Trinisaura

Trinisaura
Temporal range: Late Cretaceous, 80Ma
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Clade: Dinosauria
Order: Ornithischia
Clade: Ornithopoda
Genus: Trinisaura
Coria et al., 2013
Type species
Trinisaura santamartaensis
Coria et al., 2013

Trinisaura is an extinct genus of ornithopod dinosaur known from the lower levels of the Late Cretaceous Snow Hill Island Formation (lower Campanian stage) of James Ross Island, Antarctica. It contains a single species, Trinisaura santamartaensis.[1]

The species was in 2013 named by Rodolfo Aníbal Coria e.a. The generic name honours the geologist Trinidad Diaz. The specific name refers to the Santa Marta Cove site where the specimen was in 2008 found by Coria and Juan José Moly.[1] That same year, the find was reported in the scientific literature.[2]

The holotype, MLP-III-1-1, consists of a partial skeleton lacking the skull, of a subadult individual about 1.5 metres (4.9 ft) in length.[1]

Phylogeny

The cladogram below follows Coria et al., 2013 phylogenetic analysis. Trinisaura is found to be an ornithopod, however the inclusion of Thescelosaurus neglectus is necessary to determine whether it is a basal iguanodont.[1]

Ornithopoda

Hypsilophodon foxii




Gasparinisaura cincosaltensis




Trinisaura santamartaensis




Talenkauen santacrucensis




Anabisetia saldiviai




Tenontosaurus


Dryomorpha

Dryosauridae



Ankylopollexia









References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Coria, R. A.; Moly, J. J.; Reguero, M.; Santillana, S.; Marenssi, S. (2013). "A new ornithopod (Dinosauria; Ornithischia) from Antarctica". Cretaceous Research. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2012.12.004.
  2. Coria, R.A., Moly, J.J., Reguero, M., Santillana, S., 2008, "Nuevos restos de Ornithopoda (Dinosauria, Ornithischia) de la Fm. Santa Marta, Isla J. Ross, Antártida", Ameghiniana 45(4), Supl., 25R