Tyrannomimus (meaning "tyrant mimic") is an extinct genus of ornithomimosaurian theropod dinosaurs from the Kitadani Formation of Japan. The type species is Tyrannomimus fukuiensis.[1]

Tyrannomimus
Temporal range: Early Cretaceous, Aptian
Diagram of known fossil material
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Clade: Dinosauria
Clade: Saurischia
Clade: Theropoda
Clade: Ornithomimosauria
Family: Deinocheiridae
Genus: Tyrannomimus
Hattori et al., 2023
Species:
T. fukuiensis
Binomial name
Tyrannomimus fukuiensis
Hattori et al., 2023

Discovery and naming

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Life restoration

Tyrannomimus is based on the holotype FPDM-V-11311, a partial postrcranial skeleton. Multiple referred specimens are also known.

They were named as a new genus and species of ornithomimosaur in 2023. The generic name, "Tyrannomimus", is a reference to its morphological similarities with tyrannosauroids, particularly the vertical ridge of the ilium previously believed to be a synapomorphy of that clade and shared with Aviatyrannis. The specific name, "fukuiensis", refers to Fukui Prefecture where the fossils were found.[1]

Classification

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Tyrannomimus was entered in a phylogenetic analysis by Hattori et al. (2023) and placed within the family Deinocheiridae, as the sister taxon to Harpymimus. Their cladogram is shown below:[1]

Ornithomimosauria

Although it wasn't included in the dataset, Hattori et al. also consider Aviatyrannis to be a basal ornithomimosaur due to its similarities with Tyrannomimus.[1]

Paleoenvironment

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Tyrannomimus lived alongside a diverse assemblage of animals, most of which are named after Fukui Prefecture. These include the sauropod Fukuititan, the ornithopods Fukuisaurus and Koshisaurus, and the theropods Fukuiraptor, Fukuivenator, and Fukuipteryx.[2][3][4]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Hattori, S.; Shibata, M.; Kawabe, S.; Imai, T.; Nishi, H.; Azuma, Y. (2023). "New theropod dinosaur from the Lower Cretaceous of Japan provides critical implications for the early evolution of ornithomimosaurs". Scientific Reports. 13. 13842. doi:10.1038/s41598-023-40804-3. PMC 10484975.
  2. ^ Azuma, Y.; Shibata, M. (2010). "Fukuititan nipponensis, a new titanosauriform sauropod from the Early Cretaceous Tetori Group of Fukui Prefecture, Japan". Acta Geologica Sinica - English Edition. 84 (3): 454–462. doi:10.1111/j.1755-6724.2010.00268.x.
  3. ^ Shibaba, Masateru; Azuma, Yoichi (2015). "New basal hadrosauroid (Dinosauria: Ornithopoda) from the Lower Cretaceous Kitadani Formation, Fukui, central Japan" (PDF). Zootaxa. 3914 (4): 421–440. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.3914.4.3. PMID 25661952.|
  4. ^ Imai, T., Azuma, Y., Kawabe, S., Shibata, M., Miyata, K., Wang, M., & Zhou, Z. (2019). An unusual bird (Theropoda, Avialae) from the Early Cretaceous of Japan suggests complex evolutionary history of basal birds. Communications Biology, 2(1). doi: 10.1038/s42003-019-0639-4