Late cretaceous Mosasaurs (Squamata: Mosasauroidea) from the maastrichtian of Marambio (=Seymour) Island, Antarctica

• Main Authors: Reguero, Marcelo A., Fernández, Marta S., Talevi, Marianella, O'Gorman, José P., Iglesias, Ari, Moly, Juan J.
• Language: English
• Published: 2015
• Subjects: Mosasaurs; Antarctica; Late Cretaceous; Argentina; Argentino; Ari; Marambio; Seymour; Seymour Island; Antarc*; Instituto Antártico Argentino
• Online Access: https://rid.unrn.edu.ar/jspui/handle/20.500.12049/5224; https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12049/5224; http://14.139.119.10/ISAES/docs/XII%20ISAES%202015%20Abstract%20Volume.pdf

Fil: Reguero, Marcelo A. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Museo de La Plata. Instituto Antártico Argentino. Buenos Aires, Argentina. Fil: Fernández, Marta S. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Museo de La Plata. Instituto Antártico Argentino. Buenos Aires, Argentina. Fil: Talevi, Marianella. Universidad Nacional de Río Negro. Instituto de Investigación en Paleobiología y Geología. Río Negro, Argentina. Fil: O'Gorman, José P. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Museo de La Plata. Instituto Antártico Argentino. Buenos Aires, Argentina. Fil: Iglesias, Ari. Universidad Nacional Del Comahue. Instituto De Investigaciones En Biodiversidad Y Medioambiente. División Paleontología. Neuquén, Argentina. Fil: Moly, Juan J. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Museo de La Plata. Instituto Antártico Argentino. Buenos Aires, Argentina. Fil: Iglesias, Ari. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Buenos Aires, Argentina. Mosasaurs were highly specialized squamates that invaded the marine realm during the Late Cretaceous. Their fossil records indicate that, after the first appearance about 98 Ma ago, they quickly diversified and radiated into marine environments all over the world. Explanations for their extinction comprise two hypotheses. One invokes a gradualist scenario, in which a widespread regression of epicontinental seas during the Maastrichtian produced a reduction of marine habitats and the decline of mosasaur well before the K/Pg boundary; while the other correlates mosasaur extinction with the big crisis at the K?Pg boundary triggered by a bolide impact. A catastrophic drop in planktonic productivity at the K?Pg would affect species up the food chain, including mosasaurs. If mosasaurs, as well as other apical predators as plesiosaurs, were gradually driven into extinction it could be would expect a reduction of abundance, diversity, and biogeographic range of their fossil records well before the K/Pg. Recent researches carried out in Angola, as well as review of other K?Pg boundary sections ...