中国南方首次发现的基干禽龙类化石新属种

广西壮族自治区扶绥县那派盆地早白垩世新隆组中产有包含蜥脚类、兽脚类、鸟脚类、疑似鹦鹉嘴龙类的恐龙动物群,但鸟脚类的属种鉴定尚不能进一步确认。最近发现于那派盆地新的鸟脚类肠骨、坐骨化石材料,显示出基干禽龙类的典型形态,其特征又不同于该类群其他已知属种,应代表禽龙类一新属新种,被命名为广西那派龙Napaisaurus guangxiensis gen.et sp.nov.。这是我国南方地区首个禽龙类新属种,不仅丰富了扶绥那派盆地早白垩世恐龙动物群的内容,也为探讨那派恐龙动物群与东南亚泰国以及中国北方等地同期恐龙动物群的关系提供了新的重要依据。

First New Genus and Species of Basal Iguanodontian Dinosaur (Ornithischia: Ornithopoda) from Southern China

The Early Cretaceous dinosaur fauna composed of sauropods, theropods, ornithopods and possible psittacosaurids was known from the Xinlong Formation of Napai Basin, Fusui County, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, South China. However, the generic and species level of ornithopods has not been determined. In 2020, a right ilium and a right ischium were discovered in Napai that showed diagnostic morphologies of basal iguanodontians. The characteristics of the ilium and ischium differ from other known iguanodontian taxa, suggesting that the Napai samples are from a new taxon. Therefore, Napaisaurus guangxiensis gen. et sp. nov. has been established, representing the first named basal iguanodontian taxon from southern China. The new finding enriches the variety of the Napai dinosaur fauna found in southern China. It also provides more crucial evidence for understanding the relationships of the Early Cretaceous dinosaur faunas between the Napai Basin and Thailand in Southeast Asia, as well as those between the Napai Basin and northern China.