Overview
- Researchers formally describe Foskeia pelendonum in Papers in Palaeontology based on at least five individuals from the Early Cretaceous Vegagete site in Burgos province, Spain.
- Micro-CT scans and bone histology show at least one specimen was sexually mature, indicating the tiny body size reflects an adult condition with relatively high growth and metabolic rates.
- The skull shows fused front elements, forward-tilted front teeth, an elevated jaw joint, and enlarged jaw-muscle attachment, pointing to a novel chewing mechanism and distinct feeding niche.
- Phylogenetic results place Foskeia within Rhabdodontomorpha as sister to Australia’s Muttaburrasaurus, expanding European Rhabdodontia and recovering a topology that revives the debated Phytodinosauria hypothesis, which the authors say requires further testing.
- The team reports specialized dentition, likely bursts of speed in dense habitats, and possible posture shifts during growth, highlighting evolutionary innovation at small body sizes and helping bridge a long gap in ornithopod evolution.