Análisis de los canales sanguíneos y nerviosos de las tortugas pleurodiras del linaje Bothremydidae en el PALEO NE 2025/7th IMERP

Durante el Paleo NE 2025 y 7th IMERP celebrado entre los días 3 y 6 de diciembre en Santana do Cariri, los miembros del Grupo de Biología Evolutiva de la UNED Marcos Martín-Jiménez y Adán Pérez-García presentaron una comunicación oral sobre el sistema sanguíneo y nervioso craneal en el linaje Bothremydidae, conocido desde el Cretácico Inferior hasta al menos el Eoceno. Mediante el uso de escáneres de Tomografía Computarizada se reconstruyeron los canales de la arteria carótida y el nervio facial en diversos taxones de botremídidos. La mayoría de especies presentan un patrón en el que el nervio facial se bifurca en el proótico y se proyecta anteriormente a través del canal vidiano, como ocurre en otros grupos de pleurodiras como los podocnemídidos. En los miembros del linaje Nigeremydini sin embargo, la rama anterior del nervio facial se origina en el canal carotídeo que es compartido por la arteria carótida y el nervio vidiano. El resumen de la comunicación es el siguiente:

Bothremydidae was a successful lineage of pleurodiran turtles, identified from the Albian to at least the Eocene of most northern and the southern continents. Despite the high number of recognized bothremydid taxa, many preserving cranial remains, the neuroanatomical information is scarce. Recent works, based in the use of CT to generate three-dimensional models of neuroanatomical elements (e.g., endocranial cavity and endosseous labyrinth), have provided relevant data on the neuroanatomy of Bothremydidae. Previous studies of these structures in this extinct group are mostly restricted to the analysis of the models of the cranial cavities and canals. A detailed study of the carotid arteries and the facial nerves of bothremydids is carried out here for the first time, comparing them with those of several representatives of other lineages of pleurodires that are part of the current biodiversity (i.e., Chelidae, Pelomedusidae, and Podocnemididae), but also with members of extinct groups. Previous studies of Pleurodira, but also of Cryptodira, allowed the identification of different patterns related to the location of the geniculate ganglion and the distribution of the facial nerve canals. The carotid canals of most pleurodiran lineages are completely covered by bone from the foramina posterius canalis carotici interni to the posterior area of the pituitary fossa. These foramina are absent in all representatives of Podocnemididae, so the arteries enter the skull through the cavum pterygoidei, which is exclusive for this group. In the case of the facial nerve, the geniculate ganglion is in the prootic in most lineages of Bothremydidae (i.e., Cearachelyini, Bothremydini, and Taphrosphyini). The vidian nerve in these bothremydids is projected ante-roventrally through the canalis pro ramo nervi vidiani. The position of the ganglion and the presence of this canal were also observed in Podocnemidi-dae and in the extinct Euraxemydidae and Sahonachelyidae. However, the canalis pro ramo nervi vidiani is absent in the only representative of the bothremydid lineage Nigeremydini sensu Lapparent de Broin and Prasad (2020) in which this structure is known (i.e., Azzabaremys moragjonesi), with the ganglion located in the canalis cavernosus; and also in the extant Chelidae and Pelomedusidae, and the extinct Araripemydidae, all of them with the ganglion located close to the carotid canal. These features of the carotid-facial system for most bothremydids are shared with the members of its sister group Podocnemididae. The differences observed in Nigeremydini relative to all other bothremydids could be justified by the marine adaptation inferred for the representatives of this group.

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Más información:

• Referencia: Martín-Jiménez, M., Pérez-García, A. (2025). The carotid and facial nerve systems of the bothremydid turtles (Pleurodira, Bothremydidae): an update. In Antonietto, L. S., Holgado, B., Conceiçao, D. M. Lima (Eds.). 7th International Meeting of Early-Stage Researchers in Paleontology, Paleo NE 2025. Livro de resumos. Santana do Cariri, CE, 24.

El esqueleto apendicular de la tortuga pleurodira Lapparentemys vilavilensis en el PALEO NE 2025/7th IMERP

Durante el pasado Paleo NE 2025 y 7th IMERP se presentó la comunicación titulada: “The appendicular skeleton of the pleurodiran turtle Lapparentemys vilavilensis (Paleocene of Bolivia).”, por parte de María Gutiérrez-Gálvez y Adán Pérez-García. En este trabajo se estudia el esqueleto apendicular de la tortuga pleurodira Lapparentemys vilavilensis. Este taxon procede del Paleoceno de Bolivia y no tenía ningún elemento del esqueleto apendicular figurado y descrito hasta ahora. Se ha comparado con el esqueleto apendicular de varios representantes actuales del grupo Podocnemididae dado que es el linaje actual más cercanamente emparentado. Se ha encontrado que la extremidad posterior de Lapparentemys vilavilensis es más similar a lo observado en los podocnemídidos, sin embargo, la extremidad anterior presenta más diferencias con estos.

