Transient presence of a teiid lizard in the European Eocene suggests transatlantic dispersal and rapid extinction

Augé, Marc; Brizuela, Santiago

doi:10.1007/s12549-019-00414-2

Cited by 6 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 134 publications

(151 reference statements)

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“…Several other terrestrial vertebrate groups do support a transtethyan faunal link between Africa and Europe during the Eocene (Gheerbrant & Rage, 2006). More recent accounts of such connections include flightless phorusrhacid birds (Mouré-Chauviré et al, 2011; Angst et al, 2013), the anuran Thaumastosaurus from Quercy, France (Laloy et al, 2013), cordylid lizards from the upper Eocene of Spain (Bolet & Evans, 2013), and teiid lizards from the upper Eocene (MP17) of France (Augé & Santiago, 2020).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Anatomy and phylogeny of an exceptionally large sebecid (Crocodylomorpha) from the middle Eocene of southern France

Martin

Pochat‐Cottilloux

Laurent

et al. 2022

Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology

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Post Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) boundary continental ecosystems of Europe host a distinctive assemblage of derived neosuchians related to modern semi-aquatic lineages, including the alligatoroid Diplocynodon and the crocodyloid Asiatosuchus but also a less well-understood group known as the Planocraniidae. Yet, uniquely in its faunal composition, Europe also preserves some of the last representatives of Notosuchia, a group that previously underwent a successful radiation in terrestrial ecosystems of the Cretaceous, especially in Gondwana. Although Europe harbored a few members of Sebecosuchia during the Cretaceous, their affinities with post-K-Pg forms is not ascertained, in part due to their rare and fragmentary nature on both sides of the stratigraphic boundary. Paleogene European sebecosuchians have been reported from the Eocene of France, Germany, Portugal, and Spain. Resolving their phylogenetic position may shed light on their suspected Gondwanan affinities. Based on new cranial and postcranial remains, we provide a description of the most complete and largest European sebecosuchian to date from the middle Eocene (Bartonian) of Issel and Réalmont, southern France. Dentaneosuchus gen. nov. is proposed to designate the taxon originally described as Atacisaurus crassiproratus. A phylogenetic analysis recovers Dentaneosuchus crassiproratus as the basalmost branching member of Sebecidae, a clade otherwise known from abundant specimens from the Paleogene and Miocene of South America. Among post-K-Pg sebecids, Dentaneosuchus crassiproratus rivalled in size with Barinasuchus arveloi from the Miocene of Venezuela, demonstrating that sebecids achieved the status of apex predators in terrestrial ecosystems of both Europe and South America. http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:2E111862-584D-49E1-821B-5D78160DD8DF SUPPLEMENTARY FILES-Supplementary files are available for this article for free at www.tandfonline.com/UJVP.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Anatomy and phylogeny of an exceptionally large sebecid (Crocodylomorpha) from the middle Eocene of southern France

Martin

Pochat‐Cottilloux

Laurent

et al. 2022

Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology

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“…2016; Borths & Stevens 2019), non‐volant birds (Angst et al . 2013; Buffetaut & Angst 2014), and reptiles (Rage 1988; Augé & Brizuela 2020), including turtles as well (Pérez‐García et al . 2017), while it has also been suggested for extant reptile lineages based on molecular data (Hipsley et al .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

First pan‐trionychid turtle (Testudines, Pan‐Trionychidae) from the Palaeogene of Africa

Georgalis

2021

Papers in Palaeontology

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Pan-trionychids (soft-shelled turtles) are known from the Neogene and Quaternary fossil record of Africa. They have so far been totally absent in Palaeogene localities of the continent although they are commonly found in Palaeogene localities across Europe, North America, and Australasia; as such, their absence from the Palaeogene of Africa has been envisaged to be genuine. Here, I describe a large costal from the Eocene of Mali, which documents for the first time the presence of pan-trionychid turtles in the Palaeogene of the then isolated Afro-Arabia. The affinities of the new Malian pan-trionychid with Neogene and Quaternary forms from Africa are discussed, as well as its biogeographic origins and potential dispersal scenarios from other landmasses to Afro-Arabia during the Palaeogene.

