Publication Date:
2024-01-12
Description:
Mosasaurs (Squamata, Mosasauridae) were large aquatic reptiles from the Late Cretaceous that filled
\na range of ecological niches within marine ecosystems. The type-Maastrichtian strata (68\xe2\x80\x9366 Ma)
\nof the Netherlands and Belgium preserve remains of five species that seemed to have performed
\ndifferent ecological roles (carnivores, piscivores, durophages). However, many interpretations of
\nmosasaur diet and niche partitioning are based on qualitative types of evidence that are difficult
\nto test explicitly. Here, we apply three-dimensional dental microwear texture analysis (DMTA) to
\nprovide quantitative dietary constraints for type-Maastrichtian mosasaurs, and to assess levels of
\nniche partitioning between taxa. DMTA indicates that these mosasaurs did not exhibit neatly defined
\ndiets or strict dietary partitioning. Instead, we identify three broad groups: (i) mosasaurs Carinodens
\nbelgicus and Plioplatecarpus marshi plotting in the space of modern reptiles that are predominantly
\npiscivorous and/or consume harder invertebrate prey, (ii) Prognathodon saturator and Prognathodon
\nsectorius overlapping with extant reptiles that consume larger amounts of softer invertebrate prey
\nitems, and (iii) Mosasaurus hoffmanni spanning a larger plot area in terms of dietary constraints. The
\nclear divide between the aforementioned first two groups in texture-dietary space indicates that,
\ndespite our small sample sizes, this method shows the potential of DMTA to test hypotheses and
\nprovide quantitative constraints on mosasaur diets and ecological roles.
Repository Name:
National Museum of Natural History, Netherlands
Type:
info:eu-repo/semantics/article
Format:
application/pdf
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