title: A ceratopsian dinosaur from China and the early evolution of Ceratopsia.
abstract: Ceratopsians (horned dinosaurs) represent one of the last and the most diverse radiations of non-avian dinosaurs. Although recent systematic work unanimously supports a basal division of Ceratopsia into parrot-like psittacosaurids and frilled neoceratopsians, the early evolution of the group remains poorly understood, mainly owing to its incomplete early fossil record. Here we describe a primitive ceratopsian from China. Cladistic analysis posits this new species as the most basal neoceratopsian. This new taxon demonstrates that some neoceratopsian characters evolved in a more incremental fashion than previously known and also implies mosaic evolution of characters early in ceratopsian history.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100044, China. xxu@midwest.com.cn
authors.forename: Xing
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Peter J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Makovicky
authors.forename: Xiao-lin
authors.initials: XL
authors.lastname: Wang Xl
authors.forename: Mark A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Norell
authors.forename: Hai-lu
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: You Hl
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D002681:China; D025061:Dinosaurs / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000145:classification; D005580:Fossils; D010802:Phylogeny; D012886:Skull / Q000033:anatomy & histology