Victoria Arbour

Last updated
Victoria M. Arbour
Born1983
Nationality Canadian
Education BSc, PhD
Alma mater
Known forAnkylosaurs
Scientific career
Fields Paleontology
Institutions
Thesis Systematics, evolution, and biogeography of the ankylosaurid dinosaurs  (2014)
Doctoral advisor Philip J. Currie
Website pseudoplocephalus.com

Victoria Megan Arbour is a Canadian evolutionary biologist and vertebrate palaeontologist at Royal BC Museum, where she is Curator of Palaeontology. An "expert on the armoured dinosaurs known as ankylosaurs", [1] Arbour analyzes fossils and creates 3-D computer models. She named the possible pterosaur Gwawinapterus from Hornby Island, and a partial ornithischian dinosaur from Sustut Basin, British Columbia (now named Ferrisaurus ), and has participated in the naming of the ankylosaurs Zuul , [2] [3] Zaraapelta , [2] Crichtonpelta , [4] and Ziapelta . [5]

Contents

Early life and education

Born in 1983, Arbour is from Halifax, Nova Scotia. [6] Her mother, a math teacher, and father, a soil scientist, supported her science interests. [7] Arbour completed a B.Sc. Honours Thesis supervised by Milton Graves, An ornithischian dinosaur from the Sustut Basin, British Columbia, Canada, and graduated from Dalhousie University in 2006. [8] She completed her master's thesis, Evolution, biomechanics, and function of the tail club of ankylosaurid dinosaurs (Ornithischia: Thyreophora) in 2009, and her Ph.D. thesis, Systematics, evolution, and biogeography of the ankylosaurid dinosaurs, in 2014, both advised by paleontologist Philip Currie at the University of Alberta. [9]

Career

Arbour became Curator of Palaeontology at Royal BC Museum in 2018. [10]

She previously worked as a Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada postdoctoral fellow at the University of Toronto and Royal Ontario Museum. [11] [12] [13] As the top-ranked female candidate for the fellowship, she also received a supplement available to applicants who demonstrate "exemplary involvement in science promotion, mentorship, and leadership". [14]

From 2014 to 2016 she was a postdoctoral researcher with a joint appointment at North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences and North Carolina State University. [5] [15]

Arbour primarily studies dinosaurs in the group Ankylosauria, including biomechanical analyses of tail clubs. [4] [16] Arbour has studied microfossils from Nova Scotia. [9] She has also named the possible pterosaur Gwawinapterus from Hornby Island, and a partial ornithischian dinosaur from Sustut Basin, both locations in British Columbia. [9] She has participated in the naming of the ankylosaurs Zuul , [2] [3] [17] Zaraapelta , [2] Crichtonpelta , [4] Ziapelta , [5] [18] as well as resurrecting Dyoplosaurus , [19] and publishing a new phylogenetic analysis on the interrelationships of Ankylosauridae. [20]

According to Brian Alary of the University of Alberta, "She's contributed to history-making research by analyzing fossils and creating 3-D computer models, developed course materials and taught 35,000 students at a time through the Dino 101 MOOC." [6] Philip Currie credits Arbour for involving the paleontology discipline with the University of Alberta's "Women in Scholarship, Engineering, Science & Technology", making study of dinosaurs more appealing to women. [6]

Related Research Articles

<i>Ankylosaurus</i> Ankylosaurid dinosaur genus from the Late Cretaceous Period

Ankylosaurus is a genus of armored dinosaur. Its fossils have been found in geological formations dating to the very end of the Cretaceous Period, about 68–66 million years ago, in western North America, making it among the last of the non-avian dinosaurs. It was named by Barnum Brown in 1908; it is monotypic, containing only A. magniventris. The generic name means "fused" or "bent lizard", and the specific name means "great belly". A handful of specimens have been excavated to date, but a complete skeleton has not been discovered. Though other members of Ankylosauria are represented by more extensive fossil material, Ankylosaurus is often considered the archetypal member of its group, despite having some unusual features.

<i>Euoplocephalus</i> Genus of ankylosaurid dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous period

Euoplocephalus is a genus of very large, herbivorous ankylosaurid dinosaurs, living during the Late Cretaceous of Canada. It has only one named species, Euoplocephalus tutus.

