Dinosaur hyolaryngeal apparatuses + Bactrosaurus Inner Mongolia bonebed dominated by juveniles (free pdfs)
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Ben Creisler
Feb 13, 2026, 3:58:17 PM (5 days ago) Feb 13
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Ben Creisler
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MA Fei-min, ZHANG Chen, LIU Jian-jun, ZANG Hai-long, YAO Han & XING Hai (2025)
Taphonomic characteristics of an Upper Cretaceous dinosaur fossil-rich layer along the west bank of the Erlian Salt Lake, Inner Mongolia, and their paleoecological implications
Acta Palaeontologia Sinica 64(4): 430-443 (in Chinese, English abstract)
DOI: 10.19800/j.cnki.aps.2025039
http://gswxb.cnjournals.cn/gswxben/article/abstract/20250404
Free pdf:
http://gswxb.cnjournals.cn/gswxben/article/pdf/20250404
Outcrops of the Upper Cretaceous Iren Dabasu Formation along the west bank of the Erlian Salt Lake have yielded abundant disarticulated dinosaur fossils that display taphonomic features characteristic of a hydraulically accumulated lag deposit. This discovery is significant for reconstructing the composition of the assemblage and the taphonomic and sedimentary history of the dinosaur community found in this area. Based on skeletal measurements and taphonomic data collected from the fossil-rich layer during fieldwork conducted in 2014 and 2015, more than 50% of the specimens from the bonebed are attributed to the early-branching hadrosauroid Bactrosaurus johnsoni, suggesting herding behavior of this species in life. Following catastrophic mass mortality events, the dinosaur community was strongly affected by the carcass decomposition, mechanical bone breakage, and physical weathering, ultimately resulting in a vertebrate bonebed mono-dominated by Bactrosaurus. Paleocurrent orientations are random and variable, reflecting a relatively chaotic process of hydraulic transportation of bones. Hydraulic sorting played only a minor role in bone transportation and burial. The age profile of the Bactrosaurus population is dominated by nestling and juvenile individuals, strongly indicating an attritional mortality pattern and suggesting population segregation between hadrosauroid juveniles and adults.
Recent papers now online:
Free pdf:
YANG Yun-feng (2025)
A review of the morphology and function of the dinosaur hyolaryngeal apparatus
Acta Palaeontologia Sinica 64(4): 502-518 (in Chinese, English abstract)
DOI: 10.19800/j.cnki.aps.2025034
http://gswxb.cnjournals.cn/gswxben/article/abstract/20250408
Free pdf:
http://gswxb.cnjournals.cn/gswxben/article/pdf/20250408
The hyolaryngeal apparatuses of dinosaurs are important in studying dinosaur biology and they play a significant role in understanding multiple aspects of their functions, behaviors, ecology, and evolution. Although fossils of hyolaryngeal apparatuses of most major dinosaur clades have been reported, in most specimens only the first pair of ceratobranchials is preserved while other elements are rarely documented. Consequently, related research has been limited by the scarcity of well-preserved specimens. Studies of extant reptiles and birds indicate that hyolaryngeal apparatus is important for several functions in dinosaurs, including feeding, breathing, and acoustic behavior. These functions likely influenced the evolution of diet and vocalization in non-avian dinosaurs and birds. The function and evolution of dinosaur hyolaryngeal apparatuses are also strongly associated with the origin and evolution of avian syrinx. Given its importance for understanding dinosaur functional anatomy, ecology, and evolution, further research is necessary. Progress in this field is currently constrained not only by the limited availability of fossil materials, but also by the lack of studies with broader scope or greater analytical depth. To address these challenges, we propose focusing on several key areas to advance understanding of the dinosaur hyolaryngeal morphology, function, and evolution: (1) collecting more specimens with well-preserved hyolaryngeal structures; (2) providing more detailed descriptions, accurate identifications, and comprehensive comparisons with existing specimens; and (3) conducting advanced analyses using multiple approaches, including comparative anatomy, quantitative methods, and phylogenetic analysis. In this paper, we summarize current research on the dinosaur hyolaryngeal apparatus and further discuss and infer the morphological and functional characteristics of select taxa. We also provide practical suggestions for addressing major challenges in the field, laying a foundation for future research.
