Arizonasaurus

Taxobox|
name = "Arizonasaurus"
fossil_range = Middle Triassic

---

image_width = 280px
image_caption = "Arizonasaurus babbitti"
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Sauropsida
unranked_ordo = Crurotarsi
ordo = Rauisuchia
familia = Ctenosauriscidae
genus = "Arizonasaurus"
genus_authority = Welles, 1947
species = "A. babbitti"
binomial = "Arizonasaurus babbitti"
binomial_authority = Welles, 1947

"Arizonasaurus" was an archosaurian reptile from the Mesozoic Era, specifically a ctenosauriscid archosaur from the Middle Triassic (240 million years ago). It was closely related to crocodiles, and is near the split between dinosaurs and crocodiles. "Arizonasaurus" is found in the Middle Triassic Moenkopi Formation of northern Arizona. A fairly complete skeleton was found in 2002 by Sterling Nesbitt. The taxon has a large sailback formed by elongate neural spines of the vertebrae. The type species, "Arizonasaurus babbitti", was named by Welles in 1947.

References

* [http://64.233.179.104/search?q=cache:ZZYLAXdCXMYJ:dino.lm.com/images/display.php%3Fid%3D1498+Arizonasaurus&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=2 Artistic rendering of "Arizonasaurus babbitti"]
* [http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/content~content=a727642885 Osteology of the Middle Triassic pseudosuchian archosaur "Arizonasaurus babbitti"]
* [http://www.journals.royalsoc.ac.uk/openurl.asp?genre=article&id=doi:10.1098/rsbl.2003.0066 Initial description of complete skeleton by Sterling Nesbitt in Royal Society Biology Letters]
* [http://www.bioone.org/perlserv/?request=get-abstract&doi=10.1671%2F0272-4634%282006%2926%5B79%3ATBOABE%5D2.0.CO%3B2 Braincase of "Arizonasaurus babbitti"]