Digital preparation and osteology of the skull of Lesothosaurus diagnosticus

[<jayp.nair@yahoo.com>]

Laura B. Porro​, Lawrence M. Witmer, Paul M. Barrett (2015)

Digital preparation and osteology of the skull of Lesothosaurus diagnosticus 
(Ornithischia: Dinosauria)
PeerJ  3: e1494

https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.1494

Several skulls of the ornithischian dinosaur Lesothosaurus diagnosticus (Lower 
Jurassic, southern Africa) are known, but all are either incomplete, deformed, 
or incompletely prepared. This has hampered attempts to provide a comprehensive 
description of skull osteology in this crucial early dinosaurian taxon. Using 
visualization software, computed tomographic scans of the Lesothosaurus 
syntypes were digitally segmented to remove matrix, and identify and separate 
individual cranial and mandibular bones, revealing new anatomical details such 
as sutural morphology and the presence of several previously undescribed 
elements. Together with visual inspection of exposed skull bones, these CT data 
enable a complete description of skull anatomy in this taxon. Comparisons with 
our new data suggest that two specimens previously identified as Lesothosaurus 
sp. (MNHN LES 17 and MNHN LES 18) probably represent additional individuals of 
Lesothosaurus diagnosticus.