Lujiatun Psittacosaurids: understanding individual and taphonomic variation using 3D geometric morphometrics.

ABSTRACT: Psittacosaurus is one of the most abundant and speciose genera in the Dinosauria, with fifteen named species. The genus is geographically and temporally widespread with large sample sizes of several of the nominal species allowing detailed analysis of intra- and interspecific variation. We present a reanalysis of three separate, coeval species within the Psittacosauridae; P. lujiatunensis, P. major, and Hongshanosaurus houi from the Lujiatun beds of the Yixian Formation, northeastern China, using three-dimensional geometric morphometrics on a sample set of thirty skulls in combination with a reevaluation of the proposed character states for each species. Using these complementary methods, we show that individual and taphonomic variation are the joint causes of a large range of variation am

SUBMITTER: Hedrick BP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3739782 | biostudies-literature | 2013

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature