Open Paleo

Orodrominae

Brown et al., 2013 Type genus Orodromeus

Its genera lived 121.4–72.2 million years ago Early Cretaceous–Late Cretaceous
Early Cretaceous and Late Cretaceous stages

Orodrominae is one of the two subfamilies of Thescelosauridae, a group of small plant-eating neornithischian dinosaurs from the Cretaceous of North America. It gathers genera such as Orodromeus, Oryctodromeus, Zephyrosaurus, and Albertadromeus, and is defined as the thescelosaurids more closely related to Orodromeus than to Thescelosaurus. Like other thescelosaurids, its members were highly selective browsers that likely fed mainly on soft, pulpy plant material. Several orodromines show skeletal features associated with a burrowing lifestyle; Oryctodromeus in particular has been found preserved inside fossil burrows, its bones packed tightly together in a way rarely seen when a carcass is left exposed.

Diagnosis

  1. Sharp, pronounced scapular spine
  2. D-shaped fibular shaft cross-section throughout its length
  3. Long ventral process of the squamosal
  4. Sharp ventral keel on the cervical vertebrae

Genera placed directly in Orodrominae

  • Albertadromeus Brown et al., 2013 Campanian (83.6–72.2 Ma)Canada
  • Koreanosaurus Huh et al., 2011 Campanian (83.6–72.2 Ma)South Korea
  • Orodromeus Horner & Weishampel, 1988 Campanian (83.6–72.2 Ma)United States
  • Oryctodromeus Varricchio et al., 2007 Cenomanian (100.5–93.9 Ma)United Statesunder dispute
  • Zephyrosaurus Sues, 1980 Aptian (121.4–113.2 Ma)United States

References

  1. Brown, C. M.; Evans, D. C.; Ryan, M. J.; Russell, A. P. (2013). New data on the diversity and abundance of small-bodied ornithopods (Dinosauria, Ornithischia) from the Belly River Group (Campanian) of Alberta. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 33(3): 495-520. Informa UK Limited. doi:10.1080/02724634.2013.746229

    Erected Orodrominae.

    brown2013a
  2. Madzia, D.; Arbour, V. M.; Boyd, C. A.; Farke, A. A.; Cruzado-Caballero, P.; Evans, D. C. (2021). The phylogenetic nomenclature of ornithischian dinosaurs. PeerJ 9: e12362. doi:10.7717/peerj.12362

    Provides the modern phylogenetic definition of Orodrominae.

    madzia2021a