[D] Liaoceratops yanzigouensis [Su] [sG] [T]
Describer
Xu, Makovicky, Wang, Norell & Hou, 2002
Time
Cretaceous Early Barremian
Classification
Ornithischia Genasauria Cerapoda Marginocephalia Ceratopia Neoceratopia
Diet
Herbivore
Fossilsite
Yixian Formation,Shangyuan, Liaoning, China
Info
Genus - Typespecies - Skull
Liaoceratops (one adult and one juvenile discovered) has two small horns—one below each eye that appear to be for display and a small frill at the back of its skull that is marked by clear scars for the attachment of chewing muscles.
Xu, X., Makovicky, P.J., Wang, X.-L., Norell, M.A. & Hou, H.L. (2002) A ceratopsian dinosaur from China and the early evolution of Ceratopsia. Nature 416, 314 - 317
Ceratopsians(horned dinosaurs) represent one of the last and the most diverse radiations of non-avian dinosaurs. Although recent systematic work unanimously supports a basal division of Ceratopsia into parrot-like psittacosaurids and frilled neoceratopsians, the early evolution of the group remains poorly understood, mainly owing to its incomplete early fossil record.
Cladistic analysis posits this new species as the most basal neoceratopsian. This new taxon demonstrates that some neoceratopsian characters evolved in a more incremental fashion than previously known and also implies mosaic evolution of characters early in ceratopsian history
Etymology
\\\\\\\"Liong\\\\\\\" province in China and ceratops from Greek keratos = \\\\\\\"horn\\\\\\\" and Greek ops = \\\\\\\"face\\\\\\\"
Holotype
IVPP V12738 almost complete adult skull. Known material: Two skulls juvenile and adult
Diagnosis of genus (as for the typespecies)
Neoceratopian characterized by sutures between premaxilla, maxilla, nasal and prefrontal; interescting at common point high on side of snout; several tubercles on ventral amrgin of angular; foramen on caudal fae of quadrate, near articulation with quadratojugal; small tuvercle on dorsal border of foramen magnum; parietal frill having thick caudal border (Xu, Mackovicky, Wang, Norell and You, 2002)
You, H., Tanoue, K., and Dodson, P. 2007. A new specimen of Liaoceratops yanzigouensis (Dinosauria: Neoceratopsia) from the Early Cretaceous of Liaoning Province, China. Acta Geologica Sinica (English Edition) 81(6):898-904.
Abstract
A new specimen of basal neoceratopsian dinosaur Liaoceratops yanzigouensis is described. The specimen comes from the Lujiatun Bed of the Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation in Beipiao City of western Liaoning Province, and is represented by a very well preserved three-dimensional partial skull and mandible. It is also the smallest among the three specimens of L. yanzigouensis, and several features in the new specimen, such as the short preorbital length and the round rostroventral orbital rim, can be ontogenetically-related. The superb exposure of the palatal complex may be caused by the removing of its brain by a small predator in the contemporary Jehol Biota.