Bissektipelta
Bissektipelta | |
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Scientific classification ![]() | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Clade: | Dinosauria |
Order: | †Ornithischia |
Family: | †Ankylosauridae |
Genus: | †Bissektipelta Averianov, 2002, vide Parish & Barrett, 2004 |
Type species | |
B. archibaldi |
Bissektipelta (Averianov, 2002) is an ankylosaurid dinosaur from the Upper Cretaceous of Uzbekistan. The holotype (ZIN PH 1/6) and only known specimen was collected from the Bissekty Formation (lateTuronian-Coniacian), of Dzharakuduk, and the name Bissektipelta refers to this geological formation (Bissekt + Greek pelte = "shield"). The holotype consists of a braincase and incomplete skull roof, along with isolated teeth and osteoderms. This material used to be referred to the genus "Amtosaurus", but was reassigned to a new taxon when that genus was declared a nomen dubium. Bissektipelta is monospecific, containing only B. archibaldi. The holotype was collected in September 1998 by the joint Usbek-Russian-British-American-Project. This specimen can be distinguished from "A. magnus" in having three exits for N. hypoglossus (XII) instead of two, by the lesser angle between ventral surfaces of basisoccipital and basisphenoid, and by the more caudally situated basispterygoid processes.
References
- Aviarianov, A. O. 2002. An ankylosaurid (Ornithischia: Ankylosauria) from the Upper Cretaceous Bissekty Formation of Uzbekistan. Bull. Inst. Roy. Sci. Nat. Belg. Sci. Terre 72:97-110.
- Parish, Jolyon & Paul Barrett, 2004. A reappraisal of the ornithischian dinosaur Amtosaurus magnus Kurzanov and Tumanova 1978, with comments on the status of A. archibaldi Averianov 2002. Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences 41 (3): 299-306.