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Home , Alan Feduccia, Avisauridae, Avisaurus, Bird, Dinosaur, Dinosaur renaissance

Journal of 5(2):133-138, June 1985

A NEW OF -LIKE LINKING AND GONDWANALAND

M. K. BRETT-SURMAN' and GREGORY S. PAUU 'Department of , Division of Geobiology, George Washington University, Washington, D.C. 20052 23109 N. Calvert St., , Maryland 21218

ABSTRACT - A new family oftheropod dinosaurs is described based on metatarsi f:T0m~ o~h ~merica and . Because are theropod descendants, there are.often proble~s ill assigning isolated metatarsi to the proper group. Differences between the metatarsi of ground birds ~d theropods are detailed. In particular, it is shown that the length/width ratio of articulated metatarsi cannot be used to distinguish higher taxa. This new family represents the first occurrence ofthe same. of theropod from both Laurasia and Gondwanaland at the end of the , a time when the two supercontinents were supposedly still separate.

INTRODUCTION nia (Berkeley); UNT = Universidad Nacional de Tu- cuman. In 1975, an expedition from the University ofCal- ifornia (Berkeley) collecting in the Hell Creek For- mation (Cretaceous, ) of Mo?tana, ~e- THEROPOD AND BIRD METATARSI covered fragments of bird associated WIth A series of studies conclusively demonstrates that dinosaurian and other reptilian remains. This collec- theropod dinosaurs and birds have an ancestor-de- tion included a complete metatarsus (UCMP 117600, scendantrelationship (Ostrom, 1974, 1976;Bakker and Fig. 3A-I) that was called dinosaurian by neo0!lli- Galton, 1974; Bakker, 1975; Osmolska, 1981; Padian, thologists but avian by most dinosaur paleontologists! 1982; Paul, 1984; Benton, 1984; Paul and Carpenter, The question then arose as to how to separate the unpublished). As a consequence, there is considerable metatarsi of dinosaurs morphologically from those of morphological similarity and parallel be- birds. While pursuing this problem, the authors ex- tween the two . In particular, there often are amined the material from the (Cre- problems in assigning isolated theropod or bird-like taceous Maastrichtian?) of Argentina, at that time on metatarsi, such as those discussed herein, to the proper loan to'the University of Florida and to the British group. () in . This material Traditionally, two characteristics used to separate (with the exception of a metatarsus on. loan to from theropods are the length/width (L/W) ratio University of Florida), was recently descnbed as a new of the metatarsus and the degree offusion of the meta- subclass of birds (Walker, 1981), the . tarsus. As an example, Sagittarius (the Secretary bird) In this unassociated and mixed assemblage are two has a LlW ratio of 31/1 while (a metatarsi (Figs.2K-L, 3J-P) that closelyresemble, and theropod) has a LlW ratio of only 2.5/1. Figure 1shows share derived characters with, the metatarsus from that the overlap of the two clades (birds and theropods) (UCMP 117600)described here. These meta- is almost total for with a metatarsus longer tarsi mark the first occurrence of the same Cretaceous than 80 mm, based ori a sample of 31 families of di- dinosaur genus from both Laurasia and - nosaurs and birds. Consequently, the length/width ra- land at the end of the , a time when the two tio of the metatarsus can no longer be considered a supercontinents were supposedly still separate ~Kauff- valid criterion for separating birds from theropods and man, 1977; Rage, 1981). This supports an earher ~y- other dinosaurs. It must be emphasized that in the pothesis (Brett-Surman, 1979) of a land connection fossil record, size alone cannot be used to distinguish between North and based on the pa- taxa without reference to actual structural and mor- leobiogeography of hadrosaurs and ceratopsians phological features. (Reptilia; Omithischia). Birds have a fused metatarsus while that of thero- Institutional Abbreviations- BMNH = British Mu- pods is typically unfused. Fusion of this element, or a seum (Natural History), London; HMN = Humboldt less extensive coossification, is known to occur in the Museum ' JM = Jura Museum, Eichstatt; PU = theropods (Gilmore, 1920), Princeto~ Univ~rsity; UCMP = University of Califor- (Raath, 1969, =Syntarsus, Paul, 1984),

© 1985 by the Society of l33 3 TABLE L Characteristics of metatarsi that separate birds and dinosaurs.

