Bahariasaurus

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Bahariasaurus
Fossil range: Late Cretaceous

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Sauropsida
Superorder: Dinosauria
Order: Saurischia
Suborder: Theropoda
Genus: Bahariasaurus
Stromer, 1934

Bahariasaurus (meaning "Bahariya lizard") was originally thought to be a very large carnivorous dinosaur, but turned out to be bones of a medium-sized carnivore mixed up with bones of a titanosaurid sauropod. It is probably synonymous with Deltadromeus, another predatory dinosaur from the Cretaceous of Africa.[1]

The type species, B. ingens, was described by Ernst Stromer in 1934, though the type specimen was destroyed during World War II. The exact placement of Bahariasaurus is uncertain. It has been variously assigned to several theropod groups, including Carcharodontosauridae (by Rauhut in 1995) and Tyrannosauroidea (by Chure in 2000). More specimens would be needed to more accurately classify it, and to determine its relationship to Deltadromeus.[2][3]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Mortimer, M. (2007). "Ceratosauria" The Theropod Database.
  2. ^ Rauhut, (1995). "Zur systematischen Stellung der afrikanischen Theropoden Carcharodontosaurus Stromer 1931 und Bahariasaurus Stromer 1934." Berliner geowissenschaftliche Abhandlungen, E16 (Gundolf-Ernst-Festschrift): 357-375.
  3. ^ Chure, (2000). "A new species of Allosaurus from the Morrison Formation of Dinosaur National Monument (Utah-Colorado) and a revision of the theropod family Allosauridae." Ph.D. dissertation, Columbia University, 1-964.

[edit] External links