2018 in archosaur paleontology

General research

• A study on the morphology of dorsal vertebrae of extant and fossil archosaurs, and on its implications for inferring lung structure in non-avian dinosauriform archosaurs, is published by Brocklehurst, Schachner & Sellers.
• A study on the hip joint mobility of the extant common quail, and its implications for inferring the hip joint range of motion in extinct ornithodirans, is published by Manafzadeh & Padian.
• A study on the soft tissue anatomy of the hip joint in non-dinosaurian dinosauromorphs and early dinosaurs is published by Tsai et al..
• A study on the assembly of the body plan of birds along the whole avian stem-lineage, especially in non-avian dinosaurs, reconstructing the large-scale patterns of the evolution of bird-like traits in bird ancestors, is published by Cau, who names new clades Dracohors and Maniraptoromorpha.
• A study on the histology of limb bones of Anchiornis, Aurornis, Eosinopteryx, Serikornis and Jeholornis, and on the dynamics of skeletal growth in these taxa, is published by Prondvai et al..
• Discovery of fossilised skin in specimens of Beipiaosaurus, Sinornithosaurus, Microraptor and Confuciusornis from the Early Cretaceous Jehol Biota is reported by McNamara et al..
• Two theropod bones, preserving shark and crocodyliform feeding traces and invertebrate traces, are described from the Upper Cretaceous Navesink Formation by Brownstein.
• A study on the relationship between bony and muscular features of the tongue in living archosaurs, and on the evolution of the morphology of the bony elements of the tongue in bird-line archosaurs, is published by Li, Zhou & Clarke.
• An archosaur trackway consisting of 10 successive pes imprints is described from the Upper Triassic Irohalene Member of the Timezgadiouine Formation by Zouheir et al., supporting a cosmopolitan distribution of pentadactyl but functionally tridactyl chirotheres and grallatorids across the Ladinian-Carnian boundary, and documenting the occurrence of very large Eubrontes trackmakers in the early Carnian.
• A large assemblage of archosaur tracks is described from the Cretaceous Naturita Formation by Lockley, Burton & Grondel.
• A study on assemblages of nesting ring-billed gulls, California gulls, American white pelicans and double-crested cormorants at Bowdoin National Wildlife Refuge, evaluating their utility as taphonomic models for interpreting nesting sites of fossils archosaurs, is published online by Ferguson, Varricchio & Ferguson.

  Pseudosuchians

Research

• A study on the jaw musculature and biomechanics of Venaticosuchus rusconii based on rediscovered cranial materials is published by Von Baczko.
• Three differently sized braincases diagnosable as belonging to Parringtonia gracilis are described from the Triassic Manda Beds of Tanzania by Nesbitt et al..
• A study on the histology of osteoderms of Late Triassic aetosaurs from South America, including Aetosauroides scagliai, Aetobarbakinoides brasiliensis and Neoaetosauroides engaeus, is published by Cerda, Desojo & Scheyer.
• Description of new skull material of Aetosauroides scagliai from the Santa Maria Supersequence and a study on the phylogenetic relationships of this species is published by Biacchi Brust et al..
• The first known natural endocast of an aetosaur is described by von Baczko, Taborda & Desojo.
• Redescription of the aetosaur species Calyptosuchus wellesi is published by Parker.
• A study on the anatomy of the skeleton of Coahomasuchus chathamensis and on the phylogenetic relationships of aetosaurs is published by Hoffman, Heckert & Zanno.
• A restudy of the referred material of Stagonolepis robertsoni housed at the Natural History Museum, London, evaluating the utility of this material for examining the phylogenetic relationships of S. robertsoni, is published by Parker.
• Description of the forelimbs of Stagonolepis olenkae and a study on the probable use of the forelimbs by members of this species is published by Dróżdż.
• New information on the bonebed from the Triassic Badong Formation in Sangzhi County preserving the majority of the known fossil material of Lotosaurus adentus is published by Hagen et al., who also reassess the provenance and age of the deposit.
• A study on the anatomy of the best-preserved skeleton of Prestosuchus chiniquensis, as well as on the phylogenetic relationships of this species, is published online by Roberto-Da-Silva et al..
• A study on the anatomy of the backbone of Poposaurus langstoni is published by Stefanic & Nesbitt.
• A study on the morphology of the secondary palate in shartegosuchids, based on data from a new specimen of Shartegosuchus from the Ulan Malgait Formation, is published by Dollman et al..
• Description of the braincase and the brain endocast, vasculature, inner ear, and paratympanic pneumatic cavities of Steneosaurus bollensis and Cricosaurus araucanensis is published by Herrera, Leardi & Fernández.
• A skull of a member of the genus Tyrannoneustes is described from the Middle Jurassic of Germany by Waskow, Grzegorczyk & Sander.
• New specimen of Neuquensuchus universitas, providing new information on the skeletal anatomy of members of the species, is described from the Upper Cretaceous Bajo de la Carpa Formation by Lio et al..
• A redescription of the anatomy of the skull of Notosuchus terrestris is published by Barrios et al..
• A study on the anatomy of the skull of Morrinhosuchus luziae is published by Iori et al..
• A study on the anatomic structures and tooth wear related to mastication in Caipirasuchus is published by Iori & Carvalho.
• A study on the taphonomy of the baurusuchid specimens from the Upper Cretaceous Bauru Group is published by Bandeira et al., who argue that low diversity of known theropods in the Bauru Group might be caused by preservational biases, and does not conclusively indicate that baurusuchids outcompeted theropods as top predators in this area.
• A study on the evolution of the skull morphology of baurusuchids is published by Godoy et al..
• New baurusuchid fossils are described from the Upper Cretaceous Bajo de la Carpa Formation by Leardi, Pol & Gasparini.
• A study on the bone microanatomy of Pepesuchus deiseae is published by Sena et al..
• Neosuchian crocodylomorph fossils are described from the Bathonian Peski locality in the Moscow Region by Pashchenko et al., who note the similarity of Bathonian vertebrate faunas of the Moscow Region, United Kingdom, Western Siberia and Kyrgyzstan, which they interpret as indicative of faunal homogeneity on the territory of Laurasia.
• New fossil remains of Sarcosuchus are described from the Aptian-Albian deposits of the Tataouine Basin by Dridi.
• A revision of Trematochampsa taqueti and all fossil material assigned to the species is published by Meunier & Larsson.
• Description of pelvic and femoral remains of allodaposuchids from the Upper Cretaceous of the Lo Hueco fossil site is published by de Celis, Narváez & Ortega.
• Fossils of a eusuchian crocodyliform are described from the Lower Cretaceous Khok Kruat Formation by Kubo et al., representing the oldest record of Asian eusuchians reported so far.
• Description of a new skull of Susisuchus anatoceps from the Lower Cretaceous Crato Formation, providing new information on the anatomy of this species, and a study on the phylogenetic relationships of Susisuchus is published by Leite & Fortier.
• A study on the taphonomic history of the holotype, paratypes and referred specimens of Isisfordia duncani is published by Syme & Salisbury.
• A study on the phylogenetic relationships of Thoracosaurus, Eothoracosaurus, Eosuchus, Eogavialis and Argochampsa, evaluating whether they were closely related to the gharial, is published by Lee & Yates.
• A study on the length proportion of limb elements in extant and fossil alligatoroid and crocodyloid crocodylians, as well as on the correlation of limb morphology and skull shape in these groups, is published by Iijima, Kubo & Kobayashi.
• New specimen of Bottosaurus harlani is described from the Rowan Fossil Quarry, a Cretaceous–Paleogene locality in Mantua Township by Cossette & Brochu.
• A reassessment of the anatomy and phylogenetic relationships of Asiatosuchus nanlingensis and Eoalligator chunyii is published by Wu, Li & Wang, who reinstate the latter taxon as a species distinct from the former one.
• Redescription of the holotype specimen of Mourasuchus arendsi from the Urumaco Formation of Venezuela is published online by Cidade et al..
• A study on the ontogenetic changes of the skull shape in extant caimans and its implications for the validity of the Miocene species Melanosuchus fisheri is published by Foth et al..
• A study on the histology of long bones of extant yacare caiman and fossil caimans from the Upper Miocene–Pliocene Solimões Formation is published online by Andrade et al..
• A study on two fossil specimens of caimans from the late Pleistocene and early Holocene of Brazil, attempting to assign the fossils’ identity to one of the extant caiman species on the basis of records of their current distribution and paleoclimatic data, is published by Eduardo et al..
• A fragment of a mandible of a member of the genus Gryposuchus is described from the Miocene Castillo Formation by Solórzano, Núñez-Flores & Rincón, representing the earliest record of the genus in South America reported so far.
• A revision of the type species of the genus Gryposuchus, G. jessei, is published by Souza et al..
• A revision of crocodilian fossils and taxa from the Calvert Cliffs is published by Weems.
• Partial crocodylian skull from the Pleistocene of Taiwan, formerly regarded as lost during World War II, is rediscovered and redescribed by Ito et al., who assign this specimen to the genus Toyotamaphimeia.
• Fossils of large crocodylians, as well as tortoise fossils with feeding traces on them, are described from the Pleistocene of Aldabra by Scheyer et al., who interpret their findings as indicating the occurrence of a predator–prey interaction between crocodylians and giant tortoises on Aldabra during the Late Pleistocene.
• Late Quaternary fossils representing a locally extinct population of the Cuban crocodile are reported from two underwater caves in the Dominican Republic by Morgan et al..
• A new large and well-preserved specimen of Prestosuchus chiniquensis is published by Roberto-da-Silva et al..

