Publications in the Year: 2016

Book

Myers, TS, Mateus O, Polcyn {MJ }, Vineyard D, Jacobs LL.  2016.  A new chelonioid turtle from the Paleocene of Cabinda, Angola. Abstract

We report a new chelonioid turtle on the basis of a nearly complete skull collected in lower Paleocene, shallow marine deposits, equivalent to the offshore Landana Formation, near the town of Landana in Cabinda Province, Angola. Chelonioid material previously reported from this locality is likely referable to this new taxon. The well-preserved skull is missing the left quadrate, squamosal, and prootic, both opisthotics, and the mandible. The skull possesses a rod-like basisphenoid rostrum, which is a synapomorphy of Chelonioidea, but it differs from other chelonioid skulls in that the contact between the parietal and squamosal is absent, and the posterior palatine foramen is present. Phylogenetic analysis recovers the new taxon as a basal chelonioid. The Paleocenetextendash Eocene strata near Landana have produced a wealth of turtle fossils, including the holotype of the pleurodire Taphrosphys congolensis. A turtle humerus collected from the Landana locality differs morphologically from the humeri of chelonioids and Taphrosphys, indicating the presence of a third taxon. Chelonioid fossil material in the Landana assemblage is rare compared to the abundant fragmentary remains of Taphrosphys that are found throughout the stratigraphic section. This disparity in abundance suggests the new chelonioid taxon preferred open marine habitats, whereas Taphrosphys frequented nearshore environments.

Muchagata, J, Mateus O.  2016.  Sexual display and rostral variation in extinct beaked whale, Globicetus hiberus. : XIV EAVP Meeting, Programme and Abstract Book Abstract
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Marzola, M, Mateus O, Wings O, Klein N, Milan J, [Unknown] LBC.  2016.  The herpetofauna from the Late Triassic of the Jameson Land Basin (East Greenland): review and updates. : XIV EAVP Meeting, Programme and Abstract Book Abstract
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Moreno-Azanza, M, Gasca JM, Canudo JI, Lázaro BB, Mateus O.  2016.  The evolution of the ornithischian eggshell: State of the art and perspectives. : Palaeontological Society of Japan Abstract
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Silva, T, Costa F, Fernandes J, Calvo R, Mateus O.  2016.  The use of a portable X-ray fluorescence analyzer in the reconstitution of dinosaur fossils, 7. : European Conference on X-Ray Spectrometry (EXRS) Abstract

Portable X-ray fluorescence spectrometers (p-XRF) have been used in many fields of application/studies like art, archaeology, heavy metals in soil, rocks and ores characterization, and have been a powerful tool for a rapid non-destructive in-situ analysis, without any sample preparation required. This approach was applied in the present case, to distinguish the origin of the fossil bones of two dinosaur specimens from different localities that were accidentally put together in the museum a few years ago. Fossil bones with sedimentary matrix associated were stored together until today in the collection of Geological Museum (Lisbon) and regarded as one single specimen. One set of bones is part of the holotype MG 5787 of the ankylosaur Dracopelta zbyszweskii, which was discovered at Praia do Sul, and described in 1980, while the other, is an undescribed half skeleton of dacentrurine stegosaur, unearthed in the 1960’s at Atouguia da Baleia, near Peniche (both in the coast of central Portugal, distanced about 100 km from each other). Since both specimens are highly valuable for paleontology, a study was developed with the aim of separating and reconstituting the two specimens. The handheld p-XRF (Genius 9000+7000 from Skyray Instrument) was directly used in the sedimentary matrix when it was separated from the bone, and the measure of the chemical content was performed in the intermediate layer between the surface and the bone, to avoid contaminations. Although the light elements could not be attained, because the analyzer is not equipped with the option of gas charging system, the spectra obtained showed differences mainly in the ratio K/Ca, allowing distinguishing the provenance of the bones (Atouguia or Praia do Sul). These results were compared with chemical analysis obtained with XRF laboratorial equipment and complemented by the mineralogical study through X-ray diffraction (XRD) of the sediments where the bones fossilized. The difference observed in the mineralogical constitution of the sedimentary matrix from the two localities (mainly quartz, calcite, feldspars and micas with variable content) explains the variation in the values found for the ratio K/Ca (<0.5 for Atouguia and >>1 for Praia do Sul). The data obtained will be presented and discussed focusing on the importance of using a portable X-ray fluorescence analyzer applied to the reconstitution of dinosaur fossils that proved to be very useful in the present case.

