Asylosaurus

Taxobox
name = "Asylosaurus"
fossil_range = Late Triassic


regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Sauropsida
superordo = Dinosauria
ordo = Saurischia
subordo = Sauropodomorpha
genus = "Asylosaurus"
genus_authority=Galton, 2007
subdivision_ranks=Species
subdivision=
*"A. yalensis" Galton, 2007 (type)

"Asylosaurus" (meaning "unharmed or sanctuary lizard") is a genus of basal sauropodomorph dinosaur from the Late Triassic of England. It is based on partial remains, described in 1836 by Henry Riley and Samuel Stutchbury as pertaining to "Thecodontosaurus", that Othniel Charles Marsh brought to Yale University between 1888 and 1890. These remains thus escaped destruction by a bombardment in 1940 during World War II, unlike the original holotype of "Thecodontosaurus". "Asylosaurus" was described in 2007 by Peter Galton. The type species is "A. yalensis", referring to Yale. The bones originally came from a Rhaetian-age cave fill at Durdham Down, Clifton, Bristol.cite journal |last=Galton |first=Peter |authorlink=Peter Galton |year=2007 |title=Notes on the remains of archosaurian reptiles, mostly basal sauropodomorph dinosaurs, from the 1834 fissure fill (Rhaetian, Upper Triassic) at Clifton in Bristol, southwest England |journal=Revue de Paléobiologie |volume=26 |issue=2 |pages=505–591]

"Asylosaurus" is based on YPM 2195, a partial skeleton of the torso region, including back vertebrae, ribs, gastralia, a shoulder girdle, humeri, a partial forearm, and a hand; additional bones from the neck, tail, pelvis, arm and leg that may represent the same individual were also referred to "Asylosaurus". It differs from "Thecodontosaurus" and "Pantydraco", contemporaneous basal sauropodomorphs of similar builds, in the structure of its humerus (upper arm). It may have had a separate ecological niche from these other related animals based on how omnivorous or herbivorous it was.

References