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2023
Journal article
Reappraisal of the thalattosuchian crocodylomorph record from the Middle-Upper Jurassic Rosso Ammonitico Veronese of northeastern Italy: Age calibration, new specimens and taphonomic biases
Despite their extremely rare and fragmentary record, aquatic crocodylomorphs from the Middle to Upper Jurassic (Bajocian-Tithonian) Rosso Ammonitico Veronese (RAV) of northeastern Italy have sparked interest since the late 18th century. Among marine reptiles, Thalattosuchia is by far one of the best represented groups from the RAV units, especially in...Serafini, Giovanni ; Foffa, Davide ; Young, Mark T ; Friso, Giacomo ; Cobianchi, Miriam …
Taxonomy , Skull , Jurassic period , Limestone, Vertebrae, Teeth, Dentition , and Taphonomy
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2023
Journal article
Can modern technology uncover the secrets of evolution?
A mysterious group of fossils called the Elgin Reptiles has been puzzling scientists for centuries. Existing only as cavities hidden within rocks, these fossils could help scientists unravel the mysteries of evolution. Thanks to modern technologies, Dr Davide Foffa, a research associate at National Museums Scotland, and his colleagues have...Foffa, Davide
Palaeoecology, lagerpetids, Vertebrate Palaeontology, μCT scanning , Elgin Reptiles, Scleromochlus , and Palaeobiology
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2023
Journal article
New specimen and redescription of Anisodontosaurus greeri (Moenkopi Formation: Middle Triassic) and the spatiotemporal origins of Trilophosauridae
Anisodontosaurus greeri is an enigmatic small-bodied tetrapod with a heterodont dentition from the Holbrook Member of the Moenkopi Formation (Middle Triassic) of Arizona (U.S.A.). The evolutionary relationships of this taxon have long been debated and remain uncertain. Using micro-computed tomography (µCT) scans we redescribe the holotype of Anisodontosaurus greeri (UCMP...Foffa, Davide ; Nesbitt, Sterling J ; Kligman, Ben T ; Butler, Richard J ; Stocker, Michelle R
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2022
Journal article
Tough to digest: first record of Teleosauroidea (Thalattosuchia) in a regurgitalite from the Upper Jurassic of north‐eastern Italy
Postcranial remains of a small teleosauroid from the Upper Jurassic of north-eastern Italy are described in detail. The specimen, discovered in 1980 on a slab of Rosso Ammonitico Veronese (RAV Fm.; Bajocian–Tithonian), is represented by partially articulated thoracic, sacral and anterior caudal vertebrae, fractured and displaced osteoderms and pelvic girdle...Serafini, Giovanni ; Gordon, Caleb M ; Foffa, Davide ; Cobianchi, Miriam ; Giusberti, Luca
Rosso Ammonitico Veronese, SEM-EDS analysis , regurgitalite, Aeolodontinae , and Upper Jurassic
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2022
Journal article
The ecological diversification and evolution of Teleosauroidea (Crocodylomorpha, Thalattosuchia), with insights into their mandibular biomechanics
Throughout the Jurassic, a plethora of marine reptiles dominated ocean waters, including ichthyosaurs, plesiosaurs and thalattosuchian crocodylomorphs. These Jurassic ecosystems were characterized by high niche partitioning and spatial variation in dietary ecology. However, while the ecological diversity of many marine reptile lineages is well known, the overall ecological diversification of...Johnson, Michela M ; Foffa, Davide ; Young, Mark T ; Brusatte, Stephen L
Jurassic ecosystems , thalattosuchian crocodylomorphs, and Teleosauroidea
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2022
Journal article
Ecological signal in the size and shape of marine amniote teeth
Amniotes have been a major component of marine trophic chains from the beginning of the Triassic to present day, with hundreds of species. However, inferences of their (palaeo)ecology have mostly been qualitative, making it difficult to track how dietary niches have changed through time and across clades. Here, we tackle...Fischer, Valentin ; Bennion, Rebecca F ; Foffa, Davide ; MacLaren, Jamie A ; McCurry, Matthew R …
palaeoecology, feeding guilds, high-density morphometricss, Cetacea, and marine reptile
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2022
Journal article
Scleromochlus and the early evolution of Pterosauromorpha
Pterosaurs, the first vertebrates to evolve powered flight, were key components of Mesozoic terrestrial ecosystems from their sudden appearance in the Late Triassic until their demise at the end of the Cretaceous1,2,3,4,5,6. However, the origin and early evolution of pterosaurs are poorly understood owing to a substantial stratigraphic and morphological...Foffa, Davide ; Dunne, Emma M ; Nesbitt, Sterling J ; Butler, Richard J ; Fraser, Nicholas C …
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2021
Journal article
Cutting the Gordian knot: A historical and taxonomic revision of the Jurassic crocodylomorph Metriorhynchus
Metriorhynchidae was a clade of extinct crocodylomorphs that adapted to a pelagic lifestyle, becoming a key component of Mesozoic lagoonal and coastal marine ecosystems. The type genus Metriorhynchus is one of the best-known genera of Mesozoic crocodylomorphs, and since the mid-19th century, the ‘concept’ of Metriorhynchus has become associated with the referred species Me. superciliosus. Historically Metriorhynchus has...Young, Mark T ; Brignon, Arnaud ; Sachs, Sven ; Hornung, Jahn J ; Foffa, Davide …
Taxonomy, Crocodylomorpha, Metriorhynchidae, and Thalattosuchia
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2020
Journal article
First dinosaur from the Isle of Eigg (Valtos Sandstone Formation, Middle Jurassic), Scotland
Dinosaur body fossil material is rare in Scotland, previously known almost exclusively from the Great Estuarine Group on the Isle of Skye. We report the first unequivocal dinosaur fossil from the Isle of Eigg, belonging to a Bathonian (Middle Jurassic) taxon of uncertain affinity. The limb bone NMS G.2020.10.1 is...Panciroli, Elsa ; Funston, Gregory F ; Holwerda, Femke ; Maidment, Susannah C R ; Foffa, Davide …
Theropoda, histology, Bathonian , Sauropoda, Great Estuarine Group, and Thyreophora
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2015
Journal article
New specimen and revision of the late Jurassic teleosaurid 'Steneosaurus’ megarhinus.
Teleosaurids were a successful group of semi-aquatic crocodylomorphs that were an abundant part of coastal marine/lagoonal faunas during the Jurassic. Their fossil record suggests that the group declined in diversity and abundance during the Late Jurassic. 'Steneosaurus’ megarhinus (Hulke, 1871) from the Kimmeridge Clay Formation is a little known gracile...Foffa, Davide ; Young, Mark T ; Brusatte, Stephen L ; Steel, Lorna