  New taxa

Non-avian dinosaurs

Research

• A study intending to identify the evolutionary processes that drove the diversification of dinosaur body mass is published by Benson et al..
• A study on the impact of geography on the evolutionary radiation of dinosaurs is published by O’Donovan, Meade & Venditti, who note increasing amounts of sympatric speciation as terrestrial space became a limiting factor.
• A study on the impact of publication history on the estimates of dinosaur diversity patterns through time is published by Tennant, Chiarenza & Baron.
• A study evaluating the possible influence of cuirassal ventilation and a herbivorous diet on the orientation of the pubis of dinosaurs is published by Macaluso & Tschopp.
• A study on embryos of extant reptiles and birds, aiming to determine the developmental mechanism underlying the acquisition of the dinosaur-type perforated acetabulum, is published by Egawa et al..
• A study on the nesting style and incubation heat source in non-avian dinosaurs as indicated by comparison with extant crocodylians and megapode birds is published by Tanaka et al..
• A study on pigment traces in fossilized dinosaur eggshells is published by Wiemann, Yang & Norell, who interpret their findings as indicating that eggshell coloration and pigment pattern originated in nonavian theropod dinosaurs.
• A study on the nutritional value of plants grown under elevated CO₂ levels, evaluating the hypothesis that constraints on sauropod diet quality were driven by Mesozoic CO₂ concentration, is published by Gill et al..
• Studies evaluating the link between the Carnian Pluvial Event and the explosive diversification of dinosaurs in the early Late Triassic are published by Bernardi et al. and Benton, Bernardi & Kinsella.
• A study comparing non-avian dinosaur faunas of Appalachia and Laramidia from the Aptian to Maastrichtian stages of the Cretaceous period is published by Brownstein, who also evaluates dinosaur provincialism and ecology on Appalachia.
• A study on the bone histology of sauropod dinosaurs and birds, looking for histological correlates indicative of the presence of bird-like air sacs, is published by Lambertz, Bertozzo & Sander.
• A study on the Middle Jurassic flora from Yorkshire as indicated by pollen and spores, and on the possible dinosaur-plant interactions in the area is published by Slater et al..
• Description and analysis of insect borings on hadrosaur bones from the late Campanian Cerro del Pueblo Formation is published by Serrano-Brañas, Espinosa-Chávez & Maccracken.
• A study on the sedimentological and ichnological contexts of Early Jurassic dinosaur tracks and trackways from the Ha Nohana palaeosurface located within the upper Elliot Formation, and on the locomotor dynamics and behaviour of the trackmaker dinosaurs, is published by Rampersadh et al..
• New Middle Jurassic dinosaur tracksite, preserving sauropod and theropod tracks, is described from the Lealt Shale Formation by dePolo et al..
• Large theropod and ornithopod tracks are described from the Lower Cretaceous Sanbukdong Formation by Lee et al..
• A unique association of hadrosaur and therizinosaur tracks is reported from the Late Cretaceous lower Cantwell Formation by Fiorillo et al..
• Large theropod and small sauropod tracks are described from the Lower Cretaceous Jingchuan Formation by Lockley et al., who name a new ichnotaxon Ordexallopus zhanglifui.
• A study on the small to medium-sized tridactyl theropod tracks from the Upper Jurassic of the Jura Mountains, focusing on the possible variations in footprint shape along trackways, is published by Castanera et al..
• Theropod tracks are described from the Cretaceous De Queen Formation by Platt et al..
• First Cretaceous track morphotype attributable to the non-avian theropod ichnogenus Gigandipus is reported from the Lower Cretaceous Jiaguan Formation by Xing et al., who name a new ichnospecies Gigandipus chiappei.
• New dinosaur ootaxon Duovallumoolithus shangdanensis is described on the basis of fossil eggs from the Upper Cretaceous Lijiacun Formation by Zheng et al..
• A study on dendroolithid eggs from the Upper Cretaceous Tumiaoling Hill locality is published by Zhang et al., who transfer the oospecies "Dendroolithus" tumiaolingensis Zhou, Ren, Xu & Guan to the genus Placoolithus.
• Evidence of cuticle preservation on theropod eggshells from the Nanxiong Group in China and the Two Medicine Formation in Montana, United States is presented by Yang et al..
• Description of a femur of a young diplodocoid sauropod from the Carnegie Quarry at Dinosaur National Monument, showing extensive bite marks on the bone, and a study on the identity and feeding technique of the tracemaker is published by Hone & Chure.
• A skull of a chasmosaurine ceratopsian, preserving bite traces made by a tyrannosaurid theropod, is described from the Campanian Kirtland Formation by Dalman & Lucas.
• A study on the function of denticle shape variation in the teeth of coelurosaurs of various body shapes and sizes is published by Torices et al..
• New data on feather anatomy in theropod dinosaurs Sinosauropteryx, Caudipteryx and Anchiornis is presented by Saitta, Gelernter & Vinther.
• Theropod tracksite discovered in the Maastrichtian Nemegt Formation, preserving tracks of least four different trackmakers, and associated with a distorted foot skeleton of Gallimimus, is described by Lee et al..
• Didactyl theropod tracks with similarities to footprints attributed to small deinonychosaurian theropods are described from the Middle Jurassic Dansirit Formation by Xing, Abbassi & Lockley.
• Parallel trackways indicating a group of small didactyl bipeds of inferred deinonychosaurian affinity are described from the Lower Cretaceous Dasheng Group by Xing et al..
• Didactyl tracks attributed to juvenile or diminutive dromaeosaurs are described from the Lower Cretaceous Jinju Formation by Kim et al., who name a new ichnotaxon Dromaeosauriformipes rarus.
• Bishop et al. present predictive equations that may be used to model non-avian theropod locomotion, developed on the basis of a study of extant ground-running birds.
• A three-part series of papers investigating the architecture of cancellous bone in the main hindlimb bones of theropod dinosaurs, and evaluating its implications for inferring locomotor biomechanics in extinct non-avian theropods, is published by Bishop et al..
• A study on the resource partitioning among theropod dinosaurs known from the mid-Cretaceous assemblages from Niger and Morocco as indicated by calcium isotope values from tooth enamel is published by Hassler et al..
• A study on the early evolution of the theropod hands and wrists, especially on the transition from five- to four-fingered hands, as indicated by the anatomy of the hands of Coelophysis bauri and Megapnosaurus rhodesiensis is published by Barta, Nesbitt & Norell.
