The year 2010 in archosaur paleontology was eventful. Archosaurs include the only living dinosaur group — birds — and the reptile crocodilians, plus all extinct dinosaurs, extinct crocodilian relatives, and pterosaurs. Archosaur palaeontology is the scientific study of those animals, especially as they existed before the Holocene Epoch began about 11,700 years ago. The year 2010 in paleontology included various significant developments regarding archosaurs.
This article records new taxa of fossil archosaurs of every kind that have been described during the year 2010, as well as other significant discoveries and events related to paleontology of archosaurs that occurred in the year 2010.
Newly named crurotarsans
Name Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes ImagesBaurusuchus albertoiValid Nascimento ZaherTuronian/SantonianAdamantina FormationCrocodylus anthropophagus ValidBrochu Njau et al.Brochu, Njau, Blumenschine, Densmore.Plio-PleistoceneA horned crocodile that preyed on early hominidsCerrejonisuchus Valid Hastings Bloch et al.Hastings, Bloch, Cadena, Jaramillo.PaleoceneCerrejón FormationA short-snouted dyrosaurid which had a generalist feeding strategy. It grew to lengths of about 7 feet.Diplocynodon elavericusValid MartinLate EoceneEoneustesValid Young Brusatte Ruta de AndradeBathonianA new genus for "Teleidosaurus" gaudryi (Collot, 1905). "Metriorhynchus" bathonicus (Mercier, 1933) is a second species of Eoneustes.GracilineustesValid Young Brusatte Ruta de AndradeCallovian/KimmeridgianOxford Clay A new genus for "Metriorhynchus" leedsi (Andrews, 1913). "Metriorhynchus" acutus (Lennier, 1887) is a second species of Gracilineustes.Krabisuchus Valid Martin LauprasertLate Eocene An early alligatorine.PakasuchusValid O’Connor Sertich et al.O'Connor, Sertich, Stevens, Roberts, Gottfried, Hieronymus, Jinnah, Ridgely Ngasala, TembaAlbianPravusuchusValid StockerNorianChinle FormationA phytosaur.Stagonolepis olenkaeValid SulejLate CarnianKrasiejów depositsTheriosuchus sympiestodonValid Martin Rabi CsikiMaastrichtianHaţeg BasinOriginally described as a species of Theriosuchus; Tennant, Mannion & Upchurch (2016) transferred it to the genus Sabresuchus.Torvoneustes Valid Andrade Young et al.Andrade, Young, Desojo, BrusatteKimmeridgianKimmeridge ClayA new genus for "Dakosaurus" carpenteri (Wilkinson et al., 2008)Tsoabichi Valid BrochuEocene (Wasatchian)Green River Formation An early caiman.
Newly named basal dinosauriforms
Name Status Authors Age Unit Location Notes ImagesAsilisaurus Valid Nesbitt Sidor et al.Nesbitt, Sidor, Irmis, Angielczyk, Smith, Tsuji.AnisianManda Beds A silesaurid, and the oldest known ornithodire.
Newly named non-avian dinosaurs
A new family of allosauroid theropods, Neovenatoridae, is published by Benson, Carrano, and Brusatte. A new family of tyrannosauroid theropods, Proceratosauridae is published by Rauhut, Milner and Moore-Fay.
