Cretaceous Research最新文献

{"title":"Hybodont shark remains from Campanian (Upper Cretaceous) continental deposits of southern France","authors":"Xavier Valentin ,&nbsp;Romain Vullo ,&nbsp;Gilles Cuny ,&nbsp;Olivier Jansen ,&nbsp;Géraldine Garcia","doi":"10.1016/j.cretres.2025.106205","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cretres.2025.106205","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The hybodont shark (Elasmobranchii, Hybodontiformes) material from the Campanian of two non-marine localities in southern France are described. Some teeth and a dorsal fin spine from the upper Campanian of Velaux are assigned to the genus <em>Meristodonoides</em> (Hybodontidae), whereas a single tooth from the lower Campanian of Villeveyrac is referred to <em>Parvodus</em> (Lonchidiidae), a genus hitherto unknown in the Upper Cretaceous. Among the latest Cretaceous continental ichthyofaunas of the European archipelago, hybodont sharks may have been minor relictual components with spatially restricted distributions, as suggested by their scarcity in the fossil assemblages from France and Romania combined with their apparent absence in other areas (Iberian Peninsula, Hungary).</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55207,"journal":{"name":"Cretaceous Research","volume":"177 ","pages":"Article 106205"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-07-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144779563","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Sea-level and paleoenvironmental changes revealed by benthic foraminifera across Oceanic Anoxic Event 2 (OAE 2) at Eastbourne (SE England)","authors":"Giulia Amaglio ,&nbsp;Maria Rose Petrizzo ,&nbsp;Francesca Falzoni ,&nbsp;Ann Holbourn ,&nbsp;Wolfgang Kuhnt","doi":"10.1016/j.cretres.2025.106204","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cretres.2025.106204","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Cenomanian–Turonian Oceanic Anoxic Event 2 (OAE 2) severely disrupted the global carbon cycle with widespread deposition of organic-rich marine sediments, resulting in a positive carbon isotope excursion. The Eastbourne section in southeastern England offers extensive benthic and planktonic foraminiferal data, revealing four distinct paleoenvironmental intervals across OAE 2.</div><div>The Grey Chalk interval below OAE 2, which is characterized by the highest species diversity of benthic foraminifera, represents outer neritic-upper bathyal paleodepths, oxygenated environments and low organic fluxes at the seafloor. Deep- and thermocline-dwelling planktonic foraminifera suggest meso-oligotrophic regimes with a well-stratified water column.</div><div>The onset of OAE 2 in Bed 1a of the Plenus Marl is marked by a sea-level fall supported by the maximum peak in abundance of shallow water agglutinated foraminifera (<em>Ataxophragmium depressum, Arenobulimina, Plectina cenomana</em>) and by the disappearance of bathyal taxa (e.g., <em>Tristix excavata</em>, <em>Kalamopsis grzybowsky</em>).</div><div>In Bed 1b of the Plenus Marl, corresponding to the onset of the Plenus Cold Event, <em>Eggerellina</em>, <em>Gaudryina</em>, and <em>Textularia</em> replace shallow agglutinated taxa indicating a transgressive phase. This assemblage also coincides with the occurrence of Boreal planktonic foraminifera that suggests the incursion of Boreal waters into the Anglo-Paris Basin.</div><div>The White Chalk, in the upper part and the interval above OAE 2, is interpreted as a Transgressive and Highstand Systems Tract with a change in the benthic foraminiferal assemblage towards the dominance of <em>Marssonella</em>, <em>Gavelinella</em>, <em>Lingulogavelinella</em> and <em>Tritaxia</em> with warmer and more mesotrophic waters recorded by the dominance of Tethyan planktonic foraminifera.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55207,"journal":{"name":"Cretaceous Research","volume":"177 ","pages":"Article 106204"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-07-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144810471","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Astrochronology of the terrestrial mid-Cretaceous Quantou and Denglouku formations in the SK-3 borehole from the Songliao Basin, Northeastern China","authors":"Shan Li ,&nbsp;Huaichun Wu ,&nbsp;Qiang Fang ,&nbsp;Runjian Chu ,&nbsp;Meinan Shi ,&nbsp;Guang Yang ,&nbsp;Yuan Gao ,&nbsp;Xiaojuan Ma ,&nbsp;Youfeng Gao ,&nbsp;Chengshan Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.cretres.2025.106201","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cretres.2025.106201","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The continental scientific drilling borehole Songke 3 (SK-3) in the Songliao Basin, Northeastern China, recovers a continuous mid-Cretaceous stratigraphic record which offers a unique opportunity to study terrestrial climate and environmental change. In this study, high-resolution gamma-ray (GR) data were utilized as a paleoclimate proxy to conduct the cyclostratigraphic analysis of the Quantou Formation (K₂q) and Denglouku Formation (K₂d) within the SK-3 borehole. The cyclic variations in GR values, which reflect fluctuating clay influxes, document Cretaceous Milankovitch cycles including the 405-kyr long eccentricity, ∼100-kyr short eccentricity, ∼38-kyr obliquity, and ∼20-kyr precession cycles. Astronomical tuning of GR data series to the 405-kyr and 100-kyr eccentricity cycles yields an 8.89 ± 0.32 Myr duration for the K₂d² to K₂q interval at SK-3. Based on the age of 91.81 ± 0.22 Ma at the boundary of Qingshankou (K₂qn) and K₂q formations derived from Songke 1 south borehole (SK-1s), our newly constructed astronomical time scale (ATS) suggests that the Turonian/Cenomanian and Cenomanian/Albian boundaries are at the depth ∼1055.5 m within the mid-K₂q³ and ∼2350 m within the lower K₂d², respectively. Our study also indicates the complex processes of the sedimentary system in response to the Milankovitch cycles. The eccentricity cycles are more effectively preserved in the lacustrine-deltaic facies. In contrast, both obliquity and precession cycles exhibit better preservation in the meandering river and braided river facies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55207,"journal":{"name":"Cretaceous Research","volume":"177 ","pages":"Article 106201"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-07-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144757660","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Multi-proxy provenance study of sandstones from the northern Bohemian Cretaceous Basin (Germany, Czechia) focused on tourmaline, rutile and garnet","authors":"Andreas Gärtner ,&nbsp;Birgit Niebuhr ,&nbsp;H. Tim Breitfeld ,&nbsp;Delia Rösel ,&nbsp;Marlene C. Schulze ,&nbsp;Markus Wilmsen","doi":"10.1016/j.cretres.2025.106203","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cretres.2025.106203","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Kreibitz-Zittau area (northern margin of the Bohemian Massif, Czech-German border region) exposes a ∼1000-m-thick Cenomanian–middle Coniacian succession of quartz arenites with high compositional but low textural maturity. Translucent heavy minerals are almost exclusively composed of zircon, tourmaline and rutile (Ø-ZTR maturity index of 91) with tourmaline predominating (average of 60 %). Zr-in-rutile temperatures document upper amphibolite-eclogite to granulite facies between 700 and 930 °C. Cr/Nb discrimination of rutile and geochemistry of tourmaline indicate that &gt;95 % of these grains originate from Al-rich and Fe–Mg-poor metapelites. U–Pb-ages of detrital rutile show a distinct peak at 320–330 Ma. If present, garnets of the almandine–pyrope series are dominant. The 95 % predominance of Variscan U–Pb rutile ages in all samples and the high/ultrahigh temperatures of metamorphism exclude the Neoproterozoic greywackes and granitoids of the Lusatian Massif and the granitoids of the Jizera–Krkonoše Massif in the northeast as sources. Potential proto source rocks were high-grade metamorphic rocks similar to those today exposed within the gneissic-migmatitic Góry Sowie Massif, ca. 120 km east of the depositional area. Since the late Devonian, this massif was uplifted, reaching the surface in late Carboniferous times. Consequently, the widespread Permo–Carboniferous Variscan molasse is the major sediment source for the Cretaceous sandstones, which thus were deposited during at least their 2nd sedimentary cycle. The study shows that integrated approaches combining careful petrography, heavy mineral analyses, mineral-specific geochemistry and thermometry as well as U–Pb age dating with high-resolution stratigraphy are suited to solve complex provenance puzzles.