Koreaceratops, new basal neoceratopsian from Korea

[bh480@scn.org]

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/