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Tse YT, Miller CV, Pittman M. Morphological disparity and structural performance of the dromaeosaurid skull informs ecology and evolutionary history. BMC Ecol Evol 2024; 24:39. [PMID: 38622512 PMCID: PMC11020771 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-024-02222-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Non-avialan theropod dinosaurs had diverse ecologies and varied skull morphologies. Previous studies of theropod cranial morphology mostly focused on higher-level taxa or characteristics associated with herbivory. To better understand morphological disparity and function within carnivorous theropod families, here we focus on the Dromaeosauridae, 'raptors' traditionally seen as agile carnivorous hunters.We applied 2D geometric morphometrics to quantify skull shape, performed mechanical advantage analysis to assess the efficiency of bite force transfer, and performed finite element analysis to examine strain distribution in the skull during biting. We find that dromaeosaurid skull morphology was less disparate than most non-avialan theropod groups. Their skulls show a continuum of form between those that are tall and short and those that are flat and long. We hypothesise that this narrower morphological disparity indicates developmental constraint on skull shape, as observed in some mammalian families. Mechanical advantage indicates that Dromaeosaurus albertensis and Deinonychus antirrhopus were adapted for relatively high bite forces, while Halszkaraptor escuilliei was adapted for high bite speed, and other dromaeosaurids for intermediate bite forces and speeds. Finite element analysis indicates regions of high strain are consistent within dromaeosaurid families but differ between them. Average strain levels do not follow any phylogenetic pattern, possibly due to ecological convergence between distantly-related taxa.Combining our new morphofunctional data with a re-evaluation of previous evidence, we find piscivorous reconstructions of Halszkaraptor escuilliei to be unlikely, and instead suggest an invertivorous diet and possible adaptations for feeding in murky water or other low-visibility conditions. We support Deinonychus antirrhopus as being adapted for taking large vertebrate prey, but we find that its skull is relatively less resistant to bite forces than other dromaeosaurids. Given the recovery of high bite force resistance for Velociraptor mongoliensis, which is believed to have regularly engaged in scavenging behaviour, we suggest that higher bite force resistance in a dromaeosaurid taxon may reflect a greater reliance on scavenging rather than fresh kills.Comparisons to the troodontid Gobivenator mongoliensis suggest that a gracile rostrum like that of Velociraptor mongoliensis is ancestral to their closest common ancestor (Deinonychosauria) and the robust rostra of Dromaeosaurus albertensis and Deinonychus antirrhopus are a derived condition. Gobivenator mongoliensis also displays a higher jaw mechanical advantage and lower resistance to bite force than the examined dromaeosaurids, but given the hypothesised ecological divergence of troodontids from dromaeosaurids it is unclear which group, if either, represents the ancestral condition. Future work extending sampling to troodontids would therefore be invaluable and provide much needed context to the origin of skull form and function in early birds. This study illustrates how skull shape and functional metrics can discern non-avialan theropod ecology at lower taxonomic levels and identify variants of carnivorous feeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuen Ting Tse
- School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Case Vincent Miller
- Department of Earth Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Michael Pittman
- School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China.
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Wu Q, O’Connor JK, Wang S, Zhou Z. Transformation of the pectoral girdle in pennaraptorans: critical steps in the formation of the modern avian shoulder joint. PeerJ 2024; 12:e16960. [PMID: 38436017 PMCID: PMC10909347 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.16960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2023] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Important transformations of the pectoral girdle are related to the appearance of flight capabilities in the Dinosauria. Previous studies on this topic focused mainly on paravians yet recent data suggests flight evolved in dinosaurs several times, including at least once among non-avialan paravians. Thus, to fully explore the evolution of flight-related avian shoulder girdle characteristics, it is necessary to compare morphology more broadly. Here, we present information from pennaraptoran specimens preserving pectoral girdle elements, including all purportedly volant taxa, and extensively compare aspects of the shoulder joint. The results show that many pectoral girdle modifications appear during the evolution from basal pennaraptorans to paravians, including changes in the orientation of the coracoid body and the location of the articulation between the furcula and scapula. These modifications suggest a change in forelimb range of motion preceded the origin of flight in paravians. During the evolution of early avialans, additional flight adaptive transformations occur, such as the separation of the scapula and coracoid and reduction of the articular surface between these two bones, reduction in the angle between these two elements, and elongation of the coracoid. The diversity of coracoid morphologies and types of articulations joining the scapula-coracoid suggest that each early avialan lineage evolved these features in parallel as they independently evolved more refined flight capabilities. In early ornithothoracines, the orientation of the glenoid fossa and location of the acrocoracoid approaches the condition in extant birds, suggesting a greater range of motion in the flight stroke, which may represent the acquisition of improved powered flight capabilities, such as ground take-off. The formation of a new articulation between the coracoid and furcula in the Ornithuromorpha is the last step in the formation of an osseous triosseal canal, which may indicate the complete acquisition of the modern flight apparatus. These morphological transitions equipped birds with a greater range of motion, increased and more efficient muscular output and while at the same time transmitting the increased pressure being generated by ever more powerful flapping movements in such a way as to protect the organs. The driving factors and functional adaptations of many of these transitional morphologies are as yet unclear although ontogenetic transitions in forelimb function observed in extant birds provide an excellent framework through which we can explore the behavior of Mesozoic pennaraptorans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Wu
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jingmai K. O’Connor
- Negaunee Integrative Research Center, Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, IL, United States of America
| | - Shiying Wang
- College of Paleontology, Shenyang Normal University, Shenyang, China
| | - Zhonghe Zhou
- CAS Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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3
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Hattori S, Shibata M, Kawabe S, Imai T, Nishi H, Azuma Y. New theropod dinosaur from the Lower Cretaceous of Japan provides critical implications for the early evolution of ornithomimosaurs. Sci Rep 2023; 13:13842. [PMID: 37679444 PMCID: PMC10484975 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-40804-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2023] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Ornithomimosauria consists of the ostrich-mimic dinosaurs, most of which showing cursorial adaptations, that often exhibit features indicative of herbivory. Recent discoveries have greatly improved our knowledge of their evolutionary history, including the divergence into Ornithomimidae and Deinocheiridae in the Early Cretaceous, but the early part of their history remains obscured because their fossil remains are scarce in the Aptian-Albian sediments. In recent years, many isolated ornithomimosaur remains have been recovered from the Aptian Kitadani Formation of Fukui, central Japan. These remains represent multiple individuals that share some morphological features common to them but unknown in other ornithomimosaurs, suggesting a monospecific accumulation of a new taxon. As a result of the description and phylogenetic analysis, the Kitadani ornithomimosaur is recovered as a new genus and species Tyrannomimus fukuiensis, the earliest definitive deinocheirid that complements our knowledge to understand the early evolutionary history of Ornithomimosauria. Due to its osteological similarity to Tyrannomimus, a taxon previously considered an early tyrannosauroid based on fragmentary specimens, namely Aviatyrannis jurassica, may represent the earliest ornithomimosaur from the Upper Jurassic of Europe, significantly expanding the temporal and biogeographic range of Ornithomimosauria. This finding fills a 20-million-year ghost lineage of Ornithomimosauria implied by the presence of the oldest fossil record of Maniraptora from the Middle Jurassic and is consistent with the hypothesis that their biogeographic range was widespread before the Pangaean breakup in the Kimmeridgian.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soki Hattori
- Institute of Dinosaur Research, Fukui Prefectural University, 4-1-1 Matsuoka-kenjojima, Eiheiji, Fukui, 910-1195, Japan.
- Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum, 51-11, Terao, Muroko, Katsuyama, Fukui, 911-8601, Japan.
| | - Masateru Shibata
- Institute of Dinosaur Research, Fukui Prefectural University, 4-1-1 Matsuoka-kenjojima, Eiheiji, Fukui, 910-1195, Japan
- Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum, 51-11, Terao, Muroko, Katsuyama, Fukui, 911-8601, Japan
| | - Soichiro Kawabe
- Institute of Dinosaur Research, Fukui Prefectural University, 4-1-1 Matsuoka-kenjojima, Eiheiji, Fukui, 910-1195, Japan
- Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum, 51-11, Terao, Muroko, Katsuyama, Fukui, 911-8601, Japan
| | - Takuya Imai
- Institute of Dinosaur Research, Fukui Prefectural University, 4-1-1 Matsuoka-kenjojima, Eiheiji, Fukui, 910-1195, Japan
- Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum, 51-11, Terao, Muroko, Katsuyama, Fukui, 911-8601, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Nishi
- Institute of Dinosaur Research, Fukui Prefectural University, 4-1-1 Matsuoka-kenjojima, Eiheiji, Fukui, 910-1195, Japan
- Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum, 51-11, Terao, Muroko, Katsuyama, Fukui, 911-8601, Japan
| | - Yoichi Azuma
- Institute of Dinosaur Research, Fukui Prefectural University, 4-1-1 Matsuoka-kenjojima, Eiheiji, Fukui, 910-1195, Japan
- Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum, 51-11, Terao, Muroko, Katsuyama, Fukui, 911-8601, Japan
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4
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Wang M, Stidham TA, O'Connor JK, Zhou Z. Insight into the evolutionary assemblage of cranial kinesis from a Cretaceous bird. eLife 2022; 11:e81337. [PMID: 36469022 PMCID: PMC9721616 DOI: 10.7554/elife.81337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/07/2022] Open
Abstract
The independent movements and flexibility of various parts of the skull, called cranial kinesis, are an evolutionary innovation that is found in living vertebrates only in some squamates and crown birds and is considered to be a major factor underpinning much of the enormous phenotypic and ecological diversity of living birds, the most diverse group of extant amniotes. Compared to the postcranium, our understanding of the evolutionary assemblage of the characteristic modern bird skull has been hampered by sparse fossil records of early cranial materials, with competing hypotheses regarding the evolutionary development of cranial kinesis among early members of the avialans. Here, a detailed three-dimensional reconstruction of the skull of the Early Cretaceous enantiornithine Yuanchuavis kompsosoura allows for its in-depth description, including elements that are poorly known among early-diverging avialans but are central to deciphering the mosaic assembly of features required for modern avian cranial kinesis. Our reconstruction of the skull shows evolutionary and functional conservation of the temporal and palatal regions by retaining the ancestral theropod dinosaurian configuration within the skull of this otherwise derived and volant bird. Geometric morphometric analysis of the palatine suggests that loss of the jugal process represents the first step in the structural modifications of this element leading to the kinetic crown bird condition. The mixture of plesiomorphic temporal and palatal structures together with a derived avialan rostrum and postcranial skeleton encapsulated in Yuanchuavis manifests the key role of evolutionary mosaicism and experimentation in early bird diversification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Wang
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Thomas A Stidham
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | | | - Zhonghe Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
- Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
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5
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Hu H, Wang Y, Fabbri M, O’Connor JK, Mcdonald PG, Wroe S, Yin X, Zheng X, Zhou Z, Benson RBJ. Cranial osteology and palaeobiology of the Early Cretaceous bird Jeholornis prima (Aves: Jeholornithiformes). Zool J Linn Soc 2022. [DOI: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlac089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Jeholornis is a representative of the earliest-diverging bird lineages, providing important evidence of anatomical transitions involved in bird origins. Although ~100 specimens have been reported, its cranial morphology remains poorly documented owing to poor two-dimensional preservation, limiting our understanding of the morphology and ecology of the key avian lineage Jeholornithiformes, in addition to cranial evolution during the origin and early evolution of birds. Here, we provide a detailed description of the cranial osteology of Jeholornis prima, based primarily on high-quality, three-dimensional data of a recently reported specimen. New anatomical information confirms the overall plesiomorphic morphology of the skull, with the exception of the more specialized rostrum. Data from a large sample size of specimens reveal the dental formula of J. prima to be 0–2–3 (premaxillary–maxillary–dentary tooth counts), contrary to previous suggestions that the presence of maxillary teeth is diagnostic of a separate species, Jeholornis palmapenis. We also present evidence of sensory adaptation, including relatively large olfactory bulbs in comparison to other known stem birds, suggesting that olfaction was an important aspect of Jeholornis ecology. The digitally reconstructed scleral ring suggests a strongly diurnal habit, supporting the hypothesis that early-diverging birds were predominantly active during the day.
