Skull structure and evolution in tyrannosaurid dinosaurs
2003; Institute of Paleobiology; Volume: 48; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês
10.7939/r31z41s6z
ISSN1732-2421
AutoresPhilip J. Currie, Jørn H. Hurum, Karol Sabath,
Tópico(s)Ichthyology and Marine Biology
ResumoTyrannosauridae can be subdivided into two distinct subfamilies—the Albertosaurinae and the Tyrannosaurinae. Previ− ously recognized subdivisions Aublysodontinae and Shanshanosaurinae are rejected because they are based on insuffi− cient material and juvenile specimens. Our results are based upon a phylogenetic analysis using PAUP program (Swofford 1999) of 77 skull characters and seven genera (Albertosaurus, Alioramus, Daspletosaurus, Gorgosaurus, Nanotyrannus, Tarbosaurus, and Tyrannosaurus); with Allosaurus as outgroup. Of the 77 characters used, more than half were parsimony informative. A single most parsimonious tree was obtained with the Tree Length being 88. The analysis of cranial characters and comparison of postcranial features reveal that Tarbosaurus bataar is not the sister taxon of Tyrannosaurus rex (contra Holtz 2001). Their similarities are partially due to the fact that both are extremely large ani− mals. Thus, Tarbosaurus should be considered a genus distinct from Tyrannosaurus.
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