Nuthetes sp.

Allain, Ronan, Vullo, Romain, Rozada, Lee, Anquetin, Jérémy, Bourgeais, Renaud, Goedert, Jean, Lasseron, Maxime, Martin, Jeremy E., Pérez-García, Adán, Fabrègues, Claire Peyre De, Royo-Torres, Rafael, Augier, Dominique & Bailly, Gilles, 2022, Vertebrate paleobiodiversity of the Early Cretaceous (Berriasian) Angeac-Charente Lagerstätte (southwestern France): implications for continental faunal turnover at the J / K boundary, Geodiversitas 44 (25), pp. 683-752 : 724

cf. Nuthetes sp.

( Fig. 28 E-G)

DESCRIPTION

Several isolated dromaeosaurid teeth, including the two reported here (ANG M-61; ANG M-45), were recovered following sampling and screening-washing of a gravel lens, rich in lignite and fossil bone remains ( Fig. 28 E-G). These teeth lack a serrated mesial carina, as in Tsaagan mangas ( Norell et al. 2006) and some teeth of Nuthetes destructor ( Milner 2002) . ANG M-61 is a complete tooth crown, and is more rounded. It is strongly recurved and its distal carina runs along half the length of the lingual face of the crown ( Fig. 28G ). There are 32 denticles per 5 mm on distal carina. This tooth is identified as a mesial tooth. ANG M-45 is the apical part of a second tooth ( Fig. 28 E-F). Its crown is more labiolingually compressed, and this tooth is identified as a lateral tooth. The distal carina bears numerous distinct denticles. In both teeth, the enamel surface is devoid of ornamentation.

Teeth identical in every way to those of Angeac-Charente have also been reported from the Berriasian of Cherves-de-Cognac ( Pouech 2008) and from the Tithonian of Chassiron ( Vullo et al. 2014). All these teeth from Charente are similar to those of the dromaeosaurid Nuthetes destructor from the Purbeck Group of southern England ( Milner 2002), and are tentatively referred to this genus.

Figures

FIG. 28. — Theropod teeth from Angeac-Charente: A-C, Archaeopterygid tooth (ANG M-09) in lingual (A) and labial (B, C) views; D, Archaeopterygid tooth (ANG M-08) in lingual view; E, F, cf. Nuthetes sp. (ANG M-45) in lingual (E) and distal (F) views; G, cf. Nuthetes sp. (ANG M-61) in lingual view; H, tooth of Tyrannosauroidea indet. (ANG17-5342) in lingual view; I, J, tooth of Tyrannosauroidea indet. (ANG M-73) in lingual (I) and distal (J) views; K, Megalosauridae? indet. (ANG17 R-1748) in lingual view (J); L, M, Megalosauridae? indet. (ANG17-5650) in labial (L) and (M) lingual views; N, Megalosauridae? indet. (ANG M-121) in lingual view. Scale bar: A, B, 1 mm; C-F, 400 µm; G, 5 mm; H-N, 1 cm.