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Intestinal preservation in a birdlike dinosaur supports conservatism in digestive canal evolution among theropods

Authors :
Xuri Wang
Andrea Cau
Bin Guo
Feimin Ma
Gele Qing
Yichuan Liu
Source :
Scientific Reports, Vol 12, Iss 1, Pp 1-10 (2022)
Publication Year :
2022
Publisher :
Nature Portfolio, 2022.

Abstract

Abstract Dromaeosaurids were bird-like dinosaurs with a predatory ecology known to forage on fish, mammals and other dinosaurs. We describe Daurlong wangi gen. et sp. nov., a dromaeosaurid from the Lower Cretaceous Jehol Biota of Inner Mongolia, China. Exceptional preservation in this specimen includes a large bluish layer in the abdomen which represents one of the few occurrences of intestinal remnants among non-avian dinosaurs. Phylogenetically, Daurlong nests among a lineage of short-armed Jehol Biota species closer to eudromaeosaurs than microraptorines. The topographic correspondence between the exceptionally preserved intestine in the more stem-ward Scipionyx and the remnants in the more birdlike Daurlong provides a phylogenetic framework for inferring intestine tract extent in other theropods lacking fossilized visceral tissues. Gastrointestinal organization results conservative among faunivorous dinosaurs, with the evolution of a bird-like alimentary canal restricted to avialan theropods.

Subjects

Subjects :
Medicine
Science

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
20452322
Volume :
12
Issue :
1
Database :
Directory of Open Access Journals
Journal :
Scientific Reports
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
edsdoj.6607ddb45548bf8be07e96c6854a9b
Document Type :
article
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-24602-x