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YANG Yun-feng (2025)
A review of the morphology and function of the dinosaur hyolaryngeal apparatus
Acta Palaeontologia Sinica 64(4): 502-518 (in Chinese, English abstract)
DOI: 10.19800/j.cnki.aps.2025034
http://gswxb.cnjournals.cn/gswxben/article/abstract/20250408
Free pdf:
http://gswxb.cnjournals.cn/gswxben/article/pdf/20250408
The hyolaryngeal apparatuses of dinosaurs are important in studying dinosaur biology and they play a significant role in understanding multiple aspects of their functions, behaviors, ecology, and evolution. Although fossils of hyolaryngeal apparatuses of most major dinosaur clades have been reported, in most specimens only the first pair of ceratobranchials is preserved while other elements are rarely documented. Consequently, related research has been limited by the scarcity of well-preserved specimens. Studies of extant reptiles and birds indicate that hyolaryngeal apparatus is important for several functions in dinosaurs, including feeding, breathing, and acoustic behavior. These functions likely influenced the evolution of diet and vocalization in non-avian dinosaurs and birds. The function and evolution of dinosaur hyolaryngeal apparatuses are also strongly associated with the origin and evolution of avian syrinx. Given its importance for understanding dinosaur functional anatomy, ecology, and evolution, further research is necessary. Progress in this field is currently constrained not only by the limited availability of fossil materials, but also by the lack of studies with broader scope or greater analytical depth. To address these challenges, we propose focusing on several key areas to advance understanding of the dinosaur hyolaryngeal morphology, function, and evolution: (1) collecting more specimens with well-preserved hyolaryngeal structures; (2) providing more detailed descriptions, accurate identifications, and comprehensive comparisons with existing specimens; and (3) conducting advanced analyses using multiple approaches, including comparative anatomy, quantitative methods, and phylogenetic analysis. In this paper, we summarize current research on the dinosaur hyolaryngeal apparatus and further discuss and infer the morphological and functional characteristics of select taxa. We also provide practical suggestions for addressing major challenges in the field, laying a foundation for future research.
=====
Free pdf:
MA Fei-min, ZHANG Chen, LIU Jian-jun, ZANG Hai-long, YAO Han & XING Hai (2025)
Taphonomic characteristics of an Upper Cretaceous dinosaur fossil-rich layer along the west bank of the Erlian Salt Lake, Inner Mongolia, and their paleoecological implications
Acta Palaeontologia Sinica 64(4): 430-443 (in Chinese, English abstract)
DOI: 10.19800/j.cnki.aps.2025039
http://gswxb.cnjournals.cn/gswxben/article/abstract/20250404
Free pdf:
http://gswxb.cnjournals.cn/gswxben/article/pdf/20250404
Outcrops of the Upper Cretaceous Iren Dabasu Formation along the west bank of the Erlian Salt Lake have yielded abundant disarticulated dinosaur fossils that display taphonomic features characteristic of a hydraulically accumulated lag deposit. This discovery is significant for reconstructing the composition of the assemblage and the taphonomic and sedimentary history of the dinosaur community found in this area. Based on skeletal measurements and taphonomic data collected from the fossil-rich layer during fieldwork conducted in 2014 and 2015, more than 50% of the specimens from the bonebed are attributed to the early-branching hadrosauroid Bactrosaurus johnsoni, suggesting herding behavior of this species in life. Following catastrophic mass mortality events, the dinosaur community was strongly affected by the carcass decomposition, mechanical bone breakage, and physical weathering, ultimately resulting in a vertebrate bonebed mono-dominated by Bactrosaurus. Paleocurrent orientations are random and variable, reflecting a relatively chaotic process of hydraulic transportation of bones. Hydraulic sorting played only a minor role in bone transportation and burial. The age profile of the Bactrosaurus population is dominated by nestling and juvenile individuals, strongly indicating an attritional mortality pattern and suggesting population segregation between hadrosauroid juveniles and adults.
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