Postcranial elements of "Maledictosuchus riclaensis" (Thalattosuchia) from the Middle Jurassic of Spain

Abstract

Maledictosuchus riclaensis is a metriorhynchid crocodylomorph from the Callovian (Middle Jurassic) of Ricla (Spain). It is the most basal member of the Rhacheosaurini Tribe; it has recently been described and defined by its cranial elements (an almost complete skull and part of the lower jaw), but there were no data on the postcranial elements. Associated with the skull three vertebrae were collected. These vertebrae were preserved in black calcite nodules, and they have recently been prepared. The postcranial elements of the metriorhynchids are poorly documented, and usually badly preserved or included in the matrix. Herein we describe the three vertebrae (part of the holotype) of M. riclaensis. These comprise one cervical, one dorsal and one caudal vertebra, which, like the skull, are well preserved and lack postmortem distortion or deformation.Keywords: Metriorhynchidae, crocodylomorph, Callovian, vertebrae, Teruel, Iberian Peninsula ResumenMaledictosuchus riclaensis es un crocodilomorfo metriorrínquido del Calloviense (Jurásico medio) de Ricla (España). Es el miembro más basal de la tribu de los raqueosaurinos, y ha sido definido a partir de sus elementos craneales (un cráneo prácticamente completo y parte de la mandíbula inferior). Sin embargo no había datos de los elementos poscraneales. Durante la campaña de prospección en la que se recuperó el holotipo, se recuperaron tres vértebras asociadas al cráneo. Las vértebras estaban preservadas en nódulos de calcita, y han sido preparadas recientemente. Los elementos poscraneales de los metriorrínquidos están poco documentados, y normalmente, mal preservados o incluidos en la matriz. En este trabajo se hace descripción de tres vértebras, cervical, dorsal y caudal, del ejemplar tipo de M. riclaensis.

Reappraisal of the thalattosuchian crocodylomorph record from the Middle-Upper Jurassic Rosso Ammonitico Veronese of northeastern Italy: Age calibration, new specimens and taphonomic biases

“…It is noteworthy that MGP-PD 32438 also has features that are previously unseen in other metriorhynchids: the prefrontals appears tightly close, spaced by less than 2 cm of nasals at the apex of the lateral inner margin; such reduced space between prefrontals is not found in any other metriorhynchids (e.g., [ 2 , 4 , 9 , 20 , 54 , 101 ]) especially not in the coeval and sympatric Neptunidraco [ 25 ], possibly representing an autapomorphy of MGP-PD 32438 itself. The taxon that shares most similarities in the prefrontals shape and spacing with MGP-PD 32438 is currently Maledictosuchus riclaensis , a metriorhynchine from the Callovian of Spain [ 54 ], that also preserves axial elements generally similar to the ones in the studied specimen (see [ 102 ]). Unfortunately, MGP-PD 32438 presents too limited and fragmentary osteological features for considering the erection of a new taxon, or to reliably score for phylogenetic analysis (i.e., is the absence of osteoderms a true absence or taphonomic bias?).…”

Description and phylogenetic relationships of a new species of Torvoneustes (Crocodylomorpha, Thalattosuchia) from the Kimmeridgian of Switzerland

“…Overall, the nasals are triangular in shape, with the anterior part being elongate and acute. This shape is found in most metriorhynchoids ( Andrews, 1913 ; Lepage et al, 2008 ) including rhacheosaurines such as Cricosaurus Wagner, 1858 ( Fraas, 1902 ; Herrera, Fernández & Gasparini, 2013 ; Parrilla-Bel & Canudo, 2015 ; Sachs et al, 2019 , 2021 ), derived geosaurins like Dakosaurus, Plesiosuchus, Torvoneustes, Purranisaurus ( Wilkinson, Young & Benton, 2008 ; Pol & Gasparini, 2009 ; Young et al, 2012b , 2013b ; Herrera, Gasparini & Fernández, 2015 ) and basal metriorhynchoid such as Pelagosaurus typus Bronn, 1841 ( Pierce & Benton, 2006 ). Based on the skull reconstruction ( Fig.…”

“…This is mainly the case in the dorsal vertebrae. All vertebrae are amphicoelous, as in all metriorhynchids ( Fraas, 1902 ; Pierce & Benton, 2006 ; Cau & Fanti, 2011 ; Young et al, 2013a ; Parrilla-Bel & Canudo, 2015 ). The concavity is shallow and similarly developed in the anterior and posterior articular surfaces.…”

Introducing the First European Symposium on the Evolution of Crocodylomorpha

“…Jouve, 2009;Young & Andrade, 2009;Johnson et al, 2015Johnson et al, , 2018Sachs et al, 2019a;Cau, 2019;Rio et al, 2020), naming of new genera and/or species (e.g. Young et al, 2010Young et al, , 2013Cau & Fanti, 2011;Parrilla-Bel et al, 2013;Foffa et al, 2018a;Sachs et al, 2019b, Aiglstorfer et al, 2020, descriptions of isolated elements (Chiarenza et al, 2015;Parrilla-Bel & Canudo, 2015), and how thalattosuchians ecologically interacted with other marine reptile groups (Foffa et al, 2018b). There has also been renewed interest in the European notosuchians (e.g.…”