Paleontologists from Western University of Health Sciences, Brigham Young University, Arizona Museum of Natural History, and Auburn University reported on the new specimen. haplocanthosaurus Based on bones excavated from the Dry Mesa Dinosaur Quarry near Delta, Colorado, USA.
haplocanthosaurus is a small genus of middle sauropod dinosaur that lived during the Late Jurassic Period, 155 to 152 million years ago.
Currently, only members of this genus are known. Haplocanthosaurus delphis and Haplocanthosaurus Priscus.
“haplocanthosaurus is a mysterious sauropod excavated from the Upper Jurassic Morrison Formation of the western United States,” said a paleontologist at Western Health University. Matthew Wedel And my colleagues.
“haplocanthosaurus Far fewer individuals (approximately 11 specimens) are known compared to many of the famous Morrison Formation sauropods, such as Apatosaurus, diplodocusand camarasaurusall of which are known from some of over 100 individuals. ”
“Furthermore, important parts of the skeleton, such as the skull, forelimbs, and manus and pes, have not been recovered or described to date.”
“As a genus, haplocanthosaurus “It occurs in many positions on the phylogeny,” they added.
“Studies have found it just outside of basal diplodocoids, basal megafauna, or possibly neosauropods, indicating a precarious position in the sauropod phylogeny.”
“However, most recent studies have converged towards recovery. haplocanthosaurus as a basal diplodocoid. ”
Block of the three anterior dorsal vertebrae haplocanthosaurus Stored in articulations. Scale bar – 10 cm. Image credit: Boisvert others., doi: 10.1002/ar.25520.
new specimen of haplocanthosaurus It was discovered at the Dry Mesa Dinosaur Quarry near Delta, Colorado.
It consists of three anterior dorsal vertebrae, four separate posterior dorsal vertebrae, and the right tibia.
“The new individual is haplocanthosaurus “Identified based on the presence of dorsally angled transverse processes, high neural arch crus, and wide distal tibia,” the researchers said.
geologically youngest haplocanthosaurus Specimens from the Colorado Plateau.
“This individual extends the range of this genus into the true Brushy Basin member of the Morrison Formation,” the authors said.
their paper Published in anatomical record.
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Colin Boisvert others. 2024. New specimen description haplocanthosaurus From Dry Mesa Dinosaur Quarry. anatomical records 307 (12): 3782-3800;doi: 10.1002/ar.25520
Source: www.sci.news