Book Chapter

Mateus, O.  2016.  Exemplos bizarros de evolucão em dinossauros e alguns casos portugueses. Do Big Bang ao Homem. :81–95.: U.Porto Edicões Abstract
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Mateus, O.  2016.  Exemplos bizarros de evolução em dinossauros e alguns casos portugueses. Do Big Bang ao Homem. :81-95., Porto: U.Porto Ediçõesmateus_2016_capitulo_livro_dinosaurs.pdf
Mateus, O.  2016.  Exemplos bizarros de evolução em dinossauros e alguns casos portugueses. Do Big Bang ao Homem. :81-95., Porto Abstract
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Mateus, O.  2016.  Exemplos bizarros de evolução em dinossauros e alguns casos portugueses. Do Big Bang ao Homem. :81-95., Porto: U.Porto Edi{\c c}ões Abstract
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Conference Paper

Mateus, O.  2016.  Late Jurassic of Morrison Formation and Portugal tetrapods compared: a model to explain faunal exchange and similarity. Annual Meeting of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology. :185., Salt Late City Abstract
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Marzola, M, Mateus O, Wings O, Klein N, M\{\`ı\}lan J, L.B.Clemmensen.  2016.  The herpetofauna from the Late Triassic of the Jameson Land Basin (East Greenland): review and updates. XIV EAVP Meeting. :182., Haarlem, The Netherlands Abstract
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Silva, T, Costa F, Fernandes J, Calvo R\é\}rio, Mateus O\á\}vio.  2016.  The use of a portable X-ray fluorescence analyzer in the reconstitution of dinosaur fossils. European Conference on X-Ray Spectrometry. , June 19 \–\} 24, 2016, Gothenburg, Sweden Abstract
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Myers, TS, Mateus O, Polcyn MJ, Vineyard D, Jacobs LL.  2016.  A new chelonioid turtle from the Paleocene of Cabinda, Angola. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, Program and Abstracts, 2016, p. 194.. :194. Abstract
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Polcyn, {MJ }, Bardet N, Amaghzaz M, Gonçalves {AO}, Jourani E, Kaddumi {HF }, Lindgren J, Mateus O, Meslouhf S, Morais {ML }.  2016.  An extremely derived plioplatecarpine mosasaur from the Maastrichtian of Africa and the Middle East. :32–33. Abstract
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Muchagata, J, Mateus O.  2016.  Sexual display and rostral variation in extinct beaked whale, Globicetus hiberus. XIV EAVP Meeting. :136., Haarlem, The Netherlands Abstract
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Mil\à\}n, J, Mateus O, Marzola M, Clemmensen LB.  2016.  Plesiosaur remains from the Lower Jurassic part of the Kap Steward Formation, Jameson Land, East Greenland \–\} evidence of the earliest marine incursion. 60th Annual Meeting Palaeontological Association. :91-92., Lyon, France Abstract
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Polcyn, MJ, Bardet N, Amaghzaz M, Gon\{\c c\}alves OA, Jourani E, Kaddumi HF, Lindgren J, Mateus O, Meslouhf S, Morais ML, Pereda-Suberbiola X, Schulp AS, Vincent P, Jacobs LL.  2016.  An extremely derived plioplatecarpine mosasaur from the Maastrichtian of Africa and the Middle East. 5th Triennial Mosasaur Meeting- a global perspective on Mesozoic marine amniotes. 16-20:May16-20,2016., Uppsala, Sweden Abstract
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Waskow, K, Mateus O.  2016.  What is your age? Dorsal rib histology as tool for individual age determination and analysis of life history traits in dinosaurs and other vertebrates Annual Meeting of the Paleontological Society of Germany (PalGes). :87. Abstract
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Moreno-Azanza, M, Gasca JM, Canudo JI, L\áżaro BB, Mateus O.  2016.  The evolution of the ornithischian eggshell: State of the art and perspectives. Abstracts with Programs, the 2016 Annual Meeting, the Palaeontological Society of Japan. :6., Fukui, Japan Abstract
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Conference Proceedings

