PALEONTOLOGY NEWS

ABSTRACT

Recent discoveries of early-diverging pennaraptoran fossils have shed light on the origin of birds and, in particular, the evolution of defining avian features such as pennaceous feathers and flight capability. Here I report a new pennaraptoran dinosaur based on a fossil recovered from the Lower Cretaceous Jiufotang Formation of western Liaoning, China. Despite exhibiting a combination of derived features observed across distinct pennaraptoran lineages, this new taxon is likely an early-diverging deinonychosaurian. Most notably, it possesses exceptional plumage characteristics: it represents the first known early-diverging pennaraptoran to bear both large pedal feathers and highly elongated rectrices; these elongated rectrices are substantially more abundant than those of other early-diverging pennaraptorans, bearing a superficial resemblance to the tail plumes of peacocks; and its wing feathers form the proportionally largest feathered wings among non-avialan pennaraptorans—even with relatively short bony forelimbs—indicating a decoupling of forelimb skeletal length and feathered wing surface area. This discovery underscores the complexity of early pennaraptoran evolution and raises several conceptual and methodological issues in pennaraptoran research. These issues include how to recover a robust pennaraptoran phylogeny, how to infer the aerial behavior and habitat ecology of early-diverging pennaraptorans, and how to define feathers and birds. I briefly address these issues in this paper.

LINK(S)

https://www.vertpala.ac.cn/CN/10.19615/j.cnki.2096-9899.260616

ABSTRACT

Whale falls are biodiversity oases at seabeds, yet their record from the oceans has remained sparse and fragmentary. Here we report the discovery of a vast whale necropolis in the Diamantina Zone (4,616- to 7,001-m depth), extending about 1,200 km along the sea floor of the southeastern Indian Ocean. This area has a deep and extensive accumulation comprising five modern natural whale-fall communities and 476 fossil cetaceans recorded. We show that carcasses host specialized communities dominated by brittle stars, bone-boring worms and chemosynthesis-based bivalves and that the fossil record in this area comprises both extant and extinct deep-diving beaked whales. Isotopic dating shows that whale falls in this region have occurred since at least 5.3 million years ago. These findings reshape the understanding of the limits and biogeography of whale-fall ecosystems and establish some deep sea floors as a fossil archive for tracing cetacean evolution over geological time.

LINK(S)

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-026-10546-z
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-026-10546-z.pdf

ABSTRACT

In this study we describe a corrosion pattern, interpreted as having been produced by digestion, on a hatchling Allosaurus maxilla from the former Guimarota coal mine fossil site. This site, located near Leiria in the west-central region of Portugal, is recognized as one of the most significant Upper Jurassic microvertebrate fossil localities worldwide. It is particularly renowned for its abundant and diverse fossil record of early mammalians, but a wide array of other vertebrates, including theropod dinosaurs, were also collected. The maxilla bears teeth that have been heavily corroded on the crowns, above the gum line, whereas the rest of the bone shows no signs of corrosion, suggesting a regurgitated partially digested animal. This represents the first record of a partially digested theropod fossil from the Upper Jurassic of Portugal and one of the few non-avian dinosaur specimens with such marks documented worldwide. Based on the fossil record from Guimarota and the observed corrosion pattern and preservation of the specimen, we suggest that the most likely consumer responsible for these marks was probably a non-avian theropod, although a pterosaur or crocodyliform producer also cannot be completely excluded. This study emphasizes that similar corrosion patterns may be more common in the Mesozoic fossil record than previously recognized and, when considered alongside additional evidence (e.g. fossil disarticulation and taphocenoses), can provide valuable insights into trophic interactions and ecosystem dynamics in ancient environments.

LINK(S)

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/spp2.70100

ABSTRACT

Recent work has suggested that the presence of extraoral soft tissues (‘lips’), in the form of labial scales in theropod dinosaurs, could be inferred based on: anteroposteriorly distributed foramina in the rostral bones, similar to extant lepidosaurs; vertically projected teeth; uniform enamel thickness in maxillary teeth; and an allometric relation between skull length and maxillary crown height. Here, we review the current state of knowledge on the presence of lips in saurischian dinosaurs and further contribute to the debate by inferring and discussing their presence in Triassic archosauromorphs, particularly those from southern Brazil, using the same methodological approach. Our results support the hypothesis that the lipped condition represents the plesiomorphic state in Sauropsida. Non-theropod Triassic saurischians and pseudosuchians exhibit a foraminal distribution similar to that of theropods and extant lepidosaurs. Histological thin sections reveal a uniform enamel thickness on both labial and lingual sides of functional and shed tooth crowns, and the dentine shows no evidence of wear, contrasting with the condition in crocodilian teeth. Additionally, our regression analysis supports an allometric trend in which increased skull length correlates with increased maxillary crown height in Theropoda, Sauropodomorpha, Herrerasauria and Pseudosuchia. We also infer and discuss the presence of a mandibular gap in Prestosuchus, as well as the occurrence of lips in specialized taxa from the clades Theropoda, Ornithosuchidae, Phytosauria and Proterosuchidae, based on convergent rostral features shared with extant lepidosaurs and actinopterygians. Furthermore, we examine the presence of both rhamphotheca and labial scales across the clades Silesauridae, Lagerpetidae and Rhynchosauria.

