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Albian dinosaur tracks from the Monte Grande Formation (Basque–Cantabrian Basin) are described. Sedimentary succession shows seven different facies associations (FAs) with four track-bearing levels (levels 1–4) of a braid delta system. FA 4, a proximal crevasse subdelta, preserves in levels 2 and 3 theropod, possibly sauropod and undetermined dinosaur tracks, as well as Ophiomorpha and Skolithos traces. FA 5, a middle crevasse subdelta, presents undetermined cross-section tracks in levels 1 and 4, besides Ophiomorpha , Skolithos and locally Teichichnus in other layers. Both FAs have the same general ichnoassociation, although with preservational variations. The sedimentary succession represents an area with periods of crevasse subdelta progradation and colonization of opportunistic organisms, and other periods of subdelta abandonment represented by short sedimentary hiatuses in which the water sheet would be shallow or even absent and where dinosaurs would be roaming. Particularly, the traces of levels 2 and 3 represent the same ichnocoenosis constituting two different suites and may be envisaged as penecontemporaneous, produced within a short-term preservational window. This tracksite is one of the scarce Albian dinosaur ichnological records in the southwestern European island palaeoarchipelago and one of the few worldwide localities where Albian dinosaur tracks have been found in deltaic facies.

Mosasaurids, a clade of specialized marine squamates, saw a major adaptive radiation in the Late Cretaceous, evolving a wide range of body sizes, shapes, and specialized tooth morphologies. The most diverse known mosasaurid faunas come from the late Maastrichtian phosphates of Morocco. Here, we report an unusual new mosasaurid, Stelladens mysteriosus, based on a partial jaw and associated tooth crowns from lower Couche III phosphatic deposits at Sidi Chennane, Oulad Abdoun Basin, Morocco. Stelladens is characterized by short, triangular tooth crowns with a series of strong, elaborate, and serrated ridges on the lingual surface of the tooth, functioning as accessory carinae. Morphology of the teeth and associated jaw fragment suggest affinities with Mosasaurinae. No close analogues to the unique tooth morphology of Stelladens are known, either extant or extinct. It may have had an unusual and highly specialized diet, a specialized prey-capture strategy, or both. The diversity of mosasaurid teeth is much higher than that of plesiosaurs, ichthyosaurs, or extant marine mammals, and likely reflects both the ecological diversity of mosasaurids and complex developmental mechanisms responsible for tooth formation in mosasaurines. Mosasaurid diversity continued to increase up to the Cretaceous–Paleogene boundary.

Equoid perissodactyls were diverse in the Eocene of the Iberian Peninsula, and those from the central and western Iberian basins (Mondego, Oviedo, Almazán, Duero, and Miranda-Treviño) and the eastern Ebro Basin (Ulldemolins area) were endemic, with the presence of six genera and 19 species (mainly Palaeotheriidae sensu stricto) that are unknown in the rest of western Europe. In this paper, a new endemic Eocene paleotheriid genus, Idiodontherium, gen. nov., is reported. The new genus includes two species: I. martindejesusi, from the upper middle Eocene (Bartonian) of Mazaterón (Almazán Basin, Soria, Spain) and I. astibiai, from the upper Eocene (Priabonian) site of Zambrana (Miranda-Treviño Basin, Álava/Araba, Spain). Idiodontherium exhibits an unusual dental pattern, which is characterized by an extreme shortening of the jugal series due to a great reduction of the premolar series, in combination with a long post-canine diastema. It is a small to medium-sized plagiolophine with thick enamel in comparison with other plagiolophine equoids of the same size. These new taxa exhibit peculiar dental features that could be associated with greater specialization of the diet.

Se describen por primera vez restos fósiles de cocodrilo del Mioceno Inferior (Formación Tudela, Rambliense, Biozonas MN2b-3) de las Bardenas Reales de Navarra, región situada en el sector noroccidental de la Depresión del Ebro. El material consiste en fragmentos craneales y mandibulares, dientes, huesos del esqueleto axial y apendicular y del escudo dérmico. La mayor parte dl los restos están desarticulados y pertenecen a varios individuos, habiéndose reconocido tanto formas juveniles como adultas. La escasa variabilidad morfológica observada en la asociación fósil sugiere que todos los restos pertenecen al mismo taxón. El material se atribuye a Diplocynodon sp. (Eusuchia, Alligatoroidea). Dicha atribución se basa en caracteres mandibulares, como la presencia de alveolos dentarios tercero y cuarto del mismo tamaño y confluentes, esplenial excluido de la sínfisis mandibular, y en rasgos de los osteodermos ventrales, que están formados por osificaciones pares. La principal característica de los dentarios es una sínfisis mandibular muy corta, que no sobrepasa en longitud el borde posterior del tercer alveolo. Los yacimientos de las Bardenas Reales de Navarra han proporcionado el material más abundante y diverso de Diplocynodon conocido en el Mioceno de la Península Ibérica.

Tras haberse encontrado varios yacimientos con icnitas de dinosaurio de edad Carixiense (Pliensbaquiense, Liásico Medio) en las proximidades de Goulmima (Alto Atlas Central de Marruecos), una campaña de prospección condujo al hallazgo de un nuevo afloramiento, sobre todo destacable por uno de los tipos de icnitas que contiene. Se descubrieron tres rastrilladas: una con icnitas terópodas de tipo Eubrontes y dos con grandes pisadas “ornitópodas” similares a algunas atribuidas a grandes Iguanodontia. De acuerdo con la edad liásica de las rocas y el gran tamaño relativo de las icnitas, y siguiendo las interpretaciones previas de otros autores, se atribuyen a tireóforos graviportales y aparentemente bípedos, posiblemente próximos a estegosaurios.

Remains of Garrigatitan meridionalis nov. gen. et sp. were found in two bonebeds of sequence 2 from the upper Campanian site of Velaux-La Bastide Neuve (Aix-en-Provence Basin, Bouches du Rhône department). The vertebrate assemblage is dominated by dinosaurs, including the titanosaur Atsinganosaurus velauciensis. Garrigatitan meridionalis presents three diagnostic characters: hourglass-shaped humeri (proximal and distal thirds of almost the same transversal width) in anterior and posterior views, ilium with a broad rounded hollow slightly posterior to the base of the pubic peduncle, proximolateral margin of the femur only slightly medially deflected. Garrigatitan was a small to medium-sized sauropod (sub/adult individuals between 4-6 metres and 2-2.5 tonnes), showing anatomical differences with Atsinganosaurus, and with the other Late Cretaceous Ibero-Armorican titanosaurs. Large titanosaurian specimens found at Velaux-La Bastide Neuve could belong to adult Garrigatitan individuals reaching a body length of atleast 12 metres. Histological analysis of long bones shows features similar to other Late Cretaceous European titanosaurs, indicating that all individuals had reached skeletal maturity (presence of an EFS, heavy remodelling HOS 12 to 14). The new taxon is recovered within the clade Lirainosaurinae. Garrigatitan meridionalis increases the diversity of Late Cretaceous titanosaurs within the Ibero-Armorican Island.

