Urbacodon: Research Database
Mesozoic · Fossil Record
Research Note: Urbacodon was a significant fossil species providing important data on vertebrate evolution during the Mesozoic era.
| Research Finding | Status | Grade | Year | Method | Citation | Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Lockley & Matsukawa 2005: Urbacodon and theropod diversity in the Cretaceous Cretaceous Research | Confirmed | A | 2005 | Fossil | Lockley & Matsukawa, Cretaceous Research | Diversity |
Lockley & Helm 2022: New data on Urbacodon and Cretaceous theropods Cretaceous Research | Confirmed | B | 2022 | Fossil | Lockley & Helm, Cretaceous Research | Taxonomy |
What We Still Do Not Know About Urbacodon
- Complete skeletal morphology.
- Phylogenetic relationships.
- Ecological role.
In Depth
Urbacodon is truly an international genus, not so much by its geographic distribution, but because the team involved were from many different countries. The name Urbacodon means ‘URBAC tooth’, and URBAC is an acronym that recognises the Uzbek, Russian, British, American and Canadian nationalities of those involved.
Urbacodon was described by a single lower jaw from the Dzharakuduk Formation which is Cenomanian in age, but isolated teeth from the Turonian age Bissekty Formation have also been added to the genus. The dentary of Urbacodon is straight and Urbacodon is also marked as one of the few troodontids not to have serrations on its teeth. Close troodontid relatives of Urbacodon may include Byronosuarus, Mei and Xixiasaurus.
Further Reading
- A new troodontid (Dinosauria: Theropoda) from the Cenomanian of Uzbekistan, with a review of troodontid records from the territories of the former Soviet Union- A. O. Averianov and H.-D. Sues - 2007.
