3D Scan dataset for article 'Morphological variation and asymmetrical development in the skull of Styracosaurus albertensis'
Description
Article Title: Morphological variation and asymmetrical development in the skull of Styracosaurus albertensis Authors: Robert Holmes (1), Walter Persons (1), Baltej Singh Rupal (2), Ahmed Jawad Qureshi (2), Philip Currie (1) Affiliation: (1) Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6E 2E3 Canada (2) Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Alberta, T6G 1H9, Canada Corresponding Author: Dr. Robert Holmes (holmes1@ualberta.ca) Journal: Cretaceous Research (Elsevier) Abstract: The ceratopsid Styracosaurus albertensis is an important component of the herbivorous dinosaur fauna preserved in the Campanian-aged Dinosaur Park Formation in Alberta, Canada. A new skull exhibits previously unobserved variability and asymmetry in this species. As in the type, the right lateral parietal bar bears seven epiossifications, but the left parietal bar has eight. Epiossifications p3‒p6 are asymmetrical with respect to size, orientation, and position relative to the midline. A re-evaluation of variation in Styracosaurus that includes this skull expands the morphological range of the taxon to incorporate Rubeosaurus ovatus, requiring the synonymy of the latter with the former. Unlike the type, both p1 and p2 epiossifications are large. Epiossification p1 is procurved, and p2 is medially curved. These features converge on the morphology considered diagnostic for Centrosaurus. This observation, in combination with their sequential stratigraphic relationship and geographic overlap might suggest that Centrosaurus and Styracosaurus form an anagenic series, but the stratigraphic placement of skulls exhibiting putative ‘transitional’ morphologies does not support this hypothesis. Keywords: centrosaurine; Ceratopsidae; anatomical asymmetry; anagenesis; Cretaceous; Alberta Taxonomy: Paleontology, Vertebrate Paleontology Research data files: 1. 3D PDF of the scan 2. STL file of the scan 3. Still of the right lateral from 3D scan 4. Still of the left lateral from 3D scan 5. Still of the dorsal view from 3D scan 6. Still of the bottom view from 3D scan Notes for research data: 1. For 3D PDF: Download the file and kindly use the latest version of Adobe Acrobat Reader to open the 3D PDF file. Click inside the box to activate the 3D content. Once the 3D content is activated, press and hold the left mouse button to change orientation as required and the scroll bar to zoom-in/zoom-out. Also, the Geomagics menu on the top can be used for more advanced maneuvering. 2. For STL: Download the .STL file and use any mesh viewer such as Meshlab to open and use the STL file. 3. The details of the scanning procedure and equipment are given in section 2 of the research article.