Anatomical description and digital reconstruction of the skull of Jeholosaurus shangyuanensis (Dinosauria, Ornithopoda) from China

• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0312519
• Publication Date: 2025-01-24T18:55:02Z
• Authors: Filippo Bertozzo; Niu Kecheng; Nathan Vallée Gil...; Pascal Godefroit
• Keywords: Disarticulation; Basal (medicine); Osteology

Ornithopod dinosaurs appeared during the Middle Jurassic, but it was in Lower Cretaceous they started their successful evolutionary history. Different phylogenies describing relationships of Ornithopoda are mostly based on cranial features, however there is a lack well-preserved and complete skulls for basal member clade, hampering our knowledge mode tempo these herbivorous dinosaurs. Here we describe YLSNHM 01942, skull juvenile neornithischian from Liaoning Province China. The specimen scanned with μCT scan, all elements were segmented extrapolated description. shows ventral deformation due to compression sediment, few rostral artificially added. attributed ornithopod Jeholosaurus shangyuanensis because presence large foramen quadratojugal, lacks nodular ornamentation postorbital jugal, herein interpreted as an ontogenetic feature. This, together disarticulation degree elements, suggest 01942 represents . endosseous labyrinth tentatively reconstructed, although neurocranial bones hampers its reconstruction. Thanks analysis previously undescribed inner (such prootics, exoccipital/ophistotic, basioccipital, basisphenoid), improve previous phylogenetical scoring J , perform adding Changmiania liaoningensis recently re-evaluated Ajkaceratops kozmai reports well-supported base Ornithopoda, C most ornithopod, resolved topology Nanosaurus agilis Changchunsaurus parvus Haya griva Yandusaurus hongheensis