<i>Zuul</i> Genus of armored ankylosaurine dinosaurs

Zuul is a genus of herbivorous ankylosaurine dinosaur from the Campanian Judith River Formation of Montana. The type species is Zuul crurivastator. It is known from a complete skull and tail, which represents the first ankylosaurin known from a complete skull and tail club, as well as the most complete ankylosaurid specimen thus far recovered from North America. The specimen also preserved in situ osteoderms, keratin, and skin remains.

<i>Minmi paravertebra</i> Ankylosaurian dinosaur genus from early Cretaceous Period

Minmi is a genus of small herbivorous ankylosaurian dinosaur that lived during the early Cretaceous Period of Australia, about 120 to 112 million years ago.

<i>Crichtonsaurus</i> Extinct genus of dinosaurs

Crichtonsaurus is a genus of herbivorous ankylosaurid dinosaur that lived during the Late Cretaceous in what is now China. It was named after Michael Crichton, the author of the dinosaur novel Jurassic Park. A sister taxon was discovered, C. benxiensis, which is now identified as a separate genus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ankylosauridae</span> Extinct family of dinosaurs

Ankylosauridae is a family of armored dinosaurs within Ankylosauria, and is the sister group to Nodosauridae. The oldest known Ankylosaurids date to around 122 million years ago and went extinct 66 million years ago during the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event. These animals were mainly herbivorous and were obligate quadrupeds, with leaf-shaped teeth and robust, scute-covered bodies. Ankylosaurids possess a distinctly domed and short snout, wedge-shaped osteoderms on their skull, scutes along their torso, and a tail club.

<i>Anodontosaurus</i> Extinct genus of dinosaurs

Anodontosaurus is an extinct genus of ankylosaurid dinosaurs within the subfamily Ankylosaurinae. It is known from the entire span of the Late Cretaceous Horseshoe Canyon Formation of southern Alberta, Canada. It contains two species, A. lambei and A. inceptus.

<i>Dyoplosaurus</i> Extinct genus of dinosaurs

Dyoplosaurus is a monospecific genus of ankylosaurid dinosaur from Alberta that lived during the Late Cretaceous in what is now the Dinosaur Park Formation. Dyoplosaurus represents a close relative of Scolosaurus and Anodontosaurus, two ankylosaurids known from the Horseshoe Canyon and Dinosaur Park Formation.

<i>Gobisaurus</i> Extinct genus of reptiles

Gobisaurus is an extinct genus of herbivorous basal ankylosaurid ankylosaur from the Upper Cretaceous of China. The genus is monotypic, containing only the species Gobisaurus domoculus.

<i>Panoplosaurus</i> Extinct genus of dinosaurs

Panoplosaurus is a genus of armoured dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous of Alberta, Canada. Few specimens of the genus are known, all from the middle Campanian of the Dinosaur Park Formation, roughly 76 to 75 million years ago. It was first discovered in 1917, and named in 1919 by Lawrence Lambe, named for its extensive armour, meaning "well-armoured lizard". Panoplosaurus has at times been considered the proper name for material otherwise referred to as Edmontonia, complicating its phylogenetic and ecological interpretations, at one point being considered to have existed across Alberta, New Mexico and Texas, with specimens in institutions from Canada and the United States. The skull and skeleton of Panoplosaurus are similar to its relatives, but have a few significant differences, such as the lumpy form of the skull osteoderms, a completely fused shoulder blade, and regularly shaped plates on its neck and body lacking prominent spines. It was a quadrupedal animal, roughly 5 m (16 ft) long and 1,600 kg (3,500 lb) in weight. The skull has a short snout, with a very domed surface, and bony plates directly covering the cheek. The neck had circular groups of plates arranged around the top surface, both the forelimb and hindlimb were about the same length, and the hand may have only included three fingers. Almost the entire surface of the body was covered in plates, osteoderms and scutes of varying sizes, ranging from large elements along the skull and neck, to smaller, round bones underneath the chin and body, to small ossicles that filled in the spaces between other, larger osteoderms.

<i>Tarchia</i> Extinct genus of dinosaurs

Tarchia is a genus of herbivorous ankylosaurid dinosaur from the late Cretaceous of Mongolia.

Heishansaurus, meaning "Heishan lizard" after the area in China where it was discovered, is the name given to a dubious genus of herbivorous ornithischian dinosaur, probably belonging to the Ankylosauridae.