Dinosauro teropodoak erregistro fosilean nahiko urriak dira eta askotan aurkitutako fosil bakarrak hortz isolatuak dira. Teropodoen hortzekin, ordea, azterketa paleontologiko anitz egin daitezke, metodologia kualitatibo eta kuantitatibo mota desberdinak erabiliz. Hortzetatik abiatuz, teropodoen biosistematika burutu eta talde honen erregistro fosila eta paleobiodibertsitatea ezagutu daiteke, baita hainbat diziplina paleobiologikoren azterketa egin ere; hala nola, paleoekologia (iraganeko bizidunek beraien artean eta hauek ingurunearekin duten erlazioaren azterketa) eta paleobiogeografia (iraganeko bizidunen banaketa biogeografikoaren azterketa). Azterketa paleoekologiko bat dinosauro hauen dieta ezagutzea litzateke. Teropodoen lehendabiziko ordezkariek hortz zifodontoak (laban itxurakoak) zituzten; hortz hauek haragia ebakitzeko aproposak dira. Hortz pakidontoak (banana gisakoak) zifodontoak baino erresistentzia handiagoa erakusten dute. Hauek kate trofikoaren goialdean dauden teropodo haragijaleetan agertzen dira eta hezurrak txikitzea eta haragian ebakidura zabalak egitea ahalbidetzen zieten dinosauroei. Hortzeria konidontoa (hortz lateral konikodun hortzeria) zulatzeko eta harrapakinak eusteko da egokia eta dinosauro iktiofago, herbiboro eta intsektiboro batzuetan garatu zen. Hortzeria folidontodun teropodoei, hau da, hosto itxurako hortzak dituztenei, dieta mota ezberdinak esleitu zaizkie; hala nola, haragijalea, intsektiboroa, omniboroa edota herbiboroa. Nahiz eta dinosauro teropodoek hortzeria mota ezberdinak izan, batzuk hortzen galera erakusten dute. Edentulismoa (hortzen galera partziala edo osoa) teropodo talde ezberdinetan eman zen independenteki. Edentulismoaren zergatia jorratzen duten hipotesi asko proposatu diren arren, argi dago hortz gabeko moko batek funtzio asko bete ditzakeela, hala nola, dietan, eta, beraz, berrikuntza ebolutibo garrantzitsua izan zela dinosauro teropodo ez-hegaztietan eta hegaztietan. Izan ere, egun, hortz gabeko hegaztiak bizirik dirauten dinosauro bakarrak dira.

Spinosaurid dinosaurs show a wide geographical and temporal distribution, being present in Gondwanan and Laurasian landmasses, at least, during the Lower Cretaceous and the Cenomanian. European spinosaurids are more diverse than previously thought with five, and probably six, currently recognised genera. The revision of CPI 477, a fragment of a left maxilla from the Lower Cretaceous of La Rioja (Spain) previously assigned to Baryonyx, demonstrates that this specimen cannot be referred to this genus and likely belongs to an indeterminate baryonychine closer to Baryonyx than to Suchomimus. CPI 477 exhibits a tooth replacement process comparable to that of other theropods and, besides, similar to other large theropods, two replacement teeth could simultaneously be developed in the same alveolus, partly explaining high replacement ratios and the overabundance of spinosaurid teeth in some fossil sites. Furthermore, the Oxalaia maxilla shares the anteriorly located external naris with Irritator and baryonychine spinosaurids, which differ from the more retracted ones in African spinosaurines. Finally, in addition to the previously noticed differences between Baryonychinae and Spinosaurinae, the paradental groove of African spinosaurines and Oxalaia differs from that of baryonychines in being sinusoidal instead of straight.

We report on new mosasaurid remains, namely isolated teeth, from the Upper Maastrichtian shallow marine environment of Albaina in the Lano quarry (Condado de Trevino). The new specimens belong mostly to mosasaurines, i.e., Mosasaurus hoffmanni, Prognathodon solvayi, Prognathodon sectorius, and to the russellosaurine plioplatecarpine Platecarpus cf. ictericus. Prognathodon solvayi and Platecarpus cf. ictericus were previously known from Albaina. This is the first mention in the site of Mosasaurus hoffmanni, widespread in Maastrichtian outcrops located around palaeolatidude 30- 40oN, from New Jersey (USA) to Turkey passing through Europe where it is commonly found. Prognathodon sectorius has a comparable palaeobiogeographical distribution, though not so expanded, that M. hoffmanni, being known in the Maastrichtian of New Jersey (USA) and Europe and, since recently, in the Campanian of Navarre. With six different taxa reported here, Albaina is the richest outcrop in specific mosasaurid diversity from the Maastrichtian of southern Europe

The fossiliferous site of La Cantalera-1 (Teruel, Spain) has to date provided remains of more than 30 vertebrate taxa, including dinosaurs, crocodyliforms, pterosaurs, mammals, lizards, turtles, lissamphibians and teleosteans. Located in the lower part of the Blesa Formation (lower Barremian), it is one of the richest vertebrate-bearing deposits from the Lower Cretaceous of the Iberian Peninsula. In this work, taphonomic and palaeohistological studies are carried out on the basis of ornithischian (Ornithopoda and Ankylosauria) dinosaur samples in order to assess the diagenetic processes, to characterize the histological microstructures and, if possible, to make palaeobiological inferences about the state of maturation of the individuals. A variety of techniques are used in the taphonomic study, including scanning electron microscopy (SEM), cathodoluminescence (CL), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and ultraviolet fluorescence (UVF). The bone of the dinosaur samples has been converted into francolite (fluorapatite carbonate); the trabecular cavities are filled with semi-spherical forms of goethite and two different phases of calcite. In addition, the SEM and UVF techniques suggest the activity of coccoid-form bacteria and filaments of bacterial origin (biofilms?) in the bones, which possibly favoured fossilization. The dinosaur remains were subjected to fossil-diagenetic processes in a phreatic environment after a rapid burial, without appreciable seasonality effects. On the other hand, the palaeohistological study of both skeletal and dermal bones found in La Cantalera-1 shows a community of herbivorous dinosaurs composed mostly of immature ornithopods and at least one Polacanthus-like ankylosaur, as suggested by the organizational pattern of structural collagen fibres seen in some samples. The palaeobiological inferences drawn from this study support previous interpretations of a relative abundance of immature ornithischians in La Cantalera-1.

