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A therizinosauroid dinosaur with integumentary structures from China

Author

Listed:
  • Xing Xu

    (Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Academia Sinica)

  • Zhi-lu Tang

    (Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Academia Sinica)

  • Xiao-lin Wang

    (Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Academia Sinica
    Natural History Museum, Changchun University of Science and Technology)

Abstract

Therizinosauroidea (‘segnosaurs’) are little-known group of Asian dinosaurs with an unusual combination of features that, until recently, obscured their evolutionary relationships. Suggested affinities include Ornithischia1, Sauropodomorpha2,3, Theropoda4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11 and Saurischia sedis mutabilis12. Here we describe a new therizinosauroid from the Yixian Formation (Early Cretaceous, Liaoning, China)13. This new taxon provides fresh evidence that therizinosauroids are nested within the coelurosaurian theropods8,9,10,11. Our analysis suggests that several specialized therizinosauroid characters, such as the Sauropodomorpha-like tetradactyl pes1,2, evolved independently within this group. Most interestingly, this new dinosaur has integumentary filaments as in Sinosauropteryx14,15. This indicates that such feather-like structures may have a broad distribution among non-avian theropods, and supports the hypothesis that the filamentous integumentary structures may be homologous to the feathers of birds14,15.

Suggested Citation

  • Xing Xu & Zhi-lu Tang & Xiao-lin Wang, 1999. "A therizinosauroid dinosaur with integumentary structures from China," Nature, Nature, vol. 399(6734), pages 350-354, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:399:y:1999:i:6734:d:10.1038_20670
    DOI: 10.1038/20670
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