Biogeologie

Mesozoic Ecosystems and Reptiles

In a nutshell

What does our research in this field focus on?
In our research, we work with fossil vertebrates from a variety of Mesozoic ecosystems (252–66 million years before present), mainly representing terrestrial but also marine fauns. Past and ongoing projects involve the Late Jurassic of central Europe (the marine Plattenkalk biota of Germany), the Late Jurassic–Early Cretaceous of China (the Junggar Basin and the Jehol biota), as well as the Late Cretaceous of Eastern Europe (western Romania and eastern Hungary). In addition to studying individual faunas from different times and places, we try to link these insights to reconstruct the evolution of Mesozoic terrestrial ecosystems in general, as well as the morphological evolution of certain reptile groups (dinosaurs, pterosaurs, crocodyliforms, turtles).

Which key methods or approaches do we commonly use?
In order to study extinct vertebrates, we employ very different methods. These include classical osteological descriptions and comparisons of fossil vertebrates to clarify their taxonomy, as well as cladistics to reconstruct their phylogeny. This classical approach is complimented by the use of modern technology (µCT-scan imaging, 3D printing) and quantitative approaches (geometric morphometrics). Moreover, the analysis of bioerosion on bones (mostly feeding traces and bite marks using light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy), as well as the analysis of the chemical composition of bones and teeth (stable isotope geochemistry using mass spectrometry), is used to reconstruct the ecology of fossil vertebrates and the trophic interactions among different animals of a given ecosystem.

What is our main contribution to this research field?
One of our main contributions to this research field is describing and re-evaluating the diversity of select past ecosystems, for which a firm understanding of the taxonomy is crucial. This includes (but is not limited to) the description of species new to science (e.g., the dinosaur Transylvanosaurus platycephalus and the turtle Dortoka vremiri from the Late Cretaceous of Romania, the crocodylian Alligator munensis from the Quaternary of Thailand and the turtle Xiaochelys ningchengensis from the Early Cretaceous Jehol Biota of eastern China). Another main contribution is to arrive at a better understanding of the palaeoecology of individual animals and entire ecosystems, e.g., reconstructing the decomposition of carcasses in the Late Cretaceous of Romania, or describing a feeding place of large carnivorous theropods from the Late Jurassic of China. Finally, our work on phylogenetic relationships of various groups of dinosaurs, crocodyliforms and turtles lead to a better understanding of the evolution of the respective groups throughout their fossil record. 

Associated Projects

Finished projects:

 

 

Core research team & scientific network

Biogeology research group

Scientific network

  • Zoltan Csiki-Sava (University of Bucharest, Romania)
  • Attila Ősi, János Magyar, Gabor Botfalvai (all Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary)
  • Dylan Bastiaans (NHM Maastricht)
  • Walter Joyce
  • Krzysztof Owocki (Institute of Palaeobiology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland)

PhD, M.Sc. and B.Sc. students (past 5 years)

2025

Anne Bettermann (M.Sc. Geowissenschaften): 
Not only boring issues: bioerosion on bones from the Upper Cretaceous of the Haţeg Basin (Romania) and the implications for carcass decomposition on Haţeg Island. (H. Bocherens, F. Augustin)

 

Publications

* Augustin, F.J., Csiki-Sava, Z., Matzke, A.T., Botfalvai, G., Rabi, M. 2021. A new latest Cretaceous pleurodiran turtle (Testudinata: Dortokidae) from the Hateg Basin (Romania) documents end-Cretaceous faunal provinciality and selective survival during the K-Pg extinction. Journal of Systematic Palaeontology 19: 1059-1081.https://doi.org/10.1080/14772019.2021.2009583 

* Augustin, F.J., Matzke, A.T., Maisch, M.W., Pfretzschner, H.-U. 2021. New information on Lonchognathosaurus (Pterosauria: Dsungaripteridae) from the Lower Cretaceous of the southern Junggar Basin (NW China). Cretaceous Research 124: 104808.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cretres.2021.104808 

* Augustin, F.J., Matzke, A.T., Maisch, M.W., Pfretzschner, H.-U. 2021. Dinosaur taphonomy of the Jurassic Shishugou Formation (Northern Junggar Basin, NW China) – insights from bioerosional trace fossils on bone. Ichnos, 28(2): 87-96.  https://doi.org/10.1080/10420940.2021.1890590

* Augustin, F.J., Bastiaans, D.,  Dumbravă, M.D., Csiki-Sava, Z., 2022. A new ornithopod dinosaur, Transylvanosaurus platycephalus gen. et sp. nov. (Dinosauria:Ornithischia), from the Upper Cretaceous of the Haţeg Basin, Romania, Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, 42:2 e2133610 https://doi.org/10.1080/02724634.2022.2133610 , Press release

* Augustin, F.J., Dumbravă, M.D., Bastiaans, D., Csiki-Sava, Z. 2022. Reappraisal of the braincase anatomy of the ornithopod dinosaurs Telmatosaurus and Zalmoxes from the Upper Cretaceous of the Haţeg Basin (Romania) and the taxonomic reassessment of some previously referred specimens. PalZ, 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12542-022-00621-x

