Ahshislepelta

Skeletal reconstruction of Ahshislepelta minor, a small ankylosaur from the Late Cretaceous Kirtland Formation of New Mexico. While originally recovered as an ankylosaurid related to Gastonia, later analyses favored a nodosaurid position which this is based on. Based on the holotype SMP VP-1930, consisting of fragmentary shoulder, forelimb, and vertebral elements as well as several osteoderms. Unknown material filled in using Niobrarasaurus, Pawpawsaurus, Silvisaurus, Sauropelta, and Borealopelta. Total length is approximately 4.9 m through the centra. Notes: Osteoderm placement somewhat speculative, not all osteoderms and vertebral fragments are figured. References: Burns & Sullivan, 2011.

Phylogenetic position of Akainacephalus johnsoni in (A), a strict consensus of 21 equally most parsimonious trees, including the wildcard taxon Ahshislepelta minor, placing A. johnsoni within a large polytomy, consisting of crown group taxa that include Asian and all Laramidian ankylosaurids; and (B), the resulting strict consensus of six equally most phylogenetic trees, from which the wildcard taxon Ahshislepelta minor has been pruned. The crown group taxa are slightly better resolved in the pruned analysis, in which Akainacephalus johnsoni forms a clade with its sister taxon Nodocephalosaurus kirtlandensis, nested within the clade that also includes the Asian taxa Minotaurasaurus ramachandrani, Tarchia kilanae, and Shanxia tianzhenensis, suggesting a close taxonomic relationship with Nodocephalosaurus kirtlandensis and Asian taxa.

Phylogenetic position of Akainacephalus johnsoni in (A), a strict consensus of 21 equally most parsimonious trees, including the wildcard taxon Ahshislepelta minor, placing A. johnsoni within a large polytomy, consisting of crown group taxa that include Asian and all Laramidian ankylosaurids; and (B), the resulting strict consensus of six equally most phylogenetic trees, from which the wildcard taxon Ahshislepelta minor has been pruned. The crown group taxa are slightly better resolved in the pruned analysis, in which Akainacephalus johnsoni forms a clade with its sister taxon Nodocephalosaurus kirtlandensis, nested within the clade that also includes the Asian taxa Minotaurasaurus ramachandrani, Tarchia kilanae, and Shanxia tianzhenensis, suggesting a close taxonomic relationship with Nodocephalosaurus kirtlandensis and Asian taxa.

Phylogenetic position of Akainacephalus johnsoni in (A), a strict consensus of 21 equally most parsimonious trees, including the wildcard taxon Ahshislepelta minor, placing A. johnsoni within a large polytomy, consisting of crown group taxa that include Asian and all Laramidian ankylosaurids; and (B), the resulting strict consensus of six equally most phylogenetic trees, from which the wildcard taxon Ahshislepelta minor has been pruned. The crown group taxa are slightly better resolved in the pruned analysis, in which Akainacephalus johnsoni forms a clade with its sister taxon Nodocephalosaurus kirtlandensis, nested within the clade that also includes the Asian taxa Minotaurasaurus ramachandrani, Tarchia kilanae, and Shanxia tianzhenensis, suggesting a close taxonomic relationship with Nodocephalosaurus kirtlandensis and Asian taxa.