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Theropods (dinosauria, saurischia) from the middle Jurassic Toutunhe Formation of the Southern Junggar Basin, NW China

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Kurzfassung

Aus der mitteljurassischen (?Bathonium-Callovium) Toutunhe-Formation von Liuhonggou, SW Urumqi, im südlichen Junggar-Becken (Autonome Region Xinjiang [ehem. Sinkiang], NW China) wird erstmals detailliert Material von carnivoren Dinosauriern (Theropoda) beschrieben. Ein großwüchsiger Carnosaurier ist durch fünf Zahnkronen aus verschiedenen Bereichen des Gebisses repräsentiert. Die Größe der Zähne lässt auf ein Tier von 6–8 m Gesamtlänge schließen. Zähne und Poscranialmaterial aus der Toutunhe-Formation des Sangonghe River, NE Urumqi, gehören zum gleichen oder einem nahe verwandten Taxon. Ein zweiter, kleinerer Theropode mit einer geschätzten Gesamtlänge von 3 m ist belegt durch eine weitere Zahnkrone, die durch eine bifurkierende mesiale Carina (genetisch bedingte Abnormität?) bemerkenswert ist. Eine Identifikation ist nicht möglich, aber es zeichnen sich Ähnlichkeiten zu den Coelophysoidea ab. Das Distalende einer Fibula könnte zum gleichen Taxon gehören. Die Dinosaurierfauna der Toutunhe-Formation, bislang auf einen Nodosauriden und nicht näher bestimmtes („megalosaurides“) Theropodenmaterial beschränkt, wird damit um zwei wichtige Komponenten bereichert.

Abstract

From the Middle Jurassic (?Bathonian-Callovian) Toutunhe Formation of Liuhonggou, SW of Urumqi in the southern Junggar Basin (Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, People’s Republic of China) theropod material is described in detail for the first time. A large carnosaur is represented by five tooth crowns from different parts of the dentition. The size of the teeth indicates an animal 6–8 m in total length. Teeth and postcranial material from the Toutunhe Formation of Sangonghe River, E of Urumqi, belong to the same or a closely related taxon. A second, smaller theropod with an estimated entire length of 3 m is represented by another tooth crown, re-markable for its bifurcated mesial carina (genetically induced abnormality ?). It is not identifiable but shows greatest similarities to members of the Coelophysoidea. The distal end of a fibula could belong to the same taxon. Two new components are thus added to the dinosaur fauna of the Toutunhe Formation, hitherto restricted to a nodosaurid and unidentified (“megalosaurid”) theropod material.

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  1. Institut und Museum für Geologie und Paläontologie der Eberhard-Karls-Universität Tübingen, Sigwartstr. 10, D-72076, Tübingen, Germany

    Michael W. Maisch & Andreas T. Matzke

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  1. Michael W. Maisch
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  2. Andreas T. Matzke
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Correspondence to Michael W. Maisch.

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Maisch, M.W., Matzke, A.T. Theropods (dinosauria, saurischia) from the middle Jurassic Toutunhe Formation of the Southern Junggar Basin, NW China. Paläontol Z 77, 281–292 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03006942

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03006942

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