FIGURE 4 - uploaded by Denver W Fowler
Content may be subject to copyright.

Nodocephalosaurus kirtlandensis , caudal vertebrae. A-C, SMP
Context in source publication
Context 1
... Vertebrae-Two caudal vertebrae have been recovered (Fig. 4). As in other ankylosaurids they are slightly amphicoelous, bear a distinctive notochordal prominence in the center of the centrum, and have Coombs (1971) and Carpenter (2004) and the skeletal reconstruc- tion of Euoplocephalus (Carpenter, 1982), we believe SMP VP-1149 is the seventh or eighth caudal and SMP VP-1743 is the first. ...
Similar publications
We redescribe and illustrate the completely prepared holotype skull of Anasazisaurus horneri, a hadrosaurian dinosaur from the Upper Cretaceous (Kirtlandian, Campanian) Kirtland Formation, San Juan Basin, New Mexico. The validity of Anasazisaurus horneri rests on its distinctive, posteriorly-projecting nasal crest, which distinguishes it from other...
We report the discovery of a new dinosaur locality in the Barranca Los Bonetes (Tiquicheo, southeastern Michoacan state). The material comes from three different levels of a thick continental sedimentary formation. The material is identified to belong to the Hadrosauridae family, and it constitutes the first report of the family in this state. This...
Citations
... The round or knob-like tip of the transverse process and the greater height-to-width ratio of the proximal caudals (Fig. 5(E)) differs from SGP 2002/8; The anterior caudals of Nodocephalosaurus kirtlandensis are antero-posteriorly short with a transversely extending groove. The articular surfaces are wider than high, exhibiting a notochordal prominence in their centre and have a massive transverse process with a round to elliptical cross-section that meets the centrum at a broad contact dorsally and thus closely resemble SGP 2002/8 (Sullivan and Fowler, 2006); The proximal caudals of the derived nodosaurid Edmontonia rugosidens (= Palaeoscincus rugosidens), are likewise short antero-posteriorly with a transversely extending groove and are wider than high (Gilmore, 1930). The massive transverse processes extend ventro-laterally from a broad contact with the centrum and are round to elliptical in cross-section. ...
The first evidence of an ankylosaur from the Late Jurassic Qigu Formation of the southern Junggar Basin (Xinjiang, northwestern China) is described, based on an isolated caudal vertebra that was discovered together with fragmentary remains of other dinosaurs, including stegosaurs, sauropods, and theropods. The caudal vertebra is characterized by the following features: (i) elliptical morphology of the centrum, being wider than high; (ii) short antero-posterior length of the centrum; (iii) pronounced transversely extending ventral groove; (iv) massive transverse process, that is longer than the centrum diameter; (v) transverse process meeting the centrum high at the dorsal half and at a relatively flat angle; (vi) transverse process making a broad contact with the neural arch without forming a proximo-dorsal projection; and (vii) notochordal prominence present in the centre of the anterior articular surface. The study specimen represents only the second record of an ankylosaur from the Jurassic of Asia – aside from the slightly older Tianchisaurus from the early Upper Jurassic Toutunhe Formation, equally from the Junggar Basin. It helps to fill a gap in our knowledge of the early evolution of these armoured dinosaurs. Additionally, this discovery highlights the potential of the southern Junggar Basin to yield a rich vertebrate fauna and thus to provide an important insight into Late Jurassic ecosystems of Central Asia.
... 14S, 14U, 14V, 14AA, 14CC and 14DD). Centra are laterally constricted and preserve spool-shaped, slightly amphicoelous, anterior and posterior articular surfaces, similar to those observed in Talarurus plicatospineus , Oohkotokia horneri (MOR 433), SMP VP-1149, and SMP VP-1743, with the latter two previously assigned to Nodocephalosaurus kirtlandensis (Sullivan & Fowler, 2006). In Ankylosaurus magniventris (AMNH FARB 5895) and Anodontosaurus lambei (CMN 8530), the anterior and posterior faces of the centra are more deeply excavated, resulting in more pronounced amphicoelous conditions. ...
