The last polar dinosaurs: high diversity of latest Cretaceous arctic dinosaurs in Russia

Godefroit, Pascal; Golovneva, L. B.; Shchepetov, Sergei; Garcia, Géraldine; Alekseev, P. I.

doi:10.1007/s00114-008-0499-0

Cited by 58 publications

(47 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…Conifers are assigned to the Taxodiaceae, Cupressaceae and Pinacea. Godefroit et al (2008) report that of the ten gymnosperm taxa identified four are regarded as evergreen, but these are not specified or illustrated. This composition indicates warmer conditions than those of both the Kogosukruk and Cantwell Floras.…”

Section: And 4) and The Late Maastrichtian-danianmentioning

confidence: 95%

“…Dinosaurs are also known from the Cretaceous of Northeastern Russia (Godefroit et al, 2008;Nessov, 1995Nessov, , 1997Nessov and Golovneva, 1990) and in addition to isolated bones and teeth, dinosaur eggshell fragments have been recovered from the late Maastrichtian Kakanaut Formation, Pekulnei Lake (Godefroit et al, 2008). As in Northern Alaska the hadrosaurs are well represented and their remains dominate Maastrichtian skeletal assemblages in Northeastern Russia (Godefroit et al, 2004).…”

Section: The Late Cretaceous Arctic Faunamentioning

confidence: 96%

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Environmental constraints on terrestrial vertebrate behaviour and reproduction in the high Arctic of the Late Cretaceous

Herman

Spicer

2016

Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology

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Reconstructions of temperature and moisture regimes based on fossil leaves, combined with tree ring studies, detail the light regime, length of the growing season, and summer and winter temperatures of the Late Cretaceous Arctic. Such constraints have important implications for dinosaur feeding and reproductive behaviour, and the capacity to reside year-round in near-polar environments.At the highest palaeolatitudes where dinosaurs have been found (82-85 °N) winter darkness lasted for ~120 days and the spring and autumn twilight periods for ~15 days. A * Corresponding author. E-mail address: alexeiherman@yandex.ru (A.B. Herman) Telephone/fax number +7(495) )953-5984/951-0443 ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT2 mostly cloud and mist-shrouded environment witnessed a mean annual temperature (MAT) of 6-7 °C, a warm month mean temperature (WMMT) of 14.5 ± 3.1 °C and a cold month mean temperature (CMMT) of -2 ± 3.9 °C. Growth rings in wood suggest summer temperatures frequently fell below +10 °C. Winter temperatures as low as -10 °C were likely for short periods. Spring bud break in late February to early March and leaf fall in early October limited the time when fresh food was available in any quantity to not more than 6 months.The diversity of Arctic dinosaur body sizes implies a range of overwintering strategies but year-round residency requires reproduction. Burrowing and enclosed nest building no doubt facilitated overwintering for small animals, but for larger dinosaurs shelter was problematical. No dinosaur egg remains have yet been found as far north as 82° palaeolatitude, but they occur 6° further south in the Early Maastrichtian Kakanaut Formation, Northeastern Russia. Here the winter darkness was shorter (45 days), and the temperature regime warmer (MAT 10 °C, WMMT 19 °C, CMMT +3 °C). The growing season (temperatures > 10 °C) was ~6.3 months and fresh food was available in quantity for slightly longer. These summer temperatures constrain the thermal regime of nest environments and suggest sophisticated nest management and possibly brooding strategies for the necessary rapid incubation and hatching before the onset of winter.

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Section: And 4) and The Late Maastrichtian-danianmentioning

confidence: 95%

Section: The Late Cretaceous Arctic Faunamentioning

confidence: 96%

Environmental constraints on terrestrial vertebrate behaviour and reproduction in the high Arctic of the Late Cretaceous

Herman

Spicer

2016

Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology

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“…Similarly, abundance measures are also potentially distorted by taphonomic and palaeoenvironmental heterogeneity over time 21 . Finally, understanding the global picture of Late Cretaceous dinosaur evolution may be complicated by a traditional focus on the North American record 22 , particularly the abundance and distribution of dinosaurs within a single formation (Hell Creek Formation). This is understandable, as the Hell Creek is one of the few units that globally preserves a dinosaurdominated ecosystem and a precisely located Cretaceous-Palaeogene boundary [4][5][6][7][8] , but may be only partially informative, if there were region-specific trends in biodiversity.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Dinosaur morphological diversity and the end-Cretaceous extinction

et al. 2012

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“…At sea level, conditions were likely ice-free during this period, although in the nearby mountains permanent ice packs may have been able to form. Climate equability may have been greater during this time due to the increased sea level and large regions of flooded inland areas, with nearby waters providing a moderating effect and preventing typical continental climate systems from forming (Wolfe and Upchurch 1987), and may in part explain the existence of diverse nonmarine reptilian faunas in the Arctic, but the widespread distribution of dinosaurs throughout the Arctic continues to present intriguing palaeobiological questions (Brouwers et al 1987;Paul 1988, Tarduno et al 1998Rich et al 2002;Buffetaut 2004;Godefroit et al 2009). …”

