Wuerhosaurus: Difference between revisions
m r2.7.1) (robot Adding: nl:Wuerhosaurus |
Some changes and additions |
||
| Line 20: | Line 20: | ||
}} |
}} |
||
'''''Wuerhosaurus''''' is a [[genus]] of [[ |
'''''Wuerhosaurus''''' is a [[genus]] of [[Stegosauridae|stegosaurid]] [[dinosaur]] from the Early [[Cretaceous]] Period of [[People's Republic of China|China]]. As such, it was one of the last genera of [[Stegosauria|stegosaurians]] known to have existed, since most others lived in the late [[Jurassic]].<ref name=EoDP/> |
||
| ⚫ | |||
| ⚫ | |||
''Wuerhosaurus homheni'' is the [[type species]], described by [[Dong Zhiming]] in 1973 from the [[Tugulu Group]] in [[Xinjiang]], western China. The generic name is derived from the city of [[Wuerho]].<ref>Dong Z., 1973, [Dinosaurs from Wuerho]. Reports of Paleontological Expedition to Sinkiang (II): Pterosaurian Fauna from Wuerho, Sinkiang. Memoirs of the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Academia Sinica '''11''': 45-52</ref> |
|||
The remains consisted of the [[holotype]] '''IVPP V.4006''', a skull-less fragmentary skeleton, and the [[paratype]] IVPP V4007,<ref>Dong Z., 1990, "Stegosaurs of Asia", In: K. Carpenter & P. J. Currie (Eds.), ''Dinosaur Systematics'' (pp. 255–268). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press</ref> three vertebrae from the tail of a second individual.<ref name="ageofdinosaurswuerhosaurus"/> |
|||
| ⚫ | Susannah Maidment and colleagues proposed in 2008 that ''Wuerhosaurus'' should be considered a synonym of ''[[Stegosaurus]]'', with |
||
A smaller species from the [[Ejinhoro Formation]] in the Ordos Basin in [[Inner Mongolia]], ''W. ordosensis'', was formalized by the same researcher in 1993. It is based on specimen IVPP V6877, a fragmentary skeleton lacking the skull. It was found in 1988.<ref>Dong Z., 1994, "A new species of stegosaur (Dinosauria) from the Ordos Basin, Inner Mongolia, People's Republic of China", ''Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences'' '''30'''(10-11): 2174-2176</ref> |
|||
| ⚫ | |||
| ⚫ | |||
| ⚫ | Susannah Maidment and colleagues proposed in 2008 that ''Wuerhosaurus'' should be considered a junior synonym of ''[[Stegosaurus]]'', with type species ''W. homheni'' as ''Stegosaurus homheni'' and second species ''W. ordosensis'' regarded as [[nomen dubium|dubious]].<ref name=SMetal08>{{cite journal |last=Maidment |first=Susannah C.R. |coauthors=Norman, David B.; Barrett, Paul M.; and Upchurch, Paul |year=2008 |title=Systematics and phylogeny of Stegosauria (Dinosauria: Ornithischia) |journal=Journal of Systematic Palaeontology |doi=10.1017/S1477201908002459 |pages=1 |volume=6 |issue=4 |pages=367–407}}</ref> This opinion has been contested, however.<ref>K. Carpenter, 2010, "Species concept in North American stegosaurs", ''Swiss Journal of Geosciences'' '''103'''(2): 155-162</ref> |
||
''Wuerhosaurus homheni'' is the type species, described by [[Dong Zhiming]] in 1973 from the Tugulu Group in [[Xinjiang]], western China. The remains consisted of a skull-less fragmentary skeleton and some bones from the tail of a second individual.<ref name="ageofdinosaurswuerhosaurus"/> A smaller species from the Ejinhoro Formation in the Ordos Basin in [[Inner Mongolia]], ''W. ordosensis'', was formalized by the same researcher in 1993. |
|||
===Distribution=== |
===Distribution=== |
||
| Line 35: | Line 37: | ||
'''''W. ordosensis''''' |
'''''W. ordosensis''''' |
||
* [[Ejinhoro Formation]] |
* [[Ejinhoro Formation]] |
||
==Description== |
|||
| ⚫ | |||
| ⚫ | ''Wuerhosaurus homheni'' was probably a broad bodied animal. [[Gregory S. Paul]] in 2010 estimated the length at {{convert|7|m|ft}} and the weight at four tonnes.<ref>Paul, G.S., 2010, ''The Princeton Field Guide to Dinosaurs'', Princeton University Press p. 224</ref> Only a few scattered bones have been found, making a full restoration difficult.<ref name=EoDP>{{cite book |editor=Palmer, D.|year=1999 |title= The Marshall Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Animals|publisher= Marshall Editions|location=London|page= 156|isbn= 1-84028-152-9}}</ref> Its dorsal plates were at first thought to have been much rounder or flatter than other stegosaurids,<ref name="ageofdinosaurswuerhosaurus">"Wuerhosaurus." In: Dodson, Peter & Britt, Brooks & Carpenter, Kenneth & Forster, Catherine A. & Gillette, David D. & Norell, Mark A. & Olshevsky, George & Parrish, J. Michael & Weishampel, David B. ''The Age of Dinosaurs''. Publications International, LTD. p. 102. ISBN 0-7853-0443-6.</ref> but Maidment established this was an illusion caused by breakage: their actual form is unknown. ''W. homheni'' had a pelvis of which the front of the [[ilium|ilia]] strongly flared outwards indicating a very broad belly. The neural spines on the tail base were exceptionally tall. |
||
''W. ordosensis'' was estimated by Paul to have been five metres long and 1.2 tonnes heavy. It too has a broad pelvis but the neural spines are shorter. The neck seems to heve been relatively long. |
