The youngest European sphenodontian? A possible Late Campanian eilenodontine from the Baske Country

SEBASTIÁN APESTEGUÍA

¡Fundamental!

Fundacion conjunto paleontologico de dinopolis

Lugar: Teruel; Año: 2012 vol. 20 p. 11 - 14

1132-9157

The survival of sphenodontians into the Late Cretaceous of southern continents was recently demonstrated by numerous findings (e.g. Apesteguía and Novas 2003; Apesteguía, 2005). Although originally aboundant in all Pangea, and present and healthy in Laurasia up to the Tithonian and perhaps Berriasian (e.g. Reynoso, 1997; 2000; Throckmorton and Hopson, 1981; Dupret, 2004; Evans and Jones, 2010), sphenodontids were after Early Cretaceous times restricted to Gondwanan landmasses, where they still live. During the Late Cretaceous they were not only present but actually abundant in number and ecologically diverse in South America, including not only eilenodontines but also sphenodontines and other other groups, probably basal opisthodontians (Apesteguía, 2008). In this context, their complete absence in the very well known beds of the Late Cretaceous of North America is noticeable. In recent years the proposal of a Africa-Europe connection instead a North America-South America land bridge gained support and the Gondwanan fauna of Europe was highlighted. In this context, the finding in Europe of typically South American taxa bears extra relevance.