Noasaurus

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iNoasaurus
Fossil range: Late Cretaceous
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Sauropsida
Superorder: Dinosauria
Order: Saurischia
Suborder: Theropoda
Infraorder: Ceratosauria
Superfamily: Abelisauroidea
Family: Noasauridae
Genus: Noasaurus
Binomial name
Noasaurus leali
Bonaparte & Powell, 1980

Noasaurus ("Northwestern Argentina lizard") is the name given to a carnivorous dinosaur genus of the late Campanian-Maastrichtian (Late Cretaceous). It was a small (less than eight feet long) theropod, specifically a ceratosaur, discovered by Jaime Powell and Jose Bonaparte in northwestern Argentina. It was originally thought to have had a toe claw similar to that of dromaeosaurs, but independently developed, but this is now discredited: the "toe claw" was probably actually on the animal's hand. The discovery of Masiakasaurus, a closely related animal from Madagascar, provides evidence for this new theory: it doesn't have a dromaeosaur-style toe claw.

The type species, Noasaurus leali, was described by Bonaparte and Powell in 1980.

[edit] References

  • Lessem, D. (1993). "Jose Bonaparte: Master of the Mesozoic". Omni. May 1993.

[edit] External links