Eucamerotus

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Eucamerotus
Temporal range: Early Cretaceous, Barremian
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Eucamerotus holotype Hulke 1870.png
Holotype vertebral arch in various views as figured by John Hulke in 1870
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Clade: Dinosauria
Clade: Saurischia
Clade:† Sauropodomorpha
Clade:† Sauropoda
Clade:† Macronaria
Clade:† Titanosauriformes
Genus:† Eucamerotus
Hulke, 1872
Species:
†E. foxi
Binomial name
†Eucamerotus foxi
Blows, 1995

Eucamerotus (meaning "well-chambered", in reference to the hollows of the vertebrae) is an extinct genus of sauropod dinosaur from the Early Cretaceous (Barremian) Wessex Formation (Wealden) of the Isle of Wight, England. The type specimen, part of a vertebra (one of the bones in the spine), was discovered in the autumn of 1869 by John Hulke. After confirming its point of origin with the Rev. William Fox, Hulke presented his find to the Geological Society of London in 1870. Two years later, he assigned to it the name Eucamerotus, though did not provide a species name. Eucamerotus was subsequently treated as a junior synonym of two existing sauropods, Pelorosaurus and Ornithopsis . In 1995, William T. Blows gave a species name, creating the combination Eucamerotus foxi. While the validity of the genus has continued to be questioned, a 2011 publication found it to be a valid genus of titanosauriform. Comparisons with the fossils of other macronarians suggests it may have reached up to 15 m (49 ft) in length.

Contents

History and taxonomy

The holotype of Eucamerotus (NHMUK R.2522), a neural arch, was collected by geologist John Hulke in the autumn of 1869, near Brighstone Bay on the Isle of Wight, in "a large block of stone". He brought it to the attention of the Rev. William Fox, who pinpointed its origin to "a bed which occurs near the top of the high cliff between Brooke and Chilton". [1] [a] The following year, Hulke presented the vertebra to the Geological Society of London, providing a description of it and measurements. [1] Two years later, he assigned a name to the specimen, Eucamerotus, and suggested that the lectotype of Ornithopsis hulkei might be assignable to it. [3] The genus name Eucamerotus derives from the Ancient Greek eu- ("well") and kamerotus ("chambered"). [4] In naming Eucamerotus, Hulke neglected to designate a type species. [4] [2]

In 1879, Hulke assigned NHMUK R.2522 to Ornithopsis, based on the discovery of additional vertebrae from the Isle of Wight, rendering it a junior synonym. [5] Later authors continued to regard Eucamerotus as a synonym, though of a different Wealden sauropod genus, Pelorosaurus . [6] [7] [8]

Eucamerotus as a valid genus was resurrected in 1995 by William T. Blows. He designated a type species, E. foxi, named after Rev. William Fox. After his initial description, Hulke had designated several vertebrae to Ornithopsis; all of these were reassigned to Eucamerotus to serve as paratypes. Additionally, Blows assigned a partial skeleton, MIWG-BP001 (the "Barnes High sauropod") [4] [2] to E. foxi. [9] The inclusion of this specimen proved controversial, as it is privately owned, and was treated as a distinct taxon by Paul Upchurch, Philip D. Mannion, and Paul M. Barrett in a 2011 publication. [2]

Validity

Since its resurrection by Blows, the validity of Eucamerotus has been questioned. Darren Naish and David Martill, in 2001, suggested that it should be treated as a nomen dubium, though suggested a position within Brachiosauridae, [4] an idea which had been suggested in prior studies. [2] Writing in 2004, Upchurch, Barrett, and Peter Dodson similarly considered it dubious. [10] A more recent review of Titanosauria, the 2011 publication by Upchurch, Mannion, and Barrett, found E. foxi to be a valid taxon, based on the establishment of new diagnostic features. Rather than assigning it to a specific family, they opted to place E. foxi in a basal position within Titanosauriformes. [2]

Description

Size

The vertebrae assigned to Eucamerotus foxi each measured around 20 cm (7.9 in) in length. Comparisons with other titanosaurs indicate that E. foxi would have been about 15 m (49 ft) in length, and would thus have been mid-sized by sauropod standards; this is further supported if the Barnes High sauropod is treated as part of the same taxon, [4] though it likely is not. [2]

