[Paleontology • 2026] Paludohadros proudlovii • A New iguanodontian Dinosaur (Iguanodontia: Hadrosauroidea) from the Weald Clay Formation (Lower Cretaceous) of Smokejacks Brickworks, southern England

 Paludohadros proudlovii 

Sacamoto, Lockwood, Langer, Clark, Barrett, Turner & Maidment, 2026

DOI: doi.org/10.1080/14772019.2026.2726221

artwork by Guilherme Gehr.

 

Abstract

A new genus and species of an early-diverging hadrosauroid dinosaur, Paludohadros proudlovii gen. et sp. nov., is described from the Lower Cretaceous Weald Clay Formation of Smokejacks Brickworks, southern England. This new taxon can be diagnosed by the following autapomorphies and combination of characters: dentary teeth with two secondary ridges and a variable number of accessory ridges on the lingual surface of the crown; surangular with a dorsally projecting lateral process that is offset laterally from the dorsal surface of the anterior process; humerus with a proximally extending ridge on the anteromedial surface of the distal condyle; ischium with a posteroventrally curved shaft, a well-developed ischial boot and an obliquely oriented crest dorsal to the obturator process on the lateral surface of the shaft and a tibia with bosses on the medial and lateral surfaces near the proximal end. Although iguanodontians from the Weald Sub-basin have long been known from older Valanginian strata, represented by Barilium dawsoni, Hypselospinus fittoni and Kukufeldia tilgatensis, the description of Paludohadros proudlovii from the Barremian represents an increase in this diversity of iguanodontians from the Wealden Group, and it is the only valid iguanodontian taxon from the Barremian Weald Clay Formation reported so far. Although broadly contemporaneous, the iguanodontians of the Wessex Formation of the Isle of Wight are different taxa, raising the possibility that the Wessex and Weald Clay formations were deposited at slightly different times.

 

Keywords: Barremian, diversity, Iguanodontia, Lower Cretaceous, Smokejacks Brickworks, Wealden Group

Systematic palaeontology

Dinosauria Owen, 1842

Ornithischia Seeley, 1888

Ornithopoda Marsh, 1881

Iguanodontia Baur, 1891

Ankylopollexia Sereno, 1986

Styracosterna Sereno, 1997

Hadrosauriformes Sereno, 1997

Hadrosauroidea Huene, 1952

Paludohadros gen. nov.

Etymology. Paludohadros is derived from the Latin word palus (genitive paludis), meaning swamp, reflecting the swampy environment of the Weald Clay Formation during the Early Cretaceous, and that Smokejacks Pit is often very muddy today, and the Greek word hadros, meaning robust or stout, a term frequently used for iguanodontians.

Locality and horizon. UK National Grid Reference TQ 11252 37263 (± 6 m), Smokejacks Pit (also known as Ewhurst Works, and sometimes referred to as Ockley Pit), Ockley, Surrey, UK. Weald Clay Formation, Barremian, Lower Cretaceous. The specimen was found in the same horizon but about 100 m west of the Baryonyx walkeri type locality.

Paludohadros proudlovii gen. et sp. nov.

Etymology. The specific name honours the late Mr William Proudlove, former factory manager of Ewhurst Works. Will passed away in 2000 at the age of 35, shortly before the specimen was excavated, leaving behind a young family. He was an important coach and mentor to current manager Tim Burgess, and we name the specimen in his memory here.

Holotype. NHMUK PV R 16396, a partial skeleton ....

 

Diagnosis. Paludohadros proudlovii differs from all other iguanodontians by possessing the following autapomorphies and a unique combination of characters (autapomorphies indicated with an asterisk): dentary teeth with two secondary ridges and a variable number of accessory ridges on the lingual surface of the crown (1); surangular with a dorsally projecting lateral process that is laterally offset from the dorsal margin of the anterior process and separated from it by a shallow groove* (2); humerus with a proximally extending ridge on the anteromedial surface of the medial distal condyle (3); ischium with a combination of a posteroventrally curved shaft, a well-developed ischial boot and a laterally projecting crest on the lateral surface on the proximal portion of the shaft* (4); tibia with a boss on the medial surface of the proximal end (5).

 Paludohadros proudlovii life restoration.

Original artwork by Guilherme Gehr.

