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The fossil record of spinosaurid theropods from the Lower Cretaceous of the Iberian Peninsula is relatively abundant, but not very informative. This record, as generally occurs in other geographic areas, is mainly represented by isolated teeth, probably due to the distinctive features of the dentition of these theropods. However, cranial and postcranial elements attributed to spinosaurids have been described and reported from different Iberian fossil sites. The currently known record of these theropods spans from the upper Hauterivian to the lower Aptian of the Cameros and Maestrazgo basins in Eastern Spain whereas it is early Barremian in age in the Lusitanian Basin of Western Portugal. Spinosaurid remains from the Iberian fossil record were traditionally attributed to Baryonyx, firstly described in the upper Barremian–lower Aptian of United Kingdom. However, the recent description of a specimen collected in the locality of Santa Agueda (Vallibona, Castellon), from sediments of the Morella Formation, implies the presence of a new taxon with a combination of derived features more closely related with some Gondwanan spinosaurines than with Baryonyx. Therefore, the currently known Iberian spinosaurid record would be made up of at least three taxa: Baryonyx (or a closely related baryonychine), the spinosaurine Vallibonavenatrix cani, and possibly Camarillasaurus cirugedae, which was recently re-interpreted as belonging to a megalosauroid tentatively related with spinosaurids. This faunal diversity is also compatible with the assortment of spinosaurid tooth morphotypes (distinguished mostly by the presence or absence of serrated mesial carina) that has been described in the Lower Cretaceous of the Iberian Peninsula.

Duerosuchus piscator is a middle Eocene eusuchian known only from Corrales del Vino (Zamora, Spain). The species was defined based on an incomplete skull, partial lower jaws and two vertebrae from ...

Allodaposuchus precedens is a basal member of Eusuchia, which was established almost a century ago on a set of cranial and postcranial fragmentary remains from the lower Maastrichtian of Vălioara, Romania. It was the first described member and type species of Allodaposuchidae, a recently described European clade representing one of the nearest outgroups to Crocodylia. Although our understanding of the group has expanded in recent years through the description of new forms, a review of Al. precedens is needed. The detailed revision of the classical material from Vălioara, including cranial and postcranial remains, and a comparison with the nearly complete skull from the Romanian synchronous locality of Oarda de Jos, allows us to emend the diagnosis for Al. precedens.

The record of spinosaurids currently known in Spain is scarce and represented mainly by isolated teeth and other fragmentary skeletal elements. Most of these previously described specimens have been tentatively attributed to Baryonyx, but there are some differences on dental morphology that may indicate the presence of more than one spinosaurid taxon. A set of postcranial osteological remains of theropod dinosaurs from the upper Barremian Arcillas de Morella Formation of Spain is here described. These elements show a combination of characters compatible with Spinosauridae. The specimens from Morella are interpreted as closely related to other Early and early Late Cretaceous spinosaurids, in particular to Baryonyx walkeri from the Barremian of England, Suchomimus tenerensis from the Aptian of Niger, and Sigilmassasaurus from the Cenomanian of Morocco. However, it was identified a combination of features distinct from other spinosaurids, supporting the presence of a distinct form, adding to the knowledge of the diversity and distribution of this clade of theropod dinosaurs in the Lower Cretaceous of the Iberian Peninsula.

