Upper Cretaceous marine Pycnodontiformes from the northern Portuguese onshore of the West Iberian Margin: description of new large specimens

Early studies on Cretaceous pycnodontiforms from the West Iberian Margin were based on isolated dental elements collected in the late nineteenth century. Mid-twentieth century fieldwork provided additional material, including articulated specimens, and later research by the University of Coimbra recovered further dental remains from Upper Cretaceous units of the Coimbra–Figueira da Foz region. Most of this material remains unpublished. Here, seven specimens are described, six of them for the first time. Although incomplete, they are well preserved and represent large-bodied pycnodonts individuals. These specimens offer novel insights into the anatomy of the dental apparatus and the palaeoecology of pycnodonts from the carbonate platforms of the West Iberian Margin, thereby enhancing our understanding of the structure and dynamics of coastal ecosystems in this branch of the southwest European Tethys Realm during the Late Cretaceous.