Protathlitis
Temporal range: Early Cretaceous, Barremian
129.4–125 Ma
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Skeletal diagram of the related Baryonyx, showing the known bones of Protathlitis in red
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Clade: Dinosauria
Clade: Saurischia
Clade: Theropoda
Family: †Spinosauridae
Subfamily: †Baryonychinae
Genus: †Protathlitis
Santos-Cubedo et al., 2023
Type species
†Protathlitis cinctorrensis
Santos-Cubedo et al., 2023

Protathlitis (meaning "champion") is a genus of spinosaurid dinosaur from the Early Cretaceous (Barremian) Arcillas de Morella Formation of Castellón, Spain. The type and only species is Protathlitis cinctorrensis, known from a partial skeleton. It was a basal member of the Baryonychinae.[1] Its discovery, as well as those of the spinosaurids Camarillasaurus, Iberospinus, Riojavenatrix, and the contemporary Vallibonavenatrix shows that the Iberian Peninsula held a diverse assemblage of spinosaurids during the Early Cretaceous.[2]

Discovery and naming

The holotype remains, the maxillary fragment 8ANA-109 and caudal vertebrae 3ANA83, 4ANA43, 4ANA69, 4ANA76, and 5ANA78, were recovered from the ANA site of the Arcillas de Morella Formation, which was discovered in 1998 and remained unexplored until 2002. A tooth, 4ANA-11, possibly from the left mandible or right maxilla, was also referred.

The remains were described as a new genus and species of spinosaurid in 2023, Protathlitis cinctorrensis. The genus name, "Protathlitis", is Greek for "champion", and is dedicated to the 2020–21 UEFA Europa League won by Villareal C.F. and in light of the club's centenary in 2023. The specific name, "cinctorrensis", honors Cinctorres, the town where the remains were discovered.[1]

In 2024, Montealegre, Castillo-Visa & Sellés tentatively assigned specimen IPS919, a nearly complete tooth including a partial root from the Arcillas de Morella Formation, to cf. Protathlitis.[3]

Classification

Santos-Cubedo et al. (2023) performed a phylogenetic analysis, placing Protathlitis as the basalmost member the Baryonychinae. Their results are shown in the cladogram below:[1]

Speculative life reconstruction
Spinosauridae
Camarillasaurus
Baryonychinae

Protathlitis

Baryonyx

Ceratosuchops
Suchomimus
Spinosaurinae
Ichthyovenator
Vallibonavenatrix
Spinosaurus
Irritator

Palaeoenvironment

Protathlitis hails from the Arcillas de Morella Formation, which has been dated to the Barremian stage of the Early Cretaceous period, between 129.4 and 125 million years ago. It coexisted in this environment with other dinosaurs including the ornithischians Iguanodon bernissartensis and Morelladon beltrani, an indeterminate sauropod, and the fellow spinosaurid Vallibonavenatrix.[4][5][6]

References

  1. ^ a b c Santos-Cubedo, A.; de Santisteban, C.; Poza, B.; Meseguer, S. (2023). "A new spinosaurid dinosaur species from the Early Cretaceous of Cinctorres (Spain)". Scientific Reports. 13 (1). 6471. doi:10.1038/s41598-023-33418-2. hdl:10234/203142.
  2. ^ Isasmendi, E.; Cuesta, E.; Díaz-Martínez, I.; Company, J.; Sáez-Benito, P.; Viera, L. I.; Torices, A.; Pereda-Suberbiola, P. (2024). "Increasing the theropod record of Europe: a new basal spinosaurid from the Enciso Group of the Cameros Basin (La Rioja, Spain). Evolutionary implications and palaeobiodiversity". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. doi:10.1093/zoolinnean/zlad193.
  3. ^ Montealegre, Adrian; Castillo-Visa, Oscar; Sellés, Albert (2024-01-31). "New theropod remains from the late Barremian (Early Cretaceous) of Eastern Iberian Peninsula". Historical Biology: 1–11. doi:10.1080/08912963.2024.2308220. ISSN 0891-2963.
  4. ^ Weishampel, David B; et al. (2004). "Dinosaur distribution (Early Cretaceous, Europe)." In: Weishampel, David B.; Dodson, Peter; and Osmólska, Halszka (eds.): The Dinosauria, 2nd, Berkeley: University of California Press. Pp. 562. ISBN 0-520-24209-2.
  5. ^ Verdú, F.J.; Godefroit, P.; Royo-Torres, R.; Cobos, A.; Alcalá, L. (2017). "Individual variation in the postcranial skeleton of the Early Cretaceous Iguanodon bernissartensis (Dinosauria: Ornithopoda)". Cretaceous Research. 74: 65–86. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2017.02.006.
  6. ^ Malafaia, E.; Miguel Gasulla, J.; Escaso, F.; Narváez, I.; Luis Sanz, J.; Ortega, F. (2019). "A new spinosaurid theropod (Dinosauria: Megalosauroidea) from the late Barremian of Vallibona, Spain: Implications for spinosaurid diversity in the Early Cretaceous of the Iberian Peninsula". Cretaceous Research. 106: 104221. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2019.104221. S2CID 202189246.
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