Publications

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Journal Article
Araújo, R., Castanhinha R., Martins R. M. S., Mateus O., Hendrickx C., Beckmann F., Schell N., & Alves L. C. (2013).  Filling the gaps of dinosaur eggshell phylogeny: Late Jurassic Theropod clutch with embryos from Portugal. Scientific Reports. 3, , may: Nature Publishing Group AbstractWebsite
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Mateus, O., Butler R. J., Brusatte S. L., Whiteside J. H., & Steyer S. J. (2014).  The first phytosaur (Diapsida, Archosauriformes) from the Late Triassic of the Iberian Peninsula. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 34(4), 970-975.mateus_et_al_2014_first_phytosaur_algarve_portugal_jvp.pdfWebsite
Mateus, O., Butler R. J., Brusatte S. L., Whiteside J. H., & Steyer J. S. (2014).  The first phytosaur (Diapsida, Archosauriformes) from the Late Triassic of the Iberian Peninsula. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 34, 970-975., Number 4 Abstract
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Mateus, O., Butler R. J., Brusatte S. L., Whiteside J. H., & Steyer J. S. (2014).  The first phytosaur (Diapsida, Archosauriformes) from the Late Triassic of the Iberian Peninsula. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 34, 970–975., Number 4 Abstract
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Pereira, A. M., Silva M. M., & Mateus O. (2022).  First record of Phymactis papillosa (Lesson, 1830), a Pacific south sea anemone in European shores. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom. 1–4.: Cambridge University Press Abstractfirst-record-of-phymactis-papillosa-lesson-1830-a-pacific-south-sea-anemone-in-european-shores.pdfWebsite

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Mallison, H., Schwarz-Wings D., Tsai H., Holliday C., & Mateus O. (2014).  Fossil longbone cartilage preserved in stegosaurs?. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. Program and Abstracts, 2014, 176.mallison_et_al._2014_fossil_longbone_cartilage_preserved_in_stegosaurs.pdf
Strganac, C., Jacobs L., Polcyn M., Mateus O., Myers T., Araújo R., Fergunson K. M., Gonçalves A. O., Morais M. L., Schulp A. S., da Tavares T. S., & Salminen J. (2015).  Geological Setting and Paleoecology of the Upper Cretaceous Bench 19 Marine Vertebrate Bonebed at Bentiaba, Angola. Netherlands Journal of Geosciences. 94(1), 121-136. Abstractstrganac_et_al_2014_geological_setting_bentiaba_angola.pdfWebsite

The Bench 19 Bonebed at Bentiaba, Angola, is a unique concentration of marine vertebrates preserving six species of mosasaurs in sediments best correlated by magnetostratigraphy to chron C32n.1n between 71.4 and 71.64 Ma. The bonebed formed at a paleolatitude near 24°S, with an Atlantic width at that latitude approximating 2700 km, roughly half that of the current width. The locality lies on an uncharacteristically narrow continental shelf near transform faults that controlled the coastal outline of Africa in the formation of the South Atlantic Ocean. Biostratigraphic change through the Bentiaba section indicates that the accumulation occurred in an ecological time dimension within the 240 ky bin delimited by chron 32n.1n. The fauna occurs in a 10 m sand unit in the Mocuio Formation with bones and partial skeletons concentrated in, but not limited to, the basal 1–2 m. The sediment entombing the fossils is an immature feldspathic sand shown by detrital zircon ages to be derived from nearby granitic shield rocks. Specimens do not appear to have a strong preferred orientation and they are not concentrated in a strand line. Stable oxygen isotope analysis of associated bivalve shells indicates a water temperature of 18.5°C. The bonebed is clearly mixed with scattered dinosaur and pterosaur elements in a marine assemblage. Gut contents, scavenging marks and associated shed shark teeth in the Bench 19 Fauna indicate biological association and attrition due to feeding activities. The ecological diversity of mosasaur species is shown by tooth and body-size disparity and by δ13C analysis of tooth enamel, which indicate a variety of foraging areas and dietary niches. The Bench 19 Fauna was formed in arid latitudes along a coastal desert similar to that of modern Namibia on a narrow, tectonically controlled continental shelf, in shallow waters below wave base. The area was used as a foraging ground for diverse species, including molluscivorus Globidens phosphaticus, small species expected near the coast, abundant Prognathodon kianda, which fed on other mosasaurs at Bench 19, and species that may have been transient and opportunistic feeders in the area.

Strganac, C., Jacobs L. L., Polcyn M. J., Mateus O., Myers T. S., Salminen J., May S. R., Araújo R., Ferguson K. M., Gon?alves A. O., Morais M. L., Schulp A. S., & da Silva Tavares T. (2014).  Geological setting and paleoecology of the Upper Cretaceous Bench 19 Marine Vertebrate Bonebed at Bentiaba, Angola. Geologie en Mijnbouw/Netherlands Journal of Geosciences. 94, 121-136., Number 1 Abstract
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Polcyn, M., Jacobs L., Strganac C., Mateus O., Myers S., May S., Araujo R., Schulp A., & Morais M. (2014).  Geology and paleoecology of a marine vertebrate bonebed from the lower Maastrichtian of Angola. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. Program and Abstracts, 2014, 206.polcyn_et_al._2014_geology_and_paleoecology_of_a_marine_vertebrate_bonebed_from_the_lower_maastrichtian_of_angola.pdf
Polcyn, M., Jacobs L., Schulp A., & Mateus O. (2007).  Halisaurus (Squamata: Mosasauridae) from the Maastrichtian of Angola. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 27(Suppl. to 3), 130A., Jan: Museu Lourinha, So Methodist Univ, Nat Hist Museum Maastricht Abstractpolcyn_et_al_mateus2007_halisaurus_angola_svpmeet.pdf

Recent fieldwork in the Namibe province in southern Angola yielded cranial and postcranial elements of at least two individuals of the rare and enigmatic mosasaur Halisaurus from a single small excavation. The genus Halisaurus is unique in retaining a primitive configuration of the temporal arcade, specifically a broad, vertically oriented contact between the parietal and the supratemporal. The supratemporal is broadly sutured to the opisthotic and prootic, unlike the condition in varanoids in which the simple lunate element lies between the parietal ramus and the squamosal and does not form a sutural contact with the opisthotic or prootic, but as in other halisaurines retains a plesiomorphic, vertically oriented contact with the parietal rami. The squamosal is lightly built and broadly arched as in Varanus. Comparison with known halisaurines indicates the new material is referable to the species Halisaurus arambourgi.
The locality that yielded the new specimens has also yielded a large number of isolated teeth, bones, articulated, and associated skeletons of Mosasaurus, Prognathodon, Globidens, and Plioplatecarpus, which with Halisaurus comprise a mosasaur assemblage most similar to that reported from the Maastrichtian of Morocco.

Polcyn, M., Jacobs L. L., Schulp A., & Mateus O. (2007).  Halisaurus (Squamata: Mosasauridae) from the Maastrichtian of Angola. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 27(suppl. to 3), 130. Abstract
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Sander, M., Laven T., Mateus O., & Knotschke N. (2004).  Insular dwarfism in a brachiosaurid sauropod from the Upper Jurassic of Germany. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 23, 108., Number Suppl. to 3 Abstract
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Sander, M., Laven T., Mateus O., & Knotschke N. (2004).  Insular dwarfism in a brachiosaurid sauropod from the Upper Jurassic of Germany. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 23, 108–108., Number Suppl. to Abstract
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Belvedere, M., Castanera D., Meyer C. A., Marty D., Mateus O., Silva B. C., Santos V. F., & Cobos A. (2019).  Late Jurassic globetrotters compared: A closer look at large and giant theropod tracks of North Africa and Europe. Journal of African Earth Sciences. 158, 103547. Abstractbelvedere_et_al_2019_jurassic_globetrotters_compared.pdfWebsite

Late Jurassic theropod tracks are very common both in North Africa and Europe. Two recently described ichnotaxa Megalosauripus transjuranicus and Jurabrontes curtedulensis from the Kimmeridgian of Switzerland show the coexistence of two apex predators in the same palaeoenvironment. Similar tracks can be found in tracksites from the Iberian Peninsula and from Morocco. Here, we further explore the similarities among the Swiss ichnotaxa and the other tracks from Germany (Kimmeridgian), Spain (Tithonian-Berriasian), Portugal (Oxfordian-Tithonian) and Morocco (Kimmeridgian) through novel three-dimensional data comparisons. Specimens were grouped in two morphotypes: 1) large and gracile (30 < Foot Length<50 cm) and 2) giant and robust (FL > 50 cm). The analyses show a great morphological overlap among these two morphotypes and the Swiss ichnotaxa (Megalosauripus transjuranicus and Jurabrontes curtedulensis, respectively), even despite the differences in sedimentary environment and age. This suggests a widespread occurrence of similar ichnotaxa along the western margin of Tethys during the Late Jurassic. The new data support the hypothesis of a Gondwana-Laurasia faunal exchange during the Middle or early Late Jurassic, and the presence of migratory routes around the Tethys.

Leal, A. S., Dionísio A., Sequeira Braga M. A., & Mateus O. (2016).  The long term preservation of late jurassic sandstone dinossaur footprints in a museum environment. International Journal of Conservation Science. 7, 627-646., Number 3 Abstract
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Conti, S., Tschopp E., Mateus O., Zanoni A., Masarati P., & Sala G. (2022).  Multibody analysis and soft tissue strength refute supersonic dinosaur tail. 12(1), 19245., 2022 Abstractconti_et_al_2022._multibody_analysis_and_soft_tissue_strength_refute_supersonic_dinosaur_tail.pdfWebsite

Sauropod dinosaurs are well known for their massive sizes and long necks and tails. Among sauropods, flagellicaudatan dinosaurs are characterized by extreme tail elongation, which has led to hypotheses regarding tail function, often compared to a whip. Here, we analyse the dynamics of motion of a 3D model of an apatosaurine flagellicaudatan tail using multibody simulation and quantify the stress-bearing capabilities of the associated soft tissues. Such an elongated and slender structure would allow achieving tip velocities in the order of 30 m/s, or 100 km/h, far slower than the speed of sound, due to the combined effect of friction of the musculature and articulations, as well as aerodynamic drag. The material properties of the skin, tendons, and ligaments also support such evidence, proving that in life, the tail would not have withstood the stresses imposed by travelling at the speed of sound, irrespective of the conjectural ‘popper’, a hypothetical soft tissue structure analogue to the terminal portion of a bullwhip able to surpass the speed of sound.

Puértolas-Pascual, E., Kuzmin I. T., Serrano-Martínez A., & Mateus O. (2023).  Neuroanatomy of the crocodylomorph Portugalosuchus azenhae from the late cretaceous of Portugal. Journal of Anatomy. n/a, , Number n/a Abstractjournal_of_anatomy_-_2023_-_pu_rtolas-pascual_-_neuroanatomy_of_the_crocodylomorph_portugalosuchus_azenhae_from_the_late.pdfWebsite

Abstract We present the first detailed braincase anatomical description and neuroanatomical study of Portugalosuchus azenhae, from the Cenomanian (Late Cretaceous) of Portugal. This eusuchian crocodylomorph was originally described as a putative Crocodylia and one of the oldest representatives of this clade; however, its phylogenetic position remains controversial. Based on new data obtained from high resolution Computed Tomography images (by micro-CT scan), this study aims to improve the original description of this taxon and also update the scarce neuroanatomical knowledge of Eusuchia and Crocodylia from this time interval, a key period to understand the origin and evolution of these clades. The resulting three-dimensional models from the CT data allowed a detailed description of its well-preserved neurocranium and internal cavities. Therefore, it was possible to reconstruct the cavities of the olfactory region, nasopharyngeal ducts, brain, nerves, carotid arteries, blood vessels, paratympanic sinus system and inner ear, which allowed to estimate some neurosensorial capabilities. By comparison with other crocodylomorphs, these analyses showed that Portugalosuchus, back in the Cenomanian, already displayed an olfactive acuity, sight, hearing and cognitive skills within the range of that observed in other basal eusuchians and crocodylians, including extant species. In addition, and in order to test its disputed phylogenetic position, these new anatomical data, which helped to correct and complete some of the original observations, were included in one of the most recent morphology-based phylogenies. The position of Portugalosuchus differs slightly from the original publication since it is now located as a “thoracosaurid” within Gavialoidea, but still as a crocodylian. Despite all this, to better contrast these results, additional phylogenetic analyses including this new morphological character coding together with DNA data should be performed.

Araújo, R., Polcyn M. J., Lindgren J., Jacobs L. L., Schulp A. S., Mateus O., Gonçalves O. A., & Morais M. - L. (2015).  New aristonectine elasmosaurid plesiosaur specimens from the Early Maastrichtian of Angola and comments on paedomorphism in plesiosaurs. Netherlands Journal of Geosciences. FirstView, 1–16., 2 Abstractaraujo_et_al_2015_paedomorphism-libre.pdfWebsite

ABSTRACT New elasmosaurid plesiosaur specimens are described from the Early Maastrichtian of Angola. Phylogenetic analyses reconstruct the Angolan taxon as an aristonectine elasmosaurid and the sister taxon of an unnamed form of similar age from New Zealand. Comparisons also indicate a close relationship with an unnamed form previously described from Patagonia. All of these specimens exhibit an ostensibly osteologically immature external morphology, but histological analysis of the Angolan material suggests an adult with paedomorphic traits. By extension, the similarity of the Angolan, New Zealand and Patagonian material indicates that these specimens represent a widespread paedomorphic yet unnamed taxon.

