Xenodens calminechari gen. et sp. nov., a bizarre mosasaurid (Mosasauridae, Squamata) with shark-like cutting teeth from the upper Maastrichtian of Morocco, North Africa

Longrich, Nicholas R.; Bardet, Nathalie; Schulp, Anne S.

doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2021.104764

Cited by 15 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 66 publications

(115 reference statements)

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“…reduction of 'megapredators'; Figure 2E); and increased endemism (e.g. Moroccan fauna of the STP; Strong et al 2020;Lingham-Soliar 2002;Leblanc, Mohr, and Caldwell 2019;Longrich, Bardet, Khaldoune, et al 2021;Longrich, Bardet, Schulp, et al 2021).…”

Section: Spatiotemporal Evolution Of Disparitymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Pluridens), and plioplatecarpines (e.g. Gavialimimus) (Strong et al 2020;Leblanc, Caldwell, and Bardet 2012;Bardet et al 2004;Longrich, Bardet, Schulp, et al 2021), yielding a high α-disparity in this region (Figure 3D). The retention of disparate ecomorphologies of STP mosasaurids through the Maastrichtian drives the spike in βdisparity observed in the Late Maastrichtian (Table 2), representing a peak in provincial differentiation.…”

Section: Pre-k/pg Mosasaurid Turnovers and Crisesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Global ecomorphological restructuring of dominant marine reptiles prior to the K/Pg mass extinction

Maclaren

Bennion

Bardet

et al. 2022

Preprint

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Mosasaurid squamates were the dominant amniote predators in marine ecosystems during most of the Late Cretaceous. Evidence from multiple sites worldwide of a global mosasaurid community restructuring across the Campanian-Maastrichtian transition may have wide-ranging implications for the evolution of diversity of these top oceanic predators. In this study, we use a suite of biomechanical traits and functionally descriptive ratios to investigate how the morphofunctional disparity of mosasaurids evolved through time and space prior to the Cretaceous-Palaeogene (K/Pg) mass extinction. Our results suggest that the worldwide taxonomic turnover in mosasaurid community composition from Campanian to Maastrichtian is reflected by a notable increase in morphofunctional disparity on a global scale, but especially driven the North American record. Ecomorphospace occupation becomes more polarised during the late Maastrichtian, as the morphofunctional disparity of mosasaurids plateaus in the Southern Hemisphere and decreases in the Northern Hemisphere. We show that these changes are not associated with strong modifications in mosasaurid size, but rather with the functional capacities of their skulls, and that mosasaurid morphofunctional disparity was in decline in several provincial communities before the K/Pg mass extinction. Our study highlights region-specific patterns of disparity evolution, and the importance of assessing vertebrate extinctions both globally and regionally. Ecomorphological differentiation in mosasaurid communities, coupled with declines in other formerly abundant marine reptile groups, indicates widespread restructuring of higher trophic levels in marine food webs was well underway when the K-Pg mass extinction took place.

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Section: Spatiotemporal Evolution Of Disparitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Pre-k/pg Mosasaurid Turnovers and Crisesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Global ecomorphological restructuring of dominant marine reptiles prior to the K/Pg mass extinction

Maclaren

Bennion

Bardet

et al. 2022

Preprint

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“…Upper Couche III has an exceptionally rich vertebrate fauna. It comprises sharks (Arambourg, 1952;Cappetta et al, 2014), fish (Arambourg, 1952;Vullo et al, 2017), mosasaurid (Bardet et al, 2005a;Bardet et al, 2005b;Bardet et al, 2008;Bardet et al, 2010;Bardet et al, 2017) (Bardet et al, 2004;Bardet et al, 2005b;Schulp et al, 2009;LeBlanc et al, 2012) (Bardet et al, 2004;Longrich et al, 2021)\ (LeBlanc et al, 2019;Strong et al, 2020) and pachyvaranid (Houssaye et al, 2011) squamates, elasmosaurid plesiosaurs (Vincent et al, 2011;Vincent et al, 2013), marine turtles (Bardet et al, 2013;Lapparent de Broin et al, 2013), and rarely crocodilians (Jouve et al, 2008). Pterosaurs are diverse and abundant (Pereda-Suberbiola et al, 2003;Longrich et al, 2018), and rare dinosaurs are also present (Pereda-Suberbiola et al, 2004;Longrich et al, 2017;Longrich et al, 2020).…”

