Analysis of diversity, stratigraphic and geographical distribution of isolated theropod teeth from the Upper Jurassic of the Lusitanian Basin, Portugal

  1. Malafaia, E. 224
  2. Escaso, F. 34
  3. Mocho, P. 345
  4. Serrano-Martínez, A. 3
  5. Torices, A. 1
  6. Cachão, M. 2
  7. Ortega, F. 34
  1. 1 Universidad de La Rioja
    info

    Universidad de La Rioja

    Logroño, España

    ROR https://ror.org/0553yr311

  2. 2 Universidade de Lisboa
    info

    Universidade de Lisboa

    Lisboa, Portugal

    ROR https://ror.org/01c27hj86

  3. 3 Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia
    info

    Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia

    Madrid, España

    ROR https://ror.org/02msb5n36

  4. 4 Laboratório de Paleontologia e Paleoecologia, Sociedade de História Natural, Apartado 25, Torres Vedras, Portugal
  5. 5 The Dinosaur Institute, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, 900 Exposition Blvd, Los Angeles, CA, United States
Revista:
Journal of Iberian Geology

ISSN: 1698-6180

Año de publicación: 2017

Volumen: 43

Número: 2

Páginas: 257-291

Tipo: Artículo

DOI: 10.1007/S41513-017-0021-7 SCOPUS: 2-s2.0-85027877395 WoS: WOS:000408004400010 GOOGLE SCHOLAR

Otras publicaciones en: Journal of Iberian Geology

Objetivos de desarrollo sostenible

Resumen

Purpose: Isolated theropod teeth are abundant in the Upper Jurassic of the Lusitanian Basin and are an important source to reconstruct the diversity of this group as well as its geographic and stratigraphic distribution. However, reliably identification of isolated teeth is complex, especially for those morphotypes related to poorly represented groups. Herein a set of isolated theropod teeth collected in different sites from the Upper Jurassic of the Lusitanian Basin ranging from the late Kimmeridgian to late Tithonian in age are described and discussed. Methods: These teeth were grouped in seventeen distinct morphotypes based first on morphology and comparative anatomy. Multivariate statistical analyses were performed in order to assign each morphotype to a certain taxon. Results: The current analysis shows the presence of several groups of theropods such as Ceratosaurus, Torvosaurus, and Allosaurus beside morphotypes identified as belonging to indeterminate Megalosauroidea and Allosauroidea and morphotypes tentatively assigned to Tyrannosauroidea, Dromaeosauridae, and Richardoestesia. This faunal composition, namely the presence of a non-megalosaurid megalosauroid possibly related to the piatnitzkysaurid Marshosaurus, indicates a higher diversity of theropods in the Late Jurassic of the Lusitanian Basin than previously known, based on more complete specimens. Results obtained from this analysis partially agree with previous studies of other collections with isolated theropod teeth from the Upper Jurassic of Portugal such as those of the Guimarota coal mine. However, the presence of velociraptorine dromaeosaurids, compsognathids, and troodontids reported from this site could not be confirmed in the sample herein analyzed. This analysis also indicates a great similarity of the theropod faunas from the Late Jurassic of the Lusitanian Basin and other European chronocorrelative localities such as those from Spain and Germany. © 2017, Springer International Publishing AG.