Lessemsaurus
Encyclopedia
Lessemsaurus is an extinct genus
of sauropodomorph dinosaur
(possibly a melanosaurid) named for the writer of popular science books Don Lessem
. The type species
, L. sauropoides, was formally described by José Fernando Bonaparte in 1999. This dinosaur was around 30 feet long, and was discovered in strata dating to the Norian
stage
, around 210 million years ago.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of sauropodomorph dinosaur
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...
(possibly a melanosaurid) named for the writer of popular science books Don Lessem
Don Lessem
"Dino Don" Lessem is a writer of more than 50 Popular Science books who specializes in dinosaurs. His works include many children's books on Dinosaurs. He was the founder of the Dinosaur Society and the Jurassic Foundation, which have raised millions for dinosaur research. In recognition of these...
. The type species
Type species
In biological nomenclature, a type species is both a concept and a practical system which is used in the classification and nomenclature of animals and plants. The value of a "type species" lies in the fact that it makes clear what is meant by a particular genus name. A type species is the species...
, L. sauropoides, was formally described by José Fernando Bonaparte in 1999. This dinosaur was around 30 feet long, and was discovered in strata dating to the Norian
Norian
The Norian is a division of the Triassic geological period. It has the rank of an age or stage . The Norian lasted from 216.5 ± 2.0 to 203.6 ± 1.5 million years ago. It was preceded by the Carnian and succeeded by the Rhaetian.-Stratigraphic definitions:The Norian was named after the Noric Alps in...
stage
Faunal stage
In chronostratigraphy, a stage is a succession of rock strata laid down in a single age on the geologic timescale, which usually represents millions of years of deposition. A given stage of rock and the corresponding age of time will by convention have the same name, and the same boundaries.Rock...
, around 210 million years ago.
Literature
- Bonaparte, J. F. 1999. Evolución de las vértebras presacras en Sauropodomorpha. AmeghinianaAmeghinianaAmeghiniana is a peer-reviewed palaeontology journal published by the Asociación Paleontológica Argentina. The journal is named after the 19th century Italian Argentine palaeontologist Florentino Ameghino...
36: 115–187. - Pol, D. and Powell, J. E. 2007. New information on Lessemsaurus sauropoides (Dinosauria: Sauropodomorpha) from the Upper Triassic of Argentina. Special Papers in Palaeontology 77