Likely/possible specimens of Tyrannosauroidea from the Southern Hemisphere (Jurassic-Early Late Cretaceous)

[Joseph Fossil]

As a freshmen in College, I did a little extra credit report for my geology class about a controversial topic - Tyrannosauroidea diversity in the Southern Hemisphere during the Jurassic-Early Late Cretaceous periods. I was quite surprised at the amount of specimens I found. This diversity likely was the result of an early spread of the early tyrannosaur group Pantyrannosauria into Africa, Eurasia, and North America during the Jurassic and diversified once the land connecting these continents spread out more. Most of these species lived during the Early Cretaceous, though one or two exceptions might have lasted into the Early Late Cretaceous. I've created a list of known of the species and specimens which I would like to share on the forum (let me if there are any examples I'm missing or should add):

 

 

South America

 

Santanaraptor (Romualdo Member of the Santana Formation) (Early Albian, Cretaceous period 112.6-109.0 million years ago)

Specimen: MN 4802-V (partial skeleton)

 

http://www.fossilworks.org/cgi-bin/bridge.pl?a=collectionSearch&collection_no=67712

 

Tyrannosauroidea indet. (Rio do Peixe Group of the Sousa Formation) (Berriasian to the Berriasian, Cretaceous period 145.5-130.0 million years ago)

Specimen: NA

 

http://www.fossilworks.org/cgi-bin/bridge.pl?a=collectionSearch&collection_no=58791

 

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/309717524_As_localidades_com_rastros_fosseis_de_Tetrapodes_na_America_Latina

 

Tyrannosauroidea indet. (Serra da Galga Member of Marília Formation) (Late Maastrichtian, Cretaceous Period, 70.0-66.0 million years ago)

Specimen: CPP 449 (partial tooth)

 

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/270524259_Theropod_teeth_from_the_Marilia_Formation_late_Maastrichtian_at_the_paleontological_site_of_Peiropolis_in_Minas_Gerais_State_Brazil

(above paper initially described specimen, identification as possible Tyrannosauroidea in science direct paper)

 

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0031018220303151

 

 

Africa (Madagascar)

 

Tyrannosauroidea indet. (Isalo Illb Formation) (Bathonian, Jurassic period 167.7-164.7 million years ago)

Specimen: MSNM V5819 (partial tooth)

 

http://www.fossilworks.org/cgi-bin/bridge.pl?a=collectionSearch&collection_no=55391

 

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/257651210_First_description_of_theropod_remains_from_the_Middle_Jurassic_Bathonian_of_Madagascar

 

 

Australia

 

Timimus hermani (Otway Group of Eumeralla Formation) (Late Aptian, Cretaceous period 122.5-109.0 million years ago)

Specimens: NMV P186303 (limb: left femur), NMV P186323 (limb: left femur of juvenile individual), QM F34621 (Pedal phalanx III-1)

 

http://www.paleofile.com/Dinosaurs/Theropods/Timimus.asp

 

http://www.fossilworks.org/cgi-bin/bridge.pl?a=taxonInfo&taxon_no=57099

 

 

Tyrannosauroidea indet. (Otway Group of Eumeralla Formation) (Late Aptian, Cretaceous period 110.0 million years ago)

Specimen: NMV P186069 (Pubis bone)

 

Possible Specimen: ?NMV P186046 (Pubis bone) 

 

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/42589187_A_Southern_Tyrant_Reptile

 

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100325143045.htm

 

 

[Troodon]

Here is a great relatively recent paper on the tyrannosauroids of South America

Does not appear to mention the Madagascar specimen since like we discussed in a different topic its position is uncertain.  It does review Santanaraptor, Timimus and NMV P186046

 

 

Tyrannosauroids from the Southern Hemisphere: Implications for biogeography, evolution, and taxonomy 2018

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0031018218302566

 

 

[Joseph Fossil]

@Troodon Thanks dude!

[Joseph Fossil]

18 hours ago, Troodon said:

Here is a great relatively recent paper on the tyrannosauroids of South America

Does not appear to mention the Madagascar specimen since like we discussed in a different topic its position is uncertain.  It does review Santanaraptor, Timimus and NMV P186046

 

 

Tyrannosauroids from the Southern Hemisphere: Implications for biogeography, evolution, and taxonomy 2018

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0031018218302566

 

 

 

@Troodon One thing I am curious (and worried about) is the current whereabouts  of the Santanaraptor specimen - it was present at the National Museum of Brazil when a fire tragically destroyed most of the building on September 2, 2018. Do you think the specimen survived (I have currently been unable to confirm if the specimen survived the fire that night)?

[Troodon]

No idea on that specimen

[Joseph Fossil]

On 1/8/2023 at 7:44 PM, Troodon said:

Here is a great relatively recent paper on the tyrannosauroids of South America

Does not appear to mention the Madagascar specimen since like we discussed in a different topic its position is uncertain.  It does review Santanaraptor, Timimus and NMV P186046

 

 

Tyrannosauroids from the Southern Hemisphere: Implications for biogeography, evolution, and taxonomy 2018

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0031018218302566

 

 

 

@Troodon Also, to be completely honest, I posted this topic post literally a few minutes after my "Madagascar Tyrannosauroidea post" where you (pretty correctly) highlighted that the Madagascar specimens MSNM V5819 and MSNM V6234 (possibly still members of Tyrannosauroidea) should currently be classified as Theropod incertea sedis for now (Sorry about that, should've waited till I got more advice on the Madagascar specimen placement). I have seen this chart before and it's fairly accurate.

[Joseph Fossil]

Update: @Troodon Helped me take another look at the scientific paper that described the Madagascar tooth specimens MSNM V6234 and MSNM V5819. Though the paper does state that there is a decent possibility theses specimens could belong to Tyrannosauroidea, it advices caution since the only specimens available are these two teeth.

 

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/257651210_First_description_of_theropod_remains_from_the_Middle_Jurassic_Bathonian_of_Madagascar

 

Therefore, Specimen MSNM V6234 should be added to the Africa (Madagascar) specimen section and that it and MSNM V5819 should be listed as Theropod incertea sedis or Tyrannosauroidea.

[Joseph Fossil]

Also, I found another and fairly recent scientific paper from 2022 that helps confirm Santanaraptor's (Early Albian, Cretaceous period 112.6-109.0 million years ago) placement as a member of Tyrannosauroidea!

 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9271276/

 

Pretty good paper! Highly recommended you all read the paper!

[Joseph Fossil]

Also, I found another recent scientific paper published April 11, 2024 that describes a likely new Tyrannosauroid species from the  Early Cretaceous dating at least between 143.1-121.4 Million Years ago from what is now Bahia State, Brazil based on a long bone specimen collected at Locality 9 of the Salvador Formation. 
 

 

+Additional Specimens

 

South America

 

Tyrannosauroidea indet. (Locality 9 of the Salvador Formation) (Berriasian to the Buracica age of the Barremian, Cretaceous Period 143.1-121.4 Million Years ago)

Specimen: MN 4451/1-V (partial long bone)

 

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/379778273_A_reassessment_of_the_historical_fossil_findings_from_Bahia_State_Northeast_Brazil_reveals_a_diversified_dinosaur_fauna_in_the_Lower_Cretaceous_of_S

 

The paper is pretty good! I recommend you all read it!!