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Crichtonpelta benxiensis

Reptilia - Ankylosauridae

Taxonomy
Crichtonsaurus benxiensis was named by Lü et al. (2007). Its type specimen is BXGM V0012, a skull, and it is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is Beipiao ankylosaur site (PROXY), which is in a Cenomanian/Turonian terrestrial horizon in the Sunjiawan Formation of China.

It was recombined as Crichtonpelta benxiensis by Arbour and Currie (2016) and Yang et al. (2017).

Synonymy list
YearName and author
2007Crichtonsaurus benxiensis Lü et al. pp. 883-884 figs. Pl. 1-5
2011Crichtonsaurus benxiensis Carpenter et al. p. 5
2013Crichtonsaurus benxiensis Arbour and Currie p. 29
2013Crichtonsaurus benxiensis Kirkland et al. p. 7
2014Crichtonsaurus benxiensis Han et al. p. 1
2016Crichtonpelta benxiensis Arbour and Currie p. 405
2017Crichtonsaurus benxiensis Xing et al. p. 162
2017Crichtonpelta benxiensis Yang et al. p. 782

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RankNameAuthor
kingdomAnimalia()
Bilateria
EubilateriaAx 1987
Deuterostomia
phylumChordataHaeckel 1874
subphylumVertebrata
superclassGnathostomata
Osteichthyes()
subclassSarcopterygii()
subclassDipnotetrapodomorpha(Nelson 2006)
subclassTetrapodomorpha()
Tetrapoda
Reptiliomorpha
Anthracosauria
subclassAmphibiosauriaKuhn 1967
Cotylosauria()
Amniota
Sauropsida
classReptilia
subclassEureptilia()
RankNameAuthor
Romeriida
Diapsida()
Archosauromorpha(Huene 1946)
Crocopoda
ArchosauriformesGauthier 1986
Eucrocopoda
Archosauria()
informalAvemetatarsalia
Ornithodira
Dinosauromorpha
Dinosauriformes
Dinosauria()
Ornithischia()
Genasauria
Thyreophora()
Ankylosauria()
familyAnkylosauridae
subfamilyAnkylosaurinaeNopcsa 1918
genusCrichtonpelta
speciesbenxiensis()

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.

Crichtonpelta benxiensis Lü et al. 2007
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Diagnosis
ReferenceDiagnosis
J. Lü et al. 2007The width of the skull is 84.6% of length; a deep depression is located medial to the notch between the orbit and the squamosal horn; a small opening is present on the ventral surface of the occipital; paroccipital processes fused to the quadrate; three sinuses on each side of the snout. The angle between the transverse processes and the neural spines of dorsal vertebrae 50°; scapula and coracoid are dused, a large foramen for the supracoracoid nerve enters the coracoid and exits out from the scapula, the obliquely situated articular surface of the ulna embraces approcimate 70% the length of the ulna; the ratio of the proximal width to the humeral length is 0.65; the proximal end of the humerus is much wider than that of the distal end, and the proximal end to distal end ratio is approximate 1.43.
V. M. Arbour and P. J. Currie 2016Uniquely amongst ankylosaurids, apex of quadratojugal horn directed dorsally. Differs from all other ankylosaurs in possessing the following combination of characters: rugose, amorphous frontonasal ornamentation not subdivided into distinct caputegulae; jugal is dorsoventrally deeper than in Pinacosaurus grangeri or P. mephistocephalus; lacks lacrimal incisure (sensu Hill et al. 2003) present in Pinacosaurus grangeri; squamosal horns shorter than in Pinacosaurus mephistocephalus; squamosal horns longer, more pointed that in Gobisaurus or Shamosaurus; quadratojugal horn has posteriorly offset apex, unlike centrally located apex in Gobisaurus and Shamosaurus; nuchal crest with two distinct prominences, unlike Gobisaurus and Shamosaurus which lack nuchal prominences.
J. Yang et al. 2017Differing from all other ankylosaurs in possessing the following unique combination of characters: rugose, amorphous frontonasal ornamentation not subdivided into discrete cranial caputegulae; lack of lacrimal incisures that give the skull an triangle-shaped outline in dorsal view; dorsal surface of the frontals and parietals not flat and having a distinct frontoparietal depression around the center on each side; lateral edges of the anterior and posterior supraorbitals forming a continuous supraorbital crest and not having distinct apices; nuchal crest possessing two distinct, transversely elongated prominences; apex of quadratojugal horn directing dorsally and posteriorly offset.