62 new genera and additional 2 new species have been described in 2010. Name Status Authors Discovery year Age Unit Location Notes ImagesAardonyx Valid Yates Bonnan et al.Yates, Bonnan, Neveling, Chinsamy, and Blackbeard.HettangianElliot Formation A facultively quadrupedal prosauropod which displays transitional characters connecting more primitive obligate bipedal forms with the more derived obligative quadrupedal sauropodomorphs. Abydosaurus Valid Chure Britt et al.Chure, Britt, Whitlock, Wilson.AlbianCedar Mountain Formation A narrow toothed brachiosaurid whose remains include the first known cranial material of any Cretaceous sauropod from the Americas. Ajkaceratops Valid Ösi Butler WeishampelSantonianCsehbánya Formation A coronosaurian ceratopsian.Archaeoceratops yujingziensisValidYou Tanque Dodson?Aptian–AlbianXinminpu Group A second species of Archaeoceratops. ArkharaviaAlifanov, V.R. and Bolotsky, Y.L. (2010). "Arkharavia heterocoelica gen. et sp. nov., a New Sauropod Dinosaur from the Upper Cretaceous of Far Earstern Russia." Paleontologicheskii Zhurnal, 2010(1):76-83. udk 568.192 (551.763.333) [In Russian] Nomen Dubium Alifanov BolotskyMaastrichtianUdurchukan Formation A Somphospondylan Sauropod known only from a single weakly heterocoelous tail vertebrae. Heterocoelous vertebrae are those where the centrum or body of a vertebra has saddle-shaped surface where it meets the vertebrae both in front and behind it. Atsinganosaurus Valid Garcia Amico et al.Garcia, Amico, Fournier, Thouand, Valentin.Late CretaceousGrès à Reptiles Formation A titanosaur Austrocheirus Valid Ezcurra Agnolin Novas2002MaastrichtianPari Aike Formation A basal abelisauroid Banji Valid Xu HanMaastrichtianNanxiong Formation An oviraptorid known from a skull with a striated crest.Barilium Valid NormanEarly ValanginianWealden Group A new genus for "Iguanodon" dawsoni (Lydekker, 1888).Beishanlong Valid Makovicky Li et al.Makovicky, Li, Gao, Lewin, Erickson, Norell.Aptian-AlbianXinminpu Group A giant ornithomimosaur. Bistahieversor Valid Carr WilliamsonCampanianKirtland Formation A 30-foot tyrannosauroid known from the remains of both adults and juveniles. Previously considered a species of Daspletosaurus. Blasisaurus Valid Cruzado-Caballero Pereda-Suberbiola Ruiz-OmeñacaLate MaastrichtianArén Formation A lambeosaurine hadrosaurid Bolong Valid Wu Godefroit HuEarly CretaceousYixian Formation An iguanodontoid Chromogisaurus Valid EzcurraLate TriassicIschigualasto Formation A guaibasaurid sauropodomorph Chuxiongosaurus Valid Lü Kobayashi et al.Lü, Kobayashi, Li, Zhong.Early JurassicLower Lufeng Formation A prosauropod. CoahuilaceratopsLoewen, M.A., Sampson, S.D., Lund, E.K., Farke, A.A., Aguillón-Martínez, M.C., de Leon, C.A., Rodríguez-de la Rosa, R.A., Getty, M.A., Eberth, D.A., 2010, "Horned Dinosaurs (Ornithischia: Ceratopsidae) from the Upper Cretaceous (Campanian) Cerro del Pueblo Formation, Coahuila, Mexico", In: Michael J. Ryan, Brenda J. Chinnery-Allgeier, and David A. Eberth (eds), New Perspectives on Horned Dinosaurs: The Royal Tyrrell Museum Ceratopsian Symposium, Indiana University Press, 656 pp. Valid Loewen Sampson et al.Loewen, Sampson, Lund, Farke, Aguillón-Martínez, de Leon, Rodríguez-de la Rosa, Getty, Eberth.Early MaastrichtianCerro Huerta Formation A chasmosaurine ceratopsid with the largest horns of any dinosaur currently known.http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2010-05/uou-fhd052510.php eurekalert - First horned dinosaur from Mexico Concavenator Valid Ortega Escaso SanzBarremianCalizas de La Huérguina Formation A carcharodontosaurid with a pointed, hump-like crest near the hips and bumps on the ulnae that may be quill knobs.Cruxicheiros Valid Benson Radleyearly 1960sLower BathonianChipping Norton Formation A large basal tetanuran known from scant remains. DiabloceratopsKirkland, J.I. and DeBlieux, D.D. (2010). "New basal centrosaurine ceratopsian skulls from the Wahweap Formation (Middle Campanian), Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument, southern Utah", In: Ryan, M.J., Chinnery-Allgeier, B.J., and Eberth, D.A. (eds.) New Perspectives on Horned Dinosaurs: The Royal Tyrrell Museum Ceratopsian Symposium. Bloomington, Indiana University Press, pp. 117–140 Valid Kirkland DeBlieuxMiddle CampanianWahweap Formation A centrosaurine