Saurophaganax
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| Saurophaganax Fossil range: Late Jurassic |
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 Saurophaganax vs Apatosaurus
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Saurophaganax ("lizard-eating master") is a genus of allosaurid dinosaur from the Morrison Formation of Jurassic North America. Some paleontologists consider it to be a species of Allosaurus (A. maximus). Saurophaganax represents a very large (10.9 meters (36 ft) long)[1] Morrison allosaurid characterized by horizontal laminae at the bases of the dorsal neural spines above the transverse processes, and "meat-chopper" chevrons.[2] Much material previously referred to Saurophagus maximus is actually referable to Saurophaganax maximus. The new genus is needed because the original type specimen of Saurophagus maximus is not diagnostic, whereas the material described by Dan Chure is. Note that the type species Saurophaganax maximus is not to be considered conspecific with Saurophagus maximus (which is a nomen dubium), so Saurophaganax is not a renaming of Saurophagus.[3]
Saurophaganax is the official state fossil of Oklahoma.[4]
[edit] References
- ^ Mortimer, Mickey (2003-07-21). And the Largest Theropod Is..... The Dinosaur Mailing List. Retrieved on 2007-09-08.
- ^ Glut, Donald F. (1997). "Saurophagus", Dinosaurs: The Encyclopedia. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Co, 793-794. ISBN 0-89950-917-7.
- ^ Chure, Daniel J. (1995). "A reassessment of the gigantic theropod Saurophagus maximus from the Morrison Formation (Upper Jurassic) of Oklahoma, USA", in A. Sun and Y. Wang (eds.): Sixth Symposium on Mesozoic Terrestrial Ecosystems and Biota, Short Papers. Beijing: China Ocean Press, 103-106.
- ^ OK State Symbols. OkInsider.com. Oklahoma Publishing Today (2006). Retrieved on 2007-12-27.
[edit] External links
- Saurophaganax in The Dinosaur Encyclopaedia at Dino Russ's Lair
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