New articles online and in print

[bh480@scn.org]

From: Ben Creisler bh480@scn.org

A few new articles, two available only online in advance 
of publication:

Naturwissenschaften online--advance publications
Short Communication
Europe's last Mesozoic bird
Dyke, Gareth J. , Rudi W. Dortangs, John W. M. Jagt, Eric 
W. A. Mulder, Anne S. Schulp and Luis M. Chiappe
Abstract. Birds known from more than isolated skeletal 
elements are rare in the fossil record, especially from 
the European Mesozoic. This paucity has hindered 
interpretations of avian evolution immediately prior to, 
and in the aftermath of, the Cretaceous-Tertiary (K-T) 
extinction event. We report on a specimen of a large 
ornithurine bird (closely related to Ichthyornis) from the 
uppermost Cretaceous (Maastricht Formation) of Belgium. 
This is the first record of a bird from these historic 
strata and the only phylogenetically informative 
ornithurine to be recovered from the Mesozoic of Europe. 
Because this new specimen was collected from 40 m below 
the K-T boundary (approximate age of 65.8 Ma), it is also 
the youngest non-neornithine (=non-modern) bird known from 
anywhere in the world.
[Key passages:]
Systematic palaeontology
Aves Linnaeus 1758
Ornithurae Chiappe 1991
Gen. et sp. indet.
Specimen data
NHMM/RD 271 (Natuurhistorisch Museum Maastricht, The 
Netherlands, R.W. Dortangs Collection; is partially 
encased in a fine-grained biocalcarenite block and 
comprises an incomplete right humerus, a distal end of a 
right ulna, a blade of a scapula, a proximal 
tarsometatarsus, portions of the mandible, two rod-like 
fragments tentatively identified as jugals, and a fragment 
tentatively identified as part of a quadrate. Other 
elements removed from the block include a proximal portion 
of a right coracoid, three thoracic vertebrae, a proximal 
tarsal, and a single tooth. Further preparation of NHMM/RD 
271 is impossible without compromising existing elements- 
embedded bones are in extremely fragile condition and the 
surrounding rock is very friable.
Geological context
NHMM/RD 271 was collected from the base of the Valkenburg 
Member (Belemnitella junior Zone; >a), within the 
Maastricht Formation (Late Maastrichtian, Late Cretaceous) 
exposed at the CBR-Romontbos Quarry, west of the village 
of Eben Emael (Bassenge), Province of Liège, Belgium
Description
Parts of the left and right rami of the mandible of 
NHMM/RD 271 are embedded in oblique ventral view; the left 
side is exposed. The dentary is broad and tapers into its 
articulation with an elongate angular. The dorsal 
articulations of the mandible are not visible. The single 
preserved tooth is not in situ and hence it is unclear 
whether it belongs to the lower mandible or to the skull. 
It is small, recurved and unserrated, with an elliptical 
root in cross-section. 
The humerus of NHMM/RD 271 is incompletely preserved and 
is embedded in oblique cranial view. The head is rounded, 
as is typical of all ornithurine birds (Chiappe 2001); the 
bicipital crest is large and not markedly expanded 
cranially. A well-defined sulcus for the transverse 
ligament is present, the deltopectoral crest is rounded, 
flat and not cranially deflected, unlike all modern birds 
(Chiappe 2001; Clarke and Chiappe 2001 ). The shaft of the 
humerus is straight, the proximal and distal ends are not 
offset (as is the case in Enantiornithes and more basal 
birds, for example Archaeopteryx). On the crushed distal 
end of the humerus, a well-developed brachial fossa is 
present (although partially obscured by the shaft of the 
ulna) and both ventral and dorsal condyles are developed 
and rounded. The entire distal end of this element is 
deflected cranioventrally. The distal right ulna is 
incomplete and fragmentary with a subrounded shaft; its 
articulation with the humerus is offset. A medial fragment 
of a scapular blade is present; the blade is flat and 
wide, the distal end is not preserved. The scapula itself 
is curved sagittally, like in the Late Cretaceous 
Patagopteryx deferrariisi and all ornithurine birds 
(Chiappe 1996 ). The shoulder end of the right coracoid is 
broken above the level of the glenoid facet.
The three well-preserved thoracic vertebrae are not 
heterocoelic and have small prezygapophyses that project 
cranially. The centra are elongated; their cranial and 
caudal surfaces are not perforated by foramina. Large 
pneumatic fossae are present on the lateral surfaces of 
these vertebrae. The ratio between the vertebral foramen 
and the cranial surface is more than 0.5, as is the case 
in all birds (Chiappe 1996 ).
Discussion
NHMM/RD 271 closely resembles Ichthyornis but is larger in 
size [i.e. holotypes of I. dispar (Yale Peabody Museum, 
YPM 1450), length of humerus 58 mm; I. victor (YPM 1742), 
72 mm; NHMM/RD 271, 98 mm]. However, other than by size, 
the partial preservation of NHMM/RD 271 makes comparison 
and differentiation from Ichthyornis problematic. More 
material of this Belgian bird, combined with a review of 
specimens of Ichthyornis, will be required to address this 
question. However, as in Ichthyornis, the small tooth of 
NHMM/RD 271 is recurved and enameled on both rostral and 
caudal surfaces, the thoracic vertebrae bear pronounced 
spinous processes, have small ventral processes, and have 
large and deeply pneumatized fossae on their lateral 
surfaces. Furthermore, the humeral morphology of NHMM/RD 
271 is similar to specimens of Ichthyornis in having well-
developed and hooked ventral and dorsal condyles, a deep 
brachial impression, a medially deflected distal end, and 
an extensive deltopectoral crest. These character 
similarities have yet to be tested within a phylogenetic 
context.
NHMM/RD 271 is much larger than the recently described 
ornithurines Apsaravis (Norell and Clarke 2001 and the 
incomplete Limenavis (Clarke and Chiappe 2001 ). NHMM/RD 
271 differs from Apsaravis on the basis of a wider and 
less uniformly shaped scapular blade and in the more 
expanded distal condyles of the humerus. NHMM/RD 271 is 
distinct from Limenavis because of a more acute angle 
between the dorsal margin of the distal humerus and the 
dorsal condyle (this approaches 30° as is the case in 
Ichthyornis; Marsh 1880 ).
Although the fossil record of Mesozoic birds has improved 
dramatically in recent decades (Chiappe 2001), large 
temporal gaps still exist in our knowledge of avian 
evolution. The discovery of NHMM/RD 271 confirms that 
archaic members of Ornithurae were widespread and 
successful components of the avifauna during the last 
stages of the Mesozoic. The proximity of this specimen to 
the K-T boundary demonstrates that birds of this type 
existed until the end of the Cretaceous, at least in 
Europe.

