The fossil vertebrates from Lano (Basque Country, Spain); new evidence on the composition and affinities of the Late Cretaceous continental faunas of Europe

Abstract
A newly discovered fossil locality at Lano (Basque Country) has yielded a vertebrate assemblage of probably Maastrichtian age comprising fishes, amphibians, reptiles and mammals. It considerably enlarges our knowledge of the Late Cretaceous continental faunas of Europe, hitherto based on a much less complete record. Some taxa are recorded for the first time in Europe, and the fauna also contains the oldest known representatives of some groups (amphisbaenians, salamandrids). The Lan assemblage reveals an original fauna comprising both forms related to Asian and North American groups and elements with Gondwanan affinities.