Delapparentia
Encyclopedia
Delapparentia is a genus
of iguanodont
dinosaur
from the Early Cretaceous
period of Galve
, Teruel Province, Spain
.
The type specimen, MPT/I.G, was found in the Spring of 1958 by amateur palaeontologist José María Herrero Marzo. From 25 September 1958 it was collected by Professor Dimas Femández-Galiano, assisted by a Dutch team from the University of Utrecht led by Gustav Heinrich Ralph von Koenigswald
. The finds were originally assigned to Iguanodon
bernissartensis by Albert-Félix de Lapparent
in 1960. In 2006 José Ignacio Ruiz-Omeñaca named it Delapparentia turolensis in a dissertation. Such a nomen ex dissertatione being invalid, he validly named it in 2011
. The generic name honours de Lapparent. The specific name is derived from the Latin
name of Teruel, Turia.
The holotype
was discovered and collected from La Maca 3 locality in the Camarillas Formation
of Galve
dating to the early Barremian
stage (about 130-127 million years ago). The holotype
is a partial skeleton
lacking the skull, of an adult individual. It consists of four cervical vertebrae, twenty-eight neurapophyses, two sacral vertebrae, fourteen caudal vertebrae, fragments of cervical, dorsal and sternal rib
s, fragments of five chevrons, numerous ossified tendons and a left pubis
and ilium. Some other bones, misidentified by de Lapparent as those of the sauropod Aragosaurus
, were referred to Delapparentia, among them an ischium. Several autapomorphies (unique characteristics) of Delapparentia were established: posterior dorsal ribs with long, parallel and unfused capitula and tubercula, ossified sternal ribs, and a straight and lateromedially expanded preacetabular process of the ilium
. It also presents a unique combination of anterior dorsal ribs with a pneumatic foramen and an ischium that is large in relation to the ilium.
Delapparentia was a large species, about 15% longer than Iguanodon bernissartensis. The length has been estimated at ten metres, the weight at 3.5 tonnes. The ilium is 78 centimetres long.
Delapparentia was by Ruiz-Omeñaca assigned to the Iguanodontoidea in 2011.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of iguanodont
Iguanodont
Iguanodonts were herbivorous dinosaurs that lived from the mid-Jurassic to Late Cretaceous. Some members include Camptosaurus, Callovosaurus, Iguanodon, Ouranosaurus, and the hadrosaurids or "duck-billed dinosaurs". Iguanodonts were one of the first groups of dinosaurs to be found...
dinosaur
Dinosaur
Dinosaurs are a diverse group of animals of the clade and superorder Dinosauria. They were the dominant terrestrial vertebrates for over 160 million years, from the late Triassic period until the end of the Cretaceous , when the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event led to the extinction of...
from the Early Cretaceous
Early Cretaceous
The Early Cretaceous or the Lower Cretaceous , is the earlier or lower of the two major divisions of the Cretaceous...
period of Galve
Galve
Galve can refer to:* Lake Galvė in Lithuania* Galve, Teruel, a town in Teruel, Spain* Galve de Sorbe, a town in Guadalajara, Spain...
, Teruel Province, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
.
The type specimen, MPT/I.G, was found in the Spring of 1958 by amateur palaeontologist José María Herrero Marzo. From 25 September 1958 it was collected by Professor Dimas Femández-Galiano, assisted by a Dutch team from the University of Utrecht led by Gustav Heinrich Ralph von Koenigswald
Gustav Heinrich Ralph von Koenigswald
Professor Dr. Gustav Heinrich Ralph von Koenigswald was a distinguished paleontologist and geologist who conducted research on hominins, including Homo erectus. Ralph von Koenigswald made many contributions to paleontology during his career...
