A nearly complete skeleton of an early juvenile diplodocid (Dinosauria: Sauropoda) from the Lower Morrison Formation (Late Jurassic) of north central Wyoming and its implications for early ontogeny and pneumaticity in sauropods

Schwarz, Daniela; Ikejiri, Takehito; Breithaupt, Brent H.; Sander, P. Martin; Klein, Nicole

doi:10.1080/08912960601118651

Cited by 60 publications

(104 citation statements)

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“…Notably, the presence of unfused vertebral elements and/or open neurocentral sutures on the external vertebral surfaces has been routinely used to identify relatively immature individuals for especially nonavian dinosaurs (Fig. 1); for example sauropods (Tidwell and Carpenter, 2003;Ikejiri et al, 2005;Schwarz et al, 2007;Kutty et al, 2007), theropods (Carpenter, 1997;Currie and Chen, 2001;Currie and Zhiming, 2001;Carrano et al, 2002Carrano et al, , 2005Carr et al, 2005), ornithischians (Tereshchenko, 2001;Suzuki et al, 2004). However, until intra-and interspecific variation in timing of neurocentral fusion is understood, the nature of the neurocentral sutures as an indicator of relative skeletal maturity remains questionable.…”

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confidence: 99%

Histology‐Based Morphology of the Neurocentral Synchondrosis in Alligator Mississippiensis (Archosauria, Crocodylia)

Ikejiri

2011

The Anatomical Record

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Morphology of the neurocentral synchondroses-thin cartilaginous layers between centra and neural arches-are documented in the extant crocodilian, Alligator mississippiensis (Archosauria, Crocodylia). Examination of dry skeletons demonstrates that neurocentral suture closure occurs in very late postnatal ontogeny (after reaching sexual maturity and/or body size ca. 40% from the upper range). Before sexual maturity (body length (BL) ! ca. 1.80 m), completely fused centra and neural arches are restricted to the caudal vertebral series. In contrast, the presacral vertebrae often remain unfused throughout postnatal ontogeny, retaining open sutures in very mature individuals (BL ! 2.80 m). These unfused centra and neural arches are structurally supported by the relatively large surface area of the neurocentral junctions, which results from primarily horizontal (mediolateral) increases with strong positive allometry. Cleared and stained specimens show that the cartilaginous neurocentral synchondrosis starts to form after approximately 40 embryonic days. Histological examination of the neurocentral junction in dorsal and anterior caudal vertebrae of six individuals (BL ¼ 0.28-3.12 m) shows : (1) neurocentral fusion is the result of endochondral ossification of the neurocentral synchondrosis, (2) the neurocentral synchondrosis exhibits bipolar organization of three types of cartilaginous cells, and (3) complex neurocentral sutures (i.e., curved, zigzagged, and/or interdigitated boundaries) come from clumping of bone cells of the neural arches and centra into the neurocentral synchondrosis. The last two morphological features can be advantageous for delaying neurocentral fusion, which seems to be unique in crocodilians and possibly their close relatives, including nonavian dinosaurs and other Mesozoic archosaurs. Anat Rec, 295:18-31, 2012. V V C 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

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Histology‐Based Morphology of the Neurocentral Synchondrosis in Alligator Mississippiensis (Archosauria, Crocodylia)

Ikejiri

2011

The Anatomical Record

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“…For example, it has been estimated that juveniles account for approximately one-sixth of the total number of sauropod specimens recovered from the famous Upper Jurassic (Tithonian) exposures of the Morrison Formation in the western USA (Foster 2005). Although recent work on sauropod histology has revealed critical information on their growth rates and life history strategies (e.g., Curry 1999;Sander 2000;Curry Rogers and Erickson 2005;Woodward and Lehman 2009;Sander et al 2011), the dearth of embryonic, hatchling and juvenile material has hampered a broader understanding of sauropod ontogeny, although some work has revealed substantial age-related differences in morphology and ecology (e.g., Ikejiri et al 2005;Schwarz et al 2007;Whitlock et al 2010).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Notable material of baby and juvenile sauropods recovered from the Morrison Formation includes: a complete skeleton of Camarasaurus (Gilmore 1925); a Diplodocus skull (Whitlock et al 2010); the holotype specimen of Brontosaurus (= Elosaurus) parvus (Carpenter and McIntosh 1994); a partial skeleton of an unnamed brachiosaurid (Schwarz et al 2007;Carballido et al 2012); and other undescribed diplodocid material (Myers and Storrs 2007). In addition, an assortment of more fragmentary specimens has also been reported from this unit, comprising an isolated premaxilla (Britt and Naylor 1994) and vertebral and limb material (Carpenter and McIntosh 1994;Foster 2005) Díaz et al 2012).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Taphonomy of the Mother's Day Quarry, Upper Jurassic Morrison Formation, South-Central Montana, Usa

