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. 2015 Dec 16;10(12):e0144167.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0144167. eCollection 2015.

A New Sail-Backed Styracosternan (Dinosauria: Ornithopoda) from the Early Cretaceous of Morella, Spain

José Miguel Gasulla  1 , Fernando Escaso  2 , Iván Narváez  2 , Francisco Ortega  2 , José Luis Sanz  1
Affiliations

A New Sail-Backed Styracosternan (Dinosauria: Ornithopoda) from the Early Cretaceous of Morella, Spain

José Miguel Gasulla et al. PLoS One. .

Abstract

A new styracosternan ornithopod genus and species is here described based on a partial postcranial skeleton and an associated dentary tooth of a single specimen from the Arcillas de Morella Formation (Early Cretaceous, late Barremian) at the Morella locality, (Castellón, Spain). Morelladon beltrani gen. et sp. nov. is diagnosed by eight autapomorphic features. The set of autapomorphies includes: very elongated and vertical neural spines of the dorsal vertebrae, midline keel on ventral surface of the second to fourth sacral vertebrae restricted to the anterior half of the centrum, a posterodorsally inclined medial ridge on the postacetabular process of the ilium that meets its dorsal margin and distal end of the straight ischial shaft laterally expanded, among others. Phylogenetic analyses reveal that the new Iberian form is more closely related to its synchronic and sympatric contemporary European taxa Iguanodon bernissartensis and Mantellisaurus atherfieldensis, known from Western Europe, than to other Early Cretaceous Iberian styracosternans (Delapparentia turolensis and Proa valdearinnoensis). The recognition of Morelladon beltrani gen. et sp. nov. indicates that the Iberian Peninsula was home to a highly diverse medium to large bodied styracosternan assemblage during the Early Cretaceous.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Fig 1
Fig 1. Geographic location of the holotype specimen of Morelladon beltrani (CMP-MS-03).
(A) Castellón province and Morella locality in Spain. (B) Schematic regional map of area of Morella locality indicating location of the Mas de la Parreta Quarry (black star). (C) Photography showing the location of the holotype site in the CMP-MS area (dash line).
Fig 2
Fig 2. Dentary tooth of the holotype specimen of Morelladon beltrani (CMP-MS-03).
Dentary tooth in medial or lingual (A) and lateral or labial (B) views. Abbreviations: acr, accessory ridge; prr, primary ridge; wf, wear facet.
Fig 3
Fig 3. Partial dorsal neural arch and neural spines of the holotype specimen of Morelladon beltrani (CMP-MS-03).
Partial anterior dorsal neural arch in ventral (A) view. Partial anterior dorsal neural spine in left lateral (B) and posterior (C) views. Partial posterior dorsal neural spine in anterior (D), left lateral (E) and posterior (F, G) views. Abbreviations: ns, neural spine; poz, postzygapophysis; rec, vertical recess.
Fig 4
Fig 4. Dorsal vertebrae of the holotype specimen of Morelladon beltrani (CMP-MS-03).
CMP-MS-03-10 in anterior (A), left lateral (B), posterior (C) and dorsal (D) views. CMP-MS-03-09 in anterior (E), left lateral (F), posterior (G) and dorsal (H) views. Abbreviations: dia, diapophysis; ns, neural spine; pa, parapophysis; poz, postzygapophysis; pre, prezygapophysis; tp, transverse process.
Fig 5
Fig 5. Dorsal vertebrae of the holotype specimen of Morelladon beltrani (CMP-MS-03).
CMP-MS-03-06 in anterior (A), left lateral (B), posterior (C) and dorsal (D) views. CMP-MS-03-05 in anterior (E), left lateral (F), posterior (G) and dorsal (H) views. CMP-MS-03-07 in anterior (I), left lateral (J), posterior (K) and dorsal (L) views. CMP-MS-03-05 in anterior (M), left lateral (N), posterior (O) and dorsal (P) views. Abbreviations: ns, neural spine; poz, postzygapophysis; pre, prezygapophysis; rec, vertical recess; tp, transverse process.
Fig 6
Fig 6. Partial dorsal neural spines of the holotype specimen of Morelladon beltrani (CMP-MS-03).