<i>Ahshislepelta</i> Extinct genus of dinosaurs

Ahshislepelta is a monospecific genus of ankylosaur dinosaur from New Mexico that lived during the Late Cretaceous in what is now the Hunter Wash Member of the Kirtland Formation. The type and only species, Ahshislepelta minor, is known only from an incomplete postcranial skeleton of a small subadult or adult individual. It was named in 2011 by Michael Burns and Robert M. Sullivan. Based on the size of the humerus, Ahshislepelta is larger than Pinacosaurus mephistocephalus but smaller than Talarurus and Pinacosaurus grangeri.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nodosaurinae</span> Extinct subfamily of dinosaurs

Nodosaurinae is a subfamily of nodosaurid ankylosaurs from the Cretaceous of Europe, North America, and South America. The group is defined as the largest clade containing Nodosaurus textilis but not Hylaeosaurus armatus, Mymoorapelta maysi, or Polacanthus foxii, and was formally named in 2021 by Madzia and colleagues, who utilized the name of Othenio Abel in 1919, who created the term to unite Ankylosaurus, Hierosaurus and Stegopelta. The name has been significantly refined in content since Abel first used it to unite all quadrupedal, plate-armoured ornithischians, now including a significant number of taxa from the Early Cretaceous through Maastrichtian of Europe, North America, and Argentina. Previous informal definitions of the group described the clade as all taxa closer to Panoplosaurus, or Panoplosaurus and Nodosaurus, than to the early ankylosaurs Sarcolestes, Hylaeosaurus, Mymoorapelta or Polacanthus, which was reflected in the specifiers chosen by Madzia et al. when formalizing the clade following the PhyloCode. The 2018 phylogenetic analysis of Rivera-Sylva and colleagues was used as the primary reference for Panoplosaurini by Madzia et al., in addition to the supplemental analyses of Thompson et al. (2012), Arbour and Currie (2016), Arbour et al. (2016), and Brown et al. (2017).

<i>Ziapelta</i> Genus of ankylosaurid dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous period

Ziapelta is an extinct genus of ankylosaurid. Its fossils have been found in the Hunter Wash and De-na-zin members of the Kirtland Formation of Upper Cretaceous (Campanian) New Mexico. It was named in 2014, in a research paper led by ankylosaur researcher Victoria Arbour. There is a single species in the genus, Ziapelta sanjuanensis. The genus is named after the Zia sun symbol, a stylized sun with four groups of rays, having religious significance to the Zia people of New Mexico, and the iconic symbol on the state flag of New Mexico, and pelta (Latin), a small shield, in reference to the osteoderms found on all ankylosaurids. The specific name is in reference to San Juan County and the San Juan basin, where the fossils were found. Multiple specimens have been described to date, though the fossils are mostly from the front part of the animal. Its closest relative appears to be either Scolosaurus or Nodocephalosaurus, depending on what cladistic model is used.

Zaraapelta is an extinct genus of herbivorous ankylosaurid thyreophoran dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous of Mongolia. The type species is Zaraapelta nomadis, named and described by Arbour et al in 2014. Zaraapelta is known from a single skull from the Barun Goyot Formation. It was found to be closest to Tarchia in the phylogenetic analysis within its description.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Timeline of ankylosaur research</span>

This timeline of ankylosaur research is a chronological listing of events in the history of paleontology focused on the ankylosaurs, quadrupedal herbivorous dinosaurs who were protected by a covering bony plates and spikes and sometimes by a clubbed tail. Although formally trained scientists did not begin documenting ankylosaur fossils until the early 19th century, Native Americans had a long history of contact with these remains, which were generally interpreted through a mythological lens. The Delaware people have stories about smoking the bones of ancient monsters in a magic ritual to have wishes granted and ankylosaur fossils are among the local fossils that may have been used like this. The Native Americans of the modern southwestern United States tell stories about an armored monster named Yeitso that may have been influenced by local ankylosaur fossils. Likewise, ankylosaur remains are among the dinosaur bones found along the Red Deer River of Alberta, Canada where the Piegan people believe that the Grandfather of the Buffalo once lived.

Crichtonpelta is a genus of extinct herbivorous ankylosaurid dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian) of China.

