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Although the brain fills nearly the entire cranial cavity in birds, it can occupy a small portion of it in crocodilians. The lack of data regarding the volumetric correspondence between the brain and the cranial cavity hampers thorough assessments of the degree of encephalization in non‐neornithean dinosaurs and other extinct archosaurs and, consequently, informed inferences regarding their cognitive capacities. Existing data suggest that, across extant archosaurs, the degree of endocranial doming and the volume of intracranial nonneural components are inversely related. We build upon this information to develop an equation relating these two anatomical features in non‐neornithean dinosaurs and other extinct archosaurs. We rely on measurements of the endocast doming and brain‐to‐endocranial cavity (BEC) index in extant relatives of non‐neornithean dinosaurs, namely, the crurotarsans Caiman crocodilus, Crocodylus niloticus, and Crocodylus porosus; the paleognaths Struthio camelus and Apteryx mantelli; and the fowl Macrocephalon maleo, Gallus gallus, Meleagris gallopavo, Phasianus colchicus, and Anas platyrhynchos. Applying the equation to representative endocasts from major clades of dinosaurs, we found that BEC varies from about 0.6 in ceratopsians and thyreophorans to around 0.7 in ornithopods, pachycephalosaurians, sauropods, and theropods. We, therefore, warn against the use of a catch‐all value, like 0.5, and instead encourage refinement in the adoption of BEC across archosaurs.Illustration of the endocranial doming, which can provide a proxy for the brain‐to‐endocranial cavity index, using the endocast of an adult of the iguanodont dinosaur Proa valdearinnoensis as an example. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Proa valdearinnoensis is a relatively large‐headed and stocky iguanodontian dinosaur from the latest Early Cretaceous of Spain. Its braincase is known from three specimens. Similar to that of other dinosaurs, it shows a mosaic ossification pattern in which most of the bones seem to have fused together indistinguishably while a few (frontoparietal, basioccipital) might have remained loosely attached. The endocasts of the three specimens are described based on CT data and digital reconstructions. They show unmistakable morphological similarities with the endocast of closely related taxa, such as Sirindhorna khoratensis (which is close in age but from Thailand). This supports a high conservatism of the endocranial cavity. The issue of volumetric correspondence between endocranial cavity and brain in dinosaurs is analyzed. Although a brain‐to‐endocranial cavity (BEC) index of 0.50 has been traditionally used, we employ instead 0.73. This is indeed the mid‐value between the situation in adults of Alligator mississippiensis and Gallus gallus, which are members of the extant bracketing taxa of dinosaurs (Crocodilia and Aves). We thence gauge the level of encephalization of P. valdearinnoensis through the calculation of the encephalization quotient (EQ), which remains valuable as a metric for assessing the degree of cognitive function in extinct taxa, especially those with fully ossified braincases like dinosaurs and other archosaurs. The EQ obtained for P. valdearinnoensis (3.611) suggests that this species was significantly more encephalized than most if not all extant nonavian, nonmammalian amniotes. Our work adds to the growing body of data concerning theoretical cognitive capabilities in dinosaurs and supports the idea that an increasing encephalization was fostered not only in theropods but also in parallel in the shorter‐lived lineage of ornithopods. P. valdearinnoensis was ill‐equipped to respond to theropod dinosaurs and possibly lived in groups as a strategy to mitigate the risk of being predated upon. We hypothesize that group‐living and protracted caring of juveniles in this and possibly many other iguanodontian ornithopods favored a degree of encephalization that was outstanding by reptile standards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The upper Stormberg Group of Lesotho has an abundant and diverse ichnological record that dates to the Early Jurassic. Herein, we re-evaluate a known ichnosite in the lowermost Clarens Formation (Karoo Supergroup) at Tsikoane in northern Lesotho. The site was reported to preserve tridactyl tracks as natural casts in the ceiling of overhangs and true track impressions on a fallen sandstone block. At least three track-bearing palaeosurfaces, associated with horizontally laminated sandstones and desiccated green mudstones, can be traced over a distance of 250 m. Associated with one of the track-bearing