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Serendipaceratops confirmed as Australian Early Cretaceous ceratopsian.
From: Ben Creisler
bcreisler@gmail.com
A new new online paper:
Thomas H. Rich, Benjamin P. Kear, Robert Sinclair, Brenda Chinnery,
Kenneth Carpenter, Mary L. McHugh & Patricia Vickers-Rich (2014)
Serendipaceratops arthurcclarkei Rich & Vickers-Rich, 2003 is an
Australian Early Cretaceous ceratopsian.
Alcheringa (advance online publication)
DOI:10.1080/03115518.2014.894809
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03115518.2014.894809#.U1p2_PldXeI
Serendipaceratops arthurcclarkei is one of Australia’s most enigmatic
dinosaur taxa. Based on a single ulna recovered from Early Cretaceous
high-latitude deposits in southeastern Australia, the fossil was
originally classified as a neoceratopsian, but subsequently reassigned
to Genasauria indet. because of comparisons with atypical
thyreophorans. However, a morphometric and structural re-examination
of the holotype indicates that it is proportionally distinguishable
among dinosaurians and, indeed, manifests decisive statistical
compatibility with ceratopsians. Statistical assessment similarly
yields a synapomorphy that places the taxon robustly within
Ceratopsia. Most certainly, identification of a unique differential
character state combination renders S. arthurcclarkei as valid. Its
affinity with ceratopsians concurs with proliferating records of other
Laurasian dinosaur lineages from the Southern Hemisphere, and may
reflect ancient Pangaean dispersals into or out of Gondwana.