Abstract
Brain morphology and topography of cranial nerves of the armored dinosaur Bissektipelta archibaldi from the late Cretaceous of Uzbekistan are studied using an artificial endocranial cast. We reconstruct for the Bissektian ankylosaur well-developed olfaction, poor hearing and eyesight, good taste sensitivity, omnivorous diet as well as the ability to filter-feed. The brain structure of Bissektipelta archibaldi is archaic compared with other ankylosaurian species.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
REFERENCES
Alifanov, V.R. and Saveliev, S.V., Brain structure and neurobiology of alvarezsaurians (Dinosauria): exemplified by Ceratonykus oculatus (Parvicursoridae) from the late Cretaceous of Mongolia, Paleontol. J., 2011, vol. 45, no. 2, pp. 183–190.
Arbour, V.M. and Currie, P.J., Systematics, phylogeny and paleobiogeography of the ankylosaurid dinosaurs, J. Syst. Palaeontol., 2016, vol. 14, no. 5, pp. 385–444.
Averianov, O.A., An ankylosaurid (Ornithischia: Ankylosauria) braincase from the Upper Cretaceous Bissekty Formation of Uzbekistan, Bull. Inst. R. Sci. Nat. Belg., 2002, vol. 72, pp. 97–110.
Coombs, W.P., Jr., An endocranial cast of Euoplocephalus (Reptilia, Ornithischia), Palaeontogr. Abt. A., 1978, vol. 161, nos. 4–6, pp. 176–182.
Coombs, W.P., Jr. and Maryańska, T., Ankylosauria, in The Dinosauria, Weishampel, D.B., Dodson, P., Osmólska, H., Eds., Berkeley: Univ. California Press, 1990, pp. 456–483.
Dong, Z., An ankylosaur (ornithischian dinosaur) from the Middle Jurassic of the Junggar Basin, China, Vertebr. PalAsiat., 1993, vol. 31, no. 4, pp. 258–266.
Dong, Z., A new armored dinosaur (Ankylosauria) from Beipiao Basin, Liaoning Province, Notheastern China, Vertebr. PalAsiat., 2002, vol. 40, no. 4, pp. 276–285.
Hopson, J.A., Paleoneurology, Biology of the Reptilia. Vol. IX: Neurology A, Gans, C., Ed., New York: Acad. Press, 1979, pp. 39–146.
Leahey, L., Molnar, R., Carpenter, K., Witmer, L.M., and Salisbury, S.W., Cranial osteology of the ankylosaurian dinosaur formerly known as Minmi sp. (Ornithischia: Thyreophora) from the Lower Cretaceous Allaru Mudstone of Richmond, Queensland, Australia, PeerJ., 2015, vol. 3, pp. 1–47.
Miyashita, T., Arbour, V.M., Witmer, L.M., and Currie, P.J., The internal cranial morphology of an armoured dinosaur Euoplocephalus corroborated by X-ray computed tomographic reconstruction, J. Anat., 2011, vol. 219, no. 6, pp. 661–675.
Molnar, R.E. and Clifford, H.T., Gut contents of a small ankylosaur, J. Vertebr. Paleontol., 2000, vol. 20, no. 1, pp. 194–196.
Norman, D.B. and Faiers, T., On the first partial skull of an ankylosaurian dinosaur from the Lower Cretaceous of the Isle of Wight, Southern England, Geol. Mag., 1996, vol. 133, pp. 299–310.
Ősi, A., Pereda Suberbiola, X., and Földes, T., Partial skull and endocranial cast of the ankylosaurian dinosaur Hungarosaurus from the Late Cretaceous of Hungary: implications for locomotion, Palaeontol. Electron., 2014, vol. 17, no. 1, pp. 1–18.
Parish, J.C. and Barrett, P.M., A reappraisal of the ornithischian dinosaur Amtosaurus magnus Kurzanov and Tumanova, 1978, with comments on the status of A. archibaldi Averianov, 2002, Can. J. Earth Sci., 2004, vol. 41, no. 3, pp. 299–306.
Paulina-Carabajal, A., Lee, Y., and Jacobs, L.L., Endocranial morphology of the primitive dinosaur Pawpawsaurus campbelli from the Early Cretaceous of North America, Plos ONE, 2016, vol. 11, no. 3, pp. 1–22.
Pereda Suberbiola, J. and Galton, P.M., Revision of the cranial features of the dinosaur Struthiosaurus austriacus Bunzel (Ornithischia: Ankylosauria) from the Late Cretaceous of Europe, N. Jb. Geol. Paläontol. Abh., 1994, vol. 191, pp. 173–200.
Saveliev, S.V., Sravnitel’naya anatomiya nervnoi sistemy pozvonochnykh (Comparative Anatomy of Vertebrate Nervous System), Moscow: Geotar-Med, 2001.
Saveliev, S.V. and Alifanov, V.R., A new study of the brain of the predatory dinosaur Tarbosaurus bataar (Theropoda, Tyrannosauridae), Paleontol. J., 2007, vol. 41, no. 3, pp. 281–289.
Saveliev, S.V., Alifanov, V.R., and Bolotsky, Yu.L., Brain anatomy of Amurosaurus riabinini and some neurobiological peculiarities of duck-billed dinosaurs, Paleontol. J., 2012, vol. 46, no. 1, pp. 79–81.
Tumanova, T.A., Infraorder Ankylosauria, Iskopaemye pozvonochnye Rossii i sopredel’nykh stran. Iskopaemye reptilii i ptitsy (Fossil Vertebrates of Russia and Neighboring Countries: Fossil Reptiles and Birds), Kurochkin, E.N. and Lopatin, A.V., Eds., Moscow: Geos, 2012, part 2, pp. 310–324.
Vickaryous, M.K., Maryańska, T., Weishampel, D.B., Ankylosauria, in The Dinosauria, Weishampel, D.B., Dodson, P., and Osmólska, H., Eds., Berkeley: Univ. California Press, 2004, 2nd ed., pp. 363–392.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
We are grateful to A.O. Averianov for the specimen kindly provided for the preparation of the cast and to T.A. Tumanova for the discussion of results and valuable comments.
Funding
This research was supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research, project no. 16-05-00408.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding authors
Additional information
Translated by D. Ponomarenko
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Alifanov, V.R., Saveliev, S.V. The Brain Morphology and Neurobiology in Armored Dinosaur Bissekipelta archibaldi (Ankylosauridae) from the Late Cretaceous of Uzbekistan. Paleontol. J. 53, 315–321 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1134/S003103011903002X
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1134/S003103011903002X