Vollardisaurus and Ligmaceratops: Difference between pages

Ligmaceratops; Temporal range: Late Jurassic & Early Cretaceous, ; 145–135 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
	Holotype skeleton, Stretton Museum of Nature
Scientific classification
Type species
	†Ligmaceratops sugondesenus; Jour & Leon, 1932
Other species
	†L. takattaloa Balusonutama, 1989; †L. balboa Balboa et al, 2003;

VisualWikitext

Revision as of 09:15, 25 January 2023

Script error: The module returned a nil value. It is supposed to return an export table.

Lua error: expandTemplate: template "Template:Create taxonomy" does not exist.

Ligmaceratops is a genus of herbivorous ceratopsian dinosaur that lived 145 to 135 million years ago during the Late Jurassic and Early Cretaceous epoch in modern day Levantia and Sarpedon on what was then the supercontinent Sarpolevantia. It had four to six long parietal spikes extending from its neck frill, a smaller jugal horn on each of its cheeks, and a single horn protruding from its nose, which may have been up to 60 centimeters (2 feet) long and 15 centimeters (6 inches) wide. The function or functions of the horns and frills have been debated for many years, thought to have been used for self defence and possibly to settle questions of leadership in packs.

Ligmaceratops was a relatively large dinosaur, reaching lengths of 5.5 meters (18 feet) and weighing nearly 3 tonnes. It stood about 1.8 meters (5.9 feet) tall. Ligmaceratops possessed four short legs and a bulky body. Its tail was rather short. The skull had a beak and shearing cheek teeth arranged in continuous dental batteries, suggesting that the animal sliced up plants. Like other ceratopsians, this dinosaur was likely a herd animal travelling in large groups, as suggested by bone beds discovered in the Greater Levantine Formation. Although Ligmaceratops remains come chiefly from central Levantia, they have also been discovered in Caphiria and even as far away as the Loa Republic and Faneria, suggesting the animal had considerable spread over Sarpolevantia.