Birds Dinosaurs 1) Metatarsal fusion distal 1) Fusion rare, restricted to 2-----/ at first, then: proceeds proximal end; bundle I I proximally; metatarsal coossification rare; com- I I I I bundle fusion complete. plete bundle fusion ab- I I sent. I I Metatarsal III proximally Often proximally I 3 I 2) 2) 2 pinched, not visible in pinched and visible over / I anterior view at proxi- entire length. mal end. II 4A " I 5/ 1~ I 3) Foramen present be- 3) No such foramen. 18BI 6 ~~ tween metatarsals III & IV. 9 19 /10 8/ /1 4) Distal tarsals always 4) Complete fusion absent, 11 / completely fused to except in Elmisaurus. HA'®P 13 Q//16 E metatarsals in adults. I 12 / F 150 / I 5) Hypotarsus very promi- 5) Hypotarsus moderately 1 I // nent, developed behind developed behind meta- II,J / metatarsal III (except tarsals II & IlL 14 .•.• L K/G H esperornis ),

N

~M in is more closely related to age and R. health. In Elmisaurus, it may be the normal condition w (Osmolska, 1981). Table 1 lists five characteristics of metatarsi. Each characteristic may occur in both groups with varying 2 3 degrees of frequency, but taken as two "character l suites," they reliably separate the metatarsi of thero- FIGURE 1. A log-log scale of the length (X-) versus pods from those of post-Archaeopteryx birds. the midshaft diameter or width (Y-axis) of metatarsi in nat- Theropod and avian metatarsi represent an excellent ural articulation. Integers on the axes are powers of 10 mea- example of both the similarities and the differences sured in millimeters. Numbers refer to bipedal dinosaurs and that can be found within an ancestor-descendant re- letters refer to birds. @ = A visaurus, • = Dipus (Rodentia, lationship. The similarities include a laterally com- Mammalia). Dinosaurs: 1 = , 2 = Allosaurus, 3 = Ceratosaurus, 4 + 7 = Ornithamimus, 5 + 11 = Dryo- pressed, tridactyl in which metatarsal I no longer saurus, 6 = , 8 = , 9 = Hypsilopho- articulates with the ankle, digit I is a semi-reversed don, 10 = , 12 = , 13 = Coelophysis, hallux, and metatarsal V is either extremely reduced 14 = Archaeopteryx (postcranially a dinosaur; based on or lost. This adaptive suite is not found in any other BMNH 37001, HMN MB.1880/8L4598), 15 = Compsog- and may have evolved only once. As nathus, 16 = , 17 = Macrophalangia, 18 = such, it is an excellent minimum definition of the ther- , 19 = Elmisaurus. Birds: A = , B = opod-bird clade. Diornis (juvenile), C = Diatryma, D = Diornis (adult), E = The differences, however, are also important. In , F = Dromaeus, G = Sagittarius, H = , I = birds, fusion of the metatarsal bundle starts distally , J = Sula, K = Apteryx (juvenile), L = Falco, M = and migrates proximally with ontogeny (Fig. 2). In , N = Opisthocomus, 0 = Apteryx (juvenile), P = Apteryx (adult), Q = , R = . The theropods, the coossification is always more pro- regression equation for both birds and dinosaurs, excluding nounced proximally (Fig. 2). This is also the case in the , is Y = L06X - 0.92 and where r = 0.8. the Montana and Argentina metatarsi (Fig. 3). Note that metatarsal fusion/coossification in theropods oc- curs erratically, being found in some, but not all, and derived taxa. Almost all birds (except for some (Osmolska, 1981), and in Archaeopteryx (Ostrom, psittacids and spheniscids) including Hesperornis and 1976). Possible occurrences have also been reported Ichthyornis, have a metatarsal III that is proximally in A vipes ('f on Huene, 1932) and in H eterodontosaurus pinched and hidden behind metatarsals II + IV. Vary- (Santa Luca, 1980). Indeed, metatarsal fusion is typical ing degrees of proximal and lateral compression of gracile , and is also known in a ' (pinching) of metatarsal III is a derived feature found (Rich, 1973). Fusion or coossification in dinosaurs and in the theropod dinosaurs most closely linked to bird

