cometadata/datacite-titles-descriptions-related-identifiers huggingface dataset:
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.28573123.v1
title: Novel record of placodont remains including a <i>Henodus</i> cranium from the Upper Triassic Silves Group of the Algarve, southern Portugal

description: Recent fieldwork in the Upper Triassic deposits of the Silves Group in the Algarve, southern Portugal revealed novel cyamodontid placodont material. The collection includes a partial skull and numerous isolated armor plates from four localities in Silves and Loulé municipalities. The skull shows a strong affinity to henodontid placodonts, especially to <i>Henodus chelyops</i> from Tübingen-Lustnau in Germany. It shares features such as a rectangular outline of the cranium, occurrence of a broad spatulate rostrum, and toothless maxillae with curved longitudinally extending grooves. The only unambiguous difference observed pertains to the more robust and convex snout shape of the new specimen. Based on these multiple similarities, the specimen is identified as <i>Henodus</i> sp., but poor preservation prevents species-level identification. The new specimen from Portugal represents the second record of <i>Henodus</i> and illustrates a wider geographic distribution of that genus, extending beyond the Germanic Basin and reaching coastal areas near the westernmost branch of the Neotethys. The age of the deposits where the cranium was found is not well-established but refers to a time interval within the upper Carnian–Rhaetian, suggesting the specimen may be younger than other henodontid records. The novel <i>Henodus</i> material found in the continental, but likely the near-coastal depositional setting, concurs with the known records of brackish to the freshwater habitat of the other henodontid placodonts. The occurrence of abundant armor plates assigned to Cyamodontidae at multiple sites and stratigraphic horizons indicates that placodonts were common in the south Iberian margin.
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.28387824
title: The first record of <i>Brachypsalis modicus</i> (Carnivora, Mustelidae) in California from the Cuyama Valley (Caliente Formation, Middle Miocene)

description: <i>Brachypsalis</i> are medium-sized mustelid carnivorans known mostly from Hemingfordian to Clarendonian North American Land Mammal Age deposits in the Great Basin and Great Plains regions of North America. In addition to its general rarity along the west coast, most materials assigned to this genus are highly fragmentary and consequently, confident taxonomic assignment is difficult. Here I report on the first confirmed record of <i>Brachypsalis modicus</i> from the west coast. Several jaw and dental fragments of a single adult individual are described from the Barstovian Upper Dome Spring Local Fauna of the Caliente Formation, Cuyama Valley, California. The California record of <i>B. modicus</i> shares with Colorado and Texas specimens in having relatively robust cheek teeth indicative of a hypocarnivorous lifestyle. Associations of <i>Brachypsalis</i> with nearshore marine and non-marine deposits in California indicate potential incorporation of nearshore or marine prey in their diet. <i>Brachypsalis modicus</i> represents a medium-sized, coastal terrestrial carnivoran that may be ecomorphologically convergent with extant lutrine mustelids (river otters) and/or procyonids (raccoons), or alternatively, a niche that is entirely missing from extant carnivoran assemblages along the California coast.
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.28387824.v1
title: The first record of <i>Brachypsalis modicus</i> (Carnivora, Mustelidae) in California from the Cuyama Valley (Caliente Formation, Middle Miocene)

description: <i>Brachypsalis</i> are medium-sized mustelid carnivorans known mostly from Hemingfordian to Clarendonian North American Land Mammal Age deposits in the Great Basin and Great Plains regions of North America. In addition to its general rarity along the west coast, most materials assigned to this genus are highly fragmentary and consequently, confident taxonomic assignment is difficult. Here I report on the first confirmed record of <i>Brachypsalis modicus</i> from the west coast. Several jaw and dental fragments of a single adult individual are described from the Barstovian Upper Dome Spring Local Fauna of the Caliente Formation, Cuyama Valley, California. The California record of <i>B. modicus</i> shares with Colorado and Texas specimens in having relatively robust cheek teeth indicative of a hypocarnivorous lifestyle. Associations of <i>Brachypsalis</i> with nearshore marine and non-marine deposits in California indicate potential incorporation of nearshore or marine prey in their diet. <i>Brachypsalis modicus</i> represents a medium-sized, coastal terrestrial carnivoran that may be ecomorphologically convergent with extant lutrine mustelids (river otters) and/or procyonids (raccoons), or alternatively, a niche that is entirely missing from extant carnivoran assemblages along the California coast.
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.28611580
title: The paleobiology of a new osmeriform fish species from Australia

