Aragosaurus

• Teruel province, Spain ( Castellar Formation)

• Aragosaurus ischiaticus

Aragosaurus ( "lizard of Aragon ") is a genus of sauropod dinosaur little known from the Lower Cretaceous (Upper Hauterivian to Lower Barremian ) of Spain. So far, a fragmentary skull -less skeleton is only known that originates from the Castellar Formation of the Spanish province of Teruel. Aragosaurus described in 1987 by José Luis Sanz and colleagues with the only kind Aragosaurus ischiaticus first time scientifically.

Aragosaurus is named after the autonomous Spanish region of Aragon (Spanish Aragón ). The second part of the species name, ischiaticus ( ischium - buttock), has the particularly large pubic crest of the ischium.

Validity

The distinction from other genres is difficult because these species adequately ( unique characteristics) can not be defined by autapomorphies. Therefore Upchurch and colleagues (2004 ) indicate the validity of Aragosaurus is merely provisional.

System

Sanz and colleagues ( 1987) classify Aragosaurus as a representative of the Camarasauridae. However, Upchurch and colleagues ( 2004) come to the conclusion that Aragosaurus as incertae sedis Eusauropoda ( Eusauropode with uncertain assignment) must be classified. Some other recent studies write Aragosaurus the Titanosauriformes to.

Discovery

The only fund closes caudal vertebrae, chevron bones, scapula, thigh bone ( femur) and finger bones ( phalanges ) with a claw and the pelvic bone ischium ( ischium ) and pubis ( pubic ) with a.