Thyreophora, the palaeobiology of armoured dinosaurs: their phylogenetic relationships, evolutionary history and lifestyle

• Applicant: Dr. Marco Schade
• Subject Area: Palaeontology
• Term: since 2024
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 554620748

Although dinosaurs were often subject to scientific research in the past, many facets of their palaeobiology are still unknown. Modern investigative means, as μ computertomographs, powerful microscopes and micro and macro photography, have proven to deliver extremely useful data when applied to fossil (skull)material of extinct non-avian dinosaurs. A heavily armoured, mostly herbivorous group of ornithischian dinosaurs, the Thyreophora, are in focus of this research project. One of the geologically oldest representatives from the Early Jurassic of North Germany, Emausaurus ernsti, is part of the collection of the University of Greifswald and is aimed, together with additional Jurassic and Cretaceous thyreophoran taxa of Europe, Asia, North and South America, to be investigated with modern techniques. The documentation, description and contextualization of the anatomy (osteology and neuroanatomy) of early- and late-diverging Thyreophora will allow new approaches to diverse palaeobiological issues; among others, with implications for phylogeny, brain evolution, agility, self-defense, sensory capacities, biomechanics, tooth wear, tooth replacement, food preferences, niche partitioning and ontogenetic tendencies. Morphological data will be treated with phylogenetic, morphometric /multivariate and statistical analyses. The resulting publications of this project will give insights into palaeobiological aspects such as phylogenetic relationships, evolutionary history and palaeoecology of these long-lived (duration of ca. 130 Ma), diverse, heavily armoured, partly beweaponed and still enigmatic herbivores.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants