Publications in the Year: 2011

Book Chapter

Araújo, R, Castanhinha R, Mateus O.  2011.  Evolutionary major trends of ornithopod dinosaurs teeth, Jan. Dinosaurios y paleontología desde América Latina. (J.Calvo, J. Porfiri, B. Gonzalez Riga y D. Dos Santos (scientific editors), Ed.).:25-31.: EDIUNC, Editorial de la Universidad Nacional de Cuyo Abstractaraujo_et_al_2011_evolutionary_major_trends_of_ornithopod_dinosaurs_teeth.pdf

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Mateus, O.  2011.  Evolutionary major trends of ornithopod dinosaurs teeth, 1. Dinosaurios y paleontología desde América Latina. (Unknown Unknown, Ed.).:25–31.: EDIUNC, Editorial de la Universidad Nacional de Cuyo Abstract
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Conference Paper

Mateus, O, Milàn J.  2011.  New dinosaur and pterosaur tracksites from the Late Jurassic of Portugal, 14-17 April, 201. Dinosaur Tracks 2011 An International Symposium, . , Obernkirchen, Germany: Universität Göttingenmateus__milan_2012_new_dinosaur_and_pterosaur_tracksites_from_the_late_jurassic.pdf
Mateus, O.  2011.  Plesiosaur structural extreme from the Maastrichtian of Angola, 1. Abstracts of the 71st Annual Meeting of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology. :63. Abstract
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Mateus, O.  2011.  Occurrence of the marine turtle Thalassemys in the Kimmeridgian of Oker, Germany, 1. Abstracts of the 71st Annual Meeting of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology. :151. Abstract
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Mateus, O.  2011.  New fossil whales from Angola, 1. Abstracts of the 71st Annual Meeting of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology. :119. Abstract
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Conference Proceedings

Steyer, JS, Mateus O, Butler RJ, Brusatte SL, Whiteside JH.  2011.  A new metoposaurid (temnospondyl) bonebed from the Late Triassic of Portugal, Jan. 71st Annual Meeting of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology. :200.: Abstracts of the 71st Annual Meeting of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology Abstractsteyer_mateus_et_al_2011_._a_new_metoposaurid_temnospondyl_bonebed_from_the_late_triassic_of_portugal_svp11abstracts.pdf

The end-Triassic extinction event (ETE), considered one of the ‘Big Five’ mass extinctions, marks a dividing line between early Mesozoic vertebrate assemblages, typically including abundant temnospondyls, basal synapsids and basal archosaurs, and ‘typical’ Mesozoic faunas dominated by dinosaurs, pterosaurs, crocodylomorphs, turtles and mammaliaforms.
Recent geochemical work has provided strong evidence that the ETE is synchronous with, and likely caused by, the emplacement of the Central Atlantic magmatic province (CAMP).
However, stratigraphic sections containing both terrestrial vertebrates and CAMP basalts are scarce, complicating attempts to examine terrestrial faunal changes during this extinction event. The Triassic–Jurassic Algarve Basin, southern Portugal, is an extensional rift basin

to-marginal marine red beds (the ‘Grés de Silves’ Group) interbedded with CAMP basalts.

bonebed from the interval ‘AB1’ of the Grés de Silves. Preliminary excavations yielded at least nine well-preserved temnospondyl individuals represented by partial to nearly complete skulls and disarticulated postcranial elements of juvenile to adult ages. Nearly all material appears to represent a single species of metoposaurid referable to the genus Metoposaurus, well known from the late Carnian–early Norian of Germany and Poland. A number of characters of the occiput and mandible suggest that the Algarve material may represent a new species. This new material provides new data on the diversity and paleogeographical distribution of the metoposaurids, a highly autapomorphic and peculiar group composed of large aquatic carnivores with a unique elongated but brevirostral skull. This taxon also provides

Horizon may be within or close to the late Carnian–early Norian. Additional bone-bearing horizons within the ‘Grés de Silves’ provide a rare opportunity to examine terrestrial faunal change in the lead-up to the ETE.

Araújo, R, Polcyn M, Jacobs LL, Mateus O, Schulp AS.  2011.  Plesiosaur structural extreme from the Maastrichtian of Angola, Jan. 71st Annual Meeting of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology. :63.: Abstracts of the 71st Annual Meeting of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology Abstractaraujo_et_al_mateus_2011_plesiosaur_extreme_angola_svp11abstracts.pdf

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Marinheiro, J, Mateus O.  2011.  Occurrence of the marine turtle Thalassemys in the Kimmeridgian of Oker, Germany, Jan. 71st Annual Meeting of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology. :151.: Abstracts of the 71st Annual Meeting of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology Abstractmarinheiro__mateus_2011_turtle_thalassemys_oker_germany_svp11abstracts.pdf

A partial chelonian was collected from the Langenberg Formation quarry of Oker (near Goslar, Lower Saxony, Germany). The amniotes from this formation include other chelonians (possible Plesiochelyidae), the sauropod Europasaurus holgeri, theropods (Velociraptorinae), crocodylomorphs (Atoposauridae, Theriosuchus pusillus, Goniopholis simus, Machimosaurus hugii, Steneosaurus brevirostris) and pterosaurs (Dsungapteridae, ?Ornithocheiroidea, ?Ctenochasmatidae).

The reported specimen, DFMMh/FV 296, includes a skull part (articulated quadrate, squamosal, basisphenoid, and pterygoid), a disarticulated 40 cm long partial carapace, plastron, and one cervical vertebra.

The carapace bears fontanelles, trapezoidal suprapygal with straight edges, small last neurals

[....]
a plicated longitudinal pattern in the proximal end of the costals originating on the posterior side of the scute sulci and dissipating posteriorly, wide central opening in the plastron, xiphiplastra with little or no contact between each other, and both the hyo- and hypoplastron have digit-form buttress projections.

The specimen has a central plastra fontanelle, which is regarded as a feature of the clade including [....], Santanachelys, and Thalassemys. DFMMh/FV 296 differs from
[....]

edges and xiphiplastron participation in the central fontanelle is autapomorphic for the Thalassemys genus. A large central fontanelle with hyo and hypoplastron polygonal medial
[....]
contact between xiphiplastra and reduced size of the two last neural plates is shared between T. hugii and the Oker specimen. DFMMh/FV 296 differs from this species due to the presence of plastral projections. The different shape of the plastron (no polygonal-like margins or hyo- and hypoplastron projections) suggests that T. moseri [....]
ent genus. Therefore, we can assign this specimen to Thalassemys sp.

Graf, J, Jacobs LL, Polcyn MJ, Mateus O, Schulp AS.  2011.  New fossil whales from Angola, Jan. 71st Annual Meeting of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology. :119.: Abstracts of the 71st Annual Meeting of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontologygraf_et_al_mateus_2011_fossil_whales_from_angola_svp11abstracts.pdf
Martins, RMS, Beckmann F, Castanhinha R, Araújo R, O. Mateus, Pranzas PK.  2011.  Tomographic techniques for the study of exceptionally preserved dinosaur and crocodile fossils from the mesozoic of Portugal. VII Encontro Nacional de Biologia Evolutiva, Coimbra, 21 Dezembro 2011. :19. Abstractmartins_et_al_mateus_2011_tomographic_techniques_for_the_study_of_exceptionally_preserved_dinosaur_and_crocodile.pdf

Portugal is ranked within the ten countries with more dinosaur taxa and the Lourinhã Formation is known
by the Late Jurassic findings of dinosaurs and other fossils. Often, studies of the external morphological
characteristics of the fossils are not sufficient and, observations of internal structures, using non-
destructive techniques, are required. The fossils here presented belong to the Museum da Lourinhã
(Portugal) and comprise a lower jaw of a basal crocodilian (possibly a Tomistomidae), eggshells and
several vertebrae from the exceptionally well preserved in ovo remains of Late Jurassic theropod dinosaur
Lourinhanosaurus. Neutron Tomography (NT) experiments with this material has been carried out at the
Geesthacht Neutron Facility in Germany. Additionally, eggshell fragments and several vertebrae have
been studied by Synchrotron-Radiation based Micro-Computed Tomography (SRμCT) at the HARWI II and
BW2 beamlines, respectively. These beamlines are operated by the Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht at the
storage ring DORIS III at the Deutsches Elektronen–Synchrotron DESY in Hamburg, Germany. In both cases
(NT and SRμCT) complete 3D recordings have been obtained using a non-destructive procedure. The high-
quality tomographic datasets can be effectively studied through interactive digital visualization. Hence,
these visualization methods provide precious information about the 3D internal micro morphology of
fossils, like the network of the eggshell pores, often invisible in more traditional techniques, and provide a
direct window into the evolutionary history of organisms.

