A new small-bodied ornithopod (Dinosauria, Ornithischia) from a deep, high-energy Early Cretaceous river of the Australian-Antarctic rift system
A new small-bodied ornithopod dinosaur, Diluvicursor pickeringi, gen. et sp. nov., is named from the lower Albian of the Eumeralla Formation in southeastern Australia and helps shed new light on the anatomy and diversity of Gondwanan ornithopods. Comprising an almost complete tail and partial lower...
Published in: | PeerJ |
---|---|
Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
PeerJ
2018
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:717093 |
id |
ftunivqespace:oai:espace.library.uq.edu.au:UQ:717093 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
ftunivqespace:oai:espace.library.uq.edu.au:UQ:717093 2023-05-15T13:51:28+02:00 A new small-bodied ornithopod (Dinosauria, Ornithischia) from a deep, high-energy Early Cretaceous river of the Australian-Antarctic rift system Herne, Matthew C. Tait, Alan M. Weisbecker, Vera Hall, Michael Nair, Jay P. Cleeland, Michael Salisbury, Steven W. 2018-01-11 https://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:717093 eng eng PeerJ doi:10.7717/peerj.4113 issn:2167-8359 orcid:0000-0003-2370-4046 orcid:0000-0003-4097-8567 Not set Australia–Antarctica Dinosaur Gondwana Ornithopod Palaeoecology Pathology Sedimentology Systematics Taphonomy palaeontology 1100 Agricultural and Biological Sciences 1300 Biochemistry Genetics and Molecular Biology 2800 Neuroscience Journal Article 2018 ftunivqespace https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.4113 2020-12-29T00:37:43Z A new small-bodied ornithopod dinosaur, Diluvicursor pickeringi, gen. et sp. nov., is named from the lower Albian of the Eumeralla Formation in southeastern Australia and helps shed new light on the anatomy and diversity of Gondwanan ornithopods. Comprising an almost complete tail and partial lower right hindlimb, the holotype (NMV P221080) was deposited as a carcass or body-part in a log-filled scour near the base of a deep, high-energy river that incised a faunally rich, substantially forested riverine floodplain within the Australian-Antarctic rift graben. The deposit is termed the 'Eric the Red West Sandstone.' The holotype, interpreted as an older juvenile ∼1.2 m in total length, appears to have endured antemortem trauma to the pes. A referred, isolated posterior caudal vertebra (NMV P229456) from the holotype locality, suggests D. pickeringi grew to at least 2.3 m in length. D. pickeringi is characterised by 10 potential autapomorphies, among which dorsoventrally low neural arches and transversely broad caudal ribs on the anterior-most caudal vertebrae are a visually defining combination of features. These features suggest D. pickeringi had robust anterior caudal musculature and strong locomotor abilities. Another isolated anterior caudal vertebra (NMV P228342) from the same deposit, suggests that the fossil assemblage hosts at least two ornithopod taxa. D. pickeringi and two stratigraphically younger, indeterminate Eumeralla Formation ornithopods from Dinosaur Cove, NMV P185992/P185993 and NMV P186047, are closely related. However, the tail of D. pickeringi is far shorter than that of NMV P185992/P185993 and its pes more robust than that of NMV P186047. Preliminary cladistic analysis, utilising three existing datasets, failed to resolve D. pickeringi beyond a large polytomy of Ornithopoda. However, qualitative assessment of shared anatomical features suggest that the Eumeralla Formation ornithopods, South American Anabisetia saldiviai and Gasparinisaura cincosaltensis, Afro-Laurasian dryosaurids and possibly Antarctic Morrosaurus antarcticus share a close phylogenetic progenitor. Future phylogenetic analysis with improved data on Australian ornithopods will help to test these suggested affinities. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica antarcticus The University of Queensland: UQ eSpace Antarctic PeerJ 5 e4113 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
The University of Queensland: UQ eSpace |
op_collection_id |
ftunivqespace |
language |
English |
topic |
Australia–Antarctica Dinosaur Gondwana Ornithopod Palaeoecology Pathology Sedimentology Systematics Taphonomy palaeontology 1100 Agricultural and Biological Sciences 1300 Biochemistry Genetics and Molecular Biology 2800 Neuroscience |
spellingShingle |
