A rare ‘flat-headed’ pachycephalosaur (Dinosauria: Pachycephalosauridae) from West Texas, USA, with morphometric and heterochronic considerations - 05/11/24
Highlights |
• | Describes a rare ‘flat-headed’ juvenile specimen of pachycephalosaurid dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous of West Texas, USA. |
• | Adds critical new taxonomic comparative material representing a juvenile semaphoront within the pachycephalosaur ontogenetic continuum. |
• | Helps resolve taxonomy and affinities among the pachycephalosaur record from North America. |
• | Morphometric analysis supports the specimen as pertaining to a new ‘southern’ species of Stegoceras. |
• | Describes an unusual heterochronic growth progression among pachycephalosaurs which seemingly represents a new taxonomic characteristic. |
• | Represents a vital ‘southern’ dinosaur paleofaunal datum for North America. |
Abstract |
A juvenile pachycephalosaur frontal from the upper Aguja Formation (Late Cretaceous: middle Campanian) of West Texas, USA is unusually thin dorsoventrally, even compared to ‘flat’ frontals of young individuals pertaining to other pachycephalosaur taxa. The specimen is most comparable morphologically and morphometrically to Stegoceras validum. However, it is much thinner than any ‘juvenile’ example of that species, and also differs in the elongate form and radial arrangement of the surficial tubercles, as well as occurrence of radial grooves along the lateral margins of the bone. Such differences are unlikely a reflection of intraspecific variation. Instead, the Aguja specimen likely represents a previously unknown juvenile semaphoront from the southern Western Interior, referred herein to Stegoceras sp. and likely extends the distribution of this widespread Campanian genus. A morphometric evaluation suggests that the holotype specimen of Texacephale langstoni, also from the Aguja Formation, is probably an adult semaphoront of Stegoceras. However, both specimens represent different ontogenetic stages with dissimilar morphologies and so their potential conspecifity remains equivocal. The new Aguja specimen described herein likely represents a ‘paedomorphic’ Campanian pachycephalosaur – one where the onset of doming is displaced until well into ontogeny – a heterochronic attribute Stegoceras sp. shares with S. validum and Pachycephalosaurus wyomingensis. Where an adequate ontogenetic sample is available for comparison, other pachycephalosaur taxa do not seem to exhibit a similar growth progression, and so this appears to be a significant taxonomic characteristic. That some pachycephalosaurs delayed doming of the skull roof during growth is enigmatic, but it may have been an expression of sexual dimorphism, an aid in species recognition, or a response to harsh environmental conditions.
Le texte complet de cet article est disponible en PDF.Keywords : Stegoceras, Pachycephalosauria, Frontoparietal dome, Ontogeny, Post-displacement, North America
Plan
☆ | Corresponding editor: Jeremy Martin. |
Vol 86
P. 89-106 - octobre 2024 Retour au numéroBienvenue sur EM-consulte, la référence des professionnels de santé.
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