Minotaurasaurus

Head of Minotaurasaurus ramachandrani

• Mongolia or China

• Minotaurasaurus ramachandrani

Minotaurasaurus was a bird Beck dinosaur ( Ornithischia ) from the group of Ankylosauria, who lived in the Upper Cretaceous of Central Asia. This genus is known from a nearly complete skull, based on which the only way Minotaurasaurus ramachandrani was first described in 2009.

Discovery history

Serving as the holotype of the species and genus skull was bought by the neurologist VS Ramachandran from a dealer and asked the scientific community. The site is unknown, but the rock surrounding the skull shows that it comes from the Gobi desert. The Latin genus name Minotaurasaurus means as much as " bull-man - reptile " and alludes to the bull -like appearance of the skull, which is reminiscent of the Minotaur of Greek mythology. The Artepitheth ramachandrani honors VS Ramachandran. The genus was first described by CA Miles and CJ Miles 2009. Its length was up to four meters.

Features

The skull is characterized by large, elliptical nostrils, which are surrounded by well-developed osteoderms. Seen from above, the skull is longer than wide (without the Squamosal horns ) and appears somewhat trapezoidal because of the enlarged nostrils. The Squamosal horns form the widest point of the skull. They are graceful, and more pointedly than any other Ankylosauriden. The skull roof is formed of wide, pyramid-shaped bumps. As computer tomographic images show, it involves remodeled bone, not Osteodermata. Overall, the skull shows typical characteristics of late Cretaceous Ankylar, where the skull was more primitive than in other species.