A new specimen of Valdosaurus canaliculatus (Ornithopoda: Dryosauridae) from the lower cretaceous of the Isle of Wight, England

Abstract

The anatomy of Valdosaurus canaliculatus is incompletely known and until recently was based exclusively upon the holotype femora. Additional discoveries from the Wessex Formation (Barremian) of the Isle of Wight during the past decade have considerably expanded the amount of material available and offered insights into the morphology of the vertebral column and pelvis. However, all of these specimens consist primarily of hind limb material. Here, I describe a newly discovered individual of this taxon, the most complete yet found, which was found in articulation and includes a partial dorsal series, an almost complete tail, pelvic material, and both hind limbs. Although the specimen is partially crushed it offers new information on the anatomy of Valdosaurus, facilitating comparisons with other dryosaurid taxa.