New species of mammaliaform and the cranium of Borealestes (Mammaliformes: Docodonta) from the Middle Jurassic of the British Isles
Author
Panciroli, Elsa
Author
Benson, Roger B. J.
Author
Fernandez, Vincent
Author
Butler, Richard J.
Author
Fraser, Nicholas C.
Author
Luo, Zhe-Xi
Author
Walsh, Stig
text
Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society
2021
2021-01-27
192
4
1323
1362
http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/zoolinnean/zlaa144
journal article
2567
10.1093/zoolinnean/zlaa144
eee94db3-df5c-46ee-92a7-fb23e558f663
0024-4082
5856067
320C0FA6-04F0-4D5C-93BF-D14160AFBB4F
DOBUNNODON MUSSETTAE
(SIGOGNEAU- RUSSELL,
2003)
COMB. NOV.
BOREALESTES MUSSETTI
SIGOGNEAU- RUSSELL, 2003
BOREALESTES MUSSETTAE
AVERIANOV, 2004
(EMENDED GENDER)
Holotype
:
NHMUK
PV
M46495
, a right lower molar (
Fig. 5C
1–4
).
Stratigraphic provenance:
Forest Marble Formation, Late Bathonian, Middle Jurassic (
Retrocostatum
Zone:
Barron
et al.
, 2012
).
Ty p e l o c a l i t y:
K i r t l i n g t o n C e m e n t Q u a r r y,
Oxfordshire
,
UK
.
Referred material:
From
the
Forest Marble Formation of Kirtlington
,
Oxfordshire
:
NHMUK
PV
M46224
,
NHMUK
PV
M46239
,
NHMUK
PV
M46001
,
NHMUK
PV
M46066
,
NHMUK
PV
M46836
,
NHMUK
PV
M46319
,
NHMUK
PV
M46809
and
NHMUK
PV
M46835
, all lower molars. From the Forest Marble
Formation of Watton Cliff
,
Dorset
:
NHMUK
PV
M46001
, lower molar
.
Etymology:
The species name was given in honour of Dr Frances Mussett for her ‘major participation in the accumulation of the Kirtlington fauna’ (Sigogneau-Russell, 2003).
Differential diagnosis:
Dobunnodon
mussettae
resembles other docodontans in that it possesses an anterior ‘pseudotalonid basin’ on the lower molars, formed by cusps a, b, and g, has cusps b–a–c in a triangular arrangement, the lower molars are elongated anteroposteriorly, with labial row of higher cusps arranged in anteroposterior alignment with largest cusp a, and it has a lingual row of smaller cusps with distinctive anterior cusp g and larger posterior cusp c. The lower molar of
Dobunnodon
is unlike most docodontans, but is similar to
Tashkumyrodon
in being mediolaterally compressed. It resembles most docodontans, but differs from
Borealestes
in that the a–g crest is present on both cusp g and cusp a, and in having a strong a–d crest on cusp a (
Fig. 5c
). Cusp g is slightly more developed, and cusps c and g are placed further apart anteroposteriorly, than in
Borealestes
. Unlike
Simpsonodon
,
Agilodocodon
and
Docodon
, but like most other docodontans,
Dobunnodon
lacks creases and pits’ ‘ornamentation’ on the teeth.
Dobunnodon
has an anterior lingual cingulid that passes below cusp g to midway along the molar anteroposteriorly. The df cusp is more developed in
Dobunnodon
than in
Borealestes
and is distinct from the d cusp. Cusp e is positioned in alignment with the anteroposterior axis of the molar, whereas cusp e is lingual of the anteroposterior axis on molars of
Borealestes
. The upper molars are not yet known for this taxon.
Description:
The
holotype
NHMUK
PV
M46495
, is a single, right, lower molar, lacking a root and broken at the base of cusp a (reconstructed for
Fig. 5C
), previously described by
Sigogneau-Russell (2003)
and
Panciroli
et al.
(2019)
.