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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