New material of Laquintasaura venezuelae (Ornithischia, Dinosauria), its phylogenetic significance for the early radiation of dinosaurs

• Grant number: 16/02473-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate
• Start date: July 01, 2016
• End date: June 30, 2017
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Zoology - Paleozoology
• Principal Investigator: Max Cardoso Langer
• Grantee: Júlio Cesar de Almeida Marsola
• Supervisor: Richard James Butler
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto (FFCLRP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: University of Birmingham, England
• Associated to the scholarship: 13/23114-1 - Review of the Carnian (Neotriassic) Sauropodomorpha (Dinosauria) with description of new elements of Saturnalia tupiniquim, BP.DR

Abstract

Dinosaurs originated in the Middle-Late Triassic, and increased in diversity after the Carnian-Norian extinction event. This early diversification occurred mainly within the sauropodomorph lineage, whereas theropods and ornithischians diversified mainly after the Triassic-Jurassic boundary, which is marked by another extinction event. Dinosaurs first appear in the fossil record in the Carnian of southwestern Pangea, although some incomplete remains as well as trace fossils may suggest that the clade is older, occurring first in more northern latitudes. These patterns are inferred from a small number of quantitative biogeography studies, which are already somewhat outdated given the rapidly increasing number of newly described taxa. One example is the early ornithischian Laquintasaura venezuelae, from the earliest Jurassic of Venezuela, what has an uncertain phylogenetic position amongst the major groups of Ornithischia. Such is a rather important question to be answered, given its biogeographic implications. The two main goals of this work plan is (1) to describe new remains of Laquintasaura venezuelae, for a better understanding of its phylogenetic position, (2) and to test the effects of an increased taxonomic sample on the inferred biogeographic history of early dinosaurs. The work plan will be developed over 12 months, from 1st July 2016, ending in 30th June 2017, at the School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences/University of Birmingham, United Kingdom. The applicant will be supervised by Dr. Richard Butler, an expert on early ornithischian dinosaurs and biogeography research. The applicant will learn new analytical techniques for both phylogenetic and biogeographic studies and intends to visit scientific collections in Europe. (AU)

Scientific publications

(4)

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

MARSOLA, JULIO C. A.; FERREIRA, GABRIEL S.; LANGER, MAX C.; BUTTON, DAVID J.; BUTLER, RICHARD J.. Increases in sampling support the southern Gondwanan hypothesis for the origin of dinosaurs. Palaeontology, v. 62, n. 3, p. 473-482, MAY 2019. (14/03825-3, 13/23114-1, 16/02473-1, 16/03934-2, 14/25379-5)

MARSOLA, JULIO C. A.; BITTENCOURT, JONATHAS S.; BUTLER, RICHARD J.; DA ROSA, ATILA A. S.; SAYAO, JULIANA M.; LANGER, MAX C.. A new dinosaur with theropod affinities from the Late Triassic Santa Maria Formation, south Brazil. JOURNAL OF VERTEBRATE PALEONTOLOGY, v. 38, n. 5, SEP 3 2018. (13/23114-1, 14/03825-3, 16/02473-1)

CASTRO, MARIELA C.; GOIN, FRANCISCO J.; ORTIZ-JAUREGUIZAR, EDGARDO; CAROLINA VIEYTES, E.; TSUKUI, KAORI; RAMEZANI, JAHANDAR; BATEZELLI, ALESSANDRO; MARSOLA, JULIO C. A.; LANGER, MAX C.. A Late Cretaceous mammal from Brazil and the first radioisotopic age for the Bauru Group. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE, v. 5, n. 5, MAY 2018. (14/03825-3, 13/23114-1, 16/02473-1, 14/23815-2, 15/17632-5)

MARSOLA, JULIO C. A.; BITTENCOURT, JONATHAS S.; DA ROSA, ATILA A. S.; MARTINELLI, AGUSTIN G.; RIBEIRO, ANA MARIA; FERIGOLO, JORGE; LANGER, MAX C.. New sauropodomorph and cynodont remains from the Late Triassic Sacisaurus site in southern Brazil and its stratigraphic position in the Norian Caturrita Formation. ACTA PALAEONTOLOGICA POLONICA, v. 63, n. 4, p. 653-669, 2018. (13/23114-1, 16/02473-1, 14/03825-3)