Nodosauridae Marsh, 1890
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publication ID |
https://doi.org/ 10.4202/app.2012.0131 |
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persistent identifier |
https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03990149-FFC6-FF98-FCDA-FBA5489CF99E |
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treatment provided by |
Felipe |
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scientific name |
Nodosauridae Marsh, 1890 |
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Family Nodosauridae Marsh, 1890 Nodosauridae indet.
Figs. 1 View Fig , 2 View Fig .
Material.— IWCMN 5390 , one tooth from the Barremian of the Isle of Wight, UK ; BEXHM 2008.16 , 2008.16 .1, 2008.16.2, two complete teeth and one crown from the Valanginian of Bexhill , Sussex, UK .
Description.—IWCMS 5390 ( Fig. 1 View Fig ) consists of a nearly complete, well preserved and largely unworn tooth crown, with most of the root attached. The total preserved height is 17 mm, the maximum width at the crown base is 6 mm,
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and the crown height is 7 mm. The labial and lingual crown surfaces are smooth and swollen around the base. There is a smooth raised crown base on the?labial side ( Fig. 1A View Fig ) and a cingulum similar to teeth of other nodosaurids on the?lingual side ( Fig. 1C View Fig ). The swollen crown walls on both sides form a wide central ridge extending towards the apex. The anterior and posterior carinae bear a series of denticles. The secondary ridges (or fluting) that support the denticles do not extend down the crown faces towards the cingulum as they do in many stegosaurs (e.g., Stegosaurus , Kentrosaurus , Huayangosaurus ; Galton and Upchurch 2004) and many Late Cretaceous nodosaurids such as Edmontonia . The tip is slightly eroded but the apex was probably pointed. The crown is slightly recurved posteriorly, with five denticles decreasing in size towards the apex on the leading (mesial) carina ( Fig. 1B View Fig ), and three on the posterior (distal) carina. The crown surfaces appear smooth. There is a constriction just below the crown, and below this the root widens slightly before tapering and narrowing distally. The root is straight and approximately circular in cross section and there is a fracture on one side of the root that reveals a hollowed interior ( Fig. 1C View Fig ).
BEXHM 2008.16 ( Fig. 2A View Fig ) is 20.5 mm long, with a maximum width across the crown base of 5 mm and a crown height of about 7 mm. The crown is slightly recurved posteriorly, with five denticles on the leading (mesial) carina, the first in line with the crown base, and a poorly developed sixth close to the apex. The posterior (distal) carina has three distinct denticles and a poorly developed fourth denticle close to the apex. The crown base is swollen, with a weak cingulum on both sides, and the base is continuous, with a broad ridge that extends vertically to form the apex. This vertical ridge narrows towards the apex, and is more distinct on the?lingual surface ( Fig. 2A View Fig 1 View Fig ) than the?labial surface ( Fig. 2A 2 View Fig ). The tip of the apex is slightly worn. The crown surfaces are smooth, apart from some post-mortem vertical cracking, with no evidence of fluting. The root’s original shape and cross section is now distorted.
BEXHM 2008.16.1 ( Fig. 2B View Fig ) is a crown broken off above the crown base. It is 5 mm in height as preserved, 4 mm wide and 2 mm thick. Only three denticles are preserved on each carina edge, and any further denticles that occurred below this are now missing. The apex is slightly recurved and point- ed and the crown surfaces are smooth.
BEXHM 2008.16.2 ( Fig. 2C View Fig ) is 17 mm in preserved height, with a crown that is 5 mm high (reduced height due to apical wear) and 4 mm across the crown base. The crown is slightly recurved, with two identifiable denticles and the a third denticle nearest to the crown base on the mesial edge, but this denticle may be worn, and is obscured by a small area of matrix. The posterior edge has three identifiable denticles, but the lowest is also obscured by a combination of erosion and matrix. The crown base is swollen, with a ridge-like cingulum, and is continuous with the vertical ridge forming the apex. The apex is rounded by wear or erosion, but must have been more pointed. The root is straight, 3 mm wide and 12 mm long, but the shape appears to have been distorted by compression.
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