Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

First Triassic tetrapod (Eusauropterygia) in the Triassic of the Subbetic domain of the Betic Cordillera (Southeastern Spain)

  • Research Paper
  • Published:
PalZ Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Sauropterygian vertebrate remains from the Ladinian (Middle Triassic) of the proximity of Calasparra (Murcia, Spain) are described here. They represent the first documented Triassic vertebrate remains found in the Province of Murcia, and the first in the Subbetic domain of the Betic Cordillera (Southeastern Spain). These new remains consist of incomplete vertebrae, some fragmented neural spine apophyses, fragments of transverse processes, a partial thoracic vertebrae mould and one isolated thoracic vertebral centrum, seemingly of a single specimen. Their features permit to refer them to the suborder Eusauropterygia. These fossils have been found in the middle part of the upper member of the Cehegín Formation. The biostratigraphical framework of the Cehegín Formation consists of a relatively abundant fossil content that allowed its attribution to the uppermost Fassanian (Lower Ladinian). The sedimentary features and the palaeontological content of the site are typical of an epicontinental platform.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Modified from Pérez-López and Pérez-Valera (2012)

Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Alafont, L.S. 1992. Notosaurios y Placodontos (Reptilia) del Triásico Medio de Bienservida Villarrodrigo. Instituto de Estudios albacetenses de la Excma. Diputación de Albacete, Albacete.

  • Alafont, L.S. 1999. Reptiles del Triásico de Castilla-La Mancha. In La huella del pasado. Fósiles de Castilla-La Mancha, eds. E. Aguirre and I. Rábano, 143–159. Toledo: Serie Patrimonio Histórico Arqueología.

  • Alafont, L.S., and J.L. Sanz. 1996. Un nuevo Sauropterigio (Reptilia) en el Triásico de la Sierra de Prades (Tarragona). Cuadernos de Geología Ibérica 20: 313–329.

    Google Scholar 

  • Baeza-Calatarrá, J.F., F. Pérez-Valera, and J.A. Pérez-Valera. 2018. The oldest post-Paleozoic (Ladinian, Triassic) brachiopods record from the Betic Range (SE Spain). Acta Palaeontologica Polonica 63: 71–85.

    Google Scholar 

  • Balanyá, J.C., and V. García-Dueñas. 1987. Grandes fallas de contracción y de extensión implicadas en el contacto entre los dominios de Alborán y Sudibérico en el arco de Gibraltar. Geogaceta 1: 19–21.

    Google Scholar 

  • Berrocal-Casero, M., and R. Castaninha. 2015. Nuevos hallazgos de vertebrados triásicos en el anticlinal de Riba de Santiuste (Guadalajara, España). In Current Trends in Paleontology and Evolution (XIII EJIP Conference Proceedings), eds. L. Domingo, S. Domingo, O. Fesharaki, B. García Yelo, A.R. Gómez Cano, V. Hernández-Ballarín, D. Hontecillas, J.L. Cantalapiedra, P. López Guerrero, A. Oliver, J. Pelegrín, M. Pérez de los Ríos, M. Ríos, O. Sanisidro, and A. Valenciano, pp. 1–58. Madrid.

  • Berrocal-Casero, M., J. Audije-Gil, R. Castaninha, J.A. Pérez-Valera, V.F. Santos, and M. Segura. 2018. New discoveries of vertebrate remains from the Triassic of Riba de Santiuste, Guadalajara (Spain). Proceedings of the Geologists’ Association 129: 526–541.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Case, E.C. 1936. A nothosaur from the Triassic of Wyoming. University of Michigan. Contribution from the Museum of Paleontology 5: 1–36.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dalla Vecchia, F.M. 2006. A new sauropterygian reptile with plesiosaurian affinity from the Late Triassic of Italy. Rivista Italiana di Paleontologia e Stratigrafia 112: 207–225.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dalla Vecchia, F.M. 2017. Comments on the skeletal anatomy of the Triassic reptile Bobosaurus forojuliensis (Sauropterygia, Pistosauroidea). Gortania (Geologia, Paleontologia, Paletnologia) 38: 39–45.

