Paleontologists have discovered what they say to be a new species of divergent neornithischian dinosaur which was part of the Jurassic Yanliao Biota in northern China.
The skeleton of Pulaosaurus Qinglong in the left side view. Image credit: Hailong Zhang.
Appointed Pulaosaurus QinglongNewly identified dinosaurs species lived in what is now China during the Jurassic period, about 160 million years ago.
The former reptile was part of the so-called Biota Yanliao, an average in late judicial age ecosystem which included dinosaurs, mammals, amphibians, insects and lizards, as well as plants.
“The Yanliao Biota is one of the Most significant Mesozoic, Terresrial Lagerstätte in China, with an age that ranges from 168 to 157 million years and is understood of Fossil assemblages from the jiulongshan and the tiaojishan formations,” Said Senior Author Dr. Xu, With the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropy at the Chinese Academy of Sciences and University of Yunnan, and colleagues.
“In total, 54 genres and 58 species of vertebrates reported from the Yanliao biote, including nine species of non -avian dinosaurs.”
“Because biote Yanliao preserves large amounts of vertebrate materials of many species, it offers an overview of the main paleobiological events, such as the time origin of birds and the early evolution of mammals.”
“However, the non -avian dinosaurs found in Yanliao’s biote are all small theropods while Ornithischia is represented by a single species, which can possibly come from Biota Jehol.”
“This contrasts strongly with other contemporary Chinese land fauna such as the fauns of Shishigou and Shaximiao where body size and taxonomic composition are more variable.”
Pulaosaurus Qinglong belongs to Neornithischia (New Ornithischians), a group of dinosaurs with the Ornithischia order.
Closed for the first time in 1985, Neornithischiens had a thicker layer of asymmetrical enamel inside their lower teeth.
“Neornithischia is an important group of dinosaurs whose oldest origin can be dated to the average Jurassic, represented by several early divergent species, which Sanxiasaurus,, Agilisaurus,, Hexinlusaurus Found in China, ”said paleontologists.
“In addition to China, neornithischian fossils have been reported from the average Jurassic of Eastern Europe, Scotland and strata from other era and geological countries.”
“Neornithischia diverge quickly in a number of species in the Cretaceous.”
The well -preserved specimen of Pulaosaurus Qinglong was found in the Tiaojishan of Qinglong training in the Chinese province of Hebei.
“The fossil is made up of an almost complete skeleton prepared on a brownish red sandstone slab,” said the researchers.
“The specimen preserves most of the skull and a complete postcranian skeleton.”
According to scientists, Pulaosaurus Qinglong was a little Corsé Neornthischian.
“The total length of this specimen is approximately 72.2 cm (that is to say the length of the rostral end of the skull at the caudal end of the last vertebrates preserved caudals) while its skull length is about 8 cm,” they said.
The discovery of the new species sheds new light on the biodiversity of Yanliao Biota and the phylogeny of early divergent Neornithischians.
“Place phylogenetic analysis Pulaosaurus Qinglong At the base of Neornithischia near AgilisaurusWho is the first diverging Neornithischian, “said the authors.
“The new species represents the first neornithischian found in Yanliao biote, and helps to fill the time and geographic gap in the distribution of Neornithischia in China.”
“A pair of arytenoids is kept in the Pulaosaurus Qinglong The holotype and represents the second case of an ossified laryngeal device among non -avian dinosaurs. »»
“The arytenoids of Pulaosaurus Qinglong Indicates that ossified laryngeal devices were present in Neornithischia, thus suggesting that the laryngeal ossified apparatus could be spread through the dinosauria. »»
“As a morphology of Pulaosaurus Qinglong Arytenoids resemble the arytenoids of existing birds, it is possible for new species to have an avian type vocalization. »»
The discovery of Pulaosaurus Qinglong is reported in an article in the newspaper Peerj.
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Y. who and al. 2025. A new Neornithischien dinosaur of the formation of Tiaojishan du Jurassique Supérieur northern China. Peerj 13: E19664; Two: 10.7717 / peerj. 19664
