Galve, Teruel
Encyclopedia
Galve is a municipality located in the province of Teruel
, Aragon
, Spain
. According to the 2006 census
(INE
), the municipality has a population of 145 inhabitants. There is an important paleontological site.
sites well known for its faunal assemblage of dinosaurs, notably the sauropods and mammal
s. This region is also noted for its lissamphibia
ns, lizard
s and turtle
s, as well as diverse multituberculates, dryolestoids, and spalacotheriids.
Spanish paleontologists have worked this site for years, including José Ignacio Canudo, José Luis Barco, Gloria Cuenca-Bescós, and José Ignacio Ruiz-Omeñaca.
The Galve region sediments date back to the Late Jurassic
–Early Cretaceous
, with five formations ranging in age from Tithonian
to Aptian
listed below:
ns have been reported from the Galve region. Fossil
teeth belonging to baryonychines, allosauroids, dromaeosaurids and indeterminable coelurosaurs have also been recovered at some of the Galve sites. Those indeterminable coelurosaur teeth are from the Galve outcrops of the El Castellar Formation, and bear some avia
n resemblance.
Sauropods from the Galve region include Aragosaurus ischiaticus, Galveosaurus herreroi, and Turiasaurus riodevensis. Isolated remains have also been referred to camarasaurids, brachiosaurids, and diplodocid
s. Aragosaurus has been identified as a camarasaurid, a titanosaur
, and recently, a eusauropod of uncertain affinities. Galveosaurus was originally described as a cetiosaurid but later argued to be a basal
macronaria
n, and Turiasaurus was argued by its describers to represent a new clade
close to neosauropod ancestry, Turiasauria
. A new study also concluded that Galveosaurus was a turiasaur, and not a cetiosaurid or macronarian.
Galveosaurus was published in 2005
by Barbara, naming it Galveosaurus herreroi, in the journal
Zootaxa. Late that same year, a team led by José Luis Barco published a less formal article in the magazine Naturaleza Aragonesa (Barco et al. 2005), and here they named the same taxon Galvesaurus herreroi(a difference of one letter).
A Camarasaurus
-like taxon is represented only by teeth from the El Castellar Formation. These teeth bear a strong resemblance to the teeth of Camarasaurus than the teeth of any other sauropod. However, their younger age (Hauterivian
-Barremian
) makes them substantially younger than Camarasaurus, and hence likely to belong to a separate taxon
.
Heterodontosaurids have also been attributed to the Galve region. Heterodontosaurids are a mostly Early Jurassic
clade
, best known from southern Africa
.
ns have been found in Galve. One particularly notable find is an outcrop of the Villar del Arzobispo Formation
at El Cantalar that preserves a trackway produced by a crocodyliform that measures approximately 12 meters in length, comparable in size to Deinosuchus
, Sarcosuchus
, and the unique Stomatosuchus. Furthermore, teeth, osteoderm
s, and bone
s belonging to atoposaurids, Bernissartia
, and possibly pholidosaurids and teleosaurids are all known from the Galve region, illustrating the amount of crocodilian material preserved at the site.
teeth have also been uncovered in the Galve region, although more substantial remains are rare. However, there are enough remains at the sites to determine that the Galve region hosted a wide variety of pterosaurs at one point. Pterosaurs that have been discovered at this site include ornithocheirids, dsungaripterids, possible gnathosaurines, and istiodactylids.
Teruel (province)
Teruel is a province of Aragon, in the northeast of Spain. The capital is Teruel.It is bordered by the provinces of Tarragona, Castellón, Valencia , Cuenca, Guadalajara, and Zaragoza....
, Aragon
Aragon
Aragon is a modern autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. Located in northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces : Huesca, Zaragoza, and Teruel. Its capital is Zaragoza...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. According to the 2006 census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
(INE
Instituto Nacional de Estadística (Spain)
The National Institute of Statistics is the official organisation in Spain that collects statistics about demography, economy, and Spanish society. Every 10 years, this organisation conducts a national census. The last census took place in 2001....
), the municipality has a population of 145 inhabitants. There is an important paleontological site.
