Spinostropheus

Name: Spinostropheus ‭(‬Spined vertebrae‭)‬.
Phonetic: Spy-noe-stro-fe-us.
Named By: P.‭ ‬C.‭ ‬Sereno,‭ ‬J.‭ ‬A.‭ ‬Wilson‭ & ‬J.‭ ‬L.‭ ‬Conrad‭ ‬-‭ ‬2004.
Synonyms: Elaphrosaurus gautieri.
Classification: Chordata,‭ ‬Reptilia,‭ ‬Dinosauria,‭ ‬Saurischia,‭ ‬Theropoda,‭ ‬Neotheropoda,‭ ‬Ceratosauria.
Species: S.‭ ‬gautieri‭ (‬type‭)‬.
Diet: Carnivore.
Size: Estimated around‭ ‬4‭ ‬meters long.
Known locations: Nigeria.
Time period: Tithonian of the Jurassic.
Fossil representation: Partial post cranial remains.




       Originally named as Elaphrosaurus gautieri in‭ ‬1960,‭ ‬a‭ ‬2004‭ ‬analysis of the remains by P.‭ ‬C.‭ ‬Sereno,‭ ‬J.‭ ‬A.‭ ‬Wilson and J.‭ ‬L.‭ ‬Conrad concluded that they belonged to a different genus of dinosaur.‭ ‬Hence forth this fossil material now goes by the name of Spinostropheus based upon the shape of the vertebrae,‭ ‬although Elaphrosaursus still exists as the type species of this genus‭ ‬as this‭ ‬was named‭ ‬long‭ ‬before E.‭ ‬gautieri.‭ ‬Spinostropheus was at one time considered to have been an abelisaur,‭ ‬but today it continues to be regarded as a ceratosaur like Elaphrosaursus.

Further reading
- Les Dinosauriens du "Continental intercalaire" du Saharal central. - M�moires de la Soci�t� g�ologique de France, nouvelle s�rie 39(88A): 1-57. - A-F de Lapparent - 1960.
- New dinosaurs link southern landmasses in the mid-Cretaceous. - Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B 271(1546):1325-1330. - P. C. Sereno, J. A. Wilson & J. L. Conrad - 2004.


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