New lizards and rhynchocephalians from the Lower Cretaceous of Southern Italy

• Autorzy: Evans S E , Raia P. , Barbera C.
• Języki publikacji: EN

Abstrakty

EN

The Lower Cretaceous (Albian age) locality of Pietraroia, near Benevento in southern Italy, has yielded a diverse assemblage of fossil vertebrates, including at least one genus of rhynchocephalian (Derasmosaurus) and two named lizards (Costasaurus and Chometokadmon), as well as the exquisitely preserved small dinosaur, Scipionyx. Here we describe material pertaining to a new species of the fossil lizard genus Eichstaettisaurus (E. gouldi sp. nov.). Eichstaettisaurus was first recorded from the Upper Jurassic (Tithonian age) Solnhofen Limestones of Germany, and more recently from the basal Cretaceous (Berriasian) of Montsec, Spain. The new Italian specimen provides a significant extension to the temporal range of Eichstaettisaurus while supporting the hypothesis that the Pietraroia assemblage may represent a relictual island fauna. The postcranial morphology of the new eichstaettisaur suggests it was predominantly ground−living. Further skull material of E. gouldi sp. nov. was identified within the abdominal cavity of a second new lepidosaurian skeleton from the same locality. This second partial skeleton is almost certainly rhynchocephalian, based primarily on foot and pelvic structure, but it is not Derasmosaurus and cannot be accommodated within any known genus due to the unusual morphology of the tail vertebrae.

Słowa kluczowe

EN

predation; Italy; Cretaceous; Rhynchocephalia; Squamata; new lizard; Lepidosauria; lizard; paleobiogeography; paleontology

• Wydawca: -
• Czasopismo: Acta Palaeontologica Polonica
• Rocznik: 2004
• Tom: 49
• Numer: 3
• Opis fizyczny: p.393-408,fig.,ref.

Twórcy

autor

Evans S E

• University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, England

autor

Raia P.

autor

Barbera C.

