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| Gobisaurus domoculus
Vickaryous, Russell, Currie & Zhao 2001
illustration: Andrey Atuchin | nhm.ac.uk |
Abstract
Amongst the fossil material collected by the Sino-Soviet Expeditions (1959–1960) to the Alshan Desert, China, was a large, virtually complete ankylosaur skeleton. Gobisaurus domoculus gen. et sp. nov. closely resembles Shamosaurus scutatus, but is distinct in having an unfused basipterygoid–pterygoid contact and elongate premaxillary processes of the vomers. Although it is difficult to make a definitive taxonomic assignment without considering postcranial material, a preliminary phylogenetic analysis places Gobisaurus as the sister taxon of Shamosaurus, clustered as one of several successive outgroups of the Ankylosaurinae.
Systematic palaeontology
Dinosauria Owen 1842 | Ornithischia Seeley 1888
Ankylosauria Osborn 1923 | Ankylosauridae Brown 1908
Gobisaurus gen. nov.
Type species: Gobisaurus domoculus.
Etymology: Gobi, refers to the geographic locale.
Gobisaurus domoculus sp. nov.
Type locality: IVPP V12563 (Holotype) is believed to have been collected from the same general locality as the large theropod Chilantaisaurus maortuensis, approximately 60 km north of Chilantai (Jilantai; 39 45 N, 105 45E), on the east side of Chilantai Salt Lake (Chilantaiyen Chih), Maortu, Alashan Desert, Nei Mongol Zizhique (Inner Mongolia), China.
Formation: Ulanhushao (Suhongtu) Formation, Lower Cretaceous (Aptian–?Albian).
Etymology: domo to subjugate; and oculus, the eye
Matthew K. Vickaryous, Anthony P. Russell, Philip J. Currie, and Xi-Jin Zhao. 2001. A new ankylosaurid (Dinosauria: Ankylosauria) from the Lower Cretaceous of China, with comments on ankylosaurian relationships. Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences/Rev. can. sci. Terre 38(12):1767-1780.
