Pekinosaurus

Taxobox
name = "Pekinosaurus"
fossil_range = Late Triassic
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Sauropsida
subclassis = Diapsida
unranked_ordo = Archosauria
unranked_familia = Crurotarsi
genus = "Pekinosaurus"
genus_authority = Hunt & Lucas, 1994
species = "P. olseni"
binomial = "Pekinosaurus olseni"
binomial_authority = Hunt & Lucas, 1994

"Pekinosaurus" (meaning "Pekin Lizard") is the name given to a genus of pseudosuchian from the Late Triassic. This prehistoric reptile lived in what is now North Carolina, in the United States. The type species, "P. olseni", was described by Hunt and Lucas in 1994, based on fossils found in Pekin, North Carolina, whence the animal receives its name. At the time, it was thought to be a basal ornithischian dinosaur, but with the discovery of more complete remains of the related "Revueltosaurus", this has been shown to be incorrect (Irmis "et al.", 2007, who assign it to "Revueltosaurus" sp.).

"Pekinosaurus" lived during the Carnian stage, around 225 million years ago.

References

* Irmis, R.B., Parker, W.G., Nesbitt, S.J., and Liu, J. (2007). Early ornithischian dinosaurs: the Triassic record. "Historical Biology", 19(1):3-22.
* http://www.users.qwest.net/~jstweet1/dinosauromorpha.htm