The holotype of Malefica, TxVP 41917-1, is a partial left maxilla recovered from Bruja Canyon in Big Bend National Park. In 2002, it was assigned to the genus Kritosaurus, as cf. K. navajovius. Twenty years later, it was discovered to contain a number of useful diagnostic traits that allow it to be described as a new taxon, despite being fragmentary. The generic name, "Malefica", means "witch" or "sorceress" in Latin, referring to its discovery in Bruja Canyon (bruja being Spanish for "witch"). The specific name, "deckerti", honors Frank Deckert, the specimen's discoverer and former superintendent of Big Bend National Park.[1]
Classificationedit
Prieto-Márquez & Wagner (2022) performed a phylogenetic analysis which recovered Malefica as a basal member of the Hadrosauridae, outside the clade Saurolophidae (=Euhadrosauria), which contains the major subfamilies Lambeosaurinae and Saurolophinae. This, along with the recovery of several hadrosauromorph taxa at the base of Hadrosauridae, adds to a greater diversity of non-saurolophid hadrosaurids known from the Santonian to Maastrichtian.[1]
The Aguja Formation outcrops both in Texas and the neighboring Mexican states of Chihuahua and Coahuila. Malefica is known from the Texan side. Other animals found in this area include the contemporary basal hadrosaurid Aquilarhinus, the lambeosaurine Angulomastacator, the pachycephalosaur Texacephale, the ceratopsid Agujaceratops, a dromaeosaurid similar to Saurornitholestes, and the giant alligatoroid Deinosuchus.
Referencesedit
^ abcPrieto-Márquez A, Wagner JR (2022). "A new 'duck-billed' dinosaur (Ornithischia: Hadrosauridae) from the upper Campanian of Texas points to a greater diversity of early hadrosaurid offshoots". Cretaceous Research. 143. 105416. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2022.105416. S2CID 253470207.
malefica, meaning, witch, sorceress, genus, hadrosaurid, dinosaur, from, late, cretaceous, campanian, aguja, formation, texas, type, only, species, deckerti, temporal, range, late, cretaceous, campanian, preꞒ, life, restoration, scientific, classification, dom. Malefica meaning witch or sorceress is a genus of hadrosaurid dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous Campanian Aguja Formation of Texas The type and only species is Malefica deckerti 1 MaleficaTemporal range Late Cretaceous Campanian 81 5 76 9 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N Life restoration Scientific classification Domain Eukaryota Kingdom Animalia Phylum Chordata Clade Dinosauria Clade Ornithischia Clade Ornithopoda Family Hadrosauridae Genus MaleficaPrieto Marquez amp Wagner 2022 Species M deckerti Binomial name Malefica deckertiPrieto Marquez amp Wagner 2022 Contents 1 Discovery and naming 2 Classification 3 Paleoenvironment 4 ReferencesDiscovery and naming editThe holotype of Malefica TxVP 41917 1 is a partial left maxilla recovered from Bruja Canyon in Big Bend National Park In 2002 it was assigned to the genus Kritosaurus as cf K navajovius Twenty years later it was discovered to contain a number of useful diagnostic traits that allow it to be described as a new taxon despite being fragmentary The generic name Malefica means witch or sorceress in Latin referring to its discovery in Bruja Canyon bruja being Spanish for witch The specific name deckerti honors Frank Deckert the specimen s discoverer and former superintendent of Big Bend National Park 1 Classification editPrieto Marquez amp Wagner 2022 performed a phylogenetic analysis which recovered Malefica as a basal member of the Hadrosauridae outside the clade Saurolophidae Euhadrosauria which contains the major subfamilies Lambeosaurinae and Saurolophinae This along with the recovery of several hadrosauromorph taxa at the base of Hadrosauridae adds to a greater diversity of non saurolophid hadrosaurids known from the Santonian to Maastrichtian 1 Hadrosauridae Hadrosaurus Lophorhothon Plesiohadros Fylax Gobihadros Penelopognathus Eotrachodon Malefica Yamatosaurus Aquilarhinus SaurolophidaePaleoenvironment editThe Aguja Formation outcrops both in Texas and the neighboring Mexican states of Chihuahua and Coahuila Malefica is known from the Texan side Other animals found in this area include the contemporary basal hadrosaurid Aquilarhinus the lambeosaurine Angulomastacator the pachycephalosaur Texacephale the ceratopsid Agujaceratops a dromaeosaurid similar to Saurornitholestes and the giant alligatoroid Deinosuchus References edit a b c Prieto Marquez A Wagner JR 2022 A new duck billed dinosaur Ornithischia Hadrosauridae from the upper Campanian of Texas points to a greater diversity of early hadrosaurid offshoots Cretaceous Research 143 105416 doi 10 1016 j cretres 2022 105416 S2CID 253470207 Portals nbsp Dinosaurs nbsp Texas Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Malefica amp oldid 1206842330, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
