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Erliansaurus bellamanus
Taxonomy
Erliansaurus bellamanus was named by Xu et al. (2002). Its type specimen is LH V 0002, a partial skeleton (right femur), and it is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is Sanhangobi, Nei Monggol, which is in a Campanian/Campanian fluvial sandstone in the Iren Dabasu Formation of China. It is the type species of Erliansaurus.
Synonymy list
| Year | Name and author |
|---|---|
| 2002 | Erliansaurus bellamanus Xu et al. p. 230 |
| 2004 | Erliansaurus bellamanus Clark et al. p. 152 |
| 2007 | Erliansaurus bellamanus Averianov p. 539 |
| 2007 | Erliansaurus bellamanus Li et al. p. 545 |
| 2009 | Erliansaurus bellamanus Zanno et al. p. S15 |
| 2010 | Erliansaurus bellamanus Zanno p. 517 |
| 2012 | Erliansaurus bellamanus Qian et al. p. 342 |
| 2013 | Erliansaurus bellamanus Pu et al. |
| 2015 | Erliansaurus bellamanus Tsuihiji et al. p. 64 |
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If no rank is listed, the taxon is considered an unranked clade in modern classifications. Ranks may be repeated or presented in the wrong order because authors working on different parts of the classification may disagree about how to rank taxa.
†Erliansaurus bellamanus Xu et al. 2002
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Diagnosis
| Reference | Diagnosis | |
|---|---|---|
| X. Xu et al. 2002 | Differs from all other therizinosauroids in having enlarged nutritional foramen on anterior caudals, crest-like posterior trochanter on humerus bordered medially by an oval depression, rugose swelling located dorsal to ischiadic peduncle on lateral surface of ilium, posterior margin significantly higher than anterior margin on fibular proximal end, and distally located hypertrophied anterior trochanter on the fibula . | |
| L. E. Zanno 2010 | Xu et al.(2002a, p.230) provided the following diagnosis for Erliansaurus: “enlarged nutritional foramen on cranial caudals; crest-like caudal trochanter on humerus bordered medially by oval depression; rugose swelling located dorsal to ischiadic peduncle on lateral surface of ilium; fibular proximal end with caudal margin significantly higher than cranial margin; and distally located hypertrophied cranial trochanter on fibula”.
The humerus of Erliansaurus was not examined first-hand; however, an oval depression in the region of the caudal trochanter is present on other therizinosaurians (e.g. Falcarius, Neimongosaurus) and other coelurosauri- ans (e.g. Coelurus, Ornitholestes), although not coupled with a caudal trochanter as in Erliansaurus. The crest-like morphology of the caudal trochanter in Erliansaurus is unknown in other taxa. The ilium of Erliansaurus is severely crushed and badly preserved. Thus the rugose swelling located dorsal to the ischiadic peduncle is most likely to be the craniolateral edge of the cubic tuberosity present on other derived therizinosaurians (Segnosaurus, Enigmosaurus and Nothronychus), rather than an autapo- morphy as suggested by Xu et al. (2002a). Enlarged nutrient foramen on cranial caudal vertebrae and proximal fibula with the caudal margin significantly higher than the cranial margin are autapomorphic features, whereas a distally located hypertrophied cranial trochanter on fibula is also known in Nothronychus. The Erliansaurus bellamanus holotype comes from the same quarry as the holotype and referred material of Neimongosaurus yangi (Xu et al. 2002a). Research cast material obtained for both Erliansaurus and Neimongosaurus (see Specimen Availability above) indicate the presence of more than two individuals, although this cannot be confirmed in the literature. Xu et al. (2002a) note the presence of a cranial caudal vertebra among the holotype materials for Erliansaurus bellamanus possessing an incompletely fused neural arch. This feature, coupled with the larger size of several Erliansaurus elements, indicates that this taxon achieved significantly larger adult body sizes than Neimongosaurus. The argument of Xu et al. (2002a) for the presence of two species is compelling if the materials belong to only two individuals and the elements associated with each taxon have been properly assigned. Quarry maps showing the distribution of elements referred to these two taxa could not be obtained. Thus these taxa could not be re-evaluated with any confidence. |
Measurements
No measurements are available
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| Source: superf = superfamily, o = order | |||||
| References: Holtz et al. 2000, Marsh 1875 | |||||
Age range: base of the Middle Campanian to the top of the Late/Upper Campanian or 83.50000 to 70.60000 Ma
Collections: one only
| Time interval | Ma | Country or state | Original ID and collection number |
|---|---|---|---|
| Middle Campanian - Late/Upper Campanian | China (Nei Mongol) | Erliansaurus bellamanus (type locality: 55713) |