• A study on the morphological changes that occurred during ontogeny in the postcranial skeleton of Coelophysis bauri and Megapnosaurus rhodesiensis is published by Griffin.
• A study on the anatomy, phylogenetic relationships, paleobiology and biogeography of members of Ceratosauria is published by Delcourt, who names a new clade Etrigansauria.
• A study on the pneumatization of a noasaurid vertebra recovered from the Upper Cretaceous Adamantina Formation is published by Brum et al..
• Two shed tooth crowns of an abelisaurid theropod are described from the Cenomanian Alcântara Formation by Sales, de Oliveira & Schultz, representing the oldest abelisaurid occurrence from Brazil to date.
• Paulina-Carabajal & Filippi reconstruct the endocranial cavity enclosing the brain, cranial nerves, blood vessels and the labyrinth of the inner ear of the holotype specimen of Viavenator exxoni.
• Description of the osteology of Viavenator exxoni is published by Filippi et al..
• Fragmented theropod maxilla from the Upper Cretaceous Presidente Prudente Formation, initially thought to be a carcharodontosaurid fossil, is interpreted as more likely to be an abelisaurid fossil by Delcourt & Grillo.
• A vertebra of a large megalosaurid theropod, as well as large theropod footprints representing two morphotypes, are described from the Upper Jurassic of Asturias by Rauhut et al..
• A study on the anatomy and histology of a partial spinosaurid tibia from the Lower Cretaceous Romualdo Formation, possessing traits previously only observed in Spinosaurus aegyptiacus and correlated with semi-aquatic habits in many limbed vertebrates, is published by Aureliano et al..
• Spinosaurid fossils assigned to a form distinct from Baryonyx, Suchomimus and Sigilmassasaurus are described from the upper Barremian Arcillas de Morella Formation by Malafaia et al...
• A nearly complete pedal ungual phalanx of an early juvenile specimen of Spinosaurus, representing the smallest known specimen assigned to this genus reported so far, is described from the Cretaceous Kem Kem Beds by Maganuco & Dal Sasso.
• A study on the floating capabilities of Spinosaurus and other theropods is published by Henderson, who argues that Spinosaurus was not highly specialized for a semi-aquatic mode of life.
• A study on the anatomy of the skull of Concavenator corcovatus is published by Cuesta et al..
• A study on the limb anatomy of Concavenator corcovatus is published by Cuesta, Ortega & Sanz.
• A review of the fossil record of carcharodontosaurid theropods from the Cretaceous of North Africa, assessing its implications for understanding the distribution and ecological role of members of this group, is published by Candeiro et al..
• Description of theropod specimens from the Ellisdale site of the Cretaceous Marshalltown Formation is published by Brownstein.
• A study on the dietary and habitat preferences of theropod dinosaurs from the Upper Cretaceous Mussentuchit Member of the Cedar Mountain Formation of Utah is published by Frederickson, Engel & Cifelli.
• Theropod fossils from the Lower Cretaceous Santana Formation, initially thought to be oviraptorosaur fossils, are reinterpreted as fossils of a member of Megaraptora by Aranciaga Rolando et al..
• A study on the phylogenetic relationships of Timimus hermani and Santanaraptor placidus is published by Delcourt & Grillo, who interpret these taxa as tyrannosauroid theropods, and name new clades Pantyrannosauria and Eutyrannosauria.
• The first neurocranial and paleoneurological description of Dilong paradoxus, comparing it with large tyrannosaurids, is published online by Kundrát et al..
• A metatarsal bone of an indeterminate tyrannosauroid theropod, indicative of an animal in the size range of tyrannosauroids from the Santonian to Maastrichtian, is described from the Cenomanian Potomac Formation of New Jersey by Brownstein, representing the only definite occurrence of a tyrannosauroid in Appalachia before the Coniacian and Santonian.
• Three foot bones of large tyrannosauroid theropods, interpreted as fossils of non-tyrannosaurid tyrannosauroids, are described from the Maastrichtian Navesink Formation by Brownstein.
• Partial tibia of a tyrannosauroid theropod, possibly a relative of Bistahieversor sealeyi, is described from the Upper Cretaceous Navesink Formation by Brownstein.
• A metatarsal bone of a young tyrannosaurid theropod, marked with several long grooves interpreted as tooth traces of a large tyrannosaurid, is described from the Upper Cretaceous Lance Formation by McLain et al..
• A study on the jaw musculature of Tyrannosaurus rex, and its importance for reconstructions of the bite force of this species, is published by Bates & Falkingham.
• A study on the ornithomimosaur fossils from the Lower Cretaceous Arundel Clay published by Brownstein, interpreting the fossils as indicative of the presence of two ornithomimosaur taxa in the Arundel, is criticized by McFeeters, Ryan & Cullen.
• A study on the diversity of ornithomimosaur dinosaurs from the Upper Cretaceous Nemegt Formation as indicated by the morphology of their manus bones is published by Chinzorig et al..
• A study on the putative beta-keratin antibodies reported in a fossil specimen of Shuvuuia deserti by Schweitzer et al. is published by Saitta et al., who interpret their findings as inconsistent with any protein or other original organic substance preservation in the Shuvuuia fiber.
• Probable therizinosauroid eggs are described from the Upper Cretaceous Hongtuya Formation by Ren et al..
• A study on the anatomy of the basicranium of Nothronychus mckinleyi, and its implications for reconstructing the soft tissues of this species, is published by Smith, Sanders & Wolfe.
• A study on egg clutches produced by oviraptorosaur theropods representing a large body size range, evaluating their implications for inferring how oviraptorosaurs of different body size incubated their eggs, is published by Tanaka et al..
• A study evaluating the potential of the wings of Caudipteryx to produce small aerodynamic forces during terrestrial locomotion is published by Talori et al..
• A study on the morphology of the dentary of a member of the genus Caenagnathasia from the Upper Cretaceous Bissekty Formation is published by Wang, Zhang & Yang.
• A small caenagnathid tibia is described from the Upper Cretaceous Horseshoe Canyon Formation by Funston & Currie.
• New specimen of Citipati osmolskae preserved in a brooding position atop a nest of eggs is described from Ukhaa Tolgod by Norell et al..
• Description of endocasts of Citipati osmolskae and Khaan mckennai, and a study on their implications for inferring the course of oviraptorosaur brain evolution and how it relates to the origin of the modern bird brain, is published by Balanoff et al..
• Redescription of Hulsanpes perlei and a study on the phylogenetic relationships of this species is published by Cau & Madzia.
