The Paleozoic and Mesozoic vertebrate record of Venezuela: An overview, summary of previous discoveries and report of a mosasaur from the La Luna Formation (Cretaceous)

Most reports of Paleozoic and Mesozoic vertebrates from Venezuela are anecdotical, with few detailed descriptions of mostly ‘fish' groups. Synapsids (e.g., mammals) are totally unknown, and dinosaurs are only reported from the La Quinta Formation. At least 14 formally recognized geological formations contain fossil vertebrates, most from the Central and Western parts of the country. In the Devonian there is a significant contrast between the vertebrates of Venezuela and Colombia and those of more southern parts of South America. Marine reptiles are present in a few localities in western Venezuela, and are very fragmentary, with one exception. A mosasaur from the Cretaceous La Luna Formation, reported here for the first time, is the most complete vertebrate (tetrapod) from the Cretaceous of Venezuela, and includes a partial skull and a few postcranial remain