Gigantspinosaurus

Abstract: Dinosaur skin impressions are rare in the Upper Jurassic Morrison Formation, but different sites on the Howe Ranch in Wyoming (USA), comprising specimens from diplodocid, camarasaurid, allosaurid and stegosaurian dinosaurs, have proven to be a treasure-trove for these soft-tissue remains. Here we describe stegosaurian skin impressions from North America for the first time, as well as the first case of preservation of an impression of the integument that covered the dorsal plates of stegosaurian dinosaurs in life. Both have been found closely associated with bones of a specimen of the stegosaurian Hesperosaurus mjosi Carpenter, Miles and Cloward 2001. The scales of the skin impression of H. mjosi are very similar in shape and arrangement to those of Gigantspinosaurus sichuanensis Ouyang 1992, the only other stegosaurian dinosaur from which skin impressions have been described. Both taxa show a ground pattern of small polygonal scales, which in some places is interrupted by larger oval tubercles surrounded by the small scales, resulting in rosette-like structures. The respective phylogenetic positions of G. sichuanensis as a basal stegosaurian and H. mjosi as a derived form suggest that most stegosaurians had very similar skin structures, which also match the most common textures known in dinosaurs. The integumentary impression from the dorsal plate brings new data to the long-lasting debate concerning the function of dorsal plates in stegosaurian dinosaurs. Unlike usual dinosaur skin impressions, the integument covering the dorsal plates does not show any scale-like texture. It is smooth with long and parallel, shallow grooves, a structure that is interpreted as representing a keratinous covering of the plates. The presence of such a keratinous covering has affects on all the existing theories concerning the function of stegosaurian plates, including defense, thermoregulation, and display, but does not permit to rule out any of them.

Abstract: A skin impression fossil of Gigantspinosaurus sichuanensis was found in the Upper Jurassic Shangshaximiao Formation in Zigong,Sichuan.The fossil,preserved on the dorsal face of the left shoulder,clearly shows scales of Gigantspinosaurus sichuanensis.These scales are generally arranged as a net,and most of them are pentagonal,a few being quadrilateral and hexagonal.The maximum inner radius of most scales range from 5.7 to 9.2 mm.The scales are connected with each other by grooves.Scattered within small scales are a few pentagonal or hexagonal large scales,with each large scale surrounded by 13-14 scales.The surface of the scales is rough with string-like ridges.The stringy ridge on the scales made the surface of the scales uneven and thus may reduce the glare caused by reflected light.Based on the primary burial location and distribution of the scales,the authors believe that the skin impression fossil of Gigantspinosaurus sichuanensis is from the elbow of the forelimb,relevant upper arm and lateral area of the body.

Abstract: We report a case of a specific osteopathy in the stegosaurian dinosaur Gigantspinosaurus sichuanensis from the Late Jurassic of Zigong City, China. The G. sichuanensis skeleton is very complete. Th...

Abstract: Gigantspinosaurus sichuanensis is one of the six Stegosauria genera discovered from the Sichuan basin, which preserves the first skin impressions of stegosaurs around the world and a huge pair of ‘comma’ -shaped parascapular spines kept in situ, and being named after the latter feature. The holotype was firstly named and reported in an abstract of a lecture by Ouyang, 1992, since when it has never been detailed studied and the taxonomic position of Gigantspinosaurus is also vague. The morphological redescription shows that G. sichuanensis is a medium-sized stegosaur, with external mandibular foramen developed. The ratio of femur to humerus is large, and the intersacral fenestrae are big. According to the wear degree of teeth, the holotype of G. sichuanensis is regarded as an adult individual. On the basis of the recent data matrix of stegosaurs and the characters revisions of G. sichuanensis, its phylogenetic position has been determined again. By our detailed morphological and phylogenetic analysis, G. sichuanensis is considered to inherit some primitive traits, but it is more derived than Huayangosaurus, and located in a transitional position between Huayangosaurus and Tuojiangosaurus, as a kind of evolved stegosaurs. The ancestors of Stegosauria are small and quadruped, with primitive ornithopod-like skull, and grow leaf-shaped teeth, a large number of bone plates.