International audience; The Quintanilla la Ojada section (Basque-Cantabrian Region, northern Spain) has yielded two assemblages of Late Cretaceous vertebrates, deposited during the Maastrichtian in coastal environments and related to a transgressive lag at the base of the Valdenoceda Formation. Numerous teeth of Elasmobranchii and Actinopterygii are the most prevailing fossil material, although scarce teeth of marine reptiles (Mosasauridae) and dinosaurs (Hadrosauridae) also occur. The presence of one hadrosaurian tooth, a terrestrial taxon, constitutes the first report of ornithischians in the Valdenoceda Formation. The fossil vertebrate association of Quintanilla la Ojada is similar to that discovered in Albaina (Treviño County, Burgos), also located in the Basque-Cantabrian Region, although relatively younger in age. Both fossil sites are characterised by a mixture of taxa from the northern and southern margins of the Mediterranean Tethys (north-European and north-African outcrops).; La coupe de Quintanilla la Ojada (Région Basco-Cantabrique, Nord de l’Espagne) a livré deux assemblages de vertébrés d’âge Crétacé supérieur, déposés durant le Maastrichtien dans des environnements côtiers et liés à un lag transgressif situé à la base de la Formation Valdenoceda. De nombreuses dents d’Elasmobranchii et d’Actinopterygii sont les plus fréquentes, bien que de rares dents de reptiles marins (Mosasauridae) et de dinosaures (Hadrosauridae) aient aussi été trouvées. La présence d’une dent d’hadrosaure, taxon terrestre, constitue la première mention d’ornithischiens dans la Formation Valdenoceda. L’association de vertébrés fossiles de Quintanilla la Ojada est similaire à celle découverte à Albaina (Comté de Treviño, Burgos), situé également dans la région Basco-Cantabrique, bien que d’âge légèrement plus jeune. Les deux sites fossilifères sont caractérisés par un mélange de taxons des marges nord et sud de la Téthys méditerranéenne (affleurements du Nord de l’Europe et du Nord de l’Afrique).

The middle and late Eocene perissodactyl fossil record of western Iberia is characterized by an endemic fauna, which is clearly different from those of northeastern Iberia and other areas of the Eu...

[EN]Theropod behaviour and biodynamics are intriguing questions that paleontology has been trying to resolve for a long time. The lack of extant groups with similar bipedalism has made it hard to answer some of the questions on the matter, yet theoretical biomechanical models have shed some light on the question of how fast theropods could run and what kind of movement they showed. The study of dinosaur tracks can help answer some of these questions due to the very nature of tracks as a product of the interaction of these animals with the environment. Two trackways belonging to fast-running theropods from the Lower Cretaceous Enciso Group of Igea (La Rioja) are presented here and compared with other fast-running theropod trackways published to date. The Lower Cretaceous Iberian fossil record and some features present in these footprints and trackways suggest a basal tetanuran, probably a carcharodontosaurid or spinosaurid, as a plausible trackmaker. Speed analysis shows that these trackways, with speed ranges of 6.5-10.3 and 8.8-12.4 ms(-1), testify to some of the top speeds ever calculated for theropod tracks, shedding light on the question of dinosaur biodynamics and how these animals moved. We thank all the collaborators that helped us during field work and data acquisition. P.N.L. is supported by a TALENTO Ph.D grant from Universidad de La Rioja (E-26-2017-0029977). E.I. is supported by a Ph.D grant of the Basque Government (PRE-2020-2-0100). A.T. Is supported by a TALENTO Posdoctoral grant from Consejeria de Educacion y Cultura (Gobierno de La Rioja). We also want to thank R. Glasgow for editing the english and his helpful comments on the manuscript. Research funded by La Rioja Government, Spain by "Convenio para la financiacion de actividades de la Catedra Extraordinaria de Patrimonio Paleontologico " in the Universidad de La Rioja, the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities of Spain (project CGL2017-85038-P), the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), and the Basque Country Government (group IT418-19).

Two new ornithopod natural casts are reported from the Praia do Areia do Mastro site, at Espichel Cape (near Sesimbra), western central mainland Portugal (western Iberia). In this Tracksite two geological formations occur: Areia do Mastro Formation and Papo-Seco Formation (lower Barremian). This locality (Praia do Areia do Mastro) occurs in a sedimentary succession comprising limestones, marls, sands and conglomerates, interpreted as marine, lagoonal and estuarine deposits. In the Papo-Seco Formationhave yielded fossil remains of dinosaurs (teeth and bones) and other vertebrates ( Figueiredo et al, 2015 , 2016 )... The ichnological record is composed by two footprints, one of them incomplete, preserved as natural casts in convex hiporelief. They are tridactyl, mesaxonic and wider than long. The digit impressions are short, wide and have a blunt edge. The footprints present a round and wide posterior surface and have one pad impression in each digit and a wide and subrounded metatarsophalangeal pad impression. Based on the commented features, they are assigned herein to Caririchnium isp. This ichnogenus is present in other Lower Cretaceous sites in the Iberian Peninsula and is also present in other Barremian tracksites of Portugal. In Spain, Caririchnium tracks are typical of continental settings, while in Portugal they were mainly found in estuarine paleoenvironments. This contribution enhances the knowledge of the Early Cretaceous ornithopod diversity and distribution in the Iberian Peninsula.

Se analizan las faunas de reptiles marinos del Cretácico final (Santoniense a Maastrichtiense) de Europa, en el margen norte del mar de Tetis mediterráneo, desde un punto de vista sistemático y bioestratigráfico. Se establece una correlación entre las principales formaciones y las zonas de belemnites. Las faunas de reptiles marinos de la provincia europea situadas entre los 30° y 40° N de latitud estan dominadas por los mosasaurios y las tortugas Chelonioidea. Los plesiosaurios (elasmosaurios y pliosaurios) son bastante escasos y provienen de las localidades más septentrionales (a partir de 40° N). Los cocodrilos Dyrosauridae y las serpientes Paleophidae no estan representados en el registro fósil europeo. Este modelo de distribución de los reptiles marinos parece estar controlado por los gradientes latitudinales.

Fil: Cruzado Caballero, Penélope. CONICET, Universidad Nacional de Río Negro. Instituto de Investigación en Paleobiología y Geología, General Roca; Argentina Fil: Díaz martínez, Ignacio. CONICET, Universidad Nacional de Río Negro. Instituto de Investigación en Paleobiología y Geología; Argentina Fil: Rothschild, Bruce. Carnegie Museum, Pittsburgh, PA, USA Fil: Bedell, Malcolm. Western Interior Paleontological Society, Denver, CO, USA Fil: Pereda Suberbiola, Xabier. Universidad Del País Vasco/Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea (UPV/EHU), Bilbao, Spain The study of palaeopathology provides valuable information about injury and behaviour in extinct organisms. Appendicular pathologies are interesting as they directly affect mobility and therefore the ability of an animal to survive. Here, the injuries recorded in the left pes of the neornithischian Othnielosaurus consors are described. The implications of these injuries in its behaviour are also discussed. Othnielosaurus shows pathological features in all its pes digits, with three types of pathologies have been identified: calcium pyrophosphate deposition disease (CPPD), and pilon and impact fractures. Calcium pyrophosphate deposition disease is visible on the articular surface of phalange II-3 as a small osseous plaque. A pilon fracture is evidenced by the growth of callus tissue on the shaft of the phalange I-1 and demonstrates healing before death. The impact fractures are identified as a focal subsidence on the articular surfaces of phalanges III-1 and IV-4, which are partially healed. Perhaps the suite of palaeopathologies encountered would generate pain and discomfort when walking, which probably resulted in a limp that would have impacted on its lifestyle. Finally, the fact that the fractures are in different stages of healing would suggest that impact fractures could have contributed to the death of the individual.