palaeosurfaces, discrete, U-shaped, cross-sectional structures are interpreted as a series of natural casts, surface tracks, true tracks and undertracks. Although the Tsikoane tracks were historically assigned to a single ichnogenus, later synonymised with Grallator, our findings show a higher diversity of tridactyl ichnites, with tracks that have Kayentapus-like and Eubrontes-like features in addition to previously recognised Grallator-like features. These new findings, within their high-resolution sedimentological context, improve the understanding of theropod palaeodiversity and palaeoecology in southern Africa during a crucial period in dinosaur history marked by increases in both abundance and diversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agaresuchus fontisensis is an allodaposuchid crocodile from the Campanian–Maastrichtian (Late Cretaceous) of Lo Hueco (Cuenca, Spain). Allodaposuchidae is a clade of European basal eusuchians, which is considered a part of the stem group of Crocodylia. The holotype and paratype skulls of Agaresuchus fontisensis were scanned on computed tomography and their internal cavities, including those of the brain, nerves and blood vessels, as well as the paratympanic sinus system and the paranasal sinuses, digitally reconstructed. The cranial endocast and pneumatic sinuses were then compared with those of other crocodyliforms. The neuroanatomy of Agaresuchus fontisensis resembles those of other mesoeucrocodylians, sharing some morphological traits with extant crocodiles. The neurosensorial and cognitive capabilities inferred from the inner skull cavity reconstructions of Agaresuchus fontisensis are similar to those of other eusuchians. The olfactory acuity of Agaresuchus fontisensis is low by crocodylian standards, closer to that of the alligatoroids rather than to that of the crocodyloids. Its visual acuity is similar to that of Lohuecosuchus megadontos, a sympatric allodaposuchid also found in the fossil site of Lo Hueco. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In birds, the brain (especially the telencephalon) is remarkably developed, both in relative volume and complexity. Unlike in most early‐branching sauropsids, the adults of birds and other archosaurs have a well‐ossified neurocranium. In contrast to the situation in most of their reptilian relatives but similar to what can be seen in mammals, the brains of birds fit closely to the endocranial cavity so that their major external features are reflected in the endocasts. This makes birds a highly suitable group for palaeoneurological investigations. The first observation about the brain in a long‐extinct bird was made in the first quarter of the 19th century. However, it was not until the 2000s and the application of modern imaging technologies that avian palaeoneurology really took off. Understanding how the mode of life is reflected in the external morphology of the brains of birds is but one of several future directions in which avian palaeoneurological research may extend. Although the number of fossil specimens suitable for palaeoneurological explorations is considerably smaller in birds than in mammals and will very likely remain so, the coming years will certainly witness a momentous strengthening of this rapidly growing field of research at the overlap between ornithology, palaeontology, evolutionary biology and neurosciences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite continuous improvements, our knowledge of the palaeoneurology of sauropod dinosaurs is still deficient. This holds true even for Titanosauria, which is a particularly speciose clade of sauropods with representatives known from numerous Cretaceous sites in many countries on all continents. The data currently available regarding the palaeoneurology of titanosaurs is strongly biased towards Gondwanan forms (Argentina above all, but also India, Malawi and Australia). In contrast, the palaeoneurology of Laurasian titanosaurs is known only from a few taxa from Spain and Uzbekistan, despite the discovery in other countries of Laurasia of a number of neurocranial remains that would lend themselves well to investigations of this kind. To fill in this gap in our knowledge, we subjected a titanosaurian braincase from the uppermost Upper Cretaceous of southern France to X-ray computed tomographic scanning, allowing the generation of 3D renderings of the endocranial cavity enclosing the brain, cranial nerves and blood vessels, as well as the labyrinth of the inner ear. These reconstructions are used to clarify the phylogenetic position of the specimen from the Fox-Amphoux-Métisson site. A combination of characters, including the presence of two hypoglossal rami on the endocast, the average degree of development of the dorsal-head/caudal-middle-cerebral vein system and the relatively short and subequal lengths of the ipsilateral semicircular canals of the labyrinth, are particularly revealing in this respect. They suggest that, compared with the few other Laurasian titanosaurs for which in-depth palaeoneurological data are available, the French taxon is more derived than the distinctly more ancient, possibly non-lithostrotian titanosaur from the Uzbek site of Dzharakuduk but more basal than derived saltasaurids, such as the coeval or slightly more recent forms from the Spanish locality of Lo Hueco. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Karydomys is a rare and little diversified democricetodontine, of which only six species are currently recognized. This group of rodents is first recorded in the early Miocene (MN3) in China and spread quickly thereafter to Kazakhstan and Greece (MN4). Karydomys reached south‐western and central Europe by early middle Miocene times (MN5), from where it became extinct shortly thereafter (MN6). A new species of Karydomys is here described from the Miocene Keramia Formation of Chios Island (north‐eastern Aegean Sea). Karydomys strati sp. nov. is characterized by the presence of a labial spur on the anterolophule, the lack of anterior protolophule on the M1 and by the presence of a double metalophule on the M2. A cladistics analysis involving all the species of Karydomys and some closely related species of Democricetodon and Cricetodon show that Karydomys split early into two different lineages, an 'eastern stock', which includes the central Asian (K. debruijni and K. dzerzhinskii) and Greek (K. symeonidisi, K. boskosi and K. strati) species, and a 'western lineage' comprising the western and central European species (K. wigharti and K. zapfei). The evolutionary stage of Karydomys strati suggests that the lowermost part of the Keramia Formation, usually attributed to the middle Miocene, is older than previously thought. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Monitor lizards (genus Varanus) inhabited Europe at least from the early Miocene to the Pleistocene. Their fossil record is limited to about 40 localities that have provided mostly isolated vertebrae. Due to the poor diagnostic value of these fossils, it was recently claimed that all the European species described prior to the 21st century are not taxonomically valid and a new species, Varanus amnhophilis, was erected on the basis of fragmentary material including cranial elements, from the late Miocene of Samos (Greece). We re-examined the type material of Varanus marathonensis Weithofer, 1888, based on material from the late Miocene of Pikermi (Greece), and concluded that it is a valid, diagnosable species. Previously unpublished Iberian material from the Aragonian (middle Miocene) of Abocador de Can Mata (Vallès-Penedès Basin, Barcelona) and the Vallesian (late Miocene) of Batallones (Madrid Basin) is clearly referable to the same species on a morphological basis, further enabling to provide an emended diagnosis for this species. Varanus amnhophilis appears to be a junior subjective synonym of V. marathonensis. On the basis of the most complete fossil Varanus skeleton ever described, it has been possible to further resolve the internal phylogeny of this genus by cladistically analyzing 80 taxa coded for 495 morphological and 5729 molecular characters. Varanus marathonensis was a large-sized species distributed at relatively low latitudes in both southwestern and southeastern Europe from at least MN7+8 to MN12. Our cladistic analysis nests V. marathonensis into an eastern clade of Varanus instead of the African clade comprising Varanus griseus, to which it had been related in the past. At least two different Varanus lineages were present in Europe during the Neogene, represented by Varanus mokrensis (early Miocene) and V. marathonensis (middle to late Miocene), respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The end-Triassic mass extinction and the transition and explosive diversification of fauna over the Triassic-Jurassic boundary is poorly understood and poorly represented in the rock record of the Southern Hemisphere. This is despite the rich diversity in both body and trace fossils of Triassic-Jurassic age in southern Africa, which is not found in coeval Northern Hemisphere localities. We report here the first palaeomagnetic polarity zonation of the Upper Triassic-Lower Jurassic continental red bed succession (Elliot Formation; Stormberg Group) in southern Africa. The results from 10 partially overlapping sections, with a composite thickness of ~ 280 m, provide a magnetic polarity chronology of the main Karoo