Craniomandibular anatomy of a juvenile specimen of Edmontosaurus regalis Lambe, 1917 clarifies issues in ontogeny and biogeography

Abstract

ABSTRACT Edmontosaurus regalis is a hadrosaurid represented by abundant fossil material from the late Campanian–early Maastrichtian of what is now Alberta, Canada. Despite its prevalence, juvenile craniomandibular elements of E. regalis are poorly known. A newly collected partial skeleton from the Horseshoe Canyon Formation, UALVP 60425, represents a small saurolophine with a partial skull (skull length ∼500 mm). It can be referred to Edmontosaurini based on the presence of a postorbital fossa and anteroposteriorly long frontals that lack a dorsally oriented nasal contact and contribute significantly to the orbital margin. Despite its small size and presumed immaturity, UALVP 60425 is assigned to E. regalis based on a horizontal shelf on the postorbital process of the jugal. The deep postorbital fossa that, in part, diagnoses E. regalis is acquired during growth. UALVP 60425 shares many features with the Alaskan Prince Creek saurolophine (Ugrunaaluk kuukpikensis); both show consistent anatomical differences in the lacrimal, jugal, and postorbitals from E. annectens throughout their growth series. New data from UALVP 6025 supports referring the Alaskan saurolophine material to Edmontosaurus cf. regalis in the absence of large-sized cranial material from the Prince Creek Formation.