During the last two decades, several specimens of eusuchian crocodyliforms have been described from the Campanian and Maastrichtian (Late Cretaceous) record of Europe. Most of them are now included in the recently described clade Allodaposuchidae. This clade is recognized as the sister group of the crown Crocodylia. The type species of Allodaposuchidae is Allodaposuchus precedens, described on material from the lower Maastrichtian of Valioara (Hunedoara, Romania). The group also comprises several species from Spain and France. Some specimens from Spain, southern France and Romania were assigned to Allodaposuchus precedens by different authors. Thus, fragmentary cranial specimens from the upper Campanian of Armuna (Segovia, Spain) and the lower Maastrichtian of Bellevue (Aude, France) and Vilamitjana (Lleida, Spain), were attributed to Allodaposuchus precedens helping to propose a new diagnosis of this species. In fact, the assignment of specimens from Western Europe to Allodaposuchus precedens has been questioned in recent publications. The present paper analyses the fragmentary material from Spain and France previously assigned to Allodaposuchus precedens. The material analysed, which previously had been attributed to Allodaposuchus precedens, has been reassigned here to Allodaposuchidae indet. This study confirms that the species Allodaposuchus precedens was clearly restricted to Eastern Europe, clarifying the palaeobiogeography of the clade Allodaposuchidae during Campanian-Maastrichtian (Late Cretaceous).

Purpose: Isolated theropod teeth are abundant in the Upper Jurassic of the Lusitanian Basin and are an important source to reconstruct the diversity of this group as well as its geographic and stratigraphic distribution. However, reliably identification of isolated teeth is complex, especially for those morphotypes related to poorly represented groups. Herein a set of isolated theropod teeth collected in different sites from the Upper Jurassic of the Lusitanian Basin ranging from the late Kimmeridgian to late Tithonian in age are described and discussed. Methods: These teeth were grouped in seventeen distinct morphotypes based first on morphology and comparative anatomy. Multivariate statistical analyses were performed in order to assign each morphotype to a certain taxon. Results: The current analysis shows the presence of several groups of theropods such as Ceratosaurus, Torvosaurus, and Allosaurus beside morphotypes identified as belonging to indeterminate Megalosauroidea and Allosauroidea and morphotypes tentatively assigned to Tyrannosauroidea, Dromaeosauridae, and Richardoestesia. This faunal composition, namely the presence of a non-megalosaurid megalosauroid possibly related to the piatnitzkysaurid Marshosaurus, indicates a higher diversity of theropods in the Late Jurassic of the Lusitanian Basin than previously known, based on more complete specimens. Results obtained from this analysis partially agree with previous studies of other collections with isolated theropod teeth from the Upper Jurassic of Portugal such as those of the Guimarota coal mine. However, the presence of velociraptorine dromaeosaurids, compsognathids, and troodontids reported from this site could not be confirmed in the sample herein analyzed. This analysis also indicates a great similarity of the theropod faunas from the Late Jurassic of the Lusitanian Basin and other European chronocorrelative localities such as those from Spain and Germany. © 2017, Springer International Publishing AG.

The Upper Jurassic of the Lusitanian Basin has yielded an important fossil record of sauropods, but little information is available about the tooth morphotypes represented in this region. A large sample of teeth, both unpublished and published, is described and discussed here. Four main tooth morphologies are identified: spatulate, heart-shaped, pencil-shaped, and compressed cone-chisel-shaped. Heart-shaped teeth are considered to be exclusive to a non-neosauropod eusauropod, tentatively referred to Turiasauria. The spatulate teeth can be attributed to members of the Macronaria; they have a complex cingulum, more than one lingual facet and a labial ridge. The compressed cone-chisel-shaped teeth are also attributed to macronarians and the presence of an axially twisted apex through an arc of 30°–45° suggests putative affinities with Europasaurus and basal titanosauriforms. The variability observed in the overall morphology and wrinkling pattern of the compressed cone-chisel-shaped teeth may be due to factors related to the tooth position or to the ontogeny of individuals. Finally, pencil-shaped teeth with high slenderness index values, oval and apically located wear facets, subcylindrical crowns and lacking carinae, are tentatively assigned to Diplodocoidea. The diversity of tooth morphologies is in accordance with the known palaeobiodiversity of the Portuguese Late Jurassic sauropod fauna, which is composed of non-neosauropod eusauropods (turiasaurs), diplodocoids (diplodocids) and macronarians (camarasaurids and probably brachiosaurids). The Late Jurassic sauropod fossil record of the Iberian Peninsula presents the broadest tooth morphospace range in the world from this period, suggesting a wide niche partition for sauropods, and corresponding high taxonomic diversity.

