2023 In Archosaur Paleontology

This article records new taxa of every kind of fossil archosaur that are scheduled to be described during 2023, as well as other significant discoveries and events related to the paleontology of archosaurs that will be published in 2023.

Pseudosuchians

New pseudosuchian taxa

General pseudosuchian research

Aetosaur research

Crocodylomorph research

* Evidence from the osteological correlates of the trigeminal nerve in extant and fossil taxa, interpreted as indicative of an increase in sensory abilities in Early Jurassic crocodylomorphs, preceding their transitions to a semiaquatic habitat, is presented by Lessner ''et al.'' (2023).
* New specimen of '' Hsisosuchus'' of uncertain specific assignment, providing new information on the shape and arrangement of the osteoderms in the ventral trunk shield of members of this genus, is described from the Upper Jurassic of Yunnan (China) by Wu ''et al.'' (2023).
* Description of new fossil material of itasuchid crocodyliforms from the Upper Cretaceous Bauru Group (Brazil) is published by Pinheiro ''et al.'' (2023), who also confirm the monophyly of Itasuchidae with some variation in its content, and find the South American itasuchid species to occupy a crocodyliform morphospace, possibly indicating distinct niche occupations.
* A study on the neuroanatomy and phylogenetic affinities of '' Portugalosuchus azenhae'' is published by Puértolas-Pascual ''et al.'' (2023), who recover ''Portugalosuchus'' as a member of Gavialoidea most closely related to ''Thoracosaurus neocesariensis''.
*A collection of isolated gavialoid teeth is reported from the shallow marine deposits of Eocene Turnu Roșu (Romania) by Venczel ''et al.'' (2023), who recognize a minimum of five morphotypes.
*A collection of eighteen isolated neosuchian teeth as well as a single isolated crocodyliform osteoderm are reported from the Berriasian–Valanginian Feliz Deserto Formation (Brazil) by Lacerda ''et al.'' (2023), who recognize a minimum of three morphotypes among the teeth.

Non-avian dinosaurs

New dinosaur taxa

General non-avian dinosaur research

* Cullen ''et al.'' (2023) reevaluate evidence for anomalously positive stable carbon isotope compositions of dinosaur bioapatite, report that the studied anomaly is present in the carbon isotope compositions of bioapatite in tooth enamel of not only dinosaurs but also mammals and crocodilians and in scale ganoine of gars from the "Rainy Day Site" in the Campanian Oldman Formation (Alberta, Canada) but is absent in extant vertebrates from the near-analogue modern ecosystem in the Atchafalaya Basin (Louisiana, United States), and interpret their findings as indicating that the studied anomaly is not the result of a unique dietary physiology of dinosaurs.
* Dinosaur eggshell fragments with preserved eggshell membranes are reported from the Late Jurassic Brushy Basin Member of the Morrison Formation (Utah, United States) by Lazer ''et al.'' (2023).

Saurischian research

* A tracksite of dinosaur footprints is described from the Middle Jurassic Xietan Formation (Hubei, China) by Xing ''et al''. (2023), who interpret the tracks as belonging to small sauropods (similiar to '' Brontopodus'') and probable theropods.

Theropod research

* A study on the relationship between the body size of theropods, the area of muscles important for their balance and locomotion, and their capacity for agility is published by Henderson (2023), who argues that theropod body plan had an upper size limit based on a minimum acceleration threshold.
* Peng ''et al.'' (2023) describe abundant tracks from the Upper Triassic Tianquan track site (Xujiahe Formation; Ya'an, western Sichuan Basin, China), interpreted as produced by small theropods and representing one of the earliest record of dinosaurs from the eastern Tethys realm.
* Sharma, Hendrickx & Singh (2023) describe dental material of a non-coelurosaur averostran theropod from the Bathonian Fort Member of the Jaisalmer Formation (India), providing evidence of the presence of at least one taxon of a medium to large-bodied theropod on the Tethyan coast of India during the Middle Jurassic.
* A collection of seven isolated spinosaurid teeth as well as a single preungual pedal phalanx of an indetermined theropod are reported from the Berriasian–Valanginian Feliz Deserto Formation (Brazil) by Lacerda ''et al''. (2023).
* Reconstruction of the musculature of the pectoral girdle and forelimbs in megaraptoran theropods is presented by Aranciaga Rolando ''et al.'' (2023).
* A pathological third metatarsal of ''Phuwiangvenator'', indicating that the bone experienced a greenstick fracture and healed before the animal's death, is described from the Lower Cretaceous Sao Khua Formation (Khon Kaen, Thailand) by Samathi ''et al''. (2023).
* A study estimating the number of telencephalic neurons in theropod dinosaurs is published by Herculano-Houzel (2023), who argues that '' Allosaurus'' and ''Tyrannosaurus'' are endotherms with baboon- and monkey-like numbers of neurons; however, this study has been criticized.
* Evidence of preservation of elements associated with bone remodeling and redeposition (sulfur, calcium, zinc) in a specimen of ''Tyrannosaurus rex'', interpreted as indicative of preservation of original endogenous chemistry in the studied specimen, is presented by Anné ''et al.'' (2023).
* A partial left tibia and articulated proximal tarsals, likely belonging to an indeterminate velociraptorine, are described from the Upper Cretaceous Lo Hueco fossil site ( Cuenca, Spain) by Malafaia ''et al''. (2023), who also review the European theropods of the Late Cretaceous.