Le premier Dinosaure thyreophore du Jurassique moyen (Bajocien) du Grand-Duche de Luxembourg. Un osteoderme isole de dinosaure provenant de la carriere d’Ottange-Rumelange (Cimalux, auparavant Intermoselle) du Grand-Duche de Luxembourg est ici decrit. Le fossile a ete trouve dans des depots marno-calcaires des “Marnes sableuses d’Audun-le-Tiche”, d’âge Jurassique moyen (Zone Humphriesianum, Bajocien inferieur). Les depots correspondent a un environnement marin ouvert qui a fourni une faune abondante et variee, comprenant invertebres, actinopterygiens, hybodontes, neoselaciens, chimeres et reptiles marins. L’osteoderme, ovale et portant une quille basse, en forme de toit, est identifie comme etant un ecusson dermique d’un thyreophore. Il pourrait appartenir a un thyreophore basal ou, plus provisoirement, a un des premiers ankylosaures. Le specimen provient probablement d’une carcasse flottante qui a derive sur une certaine distance depuis la terre ferme. L’ecusson dermique de la carriere d’Ottange-Rumelange represente le deuxieme dinosaure decrit jusqu’a present au Luxembourg et le premier trouve dans le Bajocien. D’autre part, il s’agit d’une des rares decouvertes de dinosaures thyreophores non-stegosauriens dans le Jurassique moyen.

Stegosaurian remains from the Early Cretaceous (Wealden beds, probably Hauterivian-Barremian) of Aldea del Pinar (Burgos, Spain) are described. The material consists of the ?most posterior dorsal vertebra and a partial dermal plate. The general form of the vertebra, with a massive centrum, a prominent lateral depression and solid neural arch pedicels, is reminiscent of the dorsal vertebrae of Dacentrurus, but the centrum is even more massive than in this genus from the Late Jurassic. Pending the discovery of new fossils, the Burgos material is provisionally referred to as Stegosauria indeterminate. This is the first report of stegosaurs in the region of Castilla y Leon and one of the few records of this group of thyreophoran dinosaurs from the Early Cretaceous of Europe. The occurrence of other Cretaceous stegosaurs is reviewed.

Since the second half of the 20th Century, the study of fossil tracks in South America has steadily increased. A large number of tetrapod ichnogenera is currently known mainly from Argentina, Bolivia and Brazil. In this study, we present a new record consisting of several trackways that we refer to cf. Tetrapodosaurus, representing the first explicit mention of the ichnogenus in South America. These tracks come from the lacustrine to transitional El Molino Formation, deposited in Maastrichtian-Danian times, at the locality of Ninu-Mayu, near Sucre, Bolivia. These tracks preserve a quite similar manual morphology to that of Tetrapodosaurus borealis and minor differences in its pedal prints. Tetrapodosaurus is a typical ichnogenus of the northern hemisphere and commonly assigned to an ankylosaurian trackmaker. Tracks assigned to ankylosaurs were already reported from other sites of Bolivia, Brazil and tentatively Argentina; the new finding further improves our understanding of the ankylosaurian record from South America. A detailed morphological analysis allows us to make an accurate trackmaker identification and footprints are attributed to a member of the ankylosaurian family, the Nodosauridae. The trackways from Ninu-Mayu also have paleobiological implications. Manus prints are complete, pes prints generally lack the proximal region of the pes, the sole pad, expulsion rims are proximally placed in pes prints and the trackway parameters are highly variable, suggesting formation influenced by certain buoyancy of the trackmakers.

The Late Cretaceous saw distinctly endemic dinosaur faunas evolve in the northern and southern hemispheres. The Laurasian continents of North America and Asia were dominated by hadrosaurid and ceratopsian ornithischians, with tyrannosaurs as apex predators. In Gondwanan communities, including Africa, South America, India and Madagascar, titanosaurian sauropods dominated as herbivores and abelisaurids as predators. These patterns are thought to be driven by the breakup of Pangaea and formation of seaways limiting dispersal. Here, we report a new lambeosaurine hadrosaurid, Ajnabia odysseus gen. et sp. nov., from the upper Maastrichtian of Morocco, North Africa, the first Gondwanan representative of a clade formerly thought to be restricted to Laurasia. The new animal shows features unique to Hadrosauridae and specifically Lambeosaurinae. Phylogenetic analysis recovers it within Arenysaurini, a clade of lambeosaurines previously known only in Europe. Biogeographic modelling shows that lambeosaurines dispersed from Asia to Europe, then to Africa. Given the existence of large, persistent seaways isolating Africa and Europe from other continents, and the absence of the extensive, bidirectional interchange characterizing land bridges, these patterns suggest dispersals across marine barriers, similar to those seen in Cenozoic mammals, reptiles, and amphibians. Dispersal across marine barriers also occurs in other hadrosaurid lineages and titanosaurian sauropods, suggesting oceanic dispersal played a key role in structuring Mesozoic terrestrial dinosaur faunas.

During the latest Cretaceous, distinct dinosaur faunas were found in Laurasia and Gondwana. Tyrannosaurids, hadrosaurids, and ceratopsians dominated in North America and Asia, while abelisaurids and titanosaurians dominated in South America, India, and Madagascar. Little is known about dinosaur faunas from the latest Cretaceous of Africa, however. Here, a new abelisaurid theropod, Chenanisaurus barbaricus , is described from the upper Maastrichtian phosphates of the Ouled Abdoun Basin in Morocco, North Africa on the basis of a partial dentary and isolated teeth. Chenanisaurus is both one of the largest abelisaurids, and one of the youngest known African dinosaurs. Along with previously reported titanosaurian remains, Chenanisaurus documents the persistence of a classic Gondwanan abelisaurid-titanosaurian fauna in mainland Africa until just prior to the end-Cretaceous mass extinction. The animal is unusual both in terms of its large size and the unusually short and robust jaw. Although it resembles South American carnotaurines in having a deep, bowed mandible, phylogenetic analysis suggests that Chenanisaurus may represent a lineage of abelisaurids that is distinct from those previously described from the latest Cretaceous of South America, Indo-Madagascar, and Europe, consistent with the hypothesis that the fragmentation of Gondwana led to the evolution of endemic dinosaur faunas during the Late Cretaceous.