Araújo, R., Polcyn M. J., Lindgren J., Jacobs L. L., Schulp A. S., Mateus O., Gon?alves A. O., & Morais M. - L. (2014).  New aristonectine elasmosaurid plesiosaur specimens from the Early Maastrichtian of Angola and comments on paedomorphism in plesiosaurs. Geologie en Mijnbouw/Netherlands Journal of Geosciences. 94, 93-108., Number 1 Abstract
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Araújo, R., Polcyn M. J., Schulp A. S., Mateus O., Jacobs L. L., Gonçalves O. A., & Morais M. - L. (2015).  A new elasmosaurid from the early Maastrichtian of Angola and the implications of girdle morphology on swimming style in plesiosaurs. Netherlands Journal of Geosciences. FirstView, 1–12., 1 Abstractaraujo_et_al_2015_a_new_elasmosaurid_from_the_early_maastrichtian_of_angola.pdfWebsite

ABSTRACT We report here a new elasmosaurid from the early Maastrichtian at Bentiaba, southern Angola. Phylogenetic analysis places the new taxon as the sister taxon to Styxosaurus snowii, and that clade as the sister of a clade composed of (Hydrotherosaurus alexandrae (Libonectes morgani + Elasmosaurus platyurus)). The new taxon has a reduced dorsal blade of the scapula, a feature unique amongst elasmosaurids, but convergent with cryptoclidid plesiosaurs, and indicates a longitudinal protraction-retraction limb cycle rowing style with simple pitch rotation at the glenohumeral articulation. Morphometric phylogenetic analysis of the coracoids of 40 eosauropterygian taxa suggests that there was a broad range of swimming styles within the clade.

Araújo, R., Polcyn M. J., Schulp A. S., Mateus O., Jacobs L. L., Gon?alves A. O., & Morais M. - L. (2014).  A new elasmosaurid from the early Maastrichtian of Angola and the implications of girdle morphology on swimming style in plesiosaurs. Geologie en Mijnbouw/Netherlands Journal of Geosciences. 94, 109-120., Number 1 Abstract
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Vineyard, D., Mateus O., Jacobs L. L., Polcyn M. J., & Schulp A. (2012).  A new marine turtle from the Maastrichtian of Angola. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, Program and Abstracts, 2012, 189. ISSN 1937-2809 . 189.vineyard_mateus_et_al_2012_euclastes_chelonia_turtle_angola_svp_2012_abstract.pdf
Schulp, A. S., Polcyn M. J., Mateus O., Jacobs L. L., Morais L. M., & Tavares T. S. (2006).  New mosasaur material from the Maastrichtian of Angola, with notes on the phylogeny, distribution and palaeoecology of the genus Prognathodon. Publicaties van het Natuurhistorisch Genootschap in Limburg Reeks XLV aflevering 1. Stichting Natuurpublicaties Limburg, Maastricht . 57-67 .schulp_polcyn_mateus_jacobs_et_al_2006_new_mosasaur_material_from_the_maastrichtian_of_angola_with_notes_on_the_phylogeny_distribution_and_palaeoecology_of_the_genus_prognathodon.pdf
Schulp, A. S., Polcyn M. J., Mateus O., Jacobs L. L., Morais M. L., & Tavares T. S. (2006).  New mosasaur material from the Maastrichtian of Angola, with notes on the phylogeny, distribution and palaeoecology of the genus Prognathodon. Publicaties van het Natuurhistorisch Genootschap in Limburg Reeks XLV aflevering 1. Stichting Natuurpublicaties Limburg, Maastricht. 57-67. Abstract
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Puértolas-Pascual, E., Marx M., Mateus O., Saleiro A., Fernandes A. E., Marinheiro J., Tomás C., & Mateus S. (2021).  A new plesiosaur from the Lower Jurassic of Portugal and the early radiation of Plesiosauroidea. Acta Palaeontologica Polonica. 66(2), 369-388. Abstracta_new_plesiosaur_from_the_lower_jurassic_of_portugal_and_the_early_radiation_of_plesiosauroidea.pdfWebsite

A new plesiosaur partial skeleton, comprising most of the trunk and including axial, limb, and girdle bones, was collected in the lower Sinemurian (Coimbra Formation) of Praia da Concha, near São Pedro de Moel in central west Portugal. The specimen represents a new genus and species, Plesiopharos moelensis gen. et sp. nov. Phylogenetic analysis places this taxon at the base of Plesiosauroidea. Its position is based on this exclusive combination of characters: presence of a straight preaxial margin of the radius; transverse processes of mid-dorsal vertebrae horizontally oriented; ilium with sub-circular cross section of the shaft and subequal anteroposterior expansion of the dorsal blade; straight proximal end of the humerus; and ventral surface of the humerus with an anteroposteriorly long shallow groove between the epipodial facets. In addition, the new taxon has the following autapomorphies: iliac blade with less expanded, rounded and convex anterior flank; highly developed ischial facet of the ilium; apex of the neural spine of the first pectoral vertebra inclined posterodorsally with a small rounded tip. This taxon represents the most complete and the oldest plesiosaur species in the Iberian Peninsula. It is also the most complete, best preserved, and oldest marine vertebrate in the region and testifies to the incursion of marine reptiles in the newly formed proto-Atlantic sea, prior to the Atlantic Ocean floor spreading in the Early Cretaceous.

Smith, A. S., Araújo R., & Mateus O. (2012).  A new plesiosauroid from the Toarcian (Lower Jurassic) of Alhadas, Portugal. Acta Palaeontologica Polonica. 57(2), 257–266., Jan Abstractsmith__araujo__mateus_2012_a_new_plesiosauroid_from_the_toarcian_lower_jurassic_of_alhadas_portugal.pdf

A partial plesiosauroid skull from the São Gião Formation (Toarcian, Lower Jurassic) of Alhadas, Portugal is re−evaluated and described as a new taxon, Lusonectes sauvagei gen. et sp. nov. It has a single autapomorphy, a broad triangular parasphenoid cultriform process that is as long as the posterior interpterygoid vacuities, and also a unique character combination, including a jugal that contacts the orbital margin, a distinct parasphenoid–basisphenoid suture exposed between the posterior interpterygoid vacuities, lack of an anterior interpterygoid vacuity, and striations on the ventral surface of
the pterygoids. Phylogenetic analysis of Jurassic plesiosauroids places Lusonectes as outgroup to “microcleidid elasmosaurs”, equivalent to the clade Plesiosauridae. Lusonectes sauvagei is the only diagnostic plesiosaur from Portugal, and the westernmost occurrence of any plesiosaurian in Europe.

Smith, A. S., Araújo R., & Mateus O. (2012).  A new plesiosauroid from the Toarcian (Lower Jurassic) of Alhadas, Portugal. Acta Palaeontologica Polonica. 57, 257-266., Number 2 Abstract
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Brusatte, S. L., Butler R. J., Mateus O., & Steyer S. J. (2015).  A new species of Metoposaurus from the Late Triassic of Portugal and comments on the systematics and biogeography of metoposaurid temnospondyls. Journal of Vertebrate PaleontologyJournal of Vertebrate Paleontology. e912988., 2015: Taylor & Francis Abstractbrusatte_et_al2015metoposaurusportugal.pdfWebsite

ABSTRACTMetoposaurids are a group of temnospondyl amphibians that filled crocodile-like predatory niches in fluvial and lacustrine environments during the Late Triassic. Metoposaurids are common in the Upper Triassic sediments of North Africa, Europe, India, and North America, but many questions about their systematics and phylogeny remain unresolved. We here erect Metoposaurus algarvensis, sp. nov., the first Metoposaurus species from the Iberian Peninsula, based on several new specimens from a Late Triassic bonebed in Algarve, southern Portugal. We describe the cranial and pectoral anatomy of M. algarvensis and compare it with other metoposaurids (particularly other specimens of Metoposaurus from Germany and Poland). We provide a revised diagnosis and species-level taxonomy for the genus Metoposaurus, which is currently represented with certainty by three European species (M. diagnosticus, M. krasiejowensis, M. algarvensis). We also identify cranial characters that differentiate these three species, and may have phylogenetic significance. These include features of the braincase and mandible, which indicate that metoposaurid skulls are more variable than previously thought. The new Portuguese bonebed provides further evidence that metoposaurids congregated in fluvial and lacustrine settings across their geographic range and often succumbed to mass death events. We provide an updated paleogeographic map depicting all known metoposaurid occurrences, which shows that these temnospondyls were globally distributed in low latitudes during the Late Triassic and had a similar, but not identical, paleogeographic range as phytosaurs.http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:083C80C6-0AB6-49E1-A636-6A8BDBC06A47ABSTRACTMetoposaurids are a group of temnospondyl amphibians that filled crocodile-like predatory niches in fluvial and lacustrine environments during the Late Triassic. Metoposaurids are common in the Upper Triassic sediments of North Africa, Europe, India, and North America, but many questions about their systematics and phylogeny remain unresolved. We here erect Metoposaurus algarvensis, sp. nov., the first Metoposaurus species from the Iberian Peninsula, based on several new specimens from a Late Triassic bonebed in Algarve, southern Portugal. We describe the cranial and pectoral anatomy of M. algarvensis and compare it with other metoposaurids (particularly other specimens of Metoposaurus from Germany and Poland). We provide a revised diagnosis and species-level taxonomy for the genus Metoposaurus, which is currently represented with certainty by three European species (M. diagnosticus, M. krasiejowensis, M. algarvensis). We also identify cranial characters that differentiate these three species, and may have phylogenetic significance. These include features of the braincase and mandible, which indicate that metoposaurid skulls are more variable than previously thought. The new Portuguese bonebed provides further evidence that metoposaurids congregated in fluvial and lacustrine settings across their geographic range and often succumbed to mass death events. We provide an updated paleogeographic map depicting all known metoposaurid occurrences, which shows that these temnospondyls were globally distributed in low latitudes during the Late Triassic and had a similar, but not identical, paleogeographic range as phytosaurs.http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:083C80C6-0AB6-49E1-A636-6A8BDBC06A47