Moreno-Azanza, M, Gasca JM, Canudo JI, Lázaro BB, Mateus O.  2016.  The evolution of the ornithischian eggshell: State of the art and perspectives. Abstracts with Programs, the 2016 Annual Meeting, the Palaeontological Society of Japan. :6., Fukui, Japan Abstract
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Polcyn, MJ, Bardet N, Amaghzaz M, Gonçalves OA, Jourani E, Kaddumi HF, Lindgren J, Mateus O, Meslouhf S, Morais ML, Pereda-Suberbiola X, Schulp AS, Vincent P, Jacobs LL.  2016.  An extremely derived plioplatecarpine mosasaur from the Maastrichtian of Africa and the Middle East. 5th Triennial Mosasaur Meeting- a global perspective on Mesozoic marine amniotes. 16-20(May 16-20, 2016):May16-20,2016., Uppsala, Sweden: Museum of Evolutiom, Uppsala University. Abstractpolcyn_et_al_2016_extremely_derived_mosasaur.pdf

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Mateus, O.  2016.  Late Jurassic of Morrison Formation and Portugal tetrapods compared: a model to explain faunal exchange and similarity. Annual Meeting of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology. :185., Salt Late City: Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, Program and Abstracts, 2016 Abstract

The precursor of the North Atlantic existed between the North American and Iberian blocks from the earliest Jurassic Hettangian and has been ever expanding since. By the Kimmeridgian and Tithonian, when much of the Morrison Fm rocks were deposited, the proto-Atlantic was more than 300 km wide at 27° paleolatitude between North America and Iberia. Macrovertebrate paleontology reveals a unique story to the isolation of Iberia and instead suggest a paleogeographic land connection between North American and Iberia. Torvosaurus, Allosaurus, Ceratosaurus, Stegosaurus, Supersaurus and others have a distribution restricted to Morrison Formation in North America and Lourinhã Formation in Portugal. A novel paleogeographic model is here suggested: (1) around the Middle–Late Jurassic transition there is a major palaeoceanographic and palaeoclimatic reorganization, coincidental to a major eustatic sea-level drop and uplift associated with the Callovian– Oxfordian Atlantic Regressive Event; (2) creating an ephemeral land bridge presenting a temporary opportunity for terrestrial gateways likely across the Flemish Cap and Galician Bank land masses, allowing large dinosaurian taxa to cross the northern proto-Atlantic in both directions; (3) finally, a Callovian–Oxfordian faunal exchange around the 163 Ma, through latest Kimmeridgian at 152 Ma (the age of equivalent genera in both Morrison and Portugal), is was an interval that allowed speciation, but retaining generic similarity of vertebrates. This model is consistent with the chronology and taxonomy required for speciation of the Iberian and American forms, exemplified by the coeval sister-taxa pairs Torvosaurus tanneri and T. gurneyi, Allosaurus fragilis and A. europaeus, or Supersaurus vivianae and S. lourinhanensis. While some of the smaller animals in the fauna show Morrison/Portugal affinities, most from Iberia have European or even Asian affinities. The larger-bodied fauna are more closely related to Morrison than to mainland Europe (except for dacentrurine stegosaurs). The body size differences and affinities of taxa across paleogeography is comparable to what is observed today across the Wallace Line. Migration may have also occurred in both directions. The closest relative of Torvosaurus is likely the European Bathonian Megalosaurus, thus the presence of the genus in North America represents a European migration. On other hand, Allosaurus and Supersaurus origins are consistent with a North American origin, representing an westto-east migration.