Exploring the diversity and disparity of rhabdodontomorph ornithopods from the Late Cretaceous European archipelago by Lukasz Czepinski，Daniel Madzia ISBN 101038/S4159802598083Z instant download

Exploring the diversity and disparity of rhabdodontomorph ornithopods from the Late Cretaceous European archipelago by Lukasz Czepinski，Daniel Madzia ISBN 101038/S4159802598083Z instant download

poorly understood, with conflicting phylogenetic hypotheses regarding rootward neornithischian

relationships. Some topological stability is inferred near the basal divergence of Iguanodontia, though

the ingroup relationships remain unclear. For instance, Rhabdodontidae, a clade of Late Cretaceous

European ornithopods ‘traditionally’ considered to include eight to nine species, presents significant

taxonomic challenges. We explore the diversity and disparity of European Rhabdodon-lineage

iguanodontians. We assembled a novel dataset comprising morphological and morphometric data

obtained from rhabdodontomorph dentaries, which are abundant, well-preserved in the majority

of the taxa, and distinctive. Special attention is given to Rhabdodon septimanicus, a poorly known

taxon from the upper Campanian to lower Maastrichtian of southern France, established based on a

particularly robust dentary bone that has been subjected to conflicting taxonomic interpretations.

Our restudy of the specimen, combined with a multivariate and phylogenetic assessment, shows

that this taxon is a clear morphological outlier among European rhabdodontomorphs, providing a

basis for its assignment to a new genus, Obelignathus.Although further large-scale studies, especially

detailed osteological descriptions, are needed to clarify the taxonomic significance of certain European

rhabdodontomorphs, our results indicate that the group exhibits greater diversity than currently

recognized, with several sympatric taxa co-occurring, at least in southern France and possibly also in

Romania.