Geology

Article Geology

A megaraptorid (Dinosauria: Theropoda) frontal from the upper Strzelecki Group (Lower Cretaceous) of Victoria, Australia

Jake Kotevski, Ruairidh J. Duncan, Adele H. Pentland, James P. Rule, Patricia Vickers-Rich, Thomas H. Rich, Erich M. G. Fitzgerald, Alistair R. Evans, Stephen F. Poropat

Summary: The cranial remains of non-avian theropod dinosaurs from the Cretaceous period in Australia are poorly understood. This study presents new evidence of non-mandibular cranial material, possibly belonging to the Megaraptoridae family, and contributes to the limited knowledge of Australian Cretaceous theropod cranial remains.

CRETACEOUS RESEARCH (2024)

Article Geology

Palynology of the Upper Gondwana deposits from the Chintalapudi Sub-basin, South India: Insights into age and palaeodepositional settings

Harinam Joshi, Neha Aggarwal

Summary: Palynological data analysis reveals the age and depositional settings of the Jangareddygudem area in Godavari Graben, South India. The study suggests a cool and humid climate during the deposition, favoring the formation and development of dense coniferous forests.

CRETACEOUS RESEARCH (2024)

Article Geology

Campanian conifer woods from Estancia La Aurora, Canadon Asfalto Basin, Patagonia Argentina

Pablo M. Villegas, A. Martin Umazano, Marcelo Krause, Mariana Brea

Summary: Conifer fossil woods from the Campanian Puntudo Chico Formation were studied, confirming the presence of Brachyoxylon currumillii and the introduction of Cupressinoxylon sp. cf. C. artabeae in the formation. The new specimens of Podocarpoxylon mazzonii suggest that this taxon is common in the Cretaceous to Eocene floristic assemblages. The growth-ring analysis of these fossil trees indicates their development under temperate and humid conditions, with slight sensitivity from year to year and a terminal event representing a cessation or retardation of cambial activity. Other paleoclimatic proxies suggest a temperate-warm and humid depositional environment with some semi-arid events in the Puntudo Chico Formation.

CRETACEOUS RESEARCH (2024)

Article Geology

Magnetic surveying as a proxy for defining cyclicity in thick sedimentary fillings: Application to the Cretaceous Cameros Basin (N Spain)

Antonio M. Casas, Arsenio Munoz, Alberto Tella, Carlos L. Liesa

Summary: This work proposes the application of magnetic surveying to study the cyclicity in sedimentary basins. Through measuring the total magnetic field and vertical magnetic gradient, the short-wavelength magnetic anomalies associated with the sedimentary sequence can be analyzed, providing information about the magnetic susceptibility and magnetic remanence of different sedimentary units. The cyclostratigraphic analysis reveals the existence of various cycles and enables the dating of the basin fill, offering new constraints for basin evolution.

CRETACEOUS RESEARCH (2024)

Article Geology

Reworked neritic fauna in the Lower Cretaceous 'Lower Flyschoid Formation' of the Tolmin Nappe (Slovenia): New data on biostratigraphy and palaeogeography

Felix Schlagintweit, David Gercar, Bostjan Rozic

Summary: A mixed assemblage of planktonic and benthonic foraminifera has been found in the Lower Flyschoid Formation in the western part of the Slovenian Basin. These findings provide valuable insights into the biostratigraphy and paleogeographic configuration of the region during the Early to Middle Cretaceous.

CRETACEOUS RESEARCH (2024)

Article Geology

The youngest and first Gondwanan representative of the anisopteran family Aktassiidae from the Upper Cretaceous of Lebanon (Odonata, Petalurida)

Dany Azar, Andre Nel

Summary: Lebanoaktassia curiosa is a new genus and species of strange dragonfly, representing the first Gondwanan species of the family Aktassiidae. It was found in Hjoula, Lebanon, along with two endemic dragonfly families, suggesting a possible connection to an island insular system in the Early Cretaceous.

CRETACEOUS RESEARCH (2024)

Article Geology

Integrated biostratigraphy and chemostratigraphy of the Maastrichtian -Danian succession at Abu Minqar, Egyptian Western Desert: Implications for sequence stratigraphy and tectonic influence

Youssef S. Bazeen, Walid G. Kassab, El Sayed M. Moneer, Gebely A. Abu El-Kheir, Mohamed K. Abdelgawad, Haitham M. Ayyad

Summary: This study investigates the Maastrichtian-Danian succession in the Abu Minqar section of the Western Desert of Egypt, using an integrated analysis of biostratigraphy and chemostratigraphy. The results suggest that regional tectonics played a substantial role in the depositional history and paleoenvironmental circumstances of the southern Tethys margin.

