Leonerasaurus

Leonerasaurus

• Cañadón Las Leoneras, Province of Chubut (Argentina )

Leonerasaurus ( " lizard from Leoneras formation ") is a basal ( original ) genus of dinosaur sauropodomorphen.

It is among the fossils, which are generally known as so-called prosauropods; this group but it is used little more in science. So far, only a single specimen of this species is known from the Chubut Province in Central Patagonia ( Argentina) originates.

This fossil, which was described as a species L. taquetrensis, probably dates from the Pliensbachian to Toarcian or upper Sinemurian to Toarcian, ie the Lower Jurassic. However, there may also be older the Fund Formation, and include in the Upper Triassic.

Leonerasaurus is generally a typical earlier sauropodomorpher dinosaur with a small head on a long neck, spatulate teeth, significantly shorter front legs than hind legs and a powerful tail. The total length of the single discovery, a not quite full-grown specimen, probably was about 2.5 m. However, ( sacrum) are fused four vertebrae in the sacrum, a feature which is only known from "real " sauropods. As already suggest new descriptions of recent years, this indicates a strongly characterized by convergence evolution of the early Sauropodomorpha out (ie physical features evolve independently, but similar in different species due to similar conditions ).

Description

From Leonerasaurus is so far only a single, incomplete specimen known. A part of a jaw bone, teeth, neck and trunk vertebrae, a sacrum, parts of the shoulder and pelvic girdle and some bones of the limbs were found.

Etymology

The authors state: Leoneras, as a reference to the lithostratigraphic unit, the Las Leoneras - formation in which the species was found; saurus, " lizard " ( [ Eid ] lizard ) ( latinisiertes Greek). The species name taquetrensis refers to the Sierras de Taquetrén where the Las Leoneras Formation in central Patagonia crosses out.