1. Shandong Tianyu Museum of Nature, Lianhuashan Road West, Pingyi, Shandong, 273300, China
2. Institute of Geology, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, 26 Baiwanzhuang Road, Beijing 100037, China
3. Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 142 Xiwai Street, Beijing 100044, China

Correspondence to: Hai-Lu You² Correspondence and requests for materials should be addressed to H.-L.Y. (Email: youhailu@gmail.com).

Abstract

Ornithischia is one of the two major groups of dinosaurs, with heterodontosauridae as one of its major clades. Heterodontosauridae is characterized by small, gracile bodies and a problematic phylogenetic position^{1, 2}. Recent phylogenetic work indicates that it represents the most basal group of all well-known ornithischians³. Previous heterodontosaurid records are mainly from the Early Jurassic period (205–190 million years ago) of Africa^{1, 3}. Here we report a new heterodontosaurid, Tianyulong confuciusi gen. et sp. nov., from the Early Cretaceous period (144–99 million years ago) of western Liaoning Province, China. Tianyulong extends the geographical distribution of heterodontosaurids to Asia and confirms the clade's previously questionable temporal range extension into the Early Cretaceous period. More surprisingly, Tianyulong bears long, singular and unbranched filamentous integumentary (outer skin) structures. This represents the first confirmed report, to our knowledge, of filamentous integumentary structures in an ornithischian dinosaur.

1. Shandong Tianyu Museum of Nature, Lianhuashan Road West, Pingyi, Shandong, 273300, China
2. Institute of Geology, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, 26 Baiwanzhuang Road, Beijing 100037, China
3. Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 142 Xiwai Street, Beijing 100044, China

Correspondence to: Hai-Lu You² Correspondence and requests for materials should be addressed to H.-L.Y. (Email: youhailu@gmail.com).

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