134 JYP 5(2), June 1985 l •••••ABC DE -~"F G

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" I' ,!, , I i ; ! i if! i I fl 1 .~ t . ~, !li\ I' \!l y1; ~f •. ~ r ( : I I 'It ~.; I ~ III

._---/ J K L M

k-',: :1 .~ . .!( k-' ,~' " i.

FIGURE 2. Left metatarsi of dinosaurs and birds in anterior view (shaded) and proximal view (black). A, Ceratosaurus; B, Velociraptor, C, Elmisaurus; D, Archaeopteryx (based on BMNH 37001, HMN MB.1880/81.4598); E, Ichthyornis; F, Hes- perornis; G, Rhea (juvenile); H, Pygoscelis; I, "Enantiornithes," UNT 4021; J, "Enantiornithes" UNT 4053; K, Avisaurid UNT 4048; L, sp., UNT uncataloged specimen; M, Avisaurus archibaldi (holotype); N, mid shaft cross-section of Avisaurus archibaldi; 0, midshaft cross-section of Elmisaurus. Knob for proposed origin ofm. tibialis anticus = k. Figures 2 and 3 by the junior author.

ancestry (paul, 1984), and in true birds. Examination the above criteria. However, it is beyond the scope of ofArchaeopteryx(BMNH 37001, JM SoS 2257) shows this paper to settle the higher of Archaeop- a moderate degree of proximal compression of meta- teryx only on the basis of its metatarsus. tarsal III (contra Ostrom, 1976). The Montana and It is readily apparent that the Argentina and Mon- Argentina metatarsi contrast in having a proximally tana metatarsi are more like those of theropods than robust metatarsal III, a condition found elsewhere in of birds. It is possible that these metatarsi are those of such basal theropods as Coelophysis ( =Syntarsus) and enantiornithids, and that the enantiomithids represent Ceratosaurus. The avian hypotarsus is usually a well a to other birds that retain a theropod-like developed proximal-posterior projection encompass- foot. The Argentina and Montana metatarsi, however, ing all three metatarsals. It is smaller and more medial are morphologically distinct from the described en- in theropods and Archaeopteryx (compare proximal antiornithid metatarsus (UNT 4053, Walker, 1981). views of Fig. 2A-C with 2E-G). This latter condition Because the metatarsi figured here are more like those is found in the Montana and Argentina metatarsi. of theropods, it is best to place them in the . It should be noted that the metatarsus of Archaeop- We emphasize that our placement of these particular teryx is of the fully theropod type according to all of metatarsi in the Theropoda does not affect the place-

JVP 5(2), June 1985 135 E F G

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J K L M p FIGURE 3. A-I, right metatarsus of Avisaurus archibaldi, holotype, UCMP 117600. A, anterior view; B, posterior oblique view; C, medial view; D, posterior view; E, lateral view; F, anterior view; G, proximal view; H, cross-section; I, distal view. J-P, left (reversed) metatarsus of Avisaurus sp. from the Lecho Formation of Argentina, UNT uncataloged specimen. J, medial view; K, posterior view; L, lateral view; M, anterior view; N, proximal view; 0, cross-section; P, distal view. Hypotarsus = h; knob for proposed origin of m. tibialis anticus = k; possible fenestra = f; postmortem breakage = b. Maximum length of UCMP specimen is 75 mm. Maximum length of referred UNT specimen is 47.5 mID. .