|||
==Paleobiology== |
==Paleobiology== |
||
It was lower to the ground than most other stegosaurids; scientists believe that this was an adaptation to let it feed on low-growing vegetation. |
It was lower to the ground than most other stegosaurids; scientists believe that this was an adaptation to let it feed on low-growing vegetation. ''Wuerhosaurus'', like other stegosaurids, perhaps had a [[thagomizer]] on the end of its tail, which featured four bony spikes that would most likely have been used for self-defense. A single spike was found but was seen by Dong as being positioned on the shoulder. |
||
==References== |
==References== |
||
Revision as of 08:37, 6 May 2011
| Wuerhosaurus Temporal range:
| |
|---|---|
| |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | |
| Phylum: | |
| Class: | |
| Superorder: | |
| Order: | |
| Suborder: | |
| Infraorder: | |
| Family: | |
| Genus: | Wuerhosaurus Dong, 1973
|
| Species | |
| |
Wuerhosaurus is a genus of stegosaurid dinosaur from the Early Cretaceous Period of China. As such, it was one of the last genera of stegosaurians known to have existed, since most others lived in the late Jurassic.[1]
Discovery and species
Wuerhosaurus homheni is the type species, described by Dong Zhiming in 1973 from the Tugulu Group in Xinjiang, western China. The generic name is derived from the city of Wuerho.[2]
The remains consisted of the holotype IVPP V.4006, a skull-less fragmentary skeleton, and the paratype IVPP V4007,[3] three vertebrae from the tail of a second individual.[4]
A smaller species from the Ejinhoro Formation in the Ordos Basin in Inner Mongolia, W. ordosensis, was formalized by the same researcher in 1993. It is based on specimen IVPP V6877, a fragmentary skeleton lacking the skull. It was found in 1988.[5]
Susannah Maidment and colleagues proposed in 2008 that Wuerhosaurus should be considered a junior synonym of Stegosaurus, with type species W. homheni as Stegosaurus homheni and second species W. ordosensis regarded as dubious.[6] This opinion has been contested, however.[7]
Distribution
W. homheni
W. ordosensis
Description
Wuerhosaurus homheni was probably a broad bodied animal. Gregory S. Paul in 2010 estimated the length at 7 metres (23 ft) and the weight at four tonnes.[8] Only a few scattered bones have been found, making a full restoration difficult.[1] Its dorsal plates were at first thought to have been much rounder or flatter than other stegosaurids,[4] but Maidment established this was an illusion caused by breakage: their actual form is unknown. W. homheni had a pelvis of which the front of the ilia strongly flared outwards indicating a very broad belly. The neural spines on the tail base were exceptionally tall.
W. ordosensis was estimated by Paul to have been five metres long and 1.2 tonnes heavy. It too has a broad pelvis but the neural spines are shorter. The neck seems to heve been relatively long.
Paleobiology
It was lower to the ground than most other stegosaurids; scientists believe that this was an adaptation to let it feed on low-growing vegetation. Wuerhosaurus, like other stegosaurids, perhaps had a thagomizer on the end of its tail, which featured four bony spikes that would most likely have been used for self-defense. A single spike was found but was seen by Dong as being positioned on the shoulder.
References
- ^ a b Palmer, D., ed. (1999). The Marshall Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Animals. London: Marshall Editions. p. 156. ISBN 1-84028-152-9.
- ^ Dong Z., 1973, [Dinosaurs from Wuerho]. Reports of Paleontological Expedition to Sinkiang (II): Pterosaurian Fauna from Wuerho, Sinkiang. Memoirs of the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Academia Sinica 11: 45-52
- ^ Dong Z., 1990, "Stegosaurs of Asia", In: K. Carpenter & P. J. Currie (Eds.), Dinosaur Systematics (pp. 255–268). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
- ^ a b "Wuerhosaurus." In: Dodson, Peter & Britt, Brooks & Carpenter, Kenneth & Forster, Catherine A. & Gillette, David D. & Norell, Mark A. & Olshevsky, George & Parrish, J. Michael & Weishampel, David B. The Age of Dinosaurs. Publications International, LTD. p. 102. ISBN 0-7853-0443-6.
- ^ Dong Z., 1994, "A new species of stegosaur (Dinosauria) from the Ordos Basin, Inner Mongolia, People's Republic of China", Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences 30(10-11): 2174-2176
- ^ Maidment, Susannah C.R. (2008). "Systematics and phylogeny of Stegosauria (Dinosauria: Ornithischia)". Journal of Systematic Palaeontology. 6 (4): 367–407. doi:10.1017/S1477201908002459.
{{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - ^ K. Carpenter, 2010, "Species concept in North American stegosaurs", Swiss Journal of Geosciences 103(2): 155-162
- ^ Paul, G.S., 2010, The Princeton Field Guide to Dinosaurs, Princeton University Press p. 224
- Dong Zhiming (1992). Dinosaurian Faunas of China. China Ocean Press, Beijing. ISBN 3-540-52084-8.
External links
- Wuerhosaurus at Thescelosaurus!