Myers

Storrs

2007

PALAIOS

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“…The stratigraphic position of the Howe-Stephens Quarry can thus only be established with certainty in relation to the other quarries located on the Howe Ranch. The Howe-Stephens Quarry lies approximately 35 m above the marine Middle to Upper Jurassic Sundance Formation, and 30 m below the terrestrial Lower Cretaceous Cloverly Formation (Schwarz et al, 2007a;Christiansen and Tschopp, 2010). It is stratigraphically slightly higher than the Howe Quarry, but like all the excavation sites on Howe Ranch, it is located beneath the so-called clay change (see Schwarz et al, 2007a, figure 3), which was used for long-distance correlation by Turner and Peterson (1999) and Ikejiri (2004Ikejiri ( , 2005.…”

Section: Stratigraphy and Agementioning

confidence: 99%

“…The Howe-Stephens Quarry lies approximately 35 m above the marine Middle to Upper Jurassic Sundance Formation, and 30 m below the terrestrial Lower Cretaceous Cloverly Formation (Schwarz et al, 2007a;Christiansen and Tschopp, 2010). It is stratigraphically slightly higher than the Howe Quarry, but like all the excavation sites on Howe Ranch, it is located beneath the so-called clay change (see Schwarz et al, 2007a, figure 3), which was used for long-distance correlation by Turner and Peterson (1999) and Ikejiri (2004Ikejiri ( , 2005. The site was dated to 147 Ma by Kvale et al (2001, figure 5), based on its position somewhat above a bentonite layer dated to 151.5 +/-4.0 Ma (Kvale et al, 2001, table 1).…”

Section: Stratigraphy and Agementioning

confidence: 99%

Articulated bone sets of manus and pedes of Camarasaurus (Sauropoda, Dinosauria)

Tschopp

Wings

Frauenfelder

et al. 2015

Palaeontologia Electronica

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Tschopp, Emanuel, Wings, Oliver, Frauenfelder, Thomas, and Brinkmann, Winand. 2015. Articulated bone sets of manus and pedes of Camarasaurus (Sauropoda, Dinosauria ABSTRACTSkeletons of sauropods are rarely found with fore and hind feet, and until now, only one specimen of this clade has been reported with all four autopodia preserved complete and articulated. This makes interpretations on their locomotion difficult and proper assignments of footprints to genus-or even species-level taxa are generally impossible. Camarasaurus SMA 0002 from the Upper Jurassic Morrison Formation at Howe Ranch in the vicinity of Shell (Wyoming, USA) is the first sauropod with completely preserved and articulated osteological remains of all feet in addition to autopodial skin impressions. We describe in detail the morphology of the SMA 0002 autopodial bones and integumentary impressions, and draw comparisons with the published data on Camarasaurus and other sauropod manus and pedes. Our reconstruction orients the lateral side of the manus claw such that it faces the ground and possibly even contacts it distally. A 3D reconstruction of the autopodia of SMA 0002 yields new insights into the still debated relationship of footprint lengths to hip height in sauropods, and indicates that it might be variable among genera. Furthermore, manual and pedal morphology and the 3D model yield crucial information about the expected footprint shape of Camarasaurus. The recovered characteristics of the footprint do not possess a set of features to be confidently referred to a known ichnospecies.

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A nearly complete skeleton of an early juvenile diplodocid (Dinosauria: Sauropoda) from the Lower Morrison Formation (Late Jurassic) of north central Wyoming and its implications for early ontogeny and pneumaticity in sauropods

Cited by 60 publications

References 46 publications

Histology‐Based Morphology of the Neurocentral Synchondrosis in Alligator Mississippiensis (Archosauria, Crocodylia)

Histology‐Based Morphology of the Neurocentral Synchondrosis in Alligator Mississippiensis (Archosauria, Crocodylia)

Taphonomy of the Mother's Day Quarry, Upper Jurassic Morrison Formation, South-Central Montana, Usa

Articulated bone sets of manus and pedes of Camarasaurus (Sauropoda, Dinosauria)

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