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Affiliation(s)
- Han Hu
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Oxford , Oxford OX1 3AN , UK
| | - Yan Wang
- Institute of Geology and Paleontology, Linyi University , Linyi, Shandong 276000 , China
| | - Matteo Fabbri
- Negaunee Integrative Research Center, Field Museum of Natural History , Chicago, IL 60605 , USA
| | - Jingmai K O’Connor
- Negaunee Integrative Research Center, Field Museum of Natural History , Chicago, IL 60605 , USA
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences , 100044 Beijing , China
- Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Chinese Academy of Sciences , 100044 Beijing , China
| | - Paul G Mcdonald
- Zoology Division, School of Environmental and Rural Sciences, University of New England , Armidale, NSW 2351 , Australia
| | - Stephen Wroe
- Zoology Division, School of Environmental and Rural Sciences, University of New England , Armidale, NSW 2351 , Australia
| | - Xuwei Yin
- Shandong Tianyu Museum of Nature , Pingyi, Shandong, China
| | - Xiaoting Zheng
- Institute of Geology and Paleontology, Linyi University , Linyi, Shandong 276000 , China
- Shandong Tianyu Museum of Nature , Pingyi, Shandong, China
| | - Zhonghe Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences , 100044 Beijing , China
- Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Chinese Academy of Sciences , 100044 Beijing , China
| | - Roger B J Benson
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Oxford , Oxford OX1 3AN , UK
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6
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Tsogtbaatar C, Cullen T, Phillips G, Rolke R, Zanno LE. Large-bodied ornithomimosaurs inhabited Appalachia during the Late Cretaceous of North America. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0266648. [PMID: 36260601 PMCID: PMC9581415 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0266648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2022] [Accepted: 08/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Reconstructing the evolution, diversity, and paleobiogeography of North America’s Late Cretaceous dinosaur assemblages require spatiotemporally contiguous data; however, there remains a spatial and temporal disparity in dinosaur data on the continent. The rarity of vertebrate-bearing sedimentary deposits representing Turonian–Santonian ecosystems, and the relatively sparse record of dinosaurs from the eastern portion of the continent, present persistent challenges for studies of North American dinosaur evolution. Here we describe an assemblage of ornithomimosaurian materials from the Santonian Eutaw Formation of Mississippi. Morphological data coupled with osteohistological growth markers suggest the presence of two taxa of different body sizes, including one of the largest ornithomimosaurians known worldwide. The regression predicts a femoral circumference and a body mass of the Eutaw individuals similar to or greater than that of large-bodied ornithomimosaurs, Beishanlong grandis, and Gallimimus bullatus. The paleoosteohistology of MMNS VP-6332 demonstrates that the individual was at least ten years of age (similar to B. grandis [~375 kg, 13–14 years old at death]). Additional pedal elements share some intriguing features with ornithomimosaurs, yet suggest a larger-body size closer to Deinocheirus mirificus. The presence of a large-bodied ornithomimosaur in this region during this time is consistent with the relatively recent discoveries of early-diverging, large-bodied ornithomimosaurs from mid-Cretaceous strata of Laurasia (Arkansaurus fridayi and B. grandis). The smaller Eutaw taxon is represented by a tibia preserving seven growth cycles, with osteohistological indicators of decreasing growth, yet belongs to an individual approaching somatic maturity, suggesting the co-existence of medium- and large-bodied ornithomimosaur taxa during the Late Cretaceous Santonian of North America. The Eutaw ornithomimosaur materials provide key information on the diversity and distribution of North American ornithomimosaurs and Appalachian dinosaurs and fit with broader evidence of multiple cohabiting species of ornithomimosaurian dinosaurs in Late Cretaceous ecosystems of Laurasia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chinzorig Tsogtbaatar
- Paleontology Research Lab, North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, Raleigh, North Carolina, United States of America
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, United States of America
- Institute of Paleontology, Mongolian Academy of Sciences, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
- * E-mail:
| | | | - George Phillips
- Conservation & Biodiversity Section, Mississippi Museum of Natural Science, Jackson, Mississippi, United States of America
| | - Richard Rolke
- Dow Chemical Company, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States of America
| | - Lindsay E. Zanno
- Paleontology Research Lab, North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, Raleigh, North Carolina, United States of America
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, United States of America
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7
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Cau A, Madzia D. The phylogenetic affinities and morphological peculiarities of the bird-like dinosaur Borogovia gracilicrus from the Upper Cretaceous of Mongolia. PeerJ 2021; 9:e12640. [PMID: 34963824 PMCID: PMC8656384 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.12640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2021] [Accepted: 11/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Borogovia gracilicrus is a small-bodied theropod dinosaur from the Maastrichtian (Upper Cretaceous) Nemegt Formation of southern Mongolia. The taxon is based on a single fragmentary specimen preserving only the distal part of the hindlimbs. The morphology of Borogovia shows a peculiar combination of features, some of which are traditionally considered troodontid synapomorphies and others which are unusual for Troodontidae but are shared with other maniraptoran clades. In particular, the second toe of B. gracilicrus differs from other troodontids in lacking some of the features which contribute to the specialized 'sickle-clawed' second toe, here termed the 'falciphoran condition', shared with dromaeosaurids and some other paravians, such as the strongly compressed and falciform ungual. Phylogeny reconstructions intended to explore the affinities of Borogovia consistently support its referral within a subclade of troodontids including all Late Cretaceous taxa. The placement of Borogovia is not significantly affected by its unusual combinations of hindlimb features or by the homoplasy of the elements forming the falciphoran condition. Borogovia is supported as a valid taxon and is distinct from the other Nemegt troodontids, Tochisaurus and Zanabazar. The lack of a falciform ungual, and the distinctive morphology of the second toe in B. gracilicrus are interpreted as a derived specialization among Troodontidae and not as retention of the plesiomorphic condition of non-paravian theropods.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Daniel Madzia
- Department of Evolutionary Paleobiology, Institute of Paleobiology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
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Wang S, Zhang Q, Tan Q, Jiangzuo Q, Zhang H, Tan L. New troodontid theropod specimen from Inner Mongolia, China clarifies phylogenetic relationships of later‐diverging small‐bodied troodontids and paravian body size evolution. Cladistics 2021; 38:59-82. [DOI: 10.1111/cla.12467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Shuo Wang
- Department of Pathology, Keck School of Medicine University of Southern California Los Angeles CA90033USA
| | - Qiyue Zhang
- College of Life Sciences Nankai University Tianjin300071China
| | - Qingwei Tan
- Long Hao Institute of Geology and Paleontology Hohhot Nei Mongol010010China
| | - Qigao Jiangzuo
- Key Laboratory of Orogenic Belts and Crustal Evolution, School of Earth and Space Sciences Peking University 5 Yiheyuan Road Beijing100871China
| | - Huitao Zhang
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Imaging Technology Capital Normal University Beijing100048China
| | - Lin Tan
- Long Hao Institute of Geology and Paleontology Hohhot Nei Mongol010010China
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9
