Cretaceous Research最新文献

{"title":"A large lamniform shark from the Aptian of Villa de Leiva (Boyacá, Colombia), based on the first Lower Cretaceous shark specimen preserving both teeth and vertebrae","authors":"Cristian D. Benavides-Cabra ,&nbsp;María E. Páramo-Fonseca ,&nbsp;José A. Narváez-Rincón ,&nbsp;Daniel E. Pomar","doi":"10.1016/j.cretres.2025.106211","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cretres.2025.106211","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>We describe a new specimen of a lamniform shark from the upper Aptian of the Arcillolitas abigarradas Member of the Paja Formation of Villa de Leiva (Colombia). It represents the first lamniform shark specimen from the Lower Cretaceous with both teeth and vertebrae preserved. The specimen consists of several disarticulated but well-preserved teeth and well-preserved partially articulated vertebral centra, denticles and soft tissues. We refer the specimen to <em>Protolamna ricaurtei</em>, a species recently erected from a specimen found in the same formation. It is a lamniform shark characterized by proportionally small tearing-type teeth with small triangular main cusp, two pairs of small triangular lateral cusplets, and massive bilobated roots. The specimen represents a mature individual to be 6.65 m in total length, making it the oldest record of a gigantic lamniform. This specimen is the first evidence that not all macrophagous lamniforms follow the linear function relating crown height to total body length. Our taphonomic analysis indicates that the specimen must have rapidly reached an anoxic bottom, with low benthic activity, gentle currents, and with microbial mats that facilitated the rapid phosphatization of the soft tissues. Based on the preserved anatomy, we propose that <em>Protolamna ricaurtei</em> was a relatively slow but active swimmer feeding in tropical near-shore areas over small preys such as bony fishes, small sharks, squids, and crustaceans.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55207,"journal":{"name":"Cretaceous Research","volume":"178 ","pages":"Article 106211"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145057344","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":"Diagenetic characterization of crocodyliform fossils from the Adamantina Formation (Upper Cretaceous, Bauru Group): Evaluating the chemical alteration of skeletal tissues through a multi-technique approach","authors":"Fellipe P. Muniz ,&nbsp;Annie Schmaltz Hsiou ,&nbsp;Fabio Dias de Andrade ,&nbsp;Gabriel Ladeira Osés ,&nbsp;Márcia A. Rizzutto ,&nbsp;Mírian Liza Alves Forancelli Pacheco","doi":"10.1016/j.cretres.2025.106248","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cretres.2025.106248","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Adamantina Formation hosts one of the most well-documented Late Cretaceous continental faunas in South America, with crocodyliforms standing out for their unusual richness and ecomorphological diversity. While their taxonomy and anatomy have been widely studied, the understanding of their fossilization processes has been largely overlooked. Here, we apply a multi-technique approach to analyze diagenetic alterations of the skeletal elements of crocodyliforms from the Adamantina Formation, combining information from energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence, scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, micro-Raman spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction. Our results indicate significant structural and compositional changes, including loss of the organic matrix, void permineralization, ionic substitutions, and recrystallization. Although organic molecules were not unambiguously detected, some Raman spectra exhibited bands in the 1000–1800 cm⁻¹ range that resemble signals previously linked to organic compounds, but which may instead result from fluorescence induced by rare earth elements. Void-filling minerals reflect the prevailing influence of both alkaline (e.g., calcite, relict siderite) and oxidizing (iron oxyhydroxides) pore waters. All samples showed transformation of the original bioapatite into carbonated fluorapatite, highlighting the importance of the precipitation of a more thermodynamically stable phase for the long-term survival of skeletal remains. Raman spectroscopy further revealed differences in fossil apatite preservation among samples, with some showing less alteration and potentially storing original chemical information. The combination of techniques used in this study allowed a comprehensive assessment