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A Late Cretaceous eutherian mammal from southwestern France

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Abstract

The first jaw remain of the Late Cretaceous eutherian Labes is a mandibular fragment from the Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) locality Massecaps in Departement Herault in southwestern France. The mandible holds three double-rooted molars (m1–3) with broken trigonids and preserved talonids of which m1 apparently was the largest. The entoconid is slightly approximated to the hypoconulid (69–74 % of the distance between the hypoconulid and hypoconid). The talonid basin has a rectangular shape, and the molar roots are not fused. An upper molar (M1) from the same locality bears three roots; it is characterized by a strong ectoflexus and a well-developed parastylar lobe. The largest cusp is the conical pyramidal paracone, followed by the tetrahedral shaped, very low protocone, and the small, distally placed metacone. Previously, Labes was only known by a few isolated lower molars from the late Campanian of Champ-Garimond (France) and the Maastrichtian of El Molino near Quintanilla del Coco (northwestern Spain).

Kurzfassung

Beim ersten Fund eines Kieferrestes des oberkretazischen Eutheriers Labes handelt es sich um ein Mandibel-Fragment aus dem Maastrichtium von Massecaps im Department Herault in Südwestfrankreich. In der Mandibel sind drei zweiwurzelige Molaren (m1–3) mit intakten Taloniden überliefert, während die Trigonide fehlen. Das Entoconid ist dem Hypoconulid leicht angenähert (69–74 % der Entfernung zwischen Hypoconulid and Hypoconid). Das Talonidbecken ist längs-rechteckig und m1 war offenbar der größte Molar im Unterkiefer. Die Molarenwurzeln sind nicht verschmolzen. Ein oberer Molar (M1) mit drei Wurzeln von derselben Lokalität zeigt einen ausgeprägten Ectoflexus und einen prominenten Parastylar-Lobus. Größter Höcker ist der konisch-pyramidenförmige Paraconus, gefolgt vom tetraederförmigen, niedrigen Protoconus und dem kleinen, nach distal gerückten Metaconus. Bisher war Labes nur durch einige wenige isolierte untere Molaren aus dem oberen Campanium von Champ-Garimond (Frankreich) und von El Molino bei Quintanilla del Coco (Nordwest-Spanien) bekannt.

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Abbreviations

DP :

Deciduous upper premolar

dp :

Deciduous lower premolar

L :

Length

M :

Upper molar

m :

Lower molar

P :

Upper premolar

p :

Lower premolar

TL :

Talonid length

TW :

Talonid width

w :

Width

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Acknowledgments

Thanks to the Association Culturelle, Archéologique et Paléontologique de l’Ouest Biterrois and its members for taking part in the excavations at Massecaps and for their logistic assistance. Excavations at Massecaps were supported by ACAP and Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS). Mandible M 1735 was recovered from screenwashed sediment by Dominique Viand, while molar M 2521 was collected in the field by Didier Clavel. We thank A.O. Averianov (St. Petersburg) for discussions. Reviewers Rich Cifelli and Zhe-Xi Luo provided constructive criticism that greatly improved the article. Olaf Dülfer skillfully prepared and cast the specimens, Georg Oleschinski assisted at the SEM, Dorothea Kranz (all Bonn) provided the artwork, and Monika Bulang-Lörcher (Freie Universität Berlin) drew figure 2. Peter Göddertz is thanked for microCT scanning the specimens, and Kai Jäger (both Bonn) made the 3D reconstructions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Steinmann-Institut für Geologie, Mineralogie und Paläontologie, Universität Bonn, Nussallee 8, 53115, Bonn, Germany

    Thomas Martin

  2. Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR 8538, Laboratoire de Géologie de l’Ecole Normale Supérieure, 24 rue Lhomond, 75231, Paris Cedex 05, France

    Eric Buffetaut

  3. Palaeontological Research and Education Centre, Maha Sarakham University, Kantarawichai, Mahasarakham, 44150, Thailand

    Haiyan Tong

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Correspondence to Thomas Martin.

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Martin, T., Buffetaut, E. & Tong, H. A Late Cretaceous eutherian mammal from southwestern France. Paläontol Z 89, 535–544 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12542-014-0231-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12542-014-0231-7

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