Ouranosaurus
Ouranosaurus skeleton in the Museo di Storia Naturale in Venice
- Elrhaz Formation ( Niger)
- Ouranosaurus nigeriensis
Ouranosaurus (after " Ourane ", the Tuaregnamen for Wüstenwaran and " sauros " gr for lizard ) is a genus ornithopoder dinosaur from the group of Iguanodontia. The only way so far described is Ouranosaurus nigeriensis. They lived from the Lower Cretaceous ( Aptian late ) million years ago, about 123-113 in Africa. Two nearly complete skeletons, one missing in the skull, were found in the West African country of Niger.
Features
Ouranosaurus was seven feet long and had a relatively short tail. He is very similar to the well known Iguanodon, differs from this mainly through its formed by the elongated spinous processes of the vertebrae back sail, similar to that of unrelated, but at the same time living in the same area Spinosaurus was and maybe a skin sail helped to thermoregulation. The spinous processes were up to nine times as high as the Wirbelcentra. The last dorsal vertebrae were flattened laterally, on the back is concave ( " opisthocoel " ) and had almost horizontally projecting zygapophyses (bone rods ). Overall Ouranosaurus had 11 cervical, about 17 Hull, 6 sacral and more than 40 caudal vertebrae.
The behufte forequarters of Ouranosaurus was narrower and in contrast to the unsuitable of Iguanodon reach. During fast locomotion Ouranosaurus used probably just its hind legs. The Phalangenformel of three-toed hind foot is 0.3.4.5.0.
The 67 centimeters long, 24 centimeters wide and 26 centimeters high skull of Ouranosaurus was upper side flat, the muzzle pointed and lower than Iguanodon, the lower jaw flatter. Overall, it was wider than that of Iguanodon and similar to the hadrosaur. How Iguanodon he had leaf-like, serrated teeth. The front jaws were toothless and ended in a " duckbill ". His skull was lower and wider than the other iguanodons.
System
Ouranosaurus is slightly more developed than the Iguanodontia the Lower Cretaceous and is on the main line of iguanodons close to but above Iguanodon and basal to Probactrosaurus, Protohadros and Hadrosauriern.
Back sailing
Ouranosaurus had a very colorful sail back, which probably served the males for mating. It consisted of mostly 12 bone strands that were about 80 cm long.