LINK(S)

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/pala.70066

ABSTRACT

This paper describes a representative collection of deciduous and permanent teeth, as well as postcranial skeletal elements of Elasmotherium, from the abundant Early Pleistocene locality at Taurida Cave (Crimean Peninsula). The age of the large and small vertebrate assemblage from this locality is estimated to be between 1.8 and 1.6 Ma (late Villafranchian), which inhabited in a savanna-like environment. The morphological features of the teeth support the attribution of the Elasmotherium remains from Taurida to the species E. chaprovicum Shvyreva, 2004, which is known from the Khaprovian Faunal Assemblage of the south of Eastern Europe (middle Villafranchian). The finds from Taurida Cave indicate that in Crimea this species was also characteristic of the Psekupsian Faunal Assemblage (late Villafranchian). The development of enamel structures at different stages of crown wear in various tooth generations was analyzed. The milk upper teeth of Elasmotherium are described for the first time.

LINK(S)

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02724634.2026.2664788

ABSTRACT

A partial skeleton of a small reptile with a distinctive maxilla, dentition, caudal vertebrae and osteoderms from the marine Partnach Formation (Ladinian-earliest Carnian) near Jadersdorf (Gitschtal, Hermagor) in the Gailtal Alps of Carinthia (Austria), represents a new archosaur taxon Carinthiasuchus kandutschi gen. n. sp. n.. It is diagnosed by autapomorphies in the anterior process and subnarial foramen of the maxilla, accessory articular processes in the neural arches of mid-distal caudal vertebrae, and shape and arrangement of the caudal osteoderms. It also shows a unique combination of features regarding the extent of the antorbital fossa in the maxilla and the morphology of its ventral edge, dentary shape, dentition, caudal vertebrae elongation and morphology. A segment of 16 mid-distal caudal vertebrae is one of the better articulated tail segments ever found in Triassic archosaurs, showing the arrangement of the dorsal osteoderms and the presence of accessory processes in the neural arches stiffening the posterior termination of the tail. Phylogenetic analysis recovered Carinthiasuchus kandutschi as a pseudosuchian in a basal position within the Poposauroidea. Absence of swimming adaptation in the tail and the presence of terrestrial plant remains in the same outcrop suggest terrestrial habits for this archosaur reptile.

LINK(S)

https://riviste.unimi.it/index.php/RIPS/article/view/29890
https://riviste.unimi.it/index.php/RIPS/article/view/29890/26527

ABSTRACT

Postosuchus kirkpatricki was a large pseudosuchian archosaur from the Late Triassic period in North America. It is among several pseudosuchians proposed to have had derived aspects of locomotor function such as bipedalism or digitigrady, rather than plesiomorphic quadrupedalism or plantigrady, but disputes and inconsistencies about these propositions remain. These lingering disputes need resolution in order to formulate broader inferences about the evolution of bipedalism, limb posture, athleticism, and the end-Triassic mass extinctions. Here, we use 3D musculoskeletal modelling to address the disputes via a deep critical review of available evidence via multiple methods. We conclude that it is uncertain if Postosuchus spp. was quadrupedal or bipedal, plantigrade or digitigrade, due to conflicting evidence. Our analyses also reconstruct pelvic limb musculature that was relatively three times as massive as that in a similar-sized Nile crocodile, whereas the caudofemoralis was smaller than expected due to the gracile tail of Postosuchus. Aspects of hindlimb myology and morphofunctional analyses of the hindlimb joints suggest a mix of traits that are plesiomorphic archosaurian, derived “rauisuchian” and singular for Postosuchus. Our extensive modelling procedure and synthesis of current evidence forms a foundation for future studies such as predictive simulations or ichnological evidence of locomotor function.

LINK(S)

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/joa.70189

ABSTRACT

Lacustrine sediments of the Lower Cretaceous (lower Aptian) Xiagou Formation exposed near the village of Changma in the Changma Basin of northwestern Gansu Province, China have yielded more than 100 avian partial skeletons, many of which also preserve remnants of soft tissues such as feathers and skin. Collectively, these fossils characterize a rich avifauna dominated by the crownward ornithuromorph Gansus yumenensis Hou and Liu, 1984. Despite this wealth of Early Cretaceous bird material, no skeletal remains of other dinosaurs have been described from Changma to date. Here we report the first non-avian dinosaur body fossil from the Xiagou Formation of the Changma Basin. Consisting of an articulated left pectoral girdle and forelimb lacking the carpus and manus, the specimen pertains to a new dromaeosaurid theropod taxon, Jian changmaensis, gen. et sp. nov. Phylogenetic analysis recovers Jian within Microraptorinae, expanding the definitive fossil record of this clade to include northwestern China. The new Changma microraptorine constitutes an additional similarity between the theropod faunas of the Xiagou Formation of the Changma Basin and penecontemporaneous strata of the Jehol Group of northeastern China. In particular, the Changma theropod assemblage closely resembles that of the Sihedang locality of the Jehol Group in that both include representatives of Microraptorinae and are overwhelmingly dominated by single ornithuromorph taxa that phylogenetic analyses have repeatedly resolved as close relatives. This raises the possibility that the two sites were deposited under comparable paleoenvironmental settings that are otherwise poorly represented at known Jehol localities.

