Baby dinosaurs from the Late Cretaceous Lance and Hell Creek formations and a description of a new species of theropod
Author
Carpenter, Kenneth
text
Contributions to Geology, University of Wyoming
1982
1982-01-31
20
123
134
journal article
10.5281/zenodo.3238510
a342eb67-842d-41ab-a05d-3f010d0038ec
3238510
Aublysodon mirandus
Fig. 7
a
,
b
Material
: Teeth:
UCM
43447 (UCMP-V5711) H
7 mm
,
W
2.5 mm
;
UCMP
73091 (UCMP-V5622) H
6.3 mm
,
W
2.2 mm
;
UCMP
124367 (UCMP-V75165) H
6.1 mm
, W
2 mm
;
UCMP
124399 (UCMP-V5620) H
8.9 mm
,
W
2.6 mm
;
UCMP
124406 (UCMP-V73087) H
6.6 mm
, W
2 mm
;
UCMP
124978 (UCMP-V73087) H
7 mm
,
W
2.9 mm
;
UCMP
124980 (UCMP-V73087) H
6.2 mm
,
W
2.5 mm
;
UCMP
124981 (UCMP-V73087) H
7 mm
,
W
2.5 mm
; and
UCMP
124982 (UCMP-V73087) H
7 mm
,
W
2.4 mm
. W measurements taken transversely across face of tooth near base.
Discussion
: Leidy (1868) established
Aublysodon
mirandus
on the basis of three incisiform teeth, D-shaped in cross section, which were collected from the Judith River Formation of Montana by Hayden. Subsequent workers, notably
Cope (1876)
,
Lambe (1902)
and
Osborn (1905)
, noted a similarity of two of the serrated teeth with the premaxillary teeth of
Deinodon
(=
Albertosaurus
), and therefore treated
Aublysodon
as a junior synonym of
Deinodon
.
Lambe (1902)
, however, was uncertain of the third tooth, which was unserrated, and placed it tentatively with
Ornithomimus
altus.
Osborn (1905)
was less certain of its affinities.
Since Leidy’s description, numerous additional specimens of teeth, D-shaped in cross section and lacking serrations, have been collected. Study of these teeth (Carpenter,
in preparation
) indicates that
Aublysodon
mirandus
is valid in reference to Leidy’s figured specimen (
Leidy, 1860
, Pl. 9, figs. 41--45
), here designated as the
lectotype
.
The juvenile specimens, except for one, resemble the
lectotype
in their D-shaped cross section, parallel sides, and paired posterior lateral ridges that lack serrations. These lateral ridges curve toward one another near the base, but do not meet. This condition is unlike any known tyrannosaur or any theropod premaxillary tooth, in which the serrations diverge from tip to base. One tooth
UCM
43447
differs from the
lectotype
; it has a slight left-lateral twist of the crown, giving the tooth a spatulate appearance. In all other aspects, however, this tooth is similar to those of
Aublysodon
.