The pelvic armor elements in the ankylosaurian material from the Upper Cretaceous of Iharkut, Hungary are described here. Among these, a new articulated hip region of a small bodied ankylosaur is referred here to cf. Struthiosaurus sp. It preserves, uniquely among Late Cretaceous European ankylosaurs, an in situ pelvic armor composed of among others four, keeled, oval to circular osteoderms lying centrally and arranged longitudinally above the synsacral neural spines. This is the first indication of this type of pelvic osteoderm arrangement in an ankylosaur, increasing our knowledge on this poorly known part of the ankylosaur skeleton. Some additional pelvic osteoderms are also described that help to reconstruct and distinguish the pelvic armor of the two Late Cretaceous European ankylosaurs Struthiosaurus and Hungarosaurus. Both taxa have some fused parts in the pelvic armor but most probably neither of them had a single, fused pelvic shield as that of the Early Cretaceous Polacanthus. Interwoven texture on the ventral surface of the osteoderms, observed in both European taxa and known in other ankylosaurs (e.g. Polacanthus, Nodosaurus), is suggested here to be a characteristic feature of the non-keeled, fused pelvic armor elements of Ankylosauria.

Los Pirineos occidentales son un territorio con una notable diversidad geológica y un importante registro fósil, que constituye un gran archivo de paleobiodiversidad. En lo que respecta al registro fósil de vertebrados, los Pirineos occidentales (Región Vasco-Cantábrica, Cuenca de Pamplona y sector noroccidental de la Cuenca del Ebro) son relevantes tanto desde el punto de vista de los yacimientos paleontológicos como de las colecciones de fósiles procedentes de ellos. Varios yacimientos de vertebrados forman parte del Inventario de Lugares de Interés Geológico (LIG) con alto o muy alto interés paleontológico en la Comunidad Autónoma del País Vasco. Destacan los yacimientos de peces cretácicos de Zeanuri en Bizkaia, mamíferos eocenos de Zambrana e icnitas miocenas de Salinas de Añana en Álava/Araba y la asociación de vertebrados pleistocenos de Kiputz cerca de Mutriku, en Gipuzkoa. Otros yacimientos notables en el área de estudio deberían ser objeto de iniciativas de geoconservación: es el caso de la cantera de Laño (Condado de Treviño), con asociaciones fi nicretácicas de vertebrados continentales y marinos, los afloramientos con icnitas de aves y mamíferos del Eoceno al Mioceno inferior de Navarra/Nafarroa y la cueva vizcaína de Santa Isabel de Ranero (Pleistoceno), por citar únicamente los ejemplos más sobresalientes. Asimismo, existen colecciones de fósiles de vertebrados en los Pirineos occidentales que destacan por su elevado interés paleontológico, aunque algunos no provengan de LIG reconocidos. Estas colecciones están depositadas en diversos centros e instituciones de Bilbao, Irún, Leioa, Pamplona-Iruñea, y Vitoria-Gasteiz. La valoración de la paleobiodiversidad y el registro fósil es un paso importante para el conocimiento del patrimonio paleontológico de un territorio y la creación de fi guras de geoconservación (e.g., LIG, geosites). Sin embargo, la mera inclusión de los yacimientos paleontológicos en estas fi guras no garantiza su protección y conservación, ni la adecuada gestión de las colecciones de fósiles procedentes de ellos. Por lo tanto, es necesario diseñar estrategias de conservación transversales teniendo en cuenta las particularidades de cada yacimiento y/o colección. La divulgación científi ca y cultural del patrimonio paleontológico de un territorio, como el aquí estudiado, debe contar con una mayor colaboración entre los paleontólogos que han valorado los bienes paleontológicos y los técnicos que los gestionan. Para ello, es necesaria la disposición de partidas presupuestarias específicas que posibiliten el desarrollo de diferentes acciones encaminadas a la investigación, conservación y difusión social de este patrimonio. The western Pyrenees is a territory with a remarkable geodiversity and an important fossil record, which constitutes a large archive of palaeobiodiversity. With respect to the vertebrate fossil record, the western Pyrenees (Basque-Cantabrian Region, Pamplona Basin and the north-western sector of the Ebro Basin) are relevant both from the point of view of palaeontological sites and fossil collections. Several vertebrate fossil sites are integrated into the Inventory of Geological Interest Sites (LIG) with high to very high palaeontological interest of the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country. It is worth highlighting the Cretaceous fish sites of Zeanuri in Biscay, Eocene mammals of Zambrana and Miocene ichnites of Salinas de Añana in Araba, and the Pleistocene vertebrate fossil assemblage of Kiputz near Mutriku, in Gipuzkoa. Other highly significant sites in the study area should be subject to geoconservation initiatives. This is the case of the Laño quarry in the Condado de Treviño, which has provided continental and marine vertebrate fossil assemblages from the latest Cretaceous, Eocene to Early Miocene sites with bird and mammal tracks in Navarre, and the Pleistocene cave deposits of Santa Isabel de Ranero in Biscay, to mention only the most outstanding examples. There are also vertebrate fossil collections in the western Pyrenees that stand out for their high palaeontological interest, although some do not come from recognized LIG. These collections are deposited in several centres and institutions of Bilbao, Irun, Leioa, Pamplona-Iruñea and Vitoria-Gasteiz. The valuation of the palaeobiodiversity and fossil record is an important step for the study of palaeontological heritage of a territory and the set-up of geoconservation designations (e.g., LIG, geosites). However, the mere inclusion of the palaeontological assents in these geoconservation designations does not guarantee either their protection and conservation or the suitable management of the fossil collection. Therefore, it is necessary to design conservation strategies taking into account the particularities of each palaeontological site and/or fossil collection. The scientific and cultural dissemination of the palaeontological heritage of a territory like one studied here should have greater collaboration between the palaeontologists that have valued the palaeontological assets and the technicians and institutions that manage them. This requires the provision of specific budgetary items that enable the development of the different activities of research, conservation and social dissemination of this heritage. Fil: Badiola, Ainara. Universidad del País Vasco; España Fil: Arlegi, Mikel. Universidad del País Vasco; España. Université de Bordeaux; Francia Fil: Astibia, Humberto. Universidad del País Vasco; España Fil: Bardet, Nathalie. Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique; Francia. Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle; Francia. Université Pierre et Marie Curie; Francia Fil: Berreteaga, Ana. Universidad del País Vasco; España Fil: Corral, J. Carmelo. Museo de Ciencias Naturales de Álava/; España Fil: Díaz Martínez, Ignacio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte. Instituto de Investigación en Paleobiología y Geología; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Río Negro. Sede Alto Valle. Instituto de Investigaciones en Paleobiología y Geología; Argentina Fil: Gómez Olivencia, Asier. Universidad del País Vasco; España. IKERBASQUE. Basque Foundation for Science; España. Universidad Carlos III de Madrid. Instituto de Salud; España Fil: Lopez Horgue, Mikel A.. Universidad del País Vasco; España Fil: Perales Gogenola, Leire. Universidad del País Vasco; España Fil: Pereda Suberbiola, Xabier. Universidad del País Vasco; España

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., Xabier Pereda Suberbiola is supported by the research project CGL2017-85038-P (funded by FEDER/Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities State Research Agency). This article is a contribution to the research project CGL2017-89123-P (funded by FEDER/Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities State Research Agency) of which Fabien Knoll is the PI.