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55207,"journal":{"name":"Cretaceous Research","volume":"177 ","pages":"Article 106203"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-07-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144722251","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Review and chronostratigraphic calibration of the Barremian–lower Aptian ostracod and pollen/spores biozonations of South Atlantic rift lacustrine formations (Gabon, Congo, Angola): impact on West African-Northeast Brazilian basin correlations","authors":"Nicoletta Buratti ,&nbsp;Gérard Dupont","doi":"10.1016/j.cretres.2025.106202","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cretres.2025.106202","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Geological syntheses conducted over the last ten years by TotalEnergies on South Atlantic rift basins have led to a reappraisal of the taxonomy and stratigraphy of lacustrine ostracods and terrestrial palynomorphs (spores, pollen) from the Barremian–lower Aptian of West Africa. The results of this revision, based on the acquisition and reinterpretation of data from 55 wells located in North Gabon, South Gabon, Congo and southern Angola-Kwanza basins, are summarized in this publication. The original ostracod and palynological stratigraphic charts have been significantly enhanced. For ostracods, five new zones and fifteen new subzones have been defined, completing the zonation. The taxonomic composition of the assemblages from the six former palynological zones has been clarified, and seven subzones have been described for the first time. Correlations between ostracod and spore-pollen zones of the West African margin, derived from the integration of Gabon and Congo data, have been established from bioevents now considered synchronous at rift basin scale. Their chronostratigraphic calibration, based on the latest International Chronostratigraphic Chart, is improved, supported by radiometric and isotopic data from Northeastern Brazil and the occurrence of distinctive palynomorphs, used as an indirect tool for extra-regional correlation. The present zonal scheme reveals remarkable correspondence between the distribution of ostracods and microfloras on both sides of the rift and reconciles the stratigraphic nomenclature used for the Barremian–lower Aptian in West Africa and Northeastern Brazil. This provides robust correlations between sedimentary formations of basins of the two conjugate margins, especially Recôncavo <em>versus</em> Gabon Interior Basin and South Gabon, Sergipe <em>versus</em> North Gabon, and in the south, Campos <em>versus</em> Kwanza.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55207,"journal":{"name":"Cretaceous Research","volume":"177 ","pages":"Article 106202"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-07-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144704728","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Detrital zircon provenance of the Lower Cretaceous Shahezi Formation in the Songliao Basin, Northeast China: Insights from LA-ICP-MS U-Pb geochronology","authors":"Xin Gao ,&nbsp;Tiegang Li","doi":"10.1016/j.cretres.2025.106200","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cretres.2025.106200","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Songliao Basin, located in northeastern China, is one of the largest continental rift basins in East Asia. It preserves a nearly complete record of Cretaceous continental sedimentary records, providing insights into paleoclimatic, geodynamical, and tectonic processes in terrestrial systems during the Cretaceous Period. The Lower Cretaceous Shahezi Formation, deposited during the syn-rift stage of the Songliao Basin, consists of thick sequences of terrestrial clastic sediments. However, the provenance of the sediments and tectonic background during the deposition of the Shahezi Formation remain poorly understood. This study utilises U–Pb geochronology of detrital zircons from six sandstone samples collected from the Shahezi Formation as part of the International Continental Drilling Project SK-2 borehole in the Songliao Basin. The zircon age distributions reveal three dominant age clusters: ∼128–113 Ma, ∼184–159 Ma, and ∼247–216 Ma, indicating that the primary sediment source remained stable throughout deposition. These results suggest that the northern Great Xing’an Range was a significant sediment source, contributing to the Shahezi Formation at approximately 118–113 Ma.