The first well-preserved coelophysoid theropod dinosaur from Asia

Abstract

Coelophysoid dinosaurs represent the earliest major radiation of neotheropods. These small-to-medium-sized agile bipeds lived throughout much of Pangaea during the Late Triassic-arly Jurassic. Previously reported coelophysoid material from Asia (excluding the Gondwanan territory of India) is limited to two specimens that comprise only limb fragments. This paper describes a new genus and species of coelophysoid, Panguraptor lufengensis, from the Lower Jurassic Lufeng Formation of Yunnan Province, China. The new taxon is represented by a well-preserved skeleton, including the skull and lower jaw, the presacral vertebral column and partial ribs, the right scapula, a partial forelimb, part of the pelvic girdle, and an almost complete hind limb. It is distinguished from other coelophysoid theropods by the unique combination of the following three character states: 1) diagonal (rostrodorsal-caudoventral) ridge on lateral surface of maxilla, within antorbital fossa, 2) elliptical, laterally facing fenestra caudodorsal to aforementioned diagonal ridge, and 3) hooked craniomedial corner of distal tarsal IV. Cladistic analysis recovers Panguraptor lufengensis deeply nested within Coelophysoidea as a member of Coelophysidae, and it is more closely related to Coelophysis than to "Syntarsus". Panguraptor represents the first well-preserved coelophysoid theropod dinosaur from Asia, and provides fresh evidence supporting the hypothesis that terrestrial tetrapods tended to be distributed pan-continentally during the Early Jurassic.

Developmental patterns and variation among early theropods

“…However, recent phylogenetic analyses have placed Coelophysis rhodesiensis as more closely related to Camposaurus arizonensis than to Coelophysis bauri (Ezcurra & Brusatte, ; You et al. ; Martill et al. ), making the genus Coelophysis paraphyletic and therefore taxonomically undesirable.…”

“…Because the generic name of the Early Jurassic coelophysoid ‘Syntarsus’ kayentakatae (Rowe, ) has not been formally changed to either Coelophysis or Megapnosaurus (nor should it be, because this would render either generic name used non‐monophyletic; Ezcurra & Brusatte, ; You et al. ; Martill et al. ), I refer to this taxon with the generic name in quotes.…”

“…Bristowe & Raath (2004) synonymized Megapnosaurus with Coelophysis, making the formal name of the Zimbabwean coelophysoid Coelophysis rhodesiensis, because Coelophysis had taxonomic priority. However, recent phylogenetic analyses have placed Coelophysis rhodesiensis as more closely related to Camposaurus arizonensis than to Coelophysis bauri (Ezcurra & Brusatte, 2011;You et al 2014;Martill et al 2016), making the genus Coelophysis paraphyletic and therefore taxonomically undesirable. Because synonymizing Camposaurus with Coelophysis to resolve this problem could simply result in a similar taxonomic problem arising in the future with other analyses and more taxa, I here follow Ivie et al (2001) in referring to the Zimbabwean coelophysoid theropod as Megapnosaurus rhodesiensis.…”

A re-evaluation of the historical ‘dinosaur’ remains from the Middle-Upper Triassic of Poland

“…It differs from Velocipes in having only slightly concave proximal margin in lateral view. Proximal part of fibula in Panguraptor appears to be oriented more anteriorly than in Velocipes and it possibly lacks M. iliofibularis tubercle (You et al 2014). Fibula of Dilophosaurus is very similar to Velocipes in all aspects (Welles 1984).…”

First Early Jurassic Small Ornithischian Tracks From Yunnan Province, Southwestern China

“…It is located about 50 m west of the bonebed where the coelophysoid theropod dinosaur Panguraptor was found (You et al 2014). The tracks are preserved in a fluvial sandstone layer within the lower Shawan Member.…”