Phylogeny of iguanodontian dinosaurs and the evolution of quadrupedality
Author
Poole, Karen E.
text
Palaeontologia Electronica
2016
a 30
25
3
1
65
http://dx.doi.org/10.26879/702
journal article
10.26879/702
1094-8074
11063310
Thescelosauridae
Sternberg, 1937
Phylogenetic definition.
All neornithischians more closely related to
Thescelosaurus neglectus
Gilmore, 1913
than to
Hypsilophodon foxii
Huxley, 1869
,
Dryosaurus altus
(
Marsh, 1878
)
, or
Parasaurolophus walkeri
Parks, 1922
.
Unambiguous synapomorphies.
In the parsimony analysis (
Figure 7
), thescelosaurids are characterized by three unambiguous synapomorphies: dentary tooth row straight in dorsal view (98.0), 10-12 ridges on the maxillary teeth (136.3), and acromion process of scapula does not extend beyond the edge of the coracoid (196.0).
In the Bayesian analysis (
Figure 8
), a more extensive
Thescelosauridae
is characterized by two unambiguous synapomorphies: 10-12 ridges on the maxillary teeth (136.3) and 9-11 ridges on the dentary teeth (137.3).
Topology.
Thescelosauridae
is recovered in the parsimony analysis (
Figures 6
,
7
) containing
Thescelosaurus
,
Parksosaurus
,
Orodromeus
,
and
Zephyrosaurus
, though the group has poor support (Jackknife value=7). Unlike in
Boyd (2012)
,
Haya
is recovered at a node basal to thescelosaurids, rather than within the Thescelosaurinae.
Macrogryphosaurus
and
Talenkauen
, which Boyd also found within Thescelosaurinae, are recovered within iguanodontia, based on the presence of opisthocoelus cervical vertebrae, and a postacetabular process that is less than 30% of total ilium length.
In the Bayesian analysis (
Figures 6
,
8
),
Thescelosauridae
is nested within a larger
Hypsilophodontidae
. Though it only has moderate support (PP=0.59), the internal nodes have higher posterior probabilities. The genera included in this group match those recovered in the parsimony analysis; the one difference in topology is that
Orodromeus
and
Zephyrosaurus
form successive outgroups to
Thescelosaurus
+
Parksosaurus
instead of forming a distinct Orodrominae (as found by
Boyd 2012
). Though
Haya
and
Macrogryphosaurus
are recovered as closely related hypsilophodontids, they are not found within
Thescelosauridae
as proposed in
Boyd (2012)
.