Morphology of the maxilla informs about the type of predation strategy in the evolution of Abelisauridae (Dinosauria: Theropoda).

ABSTRACT: Abelisauridae is a clade of theropods distinguished by short, ornamented skulls and strongly reduced forelimbs. They represented the most abundant predatory dinosaurs in Gondwana during the Cretaceous. Bolstered by biomechanical studies, the morphology of the skull and vertebral column of abelisaurids, have led researchers to hypothesize that Late Cretaceous forms were "specialized hunters." Here, we use the morphology of the abelisaurid maxilla to test the inclusion of the Lower Cretaceous Spectrovenator within the specialized hunter category. Additionally, we analyze the diversity and disparity of the abelisaurid maxilla in a macroevolutionary context. We quantified the maxillary shape in 17 taxa using 2D geometric morphometrics and analyzed different evolutionary scenarios and trends wi

SUBMITTER: Pereyra EES 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11885552 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature