A new Lower Cretaceous ichthyosaur from Russia reveals skull shape conservatism within Ophthalmosaurinae

in Geological Magazine (in press)

Ophthalmosaurinae is a recently recognized clade of derived ichthyosaurs (marine reptiles) ranging from the Bajocian (Middle Jurassic) to the late Albian (late Early Cretaceous). Whereas the Middle-Late ... [more ▼]

Ophthalmosaurinae is a recently recognized clade of derived ichthyosaurs (marine reptiles) ranging from the Bajocian (Middle Jurassic) to the late Albian (late Early Cretaceous). Whereas the Middle-Late Jurassic ophthalmosaurine Ophthalmosaurus is often regarded as a hyperspecialized deep diver, very little is known about the anatomy, evolutionary history, and ecology of Cretaceous ophthalmosaurines because of the scarcity of the fossils and the lack of well-preserved skull material. Here, we describe the skull of a new basal ophthalmosaurine ichthyosaur, Leninia stellans gen. et sp. nov., from the lower Aptian of western Russia, and compare the ocular characteristics of ophthalmosaurids. Leninia is recovered as a basal ophthalmosaurine; it possesses unique traits such as star-shaped frontal–parietal sutures as well as features previously thought to be unique to Ophthalmosaurus such as a supratemporal–stapes contact. A large sclerotic aperture – significantly bigger than in platypterygiine ophthalmosaurids and similar to that of the largest-eyed modern animals (giant and colossal squids) – and reduced dentition appear widespread within ophthalmosaurines. This conservatism suggests ophthalmosaurine ophthalmosaurids occupied similar ecological niche(s) throughout their long evolutionary history. [less ▲]

Morphometric analysis of proposed evolutionary lineages of Early Devonian land plant spores

in Geological Magazine (2005), 142(3), 241-253

Early Devonian miospore assemblages from 'La Gileppe' (Eastern Belgium) include five varieties of trilete spore belonging to the genus Emphanisporites. These five varieties show a continuous variation of ... [more ▼]

Early Devonian miospore assemblages from 'La Gileppe' (Eastern Belgium) include five varieties of trilete spore belonging to the genus Emphanisporites. These five varieties show a continuous variation of their morphological characteristics. The variation in morphological characteristics can be related to the evolution of morphological features and allows us to define the Emphanisporites micromatus Morphon. A statistical evaluation of this population highlights the interdependence of almost all morphological parameters. This study proves the increase in size of ornamental and structural parameters over several million years. The biometric changes and the progressive replacement of older morphotypes by younger ones indicate that a temporal link exists between these different varieties. Two phylogenetic hypotheses for the E. micromatus Morphon are proposed. This morphological evolution is so far observed only on the Eastern Old Red Sandstone Continent and defines a palaeophytogeographic sinuosus-zavallatus Province. [less ▲]

Vila Maria Formation (Silurian, Parana Basin, Brazil): integrated radiometric and palynological age determinations

in Geological Magazine (2002), 139(4), 453-463

Fresh shale samples taken from a well-known outcrop section of the Silurian Vila Maria Formation, located on the northeastern margin of the Parana Basin (Tres Barras Farm, Goias State, central-western ... [more ▼]

Fresh shale samples taken from a well-known outcrop section of the Silurian Vila Maria Formation, located on the northeastern margin of the Parana Basin (Tres Barras Farm, Goias State, central-western Brazil), have been analysed for both palynological and radiometric age determinations. The rocks yielded a fairly diverse, age-definitive cryptospore assemblage, and the same samples proved suitable for Rb-Sr analysis, despite Silurian sedimentary rocks being rarely suited to radiometric dating techniques. This study thus introduces an alternative, independent method for estimating the minimum depositional age of the Vila Maria Formation. The Rb-Sr age value has been calculated via an isochron diagram that yields 435.9 +/- 7.8 Ma. Accordingly, the latter value is interpreted as the minimum depositional age of the analysed Vila Maria strata, implying their deposition during Llandovery times. This concurs with the palynological results, which indicate an age no older than Early Silurian and, more particularly, favour an Early to Middle Llandovery (Rhuddanian-Early Aeronian) attribution. [less ▲]