NEW INFORMATION ON THE BRAINCASE OF SINRAPTOR DONGI (THEROPODA: ALLOSAUROIDEA): ETHMOIDAL REGION, ENDOCRANIAL ANATOMY, AND PNEUMATICITY

PAULINA CARABAJAL, A.; CURRIE, P. J.

Vertebrata PalAsiatica

Science Press

Lugar: Beijing; Año: 2012 vol. 50 p. 85 - 101

1000-3118

Sinraptor dongi is a large theropod from the Upper Jurassic Shishugou Formation of Xinjiang in northwestern China. The holotype includes a well-preserved braincase that recently benefited from additional preparation. The ossified ethmoidal elements are U-shaped in cross-section. When placed in anatomical position in the braincase, an unossified space remains between the sphenethmoid and the orbitosphenoid, suggesting there was a cartilaginous septosphenoid when the animal was alive. The morphology of the endocranial cavity and pneumatic recesses was studied using a latex endocast and CT scans. This led to the recognition of some traits that have not been previously described. The presence of a well developed caudal tympanic recess (generally considered as characteristic of coelurosaurs) is particularly interesting, as is the internal morphology of the basisphenoidal recess and its associated pneumatic cavities. There is a longitudinal passage connecting the lateral tympanic recess with the basisphenoid recess that probably had both pneumatic and vascular functions. Endocranially, there is no medullar eminence, and the opening for the floccular recess has hour-glass shaped. The volume of the endocranial cavity, excluding the olfactory tract and bulbs, is 95 ml, and the encephalization quotient falls within the range calculated for other basal tetanurans. The angles formed between forebrain, midbrain and hindbrain are similar to those in carcharodontosaurids (Carcharodontosaurus and Giganotosaurus), although the relative positions of Cranial Nerves II-IV varies amongst these taxa. Cranial Nerves IX, X and XI pass through a single half-moon shaped opening. Within Allosauroidea, the cranial endocast of Sinraptor is morphologically more similar with that of Allosaurus, Carcharodontosaurus and Giganotosaurus than with Acrocanthosaurus.