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| Vectidromeus insularis Longrich, Martill, Munt, Green, Penn & Smith, 2023. artwork by Emily Willoughby |
Abstract
The Lower Cretaceous Wessex Formation of the Isle of Wight, UK, has produced a diverse dinosaurian fauna over the past 150 years. Hypsilophodontids are the most common small dinosaurs in the assemblage. Currently all hypsilophodontids are referred to Hypsilophodon foxii, originally described based on skulls and skeletons from the Hypsilophodon bed near Cowleaze Chine, in the uppermost Wessex Formation. We report a new hypsilophodontid, Vectidromeus insularis gen. et sp. nov., from exposures near Sudmoor Point, lying at the base of the exposed Wessex, ∼150 m below the Hypsilophodon beds. Associated elements of the dorsal vertebrae, pelvis, hindlimbs, and tail are preserved. The specimen represents a juvenile, but differs from adult and juvenile Hypsilophodon foxii in the short and deep posterior iliac blade, short pubic peduncle, laterally exposed brevis fossa, rectangular ischia, and large fourth trochanter. Vectidromeus adds to the diversity of dinosaurs in the Wessex Formation. With other putative hypsilophodontids now assigned to other families, the Hypsilophodontidae currently comprises just Hypsilophodon and Vectidromeus, both from the Wessex Formation of the Isle of Wight. Hypsilophodontidae appear to be endemic to the Early Cretaceous of Europe.
Systematic Palaeontology
Dinosauria Owen 1842
Ornithischia Seeley 1887
Ornithopoda Marsh 1881
Hypsilophodontidae Dollo 1882
Vectidromeus insularis gen. et sp. nov.
Etymology. Genus name = Vectis, the Roman name for the Isle of Wight + Greek dromaeus, = runner; species name from the Latin insularis = insular.
Nicholas R. Longrich, David M. Martill, Martin Munt, Mick Green, Mark Penn and Shaun Smith. 2023. Vectidromeus insularis, A New hypsilophodontid Dinosaur from the Lower Cretaceous Wessex Formation of the Isle of Wight, England. Cretaceous Research. In Press, 105707. DOI: 10.1016/j.cretres.2023.105707
A new hypsilophodont dinosaur from the Isle of Wight, England
