A brand new taxon of avialan theropod has been described from fossils present in Fujian Province (China). This small dinosaur has been named Fujianvenator prodigiosus. The fossil bones exhibit a mosaic of anatomical options which are shared with early avialans in addition to different members of the Maniraptora.
Fujianvenator prodigiosus
Writing within the tutorial journal “Nature”, the researchers describe this new theropod and state that it is among the stratigraphically youngest avialans described to this point. Fujianvenator roamed a wetland setting round 148-150 million years in the past (Tithonian faunal stage of the Late Jurassic). Its fossils are more likely to show invaluable in understanding the evolution of the attribute fowl physique plan, and to reconcile phylogenetic controversies over the origin of birds.
Fujianvenator is among the geographically southernmost Jurassic avialans identified to science. The headless specimen was excavated from Nanyuan Formation deposits close to Yangyuan Village (Zhenghe County).
Defining the Avialae
The Avialae (means fowl wings), is a clade of theropods. It incorporates the Aves (avian dinosaurs) and all non-avian dinosaurs extra carefully associated to birds than to deinonychosaurs. In flip, the Avialae is a part of the bigger Maniraptora which incorporates all birds, and well-known sorts of dinosaurs corresponding to dromaeosaurs, troodontids, the Alvarezsauroidea, the therizinosaurs and the Oviriaptorosauria.
Through the fieldwork, a various assemblage of vertebrate fossils had been documented. The assemblage is dominated by aquatic and semi-aquatic species. Fossil discoveries embody fish, turtles and choristoderes (semi-aquatic, diapsid reptiles). Just one dinosaur fossil has been discovered on the location (Fujianvenator prodigiosus). Moreover, that is the primary time {that a} dinosaur fossil has been found in Fujian Province.
Fujianvenator and the Zhenghe Fauna
Fujianvenator demonstrates a mosaic of morphological options. The forelimbs are just like these of Archaeopteryx, whereas the hip bones are extra typical of troodontids. The hindlimb is elongated, suggesting that this theropod tailored to a wading way of life. In distinction, different early avialans present particular diversifications to powered flight or a life within the timber.
Such is the quantity of vertebrate fossil materials collected that the palaeontologists can construct up an in depth map of this historical swampland ecosystem. They’re assured that it’ll present key insights into terrestrial ecosystems of the Late Jurassic. Maybe extra avialan theropod fossils shall be discovered.
Every thing Dinosaur acknowledges the help of a press launch from the Chinese language Academy of Sciences within the compilation of this text.
The scientific paper: “A brand new avialan theropod from an rising Jurassic terrestrial fauna” by Liming Xu, Min Wang, Runsheng Chen, Liping Dong, Min Lin, Xing Xu, Jianrong Tang, Hailu You, Guowu Zhou, Linchang Wang, Wenxing He, Yujuan Li, Chi Zhang and Zhonghe Zhou revealed in Nature.
For fashions and replicas of dinosaurs together with members of the Maniraptora: Dinosaur Replicas Together with Fashions of Theropods.