    Google Scholar 

  • Diedrich, C.G. 2013. The oldest “Subaquatic Flying” reptile in the World - Pistosaurus longaevus Meyer, 1839 (Sauropterygia) from the Middle Triassic of Europe. New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science 61: 169–215.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fortuny, J., A. Bolet, A.G. Sellés, J. Cartanyà, and À. Galobart. 2011. New insights on the Permian and Triassic vertebrates from the Iberian Peninsula with emphasis on the Pyrenean and Catalonian basins. Journal of Iberian Geology 37: 65–86.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • García-Dueñas, V., J.C. Balanyá, and J.M. Martínez-Martínez. 1992. Miocene extensional detachments in the outcropping basement of the northern Alboran Basin (Betics) and their tectonic implications. Geo-Marine Letters 12: 88–95.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • García-Hernández, M., A.C. López-Garrido, P. Rivas, C. Sanz de Galdeano, and J.A. Vera. 1980. Mesozoic palaeogeographic evolution of the External Zones of the Betic Cordillera. Geologie in Mijnbouw 59: 155–168.

    Google Scholar 

  • Haas, G. 1980. Ein Nothosaurier-Schädel aus dem Muschelkalk des Wadi Ramon (Negev, Israel). Annalen des Naturhistorischen Museums in Wien 83: 119–125.

    Google Scholar 

  • Huene, F. von. 1952. Skelett und Verwandschaft von Simosaurus. Palaeontographica (A: Paläozoologie, Stratigraphie) 102: 163–182.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kuhn-Schnyder, E. 1966. Über Wirbeltier-Reste aus dem Muschelkalk der Provinz Teruel (Spanien). Oberrheinische geologische Abhandlungen 15: 99–106.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lapparent, A.F. 1966. Nouveaux gisements de reptiles mésozoiques en Espagne. Notas y Comunicaciones del Instituto Geológico y Minero de España 15: 99–106.

    Google Scholar 

  • Márquez-Aliaga, A., A. Goy, and J.J. Gómez. 2001. Bivalvos del Ladiniense en la región de Riópar (Albacete, España). Publicaciones del seminario de Paleontología de Zaragoza 5: 144–152.

    Google Scholar 

  • Martín Algarra, A., and J.A. Vera. 2004. La Cordillera Bética y las Baleares en el contexto del Mediterráneo Occidental. In Geología de España, ed. J.A. Vera, pp. 352–354. Madrid: SGE, IGME.

  • Miguel Chaves, C. de, Pérez-García, A., Ortega, F., Sánchez-Chillón, B., Quesada, J., and J.L., Sanz. 2014a. Systematic implications of a sauropterygian skull from the Upper Triassic of Guadalajara (Spain). In Program and Abstracts, 74th Annual Meeting of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology, Berlin 2014, eds. E. Maxwell, and J. Miller-Camp, p. 118.

  • Miguel Chaves, C. de, Pérez-García, A., Quesada, J., and F. Ortega. 2014b. Dientes atribuidos a sauropterigios del Triásico Superior de El Atance (Guadalajara, España). Libro de resúmenes de las XXX Jornadas de Paleontología de la Sociedad Española de Paleontología. ¡Fundamental! 24: 143–144.

  • Miguel Chaves, C. de, A.P. García, A. Cobos, R. Royo-Torres, F. Ortega, and L. Alcalá. 2015. A diverse Late Triassic tetrapod fauna from Manzanera (Teruel, Spain). Geobios 48: 479–490.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Miguel Chaves, C. de, S. García-Gil, F. Ortega, J.L. Sanz, and A. Pérez-García. 2016. First Triassic tetrapod (Sauropterygia, Nothosauridae) from Castilla y León: evidence of an unknown taxon for the Spanish record. Journal of Iberian Geology 42: 29–38.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Miguel Chaves, C. de, F. Ortega, and A. Pérez-García. 2017. The eosauropterygian fossils from the Middle Triassic of Canales de Molina (Guadalajara, Spain). Journal of Iberian Geology 43: 129–138.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Münster, G. 1834. Vorläufige Nachricht über einige neue Reptilien im Muschelkalke von Baiern. Neues Jahrbuch für Mineralogie, Geognosie, Geologie und Petrefaktenkunde 1834: 521–527.

    Google Scholar 

  • Niemeyer, J. 2002. Invertebraten und Vertebraten aus dem Muschelkalk von Siles (Jaén), Spanien. Münstersche Forschungen zur Geologie und Paläontologie 94: 99.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pérez-López, A. 1998. Epicontinental Triassic of the Southern Iberian Continental Margin (Betic Cordillera, Spain). In Epicontinental Triassic, eds. G.H. Bachmann and I. Lerche. Zentralblatt für Geologie und Paläontologie (I: Allgemeine, angewandte, regionale und historische Geologie) 1998(9–10): 1009–1031.