A set of cranial and postcranial specimens, including two partial maxillae, several isolated teeth, vertebrae and appendicular elements of theropod dinosaurs is described. These specimens were collected in different Upper Jurassic sites from the Lusitanian Basin (Portugal) and show several characters that allow its identification as belonging to megalosauroid tetanurans. Some of these elements have a combination of features exclusively shared with other megalosaurids known in the Portuguese record, in particular with the recently described species Torvosaurus gurneyi from synchronic sedimentary levels. The geographic and stratigraphic distribution of the specimens of megalosauroids currently known in the Portuguese record indicates that members of this clade were relatively abundant from the upper Kimmeridgian to the lowermost Tithonian of the Lusitanian Basin, especially in the Consolacao Sub-basin. The analysis of the different specimens described allows testing hypotheses about the distribution and variability of some characters among the Portuguese forms related to Torvosaurus.

The Upper Jurassic of the Lusitanian Basin (Portugal) is particularly rich in sauropod fossil remains, with four established taxa: Dinheirosaurus, Lusotitan, Lourinhasaurus and Zby. The presence of sauropod caudal procoelous vertebrae is reported for the first time in the Upper Jurassic of Portugal, with specimens described from the localities of Baleal, Paimogo, Praia da Areia Branca, Porto das Barcas, and Praia da Corva. The presence of slightly procoelous centra and fan-shaped caudal ribs with smooth prezygapophyseal centrodiapophyseal fossa in the more anterior caudal vertebrae allows for the assignment of these specimens to an indeterminate eusauropod, probably belonging to a non-neosauropod eusauropod form. The absence of several features in the Portuguese specimens that are common in diplodocids, mamenchisaurids and titanosaurs, prevents the establishment of sound relationships with these clades. The described specimens are almost identical to the anterior caudal vertebrae of the Iberian turiasaur Losillasaurus. During the Iberian Late Jurassic, Turiasauria is the only Iberian group of sauropods, which shares this type of morphology with the Baleal, Paimogo, Praia da Areia Branca, Porto das Barcas and Praia da Corva specimens. These specimens represent one of the four anterior caudal vertebral morphotypes recorded in the Upper Jurassic of the Lusitanian Basin and briefly described herein.

The upper Campanian-lower Maastrichtian site of Lo Hueco (Cuenca, Spain) has provided a set of well-preserved partial skeletons in anatomical connection or with a low dispersion of their skeletal elements. One partial skeleton is herein described and a new titanosaurian sauropod is established, Lohuecotitan pandafilandi. This titanosaur is diagnosed by eight autapomorphic features: dorsally and ventrally widened or bifurcated posterior centrodiapophyseal lamina in anterior and middle dorsal vertebrae; short postspinal lamina with a transversely expanded distal end represented by smooth scars in the dorsal vertebrae; anteriormost caudals with the medial spinoprezygapophyseal and medial spinopostzygapophyseal laminae ventrally connected with the prespinal and postspinal laminae, respectively; anterior caudal neural spines with a dorsal projection of the prespinal and postspinal laminae; anterior caudal neural spines bears a “greek-cross”-like cross-section; middle caudal centra having two round and rough structures in the dorsal edge of the posterior articulation, which extends to the dorsal surface of the centrum; the articular ends of the rami of the haemal arches are divided in two articular surfaces; and tuberosity between the anterior and the lateral trochanter of the fibula. The herein performed phylogenetic analysis considered L. pandafilandi as a member of Lithostrotia more derived than Malawisaurus. The known palaeodiversity of the Late Cretaceous Ibero-Armorican titanosaurs is increasing, and further analyses focused on this group will be necessary to better understand the evolutionary history of European titanosaurs and to clarify their relationships within Titanosauria.