Brusatte, S. L., Butler R. J., Mateus O., & Steyer J. S. (2015).  A new species of Metoposaurus from the Late Triassic of Portugal and comments on the systematics and biogeography of metoposaurid temnospondyls. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 35, , Number 3 Abstract
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Polcyn, M., Jacobs L., Mateus O., & Schulp A. (2009).  New specimens of Angolasaurus bocagei and comments on the early radiations of plioplatecarpine mosasaurs. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 29, 165., Number 3 Abstract
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Polcyn, M. J., Jacobs L. L., Mateus O., & Schulp A. S. (2009).  New specimens of Angolasaurus bocagei and comments on the early radiations of plioplatecarpine mosasaurs. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 29, 165–165., Number 3 Abstract
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Polcyn, M. J., Jacobs L. L., Schulp A. S., & Mateus O. (2010).  The North African Mosasaur Globidens phosphaticus from the Maastrichtian of Angola. Historical Biology. 22, 175-185., Number 1 Abstract
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Jacobs, L. L., Mateus O., Polcyn M. J., Schulp A. S., Antunes M. T., Morais M. L., & da Silva Tavares T. (2006).  The occurrence and geological setting of Cretaceous dinosaurs, mosasaurs, plesiosaurs, and turtles from Angola. Paleont. Soc. Korea. 22(1), 91-110. Abstractjacobs_mateus-et_al_2006_angola.pdf

Vertebrate-bearing fossiliferous outcrops of Cretaceous age in sub-Saharan Africa are rare because of younger superficial deposits, vegetation cover, and the widespread occurrence of Precambrian metamorphic plateau basement comprising much of the continent. However, one area of extensive marine and nonmarine
Cretaceous exposures is found between the plateau and the coast in Angola. The Angolan margin was formed in conjunction with the breakup of Gondwana and subsequent growth of the South Atlantic. Cretaceous deposits are constrained in age by the emplacement of oceanic crust, which began no later than magnetozone M3
(approximately 128 Ma, Barremian). Shallow marine facies are exposed in sea cliffs but equivalent facies become increasingly terrestrial inland. Few vertebrate fossils have been described from Angola aside from sharks.
Notable exceptions are the late Turonian mosasaurs Angolasaurus bocagei and Tylosaurus iembeensis from northern Angola. Those taxa are significant because they are among the earliest derived mosasaurs. Recent field work led to the discovery of a new skull of Angolasaursus as well as sharks, fish, plesiosaurs, the skull of a new taxon of turtle, additional mosasaurs, and the articulated forelimb of a sauropod dinosaur, the first reported dinosaur from Angola. In southern Angola, marine sediments spanning the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary are found.

