Yoshitsugu Kobayashi

Feathered Non-Avian Dinosaurs from North America Provide Insight into Wing Origins

Fancy Feathers In the past few decades, an increasing number of dinosaurs have been shown to have possessed feathers. While it seems likely that feathers themselves may have evolved for thermoregulation, the original function of wings has been less clear and remained a matter of debate. Based on examination of three Theropod specimens from the genus Ornothomimus, Zelenitsky et al. (p. 510) conclude that the feathered wing may have evolved not for locomotion or prey capture (the animals were herbivores), but rather as a courtship display. All of the individuals examined had a covering consisting of short filamentous feathers, but the adult specimens, which would have reached sexual maturity, also had long shafted feathers on their forelimbs. Analysis of feathered theropod fossils from North America suggests that feathers may have first evolved for display. Previously described feathered dinosaurs reveal a fascinating record of feather evolution, although substantial phylogenetic gaps remain. Here we report the occurrence of feathers in ornithomimosaurs, a clade of non-maniraptoran theropods for which fossilized feathers were previously unknown. The Ornithomimus specimens, recovered from Upper Cretaceous deposits of Alberta, Canada, provide new insights into dinosaur plumage and the origin of the avian wing. Individuals from different growth stages reveal the presence of a filamentous feather covering throughout life and winglike structures on the forelimbs of adults. The appearance of winglike structures in older animals indicates that they may have evolved in association with reproductive behaviors. These specimens show that primordial wings originated earlier than previously thought, among non-maniraptoran theropods.

Olfactory acuity in theropods: palaeobiological and evolutionary implications.

This research presents the first quantitative evaluation of the olfactory acuity in extinct theropod dinosaurs. Olfactory ratios (i.e. the ratio of the greatest diameter of the olfactory bulb to the greatest diameter of the cerebral hemisphere) are analysed in order to infer the olfactory acuity and behavioural traits in theropods, as well as to identify phylogenetic trends in olfaction within Theropoda. A phylogenetically corrected regression of olfactory ratio to body mass reveals that, relative to predicted values, the olfactory bulbs of (i) tyrannosaurids and dromaeosaurids are significantly larger, (ii) ornithomimosaurs and oviraptorids are significantly smaller, and (iii) ceratosaurians, allosauroids, basal tyrannosauroids, troodontids and basal birds are within the 95% CI. Relative to other theropods, olfactory acuity was high in tyrannosaurids and dromaeosaurids and therefore olfaction would have played an important role in their ecology, possibly for activities in low-light conditions, locating food, or for navigation within large home ranges. Olfactory acuity was the lowest in ornithomimosaurs and oviraptorids, suggesting a reduced reliance on olfaction and perhaps an omnivorous diet in these theropods. Phylogenetic trends in olfaction among theropods reveal that olfactory acuity did not decrease in the ancestry of birds, as troodontids, dromaeosaurids and primitive birds possessed typical or high olfactory acuity. Thus, the sense of smell must have remained important in primitive birds and its presumed decrease associated with the increased importance of sight did not occur until later among more derived birds.

Cranial Osteology of the Theropod Dinosaur Incisivosaurus gauthieri (Theropoda: Oviraptorosauria)

Abstract We provide a description of the holotype skull of the unusual oviraptorosaur Incisivosaurus gauthieri. Previous phylogenetic analyses have placed this taxon firmly within Oviraptorosauria near the base of the clade; however, until now only a cursory description of this important specimen was available. The presence of many primitive characteristics (e.g., maxillary and dentary teeth as well as an extended palate and rostrum) indicates that the observed similarities between avians and derived oviraptorids are convergences rather than shared derived characters. In addition, we clarify previous descriptions of several ambiguous anatomical features, most notably of the palate. We also employ computed tomographic (CT) analysis, which allows for a more complete description of the braincase and the reconstruction of an endocranial endocast. CT imagery reveals features that were before unobtainable, such as the presence of a replacement tooth behind the large rodentiform incisor in the premaxilla. This arrangement indicates that although the incisiform teeth of I. gauthieri are morphologically distinct they are replaced in typical archosaurian fashion.

Bird tracks from the Upper Cretaceous Cantwell Formation of Denali National Park, Alaska, USA: a new perspective on ancient northern polar vertebrate biodiversity

The Upper Cretaceous Cantwell Formation in Denali National Park and Preserve (DENA), Alaska, contains an unparalleled fossil avian biodiversity. The Cantwell Formation, thousands of metres thick, was deposited near its current latitude and is exposed throughout much of DENA and elsewhere in the central Alaska Range. The Formation comprises a lower, dominantly fluvial sedimentary unit and an upper, mostly volcanic unit. Sedimentation of the lower unit was mainly in alluvial fan, braided and meandering stream, and lacustrine environments, with possible marginal-marine influence at times. Pollen data suggest that these sedimentary rocks are late Campanian or early Maastrichtian in age; thus the Cantwell Formation is correlative with other well-known dinosaur localities in Alaska. Bird tracks are preserved in multiple locations along a 40-km transect in DENA in fluvial and lacustrine deposits. Some bird tracks are found in association with dinosaur tracks and others are found on beds interbedded with dinosaur track-bearing layers. The approximate body sizes of the birds based on tracks show a range from sparrow- to heron-sized birds (∼25–30% larger than the modern Sandhill Crane Grus canadensis). The Cantwell Formation contains footprints assigned to several ichnotaxa found in either Asia or North America based on such morphological criteria as the presence or absence of a hallux, print size and shape, and angle of divarication: Aquatilavipes swiboldae, Ignotornis mcconnelli, Magnoavipes denaliensis sp. nov., Gruipeda vegrandiunus sp. nov. and Uhangrichnus chuni. The presence of a mixed Asian and North American ichnofauna suggests that at least some birds used Alaska as a bridge between Asia and North America. This diverse assemblage of avian traces, combined with the known fossil bone record and invertebrate trace fossil record, demonstrates that the northern Late Cretaceous polar region contained significant biodiversity.

