BERNISSARTIIDAE
|
publication ID |
https://doi.org/ 10.26879/514 |
|
persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03CC1405-FFF2-FFCD-FC75-748BFA81E9F0 |
|
treatment provided by |
Felipe |
|
scientific name |
BERNISSARTIIDAE |
| status |
|
Family BERNISSARTIIDAE ? Dollo, 1883
Genus and species undetermined Morphotype A
Figure 4.1-3 View FIGURE 4
Referred material. 104 isolated teeth (28.49% of the sample = 365 teeth; MPZ 2014/472, 473, 474a, 474b and 843 through 901).
Description. Molariform or tribodont teeth, bulky, bulbous, rounded, with low crowns and a blunt apex. The teeth have circular, elliptical ( Figure 4.2 View FIGURE 4 ), kidney-shaped ( Figure 4.3 View FIGURE 4 ) or figure-eight-shaped cross-sections at their base ( Figure 4.1 View FIGURE 4 ). Certain specimens display stronger mediolateral compression than others ( Figure 4.1 View FIGURE 4 ), but they all show a rounded profile in lingual/labial view. The base of the crowns has a strong constriction. The pulp cavity, which can only be seen in a very few specimens because the root is not usually preserved, presents sub-ellipsoidal morphology, with the major axis running anteroposteriorly. Enamel ornamentation is formed by thin parallel ridges converging toward the apex. In most teeth, the presence of mesiodistal carinae is unlikely. However, in taller and less worn teeth a basiapical keel that is more marked towards the apex can be observed.
Within this morphotype there is some degree of variability according to the heterodont dentition observed in complete skulls and jaws of Bernissartia ( Buffetaut and Ford, 1979; Buscalioni and Sanz, 1984, 1990b). The teeth from the posterior region of the tooth row have lower crowns, kidney-shaped or figure-eight-shaped sections and greater lateral compression ( Figure 4.1 View FIGURE 4 , 3 View FIGURE 3 ). By contrast, the anteriorly placed teeth have morphologies with taller crowns and sub-ellipsoidal to circular sections, without figure-eight-shaped sections ( Figure 4.1 View FIGURE 4 ). Almost all teeth have a worn occlusal surface.
Remarks. This morphotype has been assigned to Bernissartiidae ? since this type of morphology is common in taxa of the same age, such as Bernissartia or Koumpiodontosuchus ( Buffetaut and Ford, 1979; Sweetman et al., 2014). However, care must be taken with such specific assignments. This type of tooth, associated with a durophagous diet, is also present in other taxa not closely related with Bernissartiidae , such as Unasuchus , Acynodon , Allognathosuchus , Brachychampsa , Albertochampsa and the extant Osteolaemus ( Buffetaut and Ford, 1979; Brinkmann, 1992; Buscalioni et al., 1997, 1999; Martin, 2007; Delfino et al., 2008). Therefore, the presence of this type of morphology may be more closely linked to dietary function than to phylogenetic relatedness ( Buffetaut and Ford, 1979).
Morphotype B
Figure 4.4–6 View FIGURE 4 View FIGURE 5 View FIGURE 6
Referred material. 62 isolated teeth (16.98% of the sample = 365 teeth; MPZ 2014/475, 476, 477a, 477b, 477c and 902 through 962).
Description. These teeth are short and conical with a triangular outline in lingual/labial view and strong mediolateral compression. The crowns are relatively low and small in size (1–2 mm). The labial surface is convex, and the lingual face is slightly flattened. The apex is slightly lingually curved, and there are mesial and distal carinae. The root contour is somewhat constricted, and the pulp cavity has subcircular to ellipsoidal morphology that is elongate in an anteroposterior direction. On the lingual surface, the base of the tooth has a slight concavity, giving it a somewhat kidney-shaped cross-section at its base. The ornamentation consists of thin parallel longitudinal ridges that converge towards the apex on both sides.
Remarks. In previous papers, such teeth have been attributed to forms close to Lisboasaurus and the LH-Crocodyliform (crocodyliform from Las Hoyas, Cuenca, Spain) ( Canudo et al., 2010) which are two mesoeucrocodylians from the Kimmeridgian / Barremian of Spain and Portugal ( Buscalioni et al., 1996; Ortega, 2004; Schwarz and Fechner, 2004, 2008). The triangular profile with laterally compressed crowns and the presence of a lingual groove at the base of the crown are indeed reminiscent of teeth present in Lisboasaurus and the LH-Crocodyliform. However, the teeth from Lisboasaurus and the LH-Crocodyliform have completely smooth enamel, lacking carinae and ornamentation ( Schwarz and Fechner, 2008). The ornamentation of this dental morphotype from La Cantalera and its constriction at the base of the crown are also consistent with teeth attributed to Bernissartiidae . The greater crown height and the more conical shape could correspond to teeth from anterior positions in the jaw or to unworn teeth from the mid region in the dental series of Bernissartiidae ( Buffetaut and Ford, 1979; Buscalioni and Sanz, 1990b; Sweetman et al., 2014).
| MPZ |
Museo Paleontologico de la Universidad de Zaragoza |
No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.