ceratopsid. Duriatitan Valid Barrett Benson UpchurchLate JurassicKimmeridge Clay Formation A titanosauriform sauropodFruitadens Valid Butler Galton et al.Butler, Galton, Porro, Chiappe, Henderson, Erickson.late 1970sLower TithonianMorrison Formation A heterodontosaurid and the smallest known ornithischian dinosaur.Fukuititan Valid Azuma ShibataBarremianKitadani Formation A titanosauriform sauropod.Geminiraptor Valid Senter Kirkland et al.Senter, Kirkland, Bird, Bartlett?lower BarremianCedar Mountain Formation A troodontid.Glishades Valid Prieto-MárquezCampanianTwo Medicine Formation A basal hadrosauroidHaplocheirus Valid Choiniere Xu et al.Choiniere, Xu, Clark, Forster, Guo, Han.2004OxfordianShishugou Formation The most primitive known alvarezsauroid. Hippodraco Valid McDonald Kirkland et al.Andrew T. McDonald, James I. Kirkland, Donald D. DeBlieux, Scott K. Madsen, Jennifer Cavin, Andrew R. C. Milner, Lukas PanzarinUpper Barremian-lowermost AptianCedar Mountain Formation A basal iguanodontianHypselospinus Valid NormanEarly ValanginianWealden Group A new genus for "Iguanodon" fittoni (Lydekker, 1889).Ignavusaurus Junior synonym of Massospondylus KnollHettangianElliot Formation Originally interpreted as a distinct basal sauropodomorph, but now appears to be a misidentified juvenile Massospondylus specimen.Iguanacolossus Valid McDonald Kirkland et al.?lower BarremianCedar Mountain Formation A basal iguanodontianJeyawatiMcdonald, Andrew T., Wolfe, Douglas G. and Kirkland, James I. 'A new basal hadrosauroid (Dinosauria: Ornithopoda) from the Turonian of New Mexico', Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, 30:3, 799 - 812 Valid Mcdonald Wolfe KirklandTuronianMoreno Hill Formation Basal hadrosauroid.KayentavenatorGay, Robert. 2010. "Kayentavenator elysiae", a new tetanuran from the early Jurassic of Arizona" In: Notes on Early Mesozoic Theropods. Lulu Press. pp.23-34. Valid GaySinemurian/PliensbachianKayenta Formation A basal tetanuranKileskus Valid Averianov Krasnolutskii IvantsovBathonianItat Formation A tyrannosauroidKosmoceratopsValid Sampson Loewen et al.Sampson, Loewen, Farke, Roberts, Forster, Smith, Titus.Late CampanianKaiparowits Formation A chasmosaurine ceratopsid.Kukufeldia Valid McDonald Barrett Chapman1848BarremianWealden Formation A basal iguanodont, formerly classified as Iguanodon anglicusñLinheraptor Valid Xu Choinere et al.Xu, Choinere, Pittman, Tan, Xiao, Li, Tan, Clark, Norell, Hone, Sullivan.CampanianBayan Mandahu Formation A dromaeosaurid Liubangosaurus Valid Mo Xu BuffetautEarly CretaceousXinlong Formation A eusauropod. Machairasaurus Valid Longrich Currie DongLate CretaceousBayan Mandahu Formation An ingeniine oviraptorid. MedusaceratopsRyan, Michael J.; Russell, Anthony P., and Hartman, Scott. (2010). "A New Chasmosaurine Ceratopsid from the Judith River Formation, Montana", In: Michael J. Ryan, Brenda J. Chinnery-Allgeier, and David A. Eberth (eds), New Perspectives on Horned Dinosaurs: The Royal Tyrrell Museum Ceratopsian Symposium, Indiana University Press, 656 pp. . Valid Ryan Russell HartmanCampanianJudith River Formation A ceratopsid dinosaur. Initially considered to be a member of Chasmosaurinae, subsequently reinterpreted as a member of Centrosaurinae.Mojoceratops Valid LongrichLate CampanianDinosaur Park Formation A long-horned chasmosaurine ceratopsid. OjoceratopsRobert M. Sullivan and Spencer G. Lucas, 2010, "A New Chasmosaurine (Ceratopsidae, Dinosauria) from the Upper Cretaceous Ojo Alamo Formation (Naashoibito Member), San Juan Basin, New Mexico", In: Michael J. Ryan, Brenda J. Chinnery-Allgeier, and David A. Eberth (eds), New Perspectives on Horned Dinosaurs: The Royal Tyrrell Museum Ceratopsian Symposium, Indiana University Press, 656 pp. Valid Sullivan LucasLate CretaceousOjo Alamo Formation A chasmosaurine ceratopsid.Paludititan Valid Csiki Codrea et al.Csiki, Codrea, Jipa-Murzea, Godefroit.MaastrichtianHaţeg Basin A titanosaurPanamericansaurus Valid Calvo PorfiriCampanian-MaastrichtianAllen Formation An aeolosaurini titanosaurPneumatoraptor Valid Ősi Apesteguía KowalewskiSantonianCsehbánya Formation A small bird-like paravian estimated to reach slightly more than two feet in length.Proplanicoxa Valid Carpenter IshidaLate BarremianWessex Formation A basal iguanodontPsittacosaurus gobiensisValid Sereno Zhao