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Endocranial morphology of Liaoceratops yanzigouensis (Dinosauria: Ceratopsia) from Early Cretaceous Jehol Biota of Liaoning in China.
- Source :
- Historical Biology; Mar2024, Vol. 36 Issue 3, p650-656, 7p
- Publication Year :
- 2024
-
Abstract
- Liaoceratops is a small basal neoceratopsian dinosaur from the Early Cretaceous Jehol Biota of western Liaoning, China. Because its postcranial skeleton is lacking, its behaviour and palaeoecology remain poorly understood. By using computed tomography (CT), we reconstructed the cranial endocast and endosseous labyrinths of an adult individual of Liaoceratops yanzigouensis (PMoL-AD00097). Analysis and comparisons indicate that the brain, olfactory bulb and inner ear of adult Liaoceratops more closely resemble those observed in adult specimens of the basal ceratopsian Psittacosaurus than those in more derived ceratopsians. The relatively large olfactory bulb, discernible floccular lobes, and relatively long semicircular canals suggest that the adult Liaoceratops had a keen sense of smell, a well-developed sensory input for the reflexive stabilisation of gaze and posture, and a nearly horizontal head posture. Based on its relatively short cochlear ducts, adult Liaoceratops likely vocalised at and heard more efficiently to relatively high frequencies than the derived ceratopsian Pachyrhinosaurus and Triceratops. The relatively well-developed semicircular canals suggest that adult Liaoceratops was agile biped and had a similar locomoter mode with adult Psittacosaurus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Subjects :
- BIOTIC communities
INNER ear
SEMICIRCULAR canals
DINOSAURS
OLFACTORY bulb
MORPHOLOGY
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 08912963
- Volume :
- 36
- Issue :
- 3
- Database :
- Complementary Index
- Journal :
- Historical Biology
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 175278039
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1080/08912963.2023.2180739