A pterosaur manus track from Denali National Park, Alaska Range, Alaska, United States

Abstract We report on the first record of a pterosaur from Alaska. This record consists of a single manus track from the lower part of the Upper Cretaceous Cantwell Formation in Denali National Park, Alaska, United States, making this the northernmost occurrence for this group of reptiles. The specimen is from deposits that record a low-lying floodplain with small lakes and ponds, dissected by small channels that fed a larger tributary stream on an active fan lobe. The dominant vegetation was comprised of conifers with an understory of ferns and horsetails.

New material of dsungaripterid pterosaurs (Pterosauria: Pterodactyloidea) from western Mongolia and its palaeoecological implications

New material of dsungaripterid pterosaurs from the Early Cretaceous of Tatal, western Mongolia, allows the diagnoses of Dsungaripteridae and Noripterus to be amended. All pterosaurs found at Tatal belong to Dsungaripteridae (either Dsungaripterus or Noripterus ). The name Phobetor is a junior synonym of Noripterus . The differing shapes of the anterior tips of skulls, differing tooth morphologies and the coexistence of both Dsungaripterus and Noripterus may imply that they occupied distinct ecological niches.

Herd structure in Late Cretaceous polar dinosaurs: A remarkable new dinosaur tracksite, Denali National Park, Alaska, USA

The discovery of a new tracksite of mostly hadrosaurid dinosaur footprints, made by a herd living in an ancient high-latitude continental ecosystem, provides insight into the herd structure and behavior of northern polar dinosaurs and perspective on populations of large-bodied herbivores in an Arctic greenhouse world. This tracksite occurs in the Upper Cretaceous Cantwell Formation in the Alaska Range (Denali National Park, Alaska, United States), and it is the largest tracksite known from this far north. Preservation of the tracksite is exceptional: most tracks, regardless of size, contain skin impressions and they co-occur with well-preserved plant fossils and invertebrate trace fossils of terrestrial and aquatic insects. Statistical analyses of the tracks show that individuals of four different age classes of hadrosaurids lived together in a large social group. Our research results independently corroborate the growth curve for hadrosaurids proposed by paleohistologists that suggests that these dinosaurs experienced a period of rapid growth early in their life history.

An Unusual Basal Therizinosaur Dinosaur with an Ornithischian Dental Arrangement from Northeastern China

Therizinosauria are an unusual group of theropod dinosaurs, found mostly in the Cretaceous deposits in Mongolia, China and western USA. The basal forms of this group are represented by incomplete or disarticulated material. Here, we report a nearly complete, articulated skeleton of a new basal therizinosaur from the Early Cretaceous Yixian Formation of Jianchang County, western part of Liaoning Province, which sheds light on our understanding of anatomy of basal therizinosaurs. This new dinosaur shows some typical therizinosaur features, such as neural spines of the anterior caudal vertebrae that possess anterior and posterior alae, a rectangular buttress on the ventrolateral side of the proximal end of metacarpal I, and appressed metatarsal shafts. Our phylogenetic analysis suggests that it is a basal therizinosaur (sister taxon to Therizinosauroidea) because it bears many basal therizinosaur characters in the dentition, pelvis and hind limbs. The new therizinosaur described here has unique tooth and jaw characters such as the offsetting of the tooth row by a shelf and dentary teeth with labially concave and lingually convex dentary teeth, similar to ornithopods and ceratopsians.

An Ornithomimid (Dinosauria) Bonebed from the Late Cretaceous of Alberta, with Implications for the Behavior, Classification, and Stratigraphy of North American Ornithomimids

Bonebeds can provide a wealth of anatomical, taphonomic, and ontogenetic information about the specimens preserved within them, and can provide evidence for inferred behavior. The material described here represents the first known bonebed of ornithomimids in North America, and the fourth record of an ornithomimosaur bonebed in the world. Partial skeletons representing three individuals are preserved in this assemblage, each comprising primarily portions of the posterior postcrania (pelvis, hind limbs and tail). All three individuals are morphologically similar, although one is larger in overall size. Given the stratigraphic position of the site, and the morphology of the postcrania, the preserved material represents a taxon from the clade containing Ornithomimus and Struthiomimus. Pedal ungual morphology is examined and found to be too variable to be useful in distinguishing these species taxonomically. This site provides additional evidence of gregarious behavior in ornithomimids and the first probable record of that behavior in North American forms.

Origin of the tooth-replacement pattern in therian mammals: evidence from a 110 Myr old fossil

Living placental and marsupial mammals (therians) use distinctive tooth–replacement patterns that have not yet been traced back fully to their time of divergence in the Early Cretaceous (>100 Myr ago). Slaughteria eruptens, a small 110 Myr old fossil mammal from Texas, USA, is near the base of that divergence. Using ultra–high–resolution X–ray CT analysis we demonstrate that Slaughteria preserves an unrecognized pattern of tooth replacement with simple posterior premolars replacing molariform precursors. Differing from both placentals that have a more complex posterior adult premolar, and from marsupials, in which only one premolar is replaced, Slaughteria provides the first direct evidence of a tooth–replacement pattern that is plausible for the common ancestor of all therians. By our interpretation Slaughteria has only one adult molar in place and contains two mental foramina in the jaw, thus changing characters that are critical to reconstruction of mammalian relationships and to species discrimination and interpretations of diversity for Early Cretaceous mammals.