• Description of the anatomy of the postcranial skeleton of a newly discovered specimen of Buitreraptor gonzalezorum is published by Novas et al..
• A study on the tail anatomy of Buitreraptor gonzalezorum is published by Motta, Brissón Egli & Novas.
• Description of the anatomy of the postcranial skeleton of Buitreraptor gonzalezorum based on the holotype and referred specimens is published by Gianechini et al..
• A tooth of a large dromaeosaurid theropod, intermediate in size between those of smaller dromaeosaurids like Saurornitholestes and gigantic forms like Dakotaraptor, is described from the middle Campanian Tar Heel Formation by Brownstein.
• New specimen of Sinovenator changii, including a nearly complete skull and providing new information on the anatomy of the skull of this species, is described from the Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation by Yin, Pei & Zhou.
• A study on the incubation period and incubation strategy of Troodon formosus is published by Varricchio, Kundrát & Hogan.
• Description of two new specimens of Anchiornis huxleyi and a study on the phylogenetic relationships of the species is published by Guo, Xu & Jia.
• Apparent gastric pellets of Anchiornis are described by Zheng et al..
• A study on the evolution of the anatomy of the braincase of sauropodomorph dinosaurs is published by Bronzati, Benson & Rauhut.
• Otero presents the inferred shoulder and forelimb musculature of sauropodomorph dinosaurs, as inferred by comparisons with living crocodiles and birds.
• A study evaluating how hindlimb musculature of sauropodomorph dinosaurs was affected by the development of a quadrupedal stance from a bipedal one, and later in the transition from a narrow‐gauge to a wide‐gauge stance, is published by Klinkhamer et al..
• New specimen of Buriolestes schultzi, providing additional information on the anatomy of this species, is described from the Upper Triassic Santa Maria Formation by Müller et al..
• Fossil of a basal sauropodomorph dinosaur found in the Triassic locality in Brazil which also yielded the fossils of Sacisaurus agudoensis are described by Marsola et al..
• Redescription of the anatomy of the braincase of Efraasia minor is published by Bronzati & Rauhut.
• A study on the anatomy and phylogenetic relationships of Sarahsaurus aurifontanalis is published by Marsh & Rowe.
• A study on the anatomy of the skull of Massospondylus carinatus is published by Chapelle & Choiniere.
• Xing et al. describe a bone abnormality in a rib of a specimen of Lufengosaurus huenei from the Lower Jurassic Fengjiahe Formation, possibly caused by a failed predator attack.
• A study on the osteology of the sauropodomorph Pulanesaura eocollum is published by Mcphee & Choiniere.
• A study on the microstructure of the long bones of Antetonitrus ingenipes is published by Krupandan, Chinsamy-Turan & Pol.
• A study on the geological age of the type locality of Vulcanodon karibaensis is published by Viglietti et al., who interpret Vulcanodon as likely to be Sinemurian–Pliensbachian in age, and potentially ∼10–15 million years older than previously thought. This makes it the oldest known sauropod.
• Two neck vertebrae of a eusauropod sauropod dinosaur are described from a new Early Jurassic locality in the Haute Moulouya Basin by Nicholl, Mannion & Barrett, representing some of the earliest eusauropod fossils reported so far.
• A study on the phylogenetic relationships of basal members of Eusauropoda from the Early-Middle Jurasic of Patagonia, Argentina is published by Holwerda & Pol.
• A study on the age of the Lower Shaximiao Formation of the Sichuan Basin, southwest China is published by Wang et al..
• Redescription of the complete series of the neck vertebrae of Xinjiangtitan shanshanesis is published online by Zhang et al..
• A study on the skull anatomy of Bellusaurus sui is published by Moore et al..
• Description of a skull of a juvenile sauropod belonging or related to the genus Diplodocus from the Upper Jurassic Morrison Formation, representing the smallest diplodocid skull reported so far, and a study on the implications of this finding for inferring the ontogeny of the skull of diplodocids, is published by Woodruff et al..
• Exquisitely preserved new skull of a diplodocid sauropod is described from the Upper Jurassic Morrison Formation by Tschopp, Mateus & Norell, providing new information on the morphology of diplodocid skulls, and indicating presence of overlapping joints between the maxilla, jugal, quadratojugal and the lacrimal, permitting limited anterior sliding movement of the snout.
• Xenoposeidon proneneukos is assigned to the family Rebbachisauridae by Taylor.
• Partial sauropod pes is described from the Upper Jurassic Morrison Formation in the Black Hills in Wyoming by Maltese et al., representing the largest sauropod pes described to date.
• A sauropod footprint assigned to the ichnogenus Brontopodus, produced by a trackmaker of the size exceeding that of any Mongolian dinosaur reported so far from skeletal material, is described from the Upper Cretaceous Nemegt Formation by Stettner, Persons & Currie.
• A study on sauropod tracks from the Cal Orck’o tracksite in the Maastrichtian El Molino Formation is published by Meyer, Marty & Belvedere, who name a new ichnotaxon Calorckosauripus lazari, interpreted by the authors as tracks produced by a basal titanosaur.
• A study on the bone histology of Rapetosaurus krausei is published by Curry Rogers & Kulik.
• New titanosaur fossil material is described from the Upper Cretaceous Río Huaco Formation and Los Llanos Formation by Hechenleitner et al..
• A study on the mechanical strength of the unusually thick shells of the titanosaur eggs from the Sanagasta nesting site, evaluating the required force to break them from inside, is published by Hechenleitner et al., who interpret their findings as indicating that thinning of outer eggshells was necessary for successful hatchings.
• Description of new fossil material of Atsinganosaurus velauciensis from the Upper Cretaceous Argiles et Grès à Reptiles Formation and a study on the phylogenetic relationships of this species is published by Díez Díaz et al..
• Ibiricu, Martínez & Casal present the reconstruction of the pelvic and hindlimb musculature of Epachthosaurus sciuttoi.
• A redescription of Mendozasaurus neguyelap based on previously undocumented remains and a study on the phylogenetic relationships of the species is published by Gonzàlez Riga et al..
• Postcranial remains attributable to the holotype specimen of Nemegtosaurus mongoliensis are described from the Upper Cretaceous Nemegt Formation by Currie et al., who consider Opisthocoelicaudia skarzynskii to be a probable junior synonym of N. mongoliensis.
• A study on the morphology of sauropod teeth from the Cenomanian of Morocco and Algeria, comparing them to contemporaneous Cretaceous sauropod tooth morphotypes, is published by Holwerda et al..
