The year 2012 in Archosaur paleontology was eventful. Archosaurs include the only living dinosaur group — birds — and the reptile crocodilians, plus all extinct dinosaurs, extinct crocodilian relatives, and pterosaurs. Archosaur palaeontology is the scientific study of those animals, especially as they existed before the Holocene Epoch began about 11,700 years ago. The year 2012 in paleontology included various significant developments regarding archosaurs.
This article records new taxa of fossilarchosaurs of every kind that have been described during the year 2012, as well as other significant discoveries and events related to paleontology of archosaurs that occurred in the year 2012.
Pseudosuchians
Research
The postcranial skeleton of Sebecus icaeorhinus is described by Diego Pol et al. (2012).[1]
A study including a large phylogenetic analysis of non-coelurosauriantetanurantheropod dinosaurs is published by Matthew T. Carrano, Roger B. J. Benson and Scott D. Sampson (2012).[15]
A study including a systematic revision of the family Dromaeosauridae and a large phylogenetic analysis of paravian theropod dinosaurs (both avian and non-avian) is published by Alan Turner, Peter Makovicky and Mark Norell (2012).[16]
A specimen of Microraptor is described by Quanguo Li et al. (2012), with melanosome imprints making it possible to determine the plumage coloration and iridescence in the plumage.[17]
A new specimen of Austroraptor cabazai is described by Philip J. Currie and Ariana Paulina Carabajal (2012).[18]
A specimen of Mei long is described by Chunling Gao et al. (2012).[19]
A study of Khaan mckennai was published by Amy M. Balanoff and Mark Norell (2012).[20]
A new information on Yixianosaurus longimanus is published by T. Alexander Dececchi, Hans C. E. Larsson and David W. E. Hone (2012).[21]
Three specimens of Ornithomimus with evidence of feathers are described by Darla K. Zelenitsky et al. (2012).[22]
A new information on the anatomy of the holotype specimen of Nqwebasaurus thwazi is published by Jonah N. Choiniere, Catherine A. Forster and William J. de Klerk (2012).[23]
A study of Alioramus was published by Stephen Brusatte, Thomas D. Carr and Mark Norell (2012).[24]
Abdominal contents of two specimens of Sinocalliopteryx gigas are described by Lida Xing et al. (2012).[25]
A study of musculoskeletal anatomy, three-dimensional body proportions and body mass evolution in allosauroid theropod dinosaurs is published by Karl T. Bates, Roger B. J. Benson, and Peter L. Falkingham (2012).[26]
A study of the braincase of Sinraptor dongi is published by Ariana Paulina Carabajal and Philip J. Currie (2012).[27]
Description of pectoral girdle and forelimb of Majungasaurus crenatissimus is published by Sara H. Burch and Matthew T. Carrano (2012).[29]
A study of Early Cretaceous Australian theropod dinosaurs was published by Roger B. J. Benson et al. (2012).[30]
A study including a phylogenetic analysis of titanosauriformsauropod dinosaurs is published by Michael D'Emic (2012).[31]
The postcranial skeletal pneumaticity in the skeletons of five taxa of early sauropodomorph dinosaurs is described by Adam M. Yates, Mathew J. Wedel and Matthew F. Bonnan (2012).[32]
The study on the presumed course of the recurrent laryngeal nerve in sauropod dinosaurs is published by Mathew J. Wedel (2012).[33]
Pachysuchus, previously thought to be an Early Jurassicphytosaur, is reinterpreted as a sauropodomorph dinosaur by Paul M. Barrett and Xu Xing (2012).[34]
A study of vertebral laminae of sauropod dinosaurs is published by Jeffrey A. Wilson (2012).[35]
A study on the neural spine bifurcation in diplodocoid sauropod dinosaurs is published by D. Cary Woodruff and Denver W. Fowler (2012).[36]
A study of the postcranial skeletal pneumaticity in the skeletons of Saltasaurus, Neuquensaurus and Rocasaurus is published by Ignacio A. Cerda, Leonardo Salgado and Jaime E. Powell (2012).[37]
A study of Early Cretaceous sauropod dinosaurs from North America is published by Michael D. D’Emic and Brady Z. Foreman (2012). Among other findings, additional sauropod material from the Cloverly Formation of Wyoming was referred to Sauroposeidon, Paluxysaurus was synonymized with Sauroposeidon, Rugocaudia was considered a nomen dubium and the cause of the North American sauropod extinction in the middle of the Cretaceous period was discussed.[38]
