Mai 2024 : publication Cretaceous Research
New remains of Mosasauroidea (Reptilia, Squamata) from the Upper Cretaceous (Santonian) of Aude, southern France
New mosasaurid remains (Squamata) were collected from various Santonian localities in the Sougraignearea (Aude Department, southern France). Cranial bones, some vertebrae, two scapulae and a phalanx areassigned to the plioplatecarpine Platecarpus cf. tympaniticus, while pelvic bones, two vertebrae and afemur (?) are referred to Tylosaurus sp. Tooth marks made by sharks, teleosts or mosasaurids areobserved on the mosasaurid vertebrae. These Santonian (86.3e83.6 Ma) Platecarpus occurrences, knownsince almost one century, are the oldest from Europe. This deposit also yielded some elasmobranch teeth,belonging to taxa such as Squalicorax kaupi, Cretoxyrhina mantelli, Cretolamna sp. and Polyacrodus bra-banticus. A review of plioplatecarpine palaeobiogeographical distribution through Late Cretaceous sug-gests that it follows that of other mosasaurid clades, reaching a worldwide distribution by Maastrichtiantime, probably favored by marine routes largely opened at this time
Références
Plasse M., Valentin X., Garcia G., Guinot G., Bardet N. 2024 – New remains of Mosasauroidea (Reptilia, Squamata) from the Upper Cretaceous (Santonian) of Aude, southern France – Cretaceous Research 157, 105823 – DOI: 10.1016/j.cretres.2023.105823