Track analysis of the marine palaeofauna from the Turonian (Late Cretaceous)

Abstract

Aim To analyse the worldwide distribution patterns of Turonian marine biotas using a panbiogeographical approach. Location Turonian localities of southern and north‐eastern Brazil, Mexico, Canada, central Europe, England and Morocco. Method Panbiogeographical track analysis. Results Nine generalized tracks and six nodes were found. The generalized tracks comprise two vicariant track patterns (one northern and one mid‐southern) across the Atlantic. Main conclusions The generalized tracks show clearly two separate marine biotas, which were associated with the proto‐South Atlantic and the proto‐North Atlantic oceans. These generalized tracks, as well as the two vicariant track clusters between the north and south Atlantic, are identified by vicariant relationships shared by most of the taxa analysed, and illustrate the final break up of the Gondwana and Laurasia supercontinents and the consequences of vicariant events for the biogeography of the Atlantic Ocean.

Four new basal acanthomorph fishes from the Late Cretaceous of Morocco

“…During this same time period, from the late Cenomanian through to the early Turonian or later, a connection between the Tethys and the South Atlantic Ocean also likely existed (e.g., Ettachfini and Andreu, 2004), called the TransSaharan Seaway by Gallo et al (2007). Ichthyofaunal similarities exist between Morocco and South America (Cavin and Dutheil, 1999;Gallo et al, 2007;Murray and Wilson, 2009). However, this Atlantic connection seems perhaps to have been of shorter duration or influenced by some other factors that prevented the same level of exchange of fish taxa than that between eastern and western Tethys; the Tethyan species are more closely related to one another (in the same genus or family) than to species from western African localities or deposits in South and North American of similar age (shared families or higher taxa).…”

“…The Moroccan Agoult locality was deposited during a time when a transgressive event occurred, which would have enabled the Tethyan fauna to extend throughout northern Africa, reaching areas now in Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, and Egypt, as well as those further south in Mali and Niger (Murray, 2000;Lopez-Arbarello, 2004;Murray and Wilson, 2009). During this same time period, from the late Cenomanian through to the early Turonian or later, a connection between the Tethys and the South Atlantic Ocean also likely existed (e.g., Ettachfini and Andreu, 2004), called the TransSaharan Seaway by Gallo et al (2007). Ichthyofaunal similarities exist between Morocco and South America (Cavin and Dutheil, 1999;Gallo et al, 2007;Murray and Wilson, 2009).…”

Distributional patterns of herbivore megamammals during the Late Pleistocene of South America

“…Craw 1982, Croizat 1984, Page 1987, Morrone 2001) and some recent studies confi rm the validity of the method to be applied to living and extinct species (e.g. Morrone 2006, Gallo et al 2007, 2010, Alzate et al 2008, Cavalcanti and Gallo 2008, Arzamendia and Giraudo 2009, Corona et al 2009, Espinosa-Pérez et al 2009, Maya-Martínez et al 2011.…”

Distributional patterns of Aptian-Albian paleoichthyofauna of Brazil and Africa based on Track Analysis

“…Some studies have been developed using geographic distributions of fossil fish applying methods of historical biogeography (e.g., Gallo et al 2007, Miguel et al 2014. Gallo et al (2007) analyzed the distributional patterns of Turonian marine biotas, including several fish taxa (e.g., lamniforms, pycnodontiforms, ichthyodectiforms, crossognathiforms, salmoniforms and aulopiforms).…”

“…Gallo et al (2007) analyzed the distributional patterns of Turonian marine biotas, including several fish taxa (e.g., lamniforms, pycnodontiforms, ichthyodectiforms, crossognathiforms, salmoniforms and aulopiforms). The authors concluded that final break-up of Gondwana and Laurasia was determinant vicariant event for biogeography of Atlantic Ocean and shaped the distributions of the Turonian biota.…”