Basin in South Africa and Lesotho. Palaeomagnetic analyses reveal that heating samples to between 150 °C and ~ 300 °C removes the secondary, moderately inclined (~ 48°) normal-polarity component of remanent magnetization. This component overlaps with the present-day field and is comparable to the overprint direction expected from Lower Jurassic Karoo dolerite intrusions. In contrast, a likely primary, high unblocking temperature component, of dual polarity, consistently is of steeper inclination (~ 63°). This characteristic remanence passes the reversals test, except where means are based on small sample populations. There are only two resulting polarity zones for the ~ 200 m thick lower Elliot Formation (LEF) with potential for a thin 3rd magnetozone in the uppermost part. The upper Elliot Formation (UEF), in contrast, which was sampled over a thickness of ~ 80 m, has five polarity zones. The failure of the reversal test for the UEF and combined Elliot Formation (LEF + UEF) indicates that the normal polarity samples may be biased by a younger overprint of either the Jurassic normal polarity of the Karoo Large Igneous Province or present day field. The separate poles calculated for the four sites in the LEF and ten sites in the UEF overlap with the Late Triassic and Early to Middle Jurassic Gondwana poles, respectively. The combined Elliot Formation and UEF pole positions are better constrained than the LEF and therefore considered more reliable. Overall the LEF shows considerable overlap with the Late Triassic Apparent Polar Wander Paths (APWP) poles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Gondwana, Early Jurassic dinosaur track sites are especially concentrated in Lesotho. Despite intensive investigations during the third quarter of the twentieth century, a limited number of vertebrate track sites of this country have been studied with rigorous ichnological and sedimentological methodology. Here, we present a previously mentioned, but undescribed track site in the upper Elliot Formation (Hettangian?) of Lesotho, located near Roma (at Lephoto dam). Two tridactyl ichnite morphologies, made by bipedal vertebrate trackmakers are recognised. The first can be identified asGrallator-like, an ichnotaxon common in the Lower Jurassic of both Laurasia and Gondwana that can be attributed to small and medium-size theropod dinosaurs. In contrast, the second ichnite type is reminiscent ofTrisauropodiscus, which is a rare ichnotaxon that resembles tracks of small birds and is known with certainty in Lesotho from only a few places. We suggest that at our upper Elliot Formation study site,Trisauropodiscuswas potentially made by a heterodontosaurid ornithischian dinosaur. Our work provides further evidence that the ichnological record of the Stormberg Group of southern Africa is in a unique position to shed light not only on Early Jurassic biostratigraphy and palaeoenvironments but also on the biodiversity and palaeobiology of early dinosaurs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Four isolated theropod teeth from the ?Bathonian "Argiles de l'Irhazer" in Niger are described. The teeth were found in association with the holotype of the basal sauropod Spinophorosaurus nigerensis. These specimens have been assigned to two different taxa by independent analyses, such as direct comparison with teeth previously described in the literature, discriminant and morphometric analyses from metric characters, and cladistic and cluster analyses from discrete characters. The results suggest that three teeth share affinities with those of Megalosauridae and Allosauridae, belonging most likely to the former. The fourth tooth might be from a member of the stem group Spinosauridae. If so, this would be the oldest representative of this clade. This tooth shows a combination of characters that are unusual in typical spinosaurid teeth (crown moderately compressed labiolingually and curved distally with minute denticles on the carina and a deeply veined enamel surface texture without apicobasal ridges). This could shed light on the morphological transition from the plesiomorphic ziphodont dental pattern to that of Spinosauridae. This tooth would also allow a better understanding of the origin of the spinosaurids, supporting a Gondwanan origin for the group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite continuous improvements, our knowledge of the neurocranial anatomy of sauropod dinosaurs as a whole is still poor, which is especially true for titanosaurians even though their postcranial remains are common in many Upper Cretaceous sites worldwide. Here we describe a braincase from the uppermost Cretaceous locality of ‘‘Lo Hueco” in Spain that is one of the most