Biogeologie

Diversity and palaeoecology of the latest Cretaceous vertebrates from Transylvania

In a nutshell

The late Cretaceous was a pivotal period in terrestrial evolution, culminating in a major mass extinction. However, evidence on ecosystem dynamics in the final millions of years before the extinction is scarce, especially in Europe. Even well-known faunas like those of Transylvania (western Romania) face unresolved questions about taxonomic and ecological diversity. Recently discovered fossil vertebrates from the region offer new insights but await detailed study, including palaeoecological analysis.

This project aims to reevaluate taxonomic diversity and reconstruct aspects of the ecology of late Cretaceous vertebrates from Transylvania, focusing on new, exceptionally preserved specimens of dinosaurs, crocodyliforms, and turtles. Preliminary findings suggest greater diversity among ornithopods and turtles but overestimated crocodyliform diversity. Key methods include µCT-based osteological analyses and stable isotope studies (δ13C, δ18O) to explore habitat and dietary niche partitioning among taxa. These results will enhance our understanding of European ecosystems just before the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction.

Team & Collaborators

Prof. Hervé Bocherens
Biogeology, Dept. of Geoscience, University of Tübingen
Hölderlinstrasse 12, 72074 Tübingen, Germany
herve.bocherens@uni-tuebingen.de

Dr. Márton Rabi
Biogeology, Dept. of Geoscience, University of Tübingen
Hölderlinstrasse 12, 72074 Tübingen, Germany
marton.rabi@uni-tuebingen.de

Dr. Zoltán Csiki-Sava
Laboratory of Paleontology, Faculty of Geology and Geophysics, University of Bucharest
1 N. Balcescu Blvd. 010041 Bucharest, Romania
zoltan.csiki@g.unibuc.ro

Funding

Project funded by the DFG (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, German Research Foundation)

Principal investigator (PI): Dr. Felix Augustin, 
Co-Investigators: Assoc.-Prof. Dr. Zoltán Csiki-Sava, Prof. Dr. Hervé Bocherens, Dr. Márton Rabi

Duration: March 2024–February 2027 (36 months)
Grant-No. (Projektnummer): 533750820

https://gepris.dfg.de/gepris/projekt/533750820
https://fit.uni-tuebingen.de/Project/Details?id=10620

Gallery and News

Publications

Papers (publications with peer review process)

Maidment, S. C. R.*, Butler, R. J., Brusatte, S. L., Meade, L. E., Augustin, F. J., Csiki-Sava, Z., Ősi, A. (2026): A hidden diversity of ceratopsian dinosaurs in Late Cretaceous Europe. Nature (https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09897-w).

Treiber, T.*, Csiki-Sava, Z., Ebner, A. J., Augustin, F. J.* (2025): New report of Late Cretaceous struthiosaurids from the Haţeg Basin, with an overview of the Transylvanian ankylosaur fossil record. Palaeobiodiversity and Palaeoenvironments, 105, 517–543. 

Ebner, A. J.*, Csiki-Sava, Z., Treiber, T., Totoianu, T., Augustin, F. J.* (2025): First hadrosauroid record from Petreşti-Arini (Transylvanian Basin, Romania; Upper Cretaceous) and its implications for the evolution of the Haţeg Island vertebrate faunas. Palaeoworld, 34, 200937 (1–10). 

Conference abstracts (publications without peer review process)

Augustin, F. J.*, Treiber, T., Csiki-Sava, Z. (2025): New material of the rhabdodontid Transylvanosaurusplatycephalus (Dinosauria: Ornithischia) from the uppermost Cretaceous of the Haţeg Basin (western Romania). Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, Program and Abstracts, 92–93.

Maidment, S. C. R.*, Butler, R. J., Brusatte, S. L., Meade, L. E., Augustin, F. J., Csiki-Sava, Z., Ősi, A. (2025): Ceratopsian dinosaurs were widespread in the Upper Cretaceous of Europe. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, Program and Abstracts, 401–402.

Augustin, F. J.*, Csiki-Sava, Z. (2025): Meaningful smiles - The diagnostic value of the rhabdodontid dentition. Book of Abstracts of the 15th Romanian Symposium on Palaeontology at Cluj, Romania, 26–27.

Augustin, F. J.*, Csiki-Sava, Z., Rabi, M. (2025): New important turtle specimens from the Upper Cretaceous of the Haţeg Basin (Transylvania, western Romania). Book of Abstracts of the 15th Romanian Symposium on Palaeontology at Cluj, Romania, 28–29.

Nikolov, V.*, Augustin, F. J., Csiki-Sava, Z. (2025): Feast on the bones of titans: Diverse traces of bioerosion on dinosaur and turtle bones from the Upper Cretaceous of Bulgaria. Book of Abstracts of the 15th Romanian Symposium on Palaeontology at Cluj, Romania, 90–91.

Csiki-Sava, Z.*, Augustin, F. J., Vasile, Ş., Magyar, J., Botfalvai, G. (2025): Recalibrating the Faunal Evolution of the Late Cretaceous ‘Hateg Island’ (Transylvania, Romania). Book of Abstracts of the International Scientific Conference of Interdisciplinary Archaeology at Orheiul Vechi, Moldova, 1–3.

Augustin, F. J.*, Bettermann, A., Csiki-Sava, Z. (2025): Not only boring issues: bioerosion on bones and their implications for carcass decomposition on Haţeg Island. Book of Abstracts of the 22 Annual Meeting of the European Association of Vertebrate Palaeontologists at Krakow, Poland, 39–40.

Czepiński, Ł.*, Augustin, F. J., Magyar, J., Bastiaans, D., Botfalvai, G., Madzia, D., Csiki-Sava, Z. (2025): Reevaluating the diversity and disparity of Transylvanian rhabdodontid (Ornithopoda) dinosaurs. Book of Abstracts of the 22 Annual Meeting of the European Association of Vertebrate Palaeontologists at Krakow, Poland, 104–105.

Augustin, F. J.*, Magyar, J., Bastiaans, D., Botfalvai, G., Csiki-Sava, Z. (2025): Revisiting the diversity of rhabdodontid dinosaurs from Transylvania. Book of Abstracts of the 5th Palaeontological Virtual Congress (Online), 296.

Ebner, A. J.*, Csiki-Sava, Z., Treiber, T., Totoianu, R., Augustin, F. J. (2025): Early advent of hadrosauroids on Hațeg Island. Book of Abstracts of the 5th Palaeontological Virtual Congress (Online), 303.

Treiber, T.*, Csiki-Sava, Z., Ebner, A. J., Augustin, F. J. (2025): Rare but not forgotten - the latest Cretaceous struthiosaurid record of Haţeg Island. Book of Abstracts of the 5th Palaeontological Virtual Congress (Online), 320.

* = Corresponding author(s)

Public Outreach