Post by Infinity Blade on Jul 25, 2016 7:51:20 GMT 5
Dryptosaurus aquilunguis
A reconstruction of D. aquilunguis. © @ DeviantArt user Durbed
Temporal range: Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian: 70.6-66Ma[1])
Scientific classification:
Life
Domain: Eukaryota
(unranked): Unikonta
(unranked): Opisthokonta
(unranked): Holozoa
(unranked): Filozoa
Kingdom: Animalia
Subkingdom: Eumetazoa
(unranked): Bilateria
Clade: Nephrozoa
Superphylum: Deuterostomia
Phylum: Chordata
Clade: Olfactores
Clade: Craniata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Infraphylum: Gnathostomata
Clade: Eugnathostomata
Clade: Teleostomi
Superclass: Tetrapoda
Clade: Reptiliomorpha
Clade: Amniota
Class: Reptilia or Clade: Sauropsida
Clade: Eureptilia
Clade: Romeriida
Clade: Diapsida
Clade: Neodiapsida
Clade: Archelosauria
Clade: Archosauromorpha
Clade: Archosauriformes
Clade: Crurotarsi
Clade: Archosauria
Clade: Avemetatarsalia
Clade: Ornithodira
Clade: Dinosauromorpha
Clade: Dinosauriformes
Clade: Dinosauria
Order: Saurischia
Clade: Eusaurischia
Suborder: Theropoda
Clade: Neotheropoda
Clade: Averostra
Clade: Tetanurae
Clade: Orionides
Clade: Avetheropoda
Clade: Coelurosauria
Clade: Tyrannoraptora
Superfamily: †Tyrannosauroidea
Family: †Dryptosauridae
Genus: †Dryptosaurus
Species: †D. aquilunguis
Dryptosaurus aquilunguis ("eagle clawed tearing lizard/reptile") is a species of tyrannosauroid theropod dinosaur that lived in the Eastern Coast of the United States from 70.6 to 66 million years ago[1].
Description and predatory behavior:
Dryptosaurus has been estimated to weigh from ~995.6 kilograms[1] to ~1,500 kilograms (and 7.5 meters in total body length)[2], making it a massive predator.
The teeth were ziphodont and much more lateromedially compressed than the teeth of tyrannosaurids. The few known skull fragments suggest that Dryptosaurus did not have the solidly-constructed skulls typical of tyrannosaurids.[3] This suggests that Dryptosaurus' jaws relied on sharp cutting teeth instead of using thickened puncturing teeth and extraordinary bite force to damage and kill prey.[3]
The humerus was ~38% of the length of the femur; not as reduced as those of tyrannosaurids and Raptorex but much more so than those of basal tyrannosauroids. However, Dryptosaurus had proportionally large manus.[3] The manual unguals were 46 centimeters (>18 inches) long, with the keratin sheath making the actual claw even larger in life.[5] The claws were curved, though not quite as curved as those of basal tyrannosauroids (although this does not take the keratin sheath into account, which could possibly make the claw more curved in life). Likewise, the flexor tubercles of the unguals were apparently less developed than those of basal tyrannosauroids. This suggests that Dryptosaurus' arms were substantial predatory weapons (along with its jaws), but perhaps their grasping ability was somewhat reduced.[3]
The morphology of the proximal end of metatarsal IV suggests that Dryptosaurus had arctometatarsalian pedes.[3] This is a cursorial adaptation. On top of that, Dryptosaurus' lower legs were 7% longer than expected for a theropod of the same femur length, meaning that it was fairly well-adapted for running.[4]
Paleobiogeography:
The known remains of Dryptosaurus were found in New Jersey.[1] During this time, North America was split into two island continents by the Western Interior Seaway; the west is known as Laramidia while the east is known as Appalachia. That all known Late Cretaceous East Coast dinosaur remains are found in marine rocks suggests that the dinosaurs lived in the coastal lowlands close to the sea. Along with the remains of Dryptosaurus are those of hadrosaurid ornithopods and nodosaurids.[5] Dryptosaurus could have hunted hadrosaurs[1] and possibly nodosaurs.
References:
[1] fossilworks.org/cgi-bin/bridge.pl?last_taxon=%%taxon_no%%&quick_search=Dryptosaurus&action=quickSearch
[2] Paul, G.S. (2010). The Princeton Field Guide to Dinosaurs p. 108. Princeton University Press.
[3] Brusatte, S.L.; Benson, R.B.J.; Norell, M.A. (2011). The Anatomy of Dryptosaurus aquilunguis (Dinosauria: Theropoda) and a Review of Its Tyrannosauroid Affinities. American Museum Novitates Number 3717, 53 pp.
[4] IV Persons, S.W., Currie, P.J. (2016). An approach to scoring cursorial limb proportions in carnivorous dinosaurs and an attempt to account for allometry. National Center for Biotechnology Information. doi: 10.1038/srep19828.
