The dinosaur–bird transition involved several anatomical, biomechanical, and physiological modifi... more The dinosaur–bird transition involved several anatomical, biomechanical, and physiological modifications of the theropod bauplan. Non-avian maniraptoran theropods, such as Troodon , are key to better understand changes in thermophysiology and reproduction occurring during this transition. Here, we applied dual clumped isotope (Δ 47 and Δ 48 ) thermometry, a technique that resolves mineralization temperature and other nonthermal information recorded in carbonates, to eggshells from Troodon , modern reptiles, and modern birds. Troodon eggshells show variable temperatures, namely 42 and 29 ± 2 °C, supporting the hypothesis of an endothermic thermophysiology with a heterothermic strategy for this extinct taxon. Dual clumped isotope data also reveal physiological differences in the reproductive systems between Troodon , reptiles, and birds. Troodon and modern reptiles mineralize their eggshells indistinguishable from dual clumped isotope equilibrium, while birds precipitate eggshells cha...
Cretaceous limestones near Maastricht (SE Netherlands) have been quarried at least since Roman ti... more Cretaceous limestones near Maastricht (SE Netherlands) have been quarried at least since Roman times. In the late eighteenth century, scientific interest developed in their macrofossil content and specimens were illustrated for the first time. Amongst the early discoveries was a partial skull of a large predatory vertebrate that would play an important role in the emergence of modern palaeontology and our understanding of the concept of extinction. After decades of scientific debate, this animal was recognized as a large extinct marine relative of monitor lizards (varanoids) and named Mosasaurus. A detailed lithostratigraphy of Upper Cretaceous (Santonian–Maastrichtian) rocks was established in the Maastrichtian type area during the mid-1970s, which resulted in a renewed interest in fossil hunting by professional and amateur palaeontologists alike. During recent decades, both micro- and macrofossils have enabled a refinement of biozonations, correlations within the basin and with se...
Two mosasaur tooth crowns collected from the Maastrichtian chalk sequences of Stevns Klint and Mø... more Two mosasaur tooth crowns collected from the Maastrichtian chalk sequences of Stevns Klint and Møns Klint are here assigned to Prognathodon, a mosasaur genus hitherto unknown from Denmark. Together with previous records of the mosasaurs Plioplatecarpus, Mosasaurus and Carinodens, these new finds of Prognathodon document the coexistence of four mosasaurid genera in the Danish chalk and underscore simi-larities to coeval assemblages from the Maastrichtian type area in the Netherlands and Belgium.
The carbon stable isotope composition (δ13C) of tooth enamel in mosasaurid squa-mates reflects as... more The carbon stable isotope composition (δ13C) of tooth enamel in mosasaurid squa-mates reflects aspects of their diet and diving behaviour. Here we present new δ13C data for such marine squamates from the Maastrichtian of Denmark and compare these with results obtained in previous studies from the lower-latitude type area of the Maastrichtian Stage (latest Cretaceous; 72.1–66.0 Ma) in the south-east Nether-lands and north-east Belgium. For the Danish samples, there is a weak correlation between mosasaur body size and δ13C values, with larger-sized taxa having lower δ13C values, comparable to what has previously been observed for mosasaurs from the Maastrichtian type area.
Sultan Qaboos University Journal for Science [SQUJS], 2008
Fieldwork in the Upper Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) Al-Khod Conglomerates in the Sultanate of Oman ... more Fieldwork in the Upper Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) Al-Khod Conglomerates in the Sultanate of Oman led to the discovery of a large bone fragment tentatively identified as a partial distal left humerus of a sauropod and an ornithopod dorsal vertebra. The very fragmentary state of preservation of the dorsal vertebra makes specific attribution difficult, but it shows remarkable similarities to the rhabdodontid dinosaurs Rhabdodon and Zalmoxes.