Journal Article

Mateus, O, Mateus O, Jacobs LL, Schulp AS, Polcyn MJ, Tavares TS, Neto AB, Morais ML, Antunes MT.  2011.  Angolatitan adamastor, a new sauropod dinosaur and the first record from Angola. Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências. Abstract
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Mateus, O, Milàn J, Romano M, Whyte MA.  2011.  New finds of stegosaur tracks from the Upper Jurassic Lourinhã Formation, Portugal. Acta Palaeontologica Polonica. 56(1):651-658. Abstractmateus_et_al_2011_-_deltapodus_with_skin_impressions_from_portugal.pdf

Eleven new tracks from the Upper Jurassic of Portugal are described and attributed to the stegosaurian ichnogenus Deltapodus. One track exhibits exceptionally well−preserved impressions of skin on the plantar surface, showing the stegosaur foot to be covered by closely spaced skin tubercles of ca. 6 mm in size. The Deltapodus specimens from the Aalenian of England represent the oldest occurrence of stegosaurs and imply an earlier cladogenesis than is recognized in the body fossil record.

Mateus, O, Jacobs LL, Schulp AS, Polcyn MJ, Tavares TS, Neto AB, Morais ML{\'ı}sa, Antunes MT.  2011.  Angolatitan adamastor, a new sauropod dinosaur and the first record from Angola. Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências. 83:221–233., Number 1: {FapUNIFESP} ({SciELO}) AbstractWebsite
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Mateus, O, Jacobs LL, Schulp AS, Polcyn MJ, Tavares TS, Neto AB, Morais ML, Antunes MT.  2011.  Angolatitan adamastor, a new sauropod dinosaur and the first record from Angola., Jan. Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências. 83:221-233. Abstractmateus_et_al_2011_angolatitan_adamastor_sauropod.pdfWebsite

A forelimb of a new sauropod dinosaur (Angolatitan adamastor n. gen. et sp.) from the Late Turonian of Iembe (Bengo Province) represents the first dinosaur discovery in Angola, and is one of the few occurrences of sauropod dinosaurs in sub-Saharan Africa collected with good chronological controls. The marginal marine sediments yielding the specimen are reported to be late Turonian in age and, thus it represents a non-titanosaurian sauropod in sub-Saharan Africa at a time taken to be dominated by titanosaurian forms. Moreover, Angolatitan adamastor is the only basal Somphospondyli known in the Late Cretaceous which implies in the existence of relict forms in Africa.

Mateus, O, Araújo R, Natário C, Castanhinha R.  2011.  A new specimen of the theropod dinosaur Baryonyx from the early Cretaceous of Portugal and taxonomic validity of Suchosaurus. Zootaxa. :54-68., Number 2827 Abstract
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Mateus, O, Araújo R, Natário C, Castanhinha R.  2011.  A new specimen of the theropod dinosaur Baryonyx from the early Cretaceous of Portugal and taxonomic validity of Suchosaurus, Jan. Zootaxa. 2827:54–68. Abstractmateus_et_al_2011_a_new_specimen_of_the_theropod_dinosaur_baryonyx_from_the_early_cretaceous_of_portugal_and_taxonomic_validity_of_suchosaurus.pdf

Although the Late Jurassic of Portugal has provided abundant dinosaur fossils, material from the Early Cretaceous is scarce. This paper reports new cranial and postcranial material of the theropod dinosaur Baryonyx walkeri found in the Barremian (Papo Seco Formation) of Portugal. This specimen, found at Praia das Aguncheiras, Cabo Espichel, consists of a partial dentary, isolated teeth, pedal ungual, two calcanea, presacral and caudal vertebrae, fragmentary pubis, scapula, and rib fragments. It represents the most complete spinosaurid yet discovered in the Iberian Peninsula and the most complete dinosaur from the Early Cretaceous of Portugal. This specimen is confidently identified as a member of Baryonychinae due to the presence of conical teeth with flutes and denticles in a dentary rosette. The specimen ML1190 shares the following characteristics with Baryonyx walkeri: enamel surface with small (nearly vertical) wrinkles, variable denticle size along the carinae, 6–7 denticles per mm, wrinkles forming a 45 degree angle near the carinae, and tooth root longer than crown. In addition, dubious taxa based on teeth morphology such as Suchosaurus cultridens (Owen, 1840–1845), and Suchosaurus girardi (Sauvage 1897–98; Antunes & Mateus 2003) are discussed, based on comparisons with well-known material such as Baryonyx walkeri Charig & Milner, 1986. Suchosaurus cultridens and S. girardi are considered as nomina dubia due to the lack of diagnostic apomorphies, but both specimens are referred to Baryonychinae incertae sedis.

Mateus, O, Milàn J, Romano M, Whyte MA.  2011.  New finds of stegosaur tracks from the Upper Jurassic Lourinhã formation, Portugal. Acta Palaeontologica Polonica. 56:651-658., Number 3 Abstract
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Adams, TL, Polcyn MJ, Mateus O, Winkler DA, Jacobs LL.  2011.  First occurrence of the long-snouted crocodyliform Terminonaris (Pholidosauridae) from the Woodbine Formation (Cenomanian) of Texas, Jan. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 31:712-716.: So Methodist Univ, Univ Nova Lisboa Abstractadams_polcyn_mateus_et_al_2011_terminonaris_crocodile_pholidosauridae.pdf

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Adams, TL, Polcyn MJ, Mateus O, Winkler DA, Jacobs LL.  2011.  First occurrence of the long-snouted crocodyliform Terminonaris (Pholidosauridae) from the Woodbine Formation (Cenomanian) of Texas. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 31:712-716., Number 3 Abstract
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Martins, RMS, Beckmann F, Castanhinha R, Mateus O, Pranzas PK.  2011.  Dinosaur and crocodile fossils from the mesozoic of Portugal: Neutron tomography and synchrotron-radiation based micro-computed tomography. Materials Research Society Symposium Proceedings. 1319:319-332. Abstract
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Magazine Article

Miscellaneous

Mateus, O.  2011.  A new metoposaurid (temnospondyl) bonebed from the Late Triassic of Portugal, 1. 31 Abstract

The end-Triassic extinction event (ETE), considered one of the ‘Big Five’ mass extinctions, marks a dividing line between early Mesozoic vertebrate assemblages, typically including abundant temnospondyls, basal synapsids and basal archosaurs, and ‘typical’ Mesozoic faunas dominated by dinosaurs, pterosaurs, crocodylomorphs, turtles and mammaliaforms. Recent geochemical work has provided strong evidence that the ETE is synchronous with, and likely caused by, the emplacement of the Central Atlantic magmatic province (CAMP). However, stratigraphic sections containing both terrestrial vertebrates and CAMP basalts are scarce, complicating attempts to examine terrestrial faunal changes during this extinction event. The Triassic–Jurassic Algarve Basin, southern Portugal, is an extensional rift basin to-marginal marine red beds (the ‘Grés de Silves’ Group) interbedded with CAMP basalts.... bonebed from the interval ‘AB1’ of the Grés de Silves. Preliminary excavations yielded at least nine well-preserved temnospondyl individuals represented by partial to nearly complete skulls and disarticulated postcranial elements of juvenile to adult ages. Nearly all material appears to represent a single species of metoposaurid referable to the genus Metoposaurus, well known from the late Carnian–early Norian of Germany and Poland. A number of char- acters of the occiput and mandible suggest that the Algarve material may represent a new species. This new material provides new data on the diversity and paleogeographical distri- bution of the metoposaurids, a highly autapomorphic and peculiar group composed of large aquatic carnivores with a unique elongated but brevirostral skull. This taxon also provides [...] Horizon may be within or close to the late Carnian–early Norian. Additional bone-bearing horizons within the ‘Grés de Silves’ provide a rare opportunity to examine terrestrial faunal change in the lead-up to the ETE.