LINK(S)

https://carnegiemnh.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Jian-changmaensis-Annals-of-Carnegie-Museum.pdf

ABSTRACT

The Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) extinction reshaped Earth’s biodiversity, yet its impact on marine fishes remains debated due to gaps in the Paleocene record. Here, we report a paleotropical assemblage from the early Paleocene (Danian) of Egypt that provides a window into this transition. The Qreiya 3 Lagerstätte [62.2 million years ago (Ma)] reveals an offshore marine ecosystem with at least 21 actinopterygian taxa across nine orders, exceeding the diversity of all other Danian skeletal assemblages combined. Most fishes are percomorphs and include the oldest skeleton-based records for at least six ecologically divergent extant groups. These findings reinforce inferences of fish extinction linked to the K-Pg and the rapid establishment of compositionally modern communities, marked by the first occurrences of new lineages no later than ~4 million years (Myr) after the event. Comparisons across sites indicate that percomorphs appear more common at lower paleolatitudes in the Paleocene, expanding into higher paleolatitudes by the Eocene.

LINK(S)

https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.aec8978

ABSTRACT

The Eurasian cave lion was abundant across the Northern Hemisphere before the Late Pleistocene megafaunal extinctions. However, the extent of the distinction between cave and modern lions and their adaptive differences have remained unclear. Using 12 cave lion genomes spanning more than 100,000 years, we show that modern and cave lions were distinct evolutionary lineages with separate demographic histories and unique non-synonymous variants. We also identify evidence of ancient gene flow between them, with the best modern lion proxy for this ancestry being an extinct Southwest Asian population. This admixture correlates with global ice extent, with 3.2%–4.4% modern lion ancestry detected in a ∼20,000-year-old cave lion from Central East Asia. These findings provide insight into the evolutionary history of the cave lion, once one of the Northern Hemisphere’s most ecologically impactful megafaunal species.

LINK(S)

https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(26)00524-6

https://www.cell.com/cell/pdf/S0092-8674(26)00524-6.pdf

ABSTRACT

Besanosaurus leptorhynchus is an early-diverging merriamosaurian ichthyosaur from the Middle Triassic Besano Formation of Alpine Europe. When the holotype specimen was first described, potential foetal material within the specimen was identified via X-ray imaging. Now, following further preparation, we describe this material in detail. The foetal remains consist of a single, slightly disarticulated individual located in the area corresponding to the right uterine cornu in the anterior trunk region. Much of the cranium, postcranial axial skeleton and part of the appendicular skeleton are preserved. The foetus is oriented in a manner suggesting tail-first birth, a trait common in more derived ichthyosaurs. Its developmental stage corresponds to the latest prenatal stage (stage 4) established for the parvipelvian ichthyosaur Stenopterygius. Several cranial elements demonstrate features influenced by ontogeny, such as the shape of the paracoronoid process of the surangular and the curvature of the jugal. A peculiar feature of the foetus is the presence of palatine teeth, previously reported among ichthyosauromorphs only in early-diverging ichthyosauriforms and the poorly known, small-bodied ichthyosaur Wimanius, which co-occurs with Besanosaurus at Monte San Giorgio. Our observations on the foetus confirm the original interpretation of this material as foetal rather than stomach contents, as has been more recently proposed. The new data allow us to discuss observations on the in utero carrying position of ichthyosaur foetuses more broadly.

LINK(S)

https://fr.pensoft.net/article/183128/

ABSTRACT

We describe a partial skeleton referred to a new elasmosaurid taxon, Argentinonectes calafatensis gen. et sp. nov., from the Maastrichtian Calafate Formation, SW Argentina. State of preservation of Argentinonectes calafatensis holotype offers new insights into the plesiosaur body plan, including distribution of internal canals along postcervical vertebrae, presence of a stiffened distal end of the tail, orientation of the thoracic ribs, and morphological variations of gastral elements. We present evidence that the system of subcentral foramina and associated internal canals was not restricted to the cervical series, but extended along the entire vertebral column of Argentinonectes. Argentinonectes exhibits a stiffened distal end of the tail formed by the last eight distal-most caudals. Rib anatomy and articulation with the dorsal vertebrae indicates that Argentinonectes had an oblate dorsoventral thorax and pachyostotic gastralia, demonstrating that such features were widely distributed among Jurassic and Cretaceous plesiosaurs. The gastral basket of Argentinonectes shows notable differences in the morphology of single elements per row, probably indicating that some regions of the gastral basket were more freely articulated than others, participating differentially in the respiratory movements of the belly. This discovery enlarges the list of Upper Cretaceous non-aristonectine elasmosaurids from southern South America and Antarctica, which are currently known for incomplete postcranial remains.

LINK(S)

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0195667126001199