Describer

Averianov, Voronkevich, Leshchinskiy, Fayngertz, 2006

Time

Cretaceous Early Aptian Albian

Classification

Ornithischia Genasauria Cerapoda Marginocephalia Ceratopia Neoceratopia Psittacosauridae

Diet

Herbivore

Fossilsite

Ilek Formation at Shestakovo, Kemerovo, Province, West Siberia, Russia

Fall Under

Psittacosaurus

Info

Psittacosaurus (Osborn, 1923) = Protiguanodon (Osborn, 1923)
Psittacosaurus > Psittacosaurus guyangensis (Cheng, 1983)
Psittacosaurus > Psittacosaurus mongoliensis (Osborn, 1923) = Psittacosaurus protiguanodonensis (Young, 1958) > Protiguanodon mongoliensis (Osborn, 1923)
Psittacosaurus > Psittacosaurus osborni (Young, 1931) > Psittacosaurus tingi (Young, 1931)
Psittacosaurus > Psittacosaurus sinensis (Young, 1958) > > Psittacosaurus youngi (Chao, 1962)
Psittacosaurus > Psittacosaurus meileyingensis (Sereno, Chao, Cheng & Rao, 1988)
Psittacosaurus > Psittacosaurus xinjiangensis (Sereno & Chao, 1988)
Psittacosaurus > Psittacosaurus neimongoliensis (Russell & Zhao, 1996)
Psittacosaurus > Psittacosaurus mazongshanensis (Dong & Azuma, 1996)
Psittacosaurus > Psittacosaurus ordosensis (Russell & Zhao, 1996)
Psittacosaurus > Psittacosaurus lujiatunensis (Zhou, Gao, Fox, and Chen, 2006)
Psittacosaurus > Psittacosaurus sibiricus (Averianov, Voronkevich, Leshchinskiy, Fayngertz, 2006)
Psittacosaurus> Psittacosaurus major - (Sereno, Zhao, Brown and Tan 2007)
Psittacosaurus> Psittacosaurus gobiensis (Sereno, Zhao & Tan 2010)

Psittacosaurus sibiricus from the Aptian–Albian Ilek Formation at Shestakovo, Kemerovo Province, West Siberia, is represented by two almost complete adult skeletons, several associated groups of bones and numerous isolated bones of individuals ranging from post-hatchling to fully grown animals. Psittacosaurus sibiricus differs from nine other species of the genus by a unique combination of 32 diagnostic characters, six of which are autapomorphies of the species: small infratemporal fenestra, anteroposteriorly short premaxilla, short medial process of postorbital, deep cleft for qaudratojugal on jugal, extending to the posterior side of jugal horn, angular with prominent tuber and 23 presacrals.

Psittacosaurus sibiricus is the sister species of P. sinensis, with which it shares the prominent pyramidal laterally projecting jugal horn, but more derived than the latter in having more developed palpebral and postorbital horns. The three lateral foramina on the exoccipital/ opisthotic are interpreted as exits for cranial nerves X+XI, XII1+2 and XII3, in contrast with previous interpretations. Cranial nerve IX exits the brain cavity through the metotic fissure. Most Psittacosaurus localities are confined to lacustrine deposits and this animal undoubtedly inhabited areas around the great lakes widely distributed in Central Asia during the Early Cretaceous. The age of the Psittacosaurus biochron is estimated as Hauterivian–Albian. (Averianov et al. 2006)

Systematic palaeontology

Ornithischia Seeley, 1888
Ceratopsia Marsh, 1890
Psittacosauridae Osborn,
Psittacosaurus Osborn,
Psittacosaurus sibiricus Voronkevich & Averianov in Leshchinskiy et al. 2000

Holotype

PM TGU 16/4-20, an articulated almost complete adult skeleton including the skull.

Type locality and horizon

Shestakovo 3, approximately 40 km south of Mariinsk city, Chebula District, Kemerovo Province, Russia; Ilek Formation, Lower Cretaceous, Aptian–Albian.

