Balochisaurus
Name:
Balochisaurus
(Balochi lizard).
Phonetic: Bal-och-e-sore-us.
Named By: M. Sadiq Malkani - 2006.
Classification: Chordata, Reptilia, Dinosauria,
Saurischia, Sauropodomorpha, Sauropoda, Titanosauria,
Balochisauridae?
Species: B. malkani (type).
Diet: Herbivore.
Size: Unknown due to lack of remains.
Known locations: Pakistan, Balochistan - Pab
Formation.
Time period: Maastrichtian of the Cretaceous.
Fossil representation: 7 caudal vertebrae.
Partial skull material has since been attributed to it.
In
2006
the palaeontologists M. Sadiq Malkani managed to name five
titanosaurs from the Pab Formation of Pakistan, all described from
caudal (tail) vertebrae. Malkani also named two new families of
titanosaurs, the Pakisauridae and the Balochisauridae as homes for
the new titanosaurs. Balochisaurus as you may
have guessed is the
type genus of the Balochisauridae, which also includes Marisaurus.
It is questionable if either the Balochisauridae and the Pakisauridae
and their member genera will survive future classification given the
manner that these titanosaurs were named, though it’s not impossible
either that they might be proven valid with future finds.
The
other titanosaurs named
by Malkani in 2006 are Pakisaurus,
Sulaimanisaurus
and
Khetranisaurus,
all assigned to the Pakisauridae. Also in 2006,
Malkani named an abelisaurid theropod named Vitakridrinda.
Further reading
- Biodiversity of saurischian dinosaurs from the latest Cretaceous
Park of Pakistan, M. Sadiq Malkani - 2006.
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