Netherlands Journal of Geosciences - Geologie en Mijnbouw, 2013
Although not exhaustive, the contributions to the present liber amicorum illustrate the wide rang... more Although not exhaustive, the contributions to the present liber amicorum illustrate the wide range of geological, palaeontological and archaeological subjects that Bert Boekschoten has been interested in during his long, productive career. Not only has he carried out research by himself – often in far-flung and occasionally inhospitable places – he also has that special ability to fuel enthusiasm and zeal in others. ‘Have another look’, ‘What about …’, or ‘But maybe it is just the opposite …’ – typical phrases uttered to one of his former PhD students in distress. Always an eye opener, and always at the right time! The present tome covers the fields of (actuo)palaeontology and prehistoric archaeology, papers having been written by some of Bert's former PhD students at Groningen and Amsterdam and by a number of close friends, both at home and abroad. Here we present summaries of the various chapters, add pertinent items of literature and note Bert's involvement in these proje...
Netherlands Journal of Geosciences - Geologie en Mijnbouw, 2013
Four recently collected tooth crowns of the rare latest Cretaceous (late Maastrichtian) durophago... more Four recently collected tooth crowns of the rare latest Cretaceous (late Maastrichtian) durophagous mosasaur Carinodens belgicus are discussed; the first record from the Atlantic coast of North America (Maryland), and three additional in situ examples from the Maastrichtian type area in the southeast Netherlands and northeast Belgium. Also presented are an updated overview of the material recorded to date, and a discussion of the palaeobiogeographical and palaeoenvironmental distribution of the genus. Towards the end of the Cretaceous, Carinodens appears to have been successful in exploiting the margins of both the proto-Atlantic Ocean and the Tethyan Realm.
Netherlands Journal of Geosciences - Geologie en Mijnbouw, 2004
Two unusual bumps occur on the internal surface of a rib of the marine reptile Prognathodon satur... more Two unusual bumps occur on the internal surface of a rib of the marine reptile Prognathodon saturator from the Upper Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) of Maastricht, The Netherlands. These bumps are interpreted as stress fractures, possibly related to agonistic behaviour.
Remains of elasmosaurid plesiosaurs are exceedingly rare in the type-Maastrichtian strata (Late C... more Remains of elasmosaurid plesiosaurs are exceedingly rare in the type-Maastrichtian strata (Late Cretaceous, southeast Netherlands and northeast Belgium), in stark contrast to relatively common skeletal remains of mosasaurs. Here, we present an analysis of δ13C stable isotope values for tooth enamel of two elasmosaur teeth from the type Maastrichtian. The δ13C signal is a proxy for foraging area, trophic level and diving behaviour, the net value of which in these rare elasmosaurs turns out to be not noticeably different from that for the much commoner mosasaurs in the type Maastrichtian. Therefore, the rarity of elasmosaurs in the area probably reflects a primary near-absence of such reptiles during the latest Cretaceous, rather than a taphonomic artefact.
It was André Hubert Dumont (1809–1857) (Fig. 1) who, while mapping at the St Pietersberg south of... more It was André Hubert Dumont (1809–1857) (Fig. 1) who, while mapping at the St Pietersberg south of Maastricht in the summer of 1849, noted that the higher portion of the yellowish-white friable limestones exposed there represented something unique. So unique that he coined a name for it (Dumont, 1849), his‘système maestrichtien’, with a fossil hash level at its base, replete with faecal pellets. These pellets have since been described and formally named by Van Amerom (1971) asCoprulus maastrichtensis, and Dumont’s ‘système’ has been shown to correspond in part with our current concept of the Maastrichtian Stage, the youngest slice of Cretaceous time.
Netherlands Journal of Geosciences - Geologie en Mijnbouw, 2002
We report the discovery of a new species of marine reptile, a mosasaur, from the Upper Cretaceous... more We report the discovery of a new species of marine reptile, a mosasaur, from the Upper Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) of The Netherlands. Prognathodon saturator sp. nov. is represented by an almost complete skull and much of the postcranial skeleton, and is one of the largest mosasaurs discovered to date. The stout skull and extremely massive jaws are more powerfully built than in any other known mosasaur. Bite marks, the partial disarticulation and scattering of the skeleton, and the presence of associated teeth of Squalicorax and Plicatoscyllium suggest extensive scavenging by sharks.
