An enigmatic plant-eating theropod from the Late Jurassic period of Chile.
Theropod dinosaurs were the dominant predators in most Mesozoic era terrestrial ecosystems. Early theropod evolution is currently interpreted as the diversification of various carnivorous and cursorial taxa, whereas the acquisition of herbivorism, together with the secondary loss of cursorial adaptations, occurred much later among advanced coelurosaurian theropods. A new, bizarre herbivorous basal tetanuran from the Upper Jurassic of Chile challenges this conception. The new dinosaur was discovered at Aysén, a fossil locality in the Upper Jurassic Toqui Formation of southern Chile (General Carrera Lake). The site yielded abundant and exquisitely preserved three-dimensional skeletons of small archosaurs. Several articulated individuals of Chilesaurus at different ontogenetic stages have been collected, as well as less abundant basal crocodyliforms, and fragmentary remains of sauropod dinosaurs (diplodocids and titanosaurians).
1] Conicet, Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "B. Rivadavia", Av. Ángel Gallardo 470 (C1405DJR), Buenos Aires, Argentina [2] Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "B. Rivadavia", Av. Ángel Gallardo 470 (C1405DJR), Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Fernando E
FE
Novas
1] Conicet, Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "B. Rivadavia", Av. Ángel Gallardo 470 (C1405DJR), Buenos Aires, Argentina [2] Conicet, Instituto de Investigación en Paleobiología y Geología, Universidad Nacional de Río Negro, General Roca 1242, General Roca (8332), Río Negro, Argentina [3] Instituto de Investigación en Paleobiología y Geología, Universidad Nacional de Río Negro, General Roca 1242, General Roca (8332), Río Negro, Argentina.
Leonardo
L
Salgado
Universidad Andres Bello, Geología, Facultad de Ingeniería, Sazie 2315, Santiago, Chile.
Manuel
M
Suárez
1] Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "B. Rivadavia", Av. Ángel Gallardo 470 (C1405DJR), Buenos Aires, Argentina [2] Fundación de Historia Natural Félix de Azara, Universidad Maimónides, Hidalgo 775(C1405BDB), Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Federico L
FL
Agnolín
School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK.
Martín D
MD
Ezcurra
Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "B. Rivadavia", Av. Ángel Gallardo 470 (C1405DJR), Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Nicolás R
NR
Chimento
Servicio Nacional de Geología y Minería, Avenida Santa María 0104, Santiago 8330177, Chile.
Rita
R
de la Cruz
1] Conicet, Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "B. Rivadavia", Av. Ángel Gallardo 470 (C1405DJR), Buenos Aires, Argentina [2] Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "B. Rivadavia", Av. Ángel Gallardo 470 (C1405DJR), Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Marcelo P
MP
Isasi
Red Paleontológica U-Chile. Laboratorio de Ontogenia y Filogenia, Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago 7800003, Chile.
Alexander O
AO
Vargas
1] Red Paleontológica U-Chile. Laboratorio de Ontogenia y Filogenia, Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago 7800003, Chile [2] Área Paleontología, Museo Nacional de Historia Natural de Chile, casilla 787, Santiago, Chile.
David
D
Rubilar-Rogers
D000818:Animals; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D002677:Chile; D025061:Dinosaurs / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000145:classification / Q000502:physiology*; D005580:Fossils; D060434:Herbivory; D010802:Phylogeny; D014070:Tooth / Q000033:anatomy & histology