Oological Record of Dinosaurs in South-Central Pyrenees (SW Europe): Parataxonomy, diversity and biostratigraphical implications

Abstract

Southern Pyrenees has provided an abundant fossil record of dinosaur eggs and eggshells. Historically, the oofamily Megaloolithidae has shown its predominance over any other group of fossil eggs in this region. In addition, this oofamily is world-wide distributed being represented by, at least, four oogenus and 20 oospeices. Considering that the eggshell is a high stable structure, this number of Megaloolithus‘s oospecies is too high for such a relatively short time-interval (Campanian to Maastrichtian; less than 7 My). The structural characters used to define these oospecies are critically revised. As a consequence, three structural groups have been identified, and only ten oospecies have been considered valid. Four of those oospecies have been recognized in Southern Pyrenees: M. aureliensis, M. sirugei, M. mamillare and M. baghensis.

The oogenus Cairanoolithus, historically included in Megaloolithidae oofamily, is reevaluated. All evidences suggest that this type of fossil egg is, definitively, different from any other Megaloolithus. Consequently, a new oofamily is erected (Cairanoolithidae oofam. nov), which emphasizes the singularity of cairanoolithid eggs. Phylogenetical analysis also suggests that the eggs of Cairanoolithidae oofam. nov. could be laid by ornithischian dinosaurs.

New oological material is described here, including the first spheroolithid oospecies (Spheroolithus oosp. nov.) from the Upper Cretaceous of Europe. Several oospecies of Prismatoolithus (Prismatoolithus oosp. nov, Prismatoolithus cf. levis, Prismatoolithus oosp. indet.) and few eggshells of ratite-morphotype (cf. Ageroolithus fontllonguensis) have been identified. In addition, the great number of specimens attributed to Pseudogeckoolithus oogenus allows re-describing and re-assigning this ootaxon to Mesozoic lizards.

The space-temporal variation of the oological diversity in the Southern Pyrenees could be a consequence of environmental changes during the end-Cretaceous or even due to preferences in the nesting-site of each group of dinosaurs.

Finally, biostratigraphical studies based on the successions of megaloolithid oospecies have been performed in Coll de Nargó and Àger-Tremp basins, and the European Megaloolithus succession has been updated. As a result, three oozonones have been described: M. aureliensis + Cairanoolithus oozone dates the Late Campanian, M. siruguei oozone the Early Maastrichtian and M. mamillare + M. baghensis oozone the Late Maastrichtian.