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{{Short description|Extinct genus of dinosaurs}}
{{speciesbox
{{Speciesbox
| fossil_range = Late [[Campanian]], {{Fossil range|75}}
| fossil_range = Late [[Campanian]], {{Fossil range|75}}
| image = Gravitholus.png
| image = Gravitholus.png
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}}
}}


'''''Gravitholus''''' (meaning 'heavy dome') was a [[genus]] of [[dinosaur]] from the late [[Cretaceous]] period ([[Campanian]] [[faunal stage|stage]], around 75 [[mya (unit)|million years ago]]). It was a [[pachycephalosaur]], and like other pachycephalosaurids the skull roof formed a thick dome made of dense bone, which may have been used in head-butting contests over mates or territory. It lived in what is now [[Alberta]], Canada, and was described in 1979 by W. P. Wall and [[Peter Galton]].
'''''Gravitholus''''' (meaning 'heavy dome') was a [[genus]] of [[pachycephalosaur]]id [[dinosaur]] from the late [[Cretaceous]] period ([[Campanian]] [[faunal stage|stage]], around 75 [[million years ago]]). It was a pachycephalosaur, and like other pachycephalosaurids the skull roof formed a thick dome made of dense bone, which may have been used in head-butting contests over mates or territory. It lived in what is now [[Alberta]], Canada, and was described in 1979 by W. P. Wall and [[Peter Galton]]. The [[type species]] is ''Gravitholus albertae''.


There is some debate amongst paleontologists as to whether the animal represents a distinct genus, or if it is synonymous with ''[[Stegoceras]]''. Some recent publications indicate it may be a valid genus.{{Citation needed|date=September 2024}} ''Gravitholus'' was initially described as one of several pachycephalosaurids known from Dinosaur Park, including ''[[Stegoceras validum]]'', ''[[Hanssuesia sternbergi]]'' and ''[[Foraminacephale brevis]]''. It is unclear whether all of these species would have lived in the area at the same time. A 2023 publication by Dyer ''et al''. found ''Gravitholus'' and ''Hanssuesia'' to be synonymous with ''Stegoceras'', thus decreasing the diversity of Dinosaur Park pachcephalosaurids to only two valid taxa. This conclusion was reached because new morphological data recovered from synchrotron scanning of the skull revealed ''Gravitholus'' to be virtually identical to mature ''Stegoceras.''<ref name=Dyer2023>{{Cite journal |last1=Dyer |first1=Aaron D. |last2=Powers |first2=Mark J. |last3=Currie |first3=Philip J. |author-link3=Philip J. Currie |date=2023 |title=Problematic putative pachycephalosaurids: Synchrotron µCT imaging shines new light on the anatomy and taxonomic validity of ''Gravitholus albertae'' from the Belly River Group (Campanian) of Alberta, Canada |url=https://journals.library.ualberta.ca/vamp/index.php/VAMP/article/view/29388 |journal=Vertebrate Anatomy Morphology Palaeontology |language=en |volume=10 |issue=1 |pages=65–110 |doi=10.18435/vamp29388 |issn=2292-1389 |doi-access=free}}</ref>
The [[type species]] is ''Gravitholus albertae''.

There is some debate amongst paleontologists as to whether the animal represents a distinct genus, or if it may be synonymous with ''[[Stegoceras]]''. Recent publications indicate it may be a valid genus. ''Gravitholus'' is one of several pachycephalosaurids known from Dinosaur Park, including ''[[Stegoceras validum]]'', ''[[Hanssuesia sternbergi]]'', and ''[[Foraminacephale brevis]]''. It is unclear whether all of these species would have lived in the area at the same time.


==See also==
==See also==
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==References==
==References==
{{Reflist}}
*Wall, W.P. & Galton, P.M. (1979). "Notes on pachycephalosaurid dinosaurs (Reptilia: Ornithischia) from North America, with comments on their status as ornithopods". ''Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences''. 16:1176-1186
*Wall, W. P. & Galton, P. M. (1979). "Notes on pachycephalosaurid dinosaurs (Reptilia: Ornithischia) from North America, with comments on their status as ornithopods". ''Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences''. 16:1176-1186
*[[Teresa Maryańska|Maryanska, T.]], Chapman, R.E., and Weishampel, D.B. (2004). "Pachycephalosauria". In D. B. Weishampel, P. Dodson & H. Osmólska (eds.), ''The Dinosauria'' (second edition). University of California Press, Berkeley 464-477
*[[Teresa Maryańska|Maryańska, T.]], Chapman, R. E., and [[David B. Weishampel|Weishampel, D. B.]] (2004). "Pachycephalosauria". In D. B. Weishampel, [[P. Dodson]] & [[Halszka Osmólska|H. Osmólska]] (eds.), ''The Dinosauria'' (second edition). University of California Press, Berkeley 464–477


