Cariocecus
Named for Cariocecus (also spelled Cariociecus), the Iberian god of war who became syncretized with Mars and Ares.
Cariocecus bocagei is an extinct species of hadrosauroid ornithopod dinosaurs known from the Early Cretaceous of what is now Portugal. C. bocagei is the only species in the genus Cariocecus. It is known from a partial skull that was discovered in 2016 and subsequently given a scientific name and description in 2025. This specimen represents the first iguanodontian skull to be found in the country.
Under dispute
Cariocecus bocagei is a basal hadrosauroid from the Lower Cretaceous of Portugal described by Bertozzo and colleagues (2025).
Diagnosis
- Rostral ramus of the jugal completely co-ossified to the maxilla, forming a single bone unit
- Supraorbital bone articulates solely with the lachrymal, with no contact with the prefrontal
- Trilobated shape of the dorsal border of the ascending process of the supraoccipital
Species
Cariocecus bocagei Bertozzo et al., 2025
Type species
Named in honor of the Portuguese naturalist Jose Vicente Barbosa du Bocage, in recognition of Bocage's academic work and impact.
- Holotype
- SHN.832 , Sociedade de Historia Natural
- Material
- Partial skull comprising premaxilla, nasals, right maxilla with 12 teeth, jugal, ectopterygoid, lachrymal, prefrontal, supraorbital, frontals, postorbital, and a near-complete basicranium.
- Horizon
- upper Papo Seco Formation, Barremian, Early Cretaceous , 125.8–121.4 million years ago
- Locality
- Praia do Areia do Mastro, Setúbal, Portugal
References
- Bertozzo, F.; Camilo, B.; Araújo, R.; Manucci, F.; Kullberg, J. C.; Cerio, D. G.; de Carvalho, V. F.; Marrecas, P.; Figueiredo, S. D.; Godefroit, P. (2025). Cariocecus bocagei, a new basal hadrosauroid from the Lower Cretaceous of Portugal. Journal of Systematic Palaeontology 23(1). doi:10.1080/14772019.2025.2536347 bertozzo2025a