Cenomanian theropod teeth from Algora (central Spain), new evidence for majungasaurine abelisaurids in Europe

Abstract

In this work 40 isolated teeth of theropod dinosaurs from the Cenomanian (Upper Cretaceous) locality of Algora are described. The paleontological area of Algora (Guadalajara province, Spain) provides the highest concentration of macroremains of Cenomanian vertebrates in southwestern Europe. Isolated theropod teeth are the most abundant remains in Algora as far as this group is concerned. Isolated theropod teeth constitute important evidence to analyse theropod diversity, since they are quite common in the fossil record. There have been previous tentative assignations of these theropod teeth to different theropod groups such as Carcharodontosauridae and Abelisauridae. However, in this work we have conducted a more exhaustive and robust analysis with a larger sample size using morphological comparisons using multivariate and cladistic analyses. The results of the analyses carried out in this work support the identification of the isolated teeth of Algora as a theropod abelisaurid, most likely belonging to the subfamily Majungasaurinae. This would further corroborate the presence of this abelisaurid lineage in Europe during the Late Cretaceous, from the Cenomanian onwards.