New record of E gertonia ( E lopiformes, P hyllodontidae) from the L ate C retaceous of S outh I ndia

We report a new occurrence of the phyllodontid teleost fish E gertonia from the L ate C retaceous K allamedu F ormation of the C auvery B asin, S outh I ndia. This is the oldest occurrence of P hyllodontidae in I ndia, and only the second C retaceous G ondwanan occurrence of this genus, following a toothplate previously described from the L ate C retaceous M aevarano F ormation, M adagascar. The presence of phyllodontid fish supports a fluvial–deltaic or brackish environment for the lower part of the K allamedu F ormation, a rich deposit including typically G ondwanan taxa, such as simosuchid crocodiles, bothremydid turtles and abelisaurid dinosaurs, as well as an anomalous troodontid dinosaur. E gertonia adds another taxon of primarily L aurasian distribution to the K allamedu fauna and further expands the list of taxa known from the L ate C retaceous of both I ndia and M adagascar, strengthening the degree of faunal similarity between the two landmasses in the latest C retaceous.