Manidens (heterodontosaurid) teeth from Jurassic of Argentina

[Ben Creisler <bcreisler@gmail.com>]

From: Ben Creisler
bcreisler@gmail.com

A new online paper:



Marcos G. Becerra, Diego Pola, Claudia A. Marsicano & Oliver W.M. Rauhut (2013)
The dentition of Manidens condorensis (Ornithischia;
Heterodontosauridae) from the Jurassic Cañadón Asfalto Formation of
Patagonia: morphology, heterodonty and the use of statistical methods
for identifying isolated teeth.
Historical Biology (advance online publication)
DOI:10.1080/08912963.2013.794227
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/08912963.2013.794227#.UZ2Pm7W1FcQ

The recently described Manidens condorensis is one of the most
completely known taxa of the family Heterodontosauridae from the
southern landmasses. However, some dental aspects are not well known
due to preservational problems in the type material. This contribution
reports new isolated teeth found in the Cañadón Asfalto Formation
(Early-Middle Jurassic). These teeth are referred to Manidens
condorensis based on the presence of autapomorphic characters of the
unusual dentition of this taxon, such as the highly asymmetric tooth
crowns and small crenulations on each denticles. The isolated crowns
are well preserved and reveal the presence of undescribed and new
autapomorphical features, including apical and basal wear facets on
the occlusal surface of isolated crowns and a wear surface also in the
caniniform tooth. We carried out statistical analyses (including
morphogeometrical and discriminant analyses), using the holotype
crowns as a morphological starting point, for characterising shape
variation of the crowns along the toothrow and for identifying the
position of isolated crowns. These analyses allow defining
morphological regions within the postcaniniform toothrow and produce a
metrically based discriminant function to predict the hypothetical
position of future discoveries, providing a methodological framework
that could be applied to other extinct heterodont dinosaurs.