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Link to original content: http://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38266012/
A new oviraptorosaur (Dinosauria: Theropoda) from the end-Maastrichtian Hell Creek Formation of North America - PubMed Skip to main page content
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. 2024 Jan 24;19(1):e0294901.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0294901. eCollection 2024.

A new oviraptorosaur (Dinosauria: Theropoda) from the end-Maastrichtian Hell Creek Formation of North America

Kyle L Atkins-Weltman  1 , D Jade Simon  2 , Holly N Woodward  1 , Gregory F Funston  3 , Eric Snively  1
Affiliations

A new oviraptorosaur (Dinosauria: Theropoda) from the end-Maastrichtian Hell Creek Formation of North America

Kyle L Atkins-Weltman et al. PLoS One. .

Abstract

Caenagnathidae is a clade of derived, Late Cretaceous oviraptorosaurian theropods from Asia and North America. Because their remains are rare and often fragmentary, caenagnathid diversity is poorly understood. Anzu wyliei is the only caenagnathid species currently described from the late Maastrichtian Hell Creek Formation of the USA and is also among the largest and most completely preserved North American caenagnathids. Smaller, less complete caenagnathid material has long been known from the Hell Creek Formation, but it is unclear whether these are juvenile representatives of Anzu or if they represent distinct, unnamed taxa. Here, we describe a relatively small caenagnathid hindlimb from the Hell Creek Formation, and conduct osteohistological analysis to assess its maturity. Histological data and morphological differences from Anzu wyliei and other caenagnathids allow us to conclude that this specimen represents a new species of caenagnathid from the Hell Creek Formation, with a smaller adult body size than Anzu. This new taxon is also distinct from other small caenagnathid material previously described from the area, potentially indicating the coexistence of three distinct caenagnathid species in the Hell Creek Formation. These results show that caenagnathid diversity in the Hell Creek ecosystem has been underestimated.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Fig 1
Fig 1. Left femur of CM 96523.
A) Anterior view, showing connections between the three fragments as presently preserved. The distal two fragments were initially united before palaeohistological sampling. B) interpretive illustration of femur; C) lateral view, D) posterior view, E) medial view, F) proximal view, and G) distal view. Abbreviations: af, adductor fossa; at, anterior trochanter; atr, accessory trochanteric ridge; ctf, crista tibiofibularis; ect, ectocondylar tuber; fc, fovea capitis, gt, greater trochanter; mc, medial condyle; pf, popliteal fossa; tc, tibial condyle. Scale bar = 2 cm.
Fig 2
Fig 2. Right tibia and astragalocalcaneum of Eoneophron infernalis.
In A) Anterior, B) Posterior, C) Lateral, D) Medial, E) Proximal, and F) Distal views. Abbreviations: ap, ascending process; cal, calcaneum; cc, cnemial crest; fc, fibular crest; tu?, tubercle? Scale bar = 10cm.
Fig 3
Fig 3. Coossification of hindlimb elements in Eoneophron infernalis.
A) Tibiotarsus in medial view, showing coossification of the astragalocalcaneum and tibia (arrow). B) Interpretive illustration of (A). C) Distal tarsal IV and proximal end of Metatarsal IV in anterior view, showing fusion of the distal tarsal to the proximal metatarsal (arrow). D) interpretive illustration of (C). E) Distal tarsal IV and Metatarsal IV in proximal view, showing fusion of the elements (arrow). F) Interpretive illustration of (E). Abbreviations: ast, astragalus; dt IV, distal tarsal IV; mt IV, Metatarsal IV; tib, tibia.
Fig 4
Fig 4. Right Metatarsal III of CM 96523.
In A) Anterior, B) Posterior, C) Posterior (cruciate ridges highlighted), D) Lateral, E) Medial, F) Proximal, and G) Distal views. Cruciate ridges highlighted in white where visible. Abbreviations: clp, collateral ligament pit; cps, concave posterior surface; cr, cruciate ridges; mtII, articular surface for Metatarsal II; mt IV, articular surface for Metatarsal IV. Scale bar = 5cm.
Fig 5
Fig 5. Right Metatarsal IV of Eoneophron infernalis.
In A) Anterior, B) Posterior, C) Lateral, D) Medial, E) Proximal, and F) Distal views. Abbreviations: clp, collateral ligament pit; dtIV, distal tarsal IV; gls, M. gastrocnemius pars lateralis insertion scar; lr, longitudinal ridge; mtIII, articular surface for Metatarsal III; pmdp, broken base of proximodistal process; su, suture between distal tarsal IV and mt IV; tas, M tibialis anterior insertion scar. Scale bar = 5cm.
Fig 6
Fig 6. Osteological thin-section of the femur of Eoneophron infernalis in plain polarized light.
A) Reconstructed cross section of femur with lines of arrested growth [LAGs] traced in light blue; B) Close up of cross section with black arrows denoting lines of arrested growth [LAGs]. Note the change in vascularity from the inner to outer cortex. Scale bar = 1000μm.
Fig 7
Fig 7. Osteological thin section of right tibia of Eoneophron infernalis in plain polarized light.
A) Reconstructed cross section of tibia with lines of arrested growth [LAGs] traced in light blue; B) Close up of cross section with black arrows denoting lines of arrested growth [LAGs]. Note the change in vascularity from the inner to outer cortex. Scale bar = 1000μm.
Fig 8
Fig 8. Osteological thin section of right Metatarsal IV of Eoneophron infernalis in plain polarized light.
A) Cross section of Metatarsal IV with lines of arrested growth [LAGs] traced in light blue, with area missing due to modeling or medullary cavity expansion in red, and putative neonatal line in purple B) Close up of posterior side where CCCB, a possible neonatal line (purple arrows), and six LAGs are observed (blue arrows). Imaged in plane polarized light on the left, circularly polarized light on the right. Note the change in vascularity from the inner to outer cortex. Scale bar = 1000μm.
Fig 9
Fig 9. Time-calibrated majority-rules consensus tree showing the position of Eoneophron infernalis.
Tree is trimmed to Oviraptorosauria. Numbers next to nodes indicate Bremer support values in the strict consensus tree; nodes without numbers were not recovered in the strict consensus. * indicates a node that never collapsed under the Bremer analysis (i.e., it is exceedingly well-supported).
Fig 10
Fig 10
Artist’s depiction of Eoneophron infernalis (top left), MOR 752 (bottom left), and Anzu wyliei (right) in the Hell Creek Formation. Illustration by Zubin Erik Dutta.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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Grants and funding

Funding for histology processing provided to HNW by Oklahoma State University for Health Sciences. Funding to GFF provided by the Royal Society (Grant NIF\R1\191527) and a Banting Fellowship (NSERC). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.