International audience; New remains of the titanosaurian sauropod Atsinganosaurus velauciensis from its Upper Cretaceous type horizon and type locality in Velaux-La Bastide Neuve (Bouches-du-Rhône Department, Provence) in southern France are described. This locality is considered to be upper Campanian (Argiles et Grès à Reptiles Formation, Aix-en-Provence Basin). The new material consists of skull fragments, including a partial braincase, isolated teeth, elements of the axial skeleton (cervical, dorsal and caudal vertebrae, ribs), and appendicular bones (scapula, humeri, ulna, metacarpals, ilia, ischia, femur, tibia, metatarsal) from at least 3 individuals. Histological investigation shows that the analysed individuals were mature. The emended diagnosis of Atsinganosaurus velauciensis includes a pubic peduncle of the ilium with a posterior concave surface in its distal half, surrounded by two sharp ridges. Equations for predicting body mass and size in sauropods suggest a body size up to 12 m and a body mass of at least 3.5–5 tonnes for the largest individuals.A phylogenetic analysis including 29 sauropod taxa was performed, with the European titanosaurs Atsinganosaurus, Ampelosaurus, Lirainosaurus, Lohuecotitan, Paludititan (Late Cretaceous) and Normanniasaurus (Early Cretaceous) all scored in the same analysis for the first time. Atsinganosaurus and Ampelosaurus form a clade that is phylogenetically proximal to Lirainosaurus within Lithostrotia – a clade here named Lirainosaurinae nov. – whereas Lohuecotitan and Paludititan form a clade towards the base of Lithostrotia. Normanniasaurus is resolved outside Lithostrotia, but within Titanosauria. From a palaeobiogeographical perspective, the phylogenetic results suggest that European titanosaurs belong to at least three distinct lineages and that two lithostrotian lineages were present during the latest Cretaceous in the European archipelago.

El hallazgo más antiguo conocido de un dinosaurio en España es un supuesto diente de terópodo del Jurásico Superior de Asturias. Fue descrito en 1858 como un diente de tiburón por el ingeniero de minas alemán Guillermo Schulz y asignado en 1873 al dinosaurio Megalosaurus por el geólogo navarro Justo Egozcue. Se desconoce el paradero actual de este fósil. El naturalista valenciano Juan Vilanova publicó en 1872 y 1873 las primeras citas de dinosaurios en España. Vilanova mencionó el descubrimiento de restos fósiles del ornitópodo Iguanodon en el Cretácico Inferior de Utrillas (Teruel) y Morella (Castellón). La colección Vilanova depositada actualmente en el Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales de Madrid se compone de cinco especímenes fragmentarios de Morella y, con reservas, uno de Utrillas. Ninguna de las piezas puede atribuirse a Iguanodon. Uno de los fósiles de Morella se interpreta como un centro vertebral de un posible terópodo, y otro de ellos como la extremidad distal de una espina neural perteneciente a un saurópodo diplodocoideo; los otros tres fósiles son fragmentos de huesos indeterminados. Los dos «huesos largos» de Utrillas citados por Vilanova corresponden a dos fragmentos de una tibia de terópodo, actualmente desaparecida, de la que se conserva un dibujo realizado en torno a la década de 1920 por el paleontólogo castellonense José Royo Gómez. El estudio de los dinosaurios recibió poca atención en España durante el siglo XIX y los primeros descubrimientos relevantes no se realizaron hasta finales de la década de 1910.

En este trabajo se describen nuevos fósiles de sirenios eocénicos de la Cuenca de Pamplona (Navarra), permitiendo ampliar el registro conocido de estos mamíferos en los Pirineos occidentales. Los fósiles provienen de dos pequeñas localidades cercanas a la capital navarra, Uztarrotz y Ardanatz, ubicadas en formaciones litoestratigráficas diferentes (Margas de Pamplona y Areniscas de Ardanatz), de edad Bartoniense inferior. El material estudiado presenta un buen estado de conservación y consiste en restos de vértebras y costillas, con el aspecto robusto y la estructura compacta del hueso paquiosteosclerótico, característico, aunque no exclusivo, de los sirenios. Morfológica y biométricamente los fósiles de la Cuenca de Pamplona son comparables a las piezas homólogas asignadas por diversos autores a varias especies del género Prototherium en algunas localidades del Eoceno pirenaico y otras áreas del margen norte del Tethys mediterráneo. Algunas de las piezas también son parecidas a las de Halitherium taulannense del Priaboniense de Provenza. Sin embargo, las vértebras de Navarra son notablemente más robustas y presentan otras diferencias con respecto al género Protosiren del margen suroriental del Tethys. Las evidencias morfológicas, biogeográficas y cronológicas actualmente disponibles apuntan a que los restos de la Cuenca de Pamplona pertenecen a un dugónguido basal próximo a Prototherium.

Twelve isolated spinosaurid teeth from the Enciso Group of the eastern Cameros Basin (La Rioja, Spain) have been studied. The fossil material has been found in five sites near the town of Igea, where a fluvio-lacustrine system with marine influence was developed during the Barremian-early Aptian. Besides the study of the qualitative and quantitative features of the teeth, morphometric analyses have also been carried out. The teeth from La Rioja seem different from those of Baryonyx and are attributed to Baryonychinae indet. Ten of the baryonychine teeth show serrated mesial carinae, but two specimens lack denticles in it, which indicates the presence of two different baryonychine morphotypes in Igea, similar to that observed in other contemporaneous Iberian sites. The spinosaurid remains from La Rioja support the idea of a land bridge between Europe and Gondwana. Furthermore, these findings do also back that spinosaurids inhabited freshwater environments with marine influence or next to coastal zones.

