Open Paleo

Ningyuansaurus

Ji et al., 2012

Derived from Ningyuan, an ancient name for Xingcheng City in western Liaoning Province, China, combined with Greek sauros meaning 'lizard'

125.8–121.4 million years ago Barremian, Early Cretaceous
Early Cretaceous stages

Ningyuansaurus is a pennaraptoran dinosaur genus. It contains the single species Ningyuansaurus wangi, known from a fossil specimen from the Early Cretaceous Yixian Formation (Aptian stage, 124.6 Ma ago) of Jianchang, western Liaoning Province, People's Republic of China. It was originally thought to be the basalmost species of oviraptorosaur, based on its long skull and a greater number of teeth in comparison to any other known oviraptorosaur. However, later analyses have variously recovered it outside Oviraptorosauria, as a halszkaraptorine or a basal troodontid, and its affinities remain unresolved. The generic name Ningyuansaurus is derived from Ningyuan, an ancient name for Xingcheng City. The specific name honors Wang Qiuwu, the private owner of the specimen who donated it for scientific study. The specimen is now in the Confuciusornis Museum in Xingcheng.

Under dispute

The affinities of Ningyuansaurus are unresolved and it may lie outside Oviraptorosauria. The original description (Ji and colleagues, 2012) recovered it as the basalmost oviraptorosaur, but Hartman and colleagues (2019) instead recovered it as a halszkaraptorine dromaeosaurid (sister to Mahakala), and Cau and Madzia (2021) recovered it under equal weighting as a basal troodontid within Sinovenatorinae, shifting to a basal oviraptorosaur only under implied weighting. It is therefore placed conservatively at Maniraptora.

Diagnosis

  1. At least 10 upper and 14 lower jaw teeth on each side
  2. Femur much longer than ilium
  3. Distal caudal vertebrae much elongated

Species

Ningyuansaurus wangi Ji et al., 2012

Type species

Named for Wang Qiuwu, the private owner of the specimen who donated it for scientific study.

Holotype
Not catalogued , Confuciusornis Museum (uncatalogued)
Material
Nearly complete skeleton with skull and lower jaw, preserved as slab and counter-slab
Horizon
Yixian Formation, Barremian, Early Cretaceous , 125.8–121.4 million years ago
Locality
Lamadong, Liaoning, China

References

  1. Ji, Q.; Lü, J. C.; Wei, X. F.; Wang, X. R. (2012). A new oviraptorosaur from the Yixian Formation of Jianching, western Liaoning Province, China. Geological Bulletin of China 31(12): 2102-2107. ji2012a
  2. Hartman, S.; Mortimer, M.; Wahl, W. R.; Lomax, D. R.; Lippincott, J.; Lovelace, D. M. (2019). A new paravian dinosaur from the Late Jurassic of North America supports a late acquisition of avian flight. PeerJ 7: e7247. PeerJ. doi:10.7717/peerj.7247

    New paravian dinosaur study recovered Ningyuansaurus as a halszkaraptorine dromaeosaurid.

    hartman2019a
  3. Cau, A.; Madzia, D. (2021). The phylogenetic affinities and morphological peculiarities of the bird-like dinosaur Borogovia gracilicrus from the Upper Cretaceous of Mongolia. PeerJ 9: e12640. PeerJ. doi:10.7717/peerj.12640

    Phylogenetic affinities study recovered Ningyuansaurus as a basal troodontid under equal weighting.

    cau2021a