The recently described clade Allodaposuchidae includes European eusuchian crocodyliforms restricted to the Late Cretaceous (Campanian and Maastrichtian). A new allodaposuchid crocodyliform is here described based on two specimens from the upper Campanian–lower Maastrichtian fossil site of Lo Hueco (Cuenca, Spain). This new taxon, Agaresuchus fontisensis gen. et sp. nov., is described by two complete skulls and a lower jaw associated with one of them. This new species can be distinguished unambiguously from Lohuecosuchus megadontos, the other allodaposuchid known from the same fossil site. The presence of two allodaposuchid crocodyliforms in Lo Hueco allows the recognition of the synchronic and sympatric existence of two representatives of this clade for the first time. The new genus Agaresuchus, comprises a previously described Iberian allodaposuchid species, “Allodaposuchus” subjuniperus, as Agaresuchus subjuniperus, new combination.

A new specimen of a theropod dinosaur found in Upper Jurassic sedimentary levels of the Lusitanian Basin (Portugal) is described. The specimen includes axial (cervical, dorsal, and caudal vertebrae and ribs) and pelvic elements, corresponding to a small-sized and juvenile individual. This specimen is one of the most complete theropod dinosaur from the Upper Jurassic of Portugal, and the only evidence of a post-hatchling juvenile theropod individual currently recognized in this record. The phylogenetic analysis recovered the new specimen as a basal Allosauroidea. It presents a combination of characters shared with other allosauroids already known in the Upper Jurassic of the Lusitanian Basin, Allosaurus and Lourinhanosaurus, but also some differences relative to both taxa. Some of these differences may be related to the juvenile condition of the specimen, but other unusual features cannot be properly explained by ontogeny, and are interpreted as having taxonomic significance. This combination of features might justify the description of a new theropod taxon for the Portuguese Upper Jurassic. Nevertheless, the presence of three sympatric and almost synchronic, closely related basal allosauroids requires further exploration of their intra- or interspecific variability.

The Upper Jurassic’s central and northern sectors of the Bombarral Sub-basin are relatively poor in sauropod material, highlighting the specimens (mainly teeth) found in the Guimarota mine (Leiria) and the Andres (Pombal) fossil site. The study of published and the unpublished sauropod material allows for a revision of the present state of sauropod diversity of the Bombarral Sub-basin. These new specimens come from Pombal, Leiria, Batalha, Porto de Mos, Alcobaca and Caldas da Rainha, and include an almost complete posterior or middle dorsal neural spine and a partial caudal series. The systematic re-evaluation of the sauropod record of this sector indicates the presence of turiasaurs, diplodocines, titanosauriforms and an indeterminate eusauropod form. During the last part of the twentieth century, the discovery of fossil vertebrates has increased significantly in the sediments cropping out in the central and northern sectors of the Bombarral Sub-basin (Alcobaca and Bombarral Formations), improvin...

The Upper Cretaceous outcrops of Armuna (Segovia Province, Spain) yielded relatively abundant material of vertebrates during prospection and excavation in the second half of the 1980s. However, little has been published on these remains. A new analysis of the specimens from this upper Campanian site reveals the presence of some clades in the site for the first time (e.g., Dortokidae, Anguimorpha, Mosasauroidea). Furthermore, the material of the clades previously recognized there has been reviewed and described in more detail, with some previous systematic attributions confirmed and others refuted. Consequently, a relatively high local diversity has been identified. New taxa (i.e., a member of Anguimorpha and a eusuchian crocodyliform) are identified in Armuna, coexisting with other taxa previously described in other sites from the Iberoarmorican Realm. The vertebrates from Armuna confirm that the fauna from the Upper Cretaceous of the Iberian Peninsula is composed of a mixture of European endemic clades and lineages shared with other continents such as North America (e.g., anguimorphs) and Africa (e.g., bothremydids). © 2015 Elsevier Ltd.

Carcharodontosaurian allosauroids were temporally restricted to the Cretaceous, being known from all land masses with the exception of Antarctica. In addition to Veterupristisaurus from Tanzania, e...