Name

Ligmaceratops takes its genus name from the proto-Gothic *līmaz meaning "lime" as the holotype was discovered in Great Lime Quarry, Anglei. The name thus translates as "lime horn face" or "horned face from lime". The specific name L. sugondesenus is named in honour of two of the chief members of Jour & Leon's 1931 dig that uncovered the first Ligmaceratops, Ænglish paleontologist Carl Sugon and Urcean geologist J. Desenus.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-{{Short description|Genus of large theropod dinosaur}}
+{{WIP}}
+{{Short description|Ceratopsian dinosaur genus from the Jurassic Period}}
 {{Automatic taxobox
-| fossil_range = {{wpl|Early Cretaceous}} <br/>{{Geological range|125|120}}
+| name = ''Ligmaceratops''
-| image = Acrocanthosaurus skeleton (1).jpg
+| image = Torosaurus, is it? (20752673005).jpg
-| image_caption = Mounted ''V. acracanthus'' skeleton cast, [[Vollardie Paleontological Museum]]
+| image_caption = Holotype skeleton, Stretton Museum of Nature
-| image_upright = 1.15
+| display_parents = 2
-| parent_authority = [[Killian Lange]], 1842
+| fossil_range = {{wpl|Late Jurassic}} & {{wpl|Early Cretaceous}}, <br/>{{Geological range|145|135}}
-| taxon = Vollardisaurus
+| taxon = Ligmaceratops
-| authority = d'Avignon, 1878
+| authority = [[Jour & Leon]], 1932
-| type_species = {{extinct}}'''''Vollardisaurus Acracanthus'''''
+| type_species = {{extinct}}'''''Ligmaceratops sugondesenus'''''
-| type_species_authority = [[Killian Lange]], 1842
+| type_species_authority = Jour & Leon, 1932
 | subdivision_ranks = Other species
-| subdivision_ref =
+| subdivision =
-| subdivision =
+* {{extinct}}'''''L. takattaloa''''' Balusonutama, 1989
+* {{extinct}}'''''L. balboa''''' Balboa ''et al'', 2003
 }}
-'''''Vollardisaurus''''' is a genus of large [[joanusaurid]] theropod dinosaur that lived 125 to 120 million years ago during the Early Cretaceous epoch in modern day [[Levantia]] and [[Sarpedon]] on a supercontinent known as [[Sarpolevantia]]. Like most dinosaur genera, ''Vollardisaurus'' contains only a single species, ''V. acracanthus''. Its fossil remains are found mainly in the [[Levantia|Levantine]] nationstates [[Anglei]], [[Urcea]] and [[Yonderre]], although teeth attributed to ''Vollardisaurus'' have been found as far away as [[Caphiria]], suggesting a continent wide range. It is speculated by some paleontologists to be the most direct descendant of the ''[[Joanusaurus]]''.
+'''''Ligmaceratops''''' is a genus of herbivorous ceratopsian dinosaur that lived 145 to 135 million years ago during the Late Jurassic and Early Cretaceous epoch in modern day [[Levantia]] and [[Sarpedon]] on what was then the supercontinent [[Sarpolevantia]]. It had four to six long parietal spikes extending from its neck frill, a smaller jugal horn on each of its cheeks, and a single horn protruding from its nose, which may have been up to 60 centimeters (2 feet) long and 15 centimeters (6 inches) wide. The function or functions of the horns and frills have been debated for many years, thought to have been used for self defence and possibly to settle questions of leadership in packs.
-''Vollardisaurus'' was a bipedal predator. The scientific name ''Vollardisaurus acracanthus'' translates to "[[Vollardie|Vollardic]] lizard high spines" or "tall-spined [[Vollardie|Vollardic]] lizard". As the name suggests, it is best known for the high neural spines on many of its vertebrae, which most likely supported a ridge of muscle over the animal's neck, back, and hips. ''Vollardisaurus'' was one of the largest theropods, reaching an estimated 14.5 m (47½ ft) in length, and weighing up to 6.2 metric tons (6.8 short tons). Large theropod footprints discovered in [[Pelaxia]] and the [[Loa Republic]] may have been made by ''Vollardisaurus'', although there is no direct association with skeletal remains.
+''Ligmaceratops'' was a relatively large dinosaur, reaching lengths of 5.5 meters (18 feet) and weighing nearly 3 tonnes. It stood about 1.8 meters (5.9 feet) tall. ''Ligmaceratops'' possessed four short legs and a bulky body. Its tail was rather short. The skull had a beak and shearing cheek teeth arranged in continuous dental batteries, suggesting that the animal sliced up plants. Like other ceratopsians, this dinosaur was likely a herd animal travelling in large groups, as suggested by bone beds discovered in the [[Greater Levantine Formation]]. Although ''Ligmaceratops'' remains come chiefly from central [[Levantia]], they have also been discovered in [[Caphiria]] and even as far away as the [[Loa Republic]] and [[Faneria]], suggesting the animal had considerable spread over [[Sarpolevantia]].
-Recent discoveries have elucidated many details of its anatomy, allowing for specialized studies focusing on its brain structure and forelimb function. ''Vollardisaurus'' was the largest theropod in its ecosystem and likely an apex predator which preyed on {{wpl|sauropods}}, {{wpl|ornithopods}}, and [[testudosaurs]].
+==Name==
-==Discovery==
