Penelopognathus

Norman, David B., 2015, On the history, osteology, and systematic position of the Wealden (Hastings group) dinosaur Hypselospinus fittoni (Iguanodontia: Styracosterna), Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 173 (1), pp. 92-189 : 155

PENELOPOGNATHUS WEISHAMPELI GODEFROIT, LI & SHANG, 2005

This taxon is based upon an isolated dentary, with some embedded tooth crowns, belonging to a medium-sized (∼ 3.5 m long) ornithopod. It was collected at Qiriga, Inner Mongolia, China, and was recovered from the Bayan Gobi Formation, which is dated as Albian ( Godefroit, Li & Shang, 2005).

Teeth and jaws

The dentary crowns appear to be remarkably similar to those seen in taxa such as M. atherfieldensis (compare Godefroit et al., 2005: fig. 3, with Norman, 1986: fig. 21), and are thus distinct from those referred to Hy. fittoni . The dentary ramus is straight, rather than arched anteriorly; the coronoid process is tall and perpendicular to the long axis of the dentary, rather than short and oblique as appears to be the case in Hy. fittoni .

Taxonomic note

The diagnosis of this specimen lacks any characters that might be considered unique amongst iguanodontian ornithopods, and this taxon is therefore considered a nomen dubium. Despite the claim that this is an Albianaged taxon, the morphology of the dentary and its teeth resemble those seen in the Barremian−Lower Aptian taxon M. atherfieldensis (e.g. NHMUK R5764 – D. B. Norman, unpubl. data).