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A basal sauropodomorph (Dinosauria: Saurischia) from the Ischigualasto Formation (Triassic, Carnian) and the early evolution of Sauropodomorpha.
PLoS One. 2009; 4(2):e4397.Plos

Abstract

BACKGROUND

The earliest dinosaurs are from the early Late Triassic (Carnian) of South America. By the Carnian the main clades Saurischia and Ornithischia were already established, and the presence of the most primitive known sauropodomorph Saturnalia suggests also that Saurischia had already diverged into Theropoda and Sauropodomorpha. Knowledge of Carnian sauropodomorphs has been restricted to this single species.

METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS

We describe a new small sauropodomorph dinosaur from the Ischigualsto Formation (Carnian) in northwest Argentina, Panphagia protos gen. et sp. nov., on the basis of a partial skeleton. The genus and species are characterized by an anteroposteriorly elongated fossa on the base of the anteroventral process of the nasal; wide lateral flange on the quadrate with a large foramen; deep groove on the lateral surface of the lower jaw surrounded by prominent dorsal and ventral ridges; bifurcated posteroventral process of the dentary; long retroarticular process transversally wider than the articular area for the quadrate; oval scars on the lateral surface of the posterior border of the centra of cervical vertebrae; distinct prominences on the neural arc of the anterior cervical vertebra; distal end of the scapular blade nearly three times wider than the neck; scapular blade with an expanded posterodistal corner; and medial lamina of brevis fossa twice as wide as the iliac spine.

CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE

We regard Panphagia as the most basal sauropodomorph, which shares the following apomorphies with Saturnalia and more derived sauropodomorphs: basally constricted crowns; lanceolate crowns; teeth of the anterior quarter of the dentary higher than the others; and short posterolateral flange of distal tibia. The presence of Panphagia at the base of the early Carnian Ischigualasto Formation suggests an earlier origin of Sauropodomorpha during the Middle Triassic.

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Authors+Show Affiliations

Martinez RN
Museo de Ciencias Naturales, San Juan, Argentina. martinez@unsj.edu.ar
Alcober OA
No affiliation info available

MeSH

AnimalsArgentinaBiological EvolutionDentitionDinosaursFossilsGeographyPhylogenyPreservation, BiologicalSkeletonTime Factors

Pub Type(s)

Journal Article
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Language

eng

PubMed ID

19209223

Citation

Martinez, Ricardo N., and Oscar A. Alcober. "A Basal Sauropodomorph (Dinosauria: Saurischia) From the Ischigualasto Formation (Triassic, Carnian) and the Early Evolution of Sauropodomorpha." PloS One, vol. 4, no. 2, 2009, pp. e4397.
Martinez RN, Alcober OA. A basal sauropodomorph (Dinosauria: Saurischia) from the Ischigualasto Formation (Triassic, Carnian) and the early evolution of Sauropodomorpha. PLoS One. 2009;4(2):e4397.
Martinez, R. N., & Alcober, O. A. (2009). A basal sauropodomorph (Dinosauria: Saurischia) from the Ischigualasto Formation (Triassic, Carnian) and the early evolution of Sauropodomorpha. PloS One, 4(2), e4397. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0004397
Martinez RN, Alcober OA. A Basal Sauropodomorph (Dinosauria: Saurischia) From the Ischigualasto Formation (Triassic, Carnian) and the Early Evolution of Sauropodomorpha. PLoS One. 2009;4(2):e4397. PubMed PMID: 19209223.
* Article titles in AMA citation format should be in sentence-case
TY - JOUR T1 - A basal sauropodomorph (Dinosauria: Saurischia) from the Ischigualasto Formation (Triassic, Carnian) and the early evolution of Sauropodomorpha. AU - Martinez,Ricardo N, AU - Alcober,Oscar A, Y1 - 2009/02/11/ PY - 2008/11/20/received PY - 2008/12/30/accepted PY - 2009/2/12/entrez PY - 2009/2/12/pubmed PY - 2009/4/2/medline SP - e4397 EP - e4397 JF - PloS one JO - PLoS One VL - 4 IS - 2 N2 - BACKGROUND: The earliest dinosaurs are from the early Late Triassic (Carnian) of South America. By the Carnian the main clades Saurischia and Ornithischia were already established, and the presence of the most primitive known sauropodomorph Saturnalia suggests also that Saurischia had already diverged into Theropoda and Sauropodomorpha. Knowledge of Carnian sauropodomorphs has been restricted to this single species. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We describe a new small sauropodomorph dinosaur from the Ischigualsto Formation (Carnian) in northwest Argentina, Panphagia protos gen. et sp. nov., on the basis of a partial skeleton. The genus and species are characterized by an anteroposteriorly elongated fossa on the base of the anteroventral process of the nasal; wide lateral flange on the quadrate with a large foramen; deep groove on the lateral surface of the lower jaw surrounded by prominent dorsal and ventral ridges; bifurcated posteroventral process of the dentary; long retroarticular process transversally wider than the articular area for the quadrate; oval scars on the lateral surface of the posterior border of the centra of cervical vertebrae; distinct prominences on the neural arc of the anterior cervical vertebra; distal end of the scapular blade nearly three times wider than the neck; scapular blade with an expanded posterodistal corner; and medial lamina of brevis fossa twice as wide as the iliac spine. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: We regard Panphagia as the most basal sauropodomorph, which shares the following apomorphies with Saturnalia and more derived sauropodomorphs: basally constricted crowns; lanceolate crowns; teeth of the anterior quarter of the dentary higher than the others; and short posterolateral flange of distal tibia. The presence of Panphagia at the base of the early Carnian Ischigualasto Formation suggests an earlier origin of Sauropodomorpha during the Middle Triassic. SN - 1932-6203 UR - https://www.unboundmedicine.com/medline/citation/19209223/A_basal_sauropodomorph__Dinosauria:_Saurischia__from_the_Ischigualasto_Formation__Triassic_Carnian__and_the_early_evolution_of_Sauropodomorpha_ L2 - https://dx.plos.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0004397 DB - PRIME DP - Unbound Medicine ER -