Coria, R. A., Moly, J. J., Reguero, M., Santillana, S. and Marenssi, S.
A new ornithopod
dinosaur from Antarctica, Trinisaura
santamartaensis n. gen. et n. sp. is
diagnosed by a unique combination of characters that includes a scapula with a
spike-like acromial process with a strong and sharp lateral crest and longer
than other ornithopods, a humerus with a rudimentary deltopectoral crest
represented as a thickening on the anterolateral margin of the humerus, and
shaft strongly bowed laterally, and an ischium gently curved along its entire
length. The holotype specimen comprises vertebral and appendicular elements.
The presence of axially elongate distal caudal vertebrae, pubis with long
prepubic and postpubic processes, as well as a femur with a distinct anterior
trochanter, pendant 4th trochanter and shallow anterior intercondylar groove
constitute a combination of characters present in the Late Cretaceous Patagonian
Gasparinisaura, Anabisetia and Talenkahuen. The materials were found on
the surface enclosed in a hard sandstone concretion collected near the Santa Marta
Cove, James Ross Island, from the lower levels of the Snow Hill Island
Formation (Campanian). This is the first ornithopod taxon identified
from this unit, and the second ornithischian dinosaur, after the ankylosaur Antarctopelta oliveroi. However, other
ornithopod reports from nearby localities of James Ross and Vega islands
in outcrops of the overlying Lopez de Bertodano
Formation suggest that this clade was widely represented in the
Campanian and Maastrichtian of the James Ross Basin, Antarctic continent.
Coria, R. A., Moly, J. J., Reguero, M., Santillana, S. and Marenssi, S. (In press) A new ornithopod (Dinosauria; Ornithischia) from Antarctica. Cretaceous Research.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cretres.2012.12.004
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