+''Ligmaceratops'' takes its genus name from the proto-Gothic  ''*līmaz'' meaning "lime" as the holotype was discovered in [[Great Lime Quarry]], [[Anglei]]. The name thus translates as "lime horn face" or "horned face from lime". The specific name ''L. sugondesenus'' is named in honour of two of the chief members of [[Jour & Leon]]'s 1931 dig that uncovered the first ''Ligmaceratops'', [[Anglei|Ænglish]] paleontologist Carl Sugon and [[Urcea|Urcean]] geologist J. Desenus.
-The holotype and paratype of the ''Vollardisaurus'' were both discovered in the early 1840s and described at the same time in 1842, consisting of two partial skeletons and a piece of skull material from the [[Vollardic mountains]] in [[Yonderre]]. ''Vollardisaurus'' is the first theropod dinosaur to be described scientifically when [[Killian Lange]] described it in 1842. Two much more complete specimens were described by [[Thibault d'Avignon]] in the 1890s. The first is a partial skeleton, missing most of the skull, recovered from silver mines in the [[Vollardic mountains]] of [[Yonderre]] and currently part of the [[Collinebourg Natural History Museum]] collection. An even more complete skeleton was recovered from the [[Vollardic mountains]] the next year and is now housed at the [[Vollardie Paleontological Museum]] in [[Koop]]. This specimen is the largest and includes the only known complete skull and forelimb.
-The presence of ''Vollardisaurus'' in [[Caphiria]] was established in 1912 with the description of another partial skeleton. This specimen, consisting of parts of two vertebrae, partial pubic bones, a femur, a partial fibula, and fragments, represents a juvenile animal. It came from a bonebed in [[Iscasta]] and was found near the shoulder blade of a Sauroposeidon. An assortment of other fragmentary theropod remains from the formation may also belong to ''Vollardisaurus''.
-==Description==
-[[File:Museum_of_Natural_Science_Acrocanthosaurus.jpg|thumb|Mounted cast of V. achracantus seen from above]]
-''Vollardisaurus'' was among the largest theropods known to exist. The largest known specimen (VSVK 66414) is estimated to have measured 14.5 m (47½ ft) from snout to tail tip and weighed 5.7 to 6.2 metric tons (6.3 to 6.8 short tons), with an upper maximum weight of 7.25 metric tons (7.99 short tons) within the realm of possibility for this specimen. Its skull alone was nearly 1.5 m (4.9 ft) in length. The skull of ''Vollardisaurus'' was long, low and narrow. The weight-reducing opening in front of the eye socket (antorbital fenestra) was quite large, more than a quarter of the length of the skull and two-thirds of its height. Long, low ridges arose from the nasal bones, running along each side of the snout from the nostril back to the eye, where they continued onto the lacrimal bones. This is a characteristic feature of all [[joanusaurids]]. Unlike ''[[Joanusaurus]]'', from which the ''Vollardisaurus'' is most likely descended, there was no prominent crest on the lacrimal bone in front of the eye.
-The most notable feature of ''Vollardisaurus'' was its row of tall neural spines, located on the vertebrae of the neck, back, hips and upper tail, which could be more than 2.5 times the height of the vertebrae from which they extended. The lower spines of ''Vollardisaurus'' had attachments for powerful muscles like those of modern bison, probably forming a tall, thick ridge down its back. The function of the spines remains unknown, although they may have been involved in communication, fat storage, muscle or temperature control. All of its cervical (neck) and dorsal (back) vertebrae had prominent depressions (pleurocoels) on the sides, while the caudal (tail) vertebrae bore smaller ones.
-Aside from its vertebrae, ''Vollardisaurus'' had a typical [[joanusaurid]] skeleton. ''Vollardisaurus'' was bipedal, with a long, heavy tail counterbalancing the head and body, maintaining its center of gravity over its hips. Its forelimbs were relatively shorter and more robust than those of ''[[Joanusaurus]]'' but were otherwise similar: each hand bore three clawed digits. Unlike many smaller fast-running dinosaurs, its femur was longer than its tibia and metatarsals, suggesting that ''Vollardisaurus'' was not a fast runner. Unsurprisingly, the hind leg bones of ''Vollardisaurus'' were proportionally more robust than its smaller relative ''[[Joanusaurus]]''. Its feet had four digits each, although as is typical for theropods, the first was much smaller than the rest and did not make contact with the ground.
-From the bone features of the holotype and VSVK 66414, it is estimated that ''Vollardisaurus'' required at least 12 years to fully grow. This number may have been much higher because in the process of bones remodeling and the growth of the medullary cavity, some Harris lines were lost. If accounting for these lines, ''Vollardisaurus'' needed 18–24 years to be mature.
 ==See also==
 *[[History of paleontology]]
+*[[Jour & Leon]]
 *[[Paleontology in Yonderre]]
 [[Category:Paleontology]]
 [[Category:Greater Levantine Formation]]
-[[Category:Vollardic mountains]]
+[[Category:Anglei]]
 [[Category:Yonderre]]
 [[Category:Canonical Article]]
 [[Category:IXWB]]

Vollardisaurus and Ligmaceratops: Difference between pages

Revision as of 09:15, 25 January 2023

Name

See also

Navigation menu