description: Osmeriformes represent an important component of freshwater ecosystems in Australia and New Zealand and yet are poorly represented in the fossil record in these countries. Here we describe a new species of fossil osmeriform from the Miocene of New South Wales. Australia. Phylogenetic analyses place the species as an early diverging member of the southern radiation of Osmeriformes. The fossils are embedded and mineralized in the iron oxide-hydroxide mineral goethite, resulting in an unusual degree of preservation. Preserved stomach contents indicate an opportunistic benthopelagic diet, evidenced by the remains of numerous phantom midge larvae (<i>Chaoborus abundans</i>), two insect wings, and a bivalve. Another bivalve (Unionidae) was found attached to the tail of one of the specimens. The distribution of melanophores indicates that the species was counter-shaded with two lateral stripes. Discovering this species west of the Great Dividing Range, with a population that includes a range of body sizes, suggests that at least this population if not the species spent its entire life in fresh water, unlike most extant Osmeriformes. The description of <i>F. brocksi</i> highlights the ability of specimens with preserved soft tissues to reveal aspects of the paleobiology of extinct species.
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.28611580.v2
title: The paleobiology of a new osmeriform fish species from Australia

description: Osmeriformes represent an important component of freshwater ecosystems in Australia and New Zealand and yet are poorly represented in the fossil record in these countries. Here we describe a new species of fossil osmeriform from the Miocene of New South Wales. Australia. Phylogenetic analyses place the species as an early diverging member of the southern radiation of Osmeriformes. The fossils are embedded and mineralized in the iron oxide-hydroxide mineral goethite, resulting in an unusual degree of preservation. Preserved stomach contents indicate an opportunistic benthopelagic diet, evidenced by the remains of numerous phantom midge larvae (<i>Chaoborus abundans</i>), two insect wings, and a bivalve. Another bivalve (Unionidae) was found attached to the tail of one of the specimens. The distribution of melanophores indicates that the species was counter-shaded with two lateral stripes. Discovering this species west of the Great Dividing Range, with a population that includes a range of body sizes, suggests that at least this population if not the species spent its entire life in fresh water, unlike most extant Osmeriformes. The description of <i>F. brocksi</i> highlights the ability of specimens with preserved soft tissues to reveal aspects of the paleobiology of extinct species.
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.28512253
title: <i>Infernodrakon hastacollis</i> gen. et sp. nov., a new azhdarchid pterosaur from the Hell Creek Formation of Montana, and the pterosaur diversity of Maastrichtian North America

description: A considerable number of azhdarchid pterosaur fossils have been recovered from Maastrichtian deposits of North America. Historically, most of these specimens have been referred to <i>Quetzalcoatlus</i> based on a preliminary understanding of the genus. Further study of <i>Quetzalcoatlus</i> and other azhdarchids has increased our understanding of the anatomy and diversity of the clade, and warrants reappraisal of specimens previously referred to this genus. Here we redescribe an azhdarchid cervical vertebra recovered from the Maastrichtian Hell Creek Formation of Montana, U.S.A. Digitization of this specimen via laser scanning allows a more detailed assessment and reconstruction of this specimen’s morphology, revealing both unique characters and unique character combinations. We therefore assign this specimen to a new genus and species of medium-sized azhdarchid, <i>Infernodrakon hastacollis</i> gen. et sp. nov. Phylogenetic analysis recovers <i>Infernodrakon</i> as more closely related to <i>Arambourgiania</i> than to <i>Quetzalcoatlus</i>. Review of Maastrichtian azhdarchid material from North America reveals a high diversity despite the relatively fragmentary fossil record for this clade.
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.28512253.v1
title: <i>Infernodrakon hastacollis</i> gen. et sp. nov., a new azhdarchid pterosaur from the Hell Creek Formation of Montana, and the pterosaur diversity of Maastrichtian North America