<i>Platypelta</i> Extinct genus of dinosaurs

Platypelta is an extinct genus of herbivorous ankylosaurid dinosaurs within the subfamily Ankylosaurinae. It is known from the Late Cretaceous Dinosaur Park Formation of southern Alberta, Canada. The type species is Platypelta coombsi.

<i>Ferrisaurus</i> Extinct genus of dinosaurs

Ferrisaurus is a genus of leptoceratopsid ceratopsian dinosaur from the Sustut Basin in British Columbia, Canada. The type and only species is Ferrisaurus sustutensis. It is the first non-avian dinosaur described from British Columbia.

References

  1. ↑ "L'Oréal For Women in Science 2016: Victoria Arbour". www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca. Government of Canada, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, Communications. August 1, 2017. Retrieved 2018-01-02.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Hamers, Laurel (2017-06-13). "New dinosaur resurrects a demon from Ghostbusters". Science News . Retrieved 2017-12-28.
  3. 1 2 Greshko, Michael (2017-11-29). "Stunning Dinosaur Likely Used Armour to Flirt as Well as Fight". National Geographic . Archived from the original on December 3, 2017. Retrieved 2017-12-28.
  4. 1 2 3 Yong, Ed (2017-05-10). "Meet Zuul, Destroyer of Shins—a Dinosaur Named After the Ghostbusters Monster". The Atlantic . Retrieved 2017-12-28.
  5. 1 2 3 Dunham, Will (2015-09-01). "King of clubs: intriguing tale of the 'tank' dinosaur's tail". Reuters . Retrieved 2017-12-28.
  6. 1 2 3 Alary, Brian (9 June 2014). "Dinosaur scholar digs into childhood dreams". Folio. University of Alberta. Retrieved 2017-12-30.
  7. ↑ Nath, Ishani (2017-05-14). "What It's Like to Dig for Dinosaurs—*Spoiler Alert* It's Pretty Cool". Flare. Archived from the original on 2018-01-01. Retrieved 2017-12-31.
  8. ↑ Arbour, Victoria M. (April 28, 2006). "An ornithischian dinosaur from the Sustut Basin, British Columbia, Canada" (PDF). Retrieved 30 December 2017.
  9. 1 2 3 "Faculty of Science – Victoria Arbour". Dalhousie University. 2018. Retrieved 2017-12-30.
  10. ↑ "Dr. Victoria Arbour | Staff Profiles" . Retrieved 2020-05-18.
  11. ↑ "Digging it: Dr. Victoria Arbour (BSc'06)". Dalhousie University: Alumni Spotlight. May 18, 2017. Retrieved 12 October 2017.
  12. ↑ Pickrell, John (2017-09-18). "What if dinosaurs hadn't died out?". BBC Future. BBC . Retrieved 2017-12-28.
  13. ↑ Elbein, Asher (2016-10-12). "Did Plant-Eating Dinosaurs Really Only Eat Plants?". The Atlantic . Retrieved 2017-12-28.
  14. ↑ Division, Government of Canada, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, Communications (28 June 2016). "NSERC and L'OréalUNESCO For Women in Science Supplement". www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca. Retrieved 2018-01-07.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  15. ↑ Gaines, James (2015-09-14). "How armored dinosaur got its bone-bashing tail". CBS News . Retrieved 2017-12-28.
  16. ↑ Switek, Brian (2016-06-16). "Sadly, "Ankylosaur Fight Club" Is Probably Wishful Thinking". Smithsonian . Retrieved 2017-12-28.
  17. ↑ Riva, Nicole (May 9, 2017). "New dinosaur species named after Ghostbusters villain Zuul". CBC News. Retrieved 2017-12-31.
  18. ↑ Switek, Brian (2014-09-25). "Ziapelta – New Mexico's Newest Dinosaur". Phenomena. National Geographic. Archived from the original on October 1, 2014. Retrieved 2018-01-02.
  19. ↑ Switek, Brian (5 November 2012). "D is for Dyoplosaurus". Smithsonian. Retrieved 2018-01-02.
  20. ↑ Arbour, Victoria M.; Currie, Philip J. (2015). "Systematics, phylogeny and palaeobiogeography of the ankylosaurid dinosaurs". Journal of Systematic Palaeontology. 14 (5): 385–444. doi:10.1080/14772019.2015.1059985. S2CID   214625754.
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