Ricardo J. Sacamoto, Jeremy A. F. Lockwood, Max C. Langer, Brett Clark, Paul M. Barrett, Alice Turner and Susannah C. R. Maidment. 2026. A New iguanodontian Dinosaur from the Weald Clay Formation (Lower Cretaceous) of Smokejacks Brickworks, southern England. Journal of Systematic Palaeontology. 24(2); 2726221. DOI: doi.org/10.1080/14772019.2026.2726221 [26 Oct 2026]  

[Paleontology • 2026] Nipponopelta yezoensis • A new nodosaurid ankylosaur (Dinosauria: Ornithischia) from the Upper Cretaceous Hikagenosawa Formation in Japan reveals dispersal pattern of Asian nodosaurid ankylosaurs

Nipponopelta yezoensis 

 Oyabu, Kobayashi, Zelenitsky, Fiorillo & Kano, 2026

「ニッポノペルタ・エゾエンシス」DOI: doi.org/10.1016/j.cretres.2026.106477 

Highlights

• Nipponopelta yezoensis is the first ankylosaur formally named from Japan.

• The taxon is more closely related to North American nodosaurids than Asian taxa.

• Coastal environments may have played a role in interregional nodosaurid radiations.

Abstract

Nodosaurid dinosaurs are mainly known from North America and Europe, with rare occurrences in South America and Asia. A partial skull, discovered in a concretion from the upper part of the marine Hikagenosawa Formation (upper Cenomanian) in Yubari City, Hokkaido, Japan, was initially described in 2005 and identified as a nodosaurid based on its dentition and occipital bone morphology. However, its taxonomic status remained unresolved. In this study, three-dimensional CT reconstructions reveal detailed morphological features justifying the naming of a new taxon, Nipponopelta yezoensis gen. et sp. nov., the first named Japanese ankylosaur based on unique characters in the occipital region. Phylogenetic analyses indicate that Nipponopelta yezoeisis is deeply nested within derived North American and European nodosaurids and distantly related to other Asian nodosaurids. Ancestral geographic analysis suggests that Nipponopelta yezoensis and its close relatives originated in Laramidia, Appalachia, and Asia, indicating a wide ancestral area. Habitat reconstruction reveals that Nipponopelta yezoensis preferred marine-influenced environments, likely inhabiting coastal or estuarine areas. This preference for coastal environments played a significant role in its dispersal patterns across different regions.

Keywords: Ankylosauria; Nodosauridae; Cretaceous; Palaeobiogeography; Asia

Nipponopelta yezoensis gen. et sp. nov.

Shumpei Oyabu, Yoshitsugu Kobayashi, Darla K. Zelenitsky, Anthony R. Fiorillo and Manabu Kano. 2026. A new nodosaurid ankylosaur (Dinosauria: Ornithischia) from the Upper Cretaceous Hikagenosawa Formation in Japan reveals dispersal pattern of Asian nodosaurid ankylosaurs. Cretaceous Research. DOI: doi.org/10.1016/j.cretres.2026.106477 [21 August 2026]

https://tiisys.com/blog/2026/09/02/post-202824/

北海道産恐竜化石を「ニッポノペルタ・エゾエンシス」と命名～約1億年前の"海辺の恐竜"が明かす、白亜紀の大陸間移動～（総合博物館　教授　小林快次）

 

[Paleontology • 2026] Qianjiangsaurus changshengi • First Report of a Hollow Cranial Crest in an Early-Diverging Duck-Billed Dinosaur, with Implications for Convergent Evolution of Acoustic Signaling

 

Qianjiangsaurus changshengi  
Dai, Ma, Xiong, Lin, Zeng, Tan, Wang, Zhang & Xing, 2025

in Q. Ma, Y. Ma, Tan, Chen, Lin, ... et Xing, 2026.

 DOI: doi.org/10.3390/biology15080615 

Abstract

Cranial crests have evolved multiple times in the evolutionary history of vertebrates, serving primarily for visual display. In duck-billed lambeosaurines, one of the most successful dinosaur clades of the Late Cretaceous, the cranial crest became hollow along the paired premaxillae and nasals, and was secondarily selected as a resonating structure atop the skull roof, facilitating acoustic signaling. Here we report the first instance of a hollow supracranial crest in a non-lambeosaurine ornithopod dinosaur, the early-branching hadrosauroid Qianjiangsaurus changshengi, where the paired accessory endonasal cavities just above the nasal cavity proper occur following the dorsoventral thickening of the nasals. This novel nasal cavity configuration is associated with the helmet-like hollow supracranial crest solely formed by the nasals. Comparative resonance modeling suggests that the nasal cavity of Q. changshengi could amplify low-frequency vocalizations similar to those of late-branching lambeosaurines. Seven analogous skull features (including the hollow supracranial crest) and similar low-frequency acoustic capabilities of nasal cavities between Q. changshengi and late-branching lambeosaurines reveal a striking morphological and functional convergence that would likely facilitate safer, more efficient social communication among hadrosauroids. This convergence can be explained by adaptive evolution under similar selection pressures, combined with developmental constraints due to gene pleiotropy.