136 JVP 5(2), June 1985 ment of the other Lecho material by Walker (1981) in such basal theropods as Coelophysis and Ceratosaurus the Enantiornithes. The uniquely divergent morphol- (Fig. 2), and thus retains a basal condition compared ogy of the theropod-like metatarsi easilyjustifies a new to derived theropods and Archaeopteryx, which have at the family level. proximally pinched central metatarsi (e.g, compsog- nathids, ornitholestids, allosaurids, tyrannosaurids, - SYSTEMATIC PALEONTOLOGY misaurids, ornithomimids, dromaeosaurs, and sauror- nithoidids; Paul, 1984). In contrast, the concave ARCHOSAURIA posterior cross-section of the metatarsal bundle is (sensu Bakker, 1975; Cooper, 1981) strongly reminiscent of derived theropods, especially Elmisaurus (Fig. 2N-O), and to a lesser degree tyran- Suborder THEROPODA nosaurids, ornithomimids, dromaeosaurs and Ar- Family ,new family chaeopteryx (Paul and Carpenter, unpublished). Avi- Genus A VISAURUS, new genus saurus shares the coossificationof the metatarsal bundle AVISAURUSARCHIBALDI,new with both basal and derived theropods, and the fusion of the proximal articular facets into a smooth contin- Holotype- UCMP 117600, left metatarsus, collect- uous surface with derived theropods. However, Avi- ed in 1975 by the University of Museum of saurus differs remarkably from all known theropods Paleontology. in that the distal articular facets for the phalanges are Paratypes-Small right metatarsus from the Lecho very poorly developed, with the second and fourth Formation of Argentina [uncataloged, Fig. 3J-P); UNT facets especially underdeveloped and divergent. In- 4048, originally described by Walker, 1981, and refig- deed, the fourth metatarsal may be on the verge of ured here (Fig. 2K»); PU 17324, isolated right meta- becoming vestigial resulting in a striking convergence tarsus from the , Montana. with Struthio. Only the third facet is symmetrically Horizon - Hell Creek Formation, Cretaceous, Maas- developed. Avisaurus combines basal and derived ther- trichtian, UCMP locality V73097, Garfield County, opod characteristics along with unique characteristics Montana, U.S.A. of its own. This makes it impossible to ascertain the Etymology-Literally "bird-" (a deliberate exact position of Avisaurus vis-a-vis other theropod mixture of Latin and Greek to emphasize the archo- infraorders at this time. This is especially true because saurian-avian of this genus). Species after J. we can only consider the metatarsi. David Archibald, its discoverer. The functional implications of the flattened and lu- Diagnosis-Diagnosis of family and genus same as nate cross-section of the Avisaurus metatarsus is not for species. Metatarsal III visible in anterior view over clear. The metatarsus of Avisaurus does not resemble its entire length and is the broadest element proxi- that of or any other swimming birds (Fig. 2) mally; metatarsals II IV equal in length with large, + but is closer to that of ground runners. The antero- medial, concave articular facets proximally; metatarsal posteriorly-flattened metatarsus suggeststhat they were IV trochlea vestigial, highly divergent, spoon shaped not especially fast but the unusual development ofthe and asymmetrical; knob on metatarsal II (for insertion m. tibialis anticus attachment surface implies a strong ofthe m. tibialis anticus?) relatively larger than in any degree of control over the rotational vector while turn- other theropod; metatarsus very stronglylunate in cross- ing. This might have enhanced maneuverability and section and concave posteriorly; metatarsal IV shaft a hence the ability to capture prey. flat strap; metatarsal III triangular in cross-section; Avisaurus also has paleobiogeographic implications. metatarsal II the most robust; tendency for metatarsus It is the first theropod recorded from to be coossified into a pseudo-; fusion both Laurasia and Gondwanaland. In addition to the only at proximal end. presence of the fully terrestrial hadrosaurs and cera- Comments- The paratype Lecho material may prove· topsians, the presence of avisaurs supports a probable to be distinct at the species level in the bending of the land connection between Laurasia and Gondwanaland metatarsal shafts, the presence of a possible fenestra during the latest Cretaceous, supposedly a time when between metatarsals III and IV, the more divergent a connection did not exist (but see Rage, 1981). angle of metatarsal II from metatarsal III, the relatively higher position of the insertion for the m. tibialis an- Acknowledgements- Field work in the Hell Creek For- ticus, and the narrower articular area for the reception mation was supported by NSF Grants GB39789 and of the . Notably, the Princeton specimen (PU BNS75-2l0l7 to W. A. Clemens of the University of 17324), shows the distal ends of the metatarsals were California (Berkeley). We wish to thank Steven Stan- unfused, but proximally it has a very strong rugose ley, , , Michael Green- suture for metatarsal II. wald, J. David Archibald, , Anthony Having placed Avisaurus in the Theropoda, the ques- Coates, Peter Galton and Nicholas Hotton III for their tion arises as to whether it can be placed phylogenet- advice and discussions. Weare especially indebted to ically relative to other theropods. In proportions, and C. Walker for allowing the junior author to examine especially in their uncompressed central metatarsal, the Enantiornithes material on loan to the British Mu- Avisaurus retains the conservative condition seen in seum. Computer assistance was unselfishly provided

JVP 5(2), June 1985 137 by Martin Buzas, Laurel Collins and Timothy Collins. Osmolska, H. 1981. Coossified tarsometatarsi in the ther- This study would have been impossible without the opod dinosaurs and their bearing on the problem of bird generous discussions, reviews, and critiques provided origins. Palaeontologica Polonica 42:79-95. by Pierce Brodkorb and Storrs L. Olson. Ostrom, J. H. 1974. Archaeopteryx and the origin of bird . Quarterly Review of Biology 49:27-47. --- 1976. Archaeopteryx and the . Bio- REFERENCES logicalJoumal, Linnean Society of London 8(2):91-182. Padian, K. 1982. and the origin of major Bakker, R. T. 1975. . ScientificAmer- : Vertebrate flight as a paradigm for the anal- ican232:58-78. ysis of patterns. Proceedings, Third North American Pa- --- and Galton, P. M. 1974. Dinosaur and leontological Convention 2:387-392. a new class of . Nature 248: 168-172. Paul, G. S. 1984. The : A phylogenetic study. Benton, M. J. 1984. Consensus on archosaurs. Nature 312: In Third Symposium on Mesozoic Terrestrial Ecosys- 599. tems, attempto-Verlag, Tubingen, pp. 175-180. Brett-Surman, M. K. 1979. Phylogeny and paleobiogeog- Raath, M. 1969. A new coelurosaurian dinosaur from the raphy of hadrosaurian dinosaurs. Nature 277:560-562. Sandstone of Rhodesia. Arnoldia (Rhodesia) 4(28): Cooper, M. R. 1981. The prosauropod dinosaur Masso- 1-25. spondylus carinatus Owen from . Occasional Rage, J.-c. 1981. Les continents peri-atlantiques au Cretace Papers of the National Museum of Rhodesia, Natural superieur: Migrations des faunes continentales et prob- Series 6:689-840. lemes paleogeographiques. 2:(1)65- Gilmore, C. W. 1920. Osteology ofthe carnivorous dino- 84. saurs in the National Museum, with spe- Rich, P. V. 1973. A mammalian convergence on the avian cial reference to the genera (Allosaurus) and metatarsus. 90:676. Ceratosaurus. U.S. National Museum Bulletin 110:112- Santa-Luca, A. P. 1980. The postcranial of Het- 113. erodontosaurus tucki (Reptilia: ) from the Huene, F. von, 1932. Die fossile Reptil-ordung Saurischia, Stormberg of South . Annals, South African Mu- ihre Entwicklung und Geschichte. Monographien zur seum 79:159-211. Geologie und Palaeontologie 1:1-361. Walker, C. 1981. A new subclass of birds from the Cre- Kauffman, E. 1977. Geological and biological overview: taceous of South America. Nature 292:51-53. Western interior Cretaceous basin. Mountain Geologist 14:75-99. Received 21 July 1983; accepted 16 October 1984.

138 JVP 5(2), June 1985