• A study on the heterodontosaurid fossils from the Early Jurassic of Argentina described by Becerra et al., aiming to estimate the body size of the animal, is published by Becerra & Ramírez.
• A study on the teeth of Manidens condorensis, based on new material indicative of a strong heterodonty and a novel occlusion type previously unreported in herbivorous dinosaurs, is published by Becerra et al..
• Redescription of Gigantspinosaurus sichuanensis and a study on the phylogenetic relationships of the species is published by Hao et al..
• A study on pathological characteristics of left femur of a specimen of Gigantspinosaurus sichuanensis from the Late Jurassic of China is published online by Hao et al., who interpret this specimen as probably affected by bone tumor.
• New specimen of Hesperosaurus mjosi, providing new information on the anatomy of the species and indicating that H. mjosi might have been a smaller species than Stegosaurus stenops, is described from the Upper Jurassic Morrison Formation by Maidment, Woodruff & Horner.
• Redescription of the fossil material referred to Paranthodon africanus and a study on the phylogenetic relationships of this species is published by Raven & Maidment.
• Probable ankylosaurian footprints are described from the Upper Jurassic Guará Formation by Francischini et al..
• Probable ankylosaurian footprints assigned to the ichnogenus Tetrapodosaurus are described from the Middle Jurassic Zorrillo-Taberna Indiferenciadas Formation by Rodríguez-de la Rosa et al., representing the oldest ankylosaurian ichnofossils reported so far.
• A study aiming to test the hypothesis that convoluted nasal passages of ankylosaurs were efficient heat exchangers is published by Bourke, Porter & Witmer.
• A study on the neuroanatomy of ankylosaurid dinosaurs based on skull endocasts of Talarurus plicatospineus and Tarchia teresae is published by Paulina-Carabajal et al..
• A survey of ankylosaur occurrences in the Cretaceous deposits of Alberta and a study looking for explanation of numerous instances of ankylosaur specimens preserved overturned is published by Mallon et al..
• A study on the teeth histology and development in Changchunsaurus parvus is published by Chen et al..
• Parksosaurid tooth and vertebral centrum is described from the Campanian of the Cerro del Pueblo Formation by Rivera-Sylva et al., representing the first record of this family from Mexico.
• A study on the bone microstructure and ontogeny of basal ornithopod specimens from the Early Cretaceous of Australia is published by Woodward, Rich & Vickers-Rich, who reinterpret the tracks as produced in non-marine environment.
• A toe bone of an ornithopod dinosaur is described from the Albian Hudspeth Formation by Retallack et al., representing the first diagnostic nonavian dinosaur fossil from Oregon.
• A study on the ontogenetic changes in the postcranial skeleton of Dysalotosaurus lettowvorbecki is published by Hübner.
• A study on the holotype specimen of Riabininohadros weberae, revealing previously unknown elements of the femur, astragalus and calcaneus, is published by Lopatin, Averianov & Alifanov, who also report the second dinosaur specimen from the Maastrichtian of Crimea, a fragmentary skeleton of an advanced iguanodontid or primitive hadrosauroid ornithopod.
• A redescription of Iguanodon galvensis and a study on the phylogenetic relationships of the species is published by Verdú et al..
• Microfossil remains of Early Cretaceous grasses extracted from a specimen of Equijubus normani are described by Wu, You & Li.
• A study on the phylogenetic relationships of Nipponosaurus sachalinensis is published by Takasaki et al..
• A study on the osteology, histology and taxonomy of the Maastrichtian hadrosauroid specimens from the Basturs Poble bonebed is published by Fondevilla et al..
• A study on the anatomy of the perinatal specimens of Maiasaura peeblesorum from the Campanian Two Medicine Formation, and on their implications for understanding of the morphological changes in the skeletons of members of this species that took place in their early growth stages, is published by Prieto-Marquez & Guenther.
• Description of the morphology of the braincase of Secernosaurus koerneri is published by Becerra et al..
• A hadrosaurid nestling belonging to the genus Edmontosaurus is described from the Upper Cretaceous Hell Creek Formation by Wosik, Goodwin & Evans, who interpret its anatomy as indicating that it was capable of fully quadrupedal locomotion.
• Partial sacrum of a hadrosaurid dinosaur is described from the Campanian Cape Sebastian Sandstone by Taylor & Lucas.
• A study on the differences in shape and structural performance of the lower jaws of ceratopsians is published by Maiorino et al..
• A study evaluating whether skull ornaments of ceratopsians might have helped members of closely related sympatric species differentiate themselves is published by Knapp et al..
• A description of the anatomy of the postcranial skeleton of Yinlong downsi and a study on the phylogenetic relationships of basal ornithischians is published by Han et al..
• A study on the morphology of the joint of the occipital skull region and the first two cervical vertebrae of Psittacosaurus sibiricus is published by Podlesnov.
• A study on the dental morphology and tooth replacement in Liaoceratops yanzigouensis is published by He et al..
• A study on the ontogenetic changes of the bone microstructure in Protoceratops andrewsi and their implications for the biology of this species is published by Fostowicz-Frelik & Słowiak.
• A study on the differences of shape of cervical vertebrae of different specimens of Protoceratops andrewsi is published by Tereschenko.
• Two isolated ceratopsid horncores are described from the Upper Cretaceous Foremost Formation by Brown, representing some of the earliest ceratopsid fossils reported so far.
• Description of new fossil material of Medusaceratops lokii from the Upper Cretaceous Campanian and a study on the phylogenetic relationships of the species is published by Chiba et al..
• Small marks interpreted as feeding traces are described from a partial frill of a juvenile specimen of Centrosaurus apertus from the Dinosaur Park Formation by Hone, Tanke & Brown.
• Description of three partial chasmosaurine skulls collected from the Dinosaur Park Formation, and age-equivalent sediments of the uppermost Oldman Formation, of southern Alberta is published by Campbell et al..
• A study on the ecological diversity of Cretaceous herbivorous dinosaurs leading up to the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event, as indicated by jaw and teeth morphology, is published by Nordén et al..
• A comment on the study of Baron & Barrett is published by Müller et al..
• A study on the taphonomical effects of sedimentary compression on the iliac morphology of early dinosaurs, using basal sauropodomorph specimens as a model is published by Müller, Garcia, Da-Rosa & Dias-da-Silva.

