| Huehuecanauhtlus | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Huehuecanauhtlus | |||
| Order | Ornithischia | |||
| Suborder | Ornithopoda | |||
| Name Translation | "Ancient duck" | |||
| Period | Late Cretacous | |||
| Location | Mexico | |||
| Diet | Herbivore | |||
Huehuecanauhtlus is a genus of hadrosauroid that lived during the Santonian stage of the Late Cretaceous. It lived in what is now Michoacán, western Mexico. It contains a single species, H. tiquichensis.
Etymology[]
The name Huehuecanauhtlus is derived from Náhuatl (a dialect group of Aztecan languages) huehuetl, meaning "ancient" and canauhtli, meaning "duck" in reference to hadrosaurs often being called “duck-billed dinosaurs”. The species name, tiquichensis, honors the town of Tiquicheo.
Discovery[]
Known fossils of Huehuecanauhtlus
Huehuecanauhtlus is known only from two individuals. Both specimens were collected in 2012 near the Barranca Los Bonetes area. The holotype is represented by a fragmentary skull, specifically partial left maxilla, dentary fragment, and postcranial skeleton. The paratype is known only from two left teeth, a fragmented left dentary, and a cervical prezygapophysis.
Description[]
Recreation of H. tiquichensis by adamworks
Huehuecanauhtlus is known from very fragmented fossils, so its appearance is mostly guesswork. It shared the same body plan as other hadrosaurs, taking on a mostly quadrupedal stance when walking or grazing, although it could've reared onto its hind legs to reach higher food sources or escape predators. It likely fed on low-lying plants, clipping them with its toothless beak and grinding them with its batteries of cheek teeth.
Reference[]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huehuecanauhtlus
https://cdnsciencepub.com/doi/abs/10.1139/e11-062?journalCode=cjes