Paleontological significance
The Galve area is a productive area full of fossilFossil
Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of animals , plants, and other organisms from the remote past...
sites well known for its faunal assemblage of dinosaurs, notably the sauropods and mammal
Mammal
Mammals are members of a class of air-breathing vertebrate animals characterised by the possession of endothermy, hair, three middle ear bones, and mammary glands functional in mothers with young...
s. This region is also noted for its lissamphibia
Lissamphibia
The subclass Lissamphibia includes all recent amphibians and means smooth amphibia.Extant amphibians fall into one of three orders — the Anura , the Caudata or Urodela , and the Gymnophiona or Apoda .Although the ancestry of each group is still unclear, all share certain common characteristics,...
ns, lizard
Lizard
Lizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with nearly 3800 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica as well as most oceanic island chains...
s and turtle
Turtle
Turtles are reptiles of the order Testudines , characterised by a special bony or cartilaginous shell developed from their ribs that acts as a shield...
s, as well as diverse multituberculates, dryolestoids, and spalacotheriids.
Spanish paleontologists have worked this site for years, including José Ignacio Canudo, José Luis Barco, Gloria Cuenca-Bescós, and José Ignacio Ruiz-Omeñaca.
The Galve region sediments date back to the Late Jurassic
Late Jurassic
The Late Jurassic is the third epoch of the Jurassic Period, and it spans the geologic time from 161.2 ± 4.0 to 145.5 ± 4.0 million years ago , which is preserved in Upper Jurassic strata. In European lithostratigraphy, the name "Malm" indicates rocks of Late Jurassic age...
–Early Cretaceous
Early Cretaceous
The Early Cretaceous or the Lower Cretaceous , is the earlier or lower of the two major divisions of the Cretaceous...
, with five formations ranging in age from Tithonian
Tithonian
In the geologic timescale the Tithonian is the latest age of the Late Jurassic epoch or the uppermost stage of the Upper Jurassic series. It spans the time between 150.8 ± 4 Ma and 145.5 ± 4 Ma...
to Aptian
Aptian
The Aptian is an age in the geologic timescale or a stage in the stratigraphic column. It is a subdivision of the Early or Lower Cretaceous epoch or series and encompasses the time from 125.0 ± 1.0 Ma to 112.0 ± 1.0 Ma , approximately...
listed below:
- Higueruelas Formation (TithonianTithonianIn the geologic timescale the Tithonian is the latest age of the Late Jurassic epoch or the uppermost stage of the Upper Jurassic series. It spans the time between 150.8 ± 4 Ma and 145.5 ± 4 Ma...
) - Villar del Arzobispo FormationVillar del Arzobispo FormationThe Villar del Arzobispo Formation is a Mesozoic geologic formation. Dinosaur remains are among the fossils that have been recovered from the formation, although none have yet been referred to a specific genus.-See also:...
(upper TithonianTithonianIn the geologic timescale the Tithonian is the latest age of the Late Jurassic epoch or the uppermost stage of the Upper Jurassic series. It spans the time between 150.8 ± 4 Ma and 145.5 ± 4 Ma...
-middle BerriasianBerriasianIn the geological timescale, the Berriasian is an age or stage of the Early or Lower Creteceous. It is the oldest or lowest subdivision in the entire Cretaceous. It spanned between 145.5 ± 4.0 Ma and 140.2 ± 3.0 Ma...
) - El Castellar Formation (upper HauterivianHauterivianThe Hauterivian is, in the geologic timescale, an age in the Early Cretaceous epoch or a stage in the Lower Cretaceous series. It spans the time between 136.4 ± 2 Ma and 130 ± 1.5 Ma...
) - Camarillas FormationCamarillas FormationThe Camarillas Formation is a geological formation in Teruel and La Rioja, Spain whose strata date back to the Early Cretaceous. Dinosaur remains have been recovered from the formation.-Vertebrate paleofauna:* cf Pleurocoelus sp....
(lower BarremianBarremianThe Barremian is an age in the geologic timescale between 130.0 ± 1.5 Ma and 125.0 ± 1.0 Ma). It is a subdivision of the Early Cretaceous epoch...
) - Artoles FormationArtoles FormationThe Artoles Formation is a geological formation in Teruel and La Rioja, Spain whose strata date back to the Early Cretaceous. Dinosaur remains are among the fossils that have been recovered from the formation.-Dinosaurs:...
(upper BarremianBarremianThe Barremian is an age in the geologic timescale between 130.0 ± 1.5 Ma and 125.0 ± 1.0 Ma). It is a subdivision of the Early Cretaceous epoch...