  New taxa

Birds

Research

• Dinosaur-like ossification pattern of skull bones is reported in bird embryos by Smith-Paredes et al..
• A study evaluating whether eggs of early birds from the Mesozoic could have borne the weight of incubating adults is published by Deeming & Mayr.
• A study on the formation of the pygostyle in extant birds and its evolution in Mesozoic birds is published by Rashid et al., who interpret their findings as indicating that the lack of pygostyle in Zhongornis haoae and other juvenile Mesozoic birds does not necessarily indicate that they are intermediate species in the long- to short-tailed evolutionary transition, and that feathered coelurosaur tail preserved in Burmese amber which was described by Xing et al. might be avian.
• A study on the anatomy of the braincase of birds and non-avian dinosaurs, evaluating whether there is a link between changes in brain anatomy and loss of flight, is published by Gold & Watanabe.
• A study on the preservation potential of feather keratin in the fossil record is published by Schweitzer et al. ; the study is subsequently criticized by Saitta & Vinther.
• Description of 31 samples of Cretaceous amber from Myanmar that contain feathers, providing new information on the morphology and variability of rachis-dominated feathers of Cretaceous birds, is published by Xing et al..
• A pseudoscorpion attached to barbules of a contour feather, possibly documenting a phoretic association between pseudoscorpions and Mesozoic birds, is described from the Cretaceous amber from Myanmar by Xing, McKellar & Gao.
• A redescription of the bird trackway originally labeled Aquatilavipes anhuiensis from the Lower Cretaceous Qiuzhuang Formation is published by Xing et al., who transfer this ichnospecies to the ichnogenus Koreanaornis.
• Early Cretaceous bird footprints are described from the Kitadani Formation by Imai, Tsukiji & Azuma.
• New avian ichnospecies Ignotornis canadensis is described from the Lower Cretaceous Gates Formation by Buckley, McCrea & Xing.
• Ignotornid tracks are described from the Lower Cretaceous of Jiangsu by Xing et al., representing the first known record of the ichnogenus Goseongornipes from China.
• The twelfth specimen of Archaeopteryx, the oldest reported so far, is described by Rauhut, Foth & Tischlinger. This was named as the new genus Alcmonavis in 2019.
• A study on the geometric properties of the wing bones of Archaeopteryx is published by Voeten et al., who interpret their findings as indicating that Archaeopteryx was able to actively use its wings to take to the air.
• Gastrolith masses preserved in five specimens of Jeholornis will be described by O'Connor et al..
• A new confuciusornithid specimen, most similar to Eoconfuciusornis zhengi but also sharing traits with Confuciusornis, will be described from the Upper Cretaceous Huajiying Formation by Navalón et al..
• A study on the morphology of the skull of Confuciusornis sanctus is published by Elżanowski, Peters & Mayr.
• An exceptionally-preserved specimen of Confuciusornis, preserving elaborate plumage patterning, is described from the Lower Cretaceous deposits in Fengning County estimated to be equivalent with the Dawangzhangzi Member of the Yixian Formation by Li et al..
• An articulated skeleton of an enantiornithine bird preserved in the Cretaceous amber from Myanmar is described by Xing et al..
• An early juvenile enantiornithine specimen, providing new information on the osteogenesis in members of Enantiornithes, is described from the Lower Cretaceous Las Hoyas deposits of Spain by Knoll et al..
• A study evaluating the capacity of the enantiornithines Concornis lacustris and Eoalulavis hoyasi to use intermittent flight is published by Serrano et al..
• A study on the morphology and diversity of enantiornithine coracoids from the Upper Cretaceous Bissekty Formation is published by Panteleev.
• O’Connor et al. propose criteria for identifying medullary bone in fossils, and report probable medullary bone from a pengornithid enantiornithine specimen from the Lower Cretaceous Jiufotang Formation.
• A specimen of Archaeorhynchus spathula with extensive soft tissue preservation, revealing a tail morphology previously unknown in Mesozoic birds and an exceptional occurrence of fossilized lung tissue, is described from the Lower Cretaceous Jiufotang Formation by Wang et al..
• Wang et al. report the presence of distinct salt gland fossa on the frontal of a bird similar to Iteravis huchzermeyeri and Gansus zheni from the Lower Cretaceous Sihedang locality ; the authors also consider I. huchzermeyeri and G. zheni to be probably synonymous.
• Abundant black flies, thought to have inhabited the same environments as Cretaceous ornithurine birds and most likely fed on them, are described from the Santonian Taimyr amber by Perkovsky, Sukhomlin & Zelenkov, who use these insects as an indicator of a bird community, and argue that advanced ornithuromorph birds might have originated at higher latitudes.
• Field et al. report new specimens and previously overlooked elements of the holotype of Ichthyornis dispar, and generate a nearly complete three-dimensional reconstruction of the skull of this species.
• A study on the impact of the widespread destruction of forests during the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event on bird evolution, as indicated by ancestral state reconstructions of neornithine ecology and inferences about enantiornithine ecology, is published by Field et al., who interpret their findings as indicating that the global forest collapse at the end of the Cretaceous caused extinction of predominantly tree-dwelling birds, while bird groups that survived the extinction and gave rise to extant birds were non-arboreal.
• A study on the evolution of the anatomy of the crown-bird skull is published by Felice & Goswami, who also present a hypothetical reconstruction of the ancestral crown-bird skull.
• A fossil tinamou belonging to the genus Eudromia, exceeding the size range of living species of the genus, is described from the Lujanian sediments in Marcos Paz County by Cenizo et al..
• A study on the dietary behavior of four species of the moa and their interactions with parasites based on data from their coprolites is published by Boast et al..