complete titanosaurian braincases found so far in Europe. Although the titanosaurian Ampelosaurus sp. is known from the same locality, this specimen is clearly a distinct taxon and presents a number of occipital characters found in Antarctosaurus and Jainosaurus, which are approximately coeval taxa from southern Gondwana. The specimen was subjected to X-ray computed tomographic (CT) scanning, allowing the generation of 3D renderings of the endocranial cavity enclosing the brain, cranial nerves, and blood vessels, as well as the labyrinth of the inner ear. These findings add considerable knowledge to the field of sauropod paleoneuroanatomy in general and titanosaurian endocast diversity in particular. Compared with that of many sauropodomorphs, the endocast appears only slightly flexed in lateral view and bears similarities (e.g., reduction of the rostral dural expansion) with Gondwanan titanosaurians such as Jainosaurus, Bonatitan, and Antarctosaurus. The vestibular system of the inner ear is somewhat contracted (i.e., the radius of the semicircular canals is small), but less so than expected in derived titanosaurians. However, as far as the new specimen and Jainosaurus can be contrasted, and with the necessary caution due to the small sample of comparative data currently available, the two taxa appear more similar to one another in endocast morphology than to other titanosaurians. Recent phylogenetic analyses of titanosaurians have not included virtually any of the taxa under consideration here, and thus the phylogenetic position of the new Spanish titanosaurian—even its generic, let alone specific, identification—is not possible at the moment. Nevertheless, both the braincase osteology and the endocast morphology suggest that the specimen represents a derived titanosaurian that presumably branched further from the base of Lithostrotia, potentially even near Saltasauridae, comparable in evolutionary terms with Jainosaurus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The preservation of fossils reflects the interplay of inorganic and organic chemical processes, which should be clearly differentiated to make interpretations about the biology of extinct organisms. A new coliiformes bird (mouse bird) from the ∼50 million year old Green River Formation (Wyoming, USA) has here been analysed using synchrotron X-ray fluorescence and environmental scanning electron microscopy with an attached X-ray energy dispersive system (ESEM-EDS). The concentration and distribution of 16 elements (Si, P, S, Cl, K, Ca, Ti, Mg, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Br, Ba, Hg) has been mapped for individual points on the sample. S, Cu and Zn map distinctly within visibly preserved feathers and X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy (XAS) shows that S and Cu within the feathers are organically bound in a similar manner to modern feathers. The morphological preservation of the feathers, on both macro- and microscopic scales, is variable throughout the fossil and the differences in the lateral microfacies have resulted in a morphological preservation gradient. This study clearly differentiates endogenous organic remains from those representing exogenous overprinted geochemical precipitates and illustrates the chemical complexity of the overall taphonomic process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The subfamily Rhizomyinae is known from the Late Oligocene up to the present. Today this group comprises six species, which live in southern Asia and eastern Africa. Despite the current moderate diversity of the rhizomyines, they had a greater diversification and wider distribution in the past: from Asia, their land of origin, to Africa, which they entered during the Early Miocene. So far 33 fossil species can be referred to this group. A cladistic analysis involving fossil and living species has been carried out. Prokanisamys spp. turned out to be the most basal taxa of the ingroup. This analysis calls into question the monophyly of several genera, and allows the proposal of a phylogenetic definition of the tribes Tachyoryctini and Rhizomyini. It also provides information about the origin of the African rhizomyines and allows inferring multiple dispersal phenomena from Asia to Africa in Early and Late Miocene times. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Titanosaurians were a flourishing group of sauropod dinosaurs during Cretaceous times. Fossils of titanosaurians have been found on all continents and their remains are abundant in a number of Late Cretaceous sites. Nonetheless, the cranial anatomy of titanosaurians is still very poorly known. The Spanish latest Cretaceous locality of "Lo Hueco" yielded a relatively well preserved, titanosaurian braincase, which shares a number of phylogenetically restricted characters with Ampelosaurus atacis from France such as a flat occipital region. However, it appears to differ from A. atacis in some traits such as the greater degree of dorsoventral compression and the presence of proatlas facets. The specimen is, therefore, provisionally identified as Ampelosaurus sp. It was CT scanned, and 3D renderings of the cranial endocast and inner-ear system were generated. Our investigation highlights that, although titanosaurs were derived sauropods with a successful evolutionary history, they present a remarkably modest level of paleoneurological organization. Compared with the condition in the basal titanosauriform Giraffatitan brancai, the labyrinth of Ampelosaurus sp. shows a reduced morphology. The latter feature is possibly related to a restricted range of head-turning movements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prejanopterus curvirostra, from the Early Cretaceous of La Rioja province, was the first pterosaur genus and species described from Spain. The material comprises disarticulated cranial and postcranial remains from several individuals. The fossil-bearing bed is assigned to the lacustrine Leza Formation (eastern Cameros Basin, NW margin of the Iberian Range). This unit is regarded as either Berriasian-Valanginian or Barremian-Aptian. Prejanopterus curvirostris (specific name emended) was originally diagnosed on the basis of several characters of which the most significant was a lateral curvature of the rostrum. Re-examination of the holotype (rostrum) and paratype (partial rostrum with teeth) indicates that there is no genuine sideways bend of the preserved premaxilla-maxilla segments, but a slight dorsal curvature. Prejanopterus is characterized by a unique combination of characters: an emended diagnosis is provided. In contrast with previous estimates, the wing span of Prejanopterus was probably not much (if ever) in excess of 2 m. A phylogenetic analysis suggests that Prejanopterus is a basal pterodactyloid positioned between Pterodactylus and Cycnorhamphus-Gallodactylus. Prejanopterus represents the first evidence of Pterodactylidae in the Early Cretaceous of the Iberian Peninsula. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Sauropod dinosaurs were the largest animals ever to walk on land, and, as a result, the evolution of their remarkable adaptations has been of great interest. The braincase is of particular interest because it houses the brain and inner ear. However, only a few studies of these structures in sauropods are available to date. Because of the phylogenetic position of Spinophorosaurus nigerensis as a basal eusauropod, the braincase has the potential to provide key evidence on the evolutionary transition relative to other dinosaurs. Methodology/Principal Findings: The only known braincase of Spinophorosaurus ('Argiles de l'Irhazer', Irhazer Group; Agadez region, Niger) differs significantly from those of the Jurassic sauropods examined, except potentially for Atlasaurus imelakei (Tilougguit Formation, Morocco). The basisphenoids of Spinophorosaurus and Atlasaurus bear basipterygoid processes that are comparable in being directed strongly caudally. The Spinophorosaurus specimen was CT scanned, and 3D renderings of the cranial endocast and inner-ear system were generated. The endocast resembles that of most other sauropods in having well-marked pontine and cerebral flexures, a large and oblong pituitary fossa, and in having the brain structure obscured by the former existence of relatively thick meninges and dural venous sinuses. The labyrinth is characterized by long and proportionally slender semicircular canals. This condition recalls, in particular, that of the basal non-sauropod sauropodomorph Massospondylus and the basal titanosauriform Giraffatitan. Conclusions/Significance: Spinophorosaurus has a moderately derived paleoneuroanatomical pattern. In contrast to what might be expected early within a lineage leading to plant-eating graviportal quadrupeds, Spinophorosaurus and other (but not all) sauropodomorphs show no reduction of the vestibular apparatus of the inner ear. This characterstate is possibly a primitive retention in Spinophorosaurus, but due the scarcity of data it remains unclear whether it is also the case in the various later sauropods in which it is present or whether it has developed homoplastically in these taxa. Any interpretations remain tentative pending the more comprehensive quantitative analysis underway, but the size and morphology of the labyrinth of sauropodomorphs may be related to neck length and mobility, among other factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In 1852, the French state commissioned the artists Frémiet and Jacquemart to execute bronzes of a plesiosaur and a pterodactyl for the Jardin des Plantes in Paris. The orders were cancelled before the sculptures could be realized, largely because of petty jealousies among the professors of the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, who maintained that the long-extinct animals were too poorly understood for accurate reconstructions. In this way an important opportunity to educate and inspire the French public about the life of the past was lost. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The subfamily Ctenodactylinae is known from the Early Miocene to the present. Today this group comprises five species, restricted to north and east equatorial areas in Africa. However, in Miocene times the ctenodactylines experienced their greatest diversification and widest distribution, from Asia, their land of origin, to Africa, which they entered during the Middle Miocene at the latest. So far 24 species can be referred to this group: Ctenodactylus gundi, C. vali, Massoutiera mzabi, Felovia vae, Pectinator spekei, Pellegrinia panormensis, Sayimys obliquidens, S. baskini, S. giganteus, S. assarrarensis, S. intermedius, S. sivalensis, Metasayimys curvidens, Africanomys pulcher, A. major, A. minor, A. kettarati, Irhoudia bohlini, I. robinsoni, Pireddamys rayi, Sardomys dawnsonae, S. antoniettae, Akzharomys mallos and Prosayimys flynni. A cladistic analysis involving all of the above-mentioned species has been carried out. P. flynni emerged as the most basal species of the ingroup. The genus Sayimys did not appear monophyletic. This analysis also provided information on the origin not only of the African ctenodactylines, found to be the Indian subcontinent, but also the origin of European ctenodactylines: Asiatic for Sardinian species, African for Sicilian species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

No abstract available [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Among the sculptures adorning the former building of the Faculties of Medicine and Sciences (1893) in Saragossa (Spain) is one that represents a pterosaur. It is a work by D. Lasuén based on one of the first, but little known, restorations of these animals, drawn and engraved by T. Susemihl more than half a century before. Although it seems out of place, this sculpture was simply seen as a symbol of zoology. We suggest that it may have several significations. Besides embodying the animal kingdom, it may have been a surrogate of the dragon and thus a reference to the House of Aragon through its dragon-slaying holy patron, Saint George. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Questions about the taxonomic status, diversity, and pace of evolution of basal ornithischian dinosaurs persist in part because some historically important taxa have been based on incomplete material of uncertain ontogenetic status. We examined the morphology of critical “fabrosaurid” specimens and analyzed the bone tissues of small and large individuals. We conclude that the case for the existence of a non-heterodontosaurid ornithischian distinct from Lesothosaurus diagnosticus in the upper Elliot Formation of southern Africa is not conclusive and we suggest that this species and Stormbergia dangershoeki may actually represent ontogenetic stages of one taxon that reached maturity in approximately four years. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Despite a certain interest in the discipline, Alexander von Humboldt did not personally contribute much to the progress of palaeozoology. His most remarkable input derived from a communication about hand-like archosaur footprints from the Buntsandstein at the very acme of the important controversy that the discovery of these fossils generated (1835). Humboldt thought that the tracks were probably from a possum-like marsupial, but he did not discount that they could be from a primate. This study is characterized by its superficiality: both the anatomical comparisons and the considerations of the functional morphology of locomotion are very poor. Its effect on the scientific community proved about nil, in both the short and the long run, and Humboldt may himself have doubted his initial conclusions in later years. Nevertheless, in contrast with some contemporaneous renowned geognosts, he had no hesitation from the beginning that the footprints were genuine. He also did not hesitate to weaken the belief of the time on the timing of the succession of organised beings in geological ages, naturally without lapsing into “antiprogressionism”. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]