Atlascopcosaurus
Name:
Atlascopcosaurus
(Atlas Copco lizard).
Phonetic: At-lass-cop-ko-sore-us.
Named By: Tom Rich and Patricia Vickers-Rich -
1989.
Classification: Chordata, Reptilia, Dinosauria,
Ornithischia, Ornithopoda, Hypsilophodontidae.
Species: A. loadsi (type).
Diet: Herbivore.
Size: Estimated between 2 and 3 meters long.
Known locations: Australia - Victoria -
Eumeralla Formation.
Time period: Aptian/Albian of the Cretaceous.
Fossil representation: Partial maxilla (upper
jaw) and teeth.
Unfortunately
like with so many other Australian dinosaurs, Atlascopcosaurus
is
based upon the description of very incomplete remains, in this case
part of a jaw. This jaw was been compared to other dinosaur types
which has yielded the conclusion that Atlascopcosaurus
was probably a
member of the Euornithopoda. Also a very rough estimate of a two to
three meter long body length has been established for
Atlascopcosaurus, though further refinement of
this will be
impossible without further fossil discoveries.
The
name Atlascopcosaurus is
derived from the Atlas Copco company which sponsored the dig which
discovered Atlascopcosaurus by providing
equipment. The type species
name is in honour of William Loads, the then state manager for Atlas
Copco who also assisted in the dig.
The
Eumeralla Formation where
Atlascopcosaurus is known from has also yielded
fossils of the better
known Leaellynasaura.
Although a direct link cannot be proven by
fossil material, Atlascopcosaurus might have been
prey to larger
predatory dinosaurs like Australovenator.
Further reading
- Polar dinosaurs and biotas
of the Early Cretaceous of southeastern Australia. - National
Geographic Research 5(1):15-53. - T. H. Rich and P. Vickers-Rich -
1989.
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