A Complete Skeleton of a Late Triassic Saurischian and the Early Evolution of Dinosaurs
2009; American Association for the Advancement of Science; Volume: 326; Issue: 5959 Linguagem: Inglês
10.1126/science.1180350
ISSN1095-9203
AutoresSterling J. Nesbitt, Nathan D. Smith, Randall B. Irmis, Alan H. Turner, Alex Downs, Mark A. Norell,
Tópico(s)Evolution and Paleontology Studies
ResumoCharacterizing the evolutionary history of early dinosaurs is central to understanding their rise and diversification in the Late Triassic. However, fossils from basal lineages are rare. A new theropod dinosaur from New Mexico is a representative of the early North American diversification. Known from several nearly complete skeletons, it reveals a mosaic of plesiomorphic and derived features that clarify early saurischian dinosaur evolution and provide evidence for the antiquity of novel avian character systems including skeletal pneumaticity. The taxon further reveals latitudinal differences among saurischian assemblages during the Late Triassic, demonstrates that the theropod fauna from the Late Triassic of North America was not endemic, and suggests that intercontinental dispersal was prevalent during this time.
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