Referred specimens

All specimens from Shestakovo 3, PM TGU collection: 16/4-21, nearly complete articulated adult skeleton with the skull, buried together with the holotype, possibly female; 16/1-216, fragmentary rostral; 16/1-294, right nasal; 16/1- 245, fragmentary left nasal; 16/1-207, left premaxilla; 16/1- 133, juvenile right premaxilla; 16/1-204, right premaxilla and 16/1-206, right maxilla from a single individual; 16/1- 46, fragmentary right premaxilla and 16/1-73, right maxilla from a single individual; 16/1-284, left maxilla; 16/1- 283, fused parietals; 16/1-166 and 16/1-285, left postorbitals; 16/0-10 and 16/1-58, right postorbitals; 16/0-12 and 16/0-13, left jugal horns; 16/1-292 and 16/1-293, fragmentary juvenile left and right jugals; 16/1-17, left palpebral; 16/0-14, 16/1-13, 16/1-48 and 16/1-211, right palpebrals; 16/1-202, left quadrate; 16/1-258, right quadrate; 16/0-19, left quadrate condyle; 16/1-135, fragmentary left juvenile quadrate; 16/1-92 and 16/1-107, left pterygoids; 16/1-173, right pterygoid; 16/0-16, fragmentary right pterygoid; 16/1- 44, left palatine fragment; 16/1-297, right palatine fragment; 16/1-79, left ectopterygoid 16/0-17, fragmentary left pterygoid articulated with the quadrate pterygoid ramus, 16/0-18, left ectopterygoid and 16/0-15, fused basioccipital and basisphenoid from a single individual; 16/0-21, basioccipital; 16/1-136, left exoccipital/opisthotic; 16/1-264, right exoccipital/opisthotic; 16/1-286 and 16/1-287, fragmentary left exoccipital/opisthotic; 16/1-104 and 16/1-288, fragmentary right exoccipital/opisthotic; 16/1-56, 16/1-85 and 16/1- 174, left dentaries; 16/0-20, 16/1-175 and 16/1-203, right dentaries; 16/1-291, fragmentary right dentary; 16/1-176 and 16/1-246, fragmentary left angulars; 16/1-137, fragmentary right angular; 16/1-177 and 16/3–30–34, isolated teeth; 16/0- 22, atlas intercentrum, 16/0-23, axis and 16/0-24–27, cervicals 3–6 from a single individual; 16/1-230, atlas intercentrum; 16/1-42 and 16/1-153, axis neural arches; 16/1-209, 16/1-232 and 16/1-233, cervicals; 16/1-22, 16/1-26, 16/1- 43, 16/1-89, 16/1-151 and 16/1-227, 16/1-289, cervical ribs; 16/1-163, 16/1-178 and 16/1-183, anterior dorsals; 16/0-28 and 16/0-29, articulated posterior dorsals; 16/1-45, 16/1-72, 16/1-74, 16/1-76, 16/1-94, 16/1-215, 16/1-231 and 16/1- 234, neural arches of posterior dorsals; 16/1-19, 16/1-22, 16/1-25, 16/1-27, 16/1-33, 16/1-36, 16/1-41, 16/1-109, 16/1- 111, 16/1-138, 16/1-243, 16/1-260 and 16/1-278, dorsal ribs (double-headed); 16/1-23 and 16/1-60, dorsal ribs (singleheaded); 16/1-51, sternal plate; 16/0-30–39, articulated series from the first sacral (fragmentary) towards fourth caudal; 16/1-49, 16/1-63 and 16/1-154, sacral ribs; 16/1-28, 16/1- 30, 16/1-31, 16/1-50, 16/1-77, 16/1-95, 16/1-143, 16/1-145, 16/1-210, 16/1-213, 16/1-214, 16/1-217, 16/1-235, 16/1- 254 and 16/1-255, caudals; 16/1-212, two associated caudals; 16/1-208, three associated caudals; 16/1-18, 16/1-20, 16/1-21, 16/1-112, 16/1-117, 16/1-164, 16/1-168, 16/1-169, 16/1-170, 16/1-182, 16/1-248, 16/1-249, 16/1-250, 16/1-51, 16/1-252 and 16/1-253, caudal centra; 16/1-29, 16/1- 102, 16/1-103, 16/1-105, 16/1-152, 16/1-259, caudal neural arches; 16/1-11, 16/1-220, 16/1-223 and 16/1-225, chevrons; 16/1-106, right scapula proximal fragment; 16/1-129,fragmentary right scapula; 16/0-14 and 16/0-75, fragmentary scapular blades; 16/1-158 and 16/1-276, right coracoids; 16/1-281, 16/1-295 and 16/1-127, left clavicles; 16/1-296, right clavicle; 16/1-282, fragmentary right clavicle; 16/0-64, left humerus, 16/0-41, left ulna and 16/0-42, left radius from a single individual; 16/1-228, left humerus; 16/1-247, right humerus; 16/0-76, left humerus distal end; 16/1-290, right humerus proximal end; 16/0-71, right humerus distal end; 16/1-84, juvenile right humerus; 16/-82, juvenile right humerus distal end; 16/1-47, 16/1-52 and 16/0-40, right ulnae; 16/0-7 and 16/1-277, right radius; 16/1-201, almost complete left manus lacking; 16/1-279, incomplete right manus; 16/0- 2, fragmentary left ilium, 16/0-3, fragmentary right ilium and 16/0-1, left ischium from a single large individual described by Voronkevich (1998); 16/1-167, right ilium; 16/1-34 and 16/1-256, right pubes; 16/1-257, left pubis; 16/1-270, left ischium; 16/0-79, fragmentary right ischium; 16/0-62, 16/0-65 and 16/1-271, left femora; 16/0-55 and 16/0-66, right femur proximal ends; 16/0-56, left femur distal end; 16/0-54, right femur distal end; 16/1-181, juvenile left femur; 16/1-272, 16/1-273 and 16/1-274, associated left tibia, astragalus and fibula; 16/1-179, articulated left tibia and astragalus; 16/0- 68, articulated right tibia and fibula distal ends and right astragalus; 16/0-69 and 16/0-70 left tibia proximal ends; 16/0-67 and 16/0-73, left tibia distal ends; 16/0-63 and 16/0- 72, right tibia distal ends; 16/1-83, 16/1-115 and 16/1-126, juvenile left tibia distal ends; 16/1-287, left fibula lacking distal end; 16/0-61, left astragalus; 16/1-171, fragmentary left astragalus; 16/0-77 and 16/1-275, left calcanei; 16/0-78, right calcaneum; 16/1-200, articulated left pes; 16/0-47 and 16/0-57, right metatarsals I; 16/0-52, left metatarsal I distal end; 16/0-49, right metatarsal I distal end; 16/1-116, juvenile left metatarsal I; 16/0-46, right metatarsal II; 16/0-48, 16/0- 50, 16/1-5 and 16/1-146, left metatarsals III; 16/1-261, right metatarsal III lacking proximal end; 16/1-37, left metatarsal IV; 16/1-40, right metatarsal IV; 16/0-43 and 16/0-51, left metatarsal IV proximal ends; 16/0-44, right metatarsal IV proximal end; 16/0-45, right metatarsal IV distal end; and numerous less important isolated vertebrae, ribs, chevrons, teeth, phalanges, metapodials and bone fragments.

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