A family of medium-sized iguanodontian dinosaurs called the Rhabdodontidae was one of the most important dinosaur groups inhabiting the ancient European Archipelago.
Rhabdodontid dinosaurs inhabited the Late Cretaceous European Archipelago, an extensive archipelago with numerous small and large islands situated in a shallow tropical sea.
Currently, the family comprises nine species within six genera, which have been found in southern France, northern Spain, eastern Austria, western Hungary and western Romania.
Rhabdodontids were small- to medium-sized, probably habitually bipedal herbivores between 2 and 6 m (6.6-20 feet) in length.
They were characterized by a rather stocky build, with strong hind limbs, short forelimbs, a long tail and a comparatively large, triangular skull that tapers anteriorly and ends in a pointy snout.
“Rhabdodontids had a relatively robust skull with strong jaws, large teeth and a pointy beak that was covered in keratin, demonstrating that these dinosaurs were well-adapted to eating tough plants,” said University of Tübingen paleontologist Felix Augustin.
“In some instances, fossil remains of several individuals of different ages have been found together, indicating that they were gregarious.”
While rhabdodontids disappeared prior to the end-Cretaceous extinction event (about 69 million years ago) in Western Europe, they survived close to the end of the Cretaceous in Eastern Europe, where they were amongst the last non-avian dinosaurs still present before the end of the Cretaceous.
“The first rhabdodontid species was scientifically named more than 150 years ago,” Dr. Augustin said.
“Although the group looks back to a long research history, we still have much to learn about it.”
In their new paper, Dr. Augustin and colleagues reviewed the rhabdodontid taxonomic history, diversity, phylogenetic relationships and paleobiogeographic history, as well as paleoecology and extinction.
“Generally, our portraying of the…
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