Section: Geological Settingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The most diverse known mosasaurid fauna comes from the upper Maastrichtian phosphates of the Oulad Abdoun Basin (Fig. 1) in the Khouribga Province of Morocco (Table 1) (Bardet et al, 2004;Bardet et al, 2005a;Bardet et al, 2005b;Schulp et al, 2009;LeBlanc et al, 2012) ( Bardet et al, 2008;Bardet et al, 2015;Strong et al, 2020;Longrich et al, 2021). Moroccan mosasaurids ranged in size from the small Halisaurus to the giant Mosasaurus and Prognathodon, and their morphology shows a similar diversity.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Teeth range from simple cones designed to pierce and hold, to bulbous teeth designed to crush, to cutting blades; jaw morphology is also diverse (Bardet et al, 2015). Yet despite the high known diversity, new species continue to emerge from the assemblage with forms displaying dental specialisation unlike those of any other known reptiles (Longrich et al, 2021), suggesting true diversity was substantially higher. We here report a new species of halisaurine, referred to Pluridens, adding to the fauna's diversity.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Pluridens serpentis, a new mosasaurid (Mosasauridae: Halisaurinae) from the Maastrichtian of Morocco and implications for mosasaur diversity

Longrich

Bardet²,

Khaldoune

et al. 2021

Cretaceous Research

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Mosasaurids (Mosasauridae) were specialized marine lizards that evolved and radiated in the Late Cretaceous. Their diversity peaked in the Maastrichtian, with the most diverse faunas known from Morocco. Here we describe a new species of mosasaurid from this fauna. Pluridens serpentis sp. nov. is described based on two complete skulls and referred jaws. It is referred to Pluridens based on the elongate and robust jaws, small teeth, and specialized tooth implantation. Pluridens is referred to Halisaurinae based on the posteriorly expanded premaxilla, long premaxillamaxilla suture, broad premaxillary facet on the maxilla, closed otic notch, and small, striated, hooked teeth. The orbits are reduced relative to other halisaurines while the snout is robust and flat with a broad, rounded tip. The jaws bear numerous small, hooked, snake-like teeth. Skulls imply lengths of 5-6 meters; referred material suggests lengths of ≥10 meters. Pluridens' specialized morphology -especially the contrasting large size and small teeth -suggests a distinct feeding strategy. Small orbits imply that P. serpentis relied on nonvisual cues including touch and chemoreception during foraging, as in modern marine snakes. Numerous neurovascular foramina on the premaxillae are consistent with this idea.The small teeth suggest proportionately small prey. The dentary becomes massive and robust in the largest individuals, suggesting sexual selection and perhaps sexual dimorphism, with the mandibles possibly functioning for combat as in modern beaked whales and lizards. The new mosasaur emphasizes how Maastrichtian mosasaurids were characterized by high species richness, functional diversity of niches occupied, and a certain degree of endemism, i.e. geographic specialization. and continued diversifying until the end of the Cretaceous, just prior to the K-Pg extinction.

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Contrasting preservation in pycnodont fishes reveals first record of regurgitalites from the Upper Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) Moroccan phosphate deposits

Cooper

Marson

Smith

et al. 2022

Cretaceous Research

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Xenodens calminechari gen. et sp. nov., a bizarre mosasaurid (Mosasauridae, Squamata) with shark-like cutting teeth from the upper Maastrichtian of Morocco, North Africa

Cited by 15 publications

References 66 publications

Global ecomorphological restructuring of dominant marine reptiles prior to the K/Pg mass extinction

Global ecomorphological restructuring of dominant marine reptiles prior to the K/Pg mass extinction

Pluridens serpentis, a new mosasaurid (Mosasauridae: Halisaurinae) from the Maastrichtian of Morocco and implications for mosasaur diversity

Contrasting preservation in pycnodont fishes reveals first record of regurgitalites from the Upper Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) Moroccan phosphate deposits

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