Isolated cranial and post-cranial remains of hadrosaurid dinosaurs have been collected from vario... more Isolated cranial and post-cranial remains of hadrosaurid dinosaurs have been collected from various outcrops in the type area of the Maastrichtian stage during the last few years. In the present contribution, dentary and maxillary teeth are recorded from the area for the first time. Post-cranial elements comprise a newly collected, fragmentary, large right metatarsal III and a broken ?right humerus,
Robert Garcet (April 12, 1912 – December 26, 2001) amassed a remarkable collection of mosasaur fo... more Robert Garcet (April 12, 1912 – December 26, 2001) amassed a remarkable collection of mosasaur fossils from upper Maastrichtian strata in the Eben Emael-Lava area (Liège, Belgium), just south of the type section of the Maastrichtian Stage at the St Pietersberg (Maastricht, the Netherlands). His small-scale, non-mechanised quarrying activities permitted the recovery of numerous articulated vertebrate fossils. Garcet’s quarries were situated at a deeper level than most of the current, large-scale excavations in the area. This explains why material of Mosasaurus hoffmanni contained in his collections enables an extension of the known range of that species on the basis of articulated, unequivocally identified specimens, to comprise the last c. 2,3 m.y. of the Cretaceous.
Annales g?ologiques de la Peninsule balkanique, 2006
Preliminary descriptions are given of selected specimens from an assemblage of >65 isolated ve... more Preliminary descriptions are given of selected specimens from an assemblage of >65 isolated vertebrate remains, collected in 1985 at the Labirinta cave situated between the villages of Drashan and Breste, east of Cherven Briag (Vratsa district, northwest Bulgaria), from strata of late Maastrichtian age (Kajl?ka Formation). Recorded are a fragmentary lower jaw of a mosasaurine squamate, Mosasaurus cf. hoffmanni (MANTELL, 1829), with two teeth preserved in situ, as well as two isolated teeth of lamniform sharks, assigned to Squalicorax pristodontus (AGASSIZ, 1843) and Anomotodon sp. Other vertebrate remains in this assemblage include rather poorly preserved fragments of skull and appendicular skeleton of mosasaurs, but it cannot be ruled out that other vertebrate groups (elasmosaurid plesiosaurs) are represented as well. To establish this, the additional material needs to be studied in detail and compared with existing collections; it will be described in full at a later date. A pa...
The dinosaur–bird transition involved several anatomical, biomechanical, and physiological modifi... more The dinosaur–bird transition involved several anatomical, biomechanical, and physiological modifications of the theropod bauplan. Non-avian maniraptoran theropods, such as Troodon , are key to better understand changes in thermophysiology and reproduction occurring during this transition. Here, we applied dual clumped isotope (Δ 47 and Δ 48 ) thermometry, a technique that resolves mineralization temperature and other nonthermal information recorded in carbonates, to eggshells from Troodon , modern reptiles, and modern birds. Troodon eggshells show variable temperatures, namely 42 and 29 ± 2 °C, supporting the hypothesis of an endothermic thermophysiology with a heterothermic strategy for this extinct taxon. Dual clumped isotope data also reveal physiological differences in the reproductive systems between Troodon , reptiles, and birds. Troodon and modern reptiles mineralize their eggshells indistinguishable from dual clumped isotope equilibrium, while birds precipitate eggshells cha...
Cretaceous limestones near Maastricht (SE Netherlands) have been quarried at least since Roman ti... more Cretaceous limestones near Maastricht (SE Netherlands) have been quarried at least since Roman times. In the late eighteenth century, scientific interest developed in their macrofossil content and specimens were illustrated for the first time. Amongst the early discoveries was a partial skull of a large predatory vertebrate that would play an important role in the emergence of modern palaeontology and our understanding of the concept of extinction. After decades of scientific debate, this animal was recognized as a large extinct marine relative of monitor lizards (varanoids) and named Mosasaurus. A detailed lithostratigraphy of Upper Cretaceous (Santonian–Maastrichtian) rocks was established in the Maastrichtian type area during the mid-1970s, which resulted in a renewed interest in fossil hunting by professional and amateur palaeontologists alike. During recent decades, both micro- and macrofossils have enabled a refinement of biozonations, correlations within the basin and with se...
