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New abelisaurid from Argentina



Ben Creisler
bcreisler@gmail.com

A new online paper:

Federico A. Gianechini, Sebastián Apesteguía, Walter Landini, Franco
Finotti, Rubén Juárez Valieri & Fabiana Zandonai (2015)
New abelisaurid remains from the Anacleto Formation (Upper
Cretaceous), Patagonia, Argentina.
Cretaceous Research 54: 1–16
doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2014.11.009
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0195667114002201



Highlights



We describe new theropod remains from Anacleto Fm. (Campanian), Patagonia.
The specimen (MPCN-PV 69) is phylogenetically related with abelisaurids.
MPCN-PV 69 probably represents a new abelisaurid taxon.
Abelisaurus could be morphologically and phylogenetically linked to
Brachyrostra.



Abstract



New theropod remains with abelisaurid affinities from the Upper
Cretaceous (Anacleto Formation, lower Campanian), NW Patagonia,
Argentina, are here described. The specimen (MPCN-PV 69) consists of a
partial premaxilla, fragmentary vertebrae, proximal portion of both
humeri, distal portion of the pubis, and an incomplete pedal ungual.
Characters linking with Abelisauridae are a premaxilla with a
subquadrangular body, externally ornamented, and paradental plates
with a striated surface; and humerus with bulbous proximal head,
conical internal tuberosity, and reduced greater tubercle. The humerus
is similar to those of Carnotaurus and Aucasaurus, due to the presence
of a bulbous head and a discontinuity between the head and the
internal tuberosity, but also differs from both taxa in the more
distal location of the greater tubercle with respect to the internal
tuberosity. Aucasaurus also comes from Anacleto Formation, but
differences in the humeri suggest that MPCN-PV 69 is a different
taxon. The phylogenetic analysis performed supports the affiliation to
Abelisauridae, but fails to determinate a more precise relationship
with others abelisaurids. However, a majority rule consensus of the
analysis shows a position within Brachyrostra. Despite being
fragmentary, MPCN-PV 69 probably represents a new abelisaurid from the
Anacleto Formation, thus increasing the knowledge and diversity of
Late Cretaceous South American abelisaurids.