description: A considerable number of azhdarchid pterosaur fossils have been recovered from Maastrichtian deposits of North America. Historically, most of these specimens have been referred to <i>Quetzalcoatlus</i> based on a preliminary understanding of the genus. Further study of <i>Quetzalcoatlus</i> and other azhdarchids has increased our understanding of the anatomy and diversity of the clade, and warrants reappraisal of specimens previously referred to this genus. Here we redescribe an azhdarchid cervical vertebra recovered from the Maastrichtian Hell Creek Formation of Montana, U.S.A. Digitization of this specimen via laser scanning allows a more detailed assessment and reconstruction of this specimen’s morphology, revealing both unique characters and unique character combinations. We therefore assign this specimen to a new genus and species of medium-sized azhdarchid, <i>Infernodrakon hastacollis</i> gen. et sp. nov. Phylogenetic analysis recovers <i>Infernodrakon</i> as more closely related to <i>Arambourgiania</i> than to <i>Quetzalcoatlus</i>. Review of Maastrichtian azhdarchid material from North America reveals a high diversity despite the relatively fragmentary fossil record for this clade.
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.28611580.v1
title: The paleobiology of a new osmeriform fish species from Australia

description: Osmeriformes represent an important component of freshwater ecosystems in Australia and New Zealand and yet are poorly represented in the fossil record in these countries. Here we describe a new species of fossil osmeriform from the Miocene of New South Wales. Australia. Phylogenetic analyses place the species as an early diverging member of the southern radiation of Osmeriformes. The fossils are embedded and mineralized in the iron oxide-hydroxide mineral goethite, resulting in an unusual degree of preservation. Preserved stomach contents indicate an opportunistic benthopelagic diet, evidenced by the remains of numerous phantom midge larvae (<i>Chaoborus abundans</i>), two insect wings, and a bivalve. Another bivalve (Unionidae) was found attached to the tail of one of the specimens. The distribution of melanophores indicates that the species was counter-shaded with two lateral stripes. Discovering this species west of the Great Dividing Range, with a population that includes a range of body sizes, suggests that at least this population if not the species spent its entire life in fresh water, unlike most extant Osmeriformes. The description of <i>F. brocksi</i> highlights the ability of specimens with preserved soft tissues to reveal aspects of the paleobiology of extinct species.
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.28447149
title: Evolutionary and paleobiogeographic implications of new carcharodontosaurian, megaraptorid, and unenlagiine theropod remains from the upper Lower Cretaceous of Victoria, southeast Australia

description: The Early Cretaceous non-avian theropod body fossil record of Victoria, Australia dominantly comprises isolated dental and postcranial remains. Numerous specimens have been collected from both the upper Strzelecki Group (upper Barremian–lower Aptian) and Eumeralla Formation (upper Aptian–lower Albian), yet theropod diversity in each unit remains poorly resolved. In both deposits, specimens pertaining to Megaraptoridae—a clade seemingly endemic to South America and Australia in the Cretaceous—are most frequently encountered. However, evidence of other typically common Gondwanan theropod groups, including Abelisauridae and Carcharodontosauria, has remained unknown. Herein, we describe five new theropod specimens: three tibiae, and two articulated caudal vertebrae with haemal arches, from the upper Strzelecki Group; and a single tibia from the Eumeralla Formation. Two of these tibiae—one each from the upper Strzelecki Group and the Eumeralla Formation—provide the first evidence for Carcharodontosauria in Australia. Two megaraptorid specimens from the upper Strzelecki Group—a tibia, and two caudal vertebrae with haemal arches—demonstrate that this clade had achieved large body size at the time of its first appearance in the fossil record. A tibia from the upper Strzelecki Group is interpreted to represent the Gondwanan dromaeosaur clade Unenlagiinae. Collectively, the new theropod remains described herein strengthen the evidence for mid-Cretaceous faunal interchange between Australia and South America across Antarctica, and highlight the presence of carcharodontosaurians and unenlagiines at high latitudes in the late Early Cretaceous.
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.28447149.v1
title: Evolutionary and paleobiogeographic implications of new carcharodontosaurian, megaraptorid, and unenlagiine theropod remains from the upper Lower Cretaceous of Victoria, southeast Australia

