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''Ampelognathus'' (meaning "grapevine jaw") is an extinct genus of possibly rhabdodontomorph ornithopod dinosaurs from the Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian) Lewisville Formation of Texas. The type species is ''Ampelognathus coheni''.
In their phylogenetic analyses, Tykoski, Contreras & Noto (2023) recovered ''Ampelognathus'' as a Basal (phylogenetics), basal member of the Ornithopoda, as the sister taxon to the clade containing ''Thescelosaurus'' and the Iguanodontia. ''Ampelognathus'' was thus likely more closely related to iguanodontians than to the morphologically similar "hypsilophodonts". The results of their phylogenetic analyses are shown in the cladogram below:
In 2024, Fonseca et al. comprehensively reanalyzed the interrelationships of early ornithischians, but were unable to include ''Ampelognathus'' in their phylogenetic analysis as the paper describing it was published after their data collection was completed. However, they commented on its relationships, stating that certain traits supported it as a member of Rhabdodontomorpha, but a more basal member than either Tenontosauridae or Rhabdodontoidea. This position was subsequently supported in a 2025 publication by Czepiński & Madzia focused on rhabdodontomorphs, who included ''Ampelognathus'' in the phylogenetic dataset of Fonseca et al. (2024) and recovered results consistent with those postulated by the latter authors. These results are displayed in the cladogram below:
Discovery and naming
The ''Ampelognathus'' holotype, Perot Museum of Nature and Science, DMNH 2021-05-02, was found in sediments of the Lewisville Formation of the Woodbine Group (Arlington or Tarrant Member), dated to the Cenomanian age of the Late Cretaceous period, in the Grapevine Lake emergency spillway of Tarrant County in Texas, United States. The specimen consists of a single, nearly-complete left dentary. It was found away from the holotype of the enantiornithean bird ''Flexomornis''. In 2023, Tykoski, Contreras & Noto Species description, described ''Ampelognathus coheni'' as a new genus and species of ornithopod dinosaur. The Genus, generic name, "''Ampelognathus''", combines the Greek language, Greek words "''ampelos''", meaning "grapevine", and "''gnathos''", meaning "jaw", in reference to the Type locality (biology), type locality in the emergency spillway of Grapevine Lake in Texas. The Specific name (zoology), specific name, "''coheni''", honors Murray Cohen, the discoverer of the holotype specimen.Phylogeny
In their phylogenetic analyses, Tykoski, Contreras & Noto (2023) recovered ''Ampelognathus'' as a Basal (phylogenetics), basal member of the Ornithopoda, as the sister taxon to the clade containing ''Thescelosaurus'' and the Iguanodontia. ''Ampelognathus'' was thus likely more closely related to iguanodontians than to the morphologically similar "hypsilophodonts". The results of their phylogenetic analyses are shown in the cladogram below:
In 2024, Fonseca et al. comprehensively reanalyzed the interrelationships of early ornithischians, but were unable to include ''Ampelognathus'' in their phylogenetic analysis as the paper describing it was published after their data collection was completed. However, they commented on its relationships, stating that certain traits supported it as a member of Rhabdodontomorpha, but a more basal member than either Tenontosauridae or Rhabdodontoidea. This position was subsequently supported in a 2025 publication by Czepiński & Madzia focused on rhabdodontomorphs, who included ''Ampelognathus'' in the phylogenetic dataset of Fonseca et al. (2024) and recovered results consistent with those postulated by the latter authors. These results are displayed in the cladogram below:
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q123035115 Rhabdodontomorpha Dinosaur genera Cenomanian dinosaurs Dinosaurs of the United States Fossil taxa described in 2023