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Article: Sauropod tooth morphotypes from the Upper Jurassic of the Lusitanian Basin (Portugal)

Papers in Palaeontology - Volume 3 Part 2 - Cover
Publication: Papers in Palaeontology
Volume: 3
Part: 2
Publication Date: May 2017
Page(s): 259 295
Author(s): Pedro Mocho, Rafael Royo‐Torres, Elisabete Malafaia, Fernando Escaso, and Francisco Ortega
DOI: 10.1002/spp2.1075
Addition Information

How to Cite

MOCHO, P., ROYO‐TORRES, R., MALAFAIA, E., ESCASO, F., ORTEGA, F. 2017. Sauropod tooth morphotypes from the Upper Jurassic of the Lusitanian Basin (Portugal). Papers in Palaeontology, 3, 2, 259-295. DOI: 10.1002/spp2.1075

Author Information

  • Pedro Mocho - The Dinosaur Institute Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County Los Angeles CA USA (Email: p.mocho@nhm.org)
  • Pedro Mocho - Grupo de Biología Evolutiva UNED Madrid Spain
  • Pedro Mocho - Laboratório de Paleontologia e Paleoecologia Sociedade de História Natural Polígono Industrial do Alto do Ameal Torres Vedras Portugal
  • Rafael Royo‐Torres - Fundación Conjunto Paleontológico de Teruel‐Dinópolis/Museo Aragonés de Paleontología Teruel Spain (Email: royo@dinopolis.com)
  • Elisabete Malafaia - Laboratório de Paleontologia e Paleoecologia Sociedade de História Natural Polígono Industrial do Alto do Ameal Torres Vedras Portugal (Email: emalafaia@gmail.com)
  • Elisabete Malafaia - Instituto Dom Luiz Universidade de Lisboa Lisboa Portugal
  • Elisabete Malafaia - Museu Nacional de História Natural e da Ciência Lisboa Portugal
  • Fernando Escaso - Grupo de Biología Evolutiva UNED Madrid Spain (Email: fescaso@ccia.uned.es)
  • Fernando Escaso - Laboratório de Paleontologia e Paleoecologia Sociedade de História Natural Polígono Industrial do Alto do Ameal Torres Vedras Portugal
  • Francisco Ortega - Grupo de Biología Evolutiva UNED Madrid Spain (Email: fortega@ccia.uned.es)
  • Francisco Ortega - Laboratório de Paleontologia e Paleoecologia Sociedade de História Natural Polígono Industrial do Alto do Ameal Torres Vedras Portugal

Publication History

  • Issue published online: 08 May 2017
  • Manuscript Accepted: 29 January 2017
  • Manuscript Received: 28 July 2016

Funded By

Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia. Grant Number: SFRH/BD/68450/2010
Departamento de Educación, Universidad, Cultura y Deporte del Gobierno de Aragón
Departamento de Industria e Innovación and the Fondo Social Europe
Instituto Aragonés de Fomento and the Spanish Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad. Grant Number: CGL2013‐41295‐P
European Community Research Infrastructure Action. Grant Numbers: FR‐TAF‐5072, DE‐TAF‐6138

Online Version Hosted By

Wiley Online Library
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Abstract

The Upper Jurassic of the Lusitanian Basin has yielded an important fossil record of sauropods, but little information is available about the tooth morphotypes represented in this region. A large sample of teeth, both unpublished and published, is described and discussed here. Four main tooth morphologies are identified: spatulate, heart‐shaped, pencil‐shaped, and compressed cone‐chisel‐shaped. Heart‐shaped teeth are considered to be exclusive to a non‐neosauropod eusauropod, tentatively referred to Turiasauria. The spatulate teeth can be attributed to members of the Macronaria; they have a complex cingulum, more than one lingual facet and a labial ridge. The compressed cone‐chisel‐shaped teeth are also attributed to macronarians and the presence of an axially twisted apex through an arc of 30°–45° suggests putative affinities with Europasaurus and basal titanosauriforms. The variability observed in the overall morphology and wrinkling pattern of the compressed cone‐chisel‐shaped teeth may be due to factors related to the tooth position or to the ontogeny of individuals. Finally, pencil‐shaped teeth with high slenderness index values, oval and apically located wear facets, subcylindrical crowns and lacking carinae, are tentatively assigned to Diplodocoidea. The diversity of tooth morphologies is in accordance with the known palaeobiodiversity of the Portuguese Late Jurassic sauropod fauna, which is composed of non‐neosauropod eusauropods (turiasaurs), diplodocoids (diplodocids) and macronarians (camarasaurids and probably brachiosaurids). The Late Jurassic sauropod fossil record of the Iberian Peninsula presents the broadest tooth morphospace range in the world from this period, suggesting a wide niche partition for sauropods, and corresponding high taxonomic diversity.

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