CRETACEOUS RESEARCH (2024)

Review Geology

Taxonomic review of Berriasian and Valanginian ammonites from Zacatecas State (north-central Mexico) studied by Burckhardt in 1906

J. R. Ovando-Figueroa, J. A. Moreno-Bedmar, M. Company, J. A. Jacobo-Delgado

Summary: This article presents a review of ammonoid specimens from the Berriasian and Valanginian age in Zacatecas, Mexico. The study includes updated museographic information, new images, and 3D models of the specimens. Taxonomic identification has revealed six species and two genera. Stratigraphic range data suggests that the specimens belong to the uppermost upper Berriasian to lower Valanginian interval, with several biozones identified. Additionally, a paleobiogeographic analysis indicates a clear affinity with contemporaneous ammonoid assemblages from the Mediterranean region.

CRETACEOUS RESEARCH (2024)

Article Geology

Discovery of the rove beetle subfamily Trichophyinae (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae) in Upper Cretaceous Taimyr amber, Siberia, Russia

Josh Jenkins Shaw, Alexey Solodovnikov, Evgeny E. Perkovsky

Summary: A fossil of the monogeneric rove beetle subfamily Trichophyinae (genus Trichophya) has been discovered in the Upper Cretaceous Taimyr amber from northern Siberia. This finding indicates the morphological differences between ancient and modern Trichophya species groups. By comparing the morphology, distribution, and habitat requirements of extant species, the taxonomy, biogeography, and paleoecology of the Trichophya in Taimyr amber can be better understood.

CRETACEOUS RESEARCH (2024)

Article Geology

Exploring the ceratopsid growth record: A comprehensive osteohistological analysis of Triceratops (Ornithischia: Ceratopsidae) and its implications for growth and ontogeny

Jimmy de Rooij, Sybrand A. N. Lucassen, Charlotte Furer, Anne S. Schulp, P. Martin Sander

Summary: This study presents a detailed osteohistological analysis on Triceratops horridus and Triceratops cf. prorsus specimens, aiming to understand the growth and development of ceratopsids. The analysis reveals a distinct pattern of bone tissue growth in Triceratops limb elements, but also suggests that taxonomic ambiguity between Torosaurus and Triceratops cannot be solely resolved based on histological data.

CRETACEOUS RESEARCH (2024)

Article Geology

In situ-preservation of jaws in the upper Turonian acanthoceratid ammonite Prionocyclus germari (Reuss, 1845): Palaeobiological and taphonomic aspects

Martin Kostak, Frank Wiese, Zuzana Kozlova, Adam Culka, Martin Mazuch, Martin Soucek

Summary: A well-preserved fossil of an upper Cretaceous acanthoceratoid ammonite has been discovered in the Bohemian Cretaceous Basin, providing important insights into the jaw anatomy of these extinct organisms.

CRETACEOUS RESEARCH (2024)

Article Geology

Paleoenvironmental changes recorded in the Santa Marta Formation (Santonian-Campanian, Upper Cretaceous), James Ross Island, Antarctica, inferred from palynofacies analyses

Gustavo Santiago, Marcelo de Araujo Carvalho, Renato Rodriguez Cabral Ramos, Sandro Marcelo Scheffler

Summary: The Santa Marta Formation in the Antarctic Peninsula is an important sedimentary sequence that provides insights into paleoenvironmental changes. The distribution of sedimentary organic matter reveals three distinct palynofacies associations and shows a progressive transgression from terrestrial to marine environments.

CRETACEOUS RESEARCH (2024)

Article Geology

Records of gastropod drilling predation on molluscan prey from the Anaipadi Member (Garudamangalam Formation; Upper Cretaceous, Coniacian) of the Ariyalur Sub-basin, India

Arkaprava Mukhopadhyay, Debarati Chattopadhyay, Arghya Poddar, Ranita Saha, Sachin Patil, Tushar Sonkar, Sujoy Das, Rudranil Basak, Shubhabrata Paul, Arindam Roy

Summary: Predator-prey interaction exerts significant selection pressure on the evolutionary pathways of both parties. This research presents a new dataset of gastropod drilling predation on molluscan prey from the Upper Cretaceous, highlighting the influence of drilling predation during this period. The study utilizes a hybrid method of surface sampling without physically breaking the host rock. Findings suggest that drilling predation was an established form of predation during the Late Cretaceous, yet remains understudied.