Two mosasaur tooth crowns collected from the Maastrichtian chalk sequences of Stevns Klint and Mø... more Two mosasaur tooth crowns collected from the Maastrichtian chalk sequences of Stevns Klint and Møns Klint are here assigned to Prognathodon, a mosasaur genus hitherto unknown from Denmark. Together with previous records of the mosasaurs Plioplatecarpus, Mosasaurus and Carinodens, these new finds of Prognathodon document the coexistence of four mosasaurid genera in the Danish chalk and underscore simi-larities to coeval assemblages from the Maastrichtian type area in the Netherlands and Belgium.
The carbon stable isotope composition (δ13C) of tooth enamel in mosasaurid squa-mates reflects as... more The carbon stable isotope composition (δ13C) of tooth enamel in mosasaurid squa-mates reflects aspects of their diet and diving behaviour. Here we present new δ13C data for such marine squamates from the Maastrichtian of Denmark and compare these with results obtained in previous studies from the lower-latitude type area of the Maastrichtian Stage (latest Cretaceous; 72.1–66.0 Ma) in the south-east Nether-lands and north-east Belgium. For the Danish samples, there is a weak correlation between mosasaur body size and δ13C values, with larger-sized taxa having lower δ13C values, comparable to what has previously been observed for mosasaurs from the Maastrichtian type area.
Sultan Qaboos University Journal for Science [SQUJS], 2008
Fieldwork in the Upper Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) Al-Khod Conglomerates in the Sultanate of Oman ... more Fieldwork in the Upper Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) Al-Khod Conglomerates in the Sultanate of Oman led to the discovery of a large bone fragment tentatively identified as a partial distal left humerus of a sauropod and an ornithopod dorsal vertebra. The very fragmentary state of preservation of the dorsal vertebra makes specific attribution difficult, but it shows remarkable similarities to the rhabdodontid dinosaurs Rhabdodon and Zalmoxes.
Netherlands Journal of Geosciences - Geologie en Mijnbouw, 2013
Although not exhaustive, the contributions to the present liber amicorum illustrate the wide rang... more Although not exhaustive, the contributions to the present liber amicorum illustrate the wide range of geological, palaeontological and archaeological subjects that Bert Boekschoten has been interested in during his long, productive career. Not only has he carried out research by himself – often in far-flung and occasionally inhospitable places – he also has that special ability to fuel enthusiasm and zeal in others. ‘Have another look’, ‘What about …’, or ‘But maybe it is just the opposite …’ – typical phrases uttered to one of his former PhD students in distress. Always an eye opener, and always at the right time! The present tome covers the fields of (actuo)palaeontology and prehistoric archaeology, papers having been written by some of Bert's former PhD students at Groningen and Amsterdam and by a number of close friends, both at home and abroad. Here we present summaries of the various chapters, add pertinent items of literature and note Bert's involvement in these proje...
Netherlands Journal of Geosciences - Geologie en Mijnbouw, 2013
Four recently collected tooth crowns of the rare latest Cretaceous (late Maastrichtian) durophago... more Four recently collected tooth crowns of the rare latest Cretaceous (late Maastrichtian) durophagous mosasaur Carinodens belgicus are discussed; the first record from the Atlantic coast of North America (Maryland), and three additional in situ examples from the Maastrichtian type area in the southeast Netherlands and northeast Belgium. Also presented are an updated overview of the material recorded to date, and a discussion of the palaeobiogeographical and palaeoenvironmental distribution of the genus. Towards the end of the Cretaceous, Carinodens appears to have been successful in exploiting the margins of both the proto-Atlantic Ocean and the Tethyan Realm.
Netherlands Journal of Geosciences - Geologie en Mijnbouw, 2004
Two unusual bumps occur on the internal surface of a rib of the marine reptile Prognathodon satur... more Two unusual bumps occur on the internal surface of a rib of the marine reptile Prognathodon saturator from the Upper Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) of Maastricht, The Netherlands. These bumps are interpreted as stress fractures, possibly related to agonistic behaviour.