CMP-MS-03-25 in left lateral (A) view. CMP-MS-03-16 in left lateral (B) view. CMP-MS-03-19 in left lateral (C) view. CMP-MS-03-21 in left lateral (D) view. CMP-MS-03-17 and -29 in left lateral (E) view. CMP-MS-03-15 in left lateral (F) view.
Fig 7
Fig 7. Dorsal vertebrae series of the holotype specimen of Morelladon beltrani (CMP-MS-03).
CMP-MS-03-06, -07 (including CMP-MS-03-17 and -29) and -05 (including CMP-MS-03-08) in left lateral (A) view. Interpretive drawing of CMP-MS-03-05 (including CMP-MS-03-08 neural spine) in left lateral (B) view. Abbreviations: ns, neural spine; poz, postzygapophysis; pre, prezygapophysis; rec, vertical recess; tp, transverse process.
Fig 8
Fig 8. Partial dorsal ribs of the holotype specimen of Morelladon beltrani (CMP-MS-03).
CMP-MS-03-42 in anterior (A) and posterior (B) views. CMP-MS-03-43 in anterior (C) and posterior (D) views. Abbreviations: cap, capitulum; n, neck; tub, tuberculum.
Fig 9
Fig 9. Sacrum of the holotype specimen of Morelladon beltrani (CMP-MS-03).
Sacrum (CMP-MS-03-01) in dorsal (A), ventral (B) and right lateral (C) views. Abbreviations: k, ventral keel; ns, neural spine; pre, prezygapophysis; sd, sacrodorsal vertebra; sdr, sacrodorsal rib; sr, sacral ribs; sy, sacral yoke; s5, sacral vertebra 5; tp, transverse process.
Fig 10
Fig 10. Haemal arches of the holotype specimen of Morelladon beltrani (CMP-MS-03).
CMP-MS-03-14 in anterior (A), left lateral (B) and posterior (C) views. CMP-MS-03-13 in anterior (D), left lateral (F), posterior (C) and proximal (G) views. Abbreviations: af, articular fact; hc, haemal canal.
Fig 11
Fig 11. Pelvic girdle of the holotype specimen of Morelladon beltrani (CMP-MS-03).
Left pelvic elements (ilium, pubis and ischium) in left lateral view. Abbreviations: ac, acetabulum; app, anterior pubic process; obp, obturator process; poa, postacetabular process; pra, preacetabular process.
Fig 12
Fig 12. Ilia of the holotype specimen of Morelladon beltrani (CMP-MS-03).
Left ilium (CMP-MS-03-32) in lateral (A), medial (C) and ventral (E) views. Right ilium (CMP-MS-03-31) in lateral (B), medial (D) and ventral (F) views. Abbreviations: ac, acetabulum; bs; brevis shelf; isp, ischiadic peduncle; mr, medial ridge; p, dorsal platform; poa, postacetabular process; pra, preacetabular process; pup, pubic peduncle; srf, sacral rib facets. Arrow in (E) indicates point in which the medial ridge meets the dorsal margin of the ilium.
Fig 13
Fig 13. Ischia and pubes of the holotype specimen of Morelladon beltrani (CMP-MS-03).
Left ischium (CMP-MS-03-35) in lateral (A) and medial (B) views. Right ischium (CMP-MS-03-37) in lateral (D) and medial (E) views. Right pubis (CMP-MS-03-34) in medial (E) and lateral (F) views. Left pubis (CMP-MS-03-33) in medial (G) and lateral (H) views. Abbreviations: ac, acetabulum; app, anterior pubic process; ilp, iliac peduncle; obp, obturator process; obt.c, obturator channel; pup, pubic peduncle.
Fig 14
Fig 14. Tibia of the holotype specimen of Morelladon beltrani (CMP-MS-03).
Left tibia (CMP-MS-03-30) in lateral (A), medial (B), posterior (C), anterior (D), proximal (E) and distal (E) views. Abbreviations: cc, cnemial crest; fc, fibular condyle; lm, lateral malleolus; mm, medial malleolus.
Fig 15
Fig 15. Phylogenetic relationships of Morelladon beltrani (CMP-MS-03).
Strict reduced consensus subtree of 801 most parsimonious trees resulting from a second analysis, after deletion of 27 taxa (see text for details), of the modified data matrix from McDonald et al. [3].
Fig 16
Fig 16. Phylogenetic relationships of Morelladon beltrani (CMP-MS-03).
Time-calibrated strict consensus tree resulting from the analysis of the modified data matrix from Norman [6]. Abbreviations: AF, Africa; AS, Asia; AU, Australia; EU, Europe; NA, North America, SA, South America.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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