Atlascopcosaurus

Taxobox|
name = "Atlascopcosaurus"
status = fossil
fossil_range = Early Cretaceous
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Sauropsida
superordo = Dinosauria
ordo = Ornithischia
subordo = Cerapoda
infraordo = Ornithopoda
familia = Hypsilophodontidae
genus = "Atlascopcosaurus"
binomial = "Atlascopcosaurus loadsi"
binomial_authority = Rich & Vickers-Rich, 1989

"Atlascopcosaurus" (meaning "Atlas Copco lizard") is the name given to a genus of hypsilophodont dinosaur. It lived in what is now Australia; the type specimen, "Atlascopcosaurus loadsi", was found at Dinosaur Cove in Victoria. It was about 2-3 metres (6.5-10 ft) long and weighed roughly 125 kg. It lived during the early Cretaceous (Aptian-Albian), but not much else is known about it; the genus is based on a mostly incomplete skeleton (the holotype consists of a piece of maxilla and teeth).

It was named after the Atlas Copco Company who had provided equipment for the expeditions that discovered this dinosaur in 1984. The project revealed 85 fossil bone fragments. This opened the door for more excavation and, along with other companies, Atlas Copco helped excavate about 60 metres of tunnel over 10 years.

The species name, "loadsi", refers to William Loads, the state manager for Atlas Copco at the time, who assisted during the dig.

References

* Rich, T. and Rich, P., 1988, "Polar dinosaurs and biotas of the Early Cretaceous of southeastern Australia", "National Geographic Research" 5(1) 1989, 15-53

External links

* [http://www.users.qwest.net/~jstweet1/ornithopoda.htm "Atlascopcosaurus" at Thescelosaurus site]