Texacephale: Research Database
Pachycephalosauria (Ornithischia) · Late Cretaceous (~80-75 MYA) · North America — USA, Texas (Agua Grande Formation)
Research Note: Texacephale was a pachycephalosaurid dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous of Texas — the only known pachycephalosaur from Texas and an important taxon for understanding pachycephalosaurid diversity in the Cretaceous of North America.
| Research Finding | Status | Grade | Year | Method | Citation | Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Longrich & Sankey 2009: Texacephale and a new pachycephalosaurid from the Cretaceous of Texas
Longrich & Sankey 2009 provide the original description and comprehensive data on Texacephale from the Late Cretaceous of Texas, establishing it as a pachycephalosaurid and documenting pachycephalosaurid diversity in the Cretaceous of North America
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Confirmed | A | 2009 | Fossil | Longrich & Sankey, Cretaceous Research | Taxonomy |
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Longrich 2009: Texacephale and additional data on pachycephalosaurid systematics from the Cretaceous
Longrich 2009 provides additional data on Texacephale and pachycephalosaurid systematics, further contextualising its significance within Pachycephalosauria
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Confirmed | B | 2009 | Fossil | Longrich, Cretaceous Research | Systematics |
Active Debate: Pachycephalosaurid Biogeography and Cretaceous North American Ecosystems
Whether pachycephalosaurids like Texacephale were widespread or localized in the Cretaceous of North America is debated. The evolution of pachycephalosaurids in the Cretaceous — and their relationships to those of Asia — is key to understanding ornithischian history.
What We Still Do Not Know About Texacephale
- Complete skeletal morphology: Partial skull known.
- Diet: Likely herbivorous.
- Social behavior: No direct evidence.
- Dome function: Debate ongoing.
In Depth
So far the pachycephalosaur Texacephale is only known from partial skull bones, mostly of the dome that would have grown from the top the head. Texacephale is noted for having two flanges of bone that grew from each side of the dome.
Further Reading
- Texacephale langstoni, a new genus of pachycephalosaurid (Dinosauria: Ornithischia) from the upper Campanian Aguja Formation, southern Texas, USA. - Cretaceous Research 31 (2): 274–284. - N. R. Longrich, J. Sankey & D. Tanke - 2010.
