Osteohistology and locomotor implications from an ornithopod dinosaur tibia from the El Castellar Formation (Lower Cretaceous, Teruel)

Authors

  • Juan Maíllo Pérez Aragosaurus-IUCA: Recursos Geológicos y Paleoambientes, Departamento de Ciencias de la Tierra, Universidad de Zaragoza
  • Jerome Hidalgo-Sanz Aragosaurus-IUCA: Recursos Geológicos y Paleoambientes, Departamento de Ciencias de la Tierra, Universidad de Zaragoza https://orcid.org/0009-0001-6107-3153
  • Miguel Moreno-Azanza GEOBIOTEC, Department of Earth Sciences, NOVA School of Science and Technology, Caparica, Portugal https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7210-1033
  • José Manuel Gasca-Pérez Departamento de Geología, Universidad de Salamanca https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8427-6199

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.55407/geogaceta113669

Keywords:

palaeohistology, iguanodontia, locomotion, ontogeny, Maestrazgo Basin

Abstract

The study of osteohistology in dinosaurs allows us to evaluate growth patterns and their relationship with biomechanical changes. In this paper we analyse a tibia assigned to an undetermined iguanodontid from the Masía de los Cerezos site (El Castellar Formation, Lower Cretaceous, Teruel). The histological section reveals a complex cortical structure, characterised by an asymmetric vascular distribution, anterolateral cortical thickening and the presence of compacted coarse cancellous tissue. This microanatomy suggests a redistribution of loads, possibly associated with a postural change prior to skeletal maturity. The results highlight the importance of the osteohistological study in Iguanodontia to understand the relationship between ontogeny and locomotion, and underline the need to extend the analysis to more taxa and ontogenetic stages to assess microanatomical variability within this group.

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Published

2025-12-11

How to Cite

Maíllo Pérez, J., Hidalgo-Sanz, J., Moreno-Azanza, M., & Gasca-Pérez, J. M. (2025). Osteohistology and locomotor implications from an ornithopod dinosaur tibia from the El Castellar Formation (Lower Cretaceous, Teruel). GEOGACETA, 78, 71–74. https://doi.org/10.55407/geogaceta113669

Issue

Vol. 78 (2025): Julio-Diciembre

Section

Artículos

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Copyright (c) 2025 Juan Maíllo Pérez, Jerome Hidalgo-Sanz, Miguel Moreno-Azanza, José Manuel Gasca-Pérez

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