Possible ID of Chinese Theropod tooth from Yixian Formation

[AJ Plai]

Hi, just want to share with you one of my specimens and would like some opinion with regards to the potential ID of this theropod indet. tooth from the Yixian Formation in Liaoning province. 

 

As I have little familiarity with Chinese theropods and don't see a whole lot of real specimens reference pics available unlike their Moroccan or USA counterparts. Any input or insight from experts or experienced collector would be greatly appreciated. Here is the tooth in question and it's details that I gathered:

 

  

  

  

 

The tooth measures about 1.5" measured straight with some visible restorations on the specimen

 

 

This is the cross-section of the tooth taken from the base:

 

This is the up-close visual of the distal serration:

The serration extends down to the base with a serration count of approximately 3 serrations per mm.

 

This is the visual of the mesial serration side:

The serration extends down to only about 1/3 of tooth and the serration count is also approximately 3 serrations per mm

 

Please let me know your thought and appreciate all opinions, thank you in advance!

  

 

[Kikokuryu]

Never seen a Yixian theropod tooth before. Probably an uphill battle in trying to get a good id as not too many people would be lucky enough to get one due to legality. Although Chinese collectors in China have some pretty nice stuff apparently.

Did you try comparing with Yutyrannus which I think is a good place to start comparisons. I don't know if the papers go into details describing the teeth. Other basal Tyrannosauroids like Proceratosaurus might be the next best comparison if it doesn't. I think some indeterminate Proceratosaurid in the Lourinhã Formation might be found in Portugal as well, but I'm not too sure.

There is also Sinotyrannus from the Jiufotang Formation also from Liaoning Province. This is the only image of it I found.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/285840239_First_large_tyrannosauroid_theropod_from_the_Early_Cretaceous_Jehol_Biota_in_northeastern_China

[Troodon]

One concern that I always express with material from China is the accuracy of the provenance.  So if you are comfortable with the tooth being from the Yixian Fm that's a start.

 

I looked at the fauna that currently exists in that Formation and two Tyrannosauroids pop up as possible candidates Dilong paradoxus and Yutyrannus huali.   But given the size of the tooth the latter fits better.   I then compared the key features of the tooth (size, mesial carina travel and equivalent serration density: DSDI =1 ) to C. Hendrickx paper on Theropod characteristics and it was consistent with Y. huali.   So that's where I'm leaning but not being completely familiar with that fauna I note that there might be other possibilities that I'm not aware of.   You might email Christophe and see if he agrees.

[AJ Plai]

Thank you guys for your input and insight.

 

I was also told that this tooth could likely be from a Yutyrannus, providing the source of the tooth is from Yixian Formation, but I wasn't willing to fully endorse and ID the tooth as such yet until I hear some third party opinions and expertise as well. 

 

I looked also into the information on theropod fauna of the Yixian Formation and it was mentioned that there is also possibility of a still unnamed Carnosaur that only partial post-cranial skeleton was found as well; although I don't have a reference pics of the actual specimens to be able to compare the tooth I have and the specimen that was found.

 

Anyhow, thank you very much again for your helping me to learn more about my specimen.