Jacobs, L. L., Mateus O., Polcyn M. J., Schulp A. S., Antunes M. T., Morais M. L., & Tavares T. S. (2006).  The occurrence and geological setting of Cretaceous dinosaurs, mosasaurs, plesiosaurs, and turtles from Angola. Journal of the Paleontological Society of Korea. 22, , Number 1 Abstract
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Jacobs, L. L., Mateus O., Polcyn M. J., Schulp A. S., Antunes M. T., Morais M. L., & da Silva Tavares T. (2006).  The occurrence and geological setting of Cretaceous dinosaurs, mosasaurs, plesiosaurs, and turtles from Angola. JOURNAL-PALEONTOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF KOREA. 22, 91–91., Number 1 Abstract
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Mateus, O., Jacobs L., Polcyn M., Schulp A. S., Vineyard D., Neto A. B., & Antunes M. T. (2009).  The oldest African eucryptodiran turtle from the Cretaceous of Angola. Acta Palaeontologica Polonica. 54, 581-588., Jan: Univ Agostinho Neto, Univ Nova Lisboa, Museu Lourinha, Acad Ciencias Lisboa, Nat Hist Museum Maastricht, So Methodist Univ Abstractmateus_et_al_2009_the_oldest_african_angolachelys_angola_turtle.pdfWebsite

A new Late Cretaceous turtle, Angolachelys mbaxi gen. et sp. nov., from the Turonian (90 Mya) of Angola, represents the oldest eucryptodire from Africa. Phylogenetic analysis recovers Angolachelys mbaxi as the sister taxon of Sandownia harrisi from the Aptian of Isle of Wight, England. An unnamed turtle from the Albian Glen Rose Formation of Texas (USA) and the Kimmeridgian turtle Solnhofia parsonsi (Germany), are successively more distant sister taxa. Bootstrap analysis suggests those four taxa together form a previously unrecognized monophyletic clade of marine turtles, herein named Angolachelonia clade nov., supported by the following synapomorphies: mandibular articulation of quadrate aligned with or posterior to the occiput, and basisphenoid not visible or visibility greatly reduced in ventral view. Basal eucryptodires and angolachelonians originated in the northern hemisphere, thus Angolachelys represents one of the first marine amniote lineages to have invaded the South Atlantic after separation of Africa and South America.

Mateus, O., Jacobs L., Polcyn M., Schulp A. S., Vineyard D., Buta Neto A., & Telles Antunes M. (2009).  The oldest African eucryptodiran turtle from the Cretaceous of Angola. Acta Palaeontologica Polonica. 54, 581-588., Number 4 Abstract
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Fernandes, A. E., Mateus O., Bauluz B., Coimbra R., Ezquerro L., Núñez-Lahuerta C., Suteu C., & Moreno-Azanza M. (2021).  The Paimogo Dinosaur Egg Clutch Revisited: Using One of Portugal’s Most Notable Fossils to Exhibit the Scientific Method. Geoheritage. 13(3), 66., 2021 Abstractfernandes_et_al-2021-geoheritage.pdfWebsite

Found in the Upper Jurassic outcrops of Lourinhã, Portugal, and first published in 1997, the Paimogo dinosaur egg clutch is one of Portugal’s most remarkable fossils, with over one hundred eggs preserved in association with embryonic bones, of the allosauroid theropod Lourinhanosaurus. However, many questions about it have remained unanswered, even until the present day. After its discovery, this extraordinary fossil became the keystone of a small local museum, greatly kick-starting regional tourism, while also holding the fossils in trust for future generations to study. More than 20 years later, continually sustained paleontological interest from the public has even given rise to both a highly successful dinosaur theme park in the region and an aspiring UNESCO Geopark. Recently, a multidisciplinary team of preparators, paleontologists, sedimentologists, mineralogists, and geochemists revisited an unopened jacket from the original excavation using an array of techniques to address various questions. Studies are ongoing, but the corpus of information obtained and the methodologies utilized to gather data have offered an opportunity to design an exhibit around the history of the Paimogo clutch, highlighting the scientific methods involved, and asserting the importance of preserving geological heritage for the future, when new tools will doubtlessly become available to provide yet another new look at old fossils. Here, we describe our analytical procedures and present an innovative exhibit designed to introduce to the public the latest advances on the research behind an iconic piece of Portuguese geoheritage, increasing its value both as a research item and as an educational resource.

Ceríaco, L. M. P., Gutiérrez E. E., Dubois A., Abdala C. S., Alqarni A. S., Adler K., et al. (2016).  Photography-based taxonomy is inadequate, unnecessary, and potentially harmful for biological sciences. Zootaxa. 4196(3), 435 - 445., 2016 AbstractWebsite
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Ceríaco, L. M. P., Gutiérrez E. E., Dubois A., Abdala C. S., Alqarni A. S., Adler K., et al. (2016).  Photography-based taxonomy is inadequate, unnecessary, and potentially harmful for biological sciences. Zootaxa. 4196, 435-445., Number 3 Abstract
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Polcyn, M. J., Jacobs L. L., Ara´ujo R., Schulp A. S., & Mateus O. (2014).  Physical drivers of mosasaur evolution. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology. 400, 17-27. Abstractpolcyn_et_al_2014_physical_drivers_mosasaurs.pdf

