A new phytosaur species (Archosauriformes) from the Upper Triassic of Jameson Land, central East Greenland

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  • Víctor López-Rojas
  • Clemmensen, Lars B
  • Jesper Milàn
  • Oliver Wings
  • Nicole Klein
  • Octávio Mateus

Herein we describe phytosaurs from thin fluvial overbank sandstones of the Upper Triassic Malmros Klint Formation of the Fleming Fjord Group (central East Greenland). The new sample includes more than 150 disarticulated bones and teeth from small to large specimens belonging to at least four individuals. The fossils mostly consist of teeth and postcranial elements and permit the recognition of a new species of Mystriosuchus, M. alleroq, diagnosed by an L-shaped quadratojugal whose anterior suture trends anterodorsally and a tripartite degree of heterodonty. Humeral diaphyseal histology of one specimen reveals a fairly compact cortex that surrounds a cancellous medullary region followed by a remodeling zone containing scattered secondary osteons. Primary bone tissue is parallel-fibred with a moderate to low vascular density. The cortex is cyclically interrupted by distinct growth marks indicating a seasonal environment. A change in growth rate from moderate to low is documented within the outer cortex, indicating that at least this individual was close to somatic maturity. Mystriosuchus has formerly been known as an exclusively European taxon. The new findings support the European faunal influence in East Greenland during the Late Triassic inferred from other taxa such as temnospondyls and archosaurs. The mid-late Norian age of European Mystriosuchus suggests an additional age constraint for the vertebrate-bearing portion of the Malmros Klint Formation.

OriginalsprogEngelsk
Artikelnummere2181086
TidsskriftJournal of Vertebrate Paleontology
Vol/bind42
Udgave nummer3
Antal sider25
ISSN0272-4634
DOI
StatusUdgivet - 2022

Bibliografisk note

Funding Information:
VLR was funded by the Fellowship 2021.06877.BD of the Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia. OM and VLR benefited from GeoBioTec-GeoBioSciences, GeoTechnologies and GeoEngineering NOVA [GeoBioCiências, GeoTecnologias e GeoEngenharias], grant UIDB/04035/2020 by the Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia. We gratefully acknowledge the support from Dronning Margrethes og Prins Henriks Fond, Arbejdsmarkedets Feriefond, Oticon Fonden, Knud Højgaards Fond, Louis Petersens Legat, Det Obelske Familiefond, Ernst og Vibeke Husmans Fond, the Carlsberg Foundation, the Independent Research Fund Denmark, and Geocenter Møns Klint. The material was professionally prepared by V. Régent, as well as Museu de Lourinhã preparators, especially C. A. Tomás and M. Martinho. A special acknowledgment goes for N. Natrop who made the 2012 expedition possible. We are also grateful to N. R. Nielsen, E. Estrup and N. Natrop from the Geocenter Møns Klint for their participation in excavations, to M. Marzola for his previous work, to R. Butler and A. Jones for the discussions about the specimen in the various stages of the research, to V. Cheng for the English revision of the document, and to B. E. Kramer Lindow and the Natural History Museum of Denmark for facilitating access to the material.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2023, by the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology.

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