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Koreaceratops, new basal neoceratopsian from Korea
From: Ben Creisler
bh480@scn.org
This one appeared online a couple of days ago. In case it
has not been mentioned yet on the DML:
Yuong-Nam Lee, Michael J. Ryan and Yoshitsugu Kobayashi
(2010)
The first ceratopsian dinosaur from South Korea.
Naturwissenschaften (advance online publication)
DOI: 10.1007/s00114-010-0739-y Online First?
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/