description: The Early Cretaceous non-avian theropod body fossil record of Victoria, Australia dominantly comprises isolated dental and postcranial remains. Numerous specimens have been collected from both the upper Strzelecki Group (upper Barremian–lower Aptian) and Eumeralla Formation (upper Aptian–lower Albian), yet theropod diversity in each unit remains poorly resolved. In both deposits, specimens pertaining to Megaraptoridae—a clade seemingly endemic to South America and Australia in the Cretaceous—are most frequently encountered. However, evidence of other typically common Gondwanan theropod groups, including Abelisauridae and Carcharodontosauria, has remained unknown. Herein, we describe five new theropod specimens: three tibiae, and two articulated caudal vertebrae with haemal arches, from the upper Strzelecki Group; and a single tibia from the Eumeralla Formation. Two of these tibiae—one each from the upper Strzelecki Group and the Eumeralla Formation—provide the first evidence for Carcharodontosauria in Australia. Two megaraptorid specimens from the upper Strzelecki Group—a tibia, and two caudal vertebrae with haemal arches—demonstrate that this clade had achieved large body size at the time of its first appearance in the fossil record. A tibia from the upper Strzelecki Group is interpreted to represent the Gondwanan dromaeosaur clade Unenlagiinae. Collectively, the new theropod remains described herein strengthen the evidence for mid-Cretaceous faunal interchange between Australia and South America across Antarctica, and highlight the presence of carcharodontosaurians and unenlagiines at high latitudes in the late Early Cretaceous.
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.28483141
title: The first gravid ichthyosaur from the Hauterivian (Early Cretaceous): a complete <i>Myobradypterygius hauthali</i> von Huene, 1927 excavated from the border of the Tyndall Glacier, Torres del Paine National Park, southernmost Chile

description: Ichthyosaurs were pelagic marine reptiles with a global distribution through most of the Mesozoic. Cretaceous Ichthyosauria are mostly known from the northern hemisphere, although findings from the southern hemisphere have been reported from Australia, Argentina, Chile, and New Zealand. Despite these findings that have contributed to knowledge of the clade, there is still a dearth of information about the evolution, phylogenetics, and ecology of Cretaceous ichthyosaurs from the Southernmost Pacific margin of Gondwana. A Lower Cretaceous locality next to the Tyndall Glacier, inside Torres del Paine National Park, southernmost Chile, has yielded 87 ichthyosaur skeletons to date. Most of the specimens recorded from this area are complete and articulated, however, they are affected by recent weathering and the constant erosion. Here we describe a complete platypterygiine ichthyosaur, which we provisionally assign to <i>Myobradypterygius hauthali</i> von Huene, 1927. The specimen was excavated from the border of the glacier in Patagonia during March and April 2022 and corresponds to the first complete excavated ichthyosaur from Chile. This specimen additionally preserves gastrointestinal contents and is the only Hauterivian (131 Ma) ichthyosaur documented to date containing the articulated skeleton of a preserved fetus. This research increases the knowledge of the paleobiology of the species. In addition to morphology, it contributes information regarding paleoecology and paleopathology, diet, and reproduction in <i>M. hauthali</i>, a taxon potentially restricted to the Pacific margin of Gondwana.
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.28483141.v1
title: The first gravid ichthyosaur from the Hauterivian (Early Cretaceous): a complete <i>Myobradypterygius hauthali</i> von Huene, 1927 excavated from the border of the Tyndall Glacier, Torres del Paine National Park, southernmost Chile

