Small dinosaur fossil suggests Fukushima coast hosted iguanodontians of different sizes
Iguanodontians are a diverse group of herbivorous dinosaurs that lived from the Late Jurassic to the Late Cretaceous and had a worldwide distribution. Intercontinental dispersal events between Asia, North America and Europe played a key role in their diversification across Laurasia. Fossils discovered in Japan provide valuable insights into the evolution and biogeography of iguanodontians.
The fossilized right sternal plate of an indeterminate iguanodontian, estimated to be approximately 3 meters in body length, was discovered in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. This specimen dates back to the Upper Cretaceous period, specifically the Ashizawa Formation within the Futaba Group, which was a shallow marine depositional environment.
The discovery fills a gap in understanding iguanodontian diversity in Japan, as most fossils found in the region are fragmentary, consisting of isolated teeth and other remains. The new discovery indicates that different sizes of iguanodontians coexisted in the coastal environments of East Asia during the Late Cretaceous. The specimen's relatively small size contrasts with other known iguanodontian fossils from the same formation, suggesting a range of body sizes among these herbivorous dinosaurs.
The study, published in the journal Paleontological Research, provides valuable insight into the evolution and biogeography of iguanodontians and further corroborates the diversity of ancient coastal ecosystems in the region.
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