Yaverlandia is a genus of maniraptorandinosaur. Known from a partial fossil skull(MIWG 1530) found in Lower Cretaceousstrata of the Wessex Formation (Upper Silty Bed; Vectis Formation) on the Isle of Wight,[1][2][3] it was described as the earliest known member of the pachycephalosauridfamily, but research by Darren Naish shows it to have actually been a theropod, seemingly a maniraptoran.[4] Yaverlandia was named from where it was found, Yaverland Point/ Yaverland Battery. It was about 3 ft (1 m) in length and 1 ft (30 cm) in height.[5] The type species is Yaverlandia bitholus.[6]
Discovery and naming
The holotype skull of Y. bitholus was discovered in 1930, in England.[7][8] It was referred to as an iguanodontid of the genus Vectisaurus in 1936.[9] When Steel (1969) followed Hulke (1879)[10] in listing Vectisaurus as an iguanodontid, Peter Malcolm Galton (1971) named the fossil as Yaverlandia, which he described as a pachycephalosaurid since the skull of Yaverlandia was different than that of Vectisaurus (Mantellisaurus).[6] Sullivan (2000), Sereno (2000)[11] Naish (2006; unpublished thesis), Sullivan (2006)[12] and Naish (2008)[4] all re-classified Yaverlandiaas a maniraptoran. In 2012 additional remains were reported, but these have not been described.[13]
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