- Aletopelta
Taxobox|
name = "Aletopelta"|
fossil_range =Late Cretaceous
regnum =Animal ia
phylum = Chordata
classis =Sauropsid a
superordo =Dinosaur ia
ordo =Ornithischia
subordo =Thyreophora
infraordo =Ankylosauria
familia =Ankylosauridae
genus = "Aletopelta"
species = "A. coombsi"
binomial = "Aletopelta coombsi"
binomial_authority = Kirkland & Ford, 2001"Aletopelta coombsi" (IPAEng|əˌliːtəˌpɛltəˈkoʊmzi) was an
ankylosaurian ornithischian dinosaur whosefossils were found in SouthernCalifornia . Etimologically, the generic name is composed of the Greek terms "aletes" and "pelte", meaning, respectively "wandering" and "shield". Thisgenus name was suggested byBen Creisler due to the fact that the fossil location, at the time the dinosaur died, being located on thetectonic plate containing thePeninsular Ranges Terrane , was somewhere opposite the middle ofMexico . This plate had thus been wandering northward, carrying the specimen with it. Thespecific epithet honors the vertebratepaleontologist Walter P. Coombs, Jr. , for his ground-breaking work on ankylosaurs and his years of research, which have inspired many an enthusiast as well as professional paleontologist."Aletopelta" is a medium-sized
ankylosaurid , estimated to be around 6 m (20 ft) long, and known from a partialskeleton (Holotype: SDNHM 33909 (San Diego Natural History Museum ,San Diego , California). The skeleton includingfemora ,tibia e,fibula e and incomplete parts of ascapula ,humerus ,ulna , left and rightischium , vertebrae, ribs, partial armor over the pelvic girdle plus at least 60 detached armor plates and 8 teeth was found in theLate Cretaceous (UpperCampanian ) marinePoint Loma Formation , nearCarlsbad , California. Apparently the animal's bloated carcass floated out to sea and formed a miniaturereef environment after it sunk to the bottom. "Aletopelta" is diagnosed as an ankylosaurid mainly based on the shape and arrangement of its osteoderm armor, which is closer in form to ankylosaurids than tonodosaurid s.External links
* [http://www.dinodata.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=6033&Itemid=67 "Aletopelta"] at DinoData
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