Ajkaceratops

''Ajkaceratops'' (pronounced "oi-ka-sera-tops") is a genus of ornithischian dinosaur described in 2010. It lived during the Late Cretaceous in the western Tethyan archipelago, in what is now Europe. The type species, ''A. kozmai'', was originally described as a ceratopsian most closely related to forms in east Asia, from where its ancestors may have migrated by island-hopping. Later research however has questioned this assignment, and treats ''Ajkaceratops'' as an ornithischian of unresolved affinity.

Discovery

The holotype, cataloged as MTM V2009.192.1, consists only of a few skull fragments, including snout with proposed rostral bone, fused premaxillae, and maxillae fragments (beak and jaw fragments). These fossils are kept in the Hungarian Natural History Museum, in Budapest. The generic name, ''Ajkaceratops'', honors Ajka, a town in Hungary where the fossils were first discovered, combined with the given greek nomination '' ceratops'', meaning "horned face". The specific name, "''kozmai"'', honors Károly Kozma.

Description

Although the fossils are fragmentary, the paper describing ''Ajkaceratops'' estimated a body length of . Other material includes four predentary bones, cataloged as MTM V2009.193.1, V2009.194.1, V2009.195.1, and V2009.196.1; these are also believed to have belonged to ''Ajkaceratops'', although they are proportionately smaller, and probably came from other individuals of the genus.

Classification

When first described, the fossils were stated to most closely resemble those of the Asian protoceratopsid ''Bagaceratops''. Those similarities indicate ''Ajkaceratops'' is a ceratopsian related to the protoceratopsids, but more primitive than the '' Zuniceratops'' and the Ceratopsidae.

However, more recent research has questioned this referral. The proposed rostral bone of ''Ajkaceratops'' differs markedly from the rostral morphology of other ceratopsians, possessing a sub-circular cross section, pitted texture instead of grooves, and a lack of lateral slicing edges. Furthermore, the proposed rostral bone appears to have fully fused with the premaxilla, a feature that is only seen in the ontogenetically oldest members of derived ceratopsids. This has cast doubt as to whether ''Ajkaceratops'' possesses a rostral bone in the first place, a defining feature of the ceratopsian group, and instead the hooked beak represents a highly derived, hypertrophied premaxilla. While there is the possibility ''Ajkaceratops'' is a highly unique ceratopsian, it was referred to as an enigmatic ornithischian of uncertain affinities by the authors.

In a redescription of the cranial anatomy of the Early Cretaceous neornithischian '' Jeholosaurus'', Bertozzo ''et al.'' tested the phylogenetic position of ''Ajkaceratops'' based on the premaxilla interpretation and recovered it as a sister taxon to '' Changmiania'', implying a position as a basal ornithopod.

Palaeoenvironment

The fossils of ''Ajkaceratops'' were discovered in the Csehbánya Formation, which is interpreted as a floodplain and channel deposit formed by variegated clay, silt with interbedded grey and brown sand, and sandstone beds. This strata dates to the Santonian stage, around 86 to 84 million years ago. ''Ajkaceratops'' shared its environment with other dinosaurs such as '' Mochlodon'', the nodosaurid ankylosaurs, other non-avian theropods and enantiornithine birds, as well as eusuchian crocodiles, azhdarchid pterosaurs, bothremydid turtles and teiid lizards.

See also

* Timeline of ceratopsian research
* List of dinosaurs
* 2010 in paleontology
* 2024 in paleontology
* Haţeg Island

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q516014

Ceratopsia
Dinosaur genera
Santonian dinosaurs
Dinosaurs of Europe
Fossil taxa described in 2010
Taxa named by David B. Weishampel