Turtles represent a diverse lineage of reptiles, adapted to different habitats, including terrestrial, freshwater, and marine environments. Therefore, they have developed modifications in the appendicular skeleton relative to their primitive body plan. However, the appendicular skeleton of most described species of extinct turtles is unknown. In many cases, this is because it is not preserved, but in others this is a deliberate omission, because most anatomical and systematic studies consider the skull and shell of special relevance, often ignoring or barely mentioning the presence of other skeletal remains. This study bias particularly affects pleurodiran turtles, given they a priori show less morphological diversity in the appendicular skeleton than cryptodires, as almost all of them are freshwater forms, with no terrestrial representatives currently known. However, detailed analysis does reveal notable morphological variation, as shown by Lapparentemys vilavilensis (Testudines, Pleurodira), a peiropemydid turtle from the early Paleocene of Bolivia. The skull, cervical vertebrae, and shell of this taxon have been described in literature, but not its appendicular skeleton. We present here, for the first time, descriptions of appendicular bones attributed to Lapparentemys vilavilensis, including elements of the pelvic and pectoral girdles, as well as several bones of forelimbs and hindlimbs. We describe in detail the appendicular elements of this peiropemydid and compare them with extant and extinct representatives of its sister group Podocnemididae, with the aim of not only characterizing them, but also providing data on the lifestyle of this Paleogene species. As a result of these studies, we observed that the posterior limb of Lapparentemys vilavilensis is relatively similar in morphology to those of most of podocnemidids and taxa closely related to them. Meanwhile, the anterior limb displays relevant anatomical modifications, probably justified by a highly specialized ecological adaptation. For this reason, potential convergence with representatives of other pleurodiran lineages, but also with cryptodires, is evaluated.

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Más información:

• Referencia: Gutiérrez-Gálvez, M., Pérez-García, A. (2025). The appendicular skeleton of the pleurodiran turtle Lapparentemys vilavilensis (Paleocene of Bolivia). In Antonietto, L. S., Holgado, B., Conceiçao, D. M. Lima (Eds.). 7th International Meeting of Early-Stage Researchers in Paleontology, Paleo NE 2025. Livro de resumos. Santana do Cariri, CE, 21.

Un resumen de la participación del GBE en el PALEO NE 2025/7th IMERP

Durante la pasada semana, del 3 al 6 de diciembre en Santana do Cairi, tuvo lugar la celebración del congreso Paleo NE 2025 junto con el 7º IMERP, siendo así la primera vez en su historia que este encuentro de jóvenes paleontólogos se celebra fuera de Europa. El encuentro tuvo modalidad hibrida, permitiendo la asistencia de forma presencial y telemática, así hubo participantes de doce países diferentes.

Además de las numerosas ponencias, se realizó una salida de campo el último día a los geossítios Pedra Cariri e Parque dos Pterossauros e Pontal da Cruz. Varios miembros del Grupo de Biología Evolutiva de la UNED han participado en este congreso con diferentes contribuciones:

• Guerrero, A., López-Pachón, M., Pérez-García, A. (2025). Functional analysis of the feeding apparatus of the pleurodiran turtle Lapparentemys vilavilensis (Paleocene of Bolivia). In Antonietto, L. S., Holgado, B., Conceiçao, D. M. Lima (Eds.). 7th International Meeting of Early-Stage Researchers in Paleontology, Paleo NE 2025. Livro de resumos. Santana do Cariri, CE, 20. 
• Gutiérrez-Gálvez, M., Pérez-García, A. (2025). The appendicular skeleton of the pleurodiran turtle Lapparentemys vilavilensis (Paleocene of Bolivia). In Antonietto, L. S., Holgado, B., Conceiçao, D. M. Lima (Eds.). 7th International Meeting of Early-Stage Researchers in Paleontology, Paleo NE 2025. Livro de resumos. Santana do Cariri, CE, 21. 
• Martín-Jiménez, M., Pérez-García, A. (2025). The carotid and facial nerve systems of the bothremydid turtles (Pleurodira, Bothremydidae): an update. In Antonietto, L. S., Holgado, B., Conceiçao, D. M. Lima (Eds.). 7th International Meeting of Early-Stage Researchers in Paleontology, Paleo NE 2025. Livro de resumos. Santana do Cariri, CE, 24. 
• Ricotti, V., Gascó-Lluna, F., Mocho, P., Torices, A., Pérez-García, A. (2025). Proposal of the first rigurous scientific illustrations of the main ecosystems in the Cenomanian paleontological area of Algora (Guadalajara, Spain). In Antonietto, L. S., Holgado, B., Conceiçao, D. M. Lima (Eds.). 7th International Meeting of Early-Stage Researchers in Paleontology, Paleo NE 2025. Livro de resumos. Santana do Cariri, CE, 90.

