Magnapaulia
Name:
Magnapaulia
(Large Paul - After Paul G. Haaga, Jr).
Phonetic: Mag-nah-pawl-e-ah.
Named By: Albert Prieto-Marquez, Luis Chiappe
& Shantanu Joshi - 2012.
Synonyms: Lambeosaurus laticaudus.
Classification: Chordata, Reptilia, Dinosauria,
Ornithischia, Ornithopoda, Hadrosauridae, Euhadrosauria,
Lambeosaurinae.
Species: M. laticaudus
(type).
Diet: Herbivore.
Size: Estimated 12.5 meters long.
Known locations: Baja California - El Gallo
Formation.
Time period: Campanian of the Cretaceous.
Fossil representation: Partial post cranial and
skull remains, as well as attributed skin impressions.
When
fossils of this dinosaur were originally described as Lambeosaurus
laticaudus, the estimated size of the species was given as
between
fifteen and sixteen and a half meters long, something that causes
inaccurate size quotations for Lambeosaurus
to this day even though
larger individuals of this genus are around the nine meter mark. When
re-described as Magnapaulia laticaudus however,
the describers came
up with an estimate of twelve and a half meters long. Although
probably not as large as some giant hadrosaurids
like Shantungosaurus
from Asia, Maganpaulia remains one of the largest
currently known
lambeosaurine hadrosaurids from North America.
In
life Maganpaulia may have spent a lot of time in
the water. The high
neural spines on the vertebrae, particularly those of the caudal
vertebrae would have increased the surface area of the tail given it
more ‘push’ if it were used for swimming. However it should be
pointed out that many hadrosaurids have these high spines, including
ones not directly associated with wetland environments. Another
argument favouring swimming comes from a broken femur (thigh bone)
in the holotype remains that managed to heal. Such an injury should
have proved fatal for a land based creature, but if immersed in
water, a dinosaur like Maganpaulia could feasibly
have kept weight
off it long enough for it to heal. however counter arguments to this
could include the injury taking place during the juvenile stage when
bones tend to heal more quickly because of the growth factor, to the
individual in question simply resting more weight upon the other three
limbs and being able to avoid predators long enough for the broken bone
to heal.
The
hip arrangement of Maganpaulia has also been
interpreted as being
weak, though how strong it would have to be would depend upon the
weight of the animal. The distribution of said weight and how the
dinosaur supported that weight. If more load was placed on the
forelimbs for example then the hips would not need to be as strong.
The final bit of evidence that supports to Maganpaulia
being more
aquatic is actually one of association to the related genus
Lambeosaurus. Study of the fossil locations this
genus is known from
have indicated that it may have lived near coastlines as well as a
discovery of possibly Lambeosaurus jaw bones in a
marine deposit by
palaeontologist Jack R. Horner.
With
the above theories in mind it is certainly possible that Maganpaulia
was a swimmer, even with its large physical size and possible
weight, water buoyancy may have allowed it to float while swimming
with its limbs, just like with elephants today. Additionally the
near coastal ecosystems associated with its more closely related
genera (i.e. many lambeosaurines) mean that large bodies of water
such as tidal rivers, estuaries and lagoons would have likely been
quite common, and being a strong swimmer could only be a benefit in
such ecosystems. The only thing that cannot be ascertained for
certain is how much time Maganpaulia would have
spent in the water.
Being able to better swim in a wet habitat does not necessarily mean
that Maganpaulia spent all of its time in the water.
The
lambeosaurine hadrosaurid Velafrons
is thought to be particularly
closely related to Magnapaulia.
Further reading
- The lambeosaurine dinosaur Magnapaulia laticaudus
from the Late
Cretaceous of Baja California, Northwestern Mexico, A.
Prieto-Marquez, L. M. Chiappe, S. H. Joshi - 2012,
Peter Dodson ed.
- A new species of hadrosaurian dinosaur from the Upper Cretaceous of
Baja California: ?Lambeosaurus laticaudus,
William J. Morris -
1981.
- Anatomy and relationships of Lambeosaurus magnicristatus,
a
crested hadrosaurid dinosaur (Ornithischia) from the Dinosaur Park
Formation, Alberta, David C. Evans & Robert R. Reisz
- 2007.
- The lambeosaurine dinosaur Magnapaulia laticaudus from the Late
Cretaceous of Baja California, Northwestern Mexico. - PLoS ONE. 7 (6):
e38207. - A. Prieto-M�rquez, L. M. Chiappe & S. H. Joshi -
(Peter Dodson, ed.) - 2012.
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