[D] Minotaurasaurus ramachandrani [sG] [T]
Describer
Miles& Miles 2009
Time
Cretaceous Late
Classification
Ornithischia Thyreophora Eurypoda Ankylosauria Ankylosauridae
Diet
Herbivore
Fossilsite
Gobi dessert, Asia [Unknown Mongolia or China]
Info
Minotaurasaurus ramachandrani shows characters typical of many Late Cretaceous ankylosaurs. The new specimen is a virtually complete skull with both hemimandibles preserved intact with the predentary. This skull has been subjected to almost no crushing or shearing.
It has an equilateral, triangular-shaped skull when viewed dorsally and large, highly ornamented narial osteoderms, which give the skull a bull-like appearance with flaring nostrils. Braincase features are more primitive than those of the other Gobi Desert ankylosaurs.
Holotype
INBR21004, Victor Valley Museum, Apple Valley Rd. Apple Valley, California, 92308. A skull with complete lower jaws and predentary.
Etymology
The gerenic name means ‘man–bull reptile’, in Latin, in reference to the bull-like appearance of the skull, similar to the Minotaur of Greek mythology. (Latin) for V. S. Ramachandran, paleontology patron who made sure that this skull was described and made available to science.
Holotype locality
The skull was originally purchased by V. S. Ramachandran and displayed at the Victor Valley Museum, California, USA. The only stratigraphic information that we have is the matrix around the specimen. This indicates a location in the Gobi Desert of either Mongolia or China. It is expected that the stratigraphic position for the skull will eventually be discovered when additional specimens are found.
Diagnosis
Skull with large, horizontally elliptical external nares situated terminally; external nares rimmed laterally and posteriorly by well-developed osteoderm, anteriorly rimmed by thin, triangular osteoderm fused on premaxilla; foramina for premaxillary and maxillary sinuses housed within external nares; premaxillary part of snout broad; occipital condyle poorly developed as in Saichania, directed ventrally; exoccipitals low, separated from skull roof by a gap, dorsal part near supraoccipital curved anterodorsally; quadrate nearly vertical, with distal articular condyle situated at the level between posterior rim of skull and posterior rim of orbit, quadrate head not fused to paroccipital process; skull roof not overhanging occiput; maxillary shelf well-developed and wide to below middle of orbit; premaxilla forms anterior rim of palatal vacuity, separating maxillae from vomer, as in Pinacosaurus; premaxillary beak wider than the distance between the last maxillary tooth; pterygoid body almost horizontal, not vertical as in Tarchia, Saichania and most ankylosaurids; teeth similar to Pinacosaurus with weakly developed cingulum.
Miles& Miles 2009
Time
Cretaceous Late
Classification
Ornithischia Thyreophora Eurypoda Ankylosauria Ankylosauridae
Diet
Herbivore
Fossilsite
Gobi dessert, Asia [Unknown Mongolia or China]
Info
Minotaurasaurus ramachandrani shows characters typical of many Late Cretaceous ankylosaurs. The new specimen is a virtually complete skull with both hemimandibles preserved intact with the predentary. This skull has been subjected to almost no crushing or shearing.
It has an equilateral, triangular-shaped skull when viewed dorsally and large, highly ornamented narial osteoderms, which give the skull a bull-like appearance with flaring nostrils. Braincase features are more primitive than those of the other Gobi Desert ankylosaurs.
Holotype
INBR21004, Victor Valley Museum, Apple Valley Rd. Apple Valley, California, 92308. A skull with complete lower jaws and predentary.
Etymology
The gerenic name means ‘man–bull reptile’, in Latin, in reference to the bull-like appearance of the skull, similar to the Minotaur of Greek mythology. (Latin) for V. S. Ramachandran, paleontology patron who made sure that this skull was described and made available to science.
Holotype locality
The skull was originally purchased by V. S. Ramachandran and displayed at the Victor Valley Museum, California, USA. The only stratigraphic information that we have is the matrix around the specimen. This indicates a location in the Gobi Desert of either Mongolia or China. It is expected that the stratigraphic position for the skull will eventually be discovered when additional specimens are found.
Diagnosis
Skull with large, horizontally elliptical external nares situated terminally; external nares rimmed laterally and posteriorly by well-developed osteoderm, anteriorly rimmed by thin, triangular osteoderm fused on premaxilla; foramina for premaxillary and maxillary sinuses housed within external nares; premaxillary part of snout broad; occipital condyle poorly developed as in Saichania, directed ventrally; exoccipitals low, separated from skull roof by a gap, dorsal part near supraoccipital curved anterodorsally; quadrate nearly vertical, with distal articular condyle situated at the level between posterior rim of skull and posterior rim of orbit, quadrate head not fused to paroccipital process; skull roof not overhanging occiput; maxillary shelf well-developed and wide to below middle of orbit; premaxilla forms anterior rim of palatal vacuity, separating maxillae from vomer, as in Pinacosaurus; premaxillary beak wider than the distance between the last maxillary tooth; pterygoid body almost horizontal, not vertical as in Tarchia, Saichania and most ankylosaurids; teeth similar to Pinacosaurus with weakly developed cingulum.