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55207,"journal":{"name":"Cretaceous Research","volume":"176 ","pages":"Article 106200"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-07-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144633064","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The last non-avian theropods of Europe: Palaeoecology and biogeography inferred from dental records from the uppermost Maastrichtian of Catalonia, Spain","authors":"Oscar Castillo-Visa ,&nbsp;Mattia Antonio Baiano ,&nbsp;Stephen L. Brusatte ,&nbsp;Àngel Galobart ,&nbsp;Bernat Vila","doi":"10.1016/j.cretres.2025.106199","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cretres.2025.106199","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Non-avian theropods were essential components of terrestrial ecosystems during the Mesozoic, were highly diverse in size and lifestyles across different regions of the planet. Here we assess the composition and diversity of the theropod fauna of the Ibero-Armorican island (the ancient region that encompassed present-day areas of Spain, Portugal, and France) during the final few hundred thousand years of the Cretaceous, by reviewing the theropod teeth assemblage from the locality of Molí del Baró-1 (upper Maastrichtian, C29r, Catalonia, Spain). Our study indicates a diverse fauna of small non-avian theropods with different feeding strategies and ecological niches. The tooth assemblage is significantly more diverse than previously thought and includes dental elements referred to dromaeosaurines, velociraptorines, troodontids, and an undetermined Dromaeosauridae tooth with similarities to microraptorines, as well as previously-referred teeth of cf. ?<em>Richardoestesia</em> and aff. <em>Paronychodon</em>. Microwear analysis reveals diverse feeding styles among these theropods, and particularly indicates that the troodontid had an omnivorous diet heavy in plant consumption. The assemblage of small-sized non-avian theropods and medium-to large-sized abelisaurids from the uppermost Maastrichtian of Ibero-Armorica differs from others from the European archipelago and worldwide, illustrating the high regional variability of theropod faunas around the time the asteroid impact ended the Cretaceous.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55207,"journal":{"name":"Cretaceous Research","volume":"176 ","pages":"Article 106199"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-07-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144670733","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The earliest parasitoid beetle (Tenebrionoidea: Ripiphoridae) and an overview of Coleoptera from the Lower Cretaceous Crato formation","authors":"Jan Batelka ,&nbsp;Rolf G. Beutel ,&nbsp;Gabriel Biffi ,&nbsp;Anderson Lepeco","doi":"10.1016/j.cretres.2025.106198","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cretres.2025.106198","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>A fossil beetle species from the Lower Cretaceous Crato Formation of northeastern Brazil is described. <strong>†<em>Cratovorus archaicus</em> gen. nov. et sp. nov.</strong> is assigned with confidence to the subfamily Ripidiinae, tribe Ripidiini, of the highly specialized tenebrionoid Ripiphoridae. It is the earliest known fossil of this family at present, and also the first described Mesozoic species of Tenebrionoidea from the Southern Hemisphere. Its specialized morphology is similar to extant males of Ripidiini and it shares several apomorphies with this tribe, which strongly suggests that <strong>†<em>Cratovorus archaicus</em> gen. nov. et sp. nov.</strong> had already parasitic larvae. It is also similar to some other Cretaceous genera of the family, which were likely associated with an extant lineage of Blattodea also found in the deposit. Endoparasitic development as implied by the placement in Ripidiinae makes this the earliest record of parasitoidism in Coleoptera. An annotated list of Coleoptera described from Crato Formation and those mentioned from this deposit as <em>nomina nuda</em> is provided. The importance of beetle species from Crato Formation for understanding the evolution of the represented lineages is discussed.