A partial ankylosaurid skeleton from the upper Campanian Kaiparowits Formation of southern Utah is recognized as a new taxon, Akainacephalus johnsoni , gen. et sp. nov. The new taxon documents the first record of an associated ankylosaurid skull and postcranial skeleton from the Kaiparowits Formation. Preserved material includes a complete skull, much of the vertebral column, including a complete tail club, a nearly complete synsacrum, several fore- and hind limb elements, and a suite of postcranial osteoderms, making Akainacephalus johnsoni the most complete ankylosaurid from the Late Cretaceous of southern Laramidia. Arrangement and morphology of cranial ornamentation in Akainacephalus johnsoni is strikingly similar to Nodocephalosaurus kirtlandensis and some Asian ankylosaurids (e.g., Saichania chulsanensis , Pinacosaurus grangeri , and Minotaurasaurus ramachandrani ); the cranium is densely ornamented with symmetrically arranged and distinctly raised ossified caputegulae which are predominantly distributed across the dorsal and dorsolateral regions of the nasals, frontals, and orbitals. Cranial caputegulae display smooth surface textures with minor pitting and possess a distinct conical to pyramidal morphology which terminates in a sharp apex. Character analysis suggests a close phylogenetic relationship with N. kirtlandensis , M. ramachandrani , Tarchia teresae , and S. chulsanensis , rather than with Late Cretaceous northern Laramidian ankylosaurids (e.g., Euoplocephalus tutus , Anodontosaurus lambei , and Ankylosaurus magniventris ). These new data are consistent with evidence for distinct northern and southern biogeographic provinces in Laramidia during the late Campanian. The addition of this new ankylosaurid taxon from southern Utah enhances our understanding of ankylosaurid diversity and evolutionary relationships. Potential implications for the geographical distribution of Late Cretaceous ankylosaurid dinosaurs throughout the Western Interior suggest multiple time-transgressive biogeographic dispersal events from Asia into Laramidia.
... The holotype specimen was discovered low in the De-na-zin Member of the Kirtland Formation. Additional material, consisting of skull osteoderms, cervical spines and caudal vertebrae was later reported by Sullivan and Fowler (2006), and incomplete tail clubs referred to this taxon were reported by Burns and Sullivan (2011b), all of which are from the De-na-zin Member. Nodocephalosaurus kirtlandensis has been interpreted to have affinities with the Asian ankylosaurids (Sullivan, 1999;Arbour et al., 2014). ...
... Unlike the conical cranial caputegulae of Nodocephalosaurus, Ziapelta has mainly low-relief, hexagonal caputegulae similar to those of Ankylosaurus, Anodontosaurus, Euoplocephalus and Scolosaurus. Sullivan & Fowler (2006) and Burns & Sullivan (2011b) described additional ankylosaurid postcranial remains from the San Juan Basin and referred them to Nodocephalosaurus because, at the time, it was the only named ankylosaurid from the Kirtland Formation. With the discovery of Ahshislepelta in the Hunter Wash Member, and Ziapelta from the De-na-zin Member, isolated and non-diagnostic ankylosaurid remains can no longer be referred to Nodocephalosaurus. ...
The Ankylosauria is a group of herbivorous, quadrupedal, armoured dinosaurs subdivided into at least two major clades, the Ankylosauridae and the Nodosauridae. The most derived members of Ankylosauridae had a unique tail club formed from modified, tightly interlocking distal caudal vertebrae and enlarged osteoderms that envelop the terminus of the tail. We review all known ankylosaurid species, as well as ankylosaurs of uncertain affinities, in order to conduct a revised phylogenetic analysis of the clade. The revised phylogenetic analysis resulted in a monophyletic Ankylosauridae consisting of Ahshislepelta, Aletopelta, Gastonia, Gobisaurus, Liaoningosaurus, Shamosaurus and a suite of derived ankylosaurids (Ankylosaurinae). There is convincing evidence for the presence of nodosaurids in Asia during the Early Cretaceous. In the mid Cretaceous, Asian nodosaurids were replaced by ankylosaurine ankylosaurids. Ankylosaurines migrated into North America from Asia between the Albian and Campanian, where they diversified into a clade of ankylosaurines, here named Ankylosaurini, characterized by arched snouts and numerous flat cranial caputegulae. There is no evidence for any ankylosaurids in Gondwana; Ankylosauridae appears to be completely restricted to Asia and North America. The genus Crichtonpelta gen. nov. is created, type species Crichtonsaurus benxiensis Lü et al.
... It has a posteriorly-divergent keel and is likely from the thoracic region. It was collected from the De-na-zin Member of the Kirtland Formation, from which other ankylosaurid material has been collected (Sullivan, 1999;Sullivan and Fowler, 2006;Burns and Sullivan 2011a;Arbour et al., 2014). However, the two ankylosaurid taxa currently recognized from the formation, Nodocephalosaurus kirtlandensis and Ziapelta sanjuanensis, cannot be distinguished on the basis of their postcranial osteoderms given the material currently associated with their holotypes (Arbour et al., 2014). ...
... The diversity of ankylosaurids in the San Juan Basin is higher than that of nodosaurids based on the specimens currently known, and all of the named ankylosaurid taxa are characteristic of the Kirtlandian land-vertebrate age Lucas, 2003, 2006). Because little osteodermal material that can be confidently referred to a taxon has been collected from the De-na-zin Member (Sullivan and Fowler, 2006; MEB, pers observ.), NMMNH P-27404 is here conservatively referred to Ankylosauridae indet. ...
Several previously undescribed specimens of ankylosaur osteoderms from New Mexico, allow for a revision of the biostratigraphic distribution of New Mexican ankylosaur taxa. An osteoderm from the Upper Jurassic Peterson Quarry (Morrison Formation, Brushy Basin Member) referable to Gargoyleosaurus or Mymoorapelta represents the first reported occurrence of Jurassic ankylosaur material in New Mexico. An ankylosaurid osteoderm from the De-na-zin Member of the Kirtland Formation is consistent with other ankylosaurid material previously collected from the unit. Several osteoderm specimens collected from the Fruitland Formation (Fossil Forest Member) are referable to the nodosaurid Glyptodontopelta mimus. Previously known only from the Maastrichtian Naashoibito Member of the Ojo Alamo Formation, these specimens extend the stratigraphic range of the taxon back at least 5 My.
... However, no definitive ankylosaurid species had been discovered until the late 1990s, with the discovery and description of the rare ankylosaurid Nodocephalosaurus kirtlandensis (Sullivan, 1999). Since the late 1990s, a number of New Mexican ankylosaurid specimens have come to light including subsequent material of N. kirtlandensis (Burns and Sullivan, 2011a;Sullivan and Fowler, 2006) as well as the holotypes of Ahshislepelta minor (Burns and Sullivan, 2011b) and Ziapelta sanjuanensis . The latter ankylosaurid is known from a nearly complete skull and partial first and second cervical half rings . ...
A complete first cervical half ring (NMMNH P-66390) of Ziapelta sanjuanensis is one of the best preserved first cervical half rings of any ankylosaurid dinosaur known. Conical and trapezoidal patches of interstitial osteoderms that lie between the well-developed large osteoderms are bilaterally symmetrical about the midline. This combined interstitial osteoderm morphology appears unique to Ziapelta and is not known in any other North American or Asian ankylosaurids. Re-examination of the holotype of Ziapelta sanjuanensis (NMMNH P-64484) demonstrates that the incomplete cervical half ring represents the complete left lateral side, with the left medial, lateral and distal large osteoderms preserved, which is contrary to the previous interpretation. Moreover, the morphology of NMMNH P-66390 is nearly identical to the first cervical half ring of the holotype (NMMNH P-64484), thus reference to Ziapelta sanjuanensis is certain. Both specimens come from the Kirtland Formation, but from different horizons (Hunter Wash and De-na-zin members, respectively), making this referred specimen approximately 0.37 Ma older based on published ash dates.
... Because it was the only diagnosable ankylosaurid known from the De-Na-Zin Member, all ankylosaurid material collected subsequently was referred to that taxon. Other specimens referred to Nodocephalosaurus included isolated cranial osteoderms, a cervical osteoderm, two free caudal vertebrae, and several partial tail club knob osteoderms [7,8]. ...
