A New Basal Neoceratopsian Dinosaur from the Middle Cretaceous of Jilin Province,China

A new basal neoceratopsian dinosaur, Helioceratops brachygnathus gen. et sp. nov., is described from the Quantou Formation (late Early Cretaceous or early Late Cretaceous) in the Liufangzi locality (Jilin province, China). Helioceratops differs from other basal neoceratopsians with its deep dentary ramus, its steeply-inclined ventral predentary facet, its heterogeneous dentary crowns, and by the denticles and secondary ridges asymmetrically distributed on either side of the primary ridge on its dentary teeth. Along with Auroraceratops and Yamaceratops, Helioceratops represents one of the most derived non-coronosaurian neoceratopsians. The palaeogeographical distribution of basal neoceratopsians appears limited to northern China and southern Mongolia in the current state of our knowledge. It is therefore probable that this region constituted the birthplace for more advanced, Late Cretaceous Coronosauria.     

A New Iguanodontian Dinosaur from the Lower Cretaceous Khok Kruat Formation,Nakhon Ratchasima in Northeastern Thailand

Here we report a new iguanodontian dentary found from the Lower Cretaceous Khok Kruat Formation, Nakhon Ratchasima, northeast Thailand. A unique character, which is an elongated and flat shape of the dentary ramus, makes it possible to assign the specimen to the new genus of non‐hadrosaurid iguanodontian, Ratchasimasaurus suranareae gen. et sp. nov. R. suranareae shows both primitive and derived characters, such as a caudally inclined coronoid process and alveolar trough with a primitive crown impression, and a derived buccal shelf between tooth row and coronoid process. The discovery of a new iguanodontian from the Indochina Terrene, considering that the previously reported “Probactrosaurus‐like” iguanodontian, points out a great diversity of this group in the late Early Cretaceous in Thailand, and corresponds to the Asian iguanodontian diversity at that time.     

Evolution of Dentary Diastema in Iguanodontian Dinosaurs

The dentary diastema of iguanodontians has been considered to be related to its unique jaw mechanism for herbivorous adaptation. The dentary and diastema lengths of iguanodontians were measured and compared to elucidate the evolution of iguanodontian diastema. A gap in ratios between most non-hadrosaurid iguanodontians and hadrosaurids was observed, suggesting that all non-hadrosaurid iguanodontians, expect for Ouranosaurus nigeriensis and Protohadros byrdi, lack a diastema or have a short diastema, although some other taxa have been considered to have a long diastema in previous studies. In non-hadrosaurid iguanodontians, some large-sized forms, such as Iguanodon bernissartensis, Shuangmiaosaurus gilmorei, and possibly Eolambia caroljonesa, had a short diastema through ontogeny, whereas Ouranosaurus nigeriensis and Protohadros byrdi developed a long diastema convergently. The development of a long diastema of hadrosaurine hadrosaurids may be different from that of lambeosaurine hadrosaurids. Some hadrosaurines (Edmontosaurus annectens, Edmontosaurus regalis, and Saurolophus angustirostris) may have developed a long diastema in the subadult stage and showed little elongation of dentary diastema through ontogeny. Lambeosaurines (Corythosaurus casuarius and Lambeosaurus lambei) tend to have a short diastema in the embryonic and subadult stages, and an elongated diastema from the subadult to adult stages.     

New specimens of Stenocybus acidentatus (Therapsida: Dinocephalia) from the Middle Permian Dashankou Fauna of China

The basal dinocephalian clade Stenocybusidae was known from two incomplete specimens representing one generus,Stenocybus,from Dashankou fanua in Yumen,Gansu Province of China.The holotype of Stenocybus acidentatus is laterally compressed,making some characters unclear.Here we describe two new specimens of Stenocybus acidentatus from the same locality,an anterior portion of skull with articulated jaws,and a right dentary with nearly complete dentition.They show some detailed features on the morphology of the premaxilla,maxilla,nasal,external nares and dentary.The phylogenetic relationship between Stenocybus acidentatus and the relatively large Sinophoneus yumenensis is still difficult to determine,and needs more new complete material and further evidences.     

First record of Early Cretaceous pterosaur from the Ordos Region,Inner Mongolia,China

A new dsungaripterid pterosaur, Ordosipterus planignathus gen. et sp. nov., is established on the incomplete articulated lower jaws from the Lower Cretaceous Luohandong Formation in Otog Qi, Ordos Region, Inner Mongolia, China. It differs from other dsungaripterids mainly by having broad and low dentary at and just behind the mandibular symphysis, flat dentary dorsal plane forming the distinct lateral ridge with the curved dentary lateral side, and lower alveoli arranged along the dentary dorsolateral margin with wide spacing that increases from rostral to caudal. It represents the first diagnostic pterosaur from the Ordos Region in Inner Mongolia, and further enlarges the geographical distribution of the family Dsungaripteridae from northwestern China (together with western Mongolia) to central North China.     

Troodontidae (Dinosauria: Theropoda) from the Upper Cretaceous of Uzbekistan

To date three taxa of troodontid theropod dinosaurs have been recognized from Upper Cretaceous strata in two regions of the Kyzylkum Desert in Uzbekistan. The Cenomanian Khodzhakul Formation in the southwestern Kyzylkum Desert has yielded isolated serrated teeth and some postcranial bones of an indeterminate troodontid. In the central Kyzylkum Desert troodontids are known from the Cenomanian Dzharakuduk Formation (Urbacodon itemirensis) and the Turonian Bissekty Formation (Urbacodon sp.). Urbacodon itemirensis is known from a single dentary whereas Urbacodon sp. is represented by isolated teeth, maxilla and dentary fragments, a partial braincase, and some postcranial bones. The troodontid affinities of Urbacodon are supported by several synapomorphies: presence of a subotic recess; reduced basal tubera placed directly under the occipital condyle; maxilla participating in the margin of the external naris; nutrient foramina on dentary situated within a deep lateral groove; dentary without distinct interdental plates; large number of small dentary and maxillary teeth; teeth constricted between root and crown; anterior dentary teeth smaller, more numerous, more closely spaced than those in the middle of the tooth row, and implanted in a groove; posterior dorsal vertebrae with tall and posterodorsally tapering neural spines; and presence of a midline sulcus on the neural arches of distal caudals. Among Troodontidae, Urbacodon resembles Byronosaurus, Gobivenator, and Xixiasaurus in the absence of serrations on the tooth crowns and having premaxillary teeth that are D-shaped in cross-section. However, phylogenetic analysis did not recover a clade of Asiatic troodontids with unserrated teeth.     

黑龙江嘉荫晚白垩世一鸭嘴龙亚科恐龙齿骨化石

鸭嘴龙科(Hadrosauridae)化石根据头骨特征等被划分为鸭嘴龙亚科(Hadrosaurinae,无头冠)和赖氏龙亚科(Lambeosaurinae,有头冠)。黑龙江嘉荫龙骨山晚白垩世渔亮子组保存了丰富的鸭嘴龙化石,其中黑龙江满洲龙Mandschurosaurus amurensis(Riabinin,1925)是最早在中国发现的恐龙,属鸭嘴龙亚科;嘉荫卡龙Charonosaurus jiayinensis(Godefroit et al,2000)也是在这里发现的,属赖氏龙亚科。本文描述了采自嘉荫龙骨山的部分左齿骨化石和一些牙齿化石,新的化石明显属于鸭嘴龙亚科,主要特征为:齿骨每个牙列有5个以上的牙齿,牙冠边缘小锯齿由乳头状小瘤构成。新发现的牙齿牙冠上发育有明显的第二、三副脊,这在鸭嘴龙中是罕见的。新发现的化石明显不同于产于同一地点的嘉荫卡龙,但由于黑龙江满洲龙模式标本没有保存牙齿,因此暂不能与之充分对比。     

A Nwe Hadrosauroid Dinosaur from the Mid—Cretaceous of Liaoning,China

A new hadrosauroid dinosaur,Shuangmiaosaurus gilmorei gen.et sp.nov,is descuibed based on a complete left maxilla with articulated premaxilla and lacrimal fragments,and a complete left dentary from the mid-Cretaceous Sunjiawan Formation of Beipiao.Liaoning,northeastern China.Chadistic analysis shows that Shuangmiaosaurus is a basal hadrosauroid,and comprises the sister taxon to Hadrosauridae.In both Shuangmiaosqurus and Hadrosaurids.However,Shuangmiaosaurus does not possess such hadrosaurid synapomorphies as the diamond-shaped maxillary crowns with reduced primary ridges and reduced marginal denticles.     