of the mode and degree of diagenetic alteration of crocodyliform remains, which might be useful when selecting samples for molecular or isotopic studies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55207,"journal":{"name":"Cretaceous Research","volume":"179 ","pages":"Article 106248"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145418132","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":"Paleoclimate variation during the Cretaceous revealed by geochemical and mineralogical analyses from continental sediments in northern Vietnam","authors":"Pham Thi Nga ,&nbsp;Taro Higuchi ,&nbsp;Kentaro Oe ,&nbsp;Nguyen Quoc Dinh ,&nbsp;Rajat Mazumder ,&nbsp;Tohru Ohta","doi":"10.1016/j.cretres.2025.106246","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cretres.2025.106246","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Severe aridification has been recognized in low-latitude areas of Southeast Asia during the mid-Cretaceous; however, previous studies mainly focused on continental interior basins. Here, we investigate Cretaceous continental sediments from northern Vietnam, located in the Southeast Asian continental margin, where a precise study has not been conducted. The geochemical and mineralogical characteristics of mudstones collected from the Ban Hang and Yen Chau formations revealed fluctuations in climate conditions in northern Vietnam, including a slight humidification from the Early to mid-Cretaceous and aridification in the Late Cretaceous. Northern Vietnam is considered to have experienced a temperate semi-arid climate in the Early Cretaceous but shifted to a hot and sub-humid environment in the mid-Cretaceous and then returned to arid conditions in the late Period. The results indicate that the coastal area of Southeast Asia was more humid than the inland due to its proximity to the proto-Pacific Ocean. We also detected an increase in humidity in the coastal area during the mid-Cretaceous, contrasting with the inland regions where extreme aridification progressed. This contrasting paleoclimate regime was probably established by the isolation of coastal and inland areas by the tectonic re-configuration of the Southeast Asian continent. During the Cretaceous, closure of the Meso-Tethys Ocean and collisional tectonics generated a coastal mountain range, which caused the orogenic rain-shadow effects, i.e., increased precipitation in the coastal area and intensified desertification in the inland area. The present contribution indicates that the Cretaceous paleoclimate conditions in Southeast Asia were primarily constrained by the regional geographical background rather than the global climate system.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55207,"journal":{"name":"Cretaceous Research","volume":"179 ","pages":"Article 106246"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145242355","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":"A new amber Lagerstätte from the Lower Cretaceous of Japan","authors":"Aya Kubota ,&nbsp;Ryo Taniguchi ,&nbsp;Yoshinori Hikida ,&nbsp;Yasuhiro Iba","doi":"10.1016/j.cretres.2025.106236","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cretres.2025.106236","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>During the Early Cretaceous, terrestrial ecosystems underwent a critical transition driven by the emergence and diversification of angiosperms. Amber-rich deposits from this period are crucial for understanding the diversity, interactions, and evolution of terrestrial biota. However, their occurrences are limited both geographically and stratigraphically. Here, we report a new amber Lagerstätte from the upper Aptian (116–114 Ma) in northern Hokkaido, Japan. The abundant amber occurs within deep-sea deposits and is rich in bio-inclusions: arthropods (hymenopterans, mites), fungi, and plant remains (tracheids, stellate hairs, pollen grains), with submicron-scale morphological details. This is the first report of fossiliferous amber-rich deposits from the Aptian in Asia. It is also recognized as one of the older amber-rich localities with bio-inclusions following those in northeastern Italy (Carnian, Upper Triassic), the Levantine area (Tithonian, Upper Jurassic; Barremian), Austria (Hauterivian), the United Kingdom (lower Barremian), and southern Congo (upper Aptian). This finding fills a paleobiogeographical gap in fossil record and provides anatomical and ecological insights into a critical interval marked by the rise of modern-type forest ecosystems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55207,"journal":{"name":"Cretaceous Research","volume":"178 ","pages":"Article 106236"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145159475","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":"Early Cretaceous freshwater bivalves from northeastern Brazil: Insights into the evolutionary history of South American freshwater mussels","authors":"Victor R. Silva ,&nbsp;Vitor B. Guerrini ,&nbsp;Filipe G. Varejão ,&nbsp;Rafael C. Silva ,&nbsp;Katie Collins ,&nbsp;Ismar S. Carvalho ,&nbsp;Simon Schneider ,&nbsp;Marcello G. Simões","doi":"10.1016/j.cretres.2025.106212","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cretres.2025.106212","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>We revise and describe the Early Cretaceous (Berriasian to Albian) freshwater bivalves from northeastern Brazil, including representatives of Unionida, Trigoniida, and potentially Sphaeriida. Three genera previously thought to be endemic to the Aptian to Albian Crato and Romualdo formations, Araripe Basin, Ceará State, i.e. <em>Cratonaia</em>, <em>Araripenaia</em>, and <em>Monginellopsis</em>, are now recorded from other interior basins. The Berriasian to Barremian Mont Serrat Conglomerate (Salvador Formation) of the Recôncavo Basin, Bahia State, hosts a diverse Unionida-dominated fauna, including <em>Mycetopoda</em>, <em>Anodontites</em>?, <em>Cratonaia</em>, and potentially also hyriids. Specimens tentatively assigned to the neomiodontid <em>Musculiopsis</em> also occur. This fauna has mixed Gondwanan and Laurasian affinities and likely thrived in ephemeral streams and/or floodplain lakes. <em>Araripenaia</em> is recorded from the Aptian Marizal Formation of the Tucano Basin. Supposed representatives of <em>Sphaerium</em> from the same strata are clam shrimps (Diplostraca). <em>Cratonaia</em> and <em>Monginellopsis</em> occur in the Aptian-Albian Itapecuru Formation of the Parnaíba Basin, Maranhão State. Articulated shells of <em>Cratonaia</em>, <em>Araripenaia</em>, and <em>Monginellopsis</em> are typically associated with fluvial-lacustrine deposits. Their common occurrence in Aptian-Albian strata of northeastern Brazil suggests dispersal via fluvial systems connecting the different sedimentary basins. These northeastern Brazilian assemblages are distinct from those of the Upper Cretaceous Bauru Basin in southeastern Brazil. Despite South America and North Africa being connected for most of the Early Cretaceous, no shared freshwater bivalves are known. The newly described faunas provide insight into South American Early Cretaceous freshwater mussel diversity when the proto-South Atlantic was dominated by alluvial and lacustrine settings hosting abundant but poorly known freshwater bivalves.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55207,"journal":{"name":"Cretaceous Research","volume":"178 ","pages":"Article 106212"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145061544","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":"Stratigraphic sequence and age determination of the cretaceous rift-sag transition period in the Songliao basin, NE China: Based on new data from ICDP boreholes SK2 and SK3","authors":"Shuo Liu ,&nbsp;Youfeng Gao ,&nbsp;Renjie Liang ,&nbsp;Pujun Wang ,&nbsp;Haibo Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.cretres.2025.106257","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cretres.2025.106257","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Songliao Basin's tectonic evolution comprises three stages: the syn-rift stage, post-rift stage, and structural inversion stage. The Yingcheng Formation and the Denglouku Formation record the strata corresponding to the transitional period from the syn-rift stage to the post-rift stage. However, the stratigraphic boundary between these two formations and the sedimentation time of the Denglouku Formation remain controversial. This paper undertakes a zircon isotope chronology study on the tuff from the lower part of the Denglouku Formation, based on the continuous coring data from the International Continental Scientific Drilling Program (ICDP) boreholes SK2 and SK3 in the Songliao Basin. The LA-ICP-MS U–Pb age of the tuff at 2359.35 m depth in the lower part of the Denglouku Formation in borehole SK3 is determined to be 105.4 ± 0.6 Ma, constraining the initial sedimentation time of the Denglouku Formation, while an age of 103.4 ± 0.8 Ma from the tuff at 2970.65 m at the base of the Denglouku Formation in borehole SK2 marks the end of the first member's sedimentation. By integrating the existing chronostratigraphic data with basin-scale