Section: Review Of Mesozoic Terrestrial Vertebrates From the Canadianmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…The high palaeolatitude of these localities implies extreme seasonal variation in sunlight and vegetation (Spicer and Parrish 1990). The implications of these conditions on dinosaur palaeobiology, distributions, and extinction are poorly understood and controversial (Brouwers et al 1987;Paul 1988;Rich et al 2002;Buffetaut 2004;Godefroit et al 2009). Furthermore, there are few records of Mesozoic terrestrial fossils reported between these localities and central Alberta, where dinosaur faunas are well documented Arbour and Graves 2008;Currie et al 2008;Fanti and Miyashita 2009).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Vertebrate fossils (Dinosauria) from the Bonnet Plume Formation, Yukon Territory, Canada

et al. 2012

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Dinosaurs and other terrestrial vertebrates are poorly documented in the Mesozoic of the Canadian polar region. Here, we provide a complete review of the Upper Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) vertebrate fauna of the Bonnet Plume Formation in the northeastern Yukon Territory, Canada, which includes the description of the first newly collected dinosaur bones from this unit in almost half a century. Previously reported fragmentary dinosaur remains collected in the early 1960's pertain to an indeterminate hadrosaurid. New material includes a poorly preserved forelimb bone and a pedal phalanx. These new remains pertain to at least one species of non-hadrosaurid ornithischian dinosaur, and the humerus is tentatively referred to a small-bodied basal ornithopod. The new vertebrate fossils from the Bonnet Plume Formation provide further evidence of vertebrates from this unit. However, directed field surveys in 2008 and 2009 suggest that vertebrate fossils are not abundant. A review of the known localities of terrestrial Mesozoic vertebrates from the Canadian Arctic indicate that it had a relatively diverse community of terrestrial vertebrates, including dinosaurs, during the Late Cretaceous, but emphasizes our limited knowledge of the Mesozoic Arctic and considerable potential for future exploration and discovery.Résumé : Peu de dinosaures et d'autres vertébrés terrestres sont documentés dans le Mésozoïque des régions polaires canadiennes. La faune vertébrée du Crétacé supérieur (Maastrichtien) de la Formation de Bonnet Plume, dans le nord-est du Yukon (Canada), fait l'objet d'un examen exhaustif, et les premiers nouveaux ossements de dinosaures prélevés de cette unité après près d'un demi-siècle sont également décrits. Des restes fragmentaires de dinosaures recueillis au début des années 1960 et déjà signalés se rapportent à un hadrosauridé indéterminé. Le nouveau matériel comprend un os de membre anté-rieur mal préservé et une phalange pédieuse. Ces nouveaux restes se rapportent à au moins une espèce de dinosaures ornithischien non hadrosauridé, et l'humérus est provisoirement affecté à un ornithopode basal à petit corps. Les nouveaux fossiles de vertébrés de la Formation de Bonnet Plume constituent de nouvelles preuves de la présence de vertébrés dans cette unité. Des travaux de terrain dirigés menés en 2008 et 2009 portent toutefois à croire que les fossiles de vertébrés n'y sont pas abondants. Un examen des localités connues de vertébrés terrestres mésozoïques de l'Arctique canadien indique que cette région présentait une assez grande diversité de vertébrés terrestres, dont des dinosaures, au Crétacé tardif, mais souligne le peu de connaissances disponibles sur l'Arctique au Mésozoïque et l'important potentiel que présente cette région sur le plan de l'exploration et de découvertes futures.[Traduit par la Rédaction]

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The last polar dinosaurs: high diversity of latest Cretaceous arctic dinosaurs in Russia

Cited by 58 publications

References 24 publications

Environmental constraints on terrestrial vertebrate behaviour and reproduction in the high Arctic of the Late Cretaceous

Environmental constraints on terrestrial vertebrate behaviour and reproduction in the high Arctic of the Late Cretaceous

Dinosaur morphological diversity and the end-Cretaceous extinction

Vertebrate fossils (Dinosauria) from the Bonnet Plume Formation, Yukon Territory, Canada

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