[D] Antarctopelta oliveroi [Su] [sG] [T]
Describer
Salgado & Gasparini, 2006
Time
Cretaceous Late, Campanian
Classification
Ornithischia Thyreophora Eurypoda Ankylosauria
Diet
Herbivore
Fossilsite
Gamma Member of the Santa Marta Formation (Marambio Group) Santa Marta Cove, North James Ross Island, locality D6-1, Antarctica
Length
> 4 m.
Info
Genus - Typespecies - Skull
Etymology: Antarctopelta, shield of Antarctica, antarcto, in reference to the Antarctica, and pelte (Greek), “shield”. Species named for Eduardo Olivero, an outstanding Argentine geologist and paleontologist specializing in Antarctica, who discovered the holotype.
Holotype: MLP 86-X-28-1: partial skeleton consisting of a fragment of left dentary with an in situ tooth, three isolated teeth, a collection of fragmentary cranial ossifications, two cervical vertebrae and a latex cast prepared from a natural mould of three articulated cervical vertebrae, about eight fragments of dorsal ribs, two dorsal centra representing part of the presacral rod, a partial sacrum composed of three sacral centra, eight incomplete caudal vertebrae, the proximal (glenoid) portion of the left scapula, a fragment of the right ilium, a distal fragment of a left femur, five metapodials, two phalanges, and a collection of six different morphotypes of osteoderms.
Medium-sized ankylosaur, estimated length of no more than 4 m; cervical centra short (centrum length about 70% of the centrum height), morphologically most similar to Silvisaurus condrayi (Eaton, 1960), with the anterior articular faces higher than the posterior ones, as in Edmontonia rugosidens (Gilmore, 1930), anterior caudal vertebrae with relatively slender transverse processes; centra of the posteriormost caudals notably dorsoventrally depressed, with articular faces slightly anteriorly inclined and laterally expanded, transverse processes of the posterior caudals well developed (transverse processes length about 40% of the centrum width), dorsoventrally depressed, and positioned within the anterior half of the vertebral centrum; at least six morphotypes of postcranial osteoderms, including 1-narrow and spine-shaped, 2- ovoid plate-like with a rugose surface texture, 3-plate-like with a smooth surface texture, 4-polygonal with a rugose texture, 5-shield-shaped with a dorsal keel, and 6-small (less than 5 mm in diameter) button-like.
Salgado & Gasparini, 2006
Time
Cretaceous Late, Campanian
Classification
Ornithischia Thyreophora Eurypoda Ankylosauria
Diet
Herbivore
Fossilsite
Gamma Member of the Santa Marta Formation (Marambio Group) Santa Marta Cove, North James Ross Island, locality D6-1, Antarctica
Length
> 4 m.
Info
Genus - Typespecies - Skull
Etymology: Antarctopelta, shield of Antarctica, antarcto, in reference to the Antarctica, and pelte (Greek), “shield”. Species named for Eduardo Olivero, an outstanding Argentine geologist and paleontologist specializing in Antarctica, who discovered the holotype.
Holotype: MLP 86-X-28-1: partial skeleton consisting of a fragment of left dentary with an in situ tooth, three isolated teeth, a collection of fragmentary cranial ossifications, two cervical vertebrae and a latex cast prepared from a natural mould of three articulated cervical vertebrae, about eight fragments of dorsal ribs, two dorsal centra representing part of the presacral rod, a partial sacrum composed of three sacral centra, eight incomplete caudal vertebrae, the proximal (glenoid) portion of the left scapula, a fragment of the right ilium, a distal fragment of a left femur, five metapodials, two phalanges, and a collection of six different morphotypes of osteoderms.
Medium-sized ankylosaur, estimated length of no more than 4 m; cervical centra short (centrum length about 70% of the centrum height), morphologically most similar to Silvisaurus condrayi (Eaton, 1960), with the anterior articular faces higher than the posterior ones, as in Edmontonia rugosidens (Gilmore, 1930), anterior caudal vertebrae with relatively slender transverse processes; centra of the posteriormost caudals notably dorsoventrally depressed, with articular faces slightly anteriorly inclined and laterally expanded, transverse processes of the posterior caudals well developed (transverse processes length about 40% of the centrum width), dorsoventrally depressed, and positioned within the anterior half of the vertebral centrum; at least six morphotypes of postcranial osteoderms, including 1-narrow and spine-shaped, 2- ovoid plate-like with a rugose surface texture, 3-plate-like with a smooth surface texture, 4-polygonal with a rugose texture, 5-shield-shaped with a dorsal keel, and 6-small (less than 5 mm in diameter) button-like.