• A study on the seeds preserved in moa coprolites is published by Carpenter et al., who question the hypothesis that some of the largest-seeded plants of New Zealand were dispersed by moas.
• A study on the genetic and morphological diversity of the emus, including extinct island populations, is published by Thomson et al..
• A study on the timing of first human arrival in Madagascar, as indicated by evidence of prehistoric human modification of multiple elephant bird postcranial elements, is published by Hansford et al..
• A study on the anatomy of the brains of elephant birds Aepyornis maximus and A. hildebrandti, and on its implications for inferring the ecology and behaviour of these birds, is published by Torres & Clarke.
• A model of development of bony pseudoteeth of the odontopterygiform birds is proposed by Louchart et al..
• A study on the phylogenetic relationships of the taxa assigned to the family Vegaviidae by Agnolín et al. is published by Mayr et al..
• A study on the adaptations for filter-feeding in the feeding apparatus of modern ducks, evaluating whether they could be also found in the skull of Presbyornis, is published by Zelenkov & Stidham, who argue that Presbyornis most likely was a poorly specialized filter-feeder.
• A study on the phylogenetic relationships of the species Chendytes lawi and the Labrador duck is published by Buckner et al..
• Schmidt interprets more than 1000 large, near-circular gravel mounds from western New South Wales as likely to be nest mounds constructed by an extinct bird, similar to the malleefowl but larger.
• A study on the phylogenetic relationships of Foro panarium is published by Field & Hsiang, who consider this species to be a stem-turaco.
• Petralca austriaca, originally thought to be an auk, is reinterpreted as a member of Gaviiformes by Göhlich & Mayr.
• Globuli ossei are reported for the first time in a bird by Garcia Marsà, Tambussi & Cerda.
• Redescription of the anatomy of the fossil penguin Madrynornis mirandus and a study on the phylogenetic relationships of this species is published by Degrange, Ksepka & Tambussi.
• Fossil material attributed to the extinct Hunter Island penguin is reinterpreted as assemblage of remains from three extant penguin species by Cole et al..
• A study on the history of penguin colonization of the Vestfold Hills, indicating that penguins started colonizing the northern Vestfold Hills around 14.6 thousand years before present, is published by Gao et al..
• A study on the history of active and abandoned Adélie penguin colonies at Cape Adare, based on new excavations and radiocarbon dating, is published by Emslie, McKenzie & Patterson.
• A study on the mummified Adélie penguin carcasses and associated sediments from the Long Peninsula, and on their implications for inferring the causes of the abandonment of numerous penguin sub‐colonies in this area during the 2nd millennium, is published by Gao et al..
• New bird fossils, including the first reported tarsometatarsus of the plotopterid Tonsala hildegardae are described from the late Eocene/early Oligocene Makah Formation and the Oligocene Pysht Formation by Mayr & Goedert, who name a new plotopterid subfamily Tonsalinae.
• A well-preserved scapula of a plotopterid, enabling the reconstruction of the triosseal canal in plotopterids, is described from the Oligocene Jinnobaru Formation by Ando & Fukata.
• Fossil remains of the spectacled cormorant are described from the upper Pleistocene of Shiriya by Watanabe, Matsuoka & Hasegawa.
• Extinct lowland kagu is reinterpreted as synonymous with extant kagu by Theuerkauf & Gula.
• A study on the phylogenetic relationships of the Rodrigues owl and Mauritius owl is published by Louchart et al..
• Fossils of the barn owl are described from the Dinaledi Chamber of the Rising Star Cave system by Kruger & Badenhorst, who also evaluate how these bird bones were introduced into the Dinaledi Chamber.
• New fossils of stem-mousebirds belonging to the family Sandcoleidae, providing new information on the anatomy of members of this family, are described from the Eocene of the Messel pit by Mayr.
• Partial skeleton of an early member of Coraciiformes of uncertain generic and specific assignment, showing several previously unknown features of the skull and vertebral column of early coraciiforms, is described from the Lower Eocene London Clay by Mayr & Walsh.
• New phorusrhacid fossils are described from the Pleistocene of Uruguay by Jones et al., providing evidence of survival of phorusrhacids until the end of the Pleistocene.
• A study on the phylogenetic relationships of the extinct Cuban macaw is published by Johansson et al..
• A study on an ancient DNA of scarlet macaws recovered from archaeological sites in Chaco Canyon and the contemporaneous Mimbres area of New Mexico is published by George et al., who report low genetic diversity in this sample, and interpret their findings as indicating that people at an undiscovered Pre-Hispanic settlement dating between 900 and 1200 CE managed a macaw breeding colony outside their endemic range.
• A study on the bird fossils from the Olduvai Gorge site and their implications for inferring the environmental context of the site during the Oldowan-Acheulean transitional period is published by Prassack et al..
• A study on the bird fossil assemblage from the Pleistocene of the Rio Secco Cave and its implications for the palaeoenvironmental reconstructions of the site is published by Carrera et al..
• Oswald & Steadman report nearly 500 bird fossils collected on New Providence in 1958 and 1960.
• A study on the fossils of Pleistocene birds collected on Picard Island in 1987 is published by Hume, Martill & Hing.
• A revision of non-passeriform landbird fossils from the Pleistocene of Shiriya is published by Watanabe, Matsuoka & Hasegawa.
• Remains of 32 species of seabirds and related taxa are reported from the middle–late Pleistocene Shiriya local fauna by Watanabe, Matsuoka & Hasegawa.
• Description of Late Pleistocene bird fauna from Buso Doppio del Broion Cave, including fossils of the snowy owl and the northern hawk-owl and the first Italian Pleistocene fossil remains of the Eurasian wren and the black redstart, is published by Carrera et al..
• Bird eggshell fragments are described from the Fitterer Ranch locality within the Oligocene Brule Formation by Lawver & Boyd, who name a new ootaxon Metoolithus jacksonae.