stratigraphic correlations from the Songliao Basin, this study re-evaluates the controversial sandy conglomerates within the fourth member of the Yingcheng Formation in the northern Songliao Basin, demonstrating their affinity to the first member of the Denglouku Formation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55207,"journal":{"name":"Cretaceous Research","volume":"179 ","pages":"Article 106257"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145418135","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":"New findings of lower Aptian charophytes from the Southern High Plateaus (Eastern Meseta, Morocco): biostratigraphic and biogeographic significance","authors":"Hamid Haddoumi ,&nbsp;Jordi Pérez-Cano ,&nbsp;Rachid Chennouf ,&nbsp;Jemaa Amakrane ,&nbsp;Sidi Mohamed Mamoun","doi":"10.1016/j.cretres.2025.106262","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cretres.2025.106262","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Two stratigraphic sections of the Southern High Plateaus (Eastern Meseta, Morocco) were sampled for the charophyte study. Seven clavatoracean taxa are described and illustrated from the Dekar 1 and Dekar 2 formations, including <em>Echinochara lazarii</em>, <em>Atopochara trivolvis</em> var. <em>trivolvis</em>, <em>Clavator grovesii</em> var. <em>jiuquanensis</em>, <em>Clavator grovesii</em> var. <em>corrugatus</em>, <em>Clavator harrisii</em> var. <em>harrisii</em>, <em>Clavator harrisii</em> var. <em>reyi</em>, and <em>Clavator harrisii</em> var. <em>zavialensis</em>. This assemblage is assigned to the upper part of the Eurasian Clavator grovesii var. jiuquanensis biozone. The occurrence of intermediate populations of <em>C. grovesii</em> var. <em>jiuquanensis</em> and <em>C. grovesii</em> var. <em>corrugatus</em> associated with intermediate populations of <em>C. harrisii</em> var. <em>harrisii</em>, <em>C. harrisii</em> var. <em>reyi</em>, and <em>C. harrisii</em> var. <em>zavialensis</em>, restricts the association to the lower Aptian. These new findings suggest that this area could be important for understanding the evolution of charophytes during the early Aptian. Furthermore, the study provides significant insights into the paleobiogeographic distribution of Lower Cretaceous charophytes, reporting the first record of <em>C. grovesii</em> var. <em>jiuquanensis</em> (previously described only from Eurasia) and <em>C. grovesii</em> var. <em>corrugatus</em> (previously known from the Iberian Peninsula and the United States) in Africa, along with the first report of <em>Echinochara lazarii</em> in the Western Atlas Domain. Similar lower Aptian assemblages had previously been described only in the Algarve Basin (South Portugal), suggesting a strong paleogeographic connection between these areas.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55207,"journal":{"name":"Cretaceous Research","volume":"179 ","pages":"Article 106262"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145684267","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":"First didactyl theropod track from the Lower Cretaceous Kitadani Formation, Tetori Group, Fukui, Japan","authors":"Yuta Tsukiji ,&nbsp;Soki Hattori ,&nbsp;Yoichi Azuma","doi":"10.1016/j.cretres.2025.106249","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cretres.2025.106249","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>A small theropod track was discovered in the Lower Cretaceous Kitadani Formation at the Kitadani Dinosaur Quarry in Fukui, Japan. Its distinctive didactyl morphology suggests that the trackmaker was a deinonychosaurian theropod. The track measures 8.0 cm in length and 4.7 cm in width, with a divarication angle of 20° between digits III and IV. These features are consistent with those of the ichnogenus <em>Velociraptorichnus</em>. The track exhibits a centrally positioned metatarsophalangeal pad impression along its longitudinal axis, a feature also observed in other ichnotaxa interpreted as having been made by arctometatarsalian theropods. Given that the arctometatarsalian condition is restricted to troodontids within Deinonychosauria, the trackmaker is inferred to be a troodontid. This specimen represents the first record of a deinonychosaurian track from Japan and provides new ichnological evidence for the presence of deinonychosaurian theropods in the Kitadani Formation. Furthermore, it reinforces the previous hypotheses suggesting a close relationship between the dinosaur ichnofauna of the Kitadani Formation and other dinosaur ichnofaunas of the Lower Cretaceous in East Asia.