Marshosaurus

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iMarshosaurus Fossil range: Late Jurassic
Conservation status
Extinct (fossil)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Sauropsida Superorder: Dinosauria Order: Saurischia Suborder: Theropoda (unranked) Avetheropoda Genus: Marshosaurus Species: M. bicentesimus
Binomial name
Marshosaurus bicentesimus Madsen, Jr, 1976

Marshosaurus was a genus of medium sized theropod, with a size up to 5 or 6 meters in length. Its remains show it had short but powerful arms. Characters on the skeleton show it was an avetheropod, a member of Avetheropoda, a group of more bird-like theropods including Tyrannosaurus, Velociraptor and Allosaurus. The scientists are not sure which family this dinosaur belongs to. It may turn out to be a member of Sinraptoridae (thus a Carnosaur and a closer relative to Allosaurus than to Tyrannosaurus). It is known from two partial skeletons and lived during the Kimmeridgian (Late Jurassic), approximately 155 - 150 mya. The fossilised bones of Marshosaurus were found in the USA.

It was named after Marsh, who discovered many dinosaur fossils during the Bone Wars.

[edit] External links

• Marshosaurus at Dinosaur Mailing List
• Marshosaurus at DinoRuss
• Thescelosaurus! page containing info about Marshosaurus
• An illustration of Marshosaurus by Todd Marshall