Turiasauria is a clade of eusauropods with a wide stratigraphic range that could extend from the Bathonian to the lower Aptian including Turiasaurus, Losillasaurus, Zby and putatively, Galveosaurus...

[Purpose]: The development of the studies on Mesozoic reptiles of the Spanish record occurred much later than in several European countries such as United Kingdom, France or Germany. Thus, very scarce and punctual findings were performed in the second half of the 19th century, followed by the work of José Royo y Gómez, which was stopped by the Spanish Civil War. The professional surveys and studies carried out in the 1950s in the Upper Cretaceous levels of the Tremp Basin (Lleida, Catalonia, Spain) can be considered as the origins of the development of this discipline in Spain. The works in the Tremp Basin were performed through the collaboration of national and foreign researchers. The Spanish palaeontologist Emiliano Aguirre and the French Albert Félix de Lapparent published some preliminary notes on the vertebrate fauna identified there. However, no detailed systematic study of these historical remains was ever done., [Methods]: The unpublished historical remains from the Tremp Basin collected by Aguirre and Lapparent, and preserved in the Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (Madrid) collections, are studied here., [Results]: The analysis of unpublished historical documentation housed in the archive of that institution allows us to improve the knowledge about the history of these findings, as well as to recognize the precise sites from which each of these fossils come., [Conclusion]: The systematic study of these specimens, corresponding to turtles, crocodiles and dinosaurs, is performed here. They are attributed to Bothremydidae indet., cf. Pan-Cryptodira, cf. Allodaposuchidae, Titanosauria indet., Nodosauridae indet. and Ornithopoda indet., This research is funded by the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (CGL2015-68363-P).

Three new Lower Cretaceous vertebrate sites (Vadillos-1, Vadillos-2, El Tobar) have been recently discovered and studied in the Cuenca Province (Central Spain). They are located in deposits of “Wealden” facies belonging to the El Collado Sandstone and Clay Formation. In these outcrops, micro and macroremains corresponding to plants, invertebrates and vertebrates have been collected and subsequently assigned to macrophytes, charophytes (e.g., Atopochara trivolvis triquetra, Globator maillardii trochiliscoides, Clavator harrisii harrisii), ostracods (e.g., Cypridea gr. modesta, Cypridea cf. C. isasae, Cypridea sp. aff. C. moneta, Cypridea sp. 1, Cypridea sp. 2), molluscs (Unionoida, Viviparus sp.)fishes,amphibians, turtles (cf. Eucryptodira), crocodyliforms (Neosuchia) and dinosaurs (ankylosaurs, ornithopods, theropods). Among the vertebrate remains, scales, teeth, plates, osteoderms, phalanges, ribs, vertebrae and other incomplete bones, as well as eggshell fragments have been identified. This rich and diverse assemblage was deposited in an upper Barremian alluvial-palustrine muddy floodplain crossed by braided sandy channels.

A new dryosaurid ornithopod, Eousdryosaurus nanohallucis, gen. et sp. nov., is described here based on a single specimen from the Late Jurassic Alcobaca Formation of Portugal. Eousdryosaurus nanoha...

A theropod assigned to Ceratosaurus was previously reported from the Portuguese Lusitanian Basin based on a limited number of elements of a single individual. Here, we describe newly discovered elements that likely pertain to same, earlier described, specimen. The new elements provide additional evidence that the range of Ceratosaurus spanned from what is now North America into Europe. Previously, some differences were noted between the Portuguese specimens and the North American Ceratosaurus. We consider these differences to be trivial and attribute them to individual variation and/or ontogeny. The following set of features (lesser trochanter positioned low on the femur; crista tibiofibularis obliquely oriented with respect to the axis of the femoral shaft; infrapopliteal ridge present posteriorly on the femur; large cnemial crest; and medial condyle of the tibia continuous with proximal end) indicate that the Portuguese specimen is assignable to Ceratosaurus. This record constitutes one of the scarce ev...