Bibliografia

• Alifanov, V.R. 1989. The oldest gecko (Lacertilia: Gekkonidae) from the Lower Cretaceous of Mongolia.Paleontological Journal 23: 128–131.
• Alifanov, V.R. 1993. Some peculiarities of the Cretaceous and Palaeogene lizard faunas of the Mongolian People’s Republic. Kaupia 3: 9–13.
• Barbera, C. and La Magna, G. 1999. Finding of ammonites in the ittiolithic limestones at Pietraroia. Rivista del Museo Civico di Scienze Naturali “E. Caffi’” Bergamo 20: 23–24.
• Barbera, C. and Macuglia, L. 1988. Revisione dei tetrapodi del Cretacico inferiore di Pietraroia (Matese orientale Benevento) appartenenti alla collezione Costa del Museo di Paleontologia dell’Università di Napoli. Memoria di Societa Geologia di Italia 41: 567–574.
• Barbera, C. and Macuglia, L. 1991. Cretaceous herpetofauna of Pietraroia. In: G. Ghiara (ed.),Symposium on the Evolution of Terrestrial Vertebrates. Selected Symposia and Monographs 4: 421–429. Unione Zoologica Italiana, Modena, Italy.
• Bausch, W.M. and Bravi, S. 1999. Geochemistry of the Pietraroia Cretaceous plattenkalk (S−Italy), and comparison with the Bolca Eocenic plattenkalk (N−Italy). Rivista del Museo Civico di Scienze Naturali “E. Caffi”, Bergamo 20: 25–28.
• Bravi, S. 1996. Ricerche sui livelli ad ittioliti in facies di piattaforma carbonatica dell’Italia meridionale. 396 pp. Unpublished Ph.D Thesis, Universita degli studi Napoli Federico II.
• Bravi, S. 1999. A tentative reassessment of the fauna and flora from the Pietraroia plattenkalk (Bn). Rivista del Museo Civico di Scienze Naturali “E. Caffi”, Bergamo 20: 39–41.
• Bravi, S. and Garassino, A. 1998. New biostratographic and palaeoecologic observations on the “Plattenkalk” of the lower Cretaceous (Albian) of Pietraroia (Benevento, S−Italy) and its decapod crustaceans assemblage. Atti Societá Italiana Scienze Naturali, Milano 138: 119–171.
• Broili, F. 1938. Ein neuer fund von ?Ardeosaurus H. von Meyer. Sitzungsberichte der Bayerischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, München 1938: 97–114.
• Broschinski, A. and Sigogneau−Russell, D. 1996. Remarkable lizard remains from the Lower Cretaceous of Anoual (Morocco). Annales de Paléontologie (Vert.−Invert.) 82: 147–175.
• Carannante, G., Vigorito, M., and d’Argenio, B. 2001. I calcari ittiolitici di Pietraroia: laguna o canale sottomarino? Nuove considerazioni sedimentologiche e paleoambientali. GeoSed 2001: 17–19 (Short Papers, Eighth Annual Meeting of the Italian Association for Sedimentary Geology). October 2001, Potenza, Italy.
• Carroll, R.L. 1985. A pleurosaur from the Lower Jurassic and the taxonomic position of the Sphenodontida. Palaeontographica A 189: 1–28.
• Cifelli, R.L, Gardner, J.D., Nydam, R.L., and Brinkman, D.L. 1997. Additions to the vertebrate fauna of the Antlers Formation (Lower Cretaceous), Southeastern Oklahoma. Oklahoma Geology Notes 57: 124–131.
• Cifelli, R.L., Nydam, R.L., Gardner, J.D., Weil, A., Eaton, J.G., Kirkland, J.I., and Madsen, S.K.1999. Medial Cretaceous vertebrates from the Cedar Mountain Formation, Emery County: the Mussentuchit local fauna. 219–242. In: D.D. Gillette (ed.), Vertebrate Paleontology in Utah. Utah Geological Survey Miscellaneous Publication 99−1: 219–242. Utah Geological Survey, Salt Lake City, USA.
• Cocude−Michel, M. 1963. Les rhynchocéphales et les sauriens des calcaires lithographiques (Jurassique supérieur) d’Europe occidentale.Nouvelles Archives de la Muséum d’Histoire Naturelle de Lyon 7: 1–187.
• Costa, O.G. 1851. Cenni intorno alle scoperte fatte nel Regno riguardante la Paleontologia. Il Filiatre Sebezio, Napoli 21: 40–46.
• Costa, O.G. 1864. Paleontologia del Regno di Napoli, III. Atti Accademia Pontaniana 8: 1–198.
• Costa, O.G. 1866. Nuove osservazioni e scoverte intorno ai fossili della calcarea ad illioliti di Pietraroia. Atti dell’Accademia delle scienze, fisiche e matematiche di Napoli 2: 1–12.