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Wang M, Stidham TA, Li Z, Xu X, Zhou Z. Cretaceous bird with dinosaur skull sheds light on avian cranial evolution. Nat Commun 2021; 12:3890. [PMID: 34162868 PMCID: PMC8222284 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-24147-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2021] [Accepted: 06/03/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The transformation of the bird skull from an ancestral akinetic, heavy, and toothed dinosaurian morphology to a highly derived, lightweight, edentulous, and kinetic skull is an innovation as significant as powered flight and feathers. Our understanding of evolutionary assembly of the modern form and function of avian cranium has been impeded by the rarity of early bird fossils with well-preserved skulls. Here, we describe a new enantiornithine bird from the Early Cretaceous of China that preserves a nearly complete skull including the palatal elements, exposing the components of cranial kinesis. Our three-dimensional reconstruction of the entire enantiornithine skull demonstrates that this bird has an akinetic skull indicated by the unexpected retention of the plesiomorphic dinosaurian palate and diapsid temporal configurations, capped with a derived avialan rostrum and cranial roof, highlighting the highly modular and mosaic evolution of the avialan skull.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Wang
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
- CAS Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
| | - Thomas A Stidham
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zhiheng Li
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xing Xu
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zhonghe Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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10
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Novas FE, Agnolín FL, Motta MJ, Brissón Egli F. Osteology of Unenlagia comahuensis (Theropoda, Paraves, Unenlagiidae) from the Late Cretaceous of Patagonia. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2021; 304:2741-2788. [PMID: 33894102 DOI: 10.1002/ar.24641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2020] [Revised: 03/05/2021] [Accepted: 03/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Unenlagia comahuensis was originally described as a phylogenetic link between nonavian dinosaurs and birds. Later it was interpreted by some authors as belonging to the deinonychosaurian clade Dromaeosauridae, and more recently as phylogenetically closer to birds than to dromaeosaurids. The only known specimen is represented by an incomplete skeleton, including vertebrae, incomplete scapular girdle, pelvis, and limbs, coming from Upper Cretaceous beds of Neuquén province, Patagonia, Argentina. The aim of the present paper is to include a detailed anatomical description of Unenlagia (currently only known by preliminary descriptions). Detailed analysis of Unenlagia anatomy resulted in the recognition of one possible additional Unenlagiidae synapomorphy (i.e., the presence of cup-like iliac articulation on ischium). We recognize derived anatomical traits that Unenlagia and kin share with birds, lending support to the interpretation that unenlagiids are stem-Avialae. Particularly, some appendicular features (e.g., scapula with subtriangular and relatively reduced acromion, poor outward projection of the glenoid and glenoidal lips on the scapula, lateral orientation of scapular glenoid, craniolaterally oriented deltopectoral crest of humerus) may be related to the acquisition of anatomical novelties that in birds are associated with flight. The present contribution on Unenlagia provides new data regarding the early evolution of avian features.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando E Novas
- Laboratorio de Anatomía Comparada y Evolución de los Vertebrados, Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "Bernardino Rivadavia", Ángel Gallardo 470, Buenos Aires, C1405DJR, Argentina.,CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Federico L Agnolín
- Laboratorio de Anatomía Comparada y Evolución de los Vertebrados, Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "Bernardino Rivadavia", Ángel Gallardo 470, Buenos Aires, C1405DJR, Argentina.,CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Fundación de Historia Natural "Félix de Azara," Departamento de Ciencias Naturales y Antropología, CEBBAD - Universidad Maimónides, Hidalgo 775, Buenos Aires, C1405BCK, Argentina
| | - Matias J Motta
- Laboratorio de Anatomía Comparada y Evolución de los Vertebrados, Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "Bernardino Rivadavia", Ángel Gallardo 470, Buenos Aires, C1405DJR, Argentina.,CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Federico Brissón Egli
- Laboratorio de Anatomía Comparada y Evolución de los Vertebrados, Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "Bernardino Rivadavia", Ángel Gallardo 470, Buenos Aires, C1405DJR, Argentina.,CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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11
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Rhodes MM, Henderson DM, Currie PJ. Maniraptoran pelvic musculature highlights evolutionary patterns in theropod locomotion on the line to birds. PeerJ 2021; 9:e10855. [PMID: 33717681 PMCID: PMC7937347 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.10855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2020] [Accepted: 01/07/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Locomotion is a fundamental aspect of palaeobiology and often investigated by comparing osteological structures and proportions. Previous studies document a stepwise accumulation of avian-like features in theropod dinosaurs that accelerates in the clade Maniraptora. However, the soft tissues that influenced the skeleton offer another perspective on locomotory adaptations. Examination of the pelvis for osteological correlates of hind limb and tail musculature allowed reconstruction of primary locomotory muscles across theropods and their closest extant relatives. Additionally, the areas of pelvic muscle origins were quantified to measure relative differences within and between taxa, to compare morphological features associated with cursoriality, and offer insight into the evolution of locomotor modules. Locomotory inferences based on myology often corroborate those based on osteology, although they occasionally conflict and indicate greater complexity than previously appreciated. Maniraptoran pelvic musculature underscores previous studies noting the multifaceted nature of cursoriality and suggests that a more punctuated step in caudal decoupling occurred at or near the base of Maniraptora.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew M Rhodes
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | | | - Philip J Currie
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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12
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Sellés AG, Vila B, Brusatte SL, Currie PJ, Galobart À. A fast-growing basal troodontid (Dinosauria: Theropoda) from the latest Cretaceous of Europe. Sci Rep 2021; 11:4855. [PMID: 33649418 PMCID: PMC7921422 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-83745-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2020] [Accepted: 02/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
A characteristic fauna of dinosaurs and other vertebrates inhabited the end-Cretaceous European archipelago, some of which were dwarves or had other unusual features likely related to their insular habitats. Little is known, however, about the contemporary theropod dinosaurs, as they are represented mostly by teeth or other fragmentary fossils. A new isolated theropod metatarsal II, from the latest Maastrichtian of Spain (within 200,000 years of the mass extinction) may represent a jinfengopterygine troodontid, the first reported from Europe. Comparisons with other theropods and phylogenetic analyses reveal an autapomorphic foramen that distinguishes it from all other troodontids, supporting its identification as a new genus and species, Tamarro insperatus. Bone histology shows that it was an actively growing subadult when it died but may have had a growth pattern in which it grew rapidly in early ontogeny and attained a subadult size quickly. We hypothesize that it could have migrated from Asia to reach the Ibero-Armorican island no later than Cenomanian or during the Maastrichtian dispersal events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Albert G Sellés
- Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafon, Edifici Z, C/ de les columnes s/n, Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain. .,Museu de la Conca Dellà, 25650, Lleida, Isona, Spain.