Remains of elasmosaurid plesiosaurs are exceedingly rare in the type-Maastrichtian strata (Late C... more Remains of elasmosaurid plesiosaurs are exceedingly rare in the type-Maastrichtian strata (Late Cretaceous, southeast Netherlands and northeast Belgium), in stark contrast to relatively common skeletal remains of mosasaurs. Here, we present an analysis of δ13C stable isotope values for tooth enamel of two elasmosaur teeth from the type Maastrichtian. The δ13C signal is a proxy for foraging area, trophic level and diving behaviour, the net value of which in these rare elasmosaurs turns out to be not noticeably different from that for the much commoner mosasaurs in the type Maastrichtian. Therefore, the rarity of elasmosaurs in the area probably reflects a primary near-absence of such reptiles during the latest Cretaceous, rather than a taphonomic artefact.
It was André Hubert Dumont (1809–1857) (Fig. 1) who, while mapping at the St Pietersberg south of... more It was André Hubert Dumont (1809–1857) (Fig. 1) who, while mapping at the St Pietersberg south of Maastricht in the summer of 1849, noted that the higher portion of the yellowish-white friable limestones exposed there represented something unique. So unique that he coined a name for it (Dumont, 1849), his‘système maestrichtien’, with a fossil hash level at its base, replete with faecal pellets. These pellets have since been described and formally named by Van Amerom (1971) asCoprulus maastrichtensis, and Dumont’s ‘système’ has been shown to correspond in part with our current concept of the Maastrichtian Stage, the youngest slice of Cretaceous time.
Netherlands Journal of Geosciences - Geologie en Mijnbouw, 2002
We report the discovery of a new species of marine reptile, a mosasaur, from the Upper Cretaceous... more We report the discovery of a new species of marine reptile, a mosasaur, from the Upper Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) of The Netherlands. Prognathodon saturator sp. nov. is represented by an almost complete skull and much of the postcranial skeleton, and is one of the largest mosasaurs discovered to date. The stout skull and extremely massive jaws are more powerfully built than in any other known mosasaur. Bite marks, the partial disarticulation and scattering of the skeleton, and the presence of associated teeth of Squalicorax and Plicatoscyllium suggest extensive scavenging by sharks.
Isolated cranial and post-cranial remains of hadrosaurid dinosaurs have been collected from vario... more Isolated cranial and post-cranial remains of hadrosaurid dinosaurs have been collected from various outcrops in the type area of the Maastrichtian stage during the last few years. In the present contribution, dentary and maxillary teeth are recorded from the area for the first time. Post-cranial elements comprise a newly collected, fragmentary, large right metatarsal III and a broken ?right humerus,
Robert Garcet (April 12, 1912 – December 26, 2001) amassed a remarkable collection of mosasaur fo... more Robert Garcet (April 12, 1912 – December 26, 2001) amassed a remarkable collection of mosasaur fossils from upper Maastrichtian strata in the Eben Emael-Lava area (Liège, Belgium), just south of the type section of the Maastrichtian Stage at the St Pietersberg (Maastricht, the Netherlands). His small-scale, non-mechanised quarrying activities permitted the recovery of numerous articulated vertebrate fossils. Garcet’s quarries were situated at a deeper level than most of the current, large-scale excavations in the area. This explains why material of Mosasaurus hoffmanni contained in his collections enables an extension of the known range of that species on the basis of articulated, unequivocally identified specimens, to comprise the last c. 2,3 m.y. of the Cretaceous.
Annales g?ologiques de la Peninsule balkanique, 2006
Preliminary descriptions are given of selected specimens from an assemblage of >65 isolated ve... more Preliminary descriptions are given of selected specimens from an assemblage of >65 isolated vertebrate remains, collected in 1985 at the Labirinta cave situated between the villages of Drashan and Breste, east of Cherven Briag (Vratsa district, northwest Bulgaria), from strata of late Maastrichtian age (Kajl?ka Formation). Recorded are a fragmentary lower jaw of a mosasaurine squamate, Mosasaurus cf. hoffmanni (MANTELL, 1829), with two teeth preserved in situ, as well as two isolated teeth of lamniform sharks, assigned to Squalicorax pristodontus (AGASSIZ, 1843) and Anomotodon sp. Other vertebrate remains in this assemblage include rather poorly preserved fragments of skull and appendicular skeleton of mosasaurs, but it cannot be ruled out that other vertebrate groups (elasmosaurid plesiosaurs) are represented as well. To establish this, the additional material needs to be studied in detail and compared with existing collections; it will be described in full at a later date. A pa...
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