Koreanoceratops...another ceratopsian!

["heby@libero.it" <heby@libero.it>]

Lee YN, Ryan MJ, Kobayashi Y.

The first ceratopsian dinosaur from South Korea.

Abstract
In 2008, a new basal neoceratopsian was discovered in the Tando beds (Albian) 
of Tando Basin in South Korea. It represents the first ceratopsian dinosaur in 
the Korean peninsula and is assigned to Koreaceratops hwaseongensis gen. et sp. 
nov. Autapomorphies of Koreaceratops include very tall neural spines over five 
times higher than the associated centra in the distal caudals, and a unique 
astragalus divided into two fossae by a prominent craniocaudal ridge on the 
proximal surface. A phylogenetic analysis indicates that Koreaceratops is 
positioned between Archaeoceratops and all more derived neoceratopsians, and 
the elongation of caudal neural spines was an important derived character in 
non-ceratopsid neoceratopsians. The very tall caudal neural spines in 
Koreaceratops, Montanoceratops, Udanoceratops, Protoceratops, and Bagaceratops 
appear to be homoplasious, suggesting an independent adaptation, possibly for 
swimming. Skeletal evidence suggests that obligate quadrupedalism occurred 
gradually in neoceratopsians progressing from bipedal through facultative 
quadrupedalism, to complete quadrupedalism in Coronosauria.



http://www.springerlink.com/content/t36414148l1ln634/


Cheers

Lukas P