| | - Bernat Vila
- Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafon, Edifici Z, C/ de les columnes s/n, Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain.,Museu de la Conca Dellà, 25650, Lleida, Isona, Spain
| | | | - Philip J Currie
- University of Alberta, CW-405 Biological Sciences Building, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E9, Canada
| | - Àngel Galobart
- Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafon, Edifici Z, C/ de les columnes s/n, Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain.,Museu de la Conca Dellà, 25650, Lleida, Isona, Spain
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13
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Mayr G, Manegold A. On the comparative morphology of the juvenile avian skull: An assessment of squamosal shape across avian higher-level taxa. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2020; 304:845-859. [PMID: 32865310 DOI: 10.1002/ar.24504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2020] [Revised: 06/15/2020] [Accepted: 06/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
The comparative morphology of juvenile avian skulls is poorly known. Here, we survey the shape of the squamosal (os squamosum) across juvenile skulls of avian higher-level clades. In all palaeognathous birds, the rostral end of the squamosal does not surpass the parietal and does not reach the frontal. This morphology is likely to be plesiomorphic for neornithine birds. A short squamosal also occurs in some Neognathae, but in most neognathous birds the squamosal contacts the frontal, and in some taxa the bone is strongly elongated and distinctly surpasses the parietal. Some clades show a notable variation in squamosal morphology. This is, for example, true for Strigiformes, where the taxon Athene differs from the other examined owls in squamosal size, and for the Passeriformes, where Old World Suboscines are characterized by a distinctive squamosal morphology. A unique derived squamosal morphology is for the first time reported for the Apodidae and Hemiprocnidae, in which the bone forms a elongated rostral process that runs along most of the orbital rim. In non-avian theropods, the squamosal articulates with the postorbital and delimits the upper temporal opening. Extant birds lack a postorbital, but a topological correlation between the squamosal and the postorbital process is maintained in most taxa of the Neognathae. The phylogenetic significance of squamosal morphology is diminished by the fact that closely related taxa often show very disparate shapes of the bone, and squamosal morphology appears to be determined by multiple functional constraints including skull geometry, brain morphology and, possibly, nostril type.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerald Mayr
- Ornithological Section, Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
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14
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Chiarenza AA, Fiorillo AR, Tykoski RS, McCarthy PJ, Flaig PP, Contreras DL. The first juvenile dromaeosaurid (Dinosauria: Theropoda) from Arctic Alaska. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0235078. [PMID: 32639990 PMCID: PMC7343144 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0235078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2020] [Accepted: 06/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Compared to the osteological record of herbivorous dinosaurs from the Late Cretaceous Prince Creek Formation of northern Alaska, there are relatively fewer remains of theropods. The theropod record from this unit is mostly comprised of isolated teeth, and the only non-dental remains known can be attributed to the troodontid cf. Troodon and the tyrannosaurid Nanuqsaurus. Thus far, the presence of members of Dromaeosauridae has been limited to isolated teeth. Here we describe a symphyseal portion of a small dentary with two ziphodont teeth. Based on tooth shape, denticle morphology, and the position of the Meckelian groove, we attribute this partial dentary to a saurornitholestine dromaeosaurid. The fibrous bone surface, small size, and higher number of mesial denticles compared to distal ones point to a juvenile growth stage for this individual. Multivariate comparison of theropod teeth morphospace by means of principal component analysis reveals an overlap between this dentary and Saurornitholestinae dromaeosaurid morphospace, a result supported by phylogenetic analyses. This is the first confirmed non-dental fossil specimen from a member of Dromaeosauridae in the Arctic, expanding on the role of Beringia as a dispersal route for this clade between Asia and North America. Furthermore, the juvenile nature of this individual adds to a growing body of data that suggests Cretaceous Arctic dinosaurs of Alaska did not undergo long-distance migration, but rather they were year-round residents of these paleopolar latitudes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alfio Alessandro Chiarenza
- Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- University College London, London, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
| | - Anthony R. Fiorillo
- Huffington Department of Earth Sciences, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX, United States of America
| | - Ronald S. Tykoski
- Perot Museum of Nature and Science, Dallas, TX, United States of America
| | - Paul J. McCarthy
- Department of Geosciences, University of Alaska, Fairbanks, AK, United States of America
| | - Peter P. Flaig
- Jackson School of Geosciences, Bureau of Economic Geology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States of America
| | - Dori L. Contreras
- Perot Museum of Nature and Science, Dallas, TX, United States of America
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15
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Evers SW, Foth C, Rauhut OWM. Notes on the cheek region of the Late Jurassic theropod dinosaur Allosaurus. PeerJ 2020; 8:e8493. [PMID: 32076581 PMCID: PMC7008823 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.8493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2019] [Accepted: 12/30/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Allosaurus, from the Late Jurassic of North America and Europe, is a model taxon for Jurassic basal tetanuran theropod dinosaurs. It has achieved an almost iconic status due to its early discovery in the late, 19th century, and due to the abundance of material from the Morrison Formation of the western U.S.A., making Allosaurus one of the best-known theropod taxa. Despite this, various aspects of the cranial anatomy of Allosaurus are surprisingly poorly understood. Here, we discuss the osteology of the cheek region, comprised by the jugal, maxilla, and lacrimal. This region of the skull is of importance for Allosaurus taxonomy and phylogeny, particularly because Allosaurus has traditionally been reconstructed with an unusual cheek configuration, and because the European species Allosaurus europaeus has been said to be different from North American material in the configuration of these bones. Based on re-examination of articulated and disarticulated material from a number of repositories, we show that the jugal participates in the antorbital fenestra, contradicting the common interpretation. The jugal laterally overlies the lacrimal, and forms an extended antorbital fossa with this bone. Furthermore, we document previously unrecorded pneumatic features of the jugal of Allosaurus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serjoscha W Evers
- Department of Geosciences, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Christian Foth
- Department of Geosciences, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Oliver W M Rauhut
- Bayerische Staatssammlung für Paläntologie und Geologie, Staatliche Naturwissenschaftliche Sammlungen Bayerns (SNSB), München, Germany.,Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Palaeontology and Geobiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, München, Germany.,GeoBioCenter, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, München, Germany
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16
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Button DJ, Zanno LE. Repeated Evolution of Divergent Modes of Herbivory in Non-avian Dinosaurs. Curr Biol 2020; 30:158-168.e4. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2019.10.050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2018] [Revised: 09/08/2019] [Accepted: 10/25/2019] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
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17
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Evolution of the vomer and its implications for cranial kinesis in Paraves. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 116:19571-19578. [PMID: 31501339 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1907754116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Most living birds exhibit cranial kinesis-movement between the rostrum and braincase-in which force is transferred through the palatal and jugal bars. The palate alone distinguishes the Paleognathae from the Neognathae, with cranial kinesis more developed in neognaths. Most previous palatal studies were based on 2D data and rarely incorporated data from stem birds despite great interest in their kinetic abilities. Here we reconstruct the vomer of the Early Cretaceous stem bird Sapeornis and the troodontid Sinovenator, taxa spanning the dinosaur-bird transition. A 3D shape analysis including these paravians and an extensive sampling of neornithines reveals their strong similarity to paleognaths and indicates that morphological differences in the vomer between paleognaths and neognaths are intimately related to their different kinetic abilities. These results suggest the skull of Mesozoic paravians lacked the kinetic abilities observed in neognaths, a conclusion also supported by our identification of an ectopterygoid in Sapeornis here. We conclude that cranial kinesis evolved relatively late, likely an innovation of the Neognathae, and is linked to the transformation of the vomer. This transformation increased palatal mobility, enabling the evolution of a diversity of kinetic mechanisms and ultimately contributing to the extraordinary evolutionary success of this clade.
