New remains of Mosasauroidea (Reptilia, Squamata) from the Upper Cretaceous (Santonian) of Aude, southern France

Abstract

New mosasaurid remains (Squamata) were collected from various Santonian localities in the Sougraigne area (Aude Department, southern France). Cranial bones, some vertebrae, two scapulae and a phalanx are assigned to the plioplatecarpine Platecarpus cf. tympaniticus, while pelvic bones, two vertebrae and a femur (?) are referred to Tylosaurus sp. Tooth marks made by sharks, teleosts or mosasaurids are observed on the mosasaurid vertebrae. These Santonian (86.3–83.6 Ma) Platecarpus occurrences, known since almost one century, are the oldest from Europe. This deposit also yielded some elasmobranch teeth, belonging to taxa such as Squalicorax kaupi, Cretoxyrhina mantelli, Cretolamna sp. and Polyacrodus brabanticus. A review of plioplatecarpine palaeobiogeographical distribution through Late Cretaceous suggests that it follows that of other mosasaurid clades, reaching a worldwide distribution by Maastrichtian time, probably favored by marine routes largely opened at this time.