Bioerosion and palaeoecological association of osteophagous insects in the Maastrichtian dinosaur Arenysaurus ardevoli

Bioerosions produced by the osteophagous diet of animals that fed on dinosaur bones are very scarce in the European fossil record. Herein we present bioerosion on hadrosaurid remains from the Maastrichtian Tremp Formation of the Pyrenean Basin, which is only the second such case recorded from the Iberian-Occitan Plate besides a sauropod from the Jurassic-Cretaceous of Valencia. The hadrosaurid fossil record is particularly rich in the Blasi sites of the Tremp Formation located in the municipality of Arén (Huesca, Spain). In this article, bones referred to the hadrosaurid Arenysaurus ardevoli from the Blasi-3 site are analysed to shed light on the palaeoenvironment and on the presence of a palaeoecological interaction between the hadrosaurid carcase and osteophagous tracemakers. Bioerosions recorded on the bones comprise tunnels, roundish holes, and straight notches, similar to the traces attributed to necrophagous insects (cf. Cuniculichnus seilacheri). Here, we record the first instance of the activity of these animals on dinosaur bones in the Upper Cretaceous of the Ibero-Occitan Plate. The results presented lead us to infer that the Arenysaurus bones were possibly transported by a storm or similar event to the Blasi-3 site, where they were exposed to post-mortem biotic interactions (eaten and partially decomposed by dermestid beetles) for a prolonged time period before they were completely buried. © 2021 The Authors. Lethaia published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Lethaia Foundatio

Paleobiology of titanosaurs: reproduction, development, histology, pneumaticity, locomotion and neuroanatomy from the South American fossil record

Fil: García, Rodolfo A.. Instituto de Investigación en Paleobiología y Geología. Museo Provincial Carlos Ameghino. Cipolletti; ArgentinaFil: Salgado, Leonardo. Instituto de Investigación en Paleobiología y Geología. General Roca. Río Negro; ArgentinaFil: Fernández, Mariela. Inibioma-Centro Regional Universitario Bariloche. Bariloche. Río Negro; ArgentinaFil: Cerda, Ignacio A.. Instituto de Investigación en Paleobiología y Geología. Museo Provincial Carlos Ameghino. Cipolletti; ArgentinaFil: Carabajal, Ariana Paulina. Museo Carmen Funes. Plaza Huincul. Neuquén; ArgentinaFil: Otero, Alejandro. Museo de La Plata. Universidad Nacional de La Plata; ArgentinaFil: Coria, Rodolfo A.. Instituto de Paleobiología y Geología. Universidad Nacional de Río Negro. Neuquén; ArgentinaFil: Fiorelli, Lucas E.. Centro Regional de Investigaciones Científicas y Transferencia Tecnológica. Anillaco. La Rioja; Argentin

Large theropod dinosaur footprint associations in western Gondwana: Behavioural and palaeogeographic implications

In modern terrestrial ecosystems, the population size of large predators is low, and a similar pattern has usually been assumed for dinosaurs. However, fossil finds of monospecific, large theropod accumulations suggest that population dynamics were more complex. Here, we report two Early Cretaceous tracksites dominated by large theropod footprints, in Querulpa Chico (Peru) and Chacarilla (Chile). The two sites correspond to distinct depositional environments—tidal basin/delta (Querulpa Chico) and meandering river (Chacarilla)—with both subject to extensive arid or semiarid palaeoclimatic conditions. Although most trackways show no preferred orientation, a clear relationship between two trackmakers is observed in one instance. This observation, coupled with the high abundance of trackways belonging to distinct large theropods, and the exclusion of tracks of other animals, suggests some degree of grouping behaviour. The presence of freshwater sources in a dry climate and perhaps social behaviour such as pair bonding may have promoted interactions between large carnivores. Further, the occurrence of these two tracksites confirms that large theropod dinosaurs, possibly spinosaurids and/or carcharodontosaurids, existed on the western margin of Gondwana as early as the earliest Cretaceous

Amazonian lower cretaceous north tocantins state (Brazil) dinosaur track site: conservation significance