------------------------
Annales de Paléontologie Article in Press, Uncorrected 
Proof
Late Cretaceous crocodile remains from Naskal (India): 
comparisons and biogeographic affinities 
Prasad, Guntupalli V. R. and France de Lapparent de Broin 

Abstract
Crocodile teeth from the Maastrichtian inter-trappean beds 
of Naskal (peninsular India) are described here. Because 
of isolated denticles visible on sufficiently preserved 
carinae, the presence of a strong heterodonty (in size and 
shape), and by comparison to crocodile teeth from various 
taxa, they are considered as representing a ziphodont form 
with a heterodont dentition. The difference between 
ziphodont, "false ziphodont" and non-ziphodont dentitions 
is evaluated. With the help of scanning electron 
microscope photographs, it is shown that only precise 
characteristics of the denticles and not the tooth shape, 
allow to distinguish the three categories. These three 
categories do not correspond to monophyletic groups. It is 
also shown that the "alligatorid" heterodonty, meso- or 
eusuchian in grade, exists in each category. Although the 
ziphodont dentition is not sufficient to allow a 
taxonomical definition, the peculiarities that it often 
presents, depending on the taxa as well as the teeth 
shape, enable systematic approaches. An examination of 
previous works on the possible ziphodont crocodiles from 
the Tertiary deposits of the Indian subcontinent and on 
Naskal teeth demonstrate that the latter are closer to 
those of some Gondwanan crocodiles of mesosuchian grade, 
known from the early Cretaceous of Africa and possibly a 
form from the late Cretaceous of Madagascar. They are 
excluded from eusuchian Laurasiatic as well as Paleogene 
forms of the Indian subcontinent, either ziphodont or not. 
Contrary to the earlier works on the inter-trappean 
crocodiles, the present study removes this group as one of 
the evidences in support of an early (late Cretaceous-
early Tertiary) India/Asia collision model. In fact, it 
provides an additional support for the existence of 
possible Cretaceous biogeographic links between India, 
Madagascar, Africa, and South America. 

Bühler, Paul und Walter J. Bock, 2002. Zur Archaeopteryx-
Nomenklatur: Missverständnisse und Lösung. Journal für 
Ornithologie 143 (3): 269 -286
Summary
Nomenclature of Archaeopteryx: Misunderstandings and 
solution
The generally accepted name Archaeopteryx lithographica 
von Meyer, 1861, for the ancient feathered birds from the 
Solnhofen limestones has been the subject of a number of 
nomenclatural analyses, terminating in two decisions by 
the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature to 
conserve this name. Overlooked in these decisions was the 
determination of the type specimen for this binomen. A 
strong difference of opinion exists on whether the first 
found isolated feather impression or the London specimen 
of a feathered skeleton is the holotype. We conclude that 
the isolated feather impression (main slab in Berlin and 
counterslab in Munich) is the holotype of Archaeopteryx 
lithographica von Meyer, 1861. This isolated feather 
cannot be identified with certainty to any generic taxa 
and/or any specific taxa containing any of the Solnhofen 
feathered skeletons; hence the name Archaeopteryx 
lithographica would be a nomen dubium and cannot serve as 
the valid name for any generic or specific taxa containing 
the feathered skeletons. Resolution of this nomenclatural 
problem can be achieved by requesting the ICZN to set 
aside the isolated feather impression as the holotype and 
to declare the London specimen as the neotype, which we 
have done in a separate application to the ICZN.