The first sauropod dinosaur (a member of Titanosauria) from Antarctica described by Ignacio A. Cerda et al. (2012).[39]
A study of biomechanics, pectoral girdle articulation and body mass of the Triassic dinosaurs from Brazil (Staurikosaurus, Saturnalia, Pampadromaeus, Guaibasaurus and Unaysaurus) is published by Rafael Delcourt, Sergio A. K. de Azevedo, Orlando N. Grillo and Fernanda O. Deantoni (2012).[40]
A study questioning the interpretation of Torosaurus as a junior synonym and a growth stage of Triceratops was published by Nicholas R. Longrich and Daniel J. Field (2012).[51]
A study of some of the earliest known dinosaur assemblages is published by Martín D. Ezcurra (2012). Among other findings, Teyuwasu is interpreted as a member of the clade Dinosauriformes of uncertain phylogenetic placement and a nomen dubium.[52]
A study of anatomical variability exhibited by major dinosaur groups living during the latest Cretaceous is published by Stephen L. Brusatte et al. (2012).[53]
A study of biodiversity of late Maastrichtian non-avian dinosaurs is published by Jean Le Loeuff (2012).[54]
A styracosternan ornithopod. The type species is Darwinsaurus evolutionis, and the holotype is an associated skeleton that includes material catalogued under numbers NHMUK R1831 (a dentary), R1833, R1835 and R1836;[63] this skeleton is assigned by Norman (2010) to Hypselospinus fittoni.[64]
A styracosternan ornithopod, a new genus for "Iguanodon" hollingtoniensis Lydekker (1889);[63] this species is considered by Norman (2010) to be a junior synonym of Hypselospinus fittoni.[64]
A hadrosaurid of uncertain phylogenetic placement; originally described as a saurolophine, but subsequently reinterpreted as a lambeosaurine.[77] The type species is Latirhinus uitstlani.
A styracosternan ornithopod. The type species is Mantellodon carpenteri and the holotype is the specimen NHMUK R3741 consisting of partial associated skeleton (also known as Gideon Mantell's "Mantel-piece")[63]
A species of Microraptor. Its status as a distinct species is disputed, with Pei et al. (2014) considering the holotype specimen's morphology not to be distinguishable from other Microraptor specimens.[81]
A carcharodontosaurid. The type species is Sauroniops pachytholus. Announced in 2012; the final version of the article naming it was published in 2013.
Originally described as a member of the family Scolopacidae or a relative of the Scolopacidae; De Pietri, Mayr & Scofield (2019) transferred this species to the family Glareolidae.[107] The type species of the new genus.
Originally described as a species of Certhia; Zelenkov (2017) transferred this species to a new genus Sylvosimadaravis within the superfamily Sylvioidea.[109]
An Anatidae, this is the type species of the new genus, the new genus also contains "Anas" velox Milne-Edwards, 1868 as a Comb. nov. from France, Germany, Romania and ?Hungary.
A Scolopacidae, the new genus is erected for the species "Tringa" gracilis Milne-Edwards, 1868, the type species of the new genus and makes a Com. nov. with it; genus may also contain this new species.
Initially considered to be a likely close relative of longspurs, Calcariidae, and made the type species of the new genus Pliocalcarius; Palastrova & Zelenkov (2020) reinterpreted this species as a lark and transferred it to the genus Eremophila.[122]
An Enantiornithes Walker, 1981. The type species of the new genus.
Pterosaurs
Research
A study on the bone histology of Rhamphorhynchus and its implications for inferring life history of members of the genus is published by Prondvai et al. (2012).[134]
A large predatory archosaur of uncertain phylogenetic placement, the largest known predatory archosaur from the Late Triassic and Early Jurassic of central Europe.
References
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^Justin A. Spielmann; Spencer G. Lucas (2012). "Tetrapod fauna of the Upper Triassic Redonda Formation, east-central New Mexico; the characteristic assemblage of the Apachean land-vertebrate faunachron". New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science Bulletin. 55: 1–119.
^Brochu, C.A.; Parris, D.C.; Grandstaff, B.S.; Denton, R.K. Jr. & Gallagher, W.B. (2012). "A new species of Borealosuchus (Crocodyliformes, Eusuchia) from the Late Cretaceous–early Paleogene of New Jersey". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 32 (1): 105–116. Bibcode:2012JVPal..32..105B. doi:10.1080/02724634.2012.633585. S2CID83931184.
