Isisaurus
Encyclopedia
Isisaurus is a genus of dinosaur
from the Late Cretaceous
Period. Isisaurus was a sauropod (specifically a titanosaur
), which lived in what is now India
.
The type specimen, Isisaurus colberti, was originally described as Titanosaurus colberti by Jain and Bandyopadhyay in 1997, but was placed in its own genus, by Wilson and Upchurch, in 2003. It had a "short, vertically-directed neck and long forearms", making it considerably different from other sauropods. Based on this specimen, Isisaurus would have grown to about 18 meters (60 feet) in length and weighed about 14,000 kg (15 ton
s). Isisaurus is known from much better remains than most titanosaurs. Most of its postcranial skeleton is known.
Fungus in coprolites believed to have been voided by Isisaurus indicate that it ate leaves from several species of tree, since these fungi are known to be pathogens which infect tree leaves.
Dinosaur
Dinosaurs are a diverse group of animals of the clade and superorder Dinosauria. They were the dominant terrestrial vertebrates for over 160 million years, from the late Triassic period until the end of the Cretaceous , when the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event led to the extinction of...
from the Late Cretaceous
Cretaceous
The Cretaceous , derived from the Latin "creta" , usually abbreviated K for its German translation Kreide , is a geologic period and system from circa to million years ago. In the geologic timescale, the Cretaceous follows the Jurassic period and is followed by the Paleogene period of the...
Period. Isisaurus was a sauropod (specifically a titanosaur
Titanosaur
Titanosaurs were a diverse group of sauropod dinosaurs, which included Saltasaurus and Isisaurus. It includes some of the heaviest creatures ever to walk the earth, such as Argentinosaurus and Paralititan — which some believe have weighed up to 100 tonnes...
), which lived in what is now India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.
The type specimen, Isisaurus colberti, was originally described as Titanosaurus colberti by Jain and Bandyopadhyay in 1997, but was placed in its own genus, by Wilson and Upchurch, in 2003. It had a "short, vertically-directed neck and long forearms", making it considerably different from other sauropods. Based on this specimen, Isisaurus would have grown to about 18 meters (60 feet) in length and weighed about 14,000 kg (15 ton
Ton
The ton is a unit of measure. It has a long history and has acquired a number of meanings and uses over the years. It is used principally as a unit of weight, and as a unit of volume. It can also be used as a measure of energy, for truck classification, or as a colloquial term.It is derived from...
s). Isisaurus is known from much better remains than most titanosaurs. Most of its postcranial skeleton is known.
Fungus in coprolites believed to have been voided by Isisaurus indicate that it ate leaves from several species of tree, since these fungi are known to be pathogens which infect tree leaves.
External links
- Saltasauridae from Thescelosaurus!
- Isisaurus in the Dino Directory.