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18
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Averianov A, Ivantsov S, Skutschas P. Theropod teeth from the Lower Cretaceous Ilek Formation of Western Siberia, Russia. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019. [DOI: 10.31610/trudyzin/2019.323.2.65] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
A sample of 136 isolated theropod teeth from nine vertebrate localities within the Lower Cretaceous (Barremian-Aptian) Ilek Formation in West Siberia, Russia, can be separated into five dental morphotypes referred to five оr six theropod taxa based on morphological characters. The Morphotype A includes small to large lateral teeth with relatively large distal denticles and smaller mesial denticles. Some of these teeth can be attributed to the Dromaeosauridae, while other teeth may belong to a basal member of the Tyrannosauroidea. The distinctly smaller lateral teeth referred to the Morphotype B are similar with Morphotype A in most respects but differ in the lack of mesial denticles and mesial carina, or having a lingually displaced mesial carina. These teeth may belong to juvenile individuals of the same dromaeosaurid taxon. The teeth belonging to Morphotype C also lack mesial denticles and differ from Morphotype B by a flattened area on the lingual side, which is also often present on the labial side. These teeth may belong to either Troodontidae or Microraptorinae, or to both groups. The mesial and lateral teeth of Morphotype E are characterized by unserrated mesial and distal carinae. These teeth most likely belong to a distinct taxon of Troodontidae with unserrated dentition. The teeth of the Morphotype D include mesial teeth with the mesial carina displaced lingually at various extent and denticles present on both carinae. The teeth with moderately displaced lingual carina can be referred to the same dromaeosaurid taxon, which lateral teeth represented by Morphotype A. The teeth with more displaced mesial carina and deeply U-shaped basal crown section belong to an indeterminate Tyrannosauroidea.
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Affiliation(s)
- A.O. Averianov
- Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Universitetskaya Emb. 1, 199034 Saint Petersburg, Russia; Institute of Geology and Petroleum Technology, Kazan Federal University, Kremlevskaya Str. 4/5, 420008 Kazan, Russia; Borissiak Paleontological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Profsouznaya Str. 123, 117997 Moscow, Russia
| | - S.V. Ivantsov
- Laboratory of Mesozoic and Cenozoic Continental Ecosystems, Tomsk State University, Lenina Pr. 36, 634050 Tomsk, Russia
| | - P.P. Skutschas
- Vertebrate Zoology Department, Saint Petersburg State University, Universitetskaya Emb. 7/9, 199034 Saint Petersburg, Russia
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19
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Bishop PJ, Hocknull SA, Clemente CJ, Hutchinson JR, Farke AA, Barrett RS, Lloyd DG. Cancellous bone and theropod dinosaur locomotion. Part III-Inferring posture and locomotor biomechanics in extinct theropods, and its evolution on the line to birds. PeerJ 2018; 6:e5777. [PMID: 30402346 PMCID: PMC6215443 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.5777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2018] [Accepted: 09/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
This paper is the last of a three-part series that investigates the architecture of cancellous bone in the main hindlimb bones of theropod dinosaurs, and uses cancellous bone architectural patterns to infer locomotor biomechanics in extinct non-avian species. Cancellous bone is highly sensitive to its prevailing mechanical environment, and may therefore help further understanding of locomotor biomechanics in extinct tetrapod vertebrates such as dinosaurs. Here in Part III, the biomechanical modelling approach derived previously was applied to two species of extinct, non-avian theropods, Daspletosaurus torosus and Troodon formosus. Observed cancellous bone architectural patterns were linked with quasi-static, three-dimensional musculoskeletal and finite element models of the hindlimb of both species, and used to derive characteristic postures that best aligned continuum-level principal stresses with cancellous bone fabric. The posture identified for Daspletosaurus was largely upright, with a subvertical femoral orientation, whilst that identified for Troodon was more crouched, but not to the degree observed in extant birds. In addition to providing new insight on posture and limb articulation, this study also tested previous hypotheses of limb bone loading mechanics and muscular control strategies in non-avian theropods, and how these aspects evolved on the line to birds. The results support the hypothesis that an upright femoral posture is correlated with bending-dominant bone loading and abduction-based muscular support of the hip, whereas a crouched femoral posture is correlated with torsion-dominant bone loading and long-axis rotation-based muscular support. Moreover, the results of this study also support the inference that hindlimb posture, bone loading mechanics and muscular support strategies evolved in a gradual fashion along the line to extant birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter J. Bishop
- Geosciences Program, Queensland Museum, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- School of Allied Health Sciences, Griffith University, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia
- Gold Coast Orthopaedic Research, Engineering and Education Alliance, Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia
- Current affiliation: Structure and Motion Laboratory, Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Royal Veterinary College, Hatfield, Hertfordshire, UK
| | - Scott A. Hocknull
- Geosciences Program, Queensland Museum, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- School of Allied Health Sciences, Griffith University, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia
- School of Biosciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Christofer J. Clemente
- School of Science and Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore, QLD, Australia
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - John R. Hutchinson
- Structure and Motion Laboratory, Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Royal Veterinary College, Hatfield, Hertfordshire, UK
| | - Andrew A. Farke
- Raymond M. Alf Museum of Paleontology at The Webb Schools, Claremont, CA, USA
| | - Rod S. Barrett
- School of Allied Health Sciences, Griffith University, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia
- Gold Coast Orthopaedic Research, Engineering and Education Alliance, Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia
| | - David G. Lloyd
- School of Allied Health Sciences, Griffith University, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia
- Gold Coast Orthopaedic Research, Engineering and Education Alliance, Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia
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20
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Mayr G. Comparative morphology of the avian maxillary bone (os maxillare) based on an examination of macerated juvenile skeletons. ACTA ZOOL-STOCKHOLM 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/azo.12268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Gerald Mayr
- Ornithological Section Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt Frankfurt am Main Germany
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21
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Yin YL, Pei R, Zhou CF. Cranial morphology of Sinovenator changii (Theropoda: Troodontidae) on the new material from the Yixian Formation of western Liaoning, China. PeerJ 2018; 6:e4977. [PMID: 29942679 PMCID: PMC6015489 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.4977] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2018] [Accepted: 05/24/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
