| Sarahsaurus Temporal range: Early Jurassic |
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|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Superorder: | Dinosauria |
| Order: | Saurischia |
| Suborder: | †Sauropodomorpha |
| Branch: | †Massopoda |
| Genus: | †Sarahsaurus Rowe, Sues & Reisz, 2011 |
| Species: | †S. aurifontanalis |
| Binomial name | |
| Sarahsaurus aurifontanalis Rowe, Sues & Reisz, 2011 |
|
Sarahsaurus is a genus of basal sauropodomorph dinosaur which lived during the lower Jurassic period in what is now northeastern Arizona, USA.[1]
Sarahsaurus is known from a nearly complete articulated holotype skeleton referred to as TMM 43646-2, another partial skeleton known as TMM 43646-3, and a nearly complete but poorly preserved skull known as MCZ 8893.[1] This last specimen was previously described and referred to as Massospondylus sp.[2] All specimens of Sarahsaurus were collected from the Early Jurassic Kayenta Formation near Gold Spring, Arizona, which is Sinemurian to Pliensbachian in age.[1]
Sarahsaurus was first described by Timothy B. Rowe, Hans-Dieter Sues and Robert R. Reisz in 2011 and the type species is Sarahsaurus aurifontanalis. The generic name honours Sarah (Mrs Ernest) Butler, and sauros (Greek), for "lizard". The specific name is derived from aurum (Latin), "gold", and fontanalis (Latin), "of the spring" in reference to Gold Spring, Arizona, where the holotype was found. Sarahsaurus is the third basal sauropodomorph dinosaur to have been identified in North America. (The other two are Anchisaurus [here including Ammosaurus] from the Early Jurassic of the Connecticut River Valley and Seitaad of the later Navajo Sandstone of Early Jurassic Utah.) It is thought to have appeared through a dispersal event that originated in South America and was separate from those of the other two sauropodomorphs.[1] The animal is notable for possessing very large, powerful hands, suggesting that it was an omnivore.[3]
In a cladistic analysis, presented by Apaldetti and colleagues in November 2011, Sarahsaurus was found to be most closely related to Ignavusaurus within Massopoda.[4]