Lessemsaurus

Name: Lessemsaurus (‬Lessem’s lizard‭)‬.
Phonetic: Les-sem-sore-us.
Named By: Jose Fernando Bonaparte‭ ‬-‭ ‬1999.
Classification: Chordata,‭ ‬Reptilia,‭ ‬Dinosauria,‭ ‬Saurischia,‭ ‬Sauropodomorpha,‭ ‬Sauropoda.
Species: L.‭ ‬sauropoides‭ (‬type‭)‬.
Diet: Herbivore.
Size: About‭ ‬9.1‭ ‬meters long.
Known locations: Argentina,‭ ‬La Rioja Province‭ ‬-‭ ‬Los Colorados Formation.
Time period: Norian of the Triassic.
Fossil representation: Vertebrae from a partially articulated spine.

       Lessemsaurus is a genus of sauropod dinosaur named in honour of the Don Lessem,‭ ‬an author noted for his work writing popular science books.‭ ‬Although Lessemsaurus is so far only based upon the description of vertebrae.‭ ‬These vertebrae are noted for having tall neural spines,‭ ‬something which may hint at a fleshy or fatty ridge than ran down the back of the living dinosaur.‭ ‬Being estimated at around nine meters long,‭ ‬Lessemsaurus was not far from the sauropodomorph Riojasaurus in terms of overall size.
       Aside from Riojasaurus,‭ ‬other dinosaurs from the Los Colorados Formation that Lessemsaurus may have come into contact with include the massospondylid Coloradisaurus,‭ ‬and the theropod Zupaysaurus.

Further reading
-‭ ‬Evolución de las vértebras presacras en Sauropodomorpha,‭ ‬Jose Fernando Bonaparte‭ ‬-‭ ‬1999.
-New information on Lessemsaurus sauropoides‭ (‬Dinosauria:‭ ‬Sauropodomorpha‭) ‬from the Upper Triassic of Argentina,‭ ‬D.‭ ‬Pol‭ & ‬J.‭ ‬E.‭ ‬Powell‭ ‬-‭ ‬2007.



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