A new three-dimensionally preserved troodontid specimen consisting of most of the skull, partial mandibles and six articulated cervical vertebrae (PMOL-AD00102) from the Early Cretaceous Yixian Formation of Beipiao, western Liaoning, China is identified as Sinovenator changii on the basis of a surangular with a “T”-shaped cross-section. High-resolution computed tomographic data for the skull of this new specimen facilitated a detailed description of the cranial anatomy of S. changii. New diagnostic features of S. changii include a well-developed medial shelf on the jugal, a slender bar in the parasphenoid recess, a lateral groove on the pterygoid flange of the ectopterygoid, and the lateral surface of the anterior cervical vertebrae bearing two pneumatic foramina. Our new observation confirms that the braincase of Sinovenator is not as primitive as previously suggested, although it still shows an intermediate state between derived troodontids and non-troodontid paravians in having an initial stage of the subotic recess and the otosphenoidal crest. Additionally, this new specimen reveals some novel and valuable anatomical information of troodontids regarding the quadrate-quadratojugal articulation, the stapes, the epipterygoid and the atlantal ribs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ya-Lei Yin
- Paleontological Institute, Shenyang Normal University, Shenyang, Liaoning, China
| | - Rui Pei
- Department of Earth Sciences, the University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Chang-Fu Zhou
- College of Earth Science and Engineering, Shandong University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, Shandong, China
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22
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Gianechini FA, Makovicky PJ, Apesteguía S, Cerda I. Postcranial skeletal anatomy of the holotype and referred specimens of Buitreraptor gonzalezorum Makovicky, Apesteguía and Agnolín 2005 (Theropoda, Dromaeosauridae), from the Late Cretaceous of Patagonia. PeerJ 2018; 6:e4558. [PMID: 29607264 PMCID: PMC5875404 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.4558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2018] [Accepted: 03/09/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Here we provide a detailed description of the postcranial skeleton of the holotype and referred specimens of Buitreraptor gonzalezorum. This taxon was recovered as an unenlagiine dromaeosaurid in several recent phylogenetic studies and is the best represented Gondwanan dromaeosaurid discovered to date. It was preliminarily described in a brief article, but a detailed account of its osteology is emerging in recent works. The holotype is the most complete specimen yet found, so an exhaustive description of it provides much valuable anatomical information. The holotype and referred specimens preserve the axial skeleton, pectoral and pelvic girdles, and both fore- and hindlimbs. Diagnostic postcranial characters of this taxon include: anterior cervical centra exceeding the posterior limit of neural arch; eighth and ninth cervical vertebral centra with lateroventral tubercles; pneumatic foramina only in anteriormost dorsals; middle and posterior caudal centra with a complex of shallow ridges on lateral surfaces; pneumatic furcula with two pneumatic foramina on the ventral surface; scapular blade transversely expanded at mid-length; well-projected flexor process on distal end of the humerus; dorsal rim of the ilium laterally everted; and concave dorsal rim of the postacetabular iliac blade. A paleohistological study of limb bones shows that the holotype represents an earlier ontogenetic stage than one of the referred specimens (MPCA 238), which correlates with the fusion of the last sacral vertebra to the rest of the sacrum in MPCA 238. A revised phylogenetic analysis recovered Buitreraptor as an unenlagiine dromaeosaurid, in agreement with previous works. The phylogenetic implications of the unenlagiine synapomorphies and other characters, such as the specialized pedal digit II and the distal ginglymus on metatarsal II, are discussed within the evolutionary framework of Paraves.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federico A Gianechini
- Instituto Multidisciplinario de Investigaciones Biológicas (IMIBIO-SL), CONICET-Universidad Nacional de San Luis, San Luis, Argentina
| | - Peter J Makovicky
- Section of Earth Sciences, Integrative Research Center, Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Sebastián Apesteguía
- CONICET, Fundación de Historia Natural 'Félix de Azara', CEBBAD, Universidad Maimónides, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Ignacio Cerda
- CONICET, Instituto de Investigación en Paleobiología y Geología, Universidad Nacional de Río Negro, General Roca, Río Negro, Argentina
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23
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Rauhut OWM, Foth C, Tischlinger H. The oldest Archaeopteryx (Theropoda: Avialiae): a new specimen from the Kimmeridgian/Tithonian boundary of Schamhaupten, Bavaria. PeerJ 2018; 6:e4191. [PMID: 29383285 PMCID: PMC5788062 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.4191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2017] [Accepted: 12/04/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The iconic primeval bird Archaeopteryx was so far mainly known from the Altmühltal Formation (early Tithonian) of Bavaria, southern Germany, with one specimen having been found in the overlying Mörnsheim Formation. A new specimen (the 12th skeletal specimen) from the earliest Tithonian Painten Formation of Schamhaupten (Bavaria) represents the so far oldest representative of the genus. The new specimen shows several interesting anatomical details, including the presence of a postorbital in contact with the jugal, the presence of a separate prefrontal and coronoid, and opisthocoelous mid-cervical vertebrae. Based on observations on the new specimen, we discuss several problematic issues concerning Archaeopteryx, including the monophyly and diagnosis of the genus, the absence/presence of the sternum, the position of the gastralia, and variation in morphometrics and dental morphology in that genus. Based on a new diagnosis for the genus Archaeopteryx, the Berlin, Eichstätt, Solnhofen, Munich, Daiting, Thermopolis, 11th, and 12th specimens can be referred to this genus with high certainty. The Maxberg specimen is very probably also an Archaeopteryx, based on overall similarity, although none of the diagnostic characters can be evaluated with certainty. The ninth specimen (‘chicken wing’) might be Archaeopteryx, but cannot be referred to the genus with any certainty. In comparison with other paravians, the presence of distally thickened anterior pectoral ribs indicates that a rather large cartilagenous sternum was present in this taxon. In contrast to non-opisthopubic theropods, opisthopubic taxa, such as Archaeopteryx and many other paravians, have the posterior end of the gastral basket preserved at about half-length of the pubis, which might reflect the post-mortem collapse of enlarged abdominal air sacs in these taxa. Specimens that can be referred to Archaeopteryx show a high amount of variation, both in the morphometrics of the limb bones as well as in the dentition. In respect to the latter aspect, variation is found in tooth number, spacing, orientation, and morphology, with no two specimens showing the exact same pattern. The significance of this variation is unclear, and possible explanations reach from high intraspecific (and possibly ontogenetic and/or sexual dimorphic) variation to the possibility that the known specimens represent a ‘species flock’ of Archaeopteryx, possibly due to island speciation after the initial dispersal of the genus into the Solnhofen Archipelago.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oliver W M Rauhut
