The first edentulous ceratosaur from South America
Abstract The recognition of ontogenetic edentulism in the Jurassic noasaurid Limusaurus inextricabilis shed new light on the dietary diversity within Ceratosauria, a stem lineage of non-avian theropod dinosaurs known for peculiar craniomandibular adaptations. Until now, edentulism in Ceratosauria wa...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2021-11-01
|
| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-01312-4 |
| _version_ | 1818995630748467200 |
|---|---|
| author | Geovane Alves de Souza Marina Bento Soares Luiz Carlos Weinschütz Everton Wilner Ricardo Tadeu Lopes Olga Maria Oliveira de Araújo Alexander Wilhelm Armin Kellner |
| author_facet | Geovane Alves de Souza Marina Bento Soares Luiz Carlos Weinschütz Everton Wilner Ricardo Tadeu Lopes Olga Maria Oliveira de Araújo Alexander Wilhelm Armin Kellner |
| author_sort | Geovane Alves de Souza |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract The recognition of ontogenetic edentulism in the Jurassic noasaurid Limusaurus inextricabilis shed new light on the dietary diversity within Ceratosauria, a stem lineage of non-avian theropod dinosaurs known for peculiar craniomandibular adaptations. Until now, edentulism in Ceratosauria was exclusive to adult individuals of Limusaurus. Here, an exceptionally complete skeleton of a new toothless ceratosaur, Berthasaura leopoldinae gen. et sp. nov., is described from the Cretaceous aeolian sandstones of the Bauru Basin, Southern Brazil. The specimen resembles adult individuals of Limusaurus by the absence of teeth but based on the unfused condition of several elements (e.g., skull, vertebral column) it clearly represents an ontogenetically immature individual, indicating that it might never have had teeth. The phylogenetic analysis performed here has nested Berthasaura leopoldinae as an early-divergent Noasauridae, not closely related to Limusaurus. It represents the most complete non-avian theropod from the Brazilian Cretaceous and preserves the most complete noasaurid axial series known so far. Moreover, the new taxon exhibits many novel osteological features, uncommon in non-avian theropods, and unprecedented even among South American ceratosaurs. These include not only toothless jaws but also a premaxilla with cutting occlusal edge, and a slightly downturned rostral tip. This indicate that B. leopoldinae unlikely had the same diet as other ceratosaurs, most being regarded as carnivorous. As the ontogenetically more mature specimens of Limusaurus, Berthasaura might have been herbivorous or at least omnivorous, corroborating with an early evolutionary divergence of noasaurids from the ceratosaurian bauplan by disparate feeding modes. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-20T21:16:54Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-2c29611be3be43f7a0604142fab4a28f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-20T21:16:54Z |
| publishDate | 2021-11-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-2c29611be3be43f7a0604142fab4a28f2022-12-21T19:26:23ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222021-11-0111111510.1038/s41598-021-01312-4The first edentulous ceratosaur from South AmericaGeovane Alves de Souza0Marina Bento Soares1Luiz Carlos Weinschütz2Everton Wilner3Ricardo Tadeu Lopes4Olga Maria Oliveira de Araújo5Alexander Wilhelm Armin Kellner6Programa de Pós-graduação em Zoologia (PPGZoo), Museu Nacional/Universidade Federal do Rio de JaneiroLaboratório de Sistemática e Tafonomia de Vertebrados Fósseis (LAPUG), Departamento de Geologia e Paleontologia, Museu Nacional/Universidade Federal do Rio de JaneiroCentro Paleontológico da Universidade do Contestado (CENPALEO), Universidade do ContestadoCentro Paleontológico da Universidade do Contestado (CENPALEO), Universidade do ContestadoLaboratório de Instrumentação Nuclear (LIN), Programa de Engenharia Nuclear/COPPE, Universidade Federal do Rio de JaneiroLaboratório de Instrumentação Nuclear (LIN), Programa de Engenharia Nuclear/COPPE, Universidade Federal do Rio de JaneiroLaboratório de Sistemática e Tafonomia de Vertebrados Fósseis (LAPUG), Departamento de Geologia e Paleontologia, Museu Nacional/Universidade Federal do Rio de JaneiroAbstract The recognition of ontogenetic edentulism in the Jurassic noasaurid Limusaurus inextricabilis shed new light on the dietary diversity within Ceratosauria, a stem lineage of non-avian theropod dinosaurs known for peculiar craniomandibular adaptations. Until now, edentulism in Ceratosauria was exclusive to adult individuals of Limusaurus. Here, an exceptionally complete skeleton of a new toothless ceratosaur, Berthasaura leopoldinae gen. et sp. nov., is described from the Cretaceous aeolian sandstones of the Bauru Basin, Southern Brazil. The specimen resembles adult individuals of Limusaurus by the absence of teeth but based on the unfused condition of several elements (e.g., skull, vertebral column) it clearly represents an ontogenetically immature individual, indicating that it might never have had teeth. The phylogenetic analysis performed here has nested Berthasaura leopoldinae as an early-divergent Noasauridae, not closely related to Limusaurus. It represents the most complete non-avian theropod from the Brazilian Cretaceous and preserves the most complete noasaurid axial series known so far. Moreover, the new taxon exhibits many novel osteological features, uncommon in non-avian theropods, and unprecedented even among South American ceratosaurs. These include not only toothless jaws but also a premaxilla with cutting occlusal edge, and a slightly downturned rostral tip. This indicate that B. leopoldinae unlikely had the same diet as other ceratosaurs, most being regarded as carnivorous. As the ontogenetically more mature specimens of Limusaurus, Berthasaura might have been herbivorous or at least omnivorous, corroborating with an early evolutionary divergence of noasaurids from the ceratosaurian bauplan by disparate feeding modes.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-01312-4 |
| spellingShingle | Geovane Alves de Souza Marina Bento Soares Luiz Carlos Weinschütz Everton Wilner Ricardo Tadeu Lopes Olga Maria Oliveira de Araújo Alexander Wilhelm Armin Kellner The first edentulous ceratosaur from South America Scientific Reports |
| title | The first edentulous ceratosaur from South America |
| title_full | The first edentulous ceratosaur from South America |
| title_fullStr | The first edentulous ceratosaur from South America |
| title_full_unstemmed | The first edentulous ceratosaur from South America |
| title_short | The first edentulous ceratosaur from South America |
| title_sort | first edentulous ceratosaur from south america |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-01312-4 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT geovanealvesdesouza thefirstedentulousceratosaurfromsouthamerica AT marinabentosoares thefirstedentulousceratosaurfromsouthamerica AT luizcarlosweinschutz thefirstedentulousceratosaurfromsouthamerica AT evertonwilner thefirstedentulousceratosaurfromsouthamerica AT ricardotadeulopes thefirstedentulousceratosaurfromsouthamerica AT olgamariaoliveiradearaujo thefirstedentulousceratosaurfromsouthamerica AT alexanderwilhelmarminkellner thefirstedentulousceratosaurfromsouthamerica AT geovanealvesdesouza firstedentulousceratosaurfromsouthamerica AT marinabentosoares firstedentulousceratosaurfromsouthamerica AT luizcarlosweinschutz firstedentulousceratosaurfromsouthamerica AT evertonwilner firstedentulousceratosaurfromsouthamerica AT ricardotadeulopes firstedentulousceratosaurfromsouthamerica AT olgamariaoliveiradearaujo firstedentulousceratosaurfromsouthamerica AT alexanderwilhelmarminkellner firstedentulousceratosaurfromsouthamerica |