SPECIES CLASSIFICATION OF A JUVENILE PSITTACOSAURUS AND LITHOLOGIC DESCRIPTION OF THE FOSSIL MATRIX

Fossils that lack taxonomic and stratigraphic information are problematic. Fossil specimens in private collections often lack valuable stratigraphic information. This study applies traditional taxonomic classification of a juvenile Psittacosaurus recovered from a private collection. This study also employs traditional and nontraditional methods to interpret lithologic and stratigraphic information from the surrounding fossil matrix. The juvenile Psittacosaurus sp. was collected in-situ, along with lithologic matrix from the Liaoning Province, China. Several species of the genus Psittacosaurus have been found in two early Cretaceous (Albian-Aptian) formations in this area of China. The results of this study suggest this specimen belongs to P. mongoliensis from the Meileyingzi Bed of the Jiufotang Formation.