^Christopher A. Brochu; Glenn W. Storrs (2012). "A giant crocodile from the Plio-Pleistocene of Kenya, the phylogenetic relationships of Neogene African crocodylines, and the antiquity of Crocodylus in Africa". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 32 (3): 587–602. Bibcode:2012JVPal..32..587B. doi:10.1080/02724634.2012.652324. S2CID85103427.
^Agustín G. Martinelli; Joseph J.W. Sertich; Alberto C. Garrido; Ángel M. Praderio (2012). "A new peirosaurid from the Upper Cretaceous of Argentina: Implications for specimens referred to Peirosaurus torminni Price (Crocodyliformes: Peirosauridae)". Cretaceous Research. 37: 191–200. Bibcode:2012CrRes..37..191M. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2012.03.017.
^Quanguo Li; Ke-Qin Gao; Qingjin Meng; Julia A. Clarke; Matthew D. Shawkey; Liliana D’Alba; Rui Pei; Mick Ellison; Mark A. Norell; Jakob Vinther (2012). "Reconstruction of Microraptor and the Evolution of Iridescent Plumage". Science. 335 (6073): 1215–1219. Bibcode:2012Sci...335.1215L. doi:10.1126/science.1213780. PMID22403389. S2CID206537426.
^Darla K. Zelenitsky; François Therrien; Gregory M. Erickson; Christopher L. DeBuhr; Yoshitsugu Kobayashi; David A. Eberth; Frank Hadfield (2012). "Feathered Non-Avian Dinosaurs from North America Provide Insight into Wing Origins". Science. 338 (6106): 510–514. Bibcode:2012Sci...338..510Z. doi:10.1126/science.1225376. PMID23112330. S2CID2057698.
^Jonah N. Choiniere; Catherine A. Forster; William J. de Klerk (2012). "New information on Nqwebasaurus thwazi, a coelurosaurian theropod from the Early Cretaceous Kirkwood Formation in South Africa". Journal of African Earth Sciences. 71–72: 1–17. Bibcode:2012JAfES..71....1C. doi:10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2012.05.005.
^Karl T. Bates; Roger B. J. Benson; Peter L. Falkingham (2012). "A computational analysis of locomotor anatomy and body mass evolution in Allosauroidea (Dinosauria: Theropoda)". Paleobiology. 38 (3): 486–507. Bibcode:2012Pbio...38..486B. doi:10.1666/10004.1. S2CID86326069.
^Sara H. Burch; Matthew T. Carrano (2012). "An articulated pectoral girdle and forelimb of the abelisaurid theropod Majungasaurus crenatissimus from the Late Cretaceous of Madagascar". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 32 (1): 1–16. Bibcode:2012JVPal..32....1B. doi:10.1080/02724634.2012.622027. S2CID86430531.
^Jeffrey A. Wilson (2012). "New Vertebral Laminae and Patterns of Serial Variation in Vertebral Laminae of Sauropod Dinosaurs". Contributions from the Museum of Paleontology, University of Michigan. 32 (7): 91–110. hdl:2027.42/92460.
^D. Cary Woodruff; Denver W. Fowler (2012), "Ontogenetic influence on neural spine bifurcation in Diplodocoidea (Dinosauria: Sauropoda): A critical phylogenetic character", Journal of Morphology, 273 (7): 754–764, doi:10.1002/jmor.20021, PMID22460982, S2CID206091560
^Michael D. D’Emic & Brady Z. Foreman (2012). "The beginning of the sauropod dinosaur hiatus in North America: insights from the Lower Cretaceous Cloverly Formation of Wyoming". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 32 (4): 883–902. Bibcode:2012JVPal..32..883D. doi:10.1080/02724634.2012.671204. S2CID128486488.
^Richard S. Thompson; Jolyon C. Parish; Susannah C. R. Maidment; Paul M. Barretta (2012). "Phylogeny of the ankylosaurian dinosaurs (Ornithischia: Thyreophora)". Journal of Systematic Palaeontology. 10 (2): 301–312. Bibcode:2012JSPal..10..301T. doi:10.1080/14772019.2011.569091. S2CID86002282.
^Jean Le Loeuff (2012). "Paleobiogeography and biodiversity of Late Maastrichtian dinosaurs: how many dinosaur species went extinct at the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary?". Bulletin de la Société Géologique de France. 183 (6): 547–559. doi:10.2113/gssgfbull.183.6.547.