Keywords: Qianjiangsaurus changshengi; accessory endonasal cavities; hollow supracranial crest; low-frequency vocalizations; convergent evolution

Qianjiangsaurus changshengi

 

Qingyu Ma, Yubo Ma, Chao Tan, Jian Chen, Yu Lin, Ming Xiao, Hui Dai, Guangbiao Wei, Jordan C. Mallon, Jun Wang, Han Yao, Zhengting Zou and Hai Xing. 2026. First Report of a Hollow Cranial Crest in an Early-Diverging Duck-Billed Dinosaur, with Implications for Convergent Evolution of Acoustic Signaling. Biology. 15(8), 615. DOI: doi.org/10.3390/biology15080615 [13 April 2026]

 

Simple Summary: Convergent evolution is a peculiar biological process in which distinct taxa or lineages independently evolve analogous features, structures and functions, to adapt to similar necessities. Here we present a classic instance of morphological and functional convergence of the hollow cranial crest among hadrosauroid dinosaurs, based on an excellently preserved skull of the early-branching hadrosauroid Qianjiangsaurus changshengi newly recovered from southwest China, as well as comparative resonant frequency evaluations of its unique endonasal (‘within the nasal bone’) cavities using CT scans and mathematic calculations. The overgrown nasal crest with a novel internal structure in Q. changshengi is morphologically comparable to but structurally non-homologous with the greatly developed hollow supracranial ornamentation and elongate nasal passages seen in lambeosaurines, and thus hugely changes our notions on the cranial evolution of late-branching ornithopod dinosaurs.

[Paleontology • 2026] The early Origin of Iguanodontia: new insights into the Macroevolution, Diversity and Biogeography of the clade

in  Rotatori, Chiarenza, Fanti et Moreno-Azanza. 2026.

 DOI: doi.org/10.1111/pala.70057

Artwork by Davide Bonadonna

 

Abstract

Iguanodontia (Dinosauria, Ornithischia) is a speciose group of herbivorous dinosaurs that include the famous genus Iguanodon, one of foundational members of the clade Dinosauria. Despite their very long history of research, several aspects of their systematic relationships and their evolutionary history remain somewhat nebulous. There is currently a lack of consensus between different phylogenetic matrices due mainly to: (1) undersampling of postcranial characters; and (2) the absence of several key taxa. We assembled a data matrix from pre-existing datasets, integrating our observations on several overlooked species (mainly from Europe) and extensively sampling cranial and postcranial characters, thereby creating one of the most complete datasets for iguanodontian dinosaurs to date. We performed a series of phylogenetic analyses, employing maximum parsimony and Bayesian inference, and an historical biogeographic analysis. Overall congruent topologies between the two methods recovered, for the first time, a new clade of high-sailed styracosternans here named Ouranosauria. We ran different Bayesian inference analyses, employing morphoclock and fossilized birth–death models. Some of the tip-dated analyses, indicated an Early to Middle Jurassic origin of Iguanodontia during a palaeoclimatically (hyperthermal) and palaeogeographically (continental fragmentation) dynamic context. According to this scenario, the Iguanodontian major radiation could be tracked back to the Pliensbachian–Toarcian, pre-dating by 16 million years the first ichnological evidence attributed to this clade. Furthermore, the diversification of all the major clades occurred by the Late Jurassic, then experienced local extinction events in different areas during the Early Cretaceous. Prior to the Jurassic–Cretaceous transition, iguanodontians spread globally.

