RE: Sauroniops, new thick-skulled carcharodontosaurid theropod from Upper Cretaceous of Morocco

[Brad McFeeters <archosauromorph2@hotmail.com>]

Yes, it is the same specimen.


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> Date: Sun, 28 Oct 2012 17:44:05 +0100
> From: Michael.Lange@gmx.ch
> To: dinosaur@usc.edu
> Subject: Re: Sauroniops, new thick-skulled carcharodontosaurid theropod from 
> Upper Cretaceous of Morocco
>
> Is this the same frontal published a few month ago by the same authors in 
> this paper: http://www.app.pan.pl/archive/published/app57/app20110043.pdf ?
> If so they rapidly changed their mind since they stated not to name a new 
> taxon based upon the since frontal in the APP paper.
>
> Michael
>
> -------- Original-Nachricht --------
> > Datum: Sun, 28 Oct 2012 08:54:54 -0700
> > Von: Ben Creisler <bcreisler@gmail.com>
> > An: dinosaur@usc.edu
> > Betreff: Sauroniops, new thick-skulled carcharodontosaurid theropod from 
> > Upper Cretaceous of Morocco
>
> > From: Ben Creisler
> > bcreisler@gmail.com
> >
> >
> > A new online paper:
> >
> >
> > Andrea Cau, Fabio M. Dalla Vecchia & Matteo Fabbri
> > A thick-skulled theropod (Dinosauria, Saurischia) from the Upper
> > Cretaceous of Morocco with implications for carcharodontosaurid
> > cranial evolution.
> > Cretaceous Research (advance online publication)
> > http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cretres.2012.09.002
> > http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0195667112001395
> >
> >
> >
> > In this study, we erect Sauroniops pachytholus gen. et sp. nov., a
> > large-bodied theropod dinosaur from the Cenomanian (Upper Cretaceous)
> > of Morocco, on the basis of an almost complete frontal showing a
> > unique combination of features including a naso–frontal suture
> > extended along 40% of the frontal length, a thick dome in the
> > anterolateral corner of the dorsal surface, a trapezoidal prefrontal
> > facet that is restricted to the anterodorsal margin of the lateral
> > surface of the frontal with no participation in the orbital roof and
> > separated from the lacrimal facet by a narrow vertical lamina, a
> > hypertrophied ‘D-shaped’ lacrimal facet that is four times the
> > anterior depth of the postorbital facet, and a raised posteromedial
> > margin of the dorsal surface describing a saddle with the
> > anterolateral dome and confluent with a series of anteromedial
> > rugosities. Phylogenetic analysis found robust support for placing
> > Sauroniops among the basal carcharodontosaurids and related to
> > Eocarcharia, showed that some of the unusual features of the new
> > theropod were convergently acquired by abelisaurids, and revealed a
> > mosaic pattern in the evolution of the carcharodontosaurid skull
> > table. The frontals of Sauroniops and Carcharodontosaurus, both from
> > the ‘Kem Kem compound assemblage’ of Morocco, show comparable size but
> > differ in the extent of the naso–frontal articulation, the shape and
> > disposition of the prefrontal and lacrimal articulations, the
> > development of dorsal ornamentation and the morphology of the
> > supratemporal fossa. Among carcharodontosaurids, the skull table
> > developed unique configurations among each lineage and appears
> > diagnostic at the species-level. The dome-like frontal in Sauroniops
> > may indicate head-butting behaviour in this taxon or evolved for
> > visual display.
> >
> > --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> >
> > Highlights
> >
> >
> > ► A new giant theropod dinosaur from the Cretaceous of Morocco is
> > erected. ► It is referred to Carcharodontosauridae based on skull roof
> > synapomorphies. ► This theropod shows a frontal dome and ornamentation
> > convergent with abelisaurids. ► Homoplasy and taxonomic values of
> > carcharodontosaurid skull tables are discussed.