Maleevus
Encyclopedia
Maleevus is a genus
of ankylosaurid dinosaur
that is known only from the jawbone and part of the skull discovered in 1952 by Soviet palaeontologist Evgenii Aleksandrovich Maleev. It has been estimated that Maleevus was about 6 meters (19.5 feet) long. It is also believed that the fossils came from the late Cretaceous
, around 90 million years ago.
The bone fragments, uncovered in Mongolia
, are so similar to fossils of another Mongolian ankylosaur, Talarurus
, that many palaeontologists believe that Maleevus is another species of the Talarurus genus. Soviet palaeontologist Turmanova named Maleevus after Maleev in 1987. The type species
is M. disparoserratus.
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 ankylosaurid 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...
that is known only from the jawbone and part of the skull discovered in 1952 by Soviet palaeontologist Evgenii Aleksandrovich Maleev. It has been estimated that Maleevus was about 6 meters (19.5 feet) long. It is also believed that the fossils came 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...
, around 90 million years ago.
The bone fragments, uncovered in Mongolia
Mongolia
Mongolia is a landlocked country in East and Central Asia. It is bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south, east and west. Although Mongolia does not share a border with Kazakhstan, its western-most point is only from Kazakhstan's eastern tip. Ulan Bator, the capital and largest...
, are so similar to fossils of another Mongolian ankylosaur, Talarurus
Talarurus
Talarurus is a genus of hippopotamus-sized ankylosaurid dinosaur with heavy armour and a club tail. It was named by Evgeny Maleev in 1952.-Age and location:...
, that many palaeontologists believe that Maleevus is another species of the Talarurus genus. Soviet palaeontologist Turmanova named Maleevus after Maleev in 1987. 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...
is M. disparoserratus.