  • Pérez-López, A., L. Márquez, and F. Pérez-Valera. 2005. A foraminiferal assemblage as a bioevent marker of the main Ladinian transgressive stage in the Betic Cordillera, Southern Spain. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 224: 217–231.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pérez-López, A., and F. Pérez-Valera. 2007. Palaeogeography, facies and nomenclature of the Triassic units in the different domains of the Betic Cordillera (S Spain). Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 254: 606–626.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pérez-López, A., and F. Pérez-Valera. 2012. Tempestite facies models for the epicontinental Triassic carbonates of the Betic Cordillera (southern Spain). Sedimentology 59(2): 646–678.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pérez-Valera, F. 2005a. Estratigrafía y tectónica del Triásico Sudibérico en el sector oriental de la Cordillera Bética. Unpublished PhD Thesis. Granada: University of Granada.

  • Pérez-Valera, J.A. 2005b. Ammonoideos y bioestratigrafía del Triásico Medio (Anisiense superior-Ladiniense) en la sección de Calasparra (sector oriental de la Cordillera Bética, Murcia, España). Coloquios de Paleontología 55: 125–161.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pérez-Valera, F., and A. Pérez-López. 2008. Stratigraphy and sedimentology of Muschelkalk carbonates of the Southern Iberian Continental Palaeomargin (Siles and Cehegín Formations, Southern Spain). Facies 54: 61–87.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pérez-Valera, J.A. 2015. Ammonoideos y bioestratigrafía del Triásico medio (Ladiniense) del sector oriental de la Cordillera Bética. Unpublished PhD Thesis. Madrid: Complutense University.

  • Pérez-Valera, J.A., Goy, A., Pérez-Valera, F., and A., Pérez-López. 2011. Ammonoid biostratigraphy of Muschelkalk carbonates (Ladinian) of the South-Iberian Triassic (Betic External Zones, S. Spain). In Livret des Résumés du Sixième Réunion du Groupe Marocain du Permien et du Trias, Tétouan, ed. A. Maate, 23–24. Tétouan: University of Tétouan.

  • Pérez-Valera, J.A., F. Barroso-Barcenilla, A. Goy, and F. Pérez-Valera. 2017. Nautiloids from the Muschekalk facies of the Southiberian Triassic (southern Spain). Journal of Systematic Palaeontology 15: 171–191.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Plasencia, P., A. Márquez-Aliaga, F. Pérez-Valera, J.A. Pérez-Valera, A. Goy, J. López-Gómez, L. Márquez, and A. Pérez-López. 2007. Registro paleontológico del Triásico Medio de Calasparra (Murcia). In Libro de Resúmenes de las XXIII Jornadas Sociedad Española de Paleontología, eds. J.C. Braga, A. Checa, and M. Company, 187–188. Murcia: Caravaca de la Cruz.

    Google Scholar 

  • Platt, J., S. Allerton, A. Kirker, and E. Platzman. 1995. Origin of the western Subbetic arc (South Spain): palaeomagnetic and structural evidence. Journal of Structural Geology 17: 765–775.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Quesada, J.M., and S. Aguera González. 2005. Descripción del primer ejemplar de Ceresiosaurus (Reptilia: Sauropterygia), hallado en la Península Ibérica en el Ladiniense (Triásico Medio) de Mont–ral–Alcover (Tarragona). Estudios Geológicos 61: 247–269.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Quesada, J., A. Pérez-García, F. Ortega, F. Escaso, and B. Sánchez-Chillón. 2009. Simosaurus (Nothosauria) fossil site: a new Spanish window to the Upper Triassic. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 29: 168.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reolid, M., F. Pérez-Valera, M.J. Benton, and J. Reolid. 2013. Marine flooding event in continental Triassic facies identified by a nothosaur and placodont bonebed (South Iberian Paleomargin). Facies 60: 277–293.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rieppel, O. 1994. Osteology of Simosaurus gaillardoti and the relationships of stem-group Sauropterygia. Fieldiana: Geology 28: 1–85.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rieppel, O. 1997. Part II: Sauropterygia. In Ancient marine reptiles, eds. J.M. Callaway and E.L. Nicholls, 107–119. San Diego: Academic Press.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Rieppel, O. 2000. Handbook of Paleoherpetology. Part 12A. Sauropterygia I. Placodontia, Pachypleurosauria, Nothosauria, Pistosauria. München: F. Pfeil.