This article describes isolated skull bones of at least three ornithopod dinosaurs from the lower Aptian “Arcillas de Morella” Formation at Morella (Castellon, Spain). These bones correspond to two right maxillae and a partial left quadrate. Analysis of the two maxillae belonging to the large-sized European ornithopod Iguanodon bernissartensis provided new information about this taxon. Hence, for the first time in Iguanodon , a rostrodorsal process and a straight shape, both in the maxilla and in the tooth row, are described when viewed dorsally and occlusally, respectively. Regarding the left quadrate, in the lateral and medial views, the presence of a bowed quadrate shaft related the left quadrate to the monospecific genus of large-sized ornithopod from the European Early Cretaceous Mantellisaurus . Given the scarce information about the left quadrate, we tentatively refer this bone to cf. Mantellisaurus atherfieldensis . Furthermore, new evidence of these Hadrosauriformes in the Iberian Peninsula corroborates the great similarity between the Barremian–early Aptian dinosaur faunas in British, Belgium and Iberian records.

“Lo Hueco” encloses an extraordinary upper Campanian-lower Maastrichtian fossil assemblage, composed mainly of vertebrates but also plants and invertebrates, and concentrated in a sandy channel structure (C), two grey marly mudstone levels (G1 and G2) and the lower part of a red marly mudstone level (R2). Regarding biostratinomy, the C structure (interpreted as a distributary sandy channel) contains numerous highly altered and randomly distributed macrofossils. The G1 level (the proximal part of a flooded muddy plain) preserves several totally or partially articulated specimens, mainly sauropods, with low degree of scattering and preferred orientation with respect to C. The G2 level (the distal part of a flooded muddy plain) and the lower part of the R2 level (the dried part of a muddy plain) contain numerous rarely articulated and randomly scattered macrofossils. Concerning fossil diagenesis, macroscopically, most bones present a first infilling of gypsum in spongy cavities, a ferruginous crust over outer surfaces and a second precipitation of gypsum over outer surfaces and eventually crossing the ferruginous crust and the first infilling of gypsum. Microscopically, most bones from the C structure and the G1 level additionally show radial microcracks in secondary osteons and ferruginous rings in Haversian channels. Given their particular geological and taphonomic characteristics, the C structure, the G1 and G2 levels and the lower part of the R2 level constitute four distinct taphofacies or bonebeds.

An overview of the faunistic diversity of the Andres fossil-site from the Portuguese Upper Jurassic is presented. This work provides a preliminary approach on the vertebrate fauna known at present. Although this quarry is known since the 1990’s, due to the description of the first robust evidence of a member of the neotetanuran genus Allosaurus outside North America, the results presented here are mainly derived from the analysis of the elements found during the second and third field seasons in 2005. At the moment, among the material collected from Andres it was identified remains that represent a diverse vertebrate fauna, including fishes, sphenodonts, crocodylomorphs, pterosaurs, and at least, seven distinct dinosaur forms. The recovery of this diverse and abundant osteological collection from one unique fossil-site is noteworthy for the Upper Jurassic Portuguese record, and only comparable with those from the Guimarota coalmine. Due to these two features plus the good preservation of the fossils, the Andres quarry may be a site of reference for the analysis of vertebrate ecosystems from the Portuguese Upper Jurassic. Dinosaur elements are the most abundant fossils, and among them it is particularly common the presence of remains identified as Allosaurus. These new evidences allow testing the previous phylogenetical hypothesis ascribing the firsts theropod remains from Andres to A. fragilis, a species described in synchronic levels of the North American Morrison Formation.

The palaeontological site of “Lo Hueco” was discovered in Cuenca, Spain, in 2007. It includes a stratigraphic interval in “Garumn” facies belonging to the upper part of the Villalba de la Sierra Formation. A succession of versicolor marly mudstone levels (V, G1, R1, G2, R2 and M) can be observed at the site studied. This succession is partially modified by a sandy channel structure (C) and by a sulphated interval (S). The C structure and the G1, G2 and R2 (lower part) levels have an extremely rich and varied fossil concentration and have provided to date more than 8500 macroremains. These are mainly from vertebrates, but also from plants and invertebrates. In general, vertebrates are represented by mineralized bones with an early infilling of gypsum, a ferruginous crust, and a secondary precipitation of gypsum; invertebrates by internal moulds; and plants by carbonized remains. Among the vertebrates, titanosaur dinosaurs (some of them with partially articulated skeletons) are by far the most common representatives, although lepisosteid fishes, bothremydid turtles, squamate lizards, eusuchian crocodiles, and ornithischian and theropod dinosaurs are also well represented. The relative stratigraphic position and the palaeontological content of this site allow to attribute it to the upper Campanian-lower Maastrichtian. Interpretation of its materials suggests a near coast muddy flood plain crossed by distributary sandy channels environment, exposed to brackish to fresh water aquatic influence.

Artículo escrito por un elevado número de autores, solo se referencian el que aparece en primer lugar, el nombre del grupo de colaboración, si le hubiere, y los autores pertenecientes a la UAM, The Late Cretaceous (Campanian-Maastrichtian) fossil site of Lo Hueco was recently discovered close to the village of Fuentes (Cuenca, Spain) during the cutting of a little hill for installation of the railway of the Madrid-Levante high-speed train. To date, it has yielded a rich collection of well-preserved Cretaceous macrofossils, including plants, invertebrates, and vertebrates. The recovered fossil assemblage is mainly composed of plants, molluscs (bivalves and gastropods), actinopterygians and teleosteans fishes, amphibians, panpleurodiran (bothremydids) and pancryptodiran turtles, squamate lizards, eusuchian crocodyliforms, rhabdodontid ornithopods, theropods (mainly dromaeosaurids), and titanosaur sauropods. This assemblage was deposited in a near-coast continental muddy floodplain crossed by distributary sandy channels, exposed intermittently to brackish or marine and freshwater flooding as well as to partial or total desiccation events. The Konzentrat-Lagerstatt of Lo Hueco constitutes a singular accumulation of fossils representing individuals of some particular lineages of continental tetrapods, especially titanosaurs, eusuchians and bothremydid turtles. In the case of the titanosaurs, the site has yielded multiple partial skeletons in anatomical connection or with a low dispersion of their skeletal elements. A combination of new taxa, new records of taxa previously known in the Iberian Peninsula, and relatively common taxa in the European record compose the Lo Hueco biota. The particular conditions of the fossil site of Lo Hueco and the preliminary results indicate that the analysis of the geological context, the floral and faunal content, and the taphonomical features of the site provide elements that will be especially useful for reassess the evolutionary history of some lineages of European Late Cretaceous reptiles, The fieldwork at Lo Hueco (2007-2009) was funded by ADIF (the state-owned company that administrate the Spanish railway infrastructures) through the company awarded the civil works (Ferrovial). The authors acknowledge the involvement and commitment to this task to the more-than-one-hundred technicians and assistants. The paleontological excavation was authorized by the Dirección General de Patrimonio y Museos de la Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-la Mancha whose acronym is 04.0392-P11. The excavation also received support from different estates of the Government of the Autonomous Community of Castilla-La Mancha (Presidencia de la JCCM, Consejería de Cultura, Consejería de Medio Ambiente, Delegación de la JCCM en Cuenca) and the City Council of Fuentes. Research at Lo Hueco was financed by the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación: CGL2009-12008, CGL2011-25894, CGL2009-10766, CGL2009-12143, and currently the proyect CGL2012-35199: “Estudio paleoambiental, faunístico y florístico del yacimiento del Cretácico Superior de Lo Hueco (Fuentes, Cuenca)”. Part of this research has been also financed within the projects PEII11-0237-7926 of the Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha. L.D. acknowledges a PICATA contract of the UCM-UPM Moncloa Campus of International Excellence (Spain). Preparation of the material has been partially developed by the Employment Workshop of Paleontological Restoration of Lo Hueco funded by the Fondo Social Europeo, Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha, Spanish Ministerio de Empleo y Seguridad Social, and the Diputación Provincial de Cuenca