Keywords: Dinosauria, phylogenetics, Jurassic, Cretaceous, systematics, Iguanodontia

Filippo Maria Rotatori, Alfio Alessandro Chiarenza, Federico Fanti and Miguel Moreno-Azanza. 2026. The early Origin of Iguanodontia: new insights into the Macroevolution, Diversity and Biogeography of the clade. Palaeontology. DOI: doi.org/10.1111/pala.70057 [22 April 2026] 

[Paleontology • 2026] Doolysaurus huhmini • A New Dinosaur Species from Korea and its implications for early-diverging neornithischian diversity

 Doolysaurus huhmini

Jung, Kim, Jo & Clarke, 2026

DOI: doi.org/10.3897/fr.29.178152 

Abstract

The Korean dinosaur fossil record is exceptionally rich in trackways and eggs, yet skeletal remains are exceedingly rare. Two species have been described based on postcranial elements, and a taxon known from cranial materials has not yet been reported. Here, we report a new early-diverging neornithischian species, known from a small, partially articulated skeleton comprising cranial and postcranial elements as well as gastroliths. The specimen is from the mid-Cretaceous Ilseongsan Formation of Aphae Island (Aphaedo). X-ray micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) revealed the anatomy of the new species, including the first studied cranial remains of a dinosaur from Korea. The size and anatomical features of the specimen, along with histological analysis, indicate that it is not a fully grown individual, probably 0–2 years old. Gastroliths are present, with morphologies and a relative mass proposed to be consistent with a more omnivorous diet. Phylogenetic analyses recover the new species, Doolysaurus huhmini gen. et sp. nov., as a thescelosaurid. The recovery of Doolysaurus with most other Asian thescelosaurids near the base of this clade provides further evidence for its origin and early biogeography. The new discovery suggests that other small dinosaur fossils may be found at Aphaedo or at sites with similar taphonomic conditions in Korea; Doolysaurus is consistent with richer dinosaurian diversity in the Cretaceous of Korea than is represented in its rich trace fossil record.

Key Words: Aphaedo, Doolysaurus huhmini, mid-Cretaceous, Neornithischia, Thescelosauridae, Shinan

Skeletal anatomy of Doolysaurus huhmini gen. et sp. nov.

All scale bars are 10 mm. Artwork by Janet Cañamar.

Abbreviations: 4th tr: fourth trochanter; be: buccal emargination; boc: basioccipital condyle; bpro: boss for articulation with proatlas; bt: basal tubera; cc: cnemial condyle; cfo: carotid aorta foramen; cpc: coronoid process; dh: dorsal head; dtt: dentary tooth; ec: endocranial cavity; eoas: exoccipital articular surface; fm: foramen magnum; lc: lateral condyle; lw: lateral wing; mc: medial condyle; mkc: Meckelian canal; mt: metatarsal; mw: medial wing; mxt: maxillary tooth; ns: neural spine; oc: occipital condyle; pd: pedal digit; plp: posterolateral process; pop: paroccipital process; poz: postzygapophysis; prz: prezygapophyses; pscf: posterior semicircular canal foramen; ptf: posttemporal foramen.

An artist’s interpretation of a juvenile Doolysaurus huhmini gen. et sp. nov.
 It is depicted alongside birds and other dinosaurs that lived during the Cretaceous in what is now South Korea.

Artwork by Jun Seong Yi.

 Doolysaurus huhmini gen. et sp.

Diagnosis. Doolysaurus huhmini is a small-bodied, early-diverging neornithischian dinosaur with the following unique combination of features recovered from analysis of the Fonseca et al. (2024) dataset, including one optimized autapomorphy (*): (1) the lateral condyle of the quadrate is larger than the medial condyle (shared with Orodromeus and Haya) (ch.196:2); (2) Exoccipital, relative positions of the exits of the hypoglossal nerve (XII) combined into a single exit (shared with Jeholosaurus) (ch. 254:2); (3) Basioccipital, contribution to the border of the foramen magnum more than 1/3 its basioccipital condyle size (shared with Fona) (ch. 261: 0); (4) the apex of the maxillary teeth is located posterior to the center (shared with ...

Etymology. The generic name Doolysaurus honors “Dooly the Little Dinosaur,” an iconic Korean cartoon baby dinosaur character created by Soo-Jung Kim in 1983; saurus is from the Greek σαῦρος (sauros), meaning “lizard.” The specific name, huhmini, honors Professor Dr. Min Huh, a paleontologist who conducted research on a theropod fossil nest from the Aphaedo site, in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the study of dinosaurs in Korea over the past 30 years.

 Jongyun Jung, Minguk Kim, Hyemin Jo and Julia A. Clarke. 2026. A New Dinosaur Species from Korea and its implications for early-diverging neornithischian diversity. Fossil Record 29(1): 87-113. DOI: doi.org/10.3897/fr.29.178152 

https://blog.pensoft.net/2026/03/19/fossil-x-ray-reveals-new-species-of-baby-dino-named-after-iconic-korean-cartoon

[Paleontology • 2026] The ontogenetically youngest known pachycephalosaur (Dinosauria: Ornithischia) postcranium

 

juvenile Pachycephalosauria indet. (CMNFV 22039)
Life reconstruction in an environment typical of the upper Maastrichtian Frenchman Formation, Saskatchewan. 

in Moore, Evans, Ryan, Patterson et Mallon, 2026. 