Litosoolithus poyosi, un nuevo ootaxón del Cretácico Superior de Guadalajara en el 85th Annual Meeting de la SVP

Tras la publicación del artículo en el que se describe y su presentación en sociedad (puedes verlo aquí), tocaba presentar a Litosoolithus poyosi ante la comunidad científica internacional. En el póster titulado “Litosoolithus poyosi, a new fusioolithid ootaxon from the Upper Cretaceous of Spain and its implications for titanosaur reproductive diversity” expuesto en el pasado 85th Annual Meeting de la Society of Vertebrate Paleontology, celebrado en Birmingham (Reino Unido), se recapitulan los avances realizados sobre este nuevo ootaxón. Estos incluyen, principalmente el estudio parataxonómico que ha permitido identificar los caracteres diagnósticos del ootaxón; el estudio tafonómico, que ha permitido interpretar aspectos de la paleobiología reproductiva de los productores como que estos huevos se depositaban enterrados en el sedimento; y de su paleoecología, pues las características de la cáscara apuntan a que se desarrollaban en microambientes más cálidos y secos que otros ootaxones. El resumen es el siguiente:

The Poyos fossil site (Villalba de la Sierra Fm., late Campanian–early Maastrichtian, Central Spain) has yielded an exceptional association of fusioolithid dinosaur eggs, possibly the oldest in Europe. This site has yielded numerous partial clutches of complete or near-complete eggs, associated eggshell fragments, and stratigraphically consistent horizons across more than 10 meters of section. Most eggs are preserved in three dimensions, laterally deformed post-burial but not compressed or collapsed, allowing detailed analysis of their morphology and taphonomy.

Two fusioolithid ootaxa have been identified at this locality: the widespread Fusioolithus baghensis and the newly erected Litosoolithus poyosi. The latter is based on very large, subspherical eggs (up to 250 mm in diameter) with extremely thin eggshells (0.8–1.1 mm), very low porosity (0,57 pores/mm2), and a dispersituberculated ornamentation, which contrasts with the compactituberculated pattern typical of other fusioolithids. The partial clutches (of up to 7 eggs so far) show an arrangement consistent with nesting patterns observed in other titanosaur oosites, such as those from Auca Mahuevo (Argentina) or Pinyes (Spain). Additionally, the eggshell microstructure reveals two sharply distinct spherolith morphologies: flat, heavily fused shell units that form internodal areas, and convex shell units that end in low, bell-shaped nodes. Statistical comparisons of spherolith height and width on over 400 thin-sectioned eggshell simples across 17 ootaxa, including multiple fusioolithid and megaloolithid species from Europe, South America, and India, demonstrate significant inter- and intraootaxonomic differences. These results support the parataxonomic validity of Litosoolithus poyosi and reinforce its distinction from Fusioolithus baghensis, with which it co-occurs on the same stratigraphic levels. Such fusioolithid co-occurrence is rare outside the Indian subcontinent and may reflect ecological differentiation among titanosaur species or reproductive partitioning within shared nesting areas. Litosoolithus poyosi represents the largest known titanosaur egg with the thinnest eggshell ever described, suggesting possible adaptations to incubation in hot, semi-arid conditions. This discovery significantly expands the known diversity of fusioolithid eggs in Europe and provides new insights into the reproductive strategies, environmental plasticity, and paleobiogeography of Late Cretaceous sauropods.

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Más información:

• Referencia: Sanguino, F., de Celis, A., de la Horra, R., Ortega, F. (2025). Litosoolithus poyosi, a new fusioolithid ootaxon from the Upper Cretaceous of Spain, and its implications for titanosaur reproductive diversity. In Hunter, J., Turner, N., Vlachos, E., Whatley, R. (Eds.) 85th Annual Meeting of SVP. Abstract book. Birmingham, 546-547.