Australia–Antarctica Dinosaur Gondwana Ornithopod Palaeoecology Pathology Sedimentology Systematics Taphonomy palaeontology 1100 Agricultural and Biological Sciences 1300 Biochemistry Genetics and Molecular Biology 2800 Neuroscience Herne, Matthew C. Tait, Alan M. Weisbecker, Vera Hall, Michael Nair, Jay P. Cleeland, Michael Salisbury, Steven W. A new small-bodied ornithopod (Dinosauria, Ornithischia) from a deep, high-energy Early Cretaceous river of the Australian-Antarctic rift system |
topic_facet |
Australia–Antarctica Dinosaur Gondwana Ornithopod Palaeoecology Pathology Sedimentology Systematics Taphonomy palaeontology 1100 Agricultural and Biological Sciences 1300 Biochemistry Genetics and Molecular Biology 2800 Neuroscience |
description |
A new small-bodied ornithopod dinosaur, Diluvicursor pickeringi, gen. et sp. nov., is named from the lower Albian of the Eumeralla Formation in southeastern Australia and helps shed new light on the anatomy and diversity of Gondwanan ornithopods. Comprising an almost complete tail and partial lower right hindlimb, the holotype (NMV P221080) was deposited as a carcass or body-part in a log-filled scour near the base of a deep, high-energy river that incised a faunally rich, substantially forested riverine floodplain within the Australian-Antarctic rift graben. The deposit is termed the 'Eric the Red West Sandstone.' The holotype, interpreted as an older juvenile ∼1.2 m in total length, appears to have endured antemortem trauma to the pes. A referred, isolated posterior caudal vertebra (NMV P229456) from the holotype locality, suggests D. pickeringi grew to at least 2.3 m in length. D. pickeringi is characterised by 10 potential autapomorphies, among which dorsoventrally low neural arches and transversely broad caudal ribs on the anterior-most caudal vertebrae are a visually defining combination of features. These features suggest D. pickeringi had robust anterior caudal musculature and strong locomotor abilities. Another isolated anterior caudal vertebra (NMV P228342) from the same deposit, suggests that the fossil assemblage hosts at least two ornithopod taxa. D. pickeringi and two stratigraphically younger, indeterminate Eumeralla Formation ornithopods from Dinosaur Cove, NMV P185992/P185993 and NMV P186047, are closely related. However, the tail of D. pickeringi is far shorter than that of NMV P185992/P185993 and its pes more robust than that of NMV P186047. Preliminary cladistic analysis, utilising three existing datasets, failed to resolve D. pickeringi beyond a large polytomy of Ornithopoda. However, qualitative assessment of shared anatomical features suggest that the Eumeralla Formation ornithopods, South American Anabisetia saldiviai and Gasparinisaura cincosaltensis, Afro-Laurasian dryosaurids and possibly Antarctic Morrosaurus antarcticus share a close phylogenetic progenitor. Future phylogenetic analysis with improved data on Australian ornithopods will help to test these suggested affinities. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Herne, Matthew C. Tait, Alan M. Weisbecker, Vera Hall, Michael Nair, Jay P. Cleeland, Michael Salisbury, Steven W. |
author_facet |
Herne, Matthew C. Tait, Alan M. Weisbecker, Vera Hall, Michael Nair, Jay P. Cleeland, Michael Salisbury, Steven W. |
author_sort |
Herne, Matthew C. |
title |
A new small-bodied ornithopod (Dinosauria, Ornithischia) from a deep, high-energy Early Cretaceous river of the Australian-Antarctic rift system |
title_short |
A new small-bodied ornithopod (Dinosauria, Ornithischia) from a deep, high-energy Early Cretaceous river of the Australian-Antarctic rift system |
title_full |
A new small-bodied ornithopod (Dinosauria, Ornithischia) from a deep, high-energy Early Cretaceous river of the Australian-Antarctic rift system |
title_fullStr |
A new small-bodied ornithopod (Dinosauria, Ornithischia) from a deep, high-energy Early Cretaceous river of the Australian-Antarctic rift system |
title_full_unstemmed |
A new small-bodied ornithopod (Dinosauria, Ornithischia) from a deep, high-energy Early Cretaceous river of the Australian-Antarctic rift system |
title_sort |
new small-bodied ornithopod (dinosauria, ornithischia) from a deep, high-energy early cretaceous river of the australian-antarctic rift system |
publisher |
PeerJ |
publishDate |
2018 |
url |
https://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:717093 |
geographic |
Antarctic |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica antarcticus |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica antarcticus |
op_relation |
doi:10.7717/peerj.4113 issn:2167-8359 orcid:0000-0003-2370-4046 orcid:0000-0003-4097-8567 Not set |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.4113 |
container_title |
PeerJ |
container_volume |
5 |
container_start_page |
e4113 |
_version_ |
1766255350979231744 |