Tarascosaurus

Taxobox
name = "Tarascosaurus"


fossil_range = Late Cretaceous
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Sauropsida
superordo = Dinosauria
ordo = Saurischia
subordo = Theropoda
infraordo = Ceratosauria
familia = Abelisauridae
genus = "Tarascosaurus"
genus_authority=Le Loeuff & Buffetaut, 1991
subdivision_ranks=Species
subdivision=
*"T. salluvicus" Le Loeuff & Buffetaut, 1991 (type)

"Tarascosaurus" is a genus of abelisaurid dinosaur from Late Cretaceous France. It is the only known abelisaurid from the Northern Hemisphere, but is known from only a few bones. It is considered to be dubious because the material is not diagnostic. The type species, "Tarascosaurus salluvicus", was described by Le Loeuff and Buffetaut in 1991.Jean Le Loeuff and Eric Buffetaut (1991). "Tarascosaurus salluvicus nov. gen., nov. sp.",dinosaure théropode du Crétacé supérieur du Sud de la France" - ("Tarascosaurus salluvicus nov. gen., nov. sp.", a theropod dinosaur from the upper Cretaceous of Southern France"). "Geobios", 24(5): 585-594.] A life size reconstruction of this dinosaur can be seen at Dinosauria, a dinosaur museum located in Espéraza, France.

In popular culture

"Tarascosaurus" is featured in the second episode of the Discovery Channel TV series "Dinosaur Planet" as the top predator living in the southern European islands of the Late Cretaceous Period.

References

* Ronan Allain, Xabier Pereda Suberbiola (2003). "Dinosaurs of France". Comptes-Rendus Palevol: vol.2, n°1: p.27-44. [http://dinonews.net/rubriq/articles.php5?ref=2003_allain_france Read this article online]

External links

* [http://www.dinoruss.com/de_4/5a65070.htm "Tarascosaurus" in The Dinosaur Encyclopaedia] at Dino Russ's Lair
* [http://www.users.qwest.net/~jstweet1/ceratosauria.htm "Tarascosaurus" in "Thescelosaurus"!] (scroll to Abelisauroidea "i.s.")
* [http://www.paleospot.com/galerie_alpha.php?spe=32 "Ampelosaurus" atacis et "Tarascosaurus salluvicus" by Alain Bénéteau (Paleospot.com)]
* [http://dinonews.net/wiki/index.php?title=Tarascosaurus Description of "Tarascosaurus"]