Estudio de dientes aislados de terópodos de Lo Hueco en el 85th Annual Meeting de la SVP

En el pasado 85th Annual Meeting de la Society of Vertebrate Paleontology celebrado en Birmingham (Reino Unido), se presentó el estudio de dientes aislados procedentes del yacimiento de Lo Hueco (Cuenca, España), primero desde un enfoque cualitativo, realizando comparaciones de sus caracteres morfológicos y posteriormente desde un enfoque cuantitativo, realizando análisis multivariantes y cladísticos. El registro fósil de dinosaurios terópodos en este yacimiento está representado por escaso material postcraneal aislado, atribuido preliminarmente a abelisáuridos y maniraptores, y a un gran número de dientes aislados, asignados a diferentes clados de Maniraptora. Los dientes aislados suelen ser los restos mejor conservados y más abundantes de terópodos, gracias a la dureza del esmalte, que facilita su conservación, y al remplazamiento continuo de sus dientes a lo largo de la vida del individuo. Este trabajo respalda investigaciones anteriores y contribuye a una mejor comprensión de la composición e historia evolutiva de los terópodos europeos al final del Mesozoico. El resumen es el siguiente:

The paleontological site of ‘Lo Hueco’ (Cuenca, Spain) is one of the most exceptional Upper Cretaceous sites of Europe. The fossil record of theropod dinosaurs in this site is represented by scarce isolated postcranial material. This material has been preliminarily attributed to abelisaurids and maniraptorans, including dromaeosaurine and velociraptorine eudromaeosaurid and avialans. The main remains of theropods correspond to a great number of isolated teeth assigned preliminarily to different maniraptoran clades. Isolated teeth are usually the best-preserved and most abundant remains of theropods, thanks to the hardness of the enamel, which facilitates their preservation, and the continuous replacement of their teeth throughout the life of the individual. One hundred and fifty theropod teeth were studied in this work using different methodologies. The teeth were studied using a qualitative approach performing morphological comparisons of their characters. Afterwards, a quantitative approach was used performing multivariate and cladistics analyses. The results obtained from the different analyses were consistent and allowed us to assign this dental material mainly to Velociraptorinae indet., Dromaeosauridae indet., cf. Paronychodon, cf. Richardoestesia, cf. Pyroraptor olympius, and Theropoda indet. The faunal composition is consistent with the fauna found in other Iberian and European localities of the Upper Cretaceous, providing a clear perspective of the composition and diversity of the theropod faunas in the site.

This faunal assemblage aligns closely with those documented in other Iberian and European localities of the Upper Cretaceous. This pattern indicates that European theropod assemblages may have experienced little change throughout the last stages of the Cretaceous. These findings support previous research and contribute to a better understanding of the composition and evolutionary history of the European theropod at the end of the Mesozoic.

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Mas información:

• Referencia: López Miguel, M., Ortega, F., Torices, A. (2025). Isolated theropod teeth from ‘Lo Hueco’ site, Upper Cretaceous, Cuenca, Spain. In Hunter, J., Turner, N., Vlachos, E., Whatley, R. (Eds.) 85th Annual Meeting of SVP. Abstract book. Birmingham, 390-391.

La diversidad de saurópodos de la Formación Morrison en el 85th Annual Meeting de la SVP

La 85th Annual Meeting de la Society of Vertebrate Paleontology se celebró entre el 11 y el 15 de noviembre en la ciudad inglesa de Birmingham. Entre homenajes a Black Sabbath y tributos a la ciudad de Tolkien, también hubo tiempo para que miembros del Instituto Dom Luiz (Universidad de Lisboa), del Grupo de Biología Evolutiva (UNED) y del Institut Catalá de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont (UAB) presentaran una comunicación titulada "The Morrison Fm. (Late Jurassic, USA) Sauropoda diversity: a blink into the (global) past". Esta presentación en formato póster versó sobre los niveles de diversidad de saurópodos que pueden encontrarse en esta unidad geológica, caracterizada por su notable extensión cronogeográfica. Joana Órfão y sus coautores intentaron evaluar el impacto de la inclusión de los hallazgos pertenecientes a la formación Morrison en las curvas de diversidad del grupo de saurópodos Diplodocoidea mediante modelos GLS. Los resultados obtenidos muestran que esta formación podría producir un efecto Lagerstätten (una inflación artificial de la diversidad causada por la sobrerrepresentación de algunos taxones) en los patrones de diversidad de los diplodocoideos cuando estos se estiman con métricas no corregidas. Sin embargo, este efecto no se observa en los patrones obtenidos a partir de estimaciones que mitigan los efectos del sobremuestreo, por ejemplo, mediante el método de quorum subsampling. A continuación se presenta el resumen completo de la comunicación:

