Shenzhousaurus, new ornithomimosaur

["bh480@scn.org" <bh480@scn.org>]

From: Ben Creisler bh480@scn.org

In case this item has not been mentioned yet, the latest issue of American
Museum Novitates describes a new dinosaur:

QIANG J., M. NORELL, P. MAKOVICKY, KE-QIN G., SHU'AN J., and CHONGXI Y.,
2003. An Early Ostrich Dinosaur and Implications for Ornithomimosaur
Phylogeny. American Museum Novitates: No. 3420, pp. 1-19.

TEXT HIGHLIGHTS:
COELUROSAURIA VON HUENE, 1914
 ORNITHOMIMOSAURIA BARSBOLD, 1976
 ORNITHOMIMINAE SERENO, 1998

Shenzhousaurus orientalis, new taxon

TYPE SPECIMEN: NGMC (National Geological Museum of China) 97-4-002.

MATERIAL: A partial skeleton preserved on a sandstone block in a death pose
with its head above the torso. The distal hindlimbs, distal tail, and the
forelimbs (except for part of the right hand) and the pectoral girdle are
missing. The head is crushed, exposing the left side obliquely.

ETYMOLOGY: Shenzhou is the ancient name of China; orientalis refers to the
east. 

TYPE LOCALITY: Sihetun fossil site, Beipiao, Western Liaoning, China 

GEOLOGICAL OCCURRENCE: ...lowermost, fluvial part of the Early Cretaceous
Yixian Formation...

DIAGNOSIS:
an ornithomimosaur distinguishable from all others except Harpymimus  in
having teeth restricted to the anterior dentarys...primitive characters not
found in advanced ornithomimosaurs, like a straight ischium and a
postacetabular process that is gently curved rather than truncated...
distinguishable from Pelecanimimus by the tooth distribution pattern and
the primitive configuration of the hand where digit I is shorter than
digits II and III.
.....
Skull length: 185 mm
Sacrum length 140 mm
Ilium length: 153 mm
Ischium length: 169 mm
Femut length: 191 mm
Pubic boot length:  62 mm

The thoracic cavity ...contains numerous pebbles, which are best
interpreted as gastroliths.... 
.....
Ornithomimosaurs are monophyletic and are the sister group to a clade
composed of Maniraptora (including Ornitholestes... No support was found
for a close relationship between ornithomimosaurs and troodontids (Holtz,
1994 ). Alvarezsaurids, which have been postulated as close ornithomimosaur
relatives (Sereno, 2001 ), are found to be the sister group of all other
Maniraptora except Ornitholestes ...

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