. The finds were originally assigned to Iguanodon
Iguanodon
Iguanodon is a genus of ornithopod dinosaur that lived roughly halfway between the first of the swift bipedal hypsilophodontids and the ornithopods' culmination in the duck-billed dinosaurs...
bernissartensis by Albert-Félix de Lapparent
Albert-Félix de Lapparent
Albert-Félix de Lapparent was a French palaeontologist. He was also a Sulpician priest. He undertook a number of fossil-hunting explorations in the Sahara desert. He contributed greatly to our knowledge of dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures...
in 1960. In 2006 José Ignacio Ruiz-Omeñaca named it Delapparentia turolensis in a dissertation. Such a nomen ex dissertatione being invalid, he validly named it in 2011
2011 in paleontology
-Lobopods:-Arachnids:-Insects:-Newly named jawless vertebrates:-Newly named acanthodian:-Newly named cartilaginous fishes:-Newly named bony fishes:-Newly named lepospondyls:-Newly named temnospondyls:-Newly named lissamphibians:...
. The generic name honours de Lapparent. The specific name is derived from the Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
name of Teruel, Turia.
The holotype
Holotype
A holotype is a single physical example of an organism, known to have been used when the species was formally described. It is either the single such physical example or one of several such, but explicitly designated as the holotype...
was discovered and collected from La Maca 3 locality in the Camarillas Formation
Camarillas Formation
The Camarillas Formation is a geological formation in Teruel and La Rioja, Spain whose strata date back to the Early Cretaceous. Dinosaur remains have been recovered from the formation.-Vertebrate paleofauna:* cf Pleurocoelus sp....
of Galve
Galve
Galve can refer to:* Lake Galvė in Lithuania* Galve, Teruel, a town in Teruel, Spain* Galve de Sorbe, a town in Guadalajara, Spain...
dating to the early Barremian
Barremian
The Barremian is an age in the geologic timescale between 130.0 ± 1.5 Ma and 125.0 ± 1.0 Ma). It is a subdivision of the Early Cretaceous epoch...
stage (about 130-127 million years ago). The holotype
Holotype
A holotype is a single physical example of an organism, known to have been used when the species was formally described. It is either the single such physical example or one of several such, but explicitly designated as the holotype...
is a partial skeleton
Skeleton
The skeleton is the body part that forms the supporting structure of an organism. There are two different skeletal types: the exoskeleton, which is the stable outer shell of an organism, and the endoskeleton, which forms the support structure inside the body.In a figurative sense, skeleton can...
lacking the skull, of an adult individual. It consists of four cervical vertebrae, twenty-eight neurapophyses, two sacral vertebrae, fourteen caudal vertebrae, fragments of cervical, dorsal and sternal rib
Rib
In vertebrate anatomy, ribs are the long curved bones which form the rib cage. In most vertebrates, ribs surround the chest, enabling the lungs to expand and thus facilitate breathing by expanding the chest cavity. They serve to protect the lungs, heart, and other internal organs of the thorax...
s, fragments of five chevrons, numerous ossified tendons and a left pubis
Pubis (bone)
In vertebrates, the pubic bone is the ventral and anterior of the three principal bones composing either half of the pelvis.It is covered by a layer of fat, which is covered by the mons pubis....
and ilium. Some other bones, misidentified by de Lapparent as those of the sauropod Aragosaurus
Aragosaurus
Aragosaurus was a genus of sauropod dinosaur from the Early Cretaceous period of Galve, province of Teruel, in the autonomous territory of Aragón, Spain....
, were referred to Delapparentia, among them an ischium. Several autapomorphies (unique characteristics) of Delapparentia were established: posterior dorsal ribs with long, parallel and unfused capitula and tubercula, ossified sternal ribs, and a straight and lateromedially expanded preacetabular process of the ilium
Ilium (bone)
The ilium is the uppermost and largest bone of the pelvis, and appears in most vertebrates including mammals and birds, but not bony fish. All reptiles have an ilium except snakes, although some snake species have a tiny bone which is considered to be an ilium.The name comes from the Latin ,...
. It also presents a unique combination of anterior dorsal ribs with a pneumatic foramen and an ischium that is large in relation to the ilium.
Delapparentia was a large species, about 15% longer than Iguanodon bernissartensis. The length has been estimated at ten metres, the weight at 3.5 tonnes. The ilium is 78 centimetres long.
Delapparentia was by Ruiz-Omeñaca assigned to the Iguanodontoidea in 2011.