Minotaurasaurus

Mi-noe-tore-ah-sore-us.
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Harper Gray

Paleoartist

Harper Grey combines artistic talent with scientific precision to bring extinct creatures and environments back to life. Collaborating closely with paleontologists

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Name

Minotaurasaurus ‭(‬Man bull lizard‭)‬.

Phonetic

Mi-noe-tore-ah-sore-us.

Named By

Clifford A.‭ ‬Miles‭ & ‬Clark J.‭ ‬Miles‭ ‬-‭ ‬2009.

Classification

Chordata,‭ ‬Reptilia,‭ ‬Dinosauria,‭ ‬Ornithischia,‭ ‬Thyreophora,‭ ‬Ankylosauridae,‭ ‬Ankylosaurinae.

Diet

Herbivore.

Species

M.‭ ‬ramachandrani

Size

Uncertain due to lack of remains.

Known locations

Mongolia,‭ ‬Gobi Desert‭ - Djadochta Formation.

Time Period

Late Cretaceous.

Fossil representation

Holotype is a skull, second skull now also known.

In Depth

       Minotaurasaurus was an Asian ankylosaurid dinosaur,‭ ‬presumably of the late Cretaceous.‭ ‬However the skull that makes up the holotype of Minotaurasaurus is more famous for the controversy surrounding it.‭ ‬The skull was purchased from a fossil dealer by Vilayanur S.‭ ‬Ramachandran,‭ ‬who in turn allowed it to be studied by palaeontologists.‭ ‬However at the time it was illegal to export fossils from China‭ (‬which includes Mongolia‭)‬,‭ ‬and some have pointed out that no documentation exists to prove it removed with permission from the Chinese authorities.‭ ‬Ramachandran for his part has stated that he does not mind handing the fossil over to the relevant authorities,‭ ‬but only if it can be proven that the fossil was indeed illegally taken.

       In 2013 a second skull, axis and partial cervical vertebra of Minotaurasaurus were described. These were discovered in the Campanian aged Djadochta (a.k.a. Djadokhta) Formation of the Gobi Desert.

Further Reading

-Skull of Minotaurasaurus ramachandrani,‭ ‬a new Cretaceous ankylosaur from the Gobi Desert,‭ ‬Clifford A.‭ ‬Miles‭ & ‬Clark J.‭ ‬Miles‭ ‬-‭ ‬2009. – New Minotaurasaurus material from the Djodokta Formation establishes new taxonomic and stratigraphic criteria for the taxon. – Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. Program and Abstracts: 76. – J. Alicea & M. Loewen – 2013.

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