastroliths either cannot be verified or have been refuted. We discuss four occurrences of gastrolith-like stones (category 6 exoliths) not found within skeletal remains from the Upper Triassic Bull Run Formation of northern Virginia, USA. Despite their lack of obvious skeletal association, the most parsimonious explanation for several characteristics of these stones is their prolonged residence in the gastric mills of large animals. These characteristics include 1) typical gastrolith microscopic surface texture, 2) evidence of pervasive surface wear on many of these stones that has secondarily removed variable amounts of thick weathering rinds typically found on these stones, and 3) a width/length-ratio modal peak for these stones that is more strongly developed than in any population of fluvial or fanglomerate stones of any age found in this region. When taken together, these properties of the stones can be explained most parsimoniously by animal ingestion and gastric-mill abrasion. The size of these stones indicates the animals that swallowed them were large, and the best candidate is a prosauropod dinosaur, possibly an ancestor of the Early Jurassic gastrolith-producing prosauropod Massospondylus or Ammosaurus.

Skeletal evidence for Upper Triassic prosauropods is lacking in the Newark Supergroup basins; footprints (Agrestipus hottoni and Eubrontes isp.) from the Bull Run Formation in the Culpeper basin previously ascribed to prosauropods are now known to be underprints (Brachychirotherium parvum) of an aetosaur and underprints (Kayentapus minor) of a ceratosaur. The absence of prosauropod skeletal remains or footprints in all but the uppermost (upper Rhaetian) Triassic rocks of the Newark Supergroup is puzzling because prosauropod remains are abundant elsewhere in the world in Upper Triassic (Carnian, Norian, and lower Rhaetian) continental strata. The apparent scarcity of prosauropods in Upper Triassic strata of the Newark Supergroup is interpreted as an artifact of ecological partitioning, created by the habitat range and dietary preferences of phytosaurs and by the preservational biases at that time within the lithofacies of the Newark Supergroup basins.     

The anatomy of the basal ornithischian dinosaur Eocursor parvus from the lower Elliot Formation (Late Triassic) of South Africa

Ornithischia is a morphologically and taxonomically diverse clade of dinosaurs that originated during the Late Triassic and were the dominant large‐bodied herbivores in many Cretaceous ecosystems. The early evolution of ornithischian dinosaurs is poorly understood, as a result in part of a paucity of fossil specimens, particularly during the Triassic. The most complete Triassic ornithischian dinosaur yet discovered is Eocursor parvus from the lower Elliot Formation (Late Triassic: Norian–Rhaetian) of Free State, South Africa, represented by a partial skull and relatively complete postcranial skeleton. Here, the anatomy of Eocursor is described in detail for the first time, and detailed comparisons are provided to other basal ornithischian taxa. Eocursor is a small‐bodied taxon (approximately 1 m in length) that possesses a plesiomorphic dentition consisting of unworn leaf‐shaped crowns, a proportionally large manus with similarities to heterodontosaurids, a pelvis that contains an intriguing mix of plesiomorphic and derived character states, and elongate distal hindlimbs suggesting well‐developed cursorial ability. The ontogenetic status of the holotype material is uncertain. Eocursor may represent the sister taxon to Genasauria, the clade that includes most of ornithischian diversity, although this phylogenetic position is partially dependent upon the uncertain phylogenetic position of the enigmatic and controversial clade Heterodontosauridae. © 2010 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2010, 160 , 648–684.     

The species taxonomy of the sauropodomorph dinosaurs from the Löwenstein Formation (Norian, Late Triassic) of Germany

The species taxonomy of the sauropodomorph dinosaurs from the Löwenstein Formation of Germany is examined. Previous work has classified these into two taxa: Sellosaurus gracilis from a number of localities and the widespread Plateosaurus engelhardti from a single monospecific accumulation in the Löwenstein Formation, near the town of Trossingen. The current hypodigm of Sellosaurus gracilis is found to contain a substantial amount of variation. This includes differences in the dentition, structure of the skull, composition of the sacrum and the structure of the caudal vertebrae and pelvis. This variation was analysed using a specimen–based parsimony analysis of the sauropodomorphs from the Löwenstein Formation. It was found that two discrete taxa comprise the current hypodigm of Sellosaurus . The more common of these two is a plesiomorphic form for which the correct name is Efraasia minor comb. nov. The less common form (which includes the holotype of Sellosaurus gracilis ) is found to share a number of synapomorphies with Plateosaurus engelhardti and is placed in this genus as Plateosaurus gracilis     

