Lourinhã Portugal

Mateus, O., Maidment S. C. R., & Christiansen N. A. (2008).  A new specimen aff. Dacentrurus armatus (Dinosauria: Stegosauridae) from the Late Jurassic of Portugal. Livro de Resumos de Tercer Congreso Latinoamericano de Paleontologia de Vertebrados. 157., Neuquén, Argentina Abstractmateus_et_al_2008_a_new_specimen_aff._dacentrurus_armatus_dinosauria_stegosauridae_from_the_late_jurassic_of_portugal.pdf

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Mateus, O., & Milan J. (2008).  Ichnological evidence for giant ornithopod dinosaurs in the Upper Jurassic Lourinhã Formation, Portugal. Oryctos. 8, 47-52. Abstractmateus_and_milan_2008_ichnological_evidence_for_giant_ornithopod_big_ornithopod_track_from_u_j_lourinha_fm_portugal.pdfWebsite

The Upper Jurassic Lourinhã Formation (Lusitanian Basin, Portugal) contains a diverse dinosaur fauna comprising theropods, sauropods, stegosaurs, ankylosaurs and several genera of ornithopods. The sedimentology in the area favours preservation of tracksways, and tracks from most of the dinosaurs are also represented by skeletal remains. During fieldwork in the summer of 2003 a new, large, tridactyl track was found at the beach of Vale Frades, approximately 6 km north of Lourinhã (central west Portugal). The track was found together with a stegosaur track on a clay bed exposed within the intertidal zone. Due to the immediate danger of erosion, the track was collected and is now on display at Museu da Lourinhã. The track is 70 cm long and 69 cm wide, the toes are short and broad, with indications of short blunt claws, and there is a high angle of divarication between the outer digits. The shape and dimensions of the track identifies it as deriving from an ornithopod dinosaur with an estimated hip height around three metres. Although very large ornithopods are known from the Cretaceous, the largest known Jurassic ornithopod is Camptosaurus from North America, and the largest known from Portugal is the camptosaurid Draconyx loureiroi. Neither of these reached the body size suggested by the new track. So far the track described herein is the only evidence for a Jurassic ornithopod of that size.

Mateus, O., & Antunes M. T. (2000).  Ceratosaurus sp. (Dinosauria: Theropoda) in the Late Jurassic of Portugal. Abstract volume of the 31st International Geological Congress. , Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Abstractmateus__antunes_2000_-_ceratosaurus_in_portugal.pdf

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Mateus, I., Mateus H., Antunes M. T., Mateus O., Taquet P., Ribeiro V., & Manuppella G. (1997).  Couvée, oeufs et embryons d'un dinosaure théropode du Jurassique supérieur de Lourinhã (Portugal). C.R Acad. Sci. Paris, Sciences de la terre et des planetes. 325, 71-78., Jully, Number 1 Abstractmateus_et_al_1997_eggs_embryos_nest__couvee_oeufs_et_embryons_dun_dinosaure_theropode_du_jurassique_superieur_de_lourinha_portugal.pdfWebsite

Several well preserved clutches of dinosaurs have been discovered in the upper Kimmeridgian/ Tithonian of Lourinhã (Estramadur Province, Portugal). Some eggs of one clutch contained embryo elements of a theropod dinosaur. The egg-shell resembles that of eggs which have been discovered in the Upper Jurassic of Colorado

Mateus, O., & Milan J. (2005).  Ichnological evidence for giant ornithopod dinosaurs in the Late Jurassic Lourinhã Formation, Portugal.. Abstract Book of the International Symposium on Dinosaurs and Other Vertebrates Palaeoichnology. 60., Fumanya, Barcelona Abstractmateus__milan_2005_footprint.pdf

The Late Jurassic Lourinhã Formation contains a diverse dinosaur fauna comprising theropods, sauropods, stegosaurs, ankylosaurs and several genera of ornithopods.
The sedimentology in the area favours preservation of footprints, and footprints from most of the dinosaurs represented by skeletal remains are present in the area. During fieldwork in the summer of 2003 a new, large, tridactyl footprint was found at the beach of Vale Frades, approximately 6 km north of Lourinhã, Portugal. The footprint was found together with a stegosaur footprint on a clay bed exposed within the tidal zone. The footprints were preserved as sandstone casts standing on a pedestal of clay. This unusual type of preservation is the result of the footprints having first been emplaced in clay, and then filled with sand. During the present day erosion from the sea, the harder sandstone cast of the footprints protects the subjacent clay layers from erosion. Owing to the immediate danger of erosion of, the footprint was collected and is now on display at Museu da Lourinhã (ML 1000). The footprint is 70 cm long and 69 cm wide, the toes are short and broad, with indications of short blunt claws. The

divarication angle between the outer digits is close to 90 degrees. The dimensions and general

morphology of the footprint identifies it as deriving from an ornithopod dinosaur with an estimated hip height of 4.13 metres. Although very large ornithopods are known from the Cretaceous, the largest known Jurassic ornithopod is Camptosaurus from USA, and the largest known from Portugal is the camptosaurid Draconyx loureiroi. Neither of these reached the body size suggested by the new footprint. So far the footprint described herein is s the only evidence for a Jurassic ornithopod of that size.

