Study Of New 'Bone-Head' Hints At Higher Diversity Of Small Dinosaurs
Credit: © Julius Csotonyi
Acrotholus means “high dome,” referring to its dome-shaped skull, which is composed of solid bone over 10 centimeters (two inches) thick. The name Acrotholus audeti also honors Alberta rancher Roy Audet, on whose land the best specimen was discovered in 2008.Acrotholus walked on two legs and had a greatly thickened, domed skull above its eyes, which was used for display to other members of its species, and may have also been used in head-butting contests. Acrotholus lived about 85 million years ago.
Photo credit: Brian Boyle, ROM
“Acrotholus provides a wealth of new information on the evolution of bone-headed dinosaurs. Although it is one of the earliest known members this group, its thickened skull dome is surprisingly well-developed for its geological age,” said lead author Evans, ROM curator, vertebrate palaeontology. “More importantly, the unique fossil record of these animals suggests that we are only beginning to understand the diversity of small-bodied plant-eating dinosaurs.”
Small mammals and reptiles can be very diverse and abundant in modern ecosystems, but small dinosaurs (less than 100 kg) are considerably less common than large ones in the fossil record. Whether this pattern is a true reflection of dinosaur communities, or is related to the greater potential for small bones to be destroyed by carnivores and natural decay, has been debated.
Artwork credit: Caleb Brown
“We can predict that many new small dinosaur species like Acrotholus are waiting to be discovered by researchers willing to sort through the many small bones that they pick up in the field,” said co-author Ryan of The Cleveland Museum of Natural History. “This fully domed and mature individual suggests that there is an undiscovered, hidden diversity of small-bodied dinosaurs. So when we look back, we need to reimagine the paleoenvironment. There is an evolutionary history that we just don’t know because the fossil record is incomplete. This discovery also highlights the importance of landowners, like Roy Audet, who grant access to their land and allow scientifically important finds to be made.”
The discovery site of Acrotholus audeti in the Milk River Formation of southern Alberta. The pile of rocks marks the exact spot where the most complete specimen was found.
Photo credit: Dr. David Evans, ROM
Acrotholus was identified by a team comprising of palaeontologists Evans, of the Royal Ontario Museum; and Ryan, of The Cleveland Museum of Natural History; as well as Ryan Schott, Caleb Brown, and Derek Larson, all graduate students at the University of Toronto who studied under Evans.
The fossils of Acrotholus will be put on public display at the Royal Ontario Museum starting May 7, 2013.
Contacts and sources:
Glenda Bogar
Cleveland Museum of Natural History
Source: http://nanopatentsandinnovations.blogspot.com/2013/05/study-of-new-bone-head-hints-at-higher.html
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