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55207,"journal":{"name":"Cretaceous Research","volume":"179 ","pages":"Article 106249"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145418133","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":"Diversity of araucariacean pollen from the Lower Cretaceous Rio da Batateira and lower Crato formations (Araripe basin, SE Brazil), based on micromorphology of the ektexine using SEM","authors":"Christa-Ch Hofmann ,&nbsp;Mario Coiro ,&nbsp;Ulrich Heimhofer ,&nbsp;Emily A. Roberts ,&nbsp;Leyla J. Seyfullah","doi":"10.1016/j.cretres.2025.106260","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cretres.2025.106260","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Here we demonstrate the micromorphological variety of Aptian pollen grains affiliated with Araucariaceae s.l. with LM and SEM. We could distinguish five micromorphological groups and in addition to well known araucariacean pollen taxa such as <em>Araucariacites</em> spp., <em>Balmeiopsis</em> and <em>Callialasporites</em> spp., we could also assign <em>Exesipollenites scabratus,</em> <em>E.</em> cf. <em>tumulus</em>, and one <em>Inaperturopollenites</em> taxon as araucariacean. Using LM, a hidden diversity of micromorphological features are missed within the four pollen taxa (“Araucariaceae” sp. 1 to sp. 4) that are similar to the morphogenus <em>Araucariacites</em> demonstrating the importance of using scanning electron microscopy in palaeopalynology. Pollen characterized by micromorphological features of group 4 comprises <em>Callialasporites</em> spp., <em>Inaperturopollenites</em> sp. and “Araucariaceae” sp. 1 and are assumed to be dispersed equivalents of previously described eurypalynous pollen cones. These pollen cones and pollen grains might represent an ancient group of Araucariaceae with overlapping characters from Podocarpaceae and Araucariaceae. In total 15 Araucariaceae pollen taxa are present in the Rio da Batateira and lower Crato formations, a number that exceeds the diversity of previously described araucariacean macrofossils and pollen of the Araripe basin. These results are evidence that despite the rapid evolution of angiosperms in the Early Cretaceous, gymnosperms, particularly Araucariaceae, still played an important role in various ancient vegetation habitats.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55207,"journal":{"name":"Cretaceous Research","volume":"178 ","pages":"Article 106260"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145579082","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":"Revisiting the taxonomic status of three Araripeneurinae (Neuroptera, Myrmeleontidae) genera from the lower Cretaceous Crato formation using geometric morphometrics as a complementary tool","authors":"Gabriel M. Bueno ,&nbsp;Renato J.P. Machado ,&nbsp;Diego Almeida-Silva ,&nbsp;Guilherme C. Ribeiro","doi":"10.1016/j.cretres.2025.106245","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cretres.2025.106245","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Crato Formation (Lower Cretaceous, Brazil) preserves a highly diverse fossil insect fauna, including 10 genera of Araripeneurinae (Neuroptera: Myrmeleontidae), whose taxonomy has long been hampered by limited access to type specimens and ambiguous original descriptions. Here, we revisit the taxonomic status of three genera—<em>Cratopteryx</em> Martins-Neto &amp; Vulcano, <em>Caririneura</em> Martins-Neto &amp; Vulcano, and <em>Paracaririneura</em> Martins-Neto &amp; Vulcano—by integrating traditional morphological examination and redescriptions of holotypes with geometric morphometric analysis of forewing shape. Our results provide updated and objective diagnoses for these genera, clarify their distinctiveness based on robust morphometric separation in morphospace, and support the designation of a neotype for <em>Cratopteryx nemopteroides</em> Martins-Neto. We demonstrate the utility of geometric morphometrics as a complementary tool for fossil insect taxonomy, providing support for the validity of the studied genera. This revision, by restoring access and providing redescriptions of previously inaccessible holotypes, restores taxonomic stability and lays a foundation for future systematic and evolutionary studies on fossil Myrmeleontidae from the Crato Formation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55207,"journal":{"name":"Cretaceous Research","volume":"179 ","pages":"Article 106245"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145270466","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}