Mosasaurs are marine squamates with a 32.5 million-year history from their appearance at 98 Ma to their extinction at the K-Pg boundary (65.5 Ma). Using a database of 43 generic and 94 species-level taxa, we compare the taxonomic diversity and patterns of morphological disparity in mosasaurs with sea level, sea surface temperature, and stable carbon isotope curves for the Upper Cretaceous to explore factors that may have influenced their evolution. No single factor unambiguously accounts for all radiations, diversification, and extinctions; however, the broader patterns of taxonomic diversification and
morphological disparity point to niche differentiation in a “fishing up” scenario under the influence of “bottom-up” selective pressures. The most likely driving force in mosasaur evolution was high productivity in the Late Cretaceous, driven by tectonically controlled sea levels and climatically controlled ocean stratification and nutrient delivery. When productivity collapsed at the end of the Cretaceous, coincident with bolide impact, mosasaurs became extinct.

Polcyn, M. J., Jacobs L. L., Araújo R., Schulp A. S., & Mateus O. (2014).  Physical drivers of mosasaur evolution. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology. 400, 17-27. Abstract
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Milàn, J., Mateus O., Mau M., Rudra A., Sanei H., & Clemmensen L. B. (2021).  A possible phytosaurian (Archosauria, Pseudosuchia) coprolite from the Late Triassic Fleming Fjord Group of Jameson Land, central East Greenland. Bulletin of the Geological Society of Denmark. 69, 71-80. Abstractmilan_et_al_2021_coprolites_greenland_bull69-71-80.pdfWebsite

A large, well-preserved vertebrate coprolite was found in a lacustrine sediment in the Malmros Klint Formation of the Late Triassic Fleming Fjord Group in the Jameson Land Basin, central East Greenland. The size and internal and external morphology of the coprolite is consistent with that of crocodilian coprolites and one end of the coprolite exhibits evidence of post-egestion trampling. As the associated vertebrate fauna of the Fleming Fjord Group contains abundant remains of pseudosuchian phytosaurs, the coprolite is interpreted as being from a large phytosaur.

Jacobs, L. L., Polcyn M. J., Mateus O., Schulp A. S., Gonçalves A. O., & Morais M. L. (2016).  Post-Gondwana Africa and the vertebrate history of the Angolan Atlantic Coast. Memoirs of Museum Victoria. 74, 343–362. Abstractjacobs_et_al_2016_post-gondwana_africa_and_the_vertebrate_history_of_the_angolan_atlantic_coast_343-362_mmv74_jacobs_4_web.pdf

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Jacobs, L. L., Polcyn M. J., Mateus O., Schulp A. S., Gon?alves A. O., & Morais M. L. (2016).  Post-Gondwana Africa and the vertebrate history of the Angolan Atlantic Coast. Memoirs of Museum Victoria. 74, 343-362. Abstract
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Jacobs, L. L., Polcyn M. J., Mateus O. \á\}vio, Schulp A. S., Gon\{\c c\}alves A. \ó\}nio O., & Morais M. L. (2016).  Post-Gondwana Africa and the vertebrate history of the Angolan Atlantic Coast. Memoirs of Museum Victoria. 74, 343\–\}362. Abstract
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Fernandes, A. E., Mateus O., Andres B., Polcyn M. J., Schulp A. S., Gonçalves A. O., & Jacobs L. L. (2022).  Pterosaurs from the Late Cretaceous of Angola. Diversity. 14, , Number 9 Abstractdiversity-14-00741.pdfWebsite

Here, we describe the first pterosaur remains from Angola, an assemblage of fourteen bones from the Lower Maastrichtian marine deposits of Bentiaba, Namibe Province. One new species is introduced, Epapatelo otyikokolo, gen. et sp. nov., which comprises an articulated partial left humerus and ulna as well as an articulated left ulna and radius (from a second individual). Phylogenetic analysis confirms a non-nyctosaurid pteranodontian attribution for this new taxon and supports a new apomorphy-based clade, Aponyctosauria, which is here defined. Late Cretaceous pteranodontians are rare in Sub-Saharan Africa and throughout the Southern Hemisphere. Preliminary histological analysis also reveals a likely sub-adult age for one of the specimens. This fossil assemblage provides a first glimpse of Angolan pterosaur paleobiodiversity providing further insight into the Gondwanan ecosystems of the Upper Cretaceous.