^Peter J. Makovicky; Sebastián Apesteguía; Federico A. Gianechini (2012). "A New Coelurosaurian Theropod from the La Buitrera Fossil Locality of Río Negro, Argentina". Fieldiana Life and Earth Sciences. 5: 90–98. doi:10.3158/2158-5520-5.1.90. S2CID129758444.
^Michael D. D’Emic (2013). "Revision of the sauropod dinosaurs of the Lower Cretaceous Trinity Group, southern USA, with the description of a new genus". Journal of Systematic Palaeontology. 11 (6): 707–726. Bibcode:2013JSPal..11..707D. doi:10.1080/14772019.2012.667446. S2CID84742205.
^Federico L. Agnolin; Jaime E. Powell; Fernando E. Novas; Martin Kundrát (2012). "New alvarezsaurid (Dinosauria, Theropoda) from uppermost Cretaceous of north-western Patagonia with associated eggs". Cretaceous Research. 35: 33–56. Bibcode:2012CrRes..35...33A. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2011.11.014.
^José Luis Carballido; Leonardo Salgado; Diego Pol; José Ignacio Canudo; Alberto Garrido (2012). "A new basal rebbachisaurid (Sauropoda, Diplodocoidea) from the Early Cretaceous of the Neuquén Basin; evolution and biogeography of the group". Historical Biology: An International Journal of Paleobiology. 24 (6): 631–654. Bibcode:2012HBio...24..631C. doi:10.1080/08912963.2012.672416. S2CID130423764.
^ abNorman; David B. (2010). "A taxonomy of iguanodontians (Dinosauria: Ornithopoda) from the lower Wealden Group (Cretaceous: Valanginian) of southern England". Zootaxa. 2489: 47–66. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.2489.1.3.
^José Ignacio Ruiz-Omeñaca; José Ignacio Canudo; Gloria Cuenca-Bescós; Penélope Cruzado-Caballero; José Manuel Gasca; Miguel Moreno-Azanza (2012). "A new basal ornithopod dinosaur from the Barremian of Galve, Spain". Comptes Rendus Palevol. 11 (6): 435–444. Bibcode:2012CRPal..11..435R. doi:10.1016/j.crpv.2012.06.001.
^ abMichael J. Ryan; David C. Evans; Philip J. Currie; Caleb M. Brown; Don Brinkman (2012). "New leptoceratopsids from the Upper Cretaceous of Alberta, Canada". Cretaceous Research. 35: 69–80. Bibcode:2012CrRes..35...69R. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2011.11.018.
^Angel Alejandro Ramírez-Velasco; Mouloud Benammi; Albert Prieto-Márquez; Jesús Alvarado Ortega; René Hernández-Rivera (2012). "Huehuecanauhtlus tiquichensis, a new hadrosauroid dinosaur (Ornithischia: Ornithopoda) from the Santonian (Late Cretaceous) of Michoacán, Mexico". Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences. 49 (2): 379–395. Bibcode:2012CaJES..49..379R. doi:10.1139/e11-062.
^Emanuel Tschopp; Octávio Mateus (2013). "The skull and neck of a new flagellicaudatan sauropod from the Morrison Formation and its implication for the evolution and ontogeny of diplodocid dinosaurs". Journal of Systematic Palaeontology. 11 (7): 853–888. Bibcode:2013JSPal..11..853T. doi:10.1080/14772019.2012.746589. hdl:2318/1525401. S2CID59581535.
^Albert Prieto-Márquez; Claudia Inés Serrano Brañas (2012). "Latirhinus uitstlani, a 'broad-nosed' saurolophine hadrosaurid (Dinosauria, Ornithopoda) from the late Campanian (Cretaceous) of northern Mexico". Historical Biology: An International Journal of Paleobiology. 24 (6): 607–619. Bibcode:2012HBio...24..607P. doi:10.1080/08912963.2012.671311. S2CID128964878.
^Ángel Alejandro Ramírez-Velasco; Luis Espinosa-Arrubarrena; Jesús Alvarado-Ortega (2021). "Review of the taxonomic affinities of Latirhinus uitstlani, an emblematic Mexican hadrosaurid". Journal of South American Earth Sciences. 110: Article 103391. Bibcode:2021JSAES.11003391R. doi:10.1016/j.jsames.2021.103391.