CRETACEOUS RESEARCH (2024)

Article Geology

Taxonomy, phylogeny and biostratigraphy of the upper Aptian-lower Albian ammonites of the Chott area, southern Central Tunisia

Jean-Louis Latil, Etienne Jaillard

Summary: This study investigates the phylogeny of knemiceratids and acanthohoplitinids in the Chott Basin of southern Central Tunisia and describes five new ammonite species, highlighting the endemic character of the ammonite faunas in this region.

CRETACEOUS RESEARCH (2024)

Article Geology

Titanosaurian teeth from the South-central Pyrenees (Upper Cretaceous, Catalonia, Spain)

B. J. Vazquez, D. Castanera, B. Vila

Summary: In Europe, the fossil record of sauropods in the uppermost Cretaceous is mainly found in Spain, France, and Romania. Recently, a significant discovery of titanosaurs' teeth was made in Els Nerets, Spain, which contains the largest tooth sample from the Late Cretaceous in Europe. The teeth show distinct characteristics but cannot be attributed to any known European species. Based on tooth morphology and wear facets distribution, a new taxon is proposed.

CRETACEOUS RESEARCH (2024)

Article Geology

Report on the 7th International Meeting of the IUGS Lower Cretaceous Ammonite Working Group, the Kilian Group (Warsaw, Poland, 21st August 2022): State of the art on the current Standard Ammonite Zonation of the Western Tethyan Mediterranean Province

Ottilia Szives, Josep A. Moreno-Bedmar, Beatriz Aguirre-Urreta, Miguel Company, Camille Frau, Mikel Lopez-Horgue, Antoine Pictet, Izabela Ploch, Christian Salazar, Ricardo Barragan, Jean -Louis Latil, Jens Lehmann, Stephane Reboulet, Emmanuel Robert

Summary: The 7th meeting of the IUGS Lower Cretaceous Ammonite Working Group discussed important changes in the geological age classification, including adjustments and improvements to the upper Tithonian-Berriasian, upper Aptian, and Albian stages. The meeting also discussed the Valanginian and Hauterivian stages, and provided discussions on zonal indices and units, emphasizing the use of interval zones and subzones.

CRETACEOUS RESEARCH (2024)

Article Geology

Evolution of the Upper Jurassic and Lower Cretaceous vulcano-sedimentary record - Southeast portion of the Parana Basin, Brazil

Fernando R. Rios, Ana M. P. Mizusaki, Rualdo Menegat, Isaque C. Rodrigues

Summary: This study examines the temporal and spatial relationships between fluvio-aeolian, aeolian, and volcanic systems in the southernmost part of the Parana Basin during the Late Jurassic and Early Cretaceous. By analyzing facies and architectural elements, the evolution of the volcano-sedimentary record is reconstructed.

CRETACEOUS RESEARCH (2024)

Article Geology

The problem of landscape evolution across the Cretaceous/Paleogene boundary revisited at Madrid East, southeastern Colorado, USA

Keith Berry

Summary: In this study, evidence is presented to show that the faulting at Madrid East and neighboring localities occurred after the K/Pg boundary.

CRETACEOUS RESEARCH (2024)

Article Geology

Reconstructing redox variations in a young, expanding ocean basin (Cretaceous Central Atlantic)

Mattia Bonazzi, Greta Bonacina, Elisabetta Previde Massara, Andrea Piva, Paolo Scotti, Paolo Viaggi, Alessio San

Summary: This study reconstructs a 40 million year record of redox conditions using a large dataset from sedimentary sections in the Western African margin. By analyzing the changes of redox sensitive elements (RSE) in organic matter-rich sediments, the study reveals the role of depositional environments and time in shaping the marine environment. The findings show that the enrichment of RSE is influenced by both local variations and global perturbations.

CRETACEOUS RESEARCH (2024)

Article Geology

Integrated biostratigraphy (orbitolinids, calcareous nannofossils, and palynomorphs) of the Lower Cretaceous Sarcheshmeh Formation, western Koppeh-Dagh Basin, NE Iran

Mohammad Sharfi, Mohsen Yazdi-Moghadam, Ebrahim Ghasemi-Nejad, Mehdi Sarfi, Fariba Foroughi

Summary: An integrated biostratigraphy study using various fossils was conducted on the Lower Cretaceous Sarcheshmeh Formation in NE Iran, resulting in the identification of specific biozones and the deduced age of late early Aptian (late Bedoulian) for the formation.

CRETACEOUS RESEARCH (2024)