Appendicular osteology of Concavenator corcovatus (Theropoda: Carcharodontosauridae) from the Lower Cretaceous of Spain
The holotype of Concavenator corcovatus (MCCM-LH 6666) is a carcharodontosaurid skeleton from the Lower Cretaceous Las Hoyas fossil site in Spain. The appendicular skeleton of Concavenator is the most complete for any Carcharodontosauridae, with only a few regions absent. We describe the limb osteology of Concavenator and carry out an anatomical comparison with other theropods. The results show that Concavenator presents several allosauroid and carcharodontosaurid synapomorphies. Concavenator shares with other allosauroids symmetric glenoid rims of the scapulacoracoid, a canted orientation of the proximal and distal humeral ends, an anterior position of the humeral condyle on the distal end, a long manus relative to the forearm, curved ungual phalanges, a posteriorly broad brevis fossa in the ilium, a reduced ischial tuberosity, a posterior flange on the iliac peduncle of the ischium, and a reduced distal tubercle in the ischium. A concavity on the middle of the proximomedial surface of the humeral head is postulated as a new synapomorphy of carcharodontosaurids. We propose some autapomorphies of Concavenator regarding the length of the phalanges of digit III, the height of the olecranon process relative to ulna length, the proportions of the deltopectoral crest, and the projection of the preacetabular hook in the ilium. The osteological description of the complete appendicular skeleton of Concavenator provides some novelties in the limbs of carcharodontosaurids and is relevant to understanding its general phylogenetic relationships.
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Citation for this article: E. Cuesta, E., F. Ortega, and J. L. Sanz. 2018. Appendicular osteology of Concavenator corcovatus (Theropoda: Carcharodontosauridae) from the Lower Cretaceous of Spain. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. DOI: 10.1080/02724634.2018.1485153.
