Open Paleo

Heyuanninae

Yun, 2019 Type genus Heyuannia

Its genera lived 85.7–66.0 million years ago Late Cretaceous
Late Cretaceous stages

Heyuanninae is a subfamily of oviraptorid dinosaurs, small bird-like theropods known from the Late Cretaceous of Asia, especially the Gobi Desert and southern China. Within Oviraptoridae it is traditionally set apart as the short-armed, mainly crestless branch, in contrast to the larger, long-armed, crested oviraptorines. Its members were small-handed and weakly clawed, with the hand progressively reduced across the group, and include such genera as Heyuannia, Conchoraptor, and Khaan. Like other oviraptorids they bore toothless, parrot-like beaks and are generally thought to have been primarily herbivorous or omnivorous, feeding on the tough, low-growing plants of the arid habitats where their fossils are most abundant. Lü and colleagues (2013) recover a paraphyletic Oviraptorinae, so the traditional two-way division of oviraptorids is not always recovered.

Diagnosis

  1. Small body size with a low, usually uncrested or weakly crested skull
  2. Progressive reduction and shortening of the manus, digit III reduced or lost
  3. Enlarged, robust first manual digit
  4. Synsacrum of seven to eight vertebrae

Genera placed directly in Heyuanninae

  • Conchoraptor Barsbold, 1986 Santonian–Maastrichtian (85.7–66.0 Ma)Mongolia
  • Gobiraptor Lee et al., 2019 Maastrichtian (72.2–66.0 Ma)Mongolia
  • Heyuannia Lü, 2002 Maastrichtian (72.2–66.0 Ma)China
  • Jiangxisaurus Wei et al., 2013 Maastrichtian (72.2–66.0 Ma)China
  • Khaan Clark et al., 2001 Campanian (83.6–72.2 Ma)Mongolia
  • Machairasaurus Longrich et al., 2010 Campanian (83.6–72.2 Ma)China
  • Nemegtomaia Lü et al., 2005 Campanian–Maastrichtian (83.6–66.0 Ma)Mongolia
  • Oksoko Funston et al., 2020 Maastrichtian (72.2–66.0 Ma)Mongolia
  • Shixinggia Lü & Zhang, 2005 Maastrichtian (72.2–66.0 Ma)Chinaunder dispute

Synonyms

Name Type Reason
Ingeniinae preoccupied Family-group name whose type genus, Ingenia Barsbold, 1981, is preoccupied; Yun (2019) coined Heyuanninae as its replacement.

References

  1. Yun, C. G. (2019). Heyuanninae clade nov., a replacement name for the oviraptorid subfamily "Ingeniinae" Barsbold, 1981. Zootaxa 4671(2): 295-296. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4671.2.11

    Coined Heyuanninae as a replacement name for Ingeniinae, whose type genus is preoccupied, and defined it as the least inclusive clade containing Heyuannia huangi and Conchoraptor gracilis.

    yun2019a
  2. Funston, G. F.; Chinzorig, T.; Tsogtbaatar, K.; Kobayashi, Y.; Sullivan, C.; Currie, P. J. (2020). A new two-fingered dinosaur sheds light on the radiation of Oviraptorosauria. Royal Society Open Science 7(10): 201184. The Royal Society. doi:10.1098/rsos.201184

    Recovered Heyuanninae in the analysis describing Oksoko, and traced the reduction of the forelimb and third digit to within the clade.

    funston2020a
  3. Barsbold, R. (1981). Bezzubyye khishchnyye dinozavry Mongolii [Toothless carnivorous dinosaurs of Mongolia]. Sovmestnaia Sovetsko-Mongol'skaia Paleontologicheskaia Ekspeditsiia Trudy 15: 28-39.

    Erected the subfamily as Ingeniinae (type genus Ingenia), later replaced by Heyuanninae.

    barsbold1981a
  4. Lü, J.; Currie, P. J.; Xu, L.; Zhang, X.; Pu, H.; Jia, S. (2013). Chicken-sized oviraptorid dinosaurs from central China and their ontogenetic implications. Naturwissenschaften 100(2): 165-175. Springer Science and Business Media LLC. doi:10.1007/s00114-012-1007-0

    Described chicken-sized oviraptorids from central China and recovered Oviraptorinae as paraphyletic.

    lü2013d