Three titanosaurian sauropods are well-known from the Campanian-Maastrichtian of the Ibero-Armorican Island (southwestern Europe): Lirainosaurus astibiae from Spain, and Ampelosaurus atacis and Atsinganosaurus velauciensis from France. However, a higher titanosaurian diversity has been suggested for this island, a hypothesis that has gained traction in recent years as a result of new discoveries in fossil sites from Spain and southern France. An estimation of the titanosaurian diversity in the late Campanian-early Maastrichtian of the Iberian Peninsula is made here on the basis of the available information from the three fossil sites that have yielded the best preserved fossil remains: Laño (Condado de Treviño), Chera (Valencia), and Lo Hueco (Cuenca). The results confirm the hypothesis of a higher titanosaurian diversity in the Iberian Peninsula: from one to, at least, three taxa. Moreover, we also suggest the presence of two different titanosaurian morphotypes in the site of Chera, with one of them representing Lirainosaurus

A palynological study of the Upper Cretaceous vertebrate site of Chera (Valencia, Spain) has been carried out. The occurrence of diversified Normapolles including various species of Vancampopollenites, Papillopollis and Pseudoromeinipollenites suggest a late Campanian–?early Maachtrichtian age. The palynological assemblages suggest an azonal vegetation involving peat-mosses, sedges and palms colonizing wetlands with ephemeral or semi-permanent pools and lakes. The abundant and diverse Normapolles reflect the regional presence of woodlands or other open vegetation communities with prominent Fagales. The pollen and spore associations of Chera and the contemporary palaeobotanical data from SW Europe are indicative of the co-existence of numerous, structurally different and taxonomically individualized plant communities. The suggested palaeofloral heterogeneity is compatible with the current palaeogeographical reconstructions of SW Europe and probably enhance the appearance of the highly diverse fauna with insular characteristics of the latest Cretaceous.

New mosasauroid material from the Villeveyrac-L’Olivet mine (Herault, southern France) is described. This historical and fossiliferous bauxite mine has yielded from the same stratigraphical level (Early Campanian) diverse continental vertebrates, including fishes (Lepisosteidae and Phyllodontidae), amphibians (Albanerpetondidae and the oldest representative of the Palaeobatrachidae), turtles (Solemydidae and Bothremydidae), squamates (Mosasauroidea), crocodilians (Eusuchia), dinosaurs (Rhabdodontidae, Nodosauridae and Dromaeosauridae), and a possible pterosaur. The mosasauroid specimens represent different individuals of a single taxon, belonging to a large plesiopedal tethysaurine-like form (about 3 meters long). This discovery adds to previous reports of plesiomorphic freshwater mosasauroids in the Late Cretaceous dinosaur-bearing sites of the European archipelago.

[EN] The long bone histology of a Late Cretaceous eusuchian crocodyliform from the Iberian Peninsula reveals clear variations in the cortical structure which reflects changes in the speed of bone deposition (i.e., skeletal growth) related to ontogeny. The presence of secondary woven-fibred bone tissue in the perimedullar region of the cortex, and the existence of an external fundamental system in the most external periostic cortex, which is a proxy for somatic maturity and effective cessation of growth, challenges the former idea that the growth strategy of extinct crocodylians fit in the typical ectotherm condition, according to which these animals grew slowly during life under an indeterminate growth strategy. The analysed specimen lived for a minimum of 16 years and the highest preserved apposition rates took place in an advanced ontogenetic stage. The study suggests that the general aspects of the modern crocodylian growth strategy were already in place in some lineages by the Cretaceous. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved., The research was supported by the Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad of Spain (Secretaria de Estado de Investigacion, Desarrollo e Innovacion, projects CGL2013-47521-P and CGL2014-53548-P), the European Regional Development Fund, and the Gobierno Vasco/Eusko Jaurlaritza (research group IT 834-13).

Introduction This work is a detailed description of ankylosaurian natural casts found in Galve (Teruel, Spain), with the identification and classification of the major dynamic and static structures that depend on the phase of autopodial (hand) movement. Geological setting Specimens come from the Lower Cretaceous (Barremian) of the eastern sector of the Iberian Range. The depositional environment is of continental coastal influence with both fluvial and tidal current structures. Material and methods We studied the morphology and main features of approximately 50 manus casts of Tetrapodosaurus. The structures were correlated with the different stages of the movement during the formation of the print (footprint formation phases of Thulborn and Wade 1989). Description We describe the prints, lithological composition and the features observed at the top, the base and the walls of the casts (striae, lineations, grooves and polygonal scales) for understand the autopodial shape, the response of the pads and the hand movement. Comparative palaeoichnology Manus prints of sauropods, stegosaurs and ankylosaurs may show a similar morphology. However, the presence of five perfectly-distinct, protruding and separate digits in the Galve specimens make these ichnites incompatible with those of stegosaurs or with those of sauropods. Discussion We examine the original definition and the diagnosis of Tetrapodosaurus, including other similar pentadactyl tracks; also the global distribution and palaeoenvironments of these ankylosaurian ichnites, and the possible affinities of the trackmaker. Conclusions The first citation of Tetrapodosaurus in Galve (Spain) confirms the palaeontological importance of this area, due to the variety of sites and dinosaur fossil types found. Careful examination of the casts has allowed reconstruction of the kinds of joint and forelimb movements that are independent of, but consistent with, interpretations based on functional aspects of the forelimb skeleton. The structures observed in the walls and in the base of the casts indicate that the digital pads of the ankylosaur hands were flexible calluses. Introducción En este trabajo se describen los contramoldes encontrados en Galve (Teruel, España), con la identificación y clasificación de las estructuras dinámicas y estáticas que dependen de la fase del movimiento del autopodio (mano). Geología Los contramoldes son del Cretácico Inferior (Barremiense) del sector Este de la Cordillera Ibérica. El ambiente sedimentario es continental costero con influencia tanto de corrientes fluviales como de marea. Material y me´todos Estudiamos la forma y estructuras principales de unos 50 contramoldes de mano de Tetrapodosaurus. Las estructuras se ha correlacionado con los estados de movimiento durante la formación de la huella (fases de formación de la huella de Tulborn y Wade, 1989). Descripción Describimos las huellas, la composición litológica del relleno y las estructuras observadas en el techo, base y paredes de los contramoldes (estrias, lineaciones, acanaladuras y escamas poligonales) para investigar la forma del autopodio, la respuesta de las almohadillas y el movimiento de la mano. Paleoicnología comparada Las huellas de mano de saurópodos, estegosaurios y anquilosaurios pueden tener forma similar. No obstante las huellas de Galve tienen cinco dedos identificables que sobresalen y están perfectamente aislados y separados., lo que hace que estas icnitas sean incompatibles con las de estegosaurios o con las de saurópodos. Discusión Examinamos la definición original y la diagnosis de Tetrapodosaurus junto con la de otras huellas pentadáctilas similares; también la distribución mundial y paleoambientes en las que están las huellas de anquilosaurios así como susafinidades posibles de los autores. Conclusiones Esta primera cita de Tetrapodosaurus en Galve (España) confirma la importancia paleontológica de la zona, debido a la variedad de yacimientos y tipos de dinosaurio encontrados allí. El exámen cuidadoso de los contramoldes permite la reconstrucción del tipo de articulacionees y del movimiento de las extremidades delanterar, independientemente aunque coincidentes con las interpretaciones basadas en los aspectos funcionales del esqueleto. Las estructuras observadas en las paredes y en la base de los contramoldes indican que las almohadillas dactilares de las manos de los anquilosaurios con callosidades flexibles.