Sauropodomorph research

* Lockley ''et al.'' (2023) evaluate a number of trackways assigned to basal saurischians, including those belonging to the ichnogenera '' Otozoum'', ''Pseudotetrasauropus'', '' Evazoum'', and '' Kalosauropus'', and examine their implications on the gait of "prosauropods".
* Cervical vertebra representing the first record of a titanosauriform sauropod from the Lower Cretaceous Kanmon Group (Japan) is described by Tatehata, Mukunoki & Tanoue (2023).
* Dhiman ''et al.'' (2023) report the discovery of 92 titanosaur egg clutches from the Upper Cretaceous Lameta Formation (Madhya Pradesh, India), including three types of clutches and assigned to six oospecies, interpret their findings as suggestive of higher diversity of titanosaur taxa from the Lameta Formation than indicated by body fossils, and evaluate the implications of the studied egg clutches for the knowledge of the reproductive biology of titanosaurs.

Ornithischian research

* A study on the biomechanical properties of the skulls of ''Heterodontosaurus tucki'', '' Lesothosaurus diagnosticus'', ''Scelidosaurus harrisonii'', '' Hypsilophodon foxii'' and '' Psittacosaurus lujiatunensis'' is published by Button ''et al.'' (2023), who interpret their findings as indicative of limited functional convergence among studied taxa, which achieved comparable performance of the feeding apparatus through different adaptations.
* A study on the evolution of forelimb muscle mechanics and function in ornithischian dinosaurs is published by Dempsey ''et al.'' (2023), who interpret their findings as indicating that thyreophorans, ornithopods and ceratopsians evolved quadrupedality through different patterns of rearrangement of forelimb musculature.
* Review of the fossil record of ornithischian dinosaurs from Southeast Asia and southern China is published by Manitkoon ''et al.'' (2023)

Thyreophoran research

* Galton (2023) describes a right sternal bone of a specimen of '' Stegosaurus'' from the Carnegie Quarry at Dinosaur National Monument (Morrison Formation; Utah, United States) and reevaluates three putative sternal bones from Como Bluff (Wyoming, United States) described by Gilmore (1914), arguing that they are neither sternal bones nor fossils of ''Stegosaurus''.

Cerapod research

* Redescription of ''Cumnoria prestwichii'' is published by Maidment ''et al.'' (2023), who recover ''Cumnoria'' as a non-ankylopollexian iguanodontian, and consider it to be distinct from '' Camptosaurus''.
* García-Cobeña, Cobosa & Verdú (2023) describe bone and trace fossils of styracosternan ornithopods from the Lower Cretaceous El Castellar Formation and Camarillas Formation (Spain), including manus-pes track set from the Camarillas Formation indicative of quadrupedal locomotion, assigned to the ichnogenus ''Caririchnium'' and produced by large styracosternans related to '' Iguanodon''.

Birds

New bird taxa

Avian research

* Five specimens of '' Sapeornis chaoyangensis'' with different-preserved feathers are reported from the Early Cretaceous Jehol Biota (China) by Zhao ''et al.'' (2023), who examine their implications for the taphonomy of soft tissues from the Jehol Biota.
* Figueiredo ''et al''. (2023) report a partial coracoid of the genus '' Morus'' from the middle Miocene (Langhian) of the Setúbal Peninsula (Portugal), an instance that represents the first Miocene sulid described from the Iberian Peninsula.

Pterosaurs

New pterosaur taxa

Pterosaur research

* Revision of the pterosaur assemblage from the Kem Kem Group (Morocco) is published by Smith ''et al.'' (2023), who provide revised diagnoses for '' Afrotapejara zouhrii'' and ''Alanqa saharica'', and report at least three distinct jaw morphotypes which cannot be referred to any previously named species.

Other archosaurs

Other archosaur research

General research

* Wang, Claessens & Sullivan (2023) establish skeletal features associated with the attachment of uncinate processes to vertebral ribs in extant birds and crocodilians, attempt to determine their distribution in fossil archosaurs, and interpret their findings as indicating that cartilaginous uncinate processes were plesiomorphically present (and likely had a ventilatory function) in dinosaurs, and maybe even in archosaurs in general.

References

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Archosaurs
2023 in paleontology