-lower AptianAptianThe Aptian is an age in the geologic timescale or a stage in the stratigraphic column. It is a subdivision of the Early or Lower Cretaceous epoch or series and encompasses the time from 125.0 ± 1.0 Ma to 112.0 ± 1.0 Ma , approximately...
)
Dinosaurs
Theropods (spinosaurines), sauropods, and ornithischiaOrnithischia
Ornithischia or Predentata is an extinct order of beaked, herbivorous dinosaurs. The name ornithischia is derived from the Greek ornitheos meaning 'of a bird' and ischion meaning 'hip joint'...
ns have been reported from the Galve region. Fossil
Fossil
Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of animals , plants, and other organisms from the remote past...
teeth belonging to baryonychines, allosauroids, dromaeosaurids and indeterminable coelurosaurs have also been recovered at some of the Galve sites. Those indeterminable coelurosaur teeth are from the Galve outcrops of the El Castellar Formation, and bear some avia
Avia
Avia is a Czech aircraft and automotive company notable for producing biplane fighter aircraft, especially the B-534, and trucks.- History :...
n resemblance.
Sauropods
Sauropods from the Galve region include Aragosaurus ischiaticus, Galveosaurus herreroi, and Turiasaurus riodevensis. Isolated remains have also been referred to camarasaurids, brachiosaurids, and diplodocid
Diplodocid
Diplodocids, or members of the family Diplodocidae , are a group of sauropod dinosaurs. The family includes some of the longest creatures ever to walk the earth, including Diplodocus and Supersaurus, which may have reached lengths of up to .-Description:While still massive, when compared to the...
s. Aragosaurus has been identified as a camarasaurid, a titanosaur
Titanosaur
Titanosaurs were a diverse group of sauropod dinosaurs, which included Saltasaurus and Isisaurus. It includes some of the heaviest creatures ever to walk the earth, such as Argentinosaurus and Paralititan — which some believe have weighed up to 100 tonnes...
, and recently, a eusauropod of uncertain affinities. Galveosaurus was originally described as a cetiosaurid but later argued to be a basal
Basal (phylogenetics)
In phylogenetics, a basal clade is the earliest clade to branch in a larger clade; it appears at the base of a cladogram.A basal group forms an outgroup to the rest of the clade, such as in the following example:...
macronaria
Macronaria
Macronaria is a clade of sauropod dinosaurs from the Middle Jurassic to Late Cretaceous Periods of what are now North America, South America, Europe, Asia and Africa. The name means 'large nostrils' , in reference to the large nasal openings high on the head that probably supported fleshy...
n, and Turiasaurus was argued by its describers to represent a new clade
Clade
A clade is a group consisting of a species and all its descendants. In the terms of biological systematics, a clade is a single "branch" on the "tree of life". The idea that such a "natural group" of organisms should be grouped together and given a taxonomic name is central to biological...
close to neosauropod ancestry, Turiasauria
Turiasauria
Turiasauria is an unranked clade of sauropod dinosaurs, named for the genus Turiasaurus, a gigantic eusauropod from southwestern Europe. The clade also includes two other known members, Galveosaurus and Losillasaurus. All three taxa thus far referred to Turiasauria have come from the Villar del...
. A new study also concluded that Galveosaurus was a turiasaur, and not a cetiosaurid or macronarian.
Galveosaurus was published in 2005
2005 in paleontology
-New taxa:-New taxa:-Xiphosurans:* Fossils of Lunataspis, the earliest known xiphosuran, are discovered in Canada. It was not given a formal description until 2008, however.-New taxa:-Newly named dinosaurs:...
by Barbara, naming it Galveosaurus herreroi, in the journal
Academic journal
An academic journal is a peer-reviewed periodical in which scholarship relating to a particular academic discipline is published. Academic journals serve as forums for the introduction and presentation for scrutiny of new research, and the critique of existing research...
Zootaxa. Late that same year, a team led by José Luis Barco published a less formal article in the magazine Naturaleza Aragonesa (Barco et al. 2005), and here they named the same taxon Galvesaurus herreroi(a difference of one letter).
A Camarasaurus
Camarasaurus
Camarasaurus meaning 'chambered lizard', referring to the hollow chambers in its vertebrae was a genus of quadrupedal, herbivorous dinosaurs. It was the most common of the giant sauropods to be found in North America...