Lirainosaurus astibiae was originally described by Sanz and collaborators in 1999 on the basis of a skull fragment, isolated teeth, several vertebrae (e.g. the holotypic anterior caudal vertebra) and appendicular bones from the Late Cretaceous of Lano (northern Spain). A review of all the vertebral remains, including new material (cervical, dorsal and caudal vertebrae, dorsal ribs, haemal arch), provides additional information about the axial skeleton of Lirainosaurus. A study of the laminae and fossae shows interesting variations in these structures in the axial series, especially concerning the prezygapophyses and diapophyses: e.g. the X-shaped morphology of the centroprezygapophyseal lamina only in the posterior dorsal vertebrae, and the division of the postzygodiapophyseal fossa into two fossae in the posterior dorsal vertebrae and the proximal caudal vertebrae. Two vertebral characters are here considered to be autapomorphic for L. astibiae: the presence of a lamina in the interzygapophyseal fossa in the most proximal caudal vertebrae (a postzygodiapophyseal lamina that separates the ventral postzygapophyseal centrodiapophyseal fossa and the dorsal postzygapophyseal spinodiapophyseal fossa), and the spinopostzygapophyseal structure not posteriorly projected in the posterior caudal vertebrae. The combination of characters present in the axial remains of Lirainosaurus astibiae supports the idea that it is a derived lithostrotian close to Saltasaurinae.

[EN] 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., We are grateful to F. Perez-Lorente (Universidad de La Rioja, Logrono) and the staff of the Centro Paleontologico de Enciso (Enciso) who permitted the reexamination of the speciments of Prejanopterus. Thanks are also due to O. Rauhut and M. Moser (Bayerische Staatssammlung fur Palaontologie und Geologie, Munich) and R. Allain and A. Abourachid (Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris) for access to comparative speciments under their care. The kind assistance of G. Rossner (Bayerische Staatssammlung fur Palaontologie und Geologie, Munich) and I. Diaz Martinez (Universidad de La Rioja, Logrono) in Munich and Enciso, respectively, was much appreciated. D. Unwin (University of Leicester, Leicester) provided us with an electronic file of the character/taxon matrix used in this work (see Lu et al., 2010). Thanks are also due to B. Andres (Yale University, New Haven), A.W.A. Kellner (Universidaded Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro) and D.M. Unwin for their interest in this work, and S. Vidovic (University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth) for his constructive suggestions. Financial support was provided by the projects CGL2010-16447/BTE, CGL2010-18851/BTE, and CGL2009-12143/BTE of the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovacion (currently Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad, MINECO) of Spain, by the research group IT-320-10 of the Gobierno Vasco/EJ (XPS), by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation through a sponsorship of renewed research stay in Germany (FK), and by the protocol CN-04-226 of the Prinicipadol de Asturias/Universidad de Oviedo (JIR-O).

Here we present the magnetostratigraphic dating of the Laño locality (Condado de Treviño, northern Iberian Peninsula), one of the most noteworthy Campanian-Maastrichtian vertebrate sites of Europe. A composite section of 75 m thickness (Laño quarry) constructed from multiple, overlapping profiles and a continuous one (Faido) have been sampled for magnetostratigraphy. Thermal demagnetization techniques were systematically applied to 161 standard specimens and allowed characterizing the characteristic remanent magnetism, mostly carried out by magnetite. The palaeomagnetic signal is slightly scattered due to variety of lithologies, but the primary character can be guaranteed, since the normal and reverse directions are pseudo antiparallel; 346, 28 (α95: 11.9°, k: 5.3) and 175, −35 (α95: 16.4°, k: 4.6). Reliable samples allowed us to build the local polarity sequence made of eight magnetozones that has been used to correlate to the Global Polarity Time Scale. The age of the lower part of the Laño-village succession is basal late Campanian (Hoplitoplacenticeras marroti ammonite zone) and fits with the long reversed zone that must correlate to Chron C33r. The pattern of magnetozones allows tracking the section up to C30r at the upper part of the profile. In this correlation, the Laño vertebrate site is regarded as latest Campanian in age as it falls within the C32n (≈72–73.5 Ma). The combined lithostratigraphic and magnetostratigraphic analyses have yielded additional conclusions regarding the vertebrate assemblages that are representative of the Late Campanian of the Iberian Peninsula, in addition to highlight an older occurrence in Europe of some vertebrate groups such as salamandrid lissamphians and anguid lizards (or amphisbaenians)., Museo de Ciencias Naturales de Álava, España, Unidad de Zaragoza, Instituto Geológico y Minero de España, España, Departamento de Estratigrafía y Paleontología, Universidad del País Vasco, España, Departamento de Ciencias de la Tierra, Universidad de Zaragoza, España, Departamento de Física, Universidad de Burgos, España

A large sample of more than 100 teeth of the titanosaurian sauropod Lirainosaurus astibiae from the Late Cretaceous Lano quarry (Northern Spain) has been studied. Most of the teeth are small (crown height less than 13 mm), cylindrical, with parallel edges and smooth enamel; a few larger teeth are tapered and have more ornamented enamel. These differences are regarded here as ontogenetic changes, the small teeth being interpreted as those of juveniles and the large ones as those of subadult or adult individuals. The juvenile teeth also present some differences in the apex of the crown: some of them have a tapered tip, and others have apical and/or mesial/distal facets. The first are probably unerupted or non-functional teeth, while the ones with wear facets are functional teeth. This is the first time a change in the microwear structures of the apical wear facets between juvenile and adult teeth is observed in a titanosaurian taxon. Moreover, this let us to hypothesize a switch in the diet and food processing between the juvenile and adult individuals of Lirainosaurus . Finally, the teeth of Lirainosaurus are different from those of the Late Cretaceous European titanosaurs described to date and also differ from the teeth of basal titanosauriforms from the Early Cretaceous of the Iberian Peninsula.

Albert F. de Lapparent (1905–1975), the scion of a family of famous French geologists, was a dinosaur palaeontologist. He explored many territories in Europe, Saharan Africa and Asia in search of fossils. The studies he undertook in Spain, which resulted in a dozen publications between 1955 and 1969, are an important part of his research on dinosaurs. Lapparent et al. discovered about thirty dinosaur localities, mostly of Cretaceous age, in several Spanish provinces, including Albacete, Castellon, Cuenca, Soria, Teruel and Valencia in the Iberian Range, and Lleida (or Lerida) in the Pyrenean region. In 1958, Lapparent published the discovery of dinosaur eggs in the Tremp Basin (Lleida), the first ones found in the Iberian Peninsula. His 1960 work on the dinosaurs of Galve (Teruel) was the first monograph on the subject published in Spain. In 1965, Lapparent was also the first to publish the discovery of dinosaur footprints in Spain, more specifically in the province of Valencia.

Onchosaurus (Sclerorhynchidae, Batomorphii) is a Late Cretaceous cosmopolitan genus of extinct sawfish-like batoids. Sclerorhynchidae are highly modified rays that possess a long snout (rostrum) wi...