  DOI: doi.org/10.1080/02724634.2026.2616325

Illustration by Kaitlin Lindblad. 

 x.com/Jordan_Mallon

 

ABSTRACT

Pachycephalosaurian dinosaurs are represented in the fossil record primarily by their taphonomically resistant frontoparietal domes that developed fully only at maturity. Consequently, the postcranial record of Pachycephalosauria is poor, particularly for immature forms. Here, we describe the ontogenetically youngest known, and Canada’s second-most complete, pachycephalosaur postcranium, collected from the uppermost Maastrichtian Frenchman Formation, Saskatchewan. Despite its small size (estimated total length ∼90 cm), the skeleton shows several characters diagnostic of Pachycephalosauria, including a double ridge-and-groove articulation on the pre- and postzygapophyses of the dorsal neural arches, a medial flange on the postacetabular process of the ilium, and a highly reduced pubis that contributes only minimally to the acetabular margin. Histological sectioning of the crural bones shows an immature woven bone texture. The absence of cyclical or annual growth indicators suggests that this specimen was less than a year old at the time of death. Phylogenetic analysis recovers the specimen as a member of Pachycephalosaurinae, perhaps related to Prenocephale, but the lack of cranial data for our specimen and the complementary lack of postcranial data for other pachycephalosaurs make this determination tenuous. Spatiotemporal considerations suggest a possible but currently untestable affiliation with Sphaerotholus buchholtzae. The relatively long hindlimbs of the juvenile compared with those of adult pachycephalosaurs indicate probable negative ontogenetic allometry in the hindlimbs.

 Preserved elements (in red) of juvenile Pachycephalosauria indet. (CMNFV 22039).
 The preserved left ischium does not show in this view. Diagram illustrates preserved elements only and does not accurately reflect the proportions of CMNFV 22039.

Skeletal drawing modified after original illustrations of Pachycephalosaurus (postcranium) and “Dracorex” (cranium) by Gregory Paul. Used with permission.

Life reconstruction of CMNFV 22039 in an environment typical of the upper Maastrichtian Frenchman Formation. 

Illustration by Kaitlin Lindblad. Used with permission.

 

Bryan R. S. Moore, David C. Evans, Michael J. Ryan, R. Timothy Patterson and Jordan C. Mallon. 2026. The ontogenetically youngest known pachycephalosaur (Dinosauria: Ornithischia) postcranium. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. e2616325. DOI: 10.1080/02724634.2026.2616325 [26 Feb 2026]

 www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02724634.2026.2616325

 x.com/Jordan_Mallon/status/2027031604879835644

[Paleontology • 2026] Haolong dongi • Cellular-level Preservation of cutaneous spikes in an Early Cretaceous iguanodontian Dinosaur

 Haolong dongi 

Huang, Wu, Mao, Bertozzo, Dhouailly, Robin, Pittman, Kaye, Manucci, He, Wang & Godefroit, 2026  

DOI: doi.org/10.1038/s41559-025-02960-9  

Researchgate.net/publication/400539444

Abstract

The near-complete and articulated skeleton of a new iguanodontian dinosaur, Haolong dongi gen. et sp. nov., from the Lower Cretaceous of northeastern China, preserves exquisitely fossilized skin. The integument includes large overlapping scutate scales along the tail and tuberculate scales around the neck and thorax markedly different from the scale pattern described in other iguanodontians. Remarkably, these scales are interspersed with cutaneous spikes preserved at the cellular level. Tomographic and histological analyses reveal a hollow, cylindrical structure composed of a cornified stratum corneum overlying a pluristratified epidermis with keratinocytes preserved to the level of nuclei, surrounding a porous central dermal pulp. These spikes differ structurally from known protofeathers in non-avian dinosaurs and scaly spines in extant squamates, suggesting a distinct evolutionary origin. Their morphology and distribution imply a primary role in predator deterrence, with potential secondary functions in thermoregulation or mechanoreception. This discovery provides unprecedented insight into the microanatomy of non-avian dinosaur skin and highlights the complexity of skin evolution in ornithischian dinosaurs.

 Haolong dongi gen. et sp. nov.

Jiandong Huang, Wenhao Wu, Lei Mao, Filippo Bertozzo, Danielle Dhouailly, Ninon Robin, Michael Pittman, Thomas G. Kaye, Fabio Manucci, Xuezhi He, Xuri Wang and Pascal Godefroit. 2026.  Cellular-level Preservation of cutaneous spikes in an Early Cretaceous iguanodontian Dinosaur. Nature Ecology & Evolution. 10; 203–210. DOI: doi.org/10.1038/s41559-025-02960-9 [06 February 2026]

 Researchgate.net/publication/400539444_Cellular-level_preservation_of_cutaneous_spikes_in_Cretaceous_iguanodontian_dinosaur

[Paleontology • 2026] Foskeia pelendonum • A New rhabdodontomorph from the Lower Cretaceous of Salas de los Infantes (Burgos Province, Spain), and a new phylogeny of ornithischian dinosaurs

Foskeia pelendonum

Dieudonné, Becerra, Zanesco, Tortosa, Cruzado-Caballero, Stein & Fernández-Baldor, 2026 

DOI: doi.org/10.1002/spp2.70057 

 facebook.com/novataxa

reconstruction by Martina Charnell

 

Abstract

The Vegagete ornithopod is a diminutive bipedal iguanodont from the upper Barremian to lower Aptian (Lower Cretaceous) Castrillo de la Reina Formation of the Burgos Province (Spain). This dinosaur is principally known from disarticulated and fragmentary postcranial remains and was established as the earliest rhabdodontomorph. However, the nature of this material did not allow formal diagnosis of what still appeared to be a new taxon due to its particularly small body size. Recently, new cranial elements have been identified. These elements underwent micro-computed tomography scanning, segmentation and three-dimensional assembly. We herein name the Vegagete ornithopod Foskeia pelendonum gen. et sp. nov. It is diagnosed by a high number of unique features such as the possession of fused premaxillae, procumbent premaxillary teeth, one filiform first dentary tooth, and an elevated craniomandibular joint. Simultaneously, we observe a unique ventrolateral extension of the insertion of the muscle adductor mandibulae externus superficialis on the coronoid process of the dentary. Answering a number of phylogenetic controversies, we provide an updated, taxonomically augmented ornithischian phylogeny toward poorly sampled regions of the ornithischian tree. Rhabdodontia nov. is defined as a restricted clade of European rhabdodontomorphs, including F. pelendonum and rhabdodontids. Rhabdodontomorpha is nested to the base of Ankylopollexia. Thescelosauridae includes Tenontosaurus, and Dryosauridae includes Elasmaria. Agilisaurus louderbacki and Minimocursor phunoiensis are basal ornithopods. Heterodontosauridae remains at the base of Pachycephalosauria. Silesauridae and Sauropodomorpha are resolved in a position closer to Ornithischia than to Theropoda. This provisional result is pending the inclusion of more saurischian characters and taxa.

Keywords: Rhabdodontia, Rhabdodontomorpha, Ornithopoda, Ornithischia, phylogeny

Reconstruction of the skull of Foskeia pelendonum based on different elements.

Foskeia pelendonum.

PaleoArt reconstruction by Martina Charnell

Growth trajectory of Foskeia pelendonum, compared to an adult chicken.
This trajectory is based on differently sized bony elements and their histology.
Note the proportionally smaller forelimbs in the more mature individuals.  

 

Paul-Emile Dieudonné, Marcos Gabriel Becerra, Tábata Zanesco, Thierry Tortosa, Penélope Cruzado-Caballero, Koen Stein, Fidel Torcida Fernández-Baldor. 2026. Foskeia pelendonum, A New rhabdodontomorph from the Lower Cretaceous of Salas de los Infantes (Burgos Province, Spain), and a new phylogeny of ornithischian dinosaurs. Papers in Palaeontology. 12(1); e70057. DOI: doi.org/10.1002/spp2.70057 [01 February 2026]

 facebook.com/novataxa/posts/1354565633369027

[Paleontology • 2025] Ahshislesaurus wimani • A New saurolophine hadrosaurid (Ornithischia: Hadrosauridae) from the Upper Cretaceous (Campanian) Hunter Wash Member, Kirtland Formation, San Juan Basin, New Mexico

Ahshislesaurus wimani 

Dalman, Jasinski, Malinzak, Malinzak, Lucas, Kundrát, Fiorillo, 2025

 