A new ankylosaurid (Ankylosauria: Dinosauria), Ziapelta sanjuanensis, gen. et sp. nov., is based on a complete skull, an incomplete first cervical half ring, a possible fragment of the second cervical half ring, and additional fragmentary osteoderms. The holotype specimen is from the Upper Cretaceous (Upper Campanian, Kirtlandian Land-Vertebrate Age) Kirtland Formation (De-na-zin Member) at Hunter Wash, San Juan Basin, in northwestern New Mexico, USA. Diagnostic characters of Ziapelta include: a large, prominent triangular median nasal caputegulum; a mixture of flat and bulbous frontonasal caputegulae; ventrolaterally oriented squamosal horns with a sharp, prominent dorsal keel; and the ventral surface of basicranium with three prominent anteroposteriorly oriented fossae. A phylogenetic analysis suggests that Ziapelta is not closely related to the other ankylosaurid from the De-na-zin Member, Nodocephalosaurus, but allies it to the northern North American ankylosaurids Ankylosaurus, Anodontosaurus, Euoplocephalus, Dyoplosaurus, and Scolosaurus.
... Nodocephalosaurus-SMP VP-2067 (Fig. 5) is a referred specimen that was found near the same locality and at the same stratigraphic horizon as other specimens referred to Nodocephalosaurus (Sullivan and Fowler, 2006). Being a fragment, the overall shape is unknown. ...
Ankylosaurian systematics can be assessed using morphological, textural, and histological characters of osteoderms. Archosaur osteoderms have cortices surrounding cancellous cores. Ankylosaurs are united by an external cortex distinguishable from the core and by the presence of mineralized structural fibers. Nodosaurid osteoderms lack a well-developed basal cortex and have dense external cortical fibers. Ankylosaurid osteoderms are thinner than those of other ankylosaurs. Polacanthine osteoderms have a cancellous core, but share this feature with other derived and primitive taxa. Cortical thickness overlaps among groups, so a thick cortex is not diagnostic for polacanthines. Specialized elements diverge histologically from the primitive condition to suit their specific functions. Some shapes and external textures are diagnostic for specific taxa, such as Ankylosaurus and Glyptodontopelta. Parsimony analyses suggest osteodermal support for a monophyletic Polacanthinae (excluding Mymoorapelta) and Shamosaurinae.SUPPLEMENTAL DATA—Supplemental materials are available for this article for free at www.tandfonline.com/UJVP
... The preserved caudals of cf. Euoplocephalus (AMNH 5404, ROM 1930) do not show this morphology, but those of Nodocephalosaurus do (Sullivan and Fowler 2006) as does the one preserved caudal of CMN 8530 (Anodontosaurus). There is some positional variation in the shape of the centrum and neural canal. ...
Oohkotokia horneri gen. et sp. nov. is described based on a specimen in the collections of the Museum of the Rockies, Montana, USA. Oohkotokia exhibits a unique combination of characters not seen in other late Campanian North American ankylosaurids: prominent, horn-like, trihedral squamosal bosses, a small, undistinguished median nasal plate on the dorsal surface of the rostrum, a relatively small occipital condyle, a smooth, finely pitted osteoderm external texture, and triangular lateral osteoderms. Other specimens from the Two Medicine Formation are referable to Oohkotolcia. O. horneri, Euoplocephalus tutus, Dyoplosaurus acutosquameus, and Scolosaurus cutleri separate stratigraphically.
... Late Cretaceous ankylosaurs from the southern portion of Laramidia are less well known. Nodocephalosaurus kirt landensis (Sullivan, 1999;Sullivan and Fowler, 2006) is an ankylosaurid represented by a partial skull from the Kirtland Formation of the San Juan Basin of New Mexico. This speci men is geologically younger than any of the specimens from the Grand Staircase of southern Utah (Roberts, Deino, and Chan, 2005;Sullivan and Lucas, 2006;Roberts et al., this volume, Chapter 6). ...