The Upper Jurassic Morrison Formation in the western US has long been a rich source of paleontological discoveries. These continental sediments were deposited across 1.2 million square km of alluvial plains with rivers, floodplains, and seasonal lakes. Its wide extent and exceptional fossil preservation have made the Morrison Fm. one of the most intensively studied geological units globally. Although dinosaurs from the Morrison Fm. have been known since the late 19th century, discoveries continue to enhance our understanding of Late Jurassic biodiversity. Although the high diversity in the Morrison Fm. is generally accepted as genuine, the extent to which sampling bias and fossil record limitations may distort diversity estimates remains unclear. Sauropod dinosaurs are especially abundant in the Morrison Fm., with genera such as Camarasaurus, Diplodocus, Brachiosaurus, and Apatosaurus among its most iconic. Many sites within the formation have produced fossils from multiple coexisting sauropod taxa. The global peak in sauropod diversity during the Late Jurassic, often cited in the scientific literature, appears to be largely driven by discoveries from the Morrison Fm. However, reconstructing the true sauropod diversity in this formation is challenging. Factors such as stratigraphic variation, taphonomic processes, ontogenetic changes, evolutionary dynamics, and environmental influences may obscure accurate diversity estimates. Paradoxically, despite the formation's extensive fossil record and long depositional history, some researchers argue that its sauropod diversity is still underestimated. This raises caution about using formations like the Morrison Fm. as the basis for extrapolating global diversity patterns. In light of this, we investigated whether a Lagerstätten effect associated with the Morrison Fm. might be influencing global Late Jurassic Diplodocoidea diversity patterns. We estimated global diversity for this clade both with and without Morrison Fm. occurrence data and used a GLS-based modeling approach to evaluate the roles of abiotic factors, sampling biases, and preservational biases in shaping these paleodiversity trends (e.g. tetrapod bearing formations and collections, emerged land area, paleotemperature, sea level, stage length). Preliminary results from our best-fitting models support the hypothesis that the Morrison Fm. exerts a Lagerstätten effect, identifying it as a significant influence on global Diplodocoidea diversity curves.

Funding Sources FCT Portugal: UI/BD/151441/2021 (PhD grant) and CEECIND/00726/2017; Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities: JDC2023-050836-I (Juan de la Cierva grant).

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Más información:

• Referencia: Órfão, J., de Celis, A., Ortega, F., Mocho, P. (2025). The Morrison Fm. (Late Jurassic, USA) Sauropoda diversity: a blink into the (global) past. In Hunter, J., Turner, N., Vlachos, E., Whatley, R. (Eds.) 85th Annual Meeting of SVP. Abstract book. Birmingham, 469-470.

Análisis de la biomecánica pélvica y de las extremidades posteriores de un estiracosterno basal cojo del Cretácico Inferior de Morella en el 85th Annual Meeting de la SVP

Durante el 85º encuentro anual de la Society of Vertebrate Paleontology (SVP), celebradas en la ciudad inglesa de Birmingham, algunos integrantes del Grupo de Biología Evolutiva de la UNED han presentado el trabajo en formato póster titulado “Pelvic and hind limb biomechanics of a limping basal styracosternan from the Lower Cretaceous of the Eastern Iberian Peninsula”. En esta aportación, se han presentado los resultados ligados al estudio de la biomecánica de los elementos pélvicos y apendiculares posteriores de un dinosaurio ornitópodo estiracosterno procedente de los yacimientos de la Formación Arcillas de Morella, el cual presenta una configuración pélvica anómala que habría afectado significativamente a la locomoción habitual. Sin más dilación, os presentamos el resumen del trabajo:

Non-hadrosauroid styracosternans were a clade of large-bodied ornithopod dinosaurs with a long research history, broad geographic distribution and high taxonomic diversity, especially from the Lower Cretaceous of Europe and North America. The most derived representatives of this group show a remarkable record of articulated specimens that facilitate comprehensive musculoskeletal studies. The Arcillas de Morella Formation (Castellón Province, northeastern Spain) has one of the best fossil records of styracosternans in Europe. Among the recovered material, a specimen discovered at Mas de la Parreta Quarry exhibiting multiple pathologies in the axial skeleton is noteworthy for implications for normal gait development. The morphology and proportions of the left ilium of this individual are significantly different, but they are not attributable to taphonomic deformation, as the surrounding pelvic elements exhibit normal morphologies.