-like taxon is represented only by teeth from the El Castellar Formation. These teeth bear a strong resemblance to the teeth of Camarasaurus than the teeth of any other sauropod. However, their younger age (Hauterivian
Hauterivian
The Hauterivian is, in the geologic timescale, an age in the Early Cretaceous epoch or a stage in the Lower Cretaceous series. It spans the time between 136.4 ± 2 Ma and 130 ± 1.5 Ma...
-Barremian
Barremian
The Barremian is an age in the geologic timescale between 130.0 ± 1.5 Ma and 125.0 ± 1.0 Ma). It is a subdivision of the Early Cretaceous epoch...
) makes them substantially younger than Camarasaurus, and hence likely to belong to a separate taxon
Taxon
|thumb|270px|[[African elephants]] form a widely-accepted taxon, the [[genus]] LoxodontaA taxon is a group of organisms, which a taxonomist adjudges to be a unit. Usually a taxon is given a name and a rank, although neither is a requirement...
.
Heterodontosaurids
Heterodontosaurids have also been attributed to the Galve region. Heterodontosaurids are a mostly Early Jurassic
Early Jurassic
The Early Jurassic epoch is the earliest of three epochs of the Jurassic period...
clade
Clade
A clade is a group consisting of a species and all its descendants. In the terms of biological systematics, a clade is a single "branch" on the "tree of life". The idea that such a "natural group" of organisms should be grouped together and given a taxonomic name is central to biological...
, best known from southern Africa
Southern Africa
Southern Africa is the southernmost region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. Within the region are numerous territories, including the Republic of South Africa ; nowadays, the simpler term South Africa is generally reserved for the country in English.-UN...
.
Crocodilians
Numerous crocodiliaCrocodilia
Crocodilia is an order of large reptiles that appeared about 84 million years ago in the late Cretaceous Period . They are the closest living relatives of birds, as the two groups are the only known survivors of the Archosauria...
ns have been found in Galve. One particularly notable find is an outcrop of the Villar del Arzobispo Formation
Villar del Arzobispo Formation
The Villar del Arzobispo Formation is a Mesozoic geologic formation. Dinosaur remains are among the fossils that have been recovered from the formation, although none have yet been referred to a specific genus.-See also:...
at El Cantalar that preserves a trackway produced by a crocodyliform that measures approximately 12 meters in length, comparable in size to Deinosuchus
Deinosuchus
Deinosuchus is an extinct genus related to the alligator that lived 73 to 80 Ma , during the late Cretaceous period. The name translates as "terrible crocodile" and is derived from the Greek deinos , "terrible", and soukhos , "crocodile"...
, Sarcosuchus
Sarcosuchus
Sarcosuchus is an extinct genus of crocodyliform and distant relative of the crocodile that lived 112 million years ago. It dates from the early Cretaceous Period of what is now Africa and is one of the largest giant crocodile-like reptiles that ever lived...
, and the unique Stomatosuchus. Furthermore, teeth, osteoderm
Osteoderm
Osteoderms are bony deposits forming scales, plates or other structures in the dermal layers of the skin. Osteoderms are found in many groups of extant and extinct reptiles, including lizards, various groups of dinosaurs , crocodilians, phytosaurs, aetosaurs, placodonts, and hupehsuchians...
s, and bone
Bone
Bones are rigid organs that constitute part of the endoskeleton of vertebrates. They support, and protect the various organs of the body, produce red and white blood cells and store minerals. Bone tissue is a type of dense connective tissue...
s belonging to atoposaurids, Bernissartia
Bernissartia
Bernissartia is an extinct genus of crocodyliform that lived in the Early Cretaceous, around 130 million years ago.At only in length, Bernissartia is one of the smallest crocodyliforms that ever lived. It resembled modern species in many respects, and was probably semi-aquatic...
, and possibly pholidosaurids and teleosaurids are all known from the Galve region, illustrating the amount of crocodilian material preserved at the site.
Pterosaurs
PterosaurPterosaur
Pterosaurs were flying reptiles of the clade or order Pterosauria. They existed from the late Triassic to the end of the Cretaceous Period . Pterosaurs are the earliest vertebrates known to have evolved powered flight...
teeth have also been uncovered in the Galve region, although more substantial remains are rare. However, there are enough remains at the sites to determine that the Galve region hosted a wide variety of pterosaurs at one point. Pterosaurs that have been discovered at this site include ornithocheirids, dsungaripterids, possible gnathosaurines, and istiodactylids.