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New record of a sauropod in the Jurassic–Cretaceous transition of the Iberian Peninsular (Spain): palaeobiogeographical implications

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Abstract

In recent decades a unique association of basal neosauropod and turiasaur sauropods has been described from the Jurassic–Cretaceous transition of Spain. In this context, a sauropod femur from the Tithonian–Berriasian is studied for the first time. The femur in question is an isolated specimen, recovered from the Tera Group in Tera (Soria). It displays a unique mosaic of derived characters as yet undescribed in femora of the Upper Jurassic and Lower Cretaceous of Spain. A prominent lateral bulge, high eccentricity, and a lateromedially flattened proximal end link the femur from Tera with Titanosauriformes. Moreover, it presents a significant distal projection of the tibial condyle, a character observed in Asiatic Titanosauriformes of the Lower Cretaceous. The femur from Tera adds a fifth sauropod taxon to the Tithonian–Berriasian of Spain, and, for the first time, a representative of Titanosauriformes.

Kurzfassung

In den letzten Jahrzehnten ist eine einzigartige Assoziation von basalen Neosauropoden und Turiasaurier-Sauropoden von der Jura/Kreide-Grenze Spaniens beschrieben worden. In diesem Zusammenhang wird ein Sauropodenfemur vom Tithonium/Berriasium zum ersten Mal studiert. Dieses Femur ist ein isoliertes Exemplar, das in der Tera-Gruppe in Tera (Soria) gefunden wurde. Es zeigt ein einzigartiges Mosaik abgeleiteter Charaktere, die in Femora des Oberen Jura und der Unteren Kreide Spaniens noch nicht beschrieben worden sind. Die auffällige laterale Vorwölbung, die hohe Exzentrizität, und das lateromedial flacher werdende proximale Ende bringen das Femur aus Tera mit Titanosauriformes in Verbindung. Ferner zeigt es eine wichtige distale Projektion des Condylus tibiae (des Gelenkknorrens des Schienbeins), einen Charakter, der in asiatischen Titanosauriformen der Unteren Kreide zu beobachten ist. Das Femur aus Tera bedeutet ein fünftes Taxon der Sauropoden im Tithonium/Berriasium Spaniens und zum ersten Mal einen Vertreter der Gruppe der Titanosauriformes.

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Acknowledgments

Our thanks go to Enrique Baquedano for providing the information on the excavation of the fossil and giving us the photographs of the fossil in situ. The Museo de Numancia and the Consejería de Cultura de Castilla—León permitted us to study and photograph the specimen. Federico Meijide Fuentes prepared the fossil. Rupert Glasgow translated the text into English. The schemes of the bones have been drawn by Olga Lopez of the company Paleoymás. This paper forms part of the project CGL2007-62469, subsidized by the Ministry of Education and Science, by the European Regional Development Fund, and by the Government of Aragon (“Grupos Consolidados”). The contributions of the anonymous reviewers greatly improved the final draft of the paper.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Grupo Aragosaurus-IUCA. Paleontología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Zaragoza, C/Pedro Cerbuna 12, 50009, Zaragoza, Spain

    José Ignacio Canudo, José L. Barco & Diego Castanera

  2. Paleoymás. Polígono INBISA–Empresarium-C/Retama, 17 Nave 24C, Cartuja Baja, 50720, Zaragoza, Spain

    José L. Barco

  3. Museo de Dinosaurios de Salas de los Infantes, Plaza de Jesús Aparicio, 9, Salas de los Infantes, 09600, Burgos, Spain

    Fidel Torcida Fernández-Baldor

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  1. José Ignacio Canudo
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  2. José L. Barco
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  3. Diego Castanera
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  4. Fidel Torcida Fernández-Baldor
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Correspondence to José Ignacio Canudo.

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Canudo, J.I., Barco, J.L., Castanera, D. et al. New record of a sauropod in the Jurassic–Cretaceous transition of the Iberian Peninsular (Spain): palaeobiogeographical implications. Paläontol Z 84, 427–435 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12542-010-0057-x

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