Erlikosaurus

Taxobox
name = "Erlikosaurus"
fossil_range = Late Cretaceous

---

image_width = 200px
image_caption = "Erlikosaurus andrewsi"
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Sauropsida
superordo = Dinosauria
ordo = Saurischia
subordo = Theropoda
familia = Therizinosauridae
genus = "Erlikosaurus"
binomial = "Erlikosaurus andrewsi"
binomial_authority = Perle, 1980

"Erlikosaurus" is the name given to a genus of dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous, belonging to the family therizinosauridae. Its fossils, a skull and some post-cranial fragments, were found in Mongolia.

The type species, "E. andrewsi", was described by Altangerel Perle in 1980. Its name was taken from that of the demon Erlik from Mongolian mythology and the name of paleontologist Roy Chapman Andrews. At the time it was the only known therizinosaur (then called segnosaurs) for which a skull had been discovered. This helped shed light on a puzzling and poorly known group of dinosaurs.

Description

"Erlikosaurus" was a therizinosaur, a strange group of theropods that ate plants instead of meat, and had a backward facing pubis like an ornithischian. Also like an ornithischian, its jaws were tipped by a bony beak useful for cropping off plants. Scientists now know some therizinosaurs were feathered, so it's likely that "Erlikosaurus" was, too.

"Erlikosaurus" had long "slender" claws on its feet, the purpose of which are unclear. Although only known from very fragmented material, "Erlikosaurus" has been estimated to attain an adult length of 6 meters (20 feet). "Erlikosaurus" may have been more "lightly built" than close relative "Segnosaurus".

Classification

Some scientists have speculated that "Erlikosaurus" may be the same animal as "Enigmosaurus mongoliensis", since the latter was found in the same geologic formation, and was only known from part of a hip.

However, since the "Enigmosaurus" hip didn't resemble that of "Segnosaurus" as closely as would be expected for the "Segnosaurus"-like "Erlikosaurus" remains, paleontologist Rinchen Barsbold disputed the alleged synonymy."Erlikosaurus." In: Dodson, Peter & Britt, Brooks & Carpenter, Kenneth & Forster, Catherine A. & Gillette, David D. & Norell, Mark A. & Olshevsky, George & Parrish, J. Michael & Weishampel, David B. "The Age of Dinosaurs". Publications International, LTD. p. 142. ISBN 0-7853-0443-6.] Consequently, "Enigmosaurus" and "Erlikosaurus" are still considered separate genera.

References

External links

* [http://www.dinoruss.com/de_4/5a67b9b.htm "Erlikosaurus"] in the Dinosaur Encyclopedia
* [http://www.users.qwest.net/~jstweet1/therizinosauria.htm Therizinosauria] from "Thescelosaurus!"