 Researchgate.net/publication/396005330

Artwork by Sergey Krasovskiy

A new saurolophine hadrosaurid dinosaur, Ahshislesaurus wimani gen et sp. nov., from the lower Hunter Wash Member of the lower Kirtland Formation (~75.02 Ma) of New Mexico is described. The specimen was briefly described before and referred to the stratigraphically younger Kritosaurus navajovius, which is known from the De-na-zin Member (~73.83–73.49 Ma) of the uppermost Kirtland Formation. The holotype of A. wimani consists of an incomplete diagnostic skull, several isolated cranial elements including the right jugal, quadrate, dentary, and surangular, and a series of articulated cervical vertebrae. In addition to the holotype of A. wimani, several specimens from the same strata may also belong to this newly identified species, including a well-preserved left dentary and a partial skeleton, as well as two humeri, one belonging to a large adult and the other to a juvenile. The skull of A. wimani preserves several taxonomically informative characters that show close affinities with the stratigraphically younger Naashoibitosaurus ostromi from the De-na-zin Member. Together with Naashoibitosaurus, Ahshislesaurus forms a potentially novel clade of flat-headed saurolophine hadrosaurids. This clade suggests the saurolophines were a taxonomically diverse group, which, during the last 20 million years of the Cretaceous, were among the dominant herbivorous dinosaurs in southern Laramidia. Recognition of a new hadrosaurid species from New Mexico also provides further evidence for latitudinal variation in the hadrosaurid fauna during the Late Cretaceous in Laramidia.

Skeleton reconstruction of Ahshislesaurus wimani gen. et sp. nov., (USNM VP-8629), holotype skull.
This includessome of the postcranial specimens from the lower Hunter Wash Member (Kirtland Formation) that may not represent this newspecies, including a postcranial skeleton (NMMNH P-25057); left scapula (NMMNH P-RMS 2013-7); left humerus (NMMNHP-31928); and right isolated ulna (NMMNH P-32885).

SYSTEMATIC PALEONTOLOGY

DINOSAURIA Owen, 1842

ORNITHISCHIA Seeley, 1887

ORNITHOPODA Marsh, 1881

IGUANODONTIA Dollo, 1888

HADROSAURIA von Huene, 1956

HADROSAURIDAE Cope, 1870

SAUROLOPHINAE Brown, 1914

Ahshislesaurus, new genus

Etymology: The genus name Ahshislesaurus is from the Ah-shi-sle-pah Wash Wilderness in the lower Hunter Wash Member of the Kirtland Formation in northwestern New Mexic where the new species was found. Ah-shi-sle-pah Wildernessis located in San Juan County, New Mexico, between Chaco Canyon and the De-na-zin Wilderness. Its name is a phonetic transliteration of Navajo “áshįįh łibá” meaning “salt, it is gray.”.

Ahshislesaurus wimani, new species 

Etymology: The specific epithet, wimani, honors the first Swedish professor of paleontology, Carl Wiman (1867–1944),from Uppsala University, who worked on fossil vertebrates from the San Juan Basin. 

Life reconstruction of Ahshislesaurus wimani gen. et sp. nov. based on the holotype (USNM VP-8629) and closely related taxa.

Artwork by Sergey Krasovskiy

Sebastian G Dalman, Steven E. Jasinski, D Edward Malinzak, ... et Anthony R. Fiorillo. 2025. A New saurolophine hadrosaurid (Ornithischia: Hadrosauridae) from the Upper Cretaceous (Campanian) Hunter Wash Member, Kirtland Formation, San Juan Basin, New Mexico. New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science Bulletin. Fossil Record. 11: 73–114. (September 2025)  

 Researchgate.net/publication/396005330_A_new_saurolophine_hadrosaurid_from_the_Upper_Cretaceous_Hunter_Wash_Member_Kirtland_Formation_San_Juan_Basin_New_Mexico

[Paleontology • 2025] Zavacephale rinpoche • A domed pachycephalosaur from the early Cretaceous of Mongolia

Zavacephale rinpoche

Chinzorig, Takasaki, Yoshida, Tucker, Buyantegsh, Mainbayar, Tsogtbaatar & Zanno, 2025 

 

