Open Paleo

Levnesovia

Sues & Averianov, 2009 lev-neh-SO-vee-uh

Named in honor of the late Russian paleontologist Lev Nessov; the suffix '-ia' is a standard Latinized honorific formation

93.9–89.8 million years ago Turonian, Late Cretaceous
Late Cretaceous stages

Levnesovia is a genus of hadrosauroid dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous (Turonian) Bissekty Formation of Uzbekistan. It was related to Bactrosaurus. The type species is L. transoxiana. The genus name honors the late Russian paleontologist Lev Nessov, and the specific name refers to the ancient region Transoxiana. It is known from partial skulls, maxillae, dentaries and numerous bones of the postcranial skeleton.

Diagnosis

  1. Tall sagittal crest on parietals, low anteriorly but tall posteriorly with prominent sinusoidal groove
  2. Absence of lacrimal process on prefrontal
  3. Absence of club-shaped neural spines on dorsal vertebrae in adults
  4. Dentary tooth row bows lingually in dorsal view and terminates only slightly behind apex of coronoid process
  5. Predentary gracile and shovel-shaped with gently rounded anterior margin
  6. Coronoid process nearly vertical with distinct coronoid facet on medial aspect

Species

Levnesovia transoxiana Sues & Averianov, 2009

Type species

Named for Transoxiana, the ancient region of Central Asia where the fossils were found, corresponding to modern Uzbekistan.

Holotype
USNM 538191 , National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution
Material
Postorbital region of skull roof with nearly complete braincase.
Horizon
Bissekty Formation, Turonian, Late Cretaceous , 93.9–89.8 million years ago
Locality
Dzharakuduk, Navoiy, Uzbekistan

References

  1. Sues, H. D.; Averianov, A. (2009). A new basal hadrosauroid dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous of Uzbekistan and the early radiation of duck-billed dinosaurs. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 276(1667): 2549-2555. The Royal Society. doi:10.1098/rspb.2009.0229 sues2009a