A Megaraptor-like theropod (Dinosauria: Tetanurae) in Australia: support for faunal exchange across eastern and western Gondwana in the Mid-Cretaceous
The fossil record of Australian dinosaurs in general, and theropods in particular, is extremely sparse. Here we describe an ulna from the Early Cretaceous Eumeralla Formation of Australia that shares unique autapomorphies with the South American theropod Megaraptor. We also present evidence for the...
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2008
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ftunivqespace:oai:espace.library.uq.edu.au:UQ:159524 2023-05-15T13:39:41+02:00 A Megaraptor-like theropod (Dinosauria: Tetanurae) in Australia: support for faunal exchange across eastern and western Gondwana in the Mid-Cretaceous Smith, Nathan D. Makovicky, Peter J. Agnolin, Federico L. Ezcurra, Martin D. Pais, Diego F. Salisbury, Steven W. 2008-09-01 https://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:159524 eng eng The Royal Society doi:10.1098/rspb.2008.0504 issn:0962-8452 orcid:0000-0003-4097-8567 Dinosauria Megaraptor Cretaceous Australia Palaeobiogeography Gondwana C1 040308 Palaeontology (incl.Palynology) 050202 Conservation and Biodiversity Journal Article 2008 ftunivqespace https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2008.0504 2020-10-12T22:37:44Z The fossil record of Australian dinosaurs in general, and theropods in particular, is extremely sparse. Here we describe an ulna from the Early Cretaceous Eumeralla Formation of Australia that shares unique autapomorphies with the South American theropod Megaraptor. We also present evidence for the spinosauroid affinities of Megaraptor. This ulna represents the first Australian non-avian theropod with unquestionable affinities to taxa from other Gondwanan landmasses, suggesting faunal interchange between eastern and western Gondwana during the Mid-Cretaceous. This evidence counters claims of Laurasian affinities for Early Cretaceous Australian dinosaur faunas, and for the existence of a geographical or climatic barrier isolating Australia from the other Gondwanan continents during this time. The temporal and geographical distribution of Megaraptor and the Eumeralla ulna is also inconsistent with traditional palaeogeographic models for the fragmentation of Gondwana, but compatible with several alternative models positing connections between South America and Antarctica in the Mid-Cretaceous. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctica The University of Queensland: UQ eSpace Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 275 1647 2085 2093 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
The University of Queensland: UQ eSpace |
op_collection_id |
ftunivqespace |
language |
English |
topic |
Dinosauria Megaraptor Cretaceous Australia Palaeobiogeography Gondwana C1 040308 Palaeontology (incl.Palynology) 050202 Conservation and Biodiversity |
spellingShingle |
Dinosauria Megaraptor Cretaceous Australia Palaeobiogeography Gondwana C1 040308 Palaeontology (incl.Palynology) 050202 Conservation and Biodiversity Smith, Nathan D. Makovicky, Peter J. Agnolin, Federico L. Ezcurra, Martin D. Pais, Diego F. Salisbury, Steven W. A Megaraptor-like theropod (Dinosauria: Tetanurae) in Australia: support for faunal exchange across eastern and western Gondwana in the Mid-Cretaceous |
topic_facet |
Dinosauria Megaraptor Cretaceous Australia Palaeobiogeography Gondwana C1 040308 Palaeontology (incl.Palynology) 050202 Conservation and Biodiversity |
description |
The fossil record of Australian dinosaurs in general, and theropods in particular, is extremely sparse. Here we describe an ulna from the Early Cretaceous Eumeralla Formation of Australia that shares unique autapomorphies with the South American theropod Megaraptor. We also present evidence for the spinosauroid affinities of Megaraptor. This ulna represents the first Australian non-avian theropod with unquestionable affinities to taxa from other Gondwanan landmasses, suggesting faunal interchange between eastern and western Gondwana during the Mid-Cretaceous. This evidence counters claims of Laurasian affinities for Early Cretaceous Australian dinosaur faunas, and for the existence of a geographical or climatic barrier isolating Australia from the other Gondwanan continents during this time. The temporal and geographical distribution of Megaraptor and the Eumeralla ulna is also inconsistent with traditional palaeogeographic models for the fragmentation of Gondwana, but compatible with several alternative models positing connections between South America and Antarctica in the Mid-Cretaceous. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Smith, Nathan D. Makovicky, Peter J. Agnolin, Federico L. Ezcurra, Martin D. Pais, Diego F. Salisbury, Steven W. |
author_facet |
Smith, Nathan D. Makovicky, Peter J. Agnolin, Federico L. Ezcurra, Martin D. Pais, Diego F. Salisbury, Steven W. |
author_sort |
Smith, Nathan D. |
title |
A Megaraptor-like theropod (Dinosauria: Tetanurae) in Australia: support for faunal exchange across eastern and western Gondwana in the Mid-Cretaceous |
title_short |
A Megaraptor-like theropod (Dinosauria: Tetanurae) in Australia: support for faunal exchange across eastern and western Gondwana in the Mid-Cretaceous |
title_full |
A Megaraptor-like theropod (Dinosauria: Tetanurae) in Australia: support for faunal exchange across eastern and western Gondwana in the Mid-Cretaceous |
title_fullStr |
A Megaraptor-like theropod (Dinosauria: Tetanurae) in Australia: support for faunal exchange across eastern and western Gondwana in the Mid-Cretaceous |
title_full_unstemmed |
A Megaraptor-like theropod (Dinosauria: Tetanurae) in Australia: support for faunal exchange across eastern and western Gondwana in the Mid-Cretaceous |
title_sort |
megaraptor-like theropod (dinosauria: tetanurae) in australia: support for faunal exchange across eastern and western gondwana in the mid-cretaceous |
publisher |
The Royal Society |
publishDate |
2008 |
url |
https://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:159524 |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctica |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctica |
op_relation |
doi:10.1098/rspb.2008.0504 issn:0962-8452 orcid:0000-0003-4097-8567 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2008.0504 |
container_title |
Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences |
container_volume |
275 |
container_issue |
1647 |
container_start_page |
2085 |
op_container_end_page |
2093 |
_version_ |
1766122183119077376 |