Anatomy

While historically regarded as dubious due to a lack of autapomorphic (distinguishing) traits, the 2011 publication found that Eucamerotus had two potential candidates. One relates to pleurocoels (hollows in the bone which would have lightened their overall weight): the pleurocoels of E. foxi each bear a small, elongated fossa, running parallel to their posterior (rear) margins. The other is that the prezygapophyses, upward-facing articular processes on the anterior (front) portion of a vertebra, are connected to the parapophyses (the ventral, or bottom, processes of a vertebra), by two ridges separated by a fossa. The transverse processes project laterally (outward) and superiorly (upwards) at an angle steeper than that observed in Brachiosaurus and Giraffatitan. The posterior surface of each neural spine often bears a lamina along its midline, similar to that of diplodocids and titanosaurs but less well-developed. [2]

Palaeoecology

Life restoration of Eucamerotus (background) with contemporary dinosaurs: Baryonyx (left), two Neovenator (right), Valdosaurus (midground), and Hypsilophodon (foreground). Meeting at the river threshold.jpg
Life restoration of Eucamerotus (background) with contemporary dinosaurs: Baryonyx (left), two Neovenator (right), Valdosaurus (midground), and Hypsilophodon (foreground).

The known specimens of Eucamerotus originate from the Wessex Formation. [2] [11] Sedimentological data suggests that the depositional environment of the Wessex Formation was a floodplain intersected by fluvial (river) and lacustrine (lake) deposits. Water levels likely varied throughout the year, [12] due to there being more evaporation than precipitation, though precipitation was regardless quite high. The Wessex seems to have regularly experienced extreme storms [13] and periodic flood events, resulting in debris flows which would have deposited dead organisms in ponds. [14] Burned plant and insect material and fusain suggests that the environment experienced frequent wildfires, stifling for the most part the dense growth of gymnosperms. [12] [14] Much of the flora of the formed of low ground cover, consisting primarily of pteridophytes, with occasional stands of conifers, cycads and the tree fern Tempskya . [12] Most vertebrate material from the Wessex Formation originates from plant debris beds, resulting from the aforementioned flooding events. [14]

Aside from Thecocoelurus, the dinosaur fauna of the Isle of Wight includes the theropods Aristosuchus , Calamospondylus , Ceratosuchops , Eotyrannus , Neovenator , Ornithodesmus , Riparovenator and Yaverlandia , the sauropods Chondrosteosaurus and Ornithopsis , [15] [16] the thyreophorans Polacanthus [16] and Vectipelta , [17] and the ornithopods Brighstoneus , [18] Comptonatus , [19] Hypsilophodon , Iguanodon , [16] Mantellisaurus , [20] Valdosaurus [15] [16] and Vectidromeus. [21] The pterosaur fauna of the Wessex Formation consists of Coloborhynchus , Caulkicephalus , Istiodactylus , [22] Vectidraco , [23] and Wightia ; [24] multiple unnamed pterosaur taxa, including a ctenochasmatid, are also known. [22] Neosuchian crocodyliforms include Bernissartia , Koumpiodontosuchus [25] and Vectisuchus . [26] Limited evidence exists of elasmosaurids and leptocleidid plesiosaurs. [27] The mammal fauna of the Wessex Formation includes the multituberculate Eobataar [28] and the spalacotheriid Yaverlestes . [29] Albanerpetontid amphibians are represented by Wesserpeton . [30] The fish fauna of the Wessex Formation, both bony and cartilaginous, is extensive, including hybodontiform and modern sharks (Selachii), pycnodontiforms, Lepidotes and Scheenstia . [31] Invertebrates are represented by an assortment of non-biting midges, [32] hymenopterans (wasps) including multiple parasitoid taxa, [33] coleopterans (beetles), the avicularoid spider Cretamygale , [34] and the ostracod Cypridea. [35]

Notes

  1. ↑ The Wessex Formation. [2]

References

  1. 1 2 Hulke, J. W. (1870). "Note on a New and Undescribed Wealden Vertebra". Quarterly Journal of the Geological Society of London. 26 (1–2): 318–324. doi:10.1144/GSL.JGS.1870.026.01-02.28.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Upchurch, P., Mannion, P. D. & Barrett, P. M. 2011. Sauropod dinosaurs. In Batten, D. J. (ed.) English Wealden Fossils. The Palaeontological Association (London), pp. 476-525.
  3. ↑ Hulke, J. W. (1872). "Appendix to a "Note on a new and undescribed Wealden Vertebra," read 9th February 1870, and published in the Quarterly Journal for August in the same year". Quarterly Journal of the Geological Society. 28 (1–2): 36–38. doi:10.1144/GSL.JGS.1872.028.01-02.15. S2CID   129524747.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Naish, D., and Martill, D.M. (2001). Saurischian dinosaurs 1: Sauropods. In: Martill, D.M., and Naish, D. (eds.). Dinosaurs of the Isle of Wight. The Palaeontological Association:London 185-241. ISBN   0-901702-72-2
  5. ↑ Hulke, J. W. (1879). "Note (3rd) on (Eucamerotus, Hulke) Ornithopsis, H. G. Seeley, = Bothriospondylus magnus, Owen, = Chondrosteosaurus magnus, Owen". Quarterly Journal of the Geological Society. 35 (1–4): 752–762. doi:10.1144/GSL.JGS.1879.035.01-04.55. S2CID   131190958.
  6. ↑ von Huene, F. (1909). Skizze zu einer Systematik und Stammesgeschichte der Dinosaurier. Centralblatt für Mineralogie, Geologie und Paläontologie 1909:12-22. [German]
  7. ↑ Romer, A.S. (1956). Osteology of the Reptiles. University of Chicago Press:Chicago 1-772. ISBN   0-89464-985-X
  8. ↑ Steel, R. (1970). Part 14. Saurischia. Handbuch der Paläoherpetologie/Encyclopedia of Paleoherpetology. Part 14. Gustav Fischer Verlag:Stuttgart p. 1-87.
  9. ↑ Blows, W.T. (1995). "The Early Cretaceous brachiosaurid dinosaurs Ornithopsis and Eucamerotus from the Isle of Wight, England" (PDF). Palaeontology. 38 (1): 187–197. Archived from the original on 9 March 2012. Retrieved 1 January 2011.
  10. ↑ Upchurch, P.M., Barrett, P.M., and Dodson, P. (2004). Sauropoda. In: Weishampel, D.B., Dodson, P., and Osmólska, H. (eds.). The Dinosauria (2nd edition). University of California Press:Berkeley 259-322. ISBN   0-520-24209-2
  11. ↑ Weishampel, David B; et al. (2004). "Dinosaur distribution (Early Cretaceous, Europe)". In: Weishampel, David B.; Dodson, Peter; and Osmólska, Halszka (eds.): The Dinosauria, 2nd, Berkeley: University of California Press. Pp. 556-563. ISBN   0-520-24209-2.
  12. 1 2 3 Insole, Allan N.; Hutt, Stephen (1994). "The palaeoecology of the dinosaurs of the Wessex Formation (Wealden Group, Early Cretaceous), Isle of Wight, Southern England" . Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 112 (1–2): 197–215. doi:10.1111/j.1096-3642.1994.tb00318.x.
  13. ↑ Marsden, Marie K.; Gunn, Joshua; Maidment, Susannah C. R.; Nichols, Gary; Wheeley, James R.; Russell, Catherine E.; Boomer, Ian; Stukins, Stephen; Butler, Richard J. (6 January 2025). "Palaeoenvironment and taphonomy of the Hypsilophodon Bed, Lower Cretaceous Wessex Formation, Isle of Wight". Journal of the Geological Society. 182 (1): jgs2024–046. Bibcode:2025JGSoc.182...46M. doi: 10.1144/jgs2024-046 .
  14. 1 2 3 Pond, Stuart; Strachan, Sarah-Jane; Raven, Thomas J.; Simpson, Martin I.; Morgan, Kirsty; Maidment, Susannah C. R. (2023). "Vectipelta barretti , a new ankylosaurian dinosaur from the Lower Cretaceous Wessex Formation of the Isle of Wight, UK" . Journal of Systematic Palaeontology. 21 (1). Bibcode:2023JSPal..2110577P. doi:10.1080/14772019.2023.2210577. ISSN   1477-2019.
  15. 1 2 Barker, C.T.; Hone, D.; Naish, D.; Cau, A.; Lockwood, J.; Foster, B.; Clarkin, C.; Schneider, P.; Gostling, N. (2021). "New spinosaurids from the Wessex Formation (Early Cretaceous, UK) and the European origins of Spinosauridae". Scientific Reports. 11 (1): 19340. Bibcode:2021NatSR..1119340B. doi:10.1038/s41598-021-97870-8. PMC   8481559 . PMID   34588472.
  16. 1 2 3 4 Martill, D. M.; Hutt, S. (1996). "Possible baryonychid dinosaur teeth from the Wessex Formation (Lower Cretaceous, Barremian) of the Isle of Wight, England". Proceedings of the Geologists' Association. 107 (2): 81–84. Bibcode:1996PrGA..107...81M. doi:10.1016/S0016-7878(96)80001-0.
  17. ↑ Pond, Stuart; Strachan, Sarah-Jane; Raven, Thomas J.; Simpson, Martin I.; Morgan, Kirsty; Maidment, Susannah C. R. (1 January 2023). "Vectipelta barretti, a new ankylosaurian dinosaur from the Lower Cretaceous Wessex Formation of the Isle of Wight, UK" . Journal of Systematic Palaeontology. 21 (1). Bibcode:2023JSPal..2110577P. doi:10.1080/14772019.2023.2210577. ISSN   1477-2019. S2CID   259393929.
  18. ↑ Lockwood, Jeremy A. F.; Martill, David M.; Maidment, Susannah C. R. (10 November 2021). "A new hadrosauriform dinosaur from the Wessex Formation, Wealden Group (Early Cretaceous), of the Isle of Wight, southern England". Journal of Systematic Palaeontology. 19 (12): 847–888. Bibcode:2021JSPal..19..847L. doi: 10.1080/14772019.2021.1978005 . ISSN   1477-2019. S2CID   244067410.
  19. ↑ Lockwood, Jeremy A. F.; Martill, David M.; Maidment, Susannah C. R. (31 December 2024). "Comptonatus chasei, a new iguanodontian dinosaur from the Lower Cretaceous Wessex Formation of the Isle of Wight, southern England". Journal of Systematic Palaeontology . 22 (1). Bibcode:2024JSPal..2246573L. doi: 10.1080/14772019.2024.2346573 . ISSN   1477-2019.
  20. ↑ Carpenter, K. & Ishida, Y. (2010). "Early and "Middle" Cretaceous Iguanodonts in Time and Space". Journal of Iberian Geology . 36 (2): 145–164. doi: 10.5209/rev_JIGE.2010.v36.n2.3 .
  21. ↑ Longrich, Nicholas R.; Martill, David M.; Munt, Martin; Green, Mick; Penn, Mark; Smith, Shaun (1 February 2024). "Vectidromeus insularis, a new hypsilophodontid dinosaur from the Lower Cretaceous Wessex Formation of the Isle of Wight, England" . Cretaceous Research. 154 105707. Bibcode:2024CrRes.15405707L. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2023.105707. ISSN   0195-6671.
  22. 1 2 Martill, David M.; Coram, Robert A. (1 August 2020). "Additional evidence for very large wing-span pterosaurs in the Wessex Formation (Early Cretaceous, Barremian) of southern England" . Proceedings of the Geologists' Association. 131 (3): 293–300. Bibcode:2020PrGA..131..293M. doi:10.1016/j.pgeola.2019.05.002. ISSN   0016-7878.
  23. ↑ Naish, D.; Simpson, M.; Dyke, G. (2013). Farke, Andrew A (ed.). "A New Small-Bodied Azhdarchoid Pterosaur from the Lower Cretaceous of England and Its Implications for Pterosaur Anatomy, Diversity and Phylogeny". PLOS ONE. 8 (3) e58451. Bibcode:2013PLoSO...858451N. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0058451 . PMC   3601094 . PMID   23526986.
  24. ↑ Martill, David M.; Green, Mick; Smith, Roy E.; Jacobs, Megan L.; Winch, John (1 September 2020). "First tapejarid pterosaur from the Wessex Formation (Wealden Group: Lower Cretaceous, Barremian) of the United Kingdom" . Cretaceous Research. 113 104487. Bibcode:2020CrRes.11304487M. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2020.104487. ISSN   0195-6671.
  25. ↑ Sweetman, Steven; Pedreira-Segade, Ulysse; Vidovic, Steven (2014). "A new bernissartiid crocodyliform from the Lower Cretaceous Wessex Formation (Wealden Group, Barremian) of the Isle of Wight, southern England". Acta Palaeontologica Polonica. doi:10.4202/app.00038.2013. ISSN   0567-7920.
  26. ↑ Buffetaut, Eric; Hutt, Stephen (31 July 1980). "Vectisuchus leptognathus, n. g. n. sp., a slender-snouted goniopholid crocodilian from the Wealden of the Isle of Wight" . Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie - Monatshefte (7): 385–390. doi:10.1127/njgpm/1980/1980/385.
  27. ↑ Kear, Benjamin P.; Barrett, Paul M. (1 March 2011). "Reassessment of the Lower Cretaceous (Barremian) pliosauroid Leptocleidus superstes Andrews, 1922 and other plesiosaur remains from the nonmarine Wealden succession of southern England" . Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 161 (3): 663–691. doi:10.1111/j.1096-3642.2010.00648.x. ISSN   0024-4082.
  28. ↑ Sweetman, Steven C. (2009). "A New Species of the Plagiaulacoid Multituberculate Mammal Eobaatar from the Early Cretaceous of Southern Britain". Acta Palaeontologica Polonica. 54 (3): 373–384. doi: 10.4202/app.2008.0003 . ISSN   0567-7920.
  29. ↑ Sweetman, Steven C. (2008). "A Spalacolestine Spalacotheriid (mammalia, Trechnotheria) from the Early Cretaceous (barremian) of Southern England and Its Bearing on Spalacotheriid Evolution" . Palaeontology. 51 (6): 1367–1385. Bibcode:2008Palgy..51.1367S. doi:10.1111/j.1475-4983.2008.00816.x. ISSN   1475-4983.
  30. ↑ Sweetman, Steven; Gardner, James (1 June 2013). "A new albanerpetontid amphibian from the Early Cretaceous (Barremian) Wessex Formation of the Isle of Wight, southern England". Acta Palaeontologica Polonica. 58 (2): 295–324. doi: 10.4202/app.2011.0109 . ISSN   0567-7920.
  31. ↑ Sweetman, Steven C.; Goedert, Jean; Martill, David M. (1 November 2014). "A preliminary account of the fishes of the Lower Cretaceous Wessex Formation (Wealden Group, Barremian) of the Isle of Wight, southern England". Biological Journal of the Linnean Society. 113 (3): 872–896. doi:10.1111/bij.12369. ISSN   0024-4066.
  32. ↑ Baranov, Viktor; Giłka, Wojciech; Zakrzewska, Marta; Jarzembowski, Edmund (1 March 2019). "New non-biting midges (Diptera: Chironomidae) from Lower Cretaceous Wealden amber of the Isle of Wight (UK)" . Cretaceous Research. 95: 138–145. Bibcode:2019CrRes..95..138B. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2018.11.012. ISSN   0195-6671.
  33. ↑ Perkovsky, Evgeny E.; Olmi, Massimo; Müller, Patrick; Guglielmino, Adalgisa; Jarzembowski, Edmund A.; Capradossi, Leonardo; Rasnitsyn, Alexandr P. (1 May 2021). "A review of the fossil Embolemidae (Hymenoptera: Chrysidoidea), with description of seven new species and history of the family" . Cretaceous Research. 121 104708. Bibcode:2021CrRes.12104708P. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2020.104708. ISSN   0195-6671.
  34. ↑ Selden, Paul A. (2002). "First British Mesozoic Spider, From Cretaceous Amber Of The Isle Of Wight, Southern England". Palaeontology. 45 (5): 973–983. Bibcode:2002Palgy..45..973S. doi:10.1111/1475-4983.00271. hdl: 1808/8357 . ISSN   1475-4983.
  35. ↑ Penn, Simon J.; Sweetman, Steven C. (1 March 2023). "Microvertebrate-rich gutter casts from the basal Wessex Formation (Wealden Group, Lower Cretaceous) of Dungy Head, Dorset: Insights into the palaeoecology and palaeoenvironment of a non-marine wetland" . Cretaceous Research. 143 105397. Bibcode:2023CrRes.14305397P. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2022.105397. ISSN   0195-6671.
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