Cristatusaurus
Cristatusaurus was a carnivorous theropod dinosaur from the Early Cretaceous of West Africa. Its fossils look very similar to the ones from Baryonyx and Suchomimus. [1]
| Cristatusaurus | |
|---|---|
| File:Cristatusaurus skeletal by PaleoGeek.png | |
| Diagram illustrating possible size and skeletal reconstruction combining several fossil specimens | |
| Scientific classification e | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Clade: | Avetheropoda |
| Infraorder: | Carnosauria |
| Family: | Spinosauridae |
| Subfamily: | Baryonychinae |
| Genus: | Cristatusaurus Taquet and Russell, 1998 |
| Species: | C. lapparenti
|
| Binomial name | |
| Cristatusaurus lapparenti | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Discovery and naming
The first specimens were found in Niger in 1973 by a French paleontologist named Philippe Taquet. The name of the animal refers to the Latin word for crest, "crista", because it had a crest on its snout. The species "lapparenti" is named after another French paleontologist called Albert-Félix de Lapparent.[1] The fossils discovered so far include two broken snout bones, some pieces from the upper and lower jaws, a claw, and four backbones (also called ''vertebrae''). Scientists aren't sure if Cristatusaurus is a new species, some of them say it could be the same dinosaur as Suchomimus or Baryonyx.[2]
- Cristatusaurus.jpg
Another view of the fossil jaw pieces.
- Cristatusaurus claw.jpg
Claw from Cristatusaurus
Cristatusaurus Media
- Cristatusaurus lapparenti fragments.JPG
Holotype specimen (MNHN GDF 366), consisting of jaw fossils, Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Paris
- Cristatusaurus ontogeny by PaleoGeek.png
Diagram showing the differences between an adult (A) and juvenile (B) Cristatusaurus premaxilla
- Cristatusaurus premaxillae.png
Type premaxillae from reversed left side (A), bottom (B), and top (C) views
- Suchomimus, Cristatusaurus, and Baryonyx rostra.png
Comparison between snout fossils of Suchomimus (A, B), Cristatusaurus (C, D), and Baryonyx (E)
- Life reconstruction of Cristatusaurus lapparenti.png
Life reconstruction of Cristatusaurus lapparenti
- Suchomimus tenerensis by PaleoGeek.png
Suchomimus tenerensis by PaleoGeek
- Baryonyx walkeri restoration.jpg
Baryonyx walkeri restoration
- Irritator challengeri by PaleoGeek.png
Irritator challengeri by PaleoGeek
- Oxalaia quilombensis by PaleoGeek.png
Oxalaia quilombensis by PaleoGeek
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Taquet, P. and Russell, D.A. (1998). "New data on spinosaurid dinosaurs from the Early Cretaceous of the Sahara". Comptes Rendus de l'Académie des Sciences à Paris, Sciences de la Terre et des Planètes 327: 347-353
- ↑ Rauhut, O.W.M. (2003). "The interrelationships and evolution of basal theropod dinosaurs". Special Papers in Palaeontology 69: 1-213.