More than one century after its original description by Marsh in 1877, we report in this paper the first uncontroversial evidence of a member of the genus Stegosaurus out of North America. The specimen consists of a partial skeleton from the Upper Jurassic of Portugal, herein considered as Stegosaurus cf. ungulatus. The pres- ence of this plated dinosaur in the upper Kimmeridgian- lower Tithonian Portuguese record and synchronic levels of the Morrison Formation of North America reinforces previous hypothesis of a close relationship between these two areas during the Late Jurassic. This relationship is also supported by geotectonic evidences indicating high proba- bility of an episodic corridor between the Newfoundland and Iberian landmasses. Together, Portuguese Stegosaurus dis- covery and geotectonic inferences could provide a scenario with episodical faunal contact among North Atlantic land- masses during the uppermost Kimmeridgian-lowermost Tithonian (ca. 148-153 Ma ago).

The late Campanian-early Maastrichtian site of Lo Hueco (Cuenca, Spain) has provided a set of well-preserved crocodyliform skull and lower jaw remains, which are described here and assigned to a new basal eusuchian taxon, Lohuecosuchus megadontos gen. et sp. nov. The reevaluation of a complete skull from the synchronous site of Fox-Amphoux (Department of Var, France) allows us to define a second species of this new genus. Phylogenetic analysis places Lohuecosuchus in a clade exclusively composed by European Late Cretaceous taxa. This new clade, defined here as Allodaposuchidae, is recognized as the sister group of Hylaeochampsidae, also comprised of European Cretaceous forms. Allodaposuchidae and Hylaeochampsidae are grouped in a clade identified as the sister group of Crocodylia, the only crocodyliform lineage that reaches our days. Allodaposuchidae shows a vicariant distribution pattern in the European Late Cretaceous archipelago, with several Ibero-Armorican forms more closely related to each other than with to Romanian Allodaposuchus precedens.

Body fossils of the Iberian Peninsula dinosaurs are very relevant for the knowledge of several aspects of the evolutionary history of the group, and, in addition, for the interpretation of the distribution of many of its components, due to the geographic situation of the Iberian Peninsula. Almost all of the groups of dinosaurs are represented in the Iberian Peninsula record: ornithopods, thyreophorans, theropods and sauropods. These groups are present, mainly, in the transit Jurassic-Cretaceous (Kimmeridigian- Berriasian), the upper part of the Lower Cretaceous (Barremian-Aptian) and in the end of the Upper Cretaceous (Campanian-Masstrichtian). Ornithischian dinosaurs are represented by thyreophorans such as the stegosaurians Dacentrurus and Stegosaurus, the ankylosaurs Dracopelta, Polacanthus and Struthiosaurus, and ornithopods like hypsilophodontids, basal iguanodontians (Rhabdodon), dryosaurids, camptosaurids (Draconyx and Camptosaurus), iguanodontids (Iguanodon) and hadrosaurids (Pararhabdodon). Some Incertae sedis and taxa in process of description are present too. Sauropods are represented by taxa related to Neosauropoda (Lourinhasaurus, Dinheirosaurus, Galveosaurus and Losillasaurus) and titanosauriforms (Aragosaurus, Lusotitan and Lirainosaurus). In addition, new forms are still in description, like the sauropods of Riodeva (Teruel), Penarroya de Tastavins (Teruel) and Morella (Castellon). Theropods are represented by the ceratosaurian Ceratosaurus, the spinosauroid Torvosaurus, the carnosaurs Lourinhanosaurus and Allosaurus, the tyrannosaurid Aviatyrannis, the ornithomimosaur Pelecanimimus, and the avian-theropods Iberomesornis, Concornis, Eoalulavis and Noguerornis. Nevertheless, theropods diversity is more abundant as it shows the great variability of teeth morphotypes identified.