To analyze these abnormalities, we created 3D models of the pelvis, right fibula and the first caudal vertebra of this individual using photogrammetry. For the reconstruction of the rest of the hind limb bones, the last dorsal vertebrae and the first caudal were used, along with elements from other individuals found in other sites of the Mas de la Parreta Quarry. We scaled them according to the proportions of the studied individual. The virtual skeleton was assembled in the software Blender and the biomechanic analysis was performed using MuSkeMo, a new open-source Blender add-on. It provides a highly interactive interface to define different aspects of the musculoskeletal reconstruction, calculate inertial properties and apply convex hull-based mass-estimations from the literature. The final dynamic musculoskeletal model was created using previous work on hadrosaurid muscle reconstructions. In addition, published values for Mantellisaurus, Iguanodon and Edmontosaurus and other extant large-sized tetrapods were used to estimate some parameters. The results of this study provide an opportunity to explore the implications of specific pathologies on the locomotion of ornithopod dinosaurs.

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Más información:

• Referencia: Salas-Herrera, J., Escaso, F., Gasulla, J. M., Ortega, F. (2025). Pelvic and hind limb biomechanics of a limping basal styracosternan from the Lower Cretaceous of the Eastern Iberian Peninsula. In Hunter, J., Turner, N., Vlachos, E., Whatley, R. (Eds.) 85th Annual Meeting of SVP. Abstract book. Birmingham, 541.

Estudio del conjunto de microvertebrados fósiles de Lo Hueco en el 85th Annual Meeting de la SVP

Entre el 11 y el 15 de noviembre se presentó en el 85th Annual Meeting de la Society of Vertebrate Paleontology celebrado en Birmingham (Reino Unido) el estudio sobre el conjunto de microvertebrados fósiles del yacimiento de Lo Hueco (Cuenca, España). El yacimiento de Lo Hueco, desde su descubrimiento en 2007, ha demostrado tener una gran importancia en la paleontología española y europea. Contando con más de 10,000 restos fósiles, se considera una de las localidades del Cretácico Superior más importante de Europa. Con el fin de conocer más a detalle la diversidad de vertebrados presentes en la localidad, se ha llevado a cabo un estudio de microvertebrados a través del screenwhashing de sedimentos procedentes de uno de los niveles estratigráficos de la localidad. Este estudio ha mostrado que el conjunto de microvertebrados está compuesto por diferentes peces, ranas, cocodrilos y terópodos pequeños, con una diversidad comparable a las de otras localidades de la Península Ibérica. Sin embargo, también cuenta con una combinación única que por el momento lo diferencia del resto de localidades contemporáneas de la península ibérica. El resumen es el siguiente:

The Konzentrat-Lagerstätte site ‘Lo Hueco’, Central Spain, represents extremely rich and diverse late Campanian-early Maastrichtian fossil assemblages with more than 10,000 fossil remains. Because of this, it is considered one of the most relevant paleontological sites for the study of continental vertebrate faunas from the Upper Cretaceous of Europe. Its stratigraphic succession is characterized by an alternation of green, gray and red marly mudstone separated by gradual boundaries and punctually altered by sandy channel structures and sulphate intervals.

The microvertebrate sample was obtained from the screenwashing and sorting of 200 kg of sediments that belonged to one of the gray mudstone beds (G2). This bed is the richest lithosome in terms of microvertebrate fossil abundance and diversity from the site. Among the fossil material, the most common are attributed to fishes, especially the conical teeth and ganoid scales of Lepisosteidae. To a lesser degree, there are lanceolate teeth of Amiidae? and molariform teeth of Pycnodontiformes and Paralbulinae. The Lissamphibia material is represented by appendicular elements assigned to Anura, where two of the three recovered humeri can be assigned to Discoglossinae and Palaeobatrachidae. A small fragment with a pleurodont tooth indicates the presence of a scincomorph lizard. Crocodylomorpha remains correspond to at least six tooth morphotypes assigned tentatively to Allodaposuchidae (bulbous to elongated conical teeth) and ‘atoposaurid’ (triangular labiolingually compressed teeth). Theropod tooth specimens constitute an important part of the diversity reported here. It includes two dromaeosaurid tooth morphotypes, the cf. Dromeosaurinae specimens with small chisel-like denticles and the cf. Velociraptorinae specimens with hooked distal denticles. A small triangular shaped tooth with very small denticle is attributed to Richardoestesia sp. Apex teeth fragments with both mesial and distal large hooked denticles are tentatively assigned to Troodontidae, but this identification should be taken with caution. This microvertebrate assemblage is consistent with other upper Campanian-lower Maastrichtian Iberian Peninsula localities with coastal or freshwater with marine influence environments.

Additionally, the presence of pycnodontid, atoposaurid, and the absence of albanepertontids and hylaeochampsids provide a unique set of fauna that distinguishes it from other contemporary Iberian Peninsula localities.