^En-Pu Gong; Larry D. Martin; David A. Burnham; Amanda R. Falk & Lian-Hai Hou (2012). "A new species of Microraptor from the Jehol Biota of northeastern China". Palaeoworld. 21 (2): 81–91. doi:10.1016/j.palwor.2012.05.003.
^Buffetaut, Eric (2012). "An early spinosaurid dinosaur from the Late Jurassic of Tendaguru (Tanzania) and the evolution of the spinosaurid dentition". Oryctos. 10: 1–8.
^Andrea Cau; Fabio M. Dalla Vecchia; Matteo Fabbri (2013). "A thick-skulled theropod (Dinosauria, Saurischia) from the Upper Cretaceous of Morocco with implications for carcharodontosaurid cranial evolution". Cretaceous Research. 40: 251–260. Bibcode:2013CrRes..40..251C. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2012.09.002.
^Storrs L. Olson (2012). "A new species of small owl of the genus Aegolius (Aves: Strigidae) from Quaternary deposits on Bermuda". Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington. 125 (2): 97–105. doi:10.2988/11-36.1. S2CID86827777.
^Daniel T. Ksepka; Julia A. Clarke (2012). "A new stem parrot from the Green River Formation and the complex evolution of the grasping foot in Pan-Psittaciformes". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 32 (2): 395–406. Bibcode:2012JVPal..32..395K. doi:10.1080/02724634.2012.641704. S2CID85308803.
^Vanesa L. De Pietri; Gerald Mayr; R. Paul Scofield (2019). "Becassius charadriioides, an early Miocene pratincole-like bird from France: with comments on the early evolutionary history of the Glareolidae (Aves, Charadriiformes)". PalZ. 94 (1): 107–124. doi:10.1007/s12542-019-00469-8. S2CID197556472.
^ abcLarry D. Martin; Evgeny N. Kurochkin; Tim T. Tokaryk (2012). "A new evolutionary lineage of diving birds from the Late Cretaceous of North America and Asia". Palaeoworld. 21 (1): 59–63. doi:10.1016/j.palwor.2012.02.005.
^Nikita V. Zelenkov (2017). "The revised avian fauna of Rudabànya (Hungary, Late Miocene)". Contribuciones del Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "Bernardino Rivadavia". 7: 253–266.
^Gerald Mayr; Evgenij Zvonok (2012). "A new genus and species of Pelagornithidae with well-preserved pseudodentition and further avian remains from the middle Eocene of the Ukraine". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 32 (4): 914–925. Bibcode:2012JVPal..32..914M. doi:10.1080/02724634.2012.676114. S2CID86572964.
^Storrs L. Olson; David B. Wingate (2012). "A new species of towhee (Aves: Emberizidae: Pipilo) from Quaternary deposits on Bermuda". Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington. 125 (1): 85–96. doi:10.2988/11-21.1. S2CID128495407.
^Min Wang; Gerald Mayr; Jiangyong Zhang; Zhonghe Zhou (2012). "Two New Skeletons of the Enigmatic, Rail-like Avian Taxon Songzia Hou, 1990 (Songziidae) from the Early Eocene of China". Alcheringa. 36 (4): 487–499. Bibcode:2012Alch...36..487W. doi:10.1080/03115518.2012.673302. S2CID83880203.
^Fernando E. Novas; Martin Kundrat; Federico L. Agnolín; Martín D. Ezcurra; Per Erik Ahlberg; Marcelo P. Isasi; Alberto Arriagada; Pablo Chafrat (2012). "A new large pterosaur from the Late Cretaceous of Patagonia". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 32 (6): 1447–1452. Bibcode:2012JVPal..32.1447N. doi:10.1080/02724634.2012.703979. hdl:11336/98097. S2CID84340520.
^Lü Junchang; Ji Qiang; Wei Xuefang; Liu Yongqing (2012). "A new ctenochasmatoid pterosaur from the Early Cretaceous Yixian Formation of western Liaoning, China". Cretaceous Research. 34: 26–30. Bibcode:2012CrRes..34...26L. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2011.09.010.
^Xiaolin Wang; Alexander W. A. Kellner; Shunxing Jiang; Xin Cheng (2012). "New toothed flying reptile from Asia: close similarities between early Cretaceous pterosaur faunas from China and Brazil". Naturwissenschaften. 99 (4): 249–257. Bibcode:2012NW.....99..249W. doi:10.1007/s00114-012-0889-1. PMID22354475. S2CID7323552.
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