Aepisaurus

Taxobox|
name = "Aepisaurus"
fossil_range = Lower Cretaceous


image_width = 200px
image_caption = Limb bone of "Aepisaurus".
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Sauropsida
superordo = Dinosauria
ordo = Saurischia
subordo = Sauropodomorpha
infraordo = Sauropoda
familia = unknown
genus = "Aepisaurus"
genus_authority = Gervais, 1852
subdivision_ranks = Species
subdivision =
* "A. elephantinus" Gervais, 1852 (type)

"Aepisaurus" (pronEng|ˌiːpɨˈsɔrəs; derived from the Greek: "αιπεινος" - 'lofty/high' and "σαυρυς" - 'lizard', i.e. "lofty lizard") was a genus of sauropod dinosaur from the Albian-age Lower Cretaceous Grès vert of Départment du Vaucluse, France, around 100 million years ago. It is an obscure genus from an unknown family, represented by a single humerus, now lost. Despite its lack of popularity, or perhaps because of it, it has been misspelled several ways in the scientific literature, with multiple dates given to the year of description as well.

History

French paleontologist Paul Gervais described the new genus based on MNHN 1868-242, a humerus found at Mont Ventoux, near Bédoin. The bone was 90 cm (35.43 in) long, 33 cm (13 in) wide at the proximal end, 15 cm (5.91 in) wide in the middle, and 25 cm (9.84 cm) wide at the distal end. From the same locality, he referred a conical tooth he thought could belong to a larger second species, and from elsewhere added to "A." sp. (a practice used to denote that the remains belong to a certain genus, but the species is not known) a partial humerus and ulna.Gervais, P. (1852). "Zoologie et paléontologie française (animaux vertébrés)" (1st edition). A. Bertrand:Paris, 271 p. [French] ]

Since the appearance of Titanosauridae, it has typically been referred to that family because the slender humerus resembles that of "Laplatasaurus".von Huene, F. (1927). Short review of the present knowledge of the Sauropoda. "Memoirs of the Queensland Museum" 9(1):121-126.] However, as noted by McIntosh (1990), the bone is also like that of "Camarasaurus" and some brachiosaurids.McIntosh, J.S. (1990). Sauropoda. In: Weishampel, D.B., Dodson, P., and Osmólska, H. (eds.). "The Dinosauria". University of California Press:Berkeley 345-401.]

Le Loeuff (1993), in his review of European titanosaurs, could not locate the type specimen, and found that the illustration of it did not allow it to be placed with any sauropod group. Based on proportions, it could not be placed with camarasaurids or titanosaurids.Le Loeuff, J. (1993). European titanosaurids. "Revue de Paléobiologie, Volume Spéciale" 7:105-117.] The additional remains referred to it by Gervais were removed, and in the case of the tooth, probably belonged to a crocodilian. Although McIntosh considered the genus to be Sauropoda "incertae sedis" (uncertain placement), the latest review agreed with Le Loeuff and listed the genus as a dubious sauropod.Upchurch, P.M., Barrett, P.M., and Dodson, P. (2004). Sauropoda. In: Weishampel, D.B., Dodson, P., and Osmólska, H. (eds.). "The Dinosauria" (2nd edition). University of California Press:Berkeley 259-322.]

Paleobiology

As a sauropod, "Aepisaurus" would have been a large quadrupedal herbivore.

Misspellings and other errata

The date of description is given as 1853 by Glut (1997) and some online sources,Glut, D.F. (1997). "Dinosaurs: The Encyclopedia". Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, Inc. 1076 p.] although [http://paleodb.org/cgi-bin/bridge.pl?user=Guest&action=displayHomePage the Paleobiology Database] and both editions of "The Dinosauria" use 1852.

The genus is commonly misspelled "Aepysaurus"; both editions of "The Dinosauria" and a major review use this misspelling.Steel, R. (1970). Part 14. Saurischia. "Handbuch der Paläoherpetologie/Encyclopedia of Paleoherpetology". Part 14. Gustav Fischer Verlag:Stuttgart p. 1-87.] Increasing the confusion, Friedrich von Huene once (1932) used "Aepyosaurus",von Huene, F. (1932). "Die fossile Reptil-Ordnung Saurischia, ihte Entwicklung und Geschichte. Monographien zur Geologie und Palaeontologie" 1(4). 361 p. [German] ] and Glut incorrectly gives the species as "A. elephantius".

References