A New Basal Sauropod Dinosaur from the Lufeng Basin,Yunnan Province, Southwestern China

<正>A new dinosaur Chuxiongosaurus lufengensis gen.et sp.nov.is erected based on a nearly complete skull.The taxon is characterized by the lacrimal perpendicular to the ventral margin of the upper jaw,which is similar to that of Thecodontosaurus;a depression present on the dorsal profile of the snout behind the naris;the rostral profile of the maxilla slopes continuously towards the rostral tip;and the presence of 25 dentary teeth.It also displays prosauropod characters such as a relatively long skull,the slope of the maxillary rostral profile,and teeth that do not have basically constricted crowns.The new specimen is more basal than Anchisaurus and represents the first basal sauropod dinosaur from the Early Jurassic of China.     

A primitive euhadrosaurian dinosaur from the uppermost Cretaceous of the Ager syncline (southern Pyrenees,Catalonia)

New hadrosaurid material is recorded from Fontllonga (Ager syncline, province of Lleida), in the Catalonian Pyrenees, comprising a dentary with part of the dental battery, recovered from Late Maastrichtian strata (Tremp Formation), close to the presumed Cretaceous/Tertiary boundary. This hadrosaurid is more derived than is Telmatosaurus transsylvanicus from the Haeg Basin (Romania), but lacks a number of features that diagnose the clade Hadrosaurinae plus Lambeosaurinae. It is attributed to the Euhadrosauria on the basis of the following synapomorphies: dentary teeth not recurved distally, narrow dentary crowns, and denticles not supported by subsidiary ridges. The phylogenetic relationships of the best-known iguanodontids and hadrosauroids are evaluated using mandibular and dentary tooth characters. On the basis of a cladistic analysis, the family of Hadrosauridae is diagnosed by more than 29 dentary tooth positions, parallel-sided vertical furrows formed by dentary alveoli, and absence of caudal secondary ridges. Within Hadrosauridae, successive sister-groups of Hadrosaurinae plus Lambeosaurinae are the Fontllonga taxon and Telmatosaurus. The clade Hadrosaurinae plus Lambeosaurinae is characterised mainly by a coronoid process inclined rostrally and by the absence of secondary ridges on dentary crowns. The Fontllonga find suggests the diversity of European hadrosaurids at the end of the Cretaceous to have been greater than previously thought. Moreover, the primitive character of European hadrosaurids as compared to western North American and Asian relatives may be explained in terms of geographical isolation during the Late Cretaceous.     

中国辽宁早白垩世义县组一新的伤齿龙类化石——柯氏辽宁猎龙(Liaoningvenator curriei gen. et sp. nov.)

本文描述了产自中国辽宁省北票市早白垩世义县组一新的伤齿龙类化石——柯氏辽宁猎龙(Liaoningvenator curriei gen. et sp. nov.)。它具有伤齿龙类以下特征: 数量众多且密集的上颌齿与下颌齿; 牙齿的齿冠与齿根之间显著收缩; 齿骨侧表面具有一沟, 营养孔位于该沟内; 远端尾椎背部的神经棘减弱为一个沟。它不同于其它伤齿龙类的特征主要为坐骨靴大, 侧面观近乎三角形, 坐骨闭孔突细长; 尾椎形态转变点位于第7尾椎。系统发育分析表明柯氏辽宁猎龙与短羽始中国羽龙(Eosinopteryx brevipenna)构成姊妹群, 位于同一分支内。它们具有如下共同特征: (1)上颌骨和下颌骨前面部分的牙齿前隆无锯齿; (2)颈肋较其相关节的椎体长; (3)肠骨前缘直。辽宁猎龙代表了辽西同等层位发现的第5个伤齿龙类。骨组织研究显示辽宁猎龙的骨骼已接近成熟, 死亡时至少4岁。它为该地区的基干伤齿龙类恐龙提供了新的解剖学信息, 并丰富了目前中国已知早白垩世伤齿龙类的多样性。     

A New Basal Neoceratopsian Dinosaur from the Middle Cretaceous of Jilin Province, China

A new basal neoceratopsian dinosaur, Helioceratops brachygnathus gen. et sp. nov., is described from the Quantou Formation (late Early Cretaceous or early Late Cretaceous) in the Liufangzi locality (Jilin province, China). Helioceratops differs from other basal neoceratopsiaus with its deep dentary ramus, its steeply-inclined ventral predentary facet, its heterogeneous dentary crowns, and by the denticles and secondary ridges asymmetrically distributed on either side of the primary ridge on its dentary teeth. Along with Auroraceratops and Yamaceratops, Helioceratops represents one of the most derived non-coronosaurian neoceratopsians. The palaeogeographical distribution of basal neoceratopsians appears limited to northern China and southern Mongolia in the current state of our knowledge. It is therefore probable that this region constituted the birthplace for more advanced, Late Cretaceous Coronosauria.     

