Early Evolution of Titanosauriform Sauropod Dinosaurs by Michael
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Early evolution of titanosauriform sauropod dinosaurs by Michael Daniel DʼEmic A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Geology) in The University of Michigan 2011 Committee: Associate Professor Jeffrey A. Wilson, chair Assistant Professor Catherine Badgley Professor Tomasz K. Baumiller Professor Daniel C. Fisher Professor Rob van der Voo © Michael DʼEmic 2011 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First, I would like to thank my dissertation committee: C. Badgley, T. Baumiller, D. Fisher, R. van der Voo, and J. A. Wilson for advice and guidance during the project. Special thanks to J. A. Wilson for constant support, guidance, and research opportunities over the years. Thanks for field assistance and support from P. Christenson, T. Churchill, B. Dauksewicz, B. Foreman, P. Gingerich, A. Hayden, D. Klein, S. Macone, C. Manz, K. Melstrom, D. Raisanen, A. Tillett, and C. Youngs. Thanks to M. Fox (YPM), D. Nixon (SMU), C. Manz, K. Melstrom, and B. Sanders (UM) for preparation. Special thanks to A. Pan, L. Ballinger (FWMSH) and D. Colodner (ASDM) for permission to destructively sample limb bones for histology, and M. Sander and K. Stein for helpful technical information about drilling sauropod bones. Thanks to D. C. Fisher for use of thin-sectioning equipment and K. M. Smith for assistance. J. A. Wilson, M. Wedel and R. Barnes kindly provided parts of figures 4.1, 4.6 and 4.7, respectively. Thanks to the administrative staff of the UM Geological Sciences Department, especially N. Kingsbury and A. Hudon for much help over the years. Collections managers and curators at the following institutions are thanked for their help and hospitality, without which this dissertation certainly would not have been possible: C. Mehling and M. Norell (American Museum of Natural History, New York City), W. Joyce and D. Brinkman (Yale Peabody Museum, New Haven), M. Carrano, C. Ito, and M. Brett-Surman (United States National Museum, Washington, D.C.), R. Sullivan (State Museum of Pennslyvania, Harrisburg), M. Lamanna and A. Henrici (Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Pittsburgh), B. Simpson (Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago), P. Sereno, B. Masek, and T. Keillor (University of Chicago Paleontology Laboratory, Chicago), K. Curry Rogers (Science Museum of Minnesota, St. Paul), P. M. Sander, N. Klein, K. Remes, and N. Klein (Universitat Bonn, Bonn), R. Cifelli, J. Person, and K. Davies (Oklahoma Museum of Natural History, Norman), T. Rowe and L. Murray (Texas Memorial Museum, Austin), D. Winkler and L. Jacobs (Southern Methodist University, Dallas), A. Pan and L. Ballinger (Ft. Worth Museum of Science and Nature, Ft. Worth), T. Williamson and S. Lucas (New Mexico Museum of Natural History, Albuquerque), D. Colodner (Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, Tucson), M. Getty (Utah Museum of Natural History), B. Brooks and R. Sheetz (Brigham Young University, Provo), K. Carpenter and L. Ivy (Denver Museum of Nature and Science, Denver), D. Schwarz-Wings (Museum für Naturkunde, Berlin), R. Allain (Muséum national dʼHistorire naturelle, Paris), A. Kramarz (Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales, Buenos Aires), J. Powell (Instituto Miguel Lillo, Tucumán), B. González Riga (IANIGLA, Mendoza), R. ii Coria (Museo Carmen Funes, Plaza Huincul), D. Pol and P. Puerta (Museo Paleontológico Egidio Feruglio, Trelew), V. and S. Suteethorn (Sirindhorn Museum, Phu Kum Khao, Thailand), and B. Khenthavong (Musée des Dinosaures, Savannakhet, Laos). I have also had the privilege of serving as a teaching assistant for several exceptional professors, including J. A. Wilson, G. Dick, D. C. Fisher, J. Blum, D. Zak, T. Baumiller, B. Kennedy, M. Clark, D. Lund, S. Simmons, K. Webber, and R. van der Voo. Thanks to all for showing me how to teach by your example. Discussions with J. Carballido, B. Z. Foreman, T. Ikejiri, D. Ksepka, P. D. Mannion, J. S. McIntosh, P. Rose, P. M. Sander, P. Sereno, K. M. Smith, K. Stein, S. Suteethorn, P. Upchurch, M. J. Wedel, J. A. Whitlock, D. Winkler, and A. Wood greatly helped me in writing this dissertation — thanks to everyone for advice and input. Special thanks to T. Ikejiri and J. A. Whitlock for advice early and throughout my graduate career — life would have been a lot more difficult without their kind and consistent help. I would also like to thank the many UM graduate students and friends who have kept life in Ann Arbor interesting and fun. Thanks also to my family, especially my Mom, for support and encouragement over the years. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgements ..............................................................................................ii List of Figures .......................................................................................................v List of Tables ........................................................................................................ix Abstract ................................................................................................................xi Chapter 1. Introduction ...............................................................................................1 2. Revision of the sauropod dinosaurs of the Trinity Group (Comanchean Series, Early Cretaceous), USA, with the description of a new genus...8 3. The beginning of the sauropod dinosaur hiatus in North America: insights from the Early Cretaceous Cloverly Formation of Wyoming……..........65 4. The phylogenetic relationships of basal titanosauriform dinosaurs…….128 5. Osteocytes as proxies of physiology in extinct animals……………….....243 6. Conclusion...............................................................................................277 iv LIST OF FIGURES Figure 2.1. Simplified cladogram depicting the relationships of relevant sauropod clades.………………………………………………………………………48 2.2. A, Holotypic locality of Astrophocaudia slaughteri in Wise County, Texas, USA (star), with locations of other Early Cretaceous North American sauropods (dots)……………………………………………….49 2.3 Holotypic tooth of Astrophocaudia slaughteri (SMU 203/73655) ……..50 2.4. Holotypic middle to posterior cervical vertebra of Astrophocaudia slaughteri (SMU 61732) in lateral view.…………………………………51 2.5. Selected vertebrae of the holotypic anterior-middle caudal vertebral series of Astrophocaudia slaughteri (SMU 61732) ……………………52 2.6. Prezygapophyses and hypantra of the 3rd and 6th preserved caudal vertebrae of the holotype of Astrophocaudia slaughteri (SMU 61732)………………………………………………………………………53 2.7. Selected vertebrae of the holotypic posterior caudal vertebral series of Astrophocaudia slaughteri (SMU 61732)……………………………….54 2.8. Holotypic dorsal rib of Astrophocaudia slaughteri (SMU 61732).……55 2.9. Holotypic chevron of Astrophocaudia slaughteri (SMU 61732) ……..56 v 2.10. Holotypic partial scapula of Astrophocaudia slaughteri (SMU 61732)………………………………………………………………………57 2.11. Metatarsals I–V, referable to Cedarosaurus weiskopfae (FMNH PR 977) ………………………………………………………………………...58 2.12. Phalanx I.1 referable to Cedarosaurus weiskopfae (FMNH PR 977)… …………………………………..…………………………………………..59 2.13. Unguals referable to Cedarosaurus weiskopfae (FMNH PR 977)….60 2.14. Bone histology of ʻPaluxysaurus jonesiʼ……………………………….61 3.1. Field locality and documentation for Sauroposeidon proteles from the Cloverly Formation of Wyoming, USA…………………………………111 3.2. Sedimentology of the Sauroposeidon proteles-hosting units of the Cloverly Formation of Wyoming, USA.…………………………...……112 3.3. Anterior dorsal vertebrae from the Cloverly (YPM 5449) and Twin Mountains (FWMSH 93B-10) Formations referred to Sauroposeidon proteles……………………………………………………………………113 3.4. Anterior dorsal vertebra from the Cloverly Formation referred to Sauroposeidon proteles (YPM 5449)..…………………………………114 3.5. Anterior and posterior dorsal vertebrae from the Cloverly Formation referred to Sauroposeidon proteles (YPM 5449). .…………………...115 3.6. Posterior dorsal vertebrae from the Cloverly (YPM 5449) and Twin (FWMSH 93B-10) Formations referred to Sauroposeidon proteles...116 3.7. Posterior dorsal vertebra from the Cloverly (YPM 5449) and Twin Mountains (FWMSH 93B-10) Formations referred to Sauroposeidon vi proteles.…………………………………………………………………...117 3.8. Posterior dorsal vertebra from the Cloverly Formation (YPM 5147) referred to Sauroposeidon proteles.……………………………………118 3.9. Caudal vertebrae from the Cloverly Formation referred to Sauroposeidon proteles.………………………………………………...119 3.10. Scapula and coracoid (UM 20800) from the Cloverly Formation referred to Sauroposeidon proteles .………………………………......120 3.11. Left radius and ulna (YPM 5449) from the Cloverly Formation referred to Sauroposeidon proteles .……………………………………………..121 3.12. Left pubis (YPM 5449) from the Cloverly Formation referred to Sauroposeidon proteles .………………………………………………..122 3.13. Right femur (YPM 5451) from the Cloverly Formation, possibly referable to Sauroposeidon proteles .………………………………….123 3.14. Left tibia (YPM 5450) from the Cloverly Formation, possibly referable to Sauroposeidon proteles.……………………………………………...124 3.15. Teeth from the Cloverly Formation from the Cloverly Formation of Wyoming, USA.…………………………………………………………..125 3.16. Juvenile dorsal and sacral vertebrae from the Cloverly Formation…. …………………………………………………………………………………..126 3.17. Stratigraphic distribution of dinosaurs in the Early Cretaceous of North America.……………………………………………………………127 4.1. Titanosauriform discoveries plotted in five-year bins.………………..199 4.2. Select previous cladistic hypotheses for the relationships of basal vii titanosauriforms…………………………………………………………..200