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A tall-spined ornithopod dinosaur from the Early Cretaceous of Salas de los Infantes (Burgos, Spain)

Xabier PEREDA-SUBERBIOLA, José Ignacio RUIZ-OMEÑACA, Fidel TORCIDA FERNÁNDEZ-BALDOR, Michael W. MAISCH, Pedro HUERTA, Rubén CONTRERAS, Luis Ángel IZQUIERDO, Diego Montero HUERTA, Víctor Urién MONTERO & Jochen WELLE

en Comptes Rendus Palevol 10 (7) - Pages 551-558

Published on 31 October 2011

A tall-spined ornithopod dinosaur from the Pinilla de los Moros Formation (Upper Hauterivian-Lower Barremian) of Salas de los Infantes (Burgos, Spain) is described. The material consists of seven associated axial remains, including five middle dorsal vertebrae, a fragmentary neural spine and a dorsal rib, from a single medium-sized individual. This material was previously referred to Iguanodon cf. fittoni. It is characterised by having a high dorsal neurapophysis that is approximately 4.5 times the height of the centrum. The elongation and vertical orientation of the dorsal neural spines allow it to be distinguished from other ornithopods from the Wealden of Europe, including Hypselospinus and Barilium from the Valanginian, and Iguanodon and Mantellisaurus from the Barremian-Aptian. The material is here referred to Iguanodontia indet. because it is so incomplete, but it is potentially a distinct taxon. Among the ornithopods, only Ouranosaurus and the hadrosaurid Hypacrosaurus possess higher dorsal neural spines.


Keywords:

Ornithopoda, Iguanodontia, Early Cretaceous, Iberian Peninsula, Dorsal vertebrae

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