Lutungutali

Description

Lutungutali is known from parts of its pelvis and from four caudal vertebrae that make up the base of the tail. These bones represent one individual, although bones that may belong to Lutungutali representing eight other individuals were collected from the same fossil site in 2011. Lutungutali shares the following three features (synapomorphies) with other early dinosauriforms:

• A small area over which the pubis and ischium bones of the hip connect.
• A depression or fossa on the ischium where it connects with the pubis and ilium.
• The length of the ischium exceeding the length of the iliac blade across the top of the hip.

Lutungutali also shares two synapomorphies with the clade or evolutionary grouping containing silesaurids and dinosaurs:

• A crest of bone extending upward from the supraacetabular crest (a bony ridge above the acetabulum or hip socket) that joins with the preacetabular process, the forward-most projection of the iliac blade.
• A lengthy connection between the two pairs of ischia, except for a division of the two bones near their connection with the rest of the hip.

In addition, it shares two synapomorphies with other silesaurids:

• A straight lower margin of the hip socket on the ilium (more basal dinosauriforms have a convex margin, and dinosaurs have a concave margin).
• The lack of a ridge of bone behind the hip socket called the antitrochanter.

Lutungutali has one unique feature or autapomorphy that distinguishes it from all other dinosauriforms: an iliac blade that is taller than the portion of the ilium that forms the hip socket. This feature is references in its name, which means "high hip" in the Bemba Language.