Micropachycephalosaurus
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| Micropachycephalosaurus Fossil range: Late Cretaceous |
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Micropachycephalosaurus (meaning "small thick headed lizard") is a genus of ornithischian dinosaur, and currently has the longest generic name of any dinosaur. Ironically, it was also among the smallest of the dinosaurs, at a little over 1 meter (3.3 feet) long.[1] It lived in China during the late Cretaceous period.
The genus contains only the type species, Micropachycephalosaurus hongtuyanensis. Paleontologist Dong Zhiming originally described it as a member of the Pachycephalosauria, a group of bipedal dome-headed herbivores. However, re-evaluation of the family Pachycephalosauridae by Sullivan in 2006 cast doubt on this assignment.[2] Further study of the original fossil specimens by Butler and Zhao in 2008 also failed to find any characteristics linking Micropachycephalosaurus with the pachycephalosaurs. The one piece of evidence that could provide this link, the supposedly thickened skull roof, was missing from the fossil collection the scientists examined, and so could not be used to support or refute its original classification. Butler and Zhao therefore classified it as an indeterminate member of the Cerapoda.[1]
[edit] References
- ^ a b Butler, R.J. and Zhao, Q. "The small-bodied ornithischian dinosaurs Micropachycephalosaurus hongtuyanensis and Wannanosaurus yansiensis from the Late Cretaceous of China." Cretaceous Research, Corrected Proof, Available online 8 April 2008 doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2008.03.002
- ^ Sullivan, R.M. (2006). "A taxonomic review of the Pachycephalosauridae (Dinosauria: Ornithischia)." New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science Bulletin, 35: 347-365.
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