Deltadromeus

Skeleton cast of Deltadromeus in Montshire Museum of Science in Norwich.

  • Morocco ( Kem - Kem Beds)
  • Egypt ( Bahariya Formation)
  • Deltadromeus agilis

Deltadromeus is a little known genus theropod dinosaur from the early Late Cretaceous ( Cenomanian early ) Africa. Although it was originally described as a representative of the Coelurosauria, he is now regarded as a representative of the Ceratosauria. The only way is Deltadromeus agilis.

Paul Sereno and colleagues ( 1996) described Deltadromeus based on a fragmentary skull -less skeleton, which dates from the Kem -Kem -Beds in southwestern Morocco. In addition to this skeleton, these researchers assigned to another fragmentary skull -less skeleton of this genus, which originates from the Bahariya Formation of Egypt. This skeleton was previously attributed Bahariasaurus, but is now destroyed.

The name Deltadromeus (Greek delta ( Greek letter ), Dromeus - "Runner " ) means something like " delta runner" and is the one to point to the reference layer, which are interpreted as deposits of a river deltas, and on the other to the to a fast running custom hind legs.

Characteristics and boundaries

Deltadromeus was adapted to fast running theropod, after which point the length proportions of the leg bones. The leg bones are also very thin: In relation to the length of the bone they are about as thick as that of Ornithomimus, but reach only 50 to 60 % of the thickness, as it has Allosaurus.

The holotype specimen discovered in Morocco is estimated to have a length of 8 meters, the native of Egypt specimen was significantly larger and is estimated to have a length of 11 meters.

From other representatives of Ceratosauria this genus can be through the wide square spinous processes of the anterior caudal vertebrae, define a recess on the front edge of the Raven bone ( coracoid ), the dorsoventral narrowed central shaft of the ischium humps ( ischium ) and the reduced distal condyles of the fourth metatarsal.

Carrano and colleagues (2008 ) observed that Deltadromeus can not be clearly distinguished from Bahariasaurus of the available fossils, so the possibility exists that both classes are identical. To elucidate this problem further fossil finds are required.

System

The relationships of this genus are controversial. While she was initially often attributed to the Coelurosauria, recent studies go on the assumption that it is a representative of the Ceratosauria. Wilson (2003) and Sereno and colleagues ( 2004) classify Deltadromeus as a basal ( original ) Representatives of Noasauridae, a group of Abelisauroidea within the Ceratosauria. Carrano and Sampson ( 2008) and Xu and colleagues ( 2009), meanwhile, come to the conclusion that Deltadromeus has been a representative of the basal Ceratosauria outside the Abelisauroidea.

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