Smitanosaurus

Smit-an-o-sor-us.
By Benjamin Gutierrez
Published on

Benjamin Gutierrez

Vertebrate Paleontologist

Benjamin Gutierrez is a leading expert on dinosaurs, particularly the mighty theropods. His fieldwork in South America has uncovered new species and provided insights into dinosaur social structures.

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Gutierrez, B. (2013, September 6). Smitanosaurus. Prehistoric-wildlife. https://www.prehistoric-wildlife.com/species/smitanosaurus/

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Name

Smitanosaurus ‭(‬Smith lizard‭)‬.

Phonetic

Smit-an-o-sor-us.

Named By

Classification

Chordata,‭ ‬Reptilia,‭ ‬Dinosauria,‭ ‬Saurishcia,‭ ‬Sauropoda,‭ ‬Dicraeosauridae.

Diet

Herbivore.

Species

S.‭ ‬agilis‭

Size

Unknown due to lack of remains.

Known locations

USA,‭ ‬Colorado.

Time Period

Late