A new primitive Neornithischian dinosaur from the Jurassic of Patagonia with gut contents

Salgado, L. ; Canudo, J.I. (Universidad de Zaragoza) ; Garrido, A.C. ; Moreno-Azanza, M. ; Martínez, L.C.A. ; Coria, R.A. ; Gasca, J.M.

Resumen: We describe a new species of an ornithischian dinosaur, Isaberrysaura mollensis gen. et sp. nov. The specimen, consisting in an almost complete skull and incomplete postcranium was collected from the marine-deltaic deposits of the Los Molles Formation (Toarcian-Bajocian), being the first reported dinosaur for this unit, one of the oldest from Neuquén Basin, and the first neornithischian dinosaur known from the Jurassic of South America. Despite showing a general stegosaurian appearance, the extensive phylogenetic analysis carried out depicts Isaberrysaura mollensis gen. et sp. nov. as a basal ornithopod, suggesting that both Thyreophora and neornithischians could have achieved significant convergent features. The specimen was preserved articulated and with some of its gut content place in the middle-posterior part of the thoracic cavity. Such stomach content was identified as seeds, most of them belonging to the Cycadales group. This finding reveals a possible and unexpected role of this ornithischian species as seed-dispersal agent.

Idioma: Inglés

DOI: 10.1038/srep42778

Año: 2017

Publicado en: Scientific reports 7 (2017), 42778 [10 pp]
ISSN: 2045-2322

Factor impacto JCR: 4.122 (2017)

Categ. JCR: MULTIDISCIPLINARY SCIENCES rank: 12 / 64 = 0.188 (2017) - Q1 - T1

Factor impacto SCIMAGO: 1.533 - Multidisciplinary (Q1)

Financiación: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/DGA/B24-211130
Financiación: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/MINECO/CGL2014-53548-P

Tipo y forma: Artículo (Versión definitiva)

Área (Departamento): Área Paleontología (Dpto. Ciencias de la Tierra)