Biology:Cathetosaurus
| Cathetosaurus | |
|---|---|
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| Referred specimen SMA 0002 | |
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Clade: | Dinosauria |
| Clade: | Saurischia |
| Clade: | †Sauropodomorpha |
| Clade: | †Sauropoda |
| Clade: | †Macronaria |
| Family: | †Camarasauridae |
| Genus: | †Cathetosaurus Jensen, 1988 |
| Type species | |
| †Cathetosaurus lewisi Jensen, 1988
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| Synonyms | |
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Cathetosaurus (meaning "upright lizard", referring to a possible ability to rear on its hind legs[1]) is a genus of sauropod dinosaur named from remains found in the United States that is considered synonymous with Camarasaurus. Its type species is Cathetosaurus lewisi.[2] The holotype specimen was originally described by James Jensen and is now in the Brigham Young University collection.
Description
Soft tissue from the mouth region of SMA 0002 made researchers propose in 2016 that the tooth crowns were covered by gingival tissue, and perhaps a keratinous beak.[3]
The diagnostic characters for Cathetosaurus are: the pelvis is rotated anteriorly, such that the pubis projects posteroventrally, and the ischium projects posteriorly (1), lateroventrally projecting spurs in the neural spines of the last dorsals (2); posterior cervical and anterior dorsal diapophyses bearing an anterior projection lateral to the prezygapophyses (3); frontals with anterior midline projection into the nasals (4); trapezoidal supraoccipital (more expanded dorsally than ventrally) (5); lateral spur on the dorsal part of the lacrimal (6); fenestrated pterygoid (7); and the large pineal foramen between the frontals (8). Because of this, the proportions of the genus are extremely unusual: it has a very large skull relative to the axial skeleton, the limbs are short relative to the axial skeleton, the ribcage is extremely deep, so that the bottom of the ribcage is below the knee level. These features, and the rotation of the pelvis provided larger belly volume to the species.[4]
Classification
The holotype specimen of Cathetosaurus lewisi is contemporary with the middle of the C. grandis age range. The genus was later synonymized with Camarasaurus.[5] An unpublished study suggested splitting the two genera again, based on the recognition of a second specimen,[4] but subsequent research by one of the authors of that study has since concluded it belonged to Camarasaurus after all.[6] Subsequent research has referred to C. lewisi as a species of Camarasaurus, including research by one of the authors of the unpublished study.[7][8]
References
- ↑ "Untitled Document". http://www.paleofile.com/Dinosaurs/Sauropoda/Camarasaurus.asp.
- ↑ Jensen, J. A. (1988). "A fourth new sauropod dinosaur from the Upper Jurassic of the Colorado Plateau and sauropod bipedalism". Great Basin Naturalist 48 (2): 121–145.
- ↑ Wiersma, K.; Sander, P. M. (2016). "The dentition of a well-preserved specimen of Camarasaurus sp.: implications for function, tooth replacement, soft part reconstruction, and food intake". PalZ 91: 145–161. doi:10.1007/s12542-016-0332-6.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Mateus, O., & Tschopp E. (2013). Cathetosaurus as a valid sauropod genus and comparisons with Camarasaurus. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, Program and Abstracts, 2013. 173.
- ↑ McIntosh, John, Stadtman, Kenneth; Gillette, David; Miller, Wade (1996). "The osteology of Camarasaurus lewisi (Jensen, 1988).". Brigham Young University Geology Studies 41: 73–116. https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8Yj0tBZ6RyTamFIcjhVX3ZIb28/view.
- ↑ Tschopp, Emanuel; Wings, Oliver; Frauenfelder, Thomas; Rothschild, Bruce (2014). "Pathological phalanges in a camarasaurid sauropod dinosaur and implications on behaviour". Acta Palaeontologica Polonica 61 (1). doi:10.4202/app.00119.2014. ISSN 05677920.
- ↑ Tschopp, Emanuel; Wings, Oliver; Frauenfelder, Thomas; Brinkmann, Winand (2015). "Articulated bone sets of manus and pedes of Camarasaurus (Sauropoda, Dinosauria)". Palaeontologia Electronica 18: 1–65. doi:10.26879/559. ISSN 1094-8074.
- ↑ Woodruff, D. Cary; Foster, John R. (2017-05-31). "The first specimen of Camarasaurus (Dinosauria: Sauropoda) from Montana: The northernmost occurrence of the genus". PLOS ONE 12 (5): e0177423. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0177423. ISSN 1932-6203. PMID 28562606. Bibcode: 2017PLoSO..1277423W.
Wikidata ☰ Q16975532 entry
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