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Vertebrata Palasiatica ›› 2002, Vol. 40 ›› Issue (04): 276-285.

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A NEW ARMORED DINOSAUR (ANKYLOSAURIA) FROM BEIPIAO BASIN, LIAONING PROVINCE, NORTHEASTERN CHINA

DONG Zhi-Ming   

  • Online:2002-12-15 Published:2002-12-15

辽宁北票地区一新的甲龙化石

董枝明   

Abstract: Ankylosaurs are a major group of ornithischians with broad and low bodies, distributed mainly in Asia and North America. They are most identified by their dermal armor. The earliest ankylosaurs are Scellidosaurus and Bienosaurus from the Early Jurassic (Liassic Stage) of England and China (Romer, 1968; Dong, 2001). A new genus and species of Thyreophora (Ankylosauria)- Crichtonsaurus bohlini gen. et sp. nov., is described in this paper. The generic name is dedicated to Mr. Michael Crichton, author of the book “Jurassic Park”. Dinosaurs became one of the most popular scientific subject due to this book. The specific name is dedicated to Dr. B. Bohlin, a well-known Swedish collector of verte- brate fossil including several ankylosaurs along the Silk Road, Northwestern China. The specimens came from the Sunjiawan Formation of Beipiao Basin, Liaoning Province, northeastern China. The newly found ankylosaur fossil supports the Late Cretaceous age of this unit (Cenomanian-Turonian). The materials contain a fragment of left mandible bearing three teeth (IVPP V 12745); two cervical vertebrae, a complete dorsal (IVPP V 12746); four sacral and caudal vertebrae, complete scapula, coracoid, humerus, and femur, as well as various plates and scutes of dermal armor (LPM 101). LPM is the abbreviation of the Paleontology Museum of Liaoning. Crichtonsaurus is a medium-sized ankylosaur, 3 meters in length on the basis length of vertebrae. The mandible is thin and without outer surface ornamentation. The teeth are small, and typically ankylosaurid in shape. The crown of each tooth is symmetrical with 4 or 5 marginal denticles. The cingulum is strong on the base of crown. Small ridges are found on flatter side of the crown. The centra of cervical vertebrae are short and amphicoelous. The centra of dorsal vertebrae are amphiplatyan, with upward-pointing diapophyses. The centra of anterior caudal vertebrae are broad and comparatively short with long transverse processes. The scapula and coracoid are not fused together as a scapulocoracoid. Dermal plates, scutes, and spikes vary in size and form.

摘要: 记述了辽宁省北票地区的甲龙化石一新属新种:步氏克氏龙(Crichtonsaurus bohlini gen. et sp. nov. ) 。其主要特征是:中等大小的甲龙,下颌骨较低,外侧无骨甲覆盖;牙齿小,齿冠上有垂直向的棱嵴和边缘小齿,齿环发育不全,有愈合的颈甲板,膜质骨甲形态多样,尾后部的椎体相连结成棒状,两侧有排列对称的甲板。步氏克氏龙的发现对探讨北票地区晚中生代地层的划分和时代归属,以及对甲龙类的系统演化和地理分布均具有重要的意义。