Taphonomic and paleoecologic investigations of the Late Cretaceous (Santonian) Iharkút vertebrate assemblage (Bakony Mts, Northwestern Hungary)

Botfalvai, Gábor; Ősi, Attila; Mindszenty, Andrea

doi:10.1016/j.palaeo.2014.09.032

Cited by 36 publications

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“…The Iharkút vertebrate assemblage is dominated by bones of aquatic and semi-aquatic animals while the number of bones of terrestrial animals is subordinate (Botfalvai et al, 2015).…”

Section: Iharkút Is a Late Cretaceous (Santonian) Vertebrate-bearing mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These channels and sheet splays had a significant role in the transportation of sediments and bones from the background area and they pumped finer axes oriented sub-vertically, the bone material was not sorted by shape (Botfalvai et al, 2015), and the channel-fill comprises several stacked deposits.…”

Section: The Channel Fill and Sheet Splay Depositsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The sedimentary structures include trough cross-beds that range in thickness from 10 cm to 30 A C C E P T E D M A N U S C R I P T with the maximum dimension of the bones varying between 0.3 cm and 64 cm and being poorly sorted by shape (Botfalvai et al, 2015). The poorly sorted sandy breccia is interrupted Most bones and plant remnants (twigs, trunk fragments) are oriented with their long axes being near-horizontal, however, several bones and tree trunks were also observed with their long axes oriented sub-vertically (e.g.…”

Section: Accepted M Manuscriptmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…1A). The Csehbánya Formation, consisting of 30 to 50 m thick freshwater alluvial deposits (Kocsis et al, 2009), have yielded a rich and diverse assemblage of continental vertebrates including fish, amphibians, turtles, mosasaurs, lizards, pterosaurs, crocodilians and dinosaurs including birds Csiki et al, 2015).The Iharkút vertebrate assemblage is dominated by bones of aquatic and semi-aquatic animals while the number of bones of terrestrial animals is subordinate (Botfalvai et al, 2015). …”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These are preserved as black carbonaceous films in the light grey, well-cemented sandstone. The lobes of the leaf-blades are not broken but the cuticles are very poorly preserved.Unit 3 is a 50 to 150 cm thick (average 50 cm), laminated, greyish, brownish siltstone with large-scale, soft-sediment deformation containing plant debris, fewer bones than do the underlying units, and one incomplete skeleton of Hungarosaurus (MTM 2007.25;Botfalvai et al, 2015). Unit 3 is fining-upward and claystone laminae are present near its top (Facies Fl).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Facies architecture and palaeoenvironmental implications of the upper Cretaceous (Santonian) Csehbánya formation at the Iharkút vertebrate locality (Bakony Mountains, Northwestern Hungary)

Botfalvai

Haas

Bodor

et al. 2016

Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology

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The Csehbánya Formation (Santonian), exposed in the Iharkút open-pit, BakonyMountains, Hungary, is made up of a cyclic alternation of conglomerate, sandstone, and variegated siltstone and clay deposited in a fluviolacustrine environment. As a result of continuous excavation since 2002 it has yielded rich and diverse continental vertebrate and plant assemblages. A facies and architectural analysis of the Csehbánya Formation at this location identified four main lithofacies associations with eight subtypes consisting of (1) lenticular sandstones representing river channels, (2) conglomerates with sandstone (coarse grained likewise representing channel deposits), (3) heterolithic-channel fill (high density flash flow deposits) (4) splay sandstones produced by crevasse splays, (5) dark sandy siltstone (small-scale stagnant pool deposits with high organic content), (6) greenish-grey claystone (deposits of shallow lakes and ponds), (7) reddish (moderately drained) paleosols, (7) yellowish, mottled (hydromorphic) paleosols.The sedimentological investigations revealed that the terrestrial deposits exposed by the Iharkút open-pit were formed in an anastomosing fluvial system because: (i) the alluvial architecture is characterized by large proportion of overbank deposits encasing the channel sandstone bodies, (ii) the ribbon shaped sandstone bodies are dominant, (iii) cross-bedding and lateral accretion are almost completely absent in the channel fill deposits and (iv) the sandstone bodies are clearly isolated from each other, embedded in floodplain sediments, suggesting multiple co-existing channels.The most important vertebrate fossil site (SZ-6) was examined in special detail because it shows peculiar lithological features. The layers richest in fossils (Unit 1) of site is interpreted as a lag deposit formed during an episodic high density flash flood event representing a relatively short time interval, i.e., probably within a single rainy season. A C C E P T E D M A N U S C R I P T ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT 1 1. INTRODUCTIONA significant part of continental vertebrate fossils is found in alluvial deposits thus the reconstruction of the depositional history of alluvial sequences is the main goal of any sedimentological, paleontological and taphonomical examination of vertebrate sites (Behrensmeyer, 1982(Behrensmeyer, , 1988Retallack, 1984; Badgley, 1986a,b;Eberth and Miall, 1991;Nadon, 1993;Therrien, 2005;Roberts, 2007). One of the reasons for the accumulation of rich vertebrate fossil-bearing strata is that a relatively high number of animals are attracted to the floodplain due to abundant water and food supply (different plants or prey), which can result in a rich accumulation of bones (Behrensmeyer, 1988;Nadon, 1993;Andersson and Kaakinen, 2004). Furthermore, certain floodplain environments are favourable for bone preservation because of the relatively high depositional rate, post-mortem transportation, and reworking of animal remains by various fluvial processes (Behrensmeyer, 1988;Aslan and Behrensmeyer, 1996)....

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“…The Iharkút vertebrate assemblage is dominated by bones of aquatic and semi-aquatic animals while the number of bones of terrestrial animals is subordinate (Botfalvai et al, 2015).…”

Section: Iharkút Is a Late Cretaceous (Santonian) Vertebrate-bearing mentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: The Channel Fill and Sheet Splay Depositsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Accepted M Manuscriptmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Facies architecture and palaeoenvironmental implications of the upper Cretaceous (Santonian) Csehbánya formation at the Iharkút vertebrate locality (Bakony Mountains, Northwestern Hungary)

Botfalvai

Haas

Bodor

et al. 2016

Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology

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Morphometry, Microstructure, and Wear Pattern of Neornithischian Dinosaur Teeth From the Upper Cretaceous Iharkút Locality (Hungary)

Virág

Ősi

2017

The Anatomical Record

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Teeth of iguanodontian ornithopods and ceratopsians could be remarkably similar, thus the referral of isolated dental material to particular neornithischian clades can be highly problematic. These groups are represented by the rhabdodontid Mochlodon vorosi and the basal coronosaurian Ajkaceratops kozmai in the Upper Cretaceous Csehbánya Formation at Iharkút (western Hungary). Whereas teeth of the former taxonMochlodon are common elements at the locality, no dental material belonging to the latter speciesAjkaceratops was identified until now. Here we used mathematical statistical approaches, as well as tooth wear and dental microstructure analysis in order to decide whether the teeth previously referred to Mochlodon can be treated as a homogenous sample, or some remains belong rather to Ajkaceratops.According to our results, there was a striking morphological and structural convergence between the teeth of the latterboth taxa. However, the wear study revealed the existence of two different patterns within the sample. One is characterized by straight and parallel microstriations that suggest orthal movements during the jaw closure. This pattern was associated with Mochlodon. The other pattern appeared only on a few teeth, and it can be differentiated by its distinctive curved microstriations that indicate circumpalinal chewinga significant palinal component. Since Because curved striations were have never been described in ornithopods, but were are found in several neoceratopsians, this pattern was associated here with Ajkaceratops. Here we present the first teeth that can provisionally be referred to the latter genus. We believe that the methodology discussed in this paper will facilitate distinguishing ceratopsian and ornithopod teeth in other localities as well.

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Comparative crystallography suggests maniraptoran theropod affinities for latest Cretaceous European ‘geckoid’ eggshell

Choi

Moreno‐Azanza

Csiki-Sava

et al. 2020

Papers in Palaeontology

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Thin fossil eggshell from Upper Cretaceous deposits of Europe, characterized by nodular ornamentation similar to modern gekkotan eggshell, has mostly been interpreted as gekkotan (=‘geckoid’) in origin. However, in some cases, as for the oogenus Pseudogeckoolithus, a theropod affinity has also been suggested. The true affinity of these fossil ‘geckoid’ eggshells has remained controversial due to the absence of analytical methods for identifying genuine gecko eggshell in the fossil record. In this study, we apply electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) analysis to latest Cretaceous European ‘geckoid’ (including Pseudogeckoolithus) eggshell, in comparison with modern gekkotan and theropod (avian) eggshell. We found that Pseudogeckoolithus has a definite theropod eggshell‐like crystallographic configuration, in clear contrast to that seen in modern ‘gecko eggshells’. Furthermore, the crystallography of the nodular ornamentation in Pseudogeckoolithus is similar to that seen in megapode eggshell, but different from that of gecko eggshell, despite superficial morphological similarity. The remarkable morphological similarities between Pseudogeckoolithus and modern gecko eggshells are thus convergent, and the ‘gekkotan affinity’ hypothesis can be dismissed for Pseudogeckoolithus. This study provides a template for differentiating true gekkotan from dinosaurian eggshells in the fossil record. The potential functional significance of eggshell ornamentation, lost in most modern birds, requires further study, and experimental zoological approach may shed light on this issue. Finally, the present results suggest caution about the dangers of using potentially homoplastic eggshell characters in eggshell parataxonomy.

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Taphonomic and paleoecologic investigations of the Late Cretaceous (Santonian) Iharkút vertebrate assemblage (Bakony Mts, Northwestern Hungary)

Cited by 36 publications

References 138 publications

Facies architecture and palaeoenvironmental implications of the upper Cretaceous (Santonian) Csehbánya formation at the Iharkút vertebrate locality (Bakony Mountains, Northwestern Hungary)

Facies architecture and palaeoenvironmental implications of the upper Cretaceous (Santonian) Csehbánya formation at the Iharkút vertebrate locality (Bakony Mountains, Northwestern Hungary)

Morphometry, Microstructure, and Wear Pattern of Neornithischian Dinosaur Teeth From the Upper Cretaceous Iharkút Locality (Hungary)

Comparative crystallography suggests maniraptoran theropod affinities for latest Cretaceous European ‘geckoid’ eggshell

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