  New taxa

Pterosaurs

Research

• A study on the morphological diversity of the mandibular shapes in pterosaurs is published by Navarro, Martin-Silverstone & Stubbs.
• A synthesis of pterosaur dietary interpretations, evaluating how robustly supported different dietary interpretations are within, and between, key pterosaur groups, is published by Bestwick et al..
• A study on the validity of six ontogenetic stages in pterosaur life history proposed by Kellner is published by Dalla Vecchia, who also considers Bergamodactylus wildi to be a junior synonym of Carniadactylus rosenfeldi.
• A pterosaur humerus from the Late Jurassic of Thailand, originally assigned to the group Azhdarchoidea, is reassigned to the family Rhamphorhynchidae by Unwin & Martill.
• Description of soft parts preserved in the holotype specimen of Scaphognathus crassirostris is published by Jäger et al..
• A tooth of a large pterodactyloid pterosaur, most similar to the teeth of Coloborhynchus and Ludodactylus, is described from the Cretaceous Aïn el Guettar Formation by Martill, Ibrahim & Bouaziz.
• A new juvenile specimen of Pteranodon is described from the Smoky Hill Chalk Member of the Niobrara Formation by Bennett.
• A metacarpal bone of a specimen of Pteranodon, bearing teeth marks likely produced by a shark and by a saurodontid fish, is described from the Campanian Mooreville Chalk by Ehret & Harrell.
• A series of neck vertebrae of Pteranodon associated with a tooth of the lamniform shark Cretoxyrhina mantelli is described from the Upper Cretaceous Niobrara Formation by Hone, Witton & Habib, who interpret the specimen as evidence of Cretoxyrhina biting Pteranodon.
• A giant humerus of a tapejaroid pterosaur is described from the Upper Cretaceous Plottier Formation by Ortiz David, González Riga & Kellner.
• A revision of the taxonomy of Noripterus and other Asian members of the family Dsungaripteridae is published by Hone, Jiang & Xu.
• A new thalassodromine specimen is described from the Lower Cretaceous Romualdo Formation by Buchmann et al., providing new information on the anatomy of the postcranial skeleton of members of the group.
• Redescription of the holotype of Thalassodromeus sethi is published by Pêgas, Costa & Kellner, who transfer the species Banguela oberlii to the genus Thalassodromeus.
• Purported pterosaur pelvis from the Upper Cretaceous Dinosaur Park Formation described by Funston, Martin-Silverstone & Currie is reinterpreted as a broken tyrannosaurid squamosal by Funston, Martin-Silverstone & Currie.
• Partial mandible of a giant azhdarchid pterosaur, representing the largest pterosaur mandible reported so far, is described from the Upper Cretaceous Hațeg Basin by Vremir et al..

  New taxa

Other archosaurs

Research

• A study on the anatomy of Teleocrater rhadinus is published by Nesbitt et al..
• A study on the phylogenetic relationships of lagerpetid dinosauromorphs is published by Müller, Langer & Dias-da-Silva.
• New specimen of Dromomeron romeri is described from the Owl Rock Member of the Chinle Formation by Marsh.
• A study on the phylogenetic relationships of Pisanosaurus mertii is published by Agnolín & Rozadilla, who interpret the taxon as a likely silesaurid.
• Reevaluation of Caseosaurus crosbyensis and a study on the phylogenetic relationships of the species is published by Baron & Williams.
• Fossils of a member of the genus Smok of uncertain specific assignment are described from the Upper Triassic Marciszów site by Niedźwiedzki & Budziszewska-Karwowska.

  New taxa