Woznikella triradiata, Szczygielski & Sulej, 2023

Szczygielski, Tomasz & Sulej, Tomasz, 2023, Woznikella triradiata n. gen., n. sp. - a new kannemeyeriiform dicynodont from the Late Triassic of northern Pangea and the global distribution of Triassic dicynodonts, Comptes Rendus Palevol 22 (16), pp. 279-406 : 284-286

Woznikella triradiata n. gen., n. sp.

( Figs 1-16)

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:DACADFD8-C682-4872-82C0-7CB34025868D

HOLOTYPE. — ZPAL V. 34/1, partial skeleton.

DIAGNOSIS. — A medium-sized stahleckeriid-related dicynodont with triradiate, Y-shaped branching pattern of premaxillary ridges, paired medial ridge on the mental surface of the dentary, slender scapula, wakly-angled scapular spine, well-demarcated acromion process projecting well beyond the border of the scapula, and coracoid foramen completely enclosed by the procoracoid, characterized by an autapomorphy: acromion directed anterodorsally rather than anteroventrally or anteriorly. Differs from non-kannemeyeriiform dicynodonts and Dinodontosaurus tener in presence of a distinct supinator process. Differs from most shansiodontids and stahleckeriids in the gracile scapular blade withsignificant terminal flaring of the scapula. Differs from more derived stahleckeriines in having a less pronounced supinator process. Differs from Ischigualastia jenseni Cox, 1962 and Jachaleria candelariensis Araujo & Gonzaga, 1980 in scapula not contributing to the coracoid foramen. Differs from Stahleckeria potens von Huene, 1935 , Placerias hesternus Lucas, 1904 , Eubrachiosaurus browni , and Zambiasaurus submersus Cox, 1969 in having a weakly developed scapular spine.

DERIVATIO NOMINIS. — Woznikella in reference to the name of the type locality, Woźniki; triradiata in reference to the triradiate branching pattern of the premaxillary ridges.

TYPE LOCALITY. — Woźniki, southern Poland.

TYPE HORIZON. — The Patoka Member of the Grabowa Formation, Carnian ( Sulej et al. 2011, see Szulc et al. 2015b for the arguments for the Norian age of the locality; see Discussion for the rationale for its Carnian age).

REFERRED SPECIMEN. — SMNS 91416, a fragmentary mandible from the Carnian of Markt Obernzenn (Bavaria, Germany), Stuttgart Formation (Shilfsandstein).

DISTRIBUTION. — Carnian (and?Norian) of Poland and Germany.

DESCRIPTION

Skull and mandible

The preserved parts of the skull and mandible ( Figs 1-6) lack pronounced rugosities, which may be either taxonomic or related to the young age of the individual. Based on the shape of the beak (both of the premaxilla and dentary) and the width of the preserved skull table elements, at least preorbitally the skull was apparently relatively narrow ( Fig. 7). Unlike in, e.g., Kannemeyeria aganosteus Kammerer & Ordoñez, 2021 , Kannemeyeria simocephalus , Kannemeyeria lophorhinus Renaut, Damiani, Yates & Hancox, 2003 , Lystrosaurus spp. (with the possible exception of L. youngi ), Rechnisaurus cristarhynchus Chowdhury, 1970 , Sangusaurus edentatus Cox, 1969 , Sangusaurus parringtonii Cruickshank, 1986a , Shaanbeikannemeyeria xilougouensis Cheng, 1980 , Shansiodon wangi Yeh, 1959 , Shansiodon wuhsiangensis Yeh, 1959 , Stahleckeria potens , Sungeodon kimkraemerae Maisch & Matzke, 2014 , Tetragonias njalilus ( von Huene, 1942) , Ufudocyclops mukanelai , Vinceria andina Bonaparte, 1969 , Wadiasaurus indicus Chowdhury, 1970 , and Zambiasaurus submersus Cox, 1969 there is no conspicuous median ridge on the skull ( Weithofer 1888; Broom 1899; Haughton 1915; Pearson 1924a; Case 1934; Yuan & Young 1934b; Young 1935; von Huene 1942; Camp 1956; Yeh 1959; Sun 1964; Cruickshank 1967; Chowdhury 1970; Crozier 1970; Cluver 1971; Kalandadze 1975; Cheng 1980; Cruickshank 1986a; Bandyopadhyay 1989; Pickford 1995; Schwanke-Peruzzo & Araújo-Barbarena 1995; Maisch 2001; Renaut et al. 2003; Surkov et al. 2005; Vega-Dias et al. 2005; Morato 2006; Grine et al. 2006; Domnanovich & Marsicano 2012; Angielczyk et al. 2014; Maisch & Matzke 2014; Angielczyk et al. 2017; Kammerer et al. 2019; Kammerer & Ordoñez 2021). Note that the presence and degree of development of the median ridge is ontogeny-dependent at least in some dicynodont taxa (e.g., Kammerer & Ordoñez 2021).

Comparison of overall proportions of the mandiblular bones shows that the mandible of Woznikella triradiata n. gen., n. sp. was proportionally significantly longer relative to its height than that of; e.g., Angonisaurus cruickshanki , Ischigualastia jenseni , Lystrosaurus spp. , Myosaurus gracilis Haughton, 1917 , Sangusaurus parringtonii , and Stahleckeria potens , and more reminiscent to that of, e.g., Kannemeyeria simocephalus , Sinokannemeyeria spp. , or Wadiasaurus indicus (see, e.g., Cox & Li 1983; Pearson 1924a; von Huene 1935, 1936; Young 1935; Broom 1937; Janensch 1952; Camp 1956; Sun 1963, 1964; Cox 1965; Cluver 1971, 1974; Keyser 1974; Cruickshank 1986a; Bandyopadhyay 1988; Renaut 2000; Hancox et al. 2013; Angielczyk et al. 2017).