[5] Weishampel, D.B. (2006). Another Look at the Dinosaurs of the East Coast of North America.
A reconstruction of D. aquilunguis. © @ DeviantArt user Durbed
Temporal range: Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian: 70.6-66Ma[1])
Scientific classification:
Life
Domain: Eukaryota
(unranked): Unikonta
(unranked): Opisthokonta
(unranked): Holozoa
(unranked): Filozoa
Kingdom: Animalia
Subkingdom: Eumetazoa
(unranked): Bilateria
Clade: Nephrozoa
Superphylum: Deuterostomia
Phylum: Chordata
Clade: Olfactores
Clade: Craniata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Infraphylum: Gnathostomata
Clade: Eugnathostomata
Clade: Teleostomi
Superclass: Tetrapoda
Clade: Reptiliomorpha
Clade: Amniota
Class: Reptilia or Clade: Sauropsida
Clade: Eureptilia
Clade: Romeriida
Clade: Diapsida
Clade: Neodiapsida
Clade: Archelosauria
Clade: Archosauromorpha
Clade: Archosauriformes
Clade: Crurotarsi
Clade: Archosauria
Clade: Avemetatarsalia
Clade: Ornithodira
Clade: Dinosauromorpha
Clade: Dinosauriformes
Clade: Dinosauria
Order: Saurischia
Clade: Eusaurischia
Suborder: Theropoda
Clade: Neotheropoda
Clade: Averostra
Clade: Tetanurae
Clade: Orionides
Clade: Avetheropoda
Clade: Coelurosauria
Clade: Tyrannoraptora
Superfamily: †Tyrannosauroidea
Family: †Dryptosauridae
Genus: †Dryptosaurus
Species: †D. aquilunguis
Dryptosaurus aquilunguis ("eagle clawed tearing lizard/reptile") is a species of tyrannosauroid theropod dinosaur that lived in the Eastern Coast of the United States from 70.6 to 66 million years ago[1].
Description and predatory behavior:
Dryptosaurus has been estimated to weigh from ~995.6 kilograms[1] to ~1,500 kilograms (and 7.5 meters in total body length)[2], making it a massive predator.
The teeth were ziphodont and much more lateromedially compressed than the teeth of tyrannosaurids. The few known skull fragments suggest that Dryptosaurus did not have the solidly-constructed skulls typical of tyrannosaurids.[3] This suggests that Dryptosaurus' jaws relied on sharp cutting teeth instead of using thickened puncturing teeth and extraordinary bite force to damage and kill prey.[3]
The humerus was ~38% of the length of the femur; not as reduced as those of tyrannosaurids and Raptorex but much more so than those of basal tyrannosauroids. However, Dryptosaurus had proportionally large manus.[3] The manual unguals were 46 centimeters (>18 inches) long, with the keratin sheath making the actual claw even larger in life.[5] The claws were curved, though not quite as curved as those of basal tyrannosauroids (although this does not take the keratin sheath into account, which could possibly make the claw more curved in life). Likewise, the flexor tubercles of the unguals were apparently less developed than those of basal tyrannosauroids. This suggests that Dryptosaurus' arms were substantial predatory weapons (along with its jaws), but perhaps their grasping ability was somewhat reduced.[3]
The morphology of the proximal end of metatarsal IV suggests that Dryptosaurus had arctometatarsalian pedes.[3] This is a cursorial adaptation. On top of that, Dryptosaurus' lower legs were 7% longer than expected for a theropod of the same femur length, meaning that it was fairly well-adapted for running.[4]
Paleobiogeography:
The known remains of Dryptosaurus were found in New Jersey.[1] During this time, North America was split into two island continents by the Western Interior Seaway; the west is known as Laramidia while the east is known as Appalachia. That all known Late Cretaceous East Coast dinosaur remains are found in marine rocks suggests that the dinosaurs lived in the coastal lowlands close to the sea. Along with the remains of Dryptosaurus are those of hadrosaurid ornithopods and nodosaurids.[5] Dryptosaurus could have hunted hadrosaurs[1] and possibly nodosaurs.
References:
[1] fossilworks.org/cgi-bin/bridge.pl?last_taxon=%%taxon_no%%&quick_search=Dryptosaurus&action=quickSearch
[2] Paul, G.S. (2010). The Princeton Field Guide to Dinosaurs p. 108. Princeton University Press.
[3] Brusatte, S.L.; Benson, R.B.J.; Norell, M.A. (2011). The Anatomy of Dryptosaurus aquilunguis (Dinosauria: Theropoda) and a Review of Its Tyrannosauroid Affinities. American Museum Novitates Number 3717, 53 pp.
[4] IV Persons, S.W., Currie, P.J. (2016). An approach to scoring cursorial limb proportions in carnivorous dinosaurs and an attempt to account for allometry. National Center for Biotechnology Information. doi: 10.1038/srep19828.
[5] Weishampel, D.B. (2006). Another Look at the Dinosaurs of the East Coast of North America.
