New insights into chasmosaurine (Dinosauria: Ceratopsidae) skulls from the Upper Cretaceous (Campanian) of Alberta, and an update on the distribution of accessory frill fenestrae in Chasmosaurinae

• Published in: PeerJ (San Francisco, CA) Vol. 6; p. e5194
• Main Authors: Campbell, James A, Ryan, Michael J, Schröder-Adams, Claudia J, Evans, David C, Holmes, Robert B
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States PeerJ. Ltd 03.07.2018; PeerJ, Inc; PeerJ Inc
• Subjects: Age; Analysis; Campanian; Ceratopsians; Chasmosaurus; Chasmosaurus belli; Chasmosaurus russelli; Dinosaur Park Formation; Dinosauria; Dinosaurs; Earth science; Evolutionary Studies; Geographical distribution; Geography; Geology; Laramidia; Morphology; Museums; Oldman Formation; Ornithischia; Paleontology; Physiological aspects; Sediments; Skull; Taxonomy; Vagaceratops; Canada; Cleveland Ohio; Saskatchewan Canada; Calgary Alberta Canada; United States > US; Campanian; Oldman Formation; Chasmosaurus; Accessory fenestra; Dinosaur Park Formation; Parietal; Squamosal; Vagaceratops; Laramidia
• ISSN: 2167-8359; 2167-8359
• DOI: 10.7717/peerj.5194

Chasmosaurine ceratopsids are well documented from the Upper Cretaceous (Campanian) Dinosaur Park Formation (DPF) of southern Alberta and Saskatchewan, and include , , , , and material possibly referable to In this study, we describe three recently prepared chasmosaurine skulls (CMN 8802, CMN 34829, and TMP 2011.053.0046) from the DPF, and age-equivalent sediments, of Alberta. CMN 8802 and CMN 34829 are both referred to sp. based on the size and shape of the preserved parietal fenestrae. TMP 2011.053.0046 is referred to sp. based on the position and orientation of its preserved epiparietals. Each skull is characterized by the presence of an accessory fenestra in either the squamosal (CMN 8802 and TMP 2011.053.0046) or parietal (CMN 34829). Such fenestrae are common occurrences in chasmosaurine squamosals, but are rare in the parietal portion of the frill. The origin of the fenestrae in these three specimens is unknown, but they do not appear to exhibit evidence of pathology, as has been previously interpreted for the accessory fenestrae in most other chasmosaurine frills. These three skulls contribute to a better understanding of the morphological variation, and geographic and stratigraphic distribution, of chasmosaurines within the DPF and age-equivalent sediments in Western Canada.