Lameta Formation

Abstract: Many isolated dinosaur bones and teeth have been recovered from Cretaceous rocks in India, but associated remains are exceedingly rare. We report on the discovery of associated cranial and postcranial remains of a new abelisaurid theropod from latest Cretaceous rocks in western India. The new taxon is characterized by exceptionally elongated supratemporal fenestrae and a unique median nasofrontal protuberance. Postcranial elements include vertebrae and portions of the pelvic girdle and hind limbs. The ilium, in particular, is robustly constructed. Much of the large-bodied theropod material collected from latest Cretaceous rocks in central and western India may pertain to this abelisaurid. The new Indian species is more closely allied to Majungatholus from Madagascar and Carnotaurus from South America than to related forms on Africa. Paleobiogeographic interpretation of this phylogenetic pattern, however, must be tempered by the lack of terrestrial faunas of similar age on several of these landmasses: pre-Maastrichtian Cretaceous vertebrates are virtually unknown on Madagascar and India, and post-Cenomanian vertebrates are very poorly sampled on Africa.

Abstract: A large number of dinosaur nesting sites have been documented from the Upper Cretaceous (Maestrichtian) Lameta Formation of India. A remarkable diversity is noticeable in the eggshells. Based on the general morphology and the histostructure, they are parataxonomically assignable to oofamily Megaloolithidae (Tubospherulithic morphotype) and Elongatoolithidae (Ratite morphotype). Ten new oospecies of these eggshells are described in the present paper. Of these, the eight oospecies are assignable to oogenus Megaloolithus, one to the newly established oogenus Ellipsoolithus and the remaining one has been categorised as Incertae sedis. In addition, associated chelonian eggshells are also described. The Indian Upper Cretaceous dinosaur fauna is dominated by the titanosaurids (sauropods), and reports of theropods (megalosaurid and tyrannosaurid) and ornithopods are. The eggs, whose shells are here attributed to a number of oospecies, must have had their parentship amongst these known dinosaurs. Many egg...