Protecovasaurus

Taxobox
name = "Protecovasaurus"
fossil_range = Late Triassic
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Sauropsida
subclassis = Diapsida
ordo = unknown
genus = "Protecovasaurus"
genus_authority = Heckert, 2004
subdivision_ranks=Species
subdivision=
*"P. lucasi" Heckert, 2004 (type)

"Protecovasaurus" is a genus of archosaurian reptile from the Late Triassic of the southwestern United States. It was initially described as a basal ornithischian dinosaur, but was redescribed as a non-dinosaurian archosaur by Irmis "et al." (2006). The type species, "Protecovasaurus lucasi", was formally described by Andrew B. Heckert in 2004.

Its name, "Protecovasaurus", means "Before Tecovas lizard". Tecovas was the formation the holotype specimen was found in.

References

* Heckert, A. B. (2004). Late Triassic microvertebrates from the lower Chinle Group (Otischalkian-Adamanian: Carnian), southwestern U.S.A. New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science, Bulletin 27, 170 p.
* Irmis, R.B., Parker, W.G., Nesbitt, S.J., and Liu, J. (2006). Early ornithischian dinosaurs: the Triassic record. Historical Biology, 19(1):3-22.

External links

* [http://www.dinodata.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=7902&Itemid=67 "Protecovasaurus" at DinoData]
* [http://dml.cmnh.org/2005Nov/msg00284.html Dinosaur Mailing List entry which discusses the genus]