• Cree, A., Lyon, G.L., Cartland−Shaw, L., and Tyrrell, C. 1999. Stable carbon isotope ratios as indicators of marine versus terrestrial inputs to the diets of wild and captive tuatara (Sphenodon punctatus). New Zealand Journal of Zoology 26: 243–253.
• Dal Sasso, C. and Signore, M. 1998. Exceptional soft−tissue preservation in a theropod dinosaur from Italy. Nature 392: 383–387.
• D’Erasmo, G . 1914–15. La fauna e l’etB dei calcari ad ittioliti di Pietraroia (Provincia di Benevento). Palaeontographia italica 20: 29–111.
• Endo, R. and Shikama, T. 1942. Mesozoic reptilian fauna in the Jehol mountainland, Manchoukou. Bulletin of the Central National Museum of Manchoukou 3: 3–12.
• Estes, R. 1983. Sauria Terrestria, Amphisbaenia. In: P. Wellnhofer (ed.), Handbuch der Paläoherpetologie 10A. 249 pp. Gustav Fischer Verlag, Stuttgart.
• Estes, R., Gauthier, J., and De Queiroz, K. 1988. Phylogenetic relationships within Squamata. In: R. Estes and G. Pregill (eds.), Phylogenetic Relationships of the Lizard Families: Essays Commemorating Charles L. Camp, 119–281. Stanford University Press, Stanford.
• Evans, S.E. 1993. Jurassic lizard assemblages. Revue de Paléobiologie (Suisse) 7: 55–65.
• Evans, S.E. 1998a. Crown group lizards from the Middle Jurassic of Britain. Palaeontographica A 250: 123–154.
• Evans, S.E. 1998b. Lepidosaurian faunas from the Early Cretaceous: a clade in transition. In: S.G. Lucas, J.I. Kirkland, and J.W. Estep (eds.), Lower and Middle Cretaceous Continental Ecosystems. Bulletin of the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science 14: 195–200.
• Evans, S.E. and Barbadillo, L.J. 1997. Early Cretaceous lizards from Las Hoyas, Spain. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 119: 23–49.
• Evans, S.E. and Barbadillo, L.J. 1998. An unusual lizard from the Early Cretaceous of Las Hoyas, Spain. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 124: 235–265.
• Evans, S.E. and Barbadillo, L.J. 1999. A short−limbed lizard from the Early Cretaceous of Spain. Special Papers in Palaeontology 60: 73–85.
• Evans, S.E. and Chure, D. 1998. Paramacellodid lizard skulls from the Jurassic Morrison Formation at Dinosaur National Monument, Utah. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 18: 99–114.
• Evans, S.E., Lacasa−Ruiz, A., and Erill Rey, J. 1999. A lizard from the Early Cretaceous (Berriasian−Hauterivian) of Montsec. Neues Jahrbuch für Paläontologie und Geologie, Abhandlungen 215: 1–15.
• Evans, S.E. and Manabe, M. 1999. Early Cretaceous lizards from the Okuradani Formation of Japan. Geobios 32: 889–899.
• Evans, S.E., Prasad, G.V.R., and Manhas, B. 2002. An acrodont iguanian from the Mesozoic Kota Formation of India. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 22: 299–312.
• Fabre, J. 1981. Les rhynchocéphales et les ptérosauriens à crête pariètale du Kiméridgien supérieur – Berriasien d’Europe occidentale. Le gisement de Canjuers (Var−France) et ses abords. 188 pp. Editions de la Fondations Singer−Polignac, Paris.
• Fedorov, P.V. and Nessov, L.A. 1992. A lizard from the boundary of the Middle and Late Jurassic of north−east Fergana [in Russian]. Vestnik Sankt−Petersburgskogo Universiteta, Seriâ 7 (Geologiâ, Geografiâ) 3: 9–14.
• Fraser, J.R. 1993. Diets of wild tuatara (Sphenodon punctatus) on Stephens Island. 71 pp. Unpublished M.Sc. Thesis. University of Otago, Dunedin.
• Fraser, N.C. 1988. The osteology and relationships of Clevosaurus (Reptilia: Sphenodontida). Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London B 321: 125–178.
• Gao, K. and Norell, M.A. 2000. Taxonomic composition and systematics of Late Cretaceous lizard assemblages from Ukhaa Tolgod and adjacent localities, Mongolian Gobi Desert. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 249: 1–118.
• Gao, K. and Nessov, L.A. 1998. Early Cretaceous squamates from the Kyzylkum Desert, Uzbekistan. Neues Jahrbüch für Geologische und Paläontologische Abhandlungen 207: 289–309.
