[D] Monolophosaurus jiangi [Su] [sG] [T]
Describer
Zhao & Currie, 1993
Time
Jurassic Middle
Classification
Saurischia Theropoda Tetanurae
Diet
Carnivore
Fossilsite
Shishugou Formation former Wucaiwan Formation, Junggar Basin, Xinjiang, China
Length
5 meter
Info
Genus - Typespecies - Skull
Monolophosaurus jiangi (Zhao & Currie, 1993) > Jiangjunmiaosaurus (Anonymus, 1987)
\\\\\\\"single crested lizard\\\\\\\" Referring to the single crest on the midline of the skull roof of a medium-sized carnivorous dinosaur; for a genus once informally referred to as \\\\\\\"Jiangjunmiaosaurus.\\\\\\\"
Monolophosaurus is clearly a tetanuran theropod, that is more closely related to birds than to Ceratosaurus. Sereno (in the paper describing Afrovenator) placed it with Allosaurus in the Allosauridae.
Zhao, X.J. and Currie, P.J. (1993). A large crested theropod from the Jurassic of Xinjiang, China. Canadian. J. Earth Sci. 30, 2027-2036
Abstract
A skull and partial skeleton of a new genus and species Monolophosaurus jiangi n. gen. n. sp. of a large theropod has been recovered from the Middle Jurassic beds in the Junggar Basin of Xinjiang, China. The most striking characteristic is the crest, formed primarily by the nasal and lacrimal bones, on the midline of the skull. Several foramina connect the hollow interior of the crest with the antorbital fossa. The function of the crest is unknown, although it most likely was used for visual recognition by other members of the same species. It is difficult to make a precise taxonomic assignment in the absence of information on the appendicular skeleton, but it appears to be more closely related to Allosaurus than to other megalosaur grade theropods.
Etymology
Monolophosaurus is a derivative of three Greek words that can be loosely translated as single (monos) crested (lophos) lizard (saurus), which refer to the single crest on the midline of the skull roof, jiangjunmiao (translated as General Jiangs Temple) is the site of the abandoned desert inn in the Gurbantunggut (previous transliteration is Kurban Tangut) Dessert of the Junggar Basin of Xinjiang.
Diagnosis
Skull with midline crest (formed by the paired premaxillarly, nasal, lacrimal and frontal bones) extending from above external naris , and anteroposteriorly elongate premaxilla. Antiorbital sinuses in nasals confluent through openings in base of crest.
Holotype
IVPP 84019 complete skull and partial skeleton collected in 1984.
Monolophosaurus is a medium-sized theropod with a skull that is 640 mm long (tip of the snout to back of quadrate) The length of the mounted skeleton is 5.1 meter and the animal would have been 1.7 meter high at the hips (top of the ilium).The skull is 205 mm high at the lacrimal if the crest is not included and 290 when included. This crest is pierced by several large foramina anterodorsal to the orbits and by a number of smaller foramina. The external naris is long 155cm and low 65 cm 42% of the length
Brussate et al (2010) Redescribes the skull of Monolophosaurus, one of the most complete basal tetanuran skulls known and the only quality source of cranial data for Middle Jurassic Chinese theropods. The cranial crest is atomized into a number of autapomorphic features and several characters confirm the tetanuran affinities of Monolophosaurus. However, several features suggest a basal position within Tetanurae, which contrasts with most published cladistic analyses, which place Monolophosaurus within the more derived Allosauroidea.
Zhao & Currie, 1993
Time
Jurassic Middle
Classification
Saurischia Theropoda Tetanurae
Diet
Carnivore
Fossilsite
Shishugou Formation former Wucaiwan Formation, Junggar Basin, Xinjiang, China
Length
5 meter
Info
Genus - Typespecies - Skull
Monolophosaurus jiangi (Zhao & Currie, 1993) > Jiangjunmiaosaurus (Anonymus, 1987)
\\\\\\\"single crested lizard\\\\\\\" Referring to the single crest on the midline of the skull roof of a medium-sized carnivorous dinosaur; for a genus once informally referred to as \\\\\\\"Jiangjunmiaosaurus.\\\\\\\"
Monolophosaurus is clearly a tetanuran theropod, that is more closely related to birds than to Ceratosaurus. Sereno (in the paper describing Afrovenator) placed it with Allosaurus in the Allosauridae.
Zhao, X.J. and Currie, P.J. (1993). A large crested theropod from the Jurassic of Xinjiang, China. Canadian. J. Earth Sci. 30, 2027-2036
Abstract
A skull and partial skeleton of a new genus and species Monolophosaurus jiangi n. gen. n. sp. of a large theropod has been recovered from the Middle Jurassic beds in the Junggar Basin of Xinjiang, China. The most striking characteristic is the crest, formed primarily by the nasal and lacrimal bones, on the midline of the skull. Several foramina connect the hollow interior of the crest with the antorbital fossa. The function of the crest is unknown, although it most likely was used for visual recognition by other members of the same species. It is difficult to make a precise taxonomic assignment in the absence of information on the appendicular skeleton, but it appears to be more closely related to Allosaurus than to other megalosaur grade theropods.
Etymology
Monolophosaurus is a derivative of three Greek words that can be loosely translated as single (monos) crested (lophos) lizard (saurus), which refer to the single crest on the midline of the skull roof, jiangjunmiao (translated as General Jiangs Temple) is the site of the abandoned desert inn in the Gurbantunggut (previous transliteration is Kurban Tangut) Dessert of the Junggar Basin of Xinjiang.
Diagnosis
Skull with midline crest (formed by the paired premaxillarly, nasal, lacrimal and frontal bones) extending from above external naris , and anteroposteriorly elongate premaxilla. Antiorbital sinuses in nasals confluent through openings in base of crest.
Holotype
IVPP 84019 complete skull and partial skeleton collected in 1984.
Monolophosaurus is a medium-sized theropod with a skull that is 640 mm long (tip of the snout to back of quadrate) The length of the mounted skeleton is 5.1 meter and the animal would have been 1.7 meter high at the hips (top of the ilium).The skull is 205 mm high at the lacrimal if the crest is not included and 290 when included. This crest is pierced by several large foramina anterodorsal to the orbits and by a number of smaller foramina. The external naris is long 155cm and low 65 cm 42% of the length
Brussate et al (2010) Redescribes the skull of Monolophosaurus, one of the most complete basal tetanuran skulls known and the only quality source of cranial data for Middle Jurassic Chinese theropods. The cranial crest is atomized into a number of autapomorphic features and several characters confirm the tetanuran affinities of Monolophosaurus. However, several features suggest a basal position within Tetanurae, which contrasts with most published cladistic analyses, which place Monolophosaurus within the more derived Allosauroidea.