New dasycladalean algae from the Middle Norian (Upper Triassic) of northern Italy (Mt. Pramaggiore, Carnic Prealps)

In the Eastern Southern Alps of northern Italy (Carnic Prealps, Friuli region), the shallow-water carbonate platform deposits of the Dolomia Principale Fm. (Norian–Rhaetian, Upper Triassic) show best-preserved platform to basin facies transition. The palaeontological study of an algal-rich level recovered from the platform margin facies (Mt. Pramaggiore) has displayed a very interesting association of Dasycladales. Two new genera (Bystrickyella and Elliottporella) and four new species (Bystrickyella ottii, Elliottporella morelloae, Palaeodasycladus lorigae and Holosporella conradii) have been described. These new data suggest that the Norian represents a period of turnover in the evolutionary history of the green algae community. This stage, placed between two extinctions, end-Ladinian and end-Norian, is here interpreted as a re-organization period of the evolutionary schemes of Dasycladales. The new lineages originated in the Norian developed further and characterized the Early Jurassic scenery. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

On the anatomy and relationships ofEfraasia diagnostica (Huene) n. gen., a prosauropod dinosaur (Reptilia: Saurischia) from the Upper Triassic of Germany

Palaeosaurus (?) diagnosticus Huene from the Stubensandstone (Upper Triassic, Norian) of Nordwürttemberg, Germany is made the type species of a new genus of prosauropod dinosaurEfraasia, which is referred to the family Anchisauridae. The anatomy ofEfraasia diagnostica is conservative and it was an ideal ancestor for the later and more specializedAnchisaurus polyzelus of North America. The slenderness of the manus and pes ofEfraasia andAnchisaurus is matched amongst prosauropods only by the feet ofGyposaurus capensis andThecodontosaurus antiquus. Staurikosaurus pricei Colbert from the Upper Triassic of Brazil is probably a very primitive theropod dinosaur.     

Filograna (colonial serpulid worm tubes) from Upper Triassic (Norian) reef boulders of Taurus Mts. (southern Turkey)

Two colonial serpulid worm tubes—Filograna taurica n. sp. and Filograna serialis n. sp.—from the Upper Triassic (Norian) reef boulders occurring in Taurus Mts. (south Turkey) are described. As bafflers, both species of Filograna build microbioherms reaching dimensions of up to 15 cm. Both species were not known either in Turkey or in any other Triassic localities of the Tethyan realm.     

Proterochampsa barrionuevoi (Archosauriformes: Proterochampsia) from the Late Triassic (Carnian) of Argentina and a phylogenetic analysis of Proterochampsia

Abstract: Restudy of skulls and available postcrania of the proterochampsian archosauriform Proterochampsa barrionuevoi from the Ischigualasto Formation (Upper Triassic, Carnian) in the San Juan Province, Argentina, confirms that the genus is diagnosed by autapomorphies that include dermal sculpturing consisting of prominent ridges and nodular protuberances, a large hook‐like lateral projection on the quadratojugal, an antorbital fossa restricted to a depression along the maxilla, lateral expansion of the premaxilla anterior to the premaxilla–maxilla contact, absence of a supratemporal fossa, exclusion of jugal from suborbital fenestra, basal tubera of parabasisphenoid facing ventrally and reaching laterally beyond the basipterygoid process, and a ventral lamina on the angular. Proterochampsa nodosa is a valid species distinguished from P. barrionuevoi by fewer cranial ridges with larger protuberances, relatively smaller supratemporal fenestrae and width of frontals between orbits less than that of the nasals. A phylogenetic analysis supports the monophyly of Proterochampsia consisting of Proterochampsa, Chanaresuchus bonapartei, Gualosuchus reigi, Tropidosuchus romeri and Cerritosaurus binsfeldi. A temporal separation between the two basal proterochampsians with earliest records in the Late Triassic (Proterochampsa and Cerritosaurus) and Chanaresuchus, Gualosuchus and Tropidosuchus in the Middle Triassic indicates hidden proterochampsian diversity in the Middle Triassic.     