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Más información:

• Referencia: Cabrera Hernández, J. S., Ortega, F., Torices, A. (2025). Microvertebrate assemblage from the Upper Cretaceous site Lo Hueco (Cuenca, Spain). In Hunter, J., Turner, N., Vlachos, E., Whatley, R. (Eds.) 85th Annual Meeting of SVP. Abstract book. Birmingham, 155-156.

Neuroanatomía comparada de tres ejemplares de ornitópodo del Cretácico Inferior de Morella en el 85th Annual Meeting de la SVP

En el encuentro de la Society of Vertebrate Paleontology de este 2025 en Birmingham (Reino Unido), se ha presentado la reconstrucción neuroanatómica de Iguanodon bernissartensis y dos ornitópodos estiracosternos no hadrosauroideos de la Formación Arcillas de Morella realizada mediante técnicas 3D. Los nuevos neurocráneos muestran gran variabilidad tanto en la morfología de la cavidad encefálica, la posición de nervios craneales y del oído interno. Estas diferencias sugieren que los especímenes de Morella posiblemente podrían haber tenido diferentes capacidades sensoriales y/o cognitivas. A nivel evolutivo se ha podido establecer una clara tendencia a la reducción del oído, a la pérdida del flocculus y la desaparición de las flexiones craneales en iguanodontidos basales. El resumen es el siguiente:

The upper Barremian beds of Morella have yielded multiple partial skeletons of non hadrosauroid styracosternan ornithopods. These fossils have been identified so far as Iguanodon bernissartensis and a new form exclusive to the formation, Morelladon beltrani. In recent years, paleontological surveillance of clay-mining activities has brought up several new partial skeletons, three of them with partial skulls, including well-preserved braincases. To evaluate potential neuroanatomical differences, the braincases were scanned, which enabled access to new endocranial anatomical information. A 3D model was generated to virtually reconstruct the morphology of the braincase and its internal cavities. Specimen 1, referrable to Iguanodon bernissartensis, has a complete and well preserved braincase, allowing to reconstruct a detailed endocast. The olfactory bulbs and tracts, cerebral hemispheres, pituitary body, dural peak, cerebellum and the medulla oblongata were identified and reconstructed. Also, the inner ear and almost all cranial nerves and the internal carotid artery were also preserved. Two additional specimens don’t have a taxonomic identification yet beyond non hadrosauroid Styracosterna. Specimen 2 didn’t preserve frontals, and parietals and the orbitosphenoid are incomplete. The endocast is complete but missing the anterior part of the forebrain. The posterior half of the cerebral hemispheres is preserved as are the pituitary and the internal carotid artery. The mid- and forebrain and all structures associated with them are well preserved as well. Specimen 3 preserves the complete encephalic mass, most of the inner ears, most cranial nerves and main blood vessels like the internal carotid artery or the caudal middle cerebral vein.

These specimens display notable differences among them in the general shape of the encephalic mass, with specimen 1 almost lacking cephalic and pontine flexures, specimen 3 having a very pronounced dural peak (next to both other Morella specimens and also with other ornithopods) and all three of them having different relative positions of anterior cranial nerves relative to the pituitary and differences in morphology and relative size of the inner ear semicircular canals.

These neuroanatomical differences suggest the specimens from Morella possibly belonged to different taxa and that they might have had noticeable sensory or cognitive differences that could be linked to anatomical or ecological variability of each specimen.

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• Referencia: Ciudad Real Ballestero, M., Escaso, F., Gasulla, J. M., Ortega, F. (2025). Comparative neuroanatomy of three ornithopod individuals from the Lower Cretaceous of Morella (Castellon, Spain). In Hunter, J., Turner, N., Vlachos, E., Whatley, R. (Eds.) 85th Annual Meeting of SVP. Abstract book. Birmingham, 183-184.

Un resumen de la participación del GBE en el 85th Annual Meeting de la SVP

Un año más se ha celebrado uno de los congresos más importantes de la paleontología de vertebrados, nos referimos, por supuesto, al 85th Annual Meeting of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology (SVP para los amigos) acogido este año en la ciudad inglesa de Birmingham. El grueso del congreso (sin incluir las múltiples salidas de campo) discurrió entre los días del 11 al 15 de noviembre en el International Convention Centre contando con una asistencia multitudinaria, participantes de todas las partes del mundo y centenares de comunicaciones orales y pósters, siendo una de las reuniones de la SVP de mayor asistencia en años recientes.

