New ankylosaurid material from the Lower Cretaceous of the Ruyang Basin, Henan Province
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Abstract:
This study describes new ankylosaurid dinosaur fossil material discovered in the Haoling Formation of the Lower Cretaceous strata in the Ruyang Basin, Henan Province. Based on this material, a new species within the genus Zhongyuansaurus is established: Zhongyuansaurus junchangi sp. nov. This species is characterized by a unique au tapomorphy: at least five caudal armor plates arranged in a shingle-like pattern with a distinctive swallowtail shape. Additionally, it exhibits relatively slender mandibular bones compared to the more robust mandibles of advanced An-kylosaurinae. The anterior tip of the coronoid process extends only to the last two alveoli, differing from Shamosaurus. The distal caudal vertebrae are adorned with small osteoderms, and the humerus has a midshaft circumfer ence-to-total-length ratio of 0.46, distinguishing it from Zhongyuansaurus luoyangensis. The discovery of Zhong yuansaurus junchangi provides new insights into the evolution of ankylosaurs in the Lower Cretaceous strata of Ruyang and enhances the species diversity of the Ruyang dinosaur fauna.
