A revision of the ‘coelophysoid-grade’ theropod specimen from the Lower Jurassic of the Isle of Skye (Scotland )
Resource type
Journal article
Date published
April 18, 2023
Abstract
The broadest diversification of early predatory dinosaurs is represented by the ‘coelophysoid-grade’ neotheropods, but their Hettangian–Sinemurian ( 191–201 Ma) record is scarce worldwide. More information is needed to shed light on the evolution of this dinosaur group after the end-Triassic mass extinction ( 201 Ma). Here we revisit the anatomy and phylogeny of one of these earliest Jurassic neotheropod specimens, an isolated partial tibia from the lower Sinemurian of the Isle of Skye (Scotland) that was previously identified as probably closely related to and coelophysids. However, we found that the Skye specimen is positioned in the branch leading to Averostra (Ceratosauria + Tetanurae), in a polytomy with from the late Hettangian–lower Sinemurian of central England and a clade composed of and Averostra. The morphology of the Skye specimen is congruent with that of referred specimens of , but because it probably represents a skeletally immature specimen, we assign it to cf. . The Skye specimen increases the number of averostran-line neotheropod specimens recorded in the Lower Jurassic of Europe and current evidence indicates that these forms, and not coelophysoids, were relatively common in this part of the world at that time.
: Character list and dataset for phylogenetic analysis and 3D model of the tibia are available at
This article is part of the Palaeontology of Scotland collection available at:
Funder
| Funder name | Awards |
Fondo para la Investigacià³n Cientàfica y Tecnolà³gica | PICT 2018-01186 |
Paleontological Society | Sepkoski Grant 2019 |
National Geographic Society | GEFNE185-16 |
Philip Leverhulme Prize | |
Journal title
Scottish Journal of Geology
Volume
59
Issue
1-Feb
Publisher
Geological Society of London
ISSN
0036-9276
eISSN
2041-4951
Date accepted
September 28, 2023
Official URL
Rights statement
In Copyright