New papers

[FlxLandry@aol.com]

Dear list,

Here are some new papers from  the last issue of the Journal of Paleontology, 
possibly of interest to some even  though not directly dinosaur-related...

Nydam, Randall L., Jeffrey G.  Eaton and Julia Sankey, 2007: New taxa of 
transversely-toothed lizards  (Squamata: Scincomorpha) and new information on 
the 
evolutionary history of  "teiids". Journal of Paleontology 81 (3), pp. 538-549

Abstract: New  material of polyglyphanodontine lizards from the Late 
Cretaceous has been found  in various localities in western North America. 
Several 
transversely oriented  teeth representing a new species of Dicothodon were 
recovered from the Turonian  of southern Utah. These specimens necessitate 
reassignment of Polyglyphanodon  bajaensis to Dicothodon (Polyglyphanodon) 
bajaensis. 
>From the Campanian of Utah,  additional teeth and jaw fragments referable to 
Manangysaurus saueri have been  recovered and this
species is reassigned here to Peneteius (Manangysaurus)  saueri. Also, an 
isolated tooth referable to Peneteius has been recovered from  the Campanian of 
southern Texas. The results of a phylogenetic analysis support  a monophyletic 
grouping of the transversely-toothed taxa with Bicuspidon as the  sister taxon 
of Polyglyphanodontini new taxon, which is comprised of  Polyglyphanodon, 
Dicothodon, and
Peneteius. The phylogenetic analysis also  places ââteiidââ lizards 
from 
the Cretaceous of Asia and North America in a  monophyletic group, 
Borioteiioidea new taxon, which is the sister taxon to the  Teiioidea (Teiidae 
+ 
Gymnophthalmidae). This new hypothesis of the  interrelationships of these taxa 
requires 
the reevaluation of several  characteristics that were previously considered 
diagnostic for a  more
inclusive Teiidae. Another implication of our results is that Teiidae  (sensu 
stricto) has no demonstrable pre-Tertiary occurrence. It appears that  
Teiioidea and Borioteiioidea diverged from a common ancestor by the Early  
Cretaceous. The Teiioidea entered South America and are currently represented 
by  the 
Teiidae and Gymnophthalmidae, whereas Borioteiioidea radiated throughout  North 
America with subsequent dispersal to Asia and Europe.

Peppe, Daniel  J., Erickson, J. Mark, and Leo J. Hickey, 2007: Fossil leaf 
species from the Fox  Hills Formation (Upper Cretaceous: North Dakota, USA) and 
their paleogeographic  significance. Journal of Paleontology 81 (3), pp. 
550-567

Abstract: Seven  fossil leaf species are described from impression fossils 
collected from the  Upper Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) Fox Hills Formation in 
south-central North  Dakota, USA. They are Marmarthia johnsonii n. sp., 
Nilssoniocladus yukonensis n.  comb., Nilssoniocladus comtula n. comb., 
Mesocyparis 
borealis, Rhamnus  salicifolius, Paloreodoxites plicatus, and Zingiberopsis 
magnifolia. These  species represent some of the elements of the Fox Hills 
flora 
that have  paleogeographic ranges to the northwest (N. yukonensis, N. comtula, 
and M.  borealis) and to the southwest (M. johnsonii, R. salicifolius, P. 
plicatus, and  Z. magnifolia) of the Fox Hills type area. The identification 
and 
reappraisal of  these species represent an effort to understand the 
biogeographic 
relationships  of Late Cretaceous floras across the Northern Hemisphere.

Jiang Da-Yong,  Lars Schmitz, Ryosuke Motani, Hao Wei-Cheng and Sun Yuan-Lin, 
2007: The  mixosaurid ichthyosaur Phalarodon cf. P. fraasi from the Middle 
Triassic of  Guizhou Province, China. Journal of Paleontology 81 (3), pp. 
602-605

Best  regards,

FÃlix Landry
150 rue de Vaugirard 75015 Paris, France
01  45 67 04 65 / 06 26 39 29 03
flxlandry@aol.com
ElÃve de l'Ecole normale  supÃrieure, dÃpartement de Sciences sociales
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