  • Rieppel, O., and R. Wild. 1996. A revision of the genus Nothosaurus (Reptilia: Sauropterygia) from the Germanic Triassic, with comments on the status of Conchiosaurus clavatus. Fieldiana (Geology) 34: 1–82.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rieppel, O., and J.M. Mazin. 1997. Speciation along rifting continental margins: a new nothosaur from the Negev (Israel). Comptes rendus de l’Académie des Sciences Série IIA, Sciences de la Terre et des planètes 326: 991–997.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rieppel, O., and H. Hagdorn. 1998. Fossil reptiles from the Spanish Muschelkalk (Mont-ral and Alcover, Province Tarragona). Historical Biology 13: 77–97.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rubio, C., J.B. Díez Ferrer, J. Ferrer, J.A. Gámez Vintaned, L.M. Sender, and H. Zianni. 2003. La Comarca de Gúdar—Javalambre da a conocer su rico patrimonio geológico y paleontológico. Naturaleza Aragonesa 11: 21–34.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sanz, J.L. 1980. Los notosaurios españoles. Análisis filogenético y sistemático de los sauropterigios triásicos. PhD Thesis. Madrid: Universidad Complutense.

  • Sanz, J.L. 1983. Los Notosaurios (Reptilia, Sauropterygia) españoles. Estudios Geológicos 39: 193–215.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sanz, J.L., and J.J. Moratalla. 1993. Triassic reptile faunas from Spain. In Evolution, Ecology and Biogeography of the Triassic Reptiles, eds. J.M. Mazin and G. Pinna, 153–164. Paleontologia Lombarda.

  • Sanz de Galdeano, C. 1990. Geologic evolution of the Betic Cordillera in the Western Mediterranean, Miocene to the present. Tectonophysics 172: 107–119.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schmidt, S., 1986. Lokomotion und Lebenweise der Nothosaurier (Diapsida, Sauropterygia). Unpublished PhD Thesis. Tübingen: Universität Tübingen.

  • Storrs, W. 1991. Anatomy and relationships of Corosaurus alcovensis (Diapsida: Sauropterygia) and the Triassic Alcova Limestone of Wyoming. Bulletin of the Peabody Museum of Natural History 44: 1–151.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sues, H.D. 1987. Postcranial skeleton of Pistosaururs and interrelationships of the Sauropterygia (Diapsida). Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 90: 109–131.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vía Boada, L., J.F. Villalta, and M. Esteban Cerdá. 1977. Paleontología y paleoecología de los yacimientos fosilíferos del Muschelkalk superior entre Alcover y Montral (Montañas de Prades, provincia de Tarragona). Cuadernos Geología Ibérica 4: 247–256.

    Google Scholar 

  • Westphal, F. 1976. The dermal armor of some Triassic placodont reptiles. In Morphology and biology of reptiles, eds. A. Bellairs and C.B. Cox, 31–41. London: Academic Press.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We are very grateful to Dr. Fernando Barroso-Barcenilla from the Universidad de Alcalá (Spain) for his help and support. To Dr. Francis Hirsch (Naruto University of Education, Japan) for reviewing the English of the text. We gratefully acknowledge the comments from Dr. Silvio Renesto Claudio from the Università Degli Studi Dell’Insubria (Italy) and the PalZ editors (Mike Reich and Hans-Dieter Sues) that have helped to improve the manuscript. To the Research Project CGL2015-66604 from the Spanish Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (Economy and Competiveness Ministry).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Ciencias de la Tierra y del Medio Ambiente, Universidad de Alicante, 03080, Alicante, Spain

    Juan Alberto Pérez-Valera & Fernando Pérez-Valera

  2. Grupo de Investigación Procesos Bióticos Mesozoicos, Departamento de Geodinámica, Estratigrafía y Paleontología, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040, Madrid, Spain

    Juan Alberto Pérez-Valera & Mélani Berrocal-Casero

Authors
  1. Juan Alberto Pérez-Valera
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Mélani Berrocal-Casero
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Fernando Pérez-Valera
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mélani Berrocal-Casero.

Additional information

Handling Editor: Hans-Dieter Sues.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Pérez-Valera, J.A., Berrocal-Casero, M. & Pérez-Valera, F. First Triassic tetrapod (Eusauropterygia) in the Triassic of the Subbetic domain of the Betic Cordillera (Southeastern Spain). PalZ 94, 343–352 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12542-019-00500-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12542-019-00500-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation