Iguanacolossus

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Iguanacolossus
Temporal range:
Ma
↓
Diagram showing the known fossil elements
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Clade: Dinosauria
Clade: †Ornithischia
Clade: †Ornithopoda
Clade: †
Styracosterna
Genus: †Iguanacolossus
McDonald et al., 2010
Type species
†Iguanacolossus fortis
McDonald et al., 2010

Iguanacolossus (meaning "iguana colossus" or "colossal iguana") is a

ornithopod dinosaur that lived in North America during the Early Cretaceous period. It is known from UMNH VP 20205, the associated holotype with a large partial skeleton of a single individual.[1]

Discovery and naming

squamosal
of UMNH VP 20205

The

teeth of iguanodontians and the notorious large body size of the specimen. The specific name, "fortis", means mighty. The binomial means "Mighty Iguana Colossus".[1] Additional findings at the Doelling's Bowl site are currently on revision, compromising mostly juvenile material based on lower jaws and humerus. Other remains include a large femur and pubis.[2]

Description

Estimated size of Iguanacolossus

Iguanacolossus is a large, robust iguanodontid, probably reaching 9 m (30 ft) long and weighing 5 t (11,000 lb) in body mass.[3][1] According to McDonald and colleagues, Iguanacolossus differs from other iguanodontians in having a contact surface for supraoccipital on caudomedial process of squamosal curved in caudal view, cranial pubic process with concave dorsal margin but little expansion of its cranial end, postorbital process of the squamosal mediolaterally compressed and blade-like, pubis tapers to a blunt point, cranial extremity of preacetabular process of ilium modified into horizontal boot, axial neural spine blade-like and semi-circular in profile, and the dorsal margin of ilium straight.[1]

Life restoration

It had stock metatarsals and a prominent left fibula measuring 63.0 cm (24.8 in). The maxilla preserves 14

plesiomorphic features, seen on related iguanodontians.[1]

Classification

Reconstructed skull

Iguanacolossus was placed in the

phylogenetic analysis performed by its describers in 2010:[1]

Ankylopollexia

Camptosaurus dispar

Styracosterna

Paleoecology

Iguanacolossus compared to the fauna of the Yellow Cat Member from the Cedar Mountain Formation (Iguanacolossus in green)

Iguanacolossus was recovered in the Yellow Cat Member from the Cedar Mountain Formation. However, this Member is divided in two beds: Upper and Lower Yellow Cat; Iguanacolossus was unearthed from the Lower bed, where it shared its environment with the

goniopholidids known from the Lower Yellow Cat.[4]

The other

sharks.[4]

See also

References

  1. ^
    PMID 21124919
    .
  2. ^ Kirkland, J. I. (November 22, 2019). "Doelling's Bowl's Iguanocolossus". Twitter.
  3. ^ Paul, Gregory S. (2016). The Princeton Field Guide to Dinosaurs 2nd edition. New Jersey: Princeton University Press. p. 319.
  4. ^ a b c d Kirkland, J.I. (December 1, 2016). "The Lower Cretaceous in East-Central Utah—The Cedar Mountain Formation and its Bounding Strata". Geology of the Intermoutain West. 3: 1–130.
  5. ISBN 9780691167664
    .
  6. PMID 29795343
    .
  7. ^ Scheetz, R. A.; Britt, B. B.; Higgerson, J. (2010). "A large, tall-spined iguanodontid dinosaur from the Early Cretaceous (Early Albian) basal Cedar Mountain Formation of Utah". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 30: 158A.
  8. PMID 22615813
    .
  9. doi:10.1671/0272-4634(2006)26[1005:ABNFTC]2.0.CO;2
    .
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