The first crocodyliform from the Chubut Group (Chubut Province, Argentina) and its phylogenetic position within basal Mesoeucrocodylia

A new crocodyliform specimen is presented here found in the Cerro Castaño Member of the Cerro Barcino Formation (Chubut Group). The material consists of cranial and postcranial remains that represent a new taxon that has strong affinities with Peirosauridae, but also shares derived features present in Araripesuchus. The phylogenetic relationships of this new taxon were tested through a cladistic analysis depicting it as a member of the Peirosauridae. The inclusion of Barcinosuchus within this clade of basal mesoeucrocodylians is supported by the presence of hypapophyses up to the third or fourth dorsal vertebrae, anterolateral facing edge on postorbital, quadrate dorsal surface divided in two planes by a ridge; mandibular symphysis tapering anterirorly in ventral view, lateral surface of dentary convex anterior to mandibular fenestra, distal body of quadrate well developed, anteroposteriorly thin and lateromedially broad. The new specimen broadens the temporal and geographical distribution of Peirosauridae during the Cretaceous of Gondwana, representing the southern-most and the most ancient record of the group in Patagonia. The new material also provides insights on the postcranial anatomy of peirosaurids, a group that has been so far studied almost exclusively from cranial material.     

Dinosaur remains from the type Maastrichtian: an update

Isolated cranial and post-cranial remains of hadrosaurid dinosaurs have been collected from various outcrops in the type area of the Maastrichtian stage during the last few years. In the present contribution, dentary and maxillary teeth are recorded from the area for the first time. Post-cranial elements comprise a newly collected, fragmentary, large right metatarsal III and a broken ?right humerus, recently recognised in the collections of Teylers Museum (Haarlem). Unfortunately, none of these remains can be identified to species level. The available material suggests, however, that more than one taxon of non-lambeosaurine hadrosaurid and a possible euhadrosaurian are represented. Most of the new finds are stratigraphically well documented, which means that they may be linked to the recently published sequence-stratigraphic interpretation of the type Maastrichtian. Dinosaur remains recorded previously from the Maastrichtian type area are tabulated.

     

Reuniting the “head hunted” Corythosaurus excavatus (Dinosauria: Hadrosauridae) holotype skull with its dentary and postcranium

A Corythosaurus skull (UALVP 13) was collected in 1920 from what is now Dinosaur Provincial Park in southern Alberta, Canada and was designated the holotype of Corythosaurus excavatus, a new hadrosaur species by Gilmore (1923). In 1992, a previously uncovered, weathered, headless skeleton was found. This was collected in 2012 by the University of Alberta as there was potential it could belong to the holotype skull. In addition, an isolated hadrosaur dentary had been found in 1992 close to the articulated postcranial skeleton and may be one of the missing jaws of Corythosaurus excavatus. The hypothesis that it may be the skeleton of the holotype of Corythosaurus excavatus is tested using anatomical information and statistical analyses. Statistical comparisons suggest it is possible that the skull and dentary belong to the same specimen. Furthermore, bivariate plots and percentage prediction errors also indicate that the postcranial material could belong to the UALVP 13 skull. Because many large vertebrate fossil specimens (even types) are not always collected in their entirety, this method may be used as a line of evidence to determine whether independently collected specimens potentially belong to the same individual. The problems described herein highlight the need to collect specimens in their entirety, and for good field documentation, including the spatial and stratigraphic context of all finds.     

Distribution of the dentary groove of theropod dinosaurs: Implications for theropod phylogeny and the validity of the genus Nanotyrannus Bakker et al., 1988

