Caenagnathasia martinsoni (meaning "recent jaw from Asia") is an extinct genus of caenagnathid oviraptorosaurian theropod dinosaur that lived in Uzbekistan during the Late Cretaceous period.
Discovery[]
The type species Caenagnathasia martinsoni was named and described in 1994 by Philip J. Currie, Stephen Godfrey and Lev Nesov. The generic name is a combination of a reference to the species' placement in the Caenagnathidae, with Asia, the continent of its provenance. The specific name honours Gerbert Genrikhovich Martinson. The genus is based on holotype N 401/12457, a pair of fused dentaries of the lower jaws. The specimen was found near Dzharakuduk in layers of the Bissekty Formation, dating to the Turonian-Coniacian, around 90 mya, making it the oldest known caenagnathoid. A second specimen was referred to the species, N 402/12457, a right dentary of a slightly smaller individual. Both individuals were adult. In 2015, new material of Caenagnathasia was described. From the same site as the holotype, the material includes various vertebrae, a dentary, and a femur.
Description[]
Caenagnathasia is the smallest known oviraptorosaur and one of the smallest non-avian dinosaurs. The jaw fragments are only a few centimetres long and total skull length has been estimated at 3 inches (7.6 cm). A 2010 estimate by Gregory S. Paul gave it a length of 2 feet (0.61 m) and a weight of 3 pounds (1.4 kg). Caenagnathasia would presumably have resembled other oviraptorosaurs, which were feathered, bird-like dinosaurs with beaked skulls, long necks, and long limbs. Recent studies suggest it was one of the more primitive members of the Caenagnathidae.
Classification[]
Caenagnathasia was originally assigned to the Caenagnathidae. It was even included in the definition of that clade published by Hans-Dieter Sues. It has been suggested however, that it might have a more basal position in the Oviraptorosauria, outside of the Caenagnathoidea. In 2015 after the description of new material, it was found that Caenagnathasia could confidently be referred to Caenagnathidae.
Life restoration with purely hypothetical ecology
The below cladogram is based on that resolved in the description of Anzu.
| Caenagnathoidea |
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JPInstitute.com Description[]
This little dinosaur is a member of the family of that includes the Oviraptor. Very little fossil evidence has been found of this dinosaur, only parts of a lower jaw. It is a great example of how paleontologists can make educated guesses about how dinosaurs may have actually looked. They don't really know for sure, but they are always searching for more fossil evidence to confirm their theories.
Dr. Philip Currie, an advisor to the Jurassic Park Institute, led the team that discovered Caenagnathasia. Dr. Currie noted that this finding was very important because this specimen is the smallest member of this family ever found. He also said the discovery proves that these dinosaurs evolved several million years earlier than scientists previously thought.