- SNSB-Bayerische Staatssammlung für Paläontologie und Geologie, Munich, Germany.,Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Ludwig-Maximilians University, Munich, Germany.,GeoBioCenter, Ludwig-Maximilians University, Munich, Germany
| | - Christian Foth
- Department of Geosciences, Université de Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland.,Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde, Stuttgart, Germany
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24
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Pei R, Norell MA, Barta DE, Bever G, Pittman M, Xu X. Osteology of a New Late Cretaceous Troodontid Specimen from Ukhaa Tolgod, Ömnögovi Aimag, Mongolia. AMERICAN MUSEUM NOVITATES 2017. [DOI: 10.1206/3889.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Rui Pei
- Department of Earth Sciences, the University of Hong Kong, and Division of Paleontology, American Museum of Natural History, New York
| | - Mark A. Norell
- Macaulay Family Curator, Division of Paleontology, American Museum of Natural History, New York
| | - Daniel E. Barta
- Richard Gilder Graduate School and Division of Paleontology, American Museum of Natural History, New York
| | - G.S. Bever
- Division of Paleontology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, and Center for Functional Anatomy & Evolution, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore
| | - Michael Pittman
- Vertebrate Palaeontology Laboratory, Department of Earth Sciences, the University of Hong Kong
| | - Xing Xu
- Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing
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25
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Chinzorig T, Kobayashi Y, Tsogtbaatar K, Currie PJ, Watabe M, Barsbold R. First Ornithomimid (Theropoda, Ornithomimosauria) from the Upper Cretaceous Djadokhta Formation of Tögrögiin Shiree, Mongolia. Sci Rep 2017; 7:5835. [PMID: 28724887 PMCID: PMC5517598 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-05272-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2016] [Accepted: 05/16/2017] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The Upper Cretaceous Djadokhta Formation has been intensively surveyed for its fossil vertebrate fauna for nearly a century. Amongst other theropods, dromaeosaurids and parvicursorines are common in the formation, but ornithomimosaurs are extremely rare. A new ornithomimosaur material was discovered from the Djadokhta Formation, represented by eolian deposits, of the Tögrögiin Shiree locality, Mongolia. This is only the third ornithomimosaur specimen reported from this formation, and includes the astragalus, the calcaneum, the third distal tarsal, and a complete pes. The new material is clearly belonged to Ornithomimidae by its arctometatarsalian foot condition and has the following unique characters; unevenly developed pair of concavities of the third distal tarsal, curved contacts between the proximal ends of second and fourth metatarsals, the elongate fourth digit, and a laterally inclined medial condyle on phalanx IV-1. These diagnostic characters of the Djadokhtan ornithomimosaur indicate that this is a new taxon. Our phylogenetic analysis supports three clades within derived ornithomimosaurs, and the new taxon is placed a member of the derived ornithomimosaurs. The present specimen is the first ornithomimid record from eolian Tögrögiin Shiree locality, and is indicative of their capability to adapt to arid environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tsogtbaatar Chinzorig
- Department of Natural History Science, Graduate School of Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 060-0810, Japan. .,Division of Vertebrate Paleontology, Institute of Paleontology and Geology, Mongolian Academy of Sciences, Ulaanbaatar, 15160, Mongolia.
| | | | - Khishigjav Tsogtbaatar
- Division of Vertebrate Paleontology, Institute of Paleontology and Geology, Mongolian Academy of Sciences, Ulaanbaatar, 15160, Mongolia
| | - Philip J Currie
- Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, T6G 2E9, Canada
| | - Mahito Watabe
- School of International Liberal Studies, Waseda University, Tokyo, 169-8050, Japan
| | - Rinchen Barsbold
- Division of Vertebrate Paleontology, Institute of Paleontology and Geology, Mongolian Academy of Sciences, Ulaanbaatar, 15160, Mongolia
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26
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Pei R, Li Q, Meng Q, Norell MA, Gao KQ. New Specimens ofAnchiornis huxleyi(Theropoda: Paraves) from the Late Jurassic of Northeastern China. BULLETIN OF THE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY 2017. [DOI: 10.1206/0003-0090-411.1.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Rui Pei
- Department of Earth Sciences, the University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong; Division of Paleontology, American Museum of Natural History
| | - Quanguo Li
- State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences, Beijing
| | | | - Mark A. Norell
- Division of Paleontology, American Museum of Natural History
| | - Ke-Qin Gao
- School of Earth and Space Sciences, Peking University, Beijing
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27
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Hendrickx C, Araújo R, Mateus O. The non-avian theropod quadrate I: standardized terminology with an overview of the anatomy and function. PeerJ 2015; 3:e1245. [PMID: 26401455 PMCID: PMC4579021 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.1245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2014] [Accepted: 08/25/2015] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
The quadrate of reptiles and most other tetrapods plays an important morphofunctional role by allowing the articulation of the mandible with the cranium. In Theropoda, the morphology of the quadrate is particularly complex and varies importantly among different clades of non-avian theropods, therefore conferring a strong taxonomic potential. Inconsistencies in the notation and terminology used in discussions of the theropod quadrate anatomy have been noticed, including at least one instance when no less than eight different terms were given to the same structure. A standardized list of terms and notations for each quadrate anatomical entity is proposed here, with the goal of facilitating future descriptions of this important cranial bone. In addition, an overview of the literature on quadrate function and pneumaticity in non-avian theropods is presented, along with a discussion of the inferences that could be made from this research. Specifically, the quadrate of the large majority of non-avian theropods is akinetic but the diagonally oriented intercondylar sulcus of the mandibular articulation allowed both rami of the mandible to move laterally when opening the mouth in many of theropods. Pneumaticity of the quadrate is also present in most averostran clades and the pneumatic chamber—invaded by the quadrate diverticulum of the mandibular arch pneumatic system—was connected to one or several pneumatic foramina on the medial, lateral, posterior, anterior or ventral sides of the quadrate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christophe Hendrickx
- Departamento de Ciências da Terra, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, GeoBioTec, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia , Caparica , Portugal ; Museu da Lourinhã , Lourinhã , Portugal ; Current affiliation: Evolutionary Studies Institute, Center of Excellence in Palaeosciences, University of the Witwatersrand , South Africa
| | - Ricardo Araújo
- Museu da Lourinhã , Lourinhã , Portugal ; Huffington Department of Earth Sciences, Southern Methodist University , Dallas, TX , USA ; Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa , Lisboa , Portugal ; Museum für Naturkunde , Berlin , Germany
| | - Octávio Mateus
- Departamento de Ciências da Terra, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, GeoBioTec, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia , Caparica , Portugal ; Museu da Lourinhã , Lourinhã , Portugal
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