Mateus, O., & Antunes T. M. (2001).  Draconyx loureiroi, a new camptosauridae (Dinosauria, Ornithopoda) from the Late Jurassic of Lourinhã, Portugal. Annales de Paleontologie. 87, 61-73. Abstractmateus_antunes_2001_draconyx_loureiroi_a_new_camptosauridae_dinosauria_ornithopoda_from_the_late_jurassic_of_lourinha_portugal.pdfWebsite

A new ornithopod dinosaur is described here under the name of Draconyx loureiroi n. gen., n. sp. on teeth, caudal vertebrae, forelimb, hindlimb, and foot material that were found in association in the Late Jurassic-Tithonian of Lourinhã, Portugal. Draconyx is a Camptosauridae related to Camptosaurus.

Mateus, I., Mateus H., Antunes M. T., Mateus O., Taquet P., Ribeiro V., & Manuppella G. (1998).  Upper Jurassic Theropod Dinosaur embryos from Lourinhã (Portugal). Mem. Acad. Ciências de Lisboa. 37, 101-109. Abstractmateus_et_al_1998_-_upper_jurassic_theropod_dinosaur_embryos_from_lourinha_portugal_-_upper_jurassic_palaeoenvironments_in_portugal_ed._....pdfWebsite

Upper Jurassic nesting site from Paimogo (Lourinhã, Portugal) yielded the oldest dinosaur theropod embryos ever found. Numerous bones, including skull bones, from the skeleton of these embryos have been collected. The study of bones and embryos offers the possibility to learn more on the early life of theropod dinosaurs.

Mateus, O., & Antunes M. T. (2000).  Torvosaurus sp. (Dinosauria : Theropoda) in the Late Jurassic of Portugal. Livro de Resumos do I Congresso Ibérico de Paleontologia, pp: 115-117. 115-117. Abstractmateus_antunes_2000_torvosaurus_sp.dinosauria_-_theropoda_in_the_late_jurassic_of_portugal.pdf

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Myers, T. S., Tabor N. J., Jacobs L. L., & Mateus O. (2012).  Palaeoclimate of the Late Jurassic of Portugal: Comparison with the Western United States. Sedimentology. 59(6), 1695–1717., 2012//01/ Abstractmyers_et_al_2012_palaeoclimate_of_the_late_jurassic_of_portugal_comparison_with_the_western.pdfWebsite

Investigation of the palaeoclimatic conditions associated with Upper Jurassic strata in Portugal and comparison with published palaeoclimate reconstructions of the Upper Jurassic Morrison Formation in western North America provide important insights into the conditions that allowed two of the richest terrestrial faunas of this period to flourish. Geochemical analyses and observations of palaeosol morphology in the informally named Upper Jurassic Lourinhã formation of western Portugal indicate warm and wet palaeoclimatic conditions with strongly seasonal precipitation patterns. Palaeosol profiles are dominated by carbonate accumulations and abundant shrink-swell (vertic) features that are both indicative of seasonal variation in moisture availability. The δ18OSMOW and δDSMOW values of phyllosilicates sampled from palaeosol profiles range from +22·4‰ to +22·7‰ and −53·0‰ to −37·3‰, respectively. These isotope values correspond to temperatures of formation between 32°C and 39°C ± 3°, with an average of 36°C, which suggest surface temperatures between 27°C and 34°C (average 31°C). On average, these surface temperature estimates are 1°C higher than the highest summer temperatures modelled for Late Jurassic Iberia using general circulation models. Elemental analysis of matrix material from palaeosol B-horizons provides proxy (chemical index of alteration minus potassium) estimates of mean annual precipitation ranging from 766 to 1394 mm/year, with an average of approximately 1100 mm/year. Palaeoclimatic conditions during deposition of the Lourinhã formation are broadly similar to those inferred for the Morrison Formation, except somewhat wetter. Seasonal variation in moisture availability does not seem to have negatively impacted the ability of these environments to support rich and relatively abundant faunas. The similar climate between these two Late Jurassic terrestrial ecosystems is probably one of the factors which explains the similarity of their vertebrate faunas.

Mateus, O., Maidment S., & Christiansen N. (2009).  A new long-necked 'sauropod-mimic' stegosaur and the evolution of the plated dinosaurs. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B. 276, 1815-1821., Jan Abstractmateus_et_al_2009_stegosaur_miragaia_complete_with_suppl.pdfWebsite

Stegosaurian dinosaurs have a quadrupedal stance, short forelimbs, short necks, and are generally considered to be low browsers. A new stegosaur, Miragaia longicollum gen. et sp. nov., from the Late Jurassic of Portugal, has a neck comprising at least 17 cervical vertebrae. This is eight additional cervical vertebrae when compared with the ancestral condition seen in basal ornithischians such as Scutellosaurus.
Miragaia has a higher cervical count than most of the iconically long-necked sauropod dinosaurs. Long neck length has been achieved by ‘cervicalization’ of anterior dorsal vertebrae and probable lengthening of centra. All these anatomical features are evolutionarily convergent with those exhibited in the necks of
sauropod dinosaurs. Miragaia longicollum is based upon a partial articulated skeleton, and includes the only known cranial remains from any European stegosaur. A well-resolved phylogeny supports a new clade that unites Miragaia and Dacentrurus as the sister group to Stegosaurus; this new topology challenges the common view of Dacentrurus as a basal stegosaur.