Open Paleo

Citipes

Funston, 2020 sit-eye-pez /ˈsɪtipɛz/

From Latin 'citus' meaning 'swift' or 'fleet' and 'pes' meaning 'foot', translating to 'fleet-footed'.

83.6–72.2 million years ago Campanian, Late Cretaceous
Late Cretaceous stages

Citipes is an extinct genus of caenagnathid theropod from the Late Cretaceous Dinosaur Park Formation in Alberta, Canada. The genus contains only one species, the type species, C. elegans. The generic name of Citipes is Latin for "fleet-footed", and the specific epithet "elegans" is Latin for "elegant". The type specimen of Citipes has a convoluted taxonomic history, and has been previously assigned to the genera Ornithomimus, Macrophalangia, Elmisaurus, Chirostenotes, and Leptorhynchos before being given its own genus in 2020.

Diagnosis

  1. Distal tarsals III and IV coossified with each other and proximal metatarsus at maturity
  2. Metatarsals II and IV lacking posteriorly protruding proximal ends (in contrast to Elmisaurus rarus)
  3. Metatarsal III with prominent cruciate ridges on posterior surface

Species

Citipes elegans Funston, 2020

Type species

From Latin 'elegans' meaning 'elegant'.

Holotype
ROM 781 , Royal Ontario Museum
Material
Partial tarsometatarsus.
Horizon
Dinosaur Park Formation, Campanian, Late Cretaceous , 83.6–72.2 million years ago
Locality
Dinosaur Provincial Park, Alberta, Canada

Notable specimens

  • TMP 1992.036.0476

    Royal Tyrrell Museum of Paleontology pathology

    Mostly complete ilium fractured during life along the surface between the pubic and ischiatic peduncles, with significant healing swelling that partly obscures the brevis fossa. Trabecular bone exposed by taphonomic breakage indicates the animal survived a while after the injury.

    Funston (2019)

References

  1. Funston, G. F. (2019). Anatomy, systematics, and evolution of Oviraptorosauria (Dinosauria, Theropoda). 463-479. Doctoral thesis, University of Alberta.

    Ph.D. thesis; Chapter 3, Caenagnathidae.

    funston2019a
  2. Funston, G. (2020). Caenagnathids of the Dinosaur Park Formation (Campanian) of Alberta, Canada: anatomy, osteohistology, taxonomy, and evolution. Vertebrate Anatomy Morphology Palaeontology 8: 105-153. University of Alberta Libraries. doi:10.18435/vamp29362 funston2020b