[D] Pelecanimimus polyodon [Si] [Su] [sG] [T]
Describer
Perez-Moreno, Sanz, Buscalioni, Moratalla, Ortega & Rasskin-Gutman, 1994
Time
Cretaceous Early Barremian
Classification
Saurischia Theropoda Tetanurae Coelurosauria Ornithomimosauria
Diet
Omnivore
Fossilsite
Las Hoyas Konservat-lagerstatte, Spain
Length
2 - 2.5 meter
Info
Genus - Typespecies - Skull - Skin
Small orntithominosaur. Skull with long and shallow snout (maximun length about 4.5 times the maximum height). About 220 teeth: 7 premaxillarly, about 30 maxillary, and about 75 in the dentary. Maxillary teeth larger then the dentary teeth. Teeth unserrated, with a constriction between the crown and the root.
There are no complete interdental plates. The maxilla has teeth only in tis anterior third and sharp edge in the posterior zone. The rostral half of the lower jaw has a straight ventral edge. Ulna en radius are titghly adhered distally. Metacarpal ratio is 0.81:1:0.98 (Perez-Moreno et al., 1994)
\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"pelican mimic\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" Named \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"because of the very long facial part of the skull and the integumentary impressions below the skull, which resemble the gular pouch in the pelican.\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" The type species name polyodon \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"many tooth\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\" refers to the presence of 220 small teeth in the front of the upper and lower jaws, \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"the highest tooth count within the Theropoda.\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\"
The specimen preserves traces of skin, apparently with evidence of a feather-like covering. Pelecanimimus canot be assigned to any of the three Ornithomimosauria families; Harpymimidae, Garudimimidae and Ornithomimidae.