This study examines the phylogenetic distribution of a morphologic character, described as a groove containing pores, on the lateral surface of the dentary bone in theropod dinosaurs. The nature of this groove is a feature unique to theropods. Of the 92 theropod taxa examined for the presence and absence of this feature, 48 possessed and 44 lacked this feature. Distribution of this character was compared to published phylogenetic analyses of theropods, in order to evaluate the utility of the dentary groove as a diagnostic feature. 80% of pre-Tyrannoraptoran theropods possessed the dentary groove, with only 6 reversals in basal theropod clades. Theropods with beaks or edentulous jaws all lacked a dentary groove. Tyrannosauroidea is marked by mosaic distribution of this character. Among tyrannosauroids, the dentary groove occurs only in Dryptosaurus and the Albertosaurinae (Albertosaurus + Gorgosaurus). Nanotyrannus lancensis, sometimes described as representing juvenile Tyrannosaurus rex, also possesses this groove, unlike the remainder of the Tyrannosaurinae. Nanotyrannus lancensis was included in a phylogenetic analysis of Tyrannosauroidea and was recovered within Albertosaurinae. We recommend that Nanotyrannus stand as a valid taxon nested within the Albertosaurinae, based on the presence of this groove, as well as other features of the skull.     

A New Theropod Dinosaur (Theropoda,Dromaeosauridae) from the Late Cretaceous of Tajikistan

Doklady Earth Sciences - A new dromaeosaurid theropod dinosaur, Kansaignathus sogdianus gen. et sp. nov., is described based on a dentary from the Yalovach Formation (Santonian) at Kansai locality...     

Dentary groove morphology does not distinguish ‘Nanotyrannus’ as a valid taxon of tyrannosauroid dinosaur. Comment on: “Distribution of the dentary groove of theropod dinosaurs: Implications for theropod phylogeny and the validity of the genus Nanotyrannus Bakker et al., 1988”

There has been considerable debate about whether the controversial tyrannosauroid dinosaur ‘Nanotyrannus lancensis’ from the uppermost Cretaceous of North America is a valid taxon or a juvenile of the contemporaneous Tyrannosaurus rex. In a recent Cretaceous Research article, Schmerge and Rothschild (2016) brought a new piece of evidence to this discussion: the morphology of the dentary groove, a depression on the lateral surface of the dentary that houses neurovascular foramina. They argued that an alleged ‘Nanotyrannus’ specimen, which possesses a groove, cannot be referable to Tyrannosaurus rex, which they considered as lacking the groove, and they hypothesized that ‘Nanotyrannus’ is closely related to albertosaurine tyrannosauroids, which also are said to possess the groove. However, we show that the groove is a widespread feature of tyrannosauroids that is present in T. rex and many other specimens, and that it is an ontogenetically variable feature that changes from a sharp, deeply-impressed groove to a shallower sulcus as an individual matures. As a result, the presence or absence of a dentary groove does not clarify the validity of ‘Nanotyrannus’ or its phylogenetic position among tyrannosauroids. We consider it most parsimonious that ‘Nanotyrannus’ specimens belong to juvenile T. rex.     

A New Hadrosauriform Dinosaur from the Early Cretaceous of Gansu Province, China

A new basal hadrosauriform dinosaur, Xuwulong yueluni gen. et sp. nov., is reported based on an articulated specimen including a complete cranium, almost complete axial skeleton, and complete left pelvic girdle. The specimen is recovered from the Early Cretaceous Yujingzi Basin in the Jiuquan area, Gansu Province of northwestern China. Xuwulong is among the most basal members of hadrosauriform dinosaurs, and distinguished by its unique lower jaw in having a V-shaped rostral end of the dentary in lateral view and a mandibular articular surface which levels with mid-height of the dentary ramus, as well as an enlarged and downturned prepubic process. Including Xuwulong, three basal hadrosauriforms have been discovered from the Early Cretaceous Xinminpu Group in the Mazongshan area, making it an important area to study the origin and early evolution of duck-billed dinosaurs.     

A previously undescribed specimen reveals new information on the dentition of Sapeornis chaoyangensis

Here we describe the well-preserved skull of a juvenile specimen of Sapeornis, STM 16-18. Only the tail and hindlimb plumage of this specimen have been previously described. It preserves what we consider to be the complete dentition of Sapeornis with four premaxillary teeth, three maxillary teeth and two tiny dentary teeth on each side, the latter feature being previously unknown for this taxon. Based on a study of 71 specimens of Sapeornis preserving dentition, we infer the absence of dentary teeth in previously described specimens of Sapeornis is taphonomic, and consider the true dental formula of Sapeornis to be 4-3-2 (premaxillary teeth number – maxillary teeth number – dentary teeth number). Rostral to the dentary teeth, STM 16-18 preserves three shallow, empty aveoli. We hypothesize that this morphology captures an early stage in dental reduction and indicates that in at least some avian lineages, the loss of teeth was gradual.