* Augustin, F.J., Kampouridis, P., Hartung, J., Abersdörfer, R., Matzke, A.T., 2022. The geologically oldest specimen of Pterodactylus: a new exquisitely preserved skeleton from the Upper Jurassic (Kimmeridgian) Plattenkalk deposits of Peinten (Bavaria, Germany). Fossil Record 25(2): 331-343. https://zoobank.org/E342050A-E2C2-47F4-A315-09B507E6D267 

* Augustin, F.J., Matzke, A.T., Maisch, M.W., Csiki-Sava, Z. 2022. Pterosaur remains from the Lower Cretaceous Lianmuxin Formation (upper Tugulu Group) of the southern Junggar Basin (NW China). Historical Biology 34: 312-321. https://doi.org/10.1080/08912963.2021.1910819 

* Augustin, F.J., Matzke, A.T., Maisch, M.W., Kampouridis, P., Csiki-Sava, Z. 2022. The first record of pterosaurs from the Lower Cretaceous Hutubei Formation (lower Tugulu Group) of the southern Junggar Basin (NW China) – A glimpse into an unusual ecosystem. Cretaceous Research 130: 105066. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cretres.2021.105066

* Augustin, F.J., Ösi, A., Csiki-Sava, Z., 2023. The Rhabdodontidae (Dinosauria, Ornithischia), an enigmatic group endemic to the Late Cretaceous European Archipelago. Fossil Record 26(2): 171-189. https://zoobank.org/3168FE10-A551-4F73-8D99-0FE627D642C0 Media report

* Augustin, F.J., Rabi, M., Spindler, F., Kampouridis, P., Hartung, J., Albersdörfer, R, Matzke, A.T. 2023. A new specimen of Solnhofia parsonsi from the Upper Jurassic (Kimmeridgian) Plattenkalk deposits of Painten (Bavaria, Germany) and comments on the relationship between limb taphonomy and habitat ecology in fossil turtles. PLoS ONE 18(7): e0287936. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0287936 press release (German) press release (English)

* Ebner, A.J., Csiki-Sava, Z., Treiber, T., Totoianu, R., Augustin, F.J., 2025. First hadrosauroid record from Petreşti-Arini (Transylvanian Basin, Romania; Upper Cretaceous) and its implications for the evolution of the Hațeg Island vertebrate faunas. Palaeoworld 34(5): 200937. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palwor.2025.200937 

* Li, L., Zhou, C.F., Rabi, M., 2022. The skeletal anatomy of Manchurochelys manchoukuoensis (Pan-Cryptodira: Sinemydidae) from the Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation. Historical Biology 34: 538-554. https://doi.org/10.1080/08912963.2021.1934834

* Magyar, J., Csiki-Sava, Z., Osi, A., Augustin, F.J., Botfalvai, G., 2024. Rhabdodontid (Dinosauria, Ornithopoda) diversity suggested by the first documented occurrence of associated cranial and postcranial material at Valioara (uppermost Cretaceous Densus-Ciula Formation, Hateg Basin, Romania). Cretaceous Research 156: 105810. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cretres.2023.105810 

* Maidment, S., Butler, R.J., Brusatte, S.L., Meade, L.E., Augustin, F.J., Csiki-Sava, Z. Ösi, A., in press. A hidden diversity of ceratopsian dinosaurs in Late Cretaceous Europe. Nature https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-09897-w 

* Owocki, K., Kremer, B., Cotte, M., Bocherens, H., 2020. Diet preferences and climate inferred from Oxygen and Carbon isotopes of tooth enamel of Tarbosaurus bataar (Nemegt Formation, Mongolia). Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 537: 109190. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2019.05.012 media report

* Treiber, T., Csiki-Sava, Z., Ebner, A.J., Augustin, F., 2025. New report of Late Cretaceous struthiosaurids from the Hateg Basin, with an overview of the Transylvanian ankylosaur fossil record. Palaeobiodiversity and Palaeoenvironments 105: 517-543. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12549-025-00661-6 

*Tschopp, E., Araújo, R., Brusatte, S.L., Hendrickx, C., Macaluso, L., Maidment, S.C.R., Rabi, M., Rashid, D., Romano, C., Williamson, T., 2020. Dinosaurs, but not only: Vertebrate evolution in the Mesozoic. In: E. Martinetto et al. (eds), Nature through time. Springer textbooks in Earth Sciences, Geography and Environment. https://doi.org/10.1007.978-3-030-35058-1_7 

Uhl, D., Bocherens, H., El Atfy, H., Havlik, P., Methner, K., Mulch, A., Solórzano Kraemer, M.M., 2020. Die Umwelt zu Edmonds Lebzeiten. Senckenberg / Natur-Forschung-Museum 150: 56-65. 

* Walter, J., Massonne, T., Paiva, A.L.S., Martin, J.E., Delino, M., Rabi, M., 2025. Expanded phylogeny elucidates Deinosuchus relationships, crocodilian osmoregulation and body-size evolution. Communications Biology 8, 611. https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-025-07653-4 media report 1

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