Pachycephalosaurus vertebrae

[caimano]

Hello everyone, I'd like to submit this vertebra to you to understand if it really belongs to packycephalosaurus and possibly if in your opinion how much it has been reworked.

 

Indications on the label:

Dimensions: 125mm

Origin: Hell Creek Formation, South Dakota, USA

CRETACEOUS-Upper Cretaceous, Maastrichtian (66.0-72.1 million years)

 

Thank you very much

[caimano]

Could it be a good deal?

[Troodon]

Looks like a Thescelosaurus sp. dorsal.

Cannot comment fully on restoration since I'm not seeing all the sides.

There is a different shade not sure if that's fill or shadow.  The process I have  circled ? may be reattached hard to tell from the photo.  Ditto adjacent one.

Overall it's nice.

Frank

 

 

[caimano]

Thank you Troodon.

 

Can i ask you something else? You named Thescelosaurus sp. but i've done a little research and can't seem to pinpoint Thescelosaurus in the clade Pachycephalosauria.

Ornithischia -> Genasauria -> Neornithischia -> Cerapoda -> Marginocephalia -> Pachycephalosauria.

 

Can you describe the taxonomic tree of Thescelosaurus to me?

 

Is it related to Pachycephalosaurus?

 

Thank you.

 

Edited March 25, 2023 by caimano

[Troodon]

It's not closely related it's a Thescelosauridae

A quick look from wiki

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neornithischia

[caimano]

Exactly, actually without the processes, it is difficult to distinguish a Thescelosaurus vertebra from a Pachycephalosaurus one which moreover probably come from the same formation in  Dakota or North America, but looking closely at other photos it looks like a Thescelosaurus vertebra. Thank you Troodon.