New material reveals the pelvic morphology of Caenagnathidae (Theropoda, Oviraptorosauria)

Rhodes, Matthew M.; Funston, Gregory F.; Currie, Philip J.

doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2020.104521

Cited by 11 publications

(26 citation statements)

References 64 publications

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“…Citipes elegans (Parks, 1933) isolated last sacral vertebra associated with two ilia, which was figured, but not described by Rhodes et al (2020). The centrum is relatively low and wide, resulting in a barrel shape similar to the proximal caudal vertebrae of most oviraptorosaurs.…”

Section: Diagnosis: As For the Type Speciesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Most lines of evidence suggest that three taxa coexisted in the DPF. Where multiple specimens of a single element are known, three morphotypes can usually be delineated, as is the case for mandibles , ilia (Rhodes et al 2020), and metatarsals (Funston et al 2015(Funston et al , 2016a. Only two morphotypes can be distinguished in known manual unguals, but there are few complete examples known from the DPF.…”

Section: Diversity Of Dpf Caenagnathidsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Regardless, these specimens remain the most promising candidates for relatively complete mandibular material of Citipes elegans and should be the subject of future work. Three pelvic elements, including a left and right ilium and an isolated last sacral vertebra, were recovered in 1981 from the same site (Rhodes et al 2020), although they were not articulated. The ilia are identical to each other in size, morphology, and style of preservation.…”

Section: Citipes Elegansmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Several isolated pelvic elements from the DPF can be identified as caenagnathids by a number of features. These were described by Rhodes et al (2020), but they did not refer them to any genus. Whereas each ilium can now be referred relatively confidently to one of the three genera, only the large pubes UALVP 56638 can be confidently referred (to Caenagnathus collinsi).…”

Section: Indeterminate Caenagnathid Materialsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Differences in the hindlimb between Chirostenotes pergracilis and Citipes elegans suggest that these taxa exhibited locomotory differences. Fusion of the tarsometatarsus in Citipes elegans may be indicative of a habitus incorporating more cursorial behaviour (Snively et al 2004), and this is supported by the more robust ilium with well-defined muscular attachment sites (Rhodes et al 2020). Although it is unclear exactly what dietary roles and niches caenagnathids filled in the DPF ecosystem, these lines of evidence suggest that caenagnathids coexisted by minimizing niche overlap, rather than sharing niche space.…”

Section: Ecology Of Dpf Caenagnathidsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Caenagnathids of the Dinosaur Park Formation (Campanian) of Alberta, Canada: anatomy, osteohistology, taxonomy, and evolution

Funston

2020

Vert. Anat. Morph. Palaeo.

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Our understanding of caenagnathid anatomy, diversity, and ecology has improved considerably in the past twenty years, but numerous issues still remain. Among these, the diversity and taxonomy of caenagnathids from the Dinosaur Park Formation of Alberta, Canada, have remained problematic. Whereas some authors recognize three genera, others suggest only two were present, and there is considerable disagreement about which specimens are referable to which genus. This study aims to resolve this issue by reviewing the known specimens and using osteohistology, to establish a testable taxonomic framework of Dinosaur Park Formation caenagnathids. Numerous new specimens from all regions of the skeleton provide insight into morphological variation in caenagnathids, and three morphotypes are recognized based on a combination of morphological features and body size. Osteohistology shows that representatives in each body size class are at skeletal maturity, and therefore supports the delineation of three taxa: the smaller Citipes elegans gen. nov., the intermediate Chirostenotes pergracilis, and the larger Caenagnathus collinsi, new material of which shows it rivalled Anzu wyliei in size. However, these analyses also raise concerns about the referral of isolated material to each taxon in the absence of skeletal overlap between specimens or osteohistological analysis. Caenagnathids are consistently recovered throughout the Dinosaur Park Formation interval, and two geographic clusters of increased abundance probably reflect collection and taphonomic biases. The coexistence of three taxa was apparently facilitated by differences in both adult body size and functional morphology of the dentary and pes, which suggests that caenagnathids minimized niche overlap rather than subdividing niche space. Regardless, little is known of the exact roles caenagnathids played in Late Cretaceous ecosystems. Incorporation of the new material and taxonomic framework into a phylogenetic analysis drastically improves our understanding of the relationships between caenagnathines, and sheds light on the evolution of body size in caenagnathids and its role in their diversification.

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Section: Diagnosis: As For the Type Speciesmentioning

confidence: 99%