A new basal hadrosauroid dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous of Uzbekistan and the early radiation of duck-billed dinosaurs |
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Authors: | Hans-Dieter Sues Alexander Averianov |
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Institution: | 1.National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, MRC 106, PO Box 37012, Washington, DC 20013-7012, USA;2.Zoological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Universitetskaya nab. 1, St Petersburg 199034, Russia |
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Abstract: | Levnesovia transoxiana gen. et sp. nov., from the Late Cretaceous (Middle–Late Turonian) of Uzbekistan, is the oldest well-documented taxon referable to Hadrosauroidea sensu Godefroit et al. It differs from a somewhat younger and closely related Bactrosaurus from Inner Mongolia (China) by a tall sagittal crest on the parietals and the absence of club-shaped dorsal neural spines in adult specimens. Levnesovia, Bactrosaurus and possibly Gilmoreosaurus represent the earliest radiation of Hadrosauroidea, which took place during the Cenomanian–Turonian and possibly in North America. The second, Santonian-age radiation of Hadrosauroidea included Aralosaurus, Hadrosauridae and lineages leading to Tanius (Campanian) and Telmatosaurus (Maastrichtian). Hadrosauridae appears to be monophyletic, but Hadrosaurinae and Lambeosaurinae originated in North America and Asia, respectively. |
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Keywords: | Dinosauria Hadrosauroidea Cretaceous Asia radiation palaeobiogeography |
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