DOI: doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-09213-6

Artwork by Masaya Hattori

Abstract

The dome-headed pachycephalosaurians are among the most enigmatic dinosaurs. Bearing a hypertrophied skull roof and elaborate cranial ornamentation, members of the clade are considered to have evolved complex sociosexual systems. Despite their importance in understanding behavioural ecology in Dinosauria, the absence of uncontested early diverging taxa has hindered our ability to reconstruct the origin and early evolution of the clade. Here we describe Zavacephale rinpoche gen. et sp. nov., from the Lower Cretaceous Khuren Dukh Formation of Mongolia, the most skeletally complete and geologically oldest pachycephalosaurian discovered globally. Z. rinpoche exhibits a well-developed frontoparietal dome and preserves the clade’s first record of manual elements and gastroliths. Phylogenetic analysis recovered Z. rinpoche as one of the earliest diverging pachycephalosaurians, pushing back fossil evidence of the frontoparietal dome by at least 14 Myr and clarifying macroevolutionary trends in its assembly. We found that the earliest stage of dome evolution occurred by means of a frontal-first developmental pattern with retention of open supratemporal fenestra, mirroring proposed ontogenetic trajectories in some Late Cretaceous taxa. Finally, intraskeletal osteohistology of the frontoparietal dome and hindlimb demonstrate decoupling of sociosexual and somatic maturity in early pachycephalosaurians, with advanced dome development preceding terminal body size.

 Zavacephale rinpoche gen. et sp. nov.

Tsogtbaatar Chinzorig, Ryuji Takasaki, Junki Yoshida, Ryan T. Tucker, Batsaikhan Buyantegsh, Buuvei Mainbayar, Khishigjav Tsogtbaatar and Lindsay E. Zanno. 2025. A domed pachycephalosaur from the early Cretaceous of Mongolia. Nature. DOI: doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-09213-6 [17 September 2025]

https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/news/2025/september/new-dome-headed-dinosaur-most-complete-ever-found.html

[Paleontology • 2025] Cariocecus bocagei • A New basal hadrosauroid from the Lower Cretaceous of Portugal

 Cariocecus bocagei

Bertozzo, Camilo, Araújo, Manucci, Kullberg & Cerio, 2025

 

 DOI: doi.org/10.1080/14772019.2025.2536347  

  facebook.com: Bruno Camilo Silva   

Artwork by Victor F. Carvalho  

Abstract

In Portugal, iguanodontian dinosaurs are mostly known from the Late Jurassic of the Lourinhã Formation and are represented by dryosaurids and basal styracosternans. The Early Cretaceous record of iguanodontians in Portugal is scarce in comparison, with scattered and uninformative remains referred to Styracosterna indet. Here, we describe SHN.832, the first iguanodontian skull from Portugal, named Cariocecus bocagei gen. nov. sp. nov. The specimen was found in Praia do Areia do Mastro (Cabo Espichel, Sesimbra) in the Papo Seco Formation (lower Barremian), and comprises the right side of the skull, part of the skull vault and a nearly complete basicranium. Cariocecus bocagei is diagnosed based on autapomorphies such as the co-ossified maxillo-jugal complex and the trilobated shape of the supraoccipital. The phylogenetic analysis retrieves C. bocagei as a basal hadrosauroid in a clade with Comptonatus chasei and Brighstoneus simmondsi. Our biogeographical analysis emphasizes the effects of insular endemism during the Hauterivian–Aptian range in the European regions. We show that Iguanodontia originated in South America, and through a dispersal event towards North America during the Upper Jurassic, expanded their latitudinal range. Cariocecus and other early-diverging iguanodontians emerged during an eastward dispersal event in the Lower Cretaceous. We reconstructed the endocast, cranial nerves and inner ear of Cariocecus via segmentation of micro-computed tomography scanning, showing similarities with other Hadrosauriformes such as Iguanodon and Proa. We propose the most detailed inner ear soft-tissue reconstruction for a dinosaur so far, including the macula and sub-branches of the vestibulocochlear nerve, supported by the extant phylogenetic bracket. Based on the unossified suture of the cranial elements, we hypothesize that SHN.832 had not yet reached full skeletal maturity, and our restoration suggests a total skull length of about 45 cm. The supraorbital membrane was reconstructed based on the well-preserved supraorbital bone and comparison with modern taxa. 

Keywords: Ornithopoda, Barremian, Papo Seco Formation, supraorbital, biogeography

 

Cariocecus bocagei gen. nov. sp. nov. 

  

 

Filippo Bertozzo, Bruno Camilo, Ricardo Araújo, Fabio Manucci, José Carlos Kullberg, Donald G. Cerio. 2025. Cariocecus bocagei, A New basal hadrosauroid from the Lower Cretaceous of Portugal. Journal of Systematic Palaeontology. 23(1); 2536347. DOI: doi.org/10.1080/14772019.2025.2536347 [15 Sep 2025] 

  facebook.com/BrunoCamiloSilva5/posts/24587424554281291