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“…In favour of such a scenario, there is a recently growing evidence of a number of Neotropical (i.e. South American) lineages that have a fossil record in the Paleogene of Europe, including reptiles (e.g., Augé & Brizuela, 2020;Scanferla & Smith, 2020b), as well as non-volant birds (Angst et al, 2013). In fact, faunal and floral exchanges between the Paleogene South American and African landmasses have been recently inferred for multiple different clades of non-marine animals and plants (e.g., Antoine et al, 2012;Aranciaga Rolando et al, 2019;Bond et al, 2015;Chimento & Agnolin, 2020;Croft, 2016;Katinas et al, 2013).…”

Section: Palaeobiogeographymentioning

confidence: 99%

Taxonomic revision of the snakes of the genera Palaeopython and Paleryx (Serpentes, Constrictores) from the Paleogene of Europe

2021

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Large constrictor snakes, referred to the genera Palaeopython and Paleryx, are an ecologically prominent part of the fauna of Europe during the Paleogene. Most species were named over a century ago and their taxonomy is largely based on isolated vertebrae. Furthermore, the majority of named taxa originate from imprecisely known localities within the Phosphorites du Quercy, in southern France, and thus their exact age is not known. We critically review and re-diagnose these genera based on personal examination of all existing type material, an array of new specimens, and a detailed literature review. We consider Palaeopython and Paleryx to be valid and propose vertebral characters to distinguish them. We recognize three valid species of Palaeopython, i.e. Palaeopythoncadurcensis (type species) from the Phosphorites du Quercy, Palaeopythonceciliensis from Geiseltal, and Palaeopythonhelveticus from Dielsdorf (Switzerland), and one valid species of Paleryx, i.e. Paleryxrhombifer (type species) from Hordle Cliff (England). Four other species, which were previously treated as members of Palaeopython and Paleryx, i.e. “Palaeopython” filholii and “Palaeopython” neglectus from the Phosphorites du Quercy, “Palaeopython” fischeri from Messel, and “Paleryx” spinifer from Geiseltal, are also considered as valid but pertain to other genera. Among these four taxa, “Palaeopython” fischeri has been recently assigned to its own genus, Eoconstrictor. A new genus, Phosphoroboa gen. nov. is established to accommodate “Palaeopython” filholii. We designate a lectotype for Palaeopythoncadurcensis and establish that the paralectotype maxilla and dentary are reasonably referred to this species. New material attributed to Palaeopythoncadurcensis is described from the old collections of the Phosphorites du Quercy. Paleryxcayluxi, another species established from the old collections of the Phosphorites du Quercy, is synonymized here with Palaeopythoncadurcensis. We further clarify important errors in the original description and figures of Paleryxcayluxi, identify the exact specimens that comprise the type series, and designate a lectotype. Much new material is described for Palaeopythonceciliensis from its type area in Geiseltal and intracolumnar variation is considered. We describe additional vertebral and cranial material of Paleryxrhombifer from its type area in Hordle Cliff. Based on this cranial material, we suggest non-booid affinities for Paleryxrhombifer. We designate a lectotype for Paleryxdepressus and agree with its previous suggested synonymy with Paleryxrhombifer. We re-describe the lectotype and paralectotypes of “Palaeopython” neglectus and refer and describe new material of this species from the Phosphorites du Quercy, paying special attention to intracolumnar variation; we also defer a decision on its generic relations until more abundant and complete material can be studied. We describe new vertebral material of the booid Eoconstrictor cf. fischeri from Geiseltal; similar material was previously known only from Messel and Dielsdorf. We determine that Eoconstrictorfischeri contains two distinct and unrelated species and describe intracolumnar variation in the nominotype. We clarify certain issues regarding the type series of Paleryxspinifer, designate a lectotype, and report previously unrecognized cranial material associated with the latter specimen; we transfer this species to Eoconstrictor based on cranial features and recombine it as Eoconstrictorspinifer comb. nov. We finally describe much new vertebral and cranial material of Phosphoroboafilholii comb. nov. from the Phosphorites du Quercy (both from the old collections but also from the late Eocene localities of Escamps A and C), paying special attention to intracolumnar variation. Based on this cranial material from Escamps, we identify Phosphoroboa gen. nov. as a booid. An analytical approach is undertaken in many isolated remains in order to quantify vertebral structures and assess intracolumnar variation, as well as associating isolated cranial elements to vertebral-based taxa. 3D models of the type material of the Geiseltal and Messel taxa are presented. The importance of vertebrae in the taxonomy of fossil Constrictores is addressed, although it is acknowledged that it is cranial material that can afford the most reliable phylogenetic conclusions. The diversity, distribution, biogeographic origins, and final demise and extinction of large Constrictores in the Paleogene of Europe are discussed.

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Transient presence of a teiid lizard in the European Eocene suggests transatlantic dispersal and rapid extinction

Cited by 6 publications

References 134 publications

Anatomy and phylogeny of an exceptionally large sebecid (Crocodylomorpha) from the middle Eocene of southern France

Anatomy and phylogeny of an exceptionally large sebecid (Crocodylomorpha) from the middle Eocene of southern France

First pan‐trionychid turtle (Testudines, Pan‐Trionychidae) from the Palaeogene of Africa

Taxonomic revision of the snakes of the genera Palaeopython and Paleryx (Serpentes, Constrictores) from the Paleogene of Europe

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