==External links==
==External links==
* [http://paleodb.org/cgi-bin/bridge.pl?action=checkTaxonInfo&taxon_no=38784&is_real_user=0 ''Gravitholus'' at the Paleobiology Database]
* [http://paleodb.org/cgi-bin/bridge.pl?action=checkTaxonInfo&taxon_no=38784&is_real_user=0 ''Gravitholus'' at the Paleobiology Database] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120206101036/http://paleodb.org/cgi-bin/bridge.pl?action=checkTaxonInfo&taxon_no=38784&is_real_user=0 |date=2012-02-06 }}
* [http://dml.cmnh.org/1998Nov/msg00667.html ''Gravitholus'' on the Dinosaur Mailing List]
* [http://dml.cmnh.org/1998Nov/msg00667.html ''Gravitholus'' on the Dinosaur Mailing List] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303191144/http://dml.cmnh.org/1998Nov/msg00667.html |date=2016-03-03 }}

{{Marginocephalia|P.}}


{{Pachycephalosauria|P.}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q134642}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q134642}}


[[Category:Late Cretaceous dinosaurs of North America]]
[[Category:Fossil taxa described in 1979]]
[[Category:Fossil taxa described in 1979]]
[[Category:Pachycephalosaurs]]
[[Category:Pachycephalosaurs of Asia]]
[[Category:Taxa named by Peter Galton]]
[[Category:Taxa named by Peter Galton]]
[[Category:Paleontology in Alberta]]
[[Category:Paleontology in Alberta]]
[[Category:Campanian genus first appearances]]
[[Category:Campanian genera]]
[[Category:Campanian genus extinctions]]
[[Category:Ornithischian genera]]




Latest revision as of 23:00, 19 September 2024

Gravitholus
Temporal range: Late Campanian, 75 Ma
↓
Skull TMP 72.27.01
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Clade: Dinosauria
Clade: †Ornithischia
Clade: †Neornithischia
Clade: †Pachycephalosauria
Family: †Pachycephalosauridae
Genus: †Gravitholus
Wall & Galton, 1979
Species:
†G. albertae
Binomial name
†Gravitholus albertae
Wall & Galton, 1979

Gravitholus (meaning 'heavy dome') was a genus of pachycephalosaurid dinosaur from the late Cretaceous period (Campanian stage, around 75 million years ago). It was a pachycephalosaur, and like other pachycephalosaurids the skull roof formed a thick dome made of dense bone, which may have been used in head-butting contests over mates or territory. It lived in what is now Alberta, Canada, and was described in 1979 by W. P. Wall and Peter Galton. The type species is Gravitholus albertae.

There is some debate amongst paleontologists as to whether the animal represents a distinct genus, or if it is synonymous with Stegoceras. Some recent publications indicate it may be a valid genus.[citation needed] Gravitholus was initially described as one of several pachycephalosaurids known from Dinosaur Park, including Stegoceras validum, Hanssuesia sternbergi and Foraminacephale brevis. It is unclear whether all of these species would have lived in the area at the same time. A 2023 publication by Dyer et al. found Gravitholus and Hanssuesia to be synonymous with Stegoceras, thus decreasing the diversity of Dinosaur Park pachcephalosaurids to only two valid taxa. This conclusion was reached because new morphological data recovered from synchrotron scanning of the skull revealed Gravitholus to be virtually identical to mature Stegoceras.[1]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Dyer, Aaron D.; Powers, Mark J.; Currie, Philip J. (2023). "Problematic putative pachycephalosaurids: Synchrotron µCT imaging shines new light on the anatomy and taxonomic validity of Gravitholus albertae from the Belly River Group (Campanian) of Alberta, Canada". Vertebrate Anatomy Morphology Palaeontology. 10 (1): 65–110. doi:10.18435/vamp29388. ISSN 2292-1389.
  • Wall, W. P. & Galton, P. M. (1979). "Notes on pachycephalosaurid dinosaurs (Reptilia: Ornithischia) from North America, with comments on their status as ornithopods". Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences. 16:1176-1186
  • Maryańska, T., Chapman, R. E., and Weishampel, D. B. (2004). "Pachycephalosauria". In D. B. Weishampel, P. Dodson & H. Osmólska (eds.), The Dinosauria (second edition). University of California Press, Berkeley 464–477
[edit]


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