description: Ichthyosaurs were pelagic marine reptiles with a global distribution through most of the Mesozoic. Cretaceous Ichthyosauria are mostly known from the northern hemisphere, although findings from the southern hemisphere have been reported from Australia, Argentina, Chile, and New Zealand. Despite these findings that have contributed to knowledge of the clade, there is still a dearth of information about the evolution, phylogenetics, and ecology of Cretaceous ichthyosaurs from the Southernmost Pacific margin of Gondwana. A Lower Cretaceous locality next to the Tyndall Glacier, inside Torres del Paine National Park, southernmost Chile, has yielded 87 ichthyosaur skeletons to date. Most of the specimens recorded from this area are complete and articulated, however, they are affected by recent weathering and the constant erosion. Here we describe a complete platypterygiine ichthyosaur, which we provisionally assign to <i>Myobradypterygius hauthali</i> von Huene, 1927. The specimen was excavated from the border of the glacier in Patagonia during March and April 2022 and corresponds to the first complete excavated ichthyosaur from Chile. This specimen additionally preserves gastrointestinal contents and is the only Hauterivian (131 Ma) ichthyosaur documented to date containing the articulated skeleton of a preserved fetus. This research increases the knowledge of the paleobiology of the species. In addition to morphology, it contributes information regarding paleoecology and paleopathology, diet, and reproduction in <i>M. hauthali</i>, a taxon potentially restricted to the Pacific margin of Gondwana.
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.28677768
title: Moral Machine Learning: Teaching a Course at the Intersection of Applied Statistics and Moral Philosophy

description: Statistical applications are increasingly inducing ethical considerations, which are often not able to be resolved via statistics alone. In this article, we present a proposed course that combines applied statistics and moral philosophy. The instructional methods included are designed with implementation at a large research institution in mind but are fully intended to be transferable to any setting adopting such an interdisciplinary course into its curriculum. The aforementioned methods will foreground case-studies as tangible examples in a recurrent workflow involving identification of a dilemma, statistical analysis, philosophical defense, and application to the particular case study. Formative and summative assessment mechanisms will be presented alongside future directions and potential pitfalls of such a course. Motivating the proposed course is a desire to fill the comparative void in moral reasoning for statistics and data science curricula.
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.28677768.v1
title: Moral Machine Learning: Teaching a Course at the Intersection of Applied Statistics and Moral Philosophy

description: Statistical applications are increasingly inducing ethical considerations, which are often not able to be resolved via statistics alone. In this article, we present a proposed course that combines applied statistics and moral philosophy. The instructional methods included are designed with implementation at a large research institution in mind but are fully intended to be transferable to any setting adopting such an interdisciplinary course into its curriculum. The aforementioned methods will foreground case-studies as tangible examples in a recurrent workflow involving identification of a dilemma, statistical analysis, philosophical defense, and application to the particular case study. Formative and summative assessment mechanisms will be presented alongside future directions and potential pitfalls of such a course. Motivating the proposed course is a desire to fill the comparative void in moral reasoning for statistics and data science curricula.
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.30298989
title: A Student-Centered Exploration of Influential Points in Linear Regression Using Desmos

description: Linear regression, an introductory statistics topic, typically involves finding and evaluating the line of best fit as well as making predictions based on it. However, the subtopic of influential points is often neglected. We present and report on findings of a series of four interactive student-centered activities in Desmos that facilitate student discovery of potential influential points and determine the conditions that would result in them having a large effect on the position and strength of a linear relationship. Placing these activities in the Desmos environment enables students to test their conjectures about leverage points and points with large residuals as they receive immediate feedback that promotes the development of understanding of influential points. Supplementary materials for this article are available online.
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.30298989.v1
title: A Student-Centered Exploration of Influential Points in Linear Regression Using Desmos

description: Linear regression, an introductory statistics topic, typically involves finding and evaluating the line of best fit as well as making predictions based on it. However, the subtopic of influential points is often neglected. We present and report on findings of a series of four interactive student-centered activities in Desmos that facilitate student discovery of potential influential points and determine the conditions that would result in them having a large effect on the position and strength of a linear relationship. Placing these activities in the Desmos environment enables students to test their conjectures about leverage points and points with large residuals as they receive immediate feedback that promotes the development of understanding of influential points. Supplementary materials for this article are available online.