New latest Cretaceous microvertebrate fossil assemblages from the Hateg Basin (Romania)

摘要

Late Cretaceous terrestrial ecosystems in southernEurope are relatively poorly known, although much progress hasbeen made during the past decade, principally with regard to themicrovertebrate components of these ecosystems. TheMaastrichtian terrestrial deposits of the Hateg Basin, at theeasternmost end of the South European archipelago and wellknown for reptilian fossils (e.g., turtles, crocodilians, pterosaursand dinosaurs), have been thoroughly screened during the pastfive years. Important microvertebrate assemblages, bothquantitatively and qualitatively speaking, were found at Pui(Sinpetru Formation), Tustea and, particularly, Valioara (Densus-Ciula Formation). Several new taxa are noted here for the firsttime for the Hateg Basin, including gars, discoglossids,albanerpetontids, scincomorphan and anguimorphan lizards;dromaeosaurids and multituberculates are confirmed. Most of themicrovertebrate remains are poorly preserved and precisesystematic assignment has proved difficult. The Hateg faunaappears to be primitive and endemic, with a Neopangean corecomposition, and suggests a composite palaeobiogeographicorigin for the Late Cretaceous European ecosystems, confirmingconclusions reached in studies of the larger vertebrates.