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55207,"journal":{"name":"Cretaceous Research","volume":"176 ","pages":"Article 106198"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144588676","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Taphonomic patterns in lower cretaceous fish assemblages: Evidence from the Sergipe-Alagoas Basin, Brazil","authors":"Valéria Gallo ,&nbsp;Rafaela Petra ,&nbsp;Hanna Carolina Lins de Paiva ,&nbsp;Francisco J. de Figueiredo ,&nbsp;Hermínio Ismael de Araújo-Júnior","doi":"10.1016/j.cretres.2025.106195","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cretres.2025.106195","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Taphonomic processes affecting vertebrate remains vary across environments, resulting in preservation patterns typical of different physical settings. Fish taphonomy, in particular, provides valuable insights into limnology, community composition, life history, mortality, depositional conditions, and preservation mechanisms. However, most taphonomic studies on fossil fish have focused on lacustrine deposits, leaving marine deposits comparatively underexplored. Research on marine settings often emphasizes mortality causes, such as abrupt temperature changes, cold shocks, hypothermia, and low dissolved oxygen levels. The paleoichthyofauna of the Morro do Chaves Formation (MCF) is generally regarded as diverse, abundant, and well-preserved. Despite this, most previous studies have emphasized taxonomy and systematics, with limited focus on paleoecological and taphonomic aspects. This study addresses this gap through a comprehensive taphonomic analysis of the MCF fish assemblage, integrating the latest paleobiological, sedimentological and stratigraphic data. Qualitative and quantitative analyzes from 133 specimens revealed four distinct taphofacies distributed throughout the formation. The MCF represents a seasonal lacustrine paleoenvironment, as indicated by cyclic deposits of coquinas, shales, and sandstones, along with sedimentary structures such as mud cracks. Two distinct paleoenvironmental interpretations emerge for the MCF: the Sergipe portion represents the paleolake border, while the Alagoas portion corresponds to the more distal portion of the paleolake. The occurrence of fish remains spanning various ontogenetic stages, along with bioclasts aligned parallel to bedding planes, indicates minimal reworking, short transport distances, and non-selective mortality events. Furthermore, the presence of marine taxa in MCF indicates sporadic yet intense marine incursions in the northern Sergipe-Alagoas Basin during the Early Cretaceous.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55207,"journal":{"name":"Cretaceous Research","volume":"176 ","pages":"Article 106195"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144580689","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Crocodyliform remains from the Upper Cretaceous (Turonian) Tamagawa Formation, northeastern Japan with preliminary dietary reconstruction through dental microwear texture analysis","authors":"Kubo Tai ,&nbsp;Kodai Usami ,&nbsp;Ren Hirayama ,&nbsp;Masaya Iijima ,&nbsp;Daniela E. Winkler ,&nbsp;Ai Ito ,&nbsp;Hikaru Uno ,&nbsp;Shinya Miyata ,&nbsp;Mugino O. Kubo","doi":"10.1016/j.cretres.2025.106197","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cretres.2025.106197","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Here we describe recently recovered crocodyliform remains from the Tamagawa Formation of Kuji Group, Kuji city, northeastern Japan. The material comprises osteoderms, vertebrae, a frontal bone, and isolated teeth. The dorsal paravertebral osteoderms bear a sagittal keel on the posterior half of the element, extending to its caudal margin, which indicates the presence of paralligatorids within the Kuji crocodyliform assemblage. Further, the Kuji crocodyliform assemblage may have consisted of multiple taxa, as the frontal bone lacks the sagittal keel characteristic of paralligatorids. Contemporaneous paralligatorids have been reported from Northeastern China, Mongolia, and Uzbekistan. The discovery of a potential paralligatorid from Kuji, Japan, suggests that paralligatorids were widely distributed across Asia, from coastal to inland regions, during the Late Cretaceous. Furthermore, potential diets of taxa included in the crocodyliform assemblage from Kuji were estimated through dental microwear texture analysis. The dental microwear texture observed in Kuji specimens is distinct from that of piscivorous and small crocodylians (skull length &lt;20 cm), while comparable to that of large crocodylians consuming hard-objects (skull length &gt;20 cm). Considering the existence of a medium-sized species (3 m total length) in the crocodyliform assemblage from Kuji, their diet probably included mid to large sized tetrapods, such as turtles and dinosaurs.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55207,"journal":{"name":"Cretaceous Research","volume":"176 ","pages":"Article 106197"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144605456","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}