查谟-克什米尔桑巴地区上西瓦立克亚群中的平额象化石

报道和描述了一件平额象左侧M3化石.新材料产自Nangal村附近火山灰层之下的泥岩层,该火山灰是出露于查谟-克什米尔桑巴地区Barakhetar上西瓦立克亚群Nagrota组中年龄为2.48 Ma的火山灰层的延伸.根据齿板数,臼齿长和宽,齿冠长、宽和高,釉质和齿质厚度,齿板长和宽,齿脊频率,冠高指数以及白垩质厚度等齿冠形态参数,暂时将之归为Elephas cf.E.planifrons.新材料的发现将该种的分布上限从2.6 Ma提高到2.48 Ma.     

Osteology of Rauisuchus tiradentes from the Late Triassic (Carnian) Santa Maria Formation of Brazil,and its implications for rauisuchid anatomy and phylogeny

As the eponymous type species for rauisuchians, Rauisuchus tiradentes von Huene, 1938 represents an important but inadequately known specimen. The revision of the type material from the Upper Triassic (Carnian) Santa Maria Formation of Brazil reveals new anatomical data and previously unrecognised characters, including three new possible autapomorphies: a knob‐like thickening on the base of the posterior process of the premaxilla; short and ventrally keeled cervicals lacking postzygodiapophyseal laminae; and mid‐caudal vertebrae with an accessory neural spine and a postspinal lamina. Several elements are re‐identified, including a postorbital (originally identified as postfrontal) and a pterygoid (originally identified as a prefrontal), and additional material from a secondary fossil site, originally assigned to R. tiradentes, including a left ilium, is excluded. Based on the recovered information and new morphological data, the systematic position of R. tiradentes is tested in a comparison of two phylogenetic reanalyses. Both analyses differ in respect to the phylogenetic position of R. tiradentes, and recover ‘rauisuchians’ as a paraphyletic assemblage of non‐crocodylomoprh archosaurs. © 2014 The Linnean Society of London     

滇西巍山地区上三叠统诺利阶三合洞组牙形石年代及沉积相分析*

滇西兰坪-思茅地块晚三叠世诺利期(Norian)发育一套海相碳酸盐岩沉积(三合洞组)。对巍山三合洞剖面进行了实测与采样, 分离了三合洞组碳酸盐岩中的牙形石, 经鉴定其种属为Epigondolella vialovi, Epigondolella uniformis和Epigondolella aff. triangularis, 时代为早诺利期(Lacian亚期)。通过野外剖面及室内显微薄片观察, 采用微相分析的方法对剖面三合洞组碳酸盐岩的微相类型和沉积环境进行研究, 将巍山三合洞剖面三合洞组沉积归纳为9种微相, 并根据微相特征结合野外宏观特征, 将三合洞剖面划分为3种沉积相类型, 即局限台地相、开阔台地相和台地边缘礁相。在剖面不同层位的碳酸盐岩中发现的热液矿物石榴子石及发黑的牙形石化石(CAI指数约为5), 表明该区曾遭受热液作用的影响, 可能与三合洞组沉积后大陆边缘裂谷下陷或板块拼合引起的热卤水上涌有关。     

A new Hyperodapedon (Archosauromorpha,Rhynchosauria) from the Upper Triassic of India: implications for rhynchosaur phylogeny

A new species of the rhynchosaur genus Hyperodapedon, namely H. tikiensis, is described from well‐preserved skeletal elements that were collected from the Upper Triassic Tiki Formation of India. Hyperodapedon tikiensis is diagnosed on the basis of several cranial and postcranial features including longer than wide basipterygoid process, crest‐shaped maxillary cross section lateral to the main longitudinal groove, deeply excavated neural arches of mid‐dorsal vertebrae, long scapular blade, a pronounced deltopectoral crest, proximal humeral end much broader than distal end, iliac length greater than iliac height, equal pre‐ and postacetabular iliac lengths and circular femoral cross section. Two distinct morphotypes of the maxillary tooth plates can be discerned, which are attributed to ontogenetic variations. A maximum‐parsimony analysis was carried out to show that the order Rhynchosauria is characterized by nine cranial and one postcranial character states. The analysis reveals that Otischalkia elderae is invalid and the basal forms, Howesia and Mesosuchus, are closely related. The Mid‐Triassic genus Ammorhynchus is more derived and forms a sister group to the Late Triassic subfamily Hyperodapedontinae. Isalorhynchus and Teyumbaita are basal to the pandemic genus Hyperodapedon. Twenty‐four characters that are not homoplasious document major patterns of skeletal evolution in rhynchosaurs. From laterally oriented scapula and slender propodials, the postcranial skeleton evolved into a more robust form as is evident from nearly vertical scapula and increase in the robustness of the propodials. Shortening of the femur is noted in the derived Late Triassic forms as exemplified in Hyperodapedon gordoni, Hyperodapedon huxleyi and H. tikiensis.     

Cyclotosaurus cf. PosthumusFraas (Capitosauridae,Stereospondyli) from the Huai Hin Lat Formation (Upper Triassic), Northeastern Thailand: With a note on capitosaurid biogeography

Part of a large capitosaurid skull, similar to that of Cyclotosaurus posthumus from the Upper Triassic of Germany, has been discovered in the upper part of the Huai Hin Lat Formation near Chulabhorn (Nam Phrom) Dam. This discovery is consistent with the presumed Norian age of this formation. Although the phylogeny of the Capitosauridae is still unclear, the group of Upper Triassic Cyclotosaurus species to which C. posthumus belongs is monophyletic and seems to be known only from Laurasia or Northwestern Gondwana (Morocco). The occurrence of C. cf. posthumus in Thailand is consistent with the hypothesis previously put forward, that this part of Southeast Asia was bound to Laurasia in Mesozoic times.     

Linguaserra spandeli sp. nov. (Echinodermata: Ophiocistioidea) from the Late Permian (Zechstein) of Thuringia, Germany

From the Late Permian Zechstein reefs (Lopingian: Wuchiapingian) of eastern Thuringia, Germany, the new ophiocistioid goniodont Linguaserra spandeli sp. nov., is described, figured, and discussed, within the Linguaserridae Reich and Haude, 2004. The (para)genus Linguaserra is redefined; the stratigraphical and regional distribution as well as the phylogenetic position are briefly discussed. Linguaserra spandeli sp. nov. is the stratigraphically youngest record of this echinoderm group (Echinozoa: Ophiocistioidea) worldwide.     

Design,synthesis, and conformational studies of the hGM‐CSF derived peptide (13–27)–Gly–(75–87)

An analogue of the human granulocyte–macrophage colony‐stimulating factor (hGM‐CSF), hGM‐CSF(13–27)–Gly–(75–87) was synthesized by solid phase methodology. This analogue was designed to comprise helices A and C of the native growth factor, linked by a glycine bridge. Helices A and C form half of a four‐helix bundle motif in the crystal structure of the native factor and are involved in the interaction with α‐ and β‐chains of the heterodimeric receptor. A conformational analysis of the synthetic analogue by CD, two‐dimensional nmr spectroscopy, and molecular dynamics calculations is reported. The analogue is in a random structure in water and assumes a partially α‐helical conformation in a 1 : 1 trifluoroethanol/water mixture. The helix content in this medium is ∼ 70%. By 2D‐nmr spectroscopy, two helical segments were identified in the sequences corresponding to helices A and C. In addition to medium‐ and short‐range NOESY connectivities, a long‐range cross peak was found between the Cβ proton of Val¹⁶ and NH proton of His⁸⁷ (using the numbering of the native protein). Experimentally derived interproton distances were used as restraints in molecular dynamics calculations, utilizing the x‐ray coordinates as the initial structure. The final structure is characterized by two helical segments in close spatial proximity, connected by a loop region. This structure is similar to that of the corresponding domain in the x‐ray structure of the native growth factor in which helices A and C are oriented in an antiparallel fashion. The N‐terminal residues Gly–Pro of helix C are involved in an irregular turn connecting the two helical segments. As a consequence, helix C is appreciably shifted and slightly rotated with respect to helix A compared to the x‐ray structure of the native growth factor. These small differences in the topology of the two helices could explain the lower biological activity of this analogue with respect to that of the native growth factor. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Biopoly 50: 545–554, 1999