Además de varias sesiones paralelas de comunicaciones orales y las tradicionales sesiones de poster o la cena de clausura con su entrega de premios, también tuvieron lugar multitud de mesas redondas, entrevistas, exposiciones de paleoarte y editoriales y una inauguración en la que se visitó el Lapworth Museum of Geology de la Universidad de Birmingham. Sin embargo, eventos como las célebres subastas de la SVP no se celebraron por primera vez en décadas debido a la situación arancelaria de los EEUU.

Miembros del Grupo de Biología Evolutiva de la UNED han participado en este congreso con diversas contribuciones sobre los últimos avances en diferentes linajes de dinosaurios que están llevando a cabo los integrantes del grupo. A continuación, os dejamos con el listado de los trabajos presentados (estad atentos porque iremos ampliando cada uno de ellos en los próximos días): 

• Cabrera Hernández, J. S., Ortega, F., Torices, A. (2025). Microvertebrate assemblage from the Upper Cretaceous site Lo Hueco (Cuenca, Spain). In Hunter, J., Turner, N., Vlachos, E., Whatley, R. (Eds.) 85th Annual Meeting of SVP. Abstract book. Birmingham, 155-156. 
• Ciudad Real Ballestero, M., Escaso, F., Gasulla, J. M., Ortega, F. (2025). Comparative neuroanatomy of three ornithopod individuals from the Lower Cretaceous of Morella (Castellon, Spain). In Hunter, J., Turner, N., Vlachos, E., Whatley, R. (Eds.) 85th Annual Meeting of SVP. Abstract book. Birmingham, 183-184.
• López Miguel, M., Ortega, F., Torices, A. (2025). Isolated theropod teeth from ‘Lo Hueco’ site, Upper Cretaceous, Cuenca, Spain. In Hunter, J., Turner, N., Vlachos, E., Whatley, R. (Eds.) 85th Annual Meeting of SVP. Abstract book. Birmingham, 390-391.
• Malafaia, E., Estraviz-López, D. (2025). Reevaluating the phylogeny of the enigmatic Late Jurassic Portuguese theropod Lourinhanosaurus antunesi Mateus, 1998: allosauroid, megalosauroid or coelurosaur?. In Hunter, J., Turner, N., Vlachos, E., Whatley, R. (Eds.) 85th Annual Meeting of SVP. Abstract book. Birmingham, 402-403.
• Manucci, F., Bertozzo, F., Vidal, D. (2025). Body mass reconstruction and new in-vivo restoration of Parasaurolophus cyrtocristatus (Dinosauria, Hadrosauridae). In Hunter, J., Turner, N., Vlachos, E., Whatley, R. (Eds.) 85th Annual Meeting of SVP. Abstract book. Birmingham, 405-406.
• Mocho, P., Escaso, F., Gasulla, J. M., Maggia, B., Malafaia, E., Marcos-Fernandez, F., Narváez, I, Orfao, J., Ortega, F. (2025). Walking with giant dinosaurs: new brachiosaurid fossil sites from the Upper Jurassic of Pombal (Portugal). In Hunter, J., Turner, N., Vlachos, E., Whatley, R. (Eds.) 85th Annual Meeting of SVP. Abstract book. Birmingham, 436-437.
• Órfão, J., de Celis, A., Ortega, F., Mocho, P. (2025). The Morrison Fm. (Late Jurassic, USA) Sauropoda diversity: a blink into the (global) past. In Hunter, J., Turner, N., Vlachos, E., Whatley, R. (Eds.) 85th Annual Meeting of SVP. Abstract book. Birmingham, 469-470.
• Salas-Herrera, J., Escaso, F., Gasulla, J. M., Ortega, F. (2025). Pelvic and hind limb biomechanics of a limping basal styracosternan from the Lower Cretaceous of the Eastern Iberian Peninsula. In Hunter, J., Turner, N., Vlachos, E., Whatley, R. (Eds.) 85th Annual Meeting of SVP. Abstract book. Birmingham, 541.
• Sanguino, F., de Celis, A., de la Horra, R., Ortega, F. (2025). Litosoolithus poyosi, a new fusioolithid ootaxon from the Upper Cretaceous of Spain, and its implications for titanosaur reproductive diversity. In Hunter, J., Turner, N., Vlachos, E., Whatley, R. (Eds.) 85th Annual Meeting of SVP. Abstract book. Birmingham, 546-547.
• Vidal, D., Sereno, P. C. (2025). Tangled titanosaur trees from character, taxon, and specimen discordances. In Hunter, J., Turner, N., Vlachos, E., Whatley, R. (Eds.) 85th Annual Meeting of SVP. Abstract book. Birmingham, 640.

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• Fotografías extraídas de las cuentas de Twitter de Darío Estraviz y Heather F. Smith.