• Gardner, J.D. and Cifelli, R.L. 1999. A primitive snake from the Cretaceous of Utah. Special Papers in Palaeontology 60: 87–100.
• Gauthier, J., Estes, R., and De Queiroz, K. 1988. A phylogenetic analysis of Lepidosauromorpha.In: R. Estes and G. Pregill (eds.), Phylogenetic Relationships of the Lizard Families: Essays Commemorating Charles L. Camp, 15–98. Stanford University Press, Stanford.
• Gradstein, F.W., Agterberg, F.P., Ogg, J.J., Hardenbol, J., Van Veen, P., Thierry, J., and Huang, Z. 1995. A Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous time scale. In: W.A. Berggren, D.V. Kent, M.P. Aubry, and J. Hardenbol (eds.), Geochronology Time Scales and Global Stratigraphic Correlation. Society for Sedimentary Geology Special Publication 54: 95–126.
• Günther, A. 1867. The anatomy of Hatteria. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London 157: 595–629.
• Guibé, J. 1970. L’appareil digestif. In: P.P. Grassé (ed.), Traité de Zoologie, Anatomie, Systématique, Biologie, Vol. 14, Reptiles, 521–548. Masson et Cie, Paris.
• Haeckel, E. 1866. Generelle Morphologie der Organismen. Allgemeine Grundzuge der organischen Formen−Wissenschaft mechanisch begrundet durch die von Charles Darwin reformierte Deszendenz−Theorie. 2: Allgemeine Entwicklungsgeschichte der Organismen. Kritische Grundzuge der mechanischen Wissenschaft von den entstehenden Formen der Organismen, begrundet durch die Deszendenz−Theorie, 2 vols: 1, 574 pp.; 2, 462 pp. Georg Reimer Verlag, Berlin.
• Hoffstetter, R.1953. Les Sauriens anté−crétacés. Bulletin de la Museum Nationale d’Histoire Naturelle 25: 345–352.
• Hoffstetter, R.1964. Les Sauria du Jurassique supérieur et specialement les Gekkota de Bavière et de Mandchourie. Senckenbergiana Biologie 45: 281–324.
• Hoffstetter, R.1966. A propos des genres Ardeosaurus et Eichstaettisaurus (Reptilia, Sauria, Gekkonoidea) du Jurassique Supèrieur de Franconie. Bulletin de la Societé Géologique de France 8: 592–595.
• Hoffstetter, R., Crusafont, M., and Aguirre, E. 1965. Note préliminaire sur la presence de Sauriens (= Lacertiliens) dans le Jurassique supérieur du Montsech (Espagne). Comptes Rendu Sommaire des Séances de la Societé Géologique de France 1965: 53–54.
• Ji, S.A. 1998. A new long−tailed lizard from Upper Jurassic of Liaoning, China. In: Department of Geology, Peking University (ed.), Collected Works of International Symposium on Geological Science, Peking University, Beijing, China, 496–505. Seimological Press, Beijing, China.
• Ji, S.A. and Ren, D. 1999. First record of lizard skin fossil from China with description of a new genus (Lacertilia: Scincomorpha). Acta Zootaxonam Sin 24: 114–120.
• Kuhn, O. 1958. Ein neuer lacertilier aus dem fränkischen Lithographieschiefer. Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie, Monatshefte 1958: 437–440.
• Leonardi, G. and Teruzzi, G. 1993. Prima segnalazione di uno scheletro fossile di dinosauro (Theropoda, Coelurosauria) in Italia (Cretacico di Pietraroia, Benevento). Paleocronache 1: 7–14.
• Losos, J.B. 1990. The evolution of form and function: morphology and locomotor performance in West Indian Anolis lizards. Evolution 44: 1189–1203.
• Mateer, N. 1982. Osteology of the Jurassic lizard Ardeosaurus brevipes (Meyer). Palaeontology 25: 461–469.
• McGowan, G. and Evans, S.E. 1995. Albanerpetontid amphibians from the early Cretaceous of Spain. Nature 373: 143–145.
• Melville, J. and Swain, R. 2000. Evolutionary relationships between morphology, performance, and habitat openness in the lizard genus Niveoscincus (Scincidae: Lygosominae). Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 70: 667–683.
• Nessov, L.A. 1985. Rare bony fishes, terrestrial lizards and mammals from the lagoonal zone of the littoral lowlands of the Cretaceous of the Kyzylkum [in Russian]. Ežegodnik Vsesoûznogo Paleontologičeskogo Obŝestva (Academia Nauk SSSR), Leningrad 28: 199–219.
• Nessov, L.A. 1988. Late Mesozoic amphibians and lizards of Soviet Middle Asia. Acta Zoologica Cracoviensia 31: 475–486.
• Nessov, L.A. 1997. Cretaceous Nonmarine Vertebrates of Northern Eurasia [in Russian with English summary]. 218 pp. (Posthumous paper ed. by L.B. Golovneva and A.O. Averianov). University of Sankt Petersburg, Institute of Earth Crust, Sankt Petersburg.
• Nydam, R.L.1999. Polyglyphanodontinae (Squamata: Teiidae) from the medial and Late Cretaceous: new records from Utah, USA, and Baja California del norte, Mexico. In: D.D. Gillette (ed.), Vertebrate Paleontology in Utah. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Publication 99−1: 303–317. Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.
• Nydam, R.L. 2000. A new taxon of helodermatid−like lizard from the Albian–Cenomanian of Utah. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 20: 285–294.
• Nydam, R.L. and Cifelli, R.L. 2002a. A new teiid lizard from the Cedar Mountain Formation (Albian–Cenomanian boundary) of Utah. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 22: 276–285.
• Nydam, R.L. and Cifelli, R.L. 2002b. Lizards from the Lower Cretaceous (Aptian–Albian) Antlers and Cloverly Formations. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 22: 286–298.
• Nydam, R.L, Cifelli, R.L., Brinkman, D.L., and Gardner, J.D. 1997. Preliminary report on the vertebrate fauna of the Antlers Formation (Lower Cretaceous: Aptian–Albian) of Oklahoma. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 17: 67A.
• Oppel, M. 1811. Die Ordnungen, Familien und Gattungen der Reptilien, als Prodrom einer Naturgeschichte derselben. 87 pp. Joseph Lindauer, Munich.
• Renesto, S. and Viohl, G. 1997. A sphenodontid (Reptilia, Diapsida) from the Late Kimmeridgian of Schamhaupten (Southern Franconian Alb, Bavaria, Germany). Archaeopteryx 15: 27–46.
• Reynoso, V.H. 1996. Early Cretaceous Lepidosaurs (Reptilia: Diapsida) from Central Mexico and the Phylogeny of Lepidosauromorphs. 369 pp. Unpublished Ph.D. Thesis, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.
• Reynoso, V.H. 1997. A “beaded” sphenodontian (Diapsida: Lepidosauria) from the Early Cretaceous of central Mexico. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 17: 52–59.
• Reynoso, V.H. 1998. Huehuecuetzpalli mixtecus gen. et sp. nov: a basal squamate (Reptilia) from the Early Cretaceous of Tepexi de Rodríguez, Central México. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B 353: 477–500.
• Reynoso, V.H. 2000. An unusual aquatic sphenodontian (Reptilia: Diapsida) from the Tlayua Formation (Albian), Central México. Journal of Paleontology 74: 133–148.
• Reynoso, V.H. and Callison, G. 2000. A new scincomorph lizard from the Early Cretaceous of Puebla, México. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 130: 183–212.
• Richter, A.1994. Lacertilier aus der Unteren Kreide von Uña und Galve (Spanien) und Anoual (Marokko). Berliner geowissenschaftliche Abhandlungen 14: 1–147.
• Skoczylas, R. 1978. Physiology of the digestive tract. In: C. Gans and K.A. Gans (eds.),Biology of the Reptilia, 8, 589–717. Academic Press, London.
• Swofford, D.L. (ed.) 1993. P.A.U.P. – Phylogenetic Analysis Using Parsimony. 3.1.1.
• Vanhooydonck, B., Van Damme, R., and Aerts, P. 2000. Ecomorphological correlates of habitat partitioning in Corsican lacertid lizards. Functional Ecology 14: 358–368.
• Walls, G.Y. 1978. The influence of the tuatara on fairy prion breeding on Stephens Island, Cook Strait.New Zealand Journal of Ecology 1: 91–98.
• Walls, G.Y. 1981. Feeding ecology of the tuatara (Sphenodon punctatus) on Stephens Island, Cook Strait.New Zealand Journal of Ecology 4: 89–97.
• Zaaf, A., Van Damme, R., Herrel, A., and Aerts, P. 2001. Spatio−temporal gait characteristics of level and vertical locomotion in a ground−dwelling and a climbing gecko. The Journal of Experimental Biology 204: 1233–1246.
• Zani, P.A. 2000. The comparative evolution of lizard claw and toe morphology and clinging performance. Journal of Evolutionary Biology 13: 316–325.