On the left bank of the Tocantins River, near São Domingos, State of Tocantins, northern Brazil, there are at least six vertebrate trackways from the Barremian Corda Formation (Parnaíba Basin) first reported by Leonardi (BuenosAires 1:215–222, 1980) and assigned to iguanodontid dinosaurs. Later, these trackways were reassigned as belonging to sauropods. Until 2011, this locality was subject to river floods during seasonal rain cycles. Since then, the amount of water on the flatstones was substantially modified due the implantation of the “Usina Hidroeletrica de Estreito”, which has a dam 160 km upstream from the trackways locality. Recent fieldwork in the area has revealed that only a part of four original trackways is still preserved. The specimens, with poor to moderate preservation, are represented by large semicircular pes imprints lacking digital impressions mostly overlapping the hand print, which supports a sauropodian origin. Here, the authors consider and suggest geotourism as an important tool to protect and preserve the São Domingos’ footprints.Fil: Tavares, Lanuze Fabielly S.. Universidade Federal do Tocantins; BrasilFil: de Valais, Silvina. Universidad Nacional de Río Negro. Sede Alto Valle. Instituto de Investigaciones en Paleobiología y Geología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte; ArgentinaFil: Modesto Alves, Yuri. Universidade Federal do Estado do Rio de Janeiro; BrasilFil: Candeiro, Carlos Roberto A.. Universidade Federal de Uberlândia; Brasi

Current situation of the ichnological locality of São Domingos from the Corda Formation (Lower Cretaceous), northern Tocantins state, Brazil

In the 80's, Leonardi treated the presence of a vertebrate ichnological locality from the Barremian Corda Formation, Parnaíba Basin, on the left bank of the Tocantins river, near of the São Domingos town, Itaguatins, State of Tocantins, Brazil. Originally, the record was composed of at least seven in situ trackways, accounting for fifty six tracks. Since 2011, the Hydroelectric Power Plant do Estreito has begun to work, causing the development of a water reservoir 160km upstream to the ichnological site, causing periodic and highly energetic floods over the footprints-bearing level and altering it. The imprints are poorly to moderate preserved, but it is possible to distinguish the general morphology and the spatial arrangement of the footprints. The specimens are represented by pes imprints, mostly circular to subcircular, with no digital and claw impressions. No distinguishable manus imprints are present. The trackways are relative narrow with respect to the size of the tracks, so they are considered into the Parabrontopodus-like category. The São Domingos tracks have been originally assigned to iguanodontid dinosaurs, and posteriorly related to a sauropodian origin. This idea is herein accepted, particularly to a basal sauropod, basal macronarians, or diplodocoids. Up to date, the tracks from the São Domingos locality are the only vertebrate fossil record from the Corda Formation, meaning an important contribution to the Cretaceous ichnofauna from South America.Fil: de Valais, Silvina. Universidad Nacional de Río Negro. Sede Alto Valle. Instituto de Investigaciones en Paleobiología y Geología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte; ArgentinaFil: Candeiro, Carlos Roberto Dos Anjos. Universidade Federal do Tocantins; Brasil. Universidade Federal de Uberlandia; BrasilFil: Tavares, Lanuze Fabielly S.. Universidade Federal de Uberlandia; BrasilFil: Alves, Yuri Modesto. Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro; BrasilFil: Cruvinel, Ciro Alexandre T.. Universidade Federal do Tocantins; Brasi

Biomarkers of tenderness and intramuscular fat in five muscles from French PDO Maine-Anjou: I- Muscle type effect

International audienceThis paper describes the difference in the relative abundance of 20 proteins in five muscles: Longissimus thoracis (LT), Rectus abdominis (RA), Semimembranosus (SM), Semitendinosus (ST) and Triceps brachii (TB) of cattle from the French Maine Anjou Protected Designation of Origin (PDO). These proteins are biomarkers of tenderness and intramuscular fat previously identified by proteomic analysis. The relative abundance of the proteins was evaluated by Reverse Phase Protein Array (RPPA) with specific antibodies. The main results showed a muscle effect on 16 of 20 biomarkers. The RA muscle was significantly different from other muscles by the lower abundance of 6 proteins and the higher abundance of 5 proteins. In the ST muscle, 4 proteins were less abundant and 4 others corresponding to fast glycolytic type, were more abundant. Clustering analysis revealed associations between proteins irrespective of muscle type and others were muscle dependent. The knowledge of these associations are important to understand the mechanism involved in these meat properties

A Late Eocene date for Late Triassic bird tracks

Bird-like tracks from northwest Argentina have been reported as being of Late Triassic age1. They were attributed to an unknown group of theropods showing some avian characters. However, we believe that these tracks are of Late Eocene age on the basis of a new weighted mean 206Pb/238U date (isotope dilution–thermal ionization mass spectrometry method) on zircons from a tuff bed in the sedimentary succession containing the fossil tracks. In consequence, the mentioned tracks are assigned to birds and its occurrence matches the known fossil record of Aves.Fil: Melchor, Ricardo Nestor. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Ciencias de la Tierra y Ambientales de La Pampa. Universidad Nacional de La Pampa. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Ciencias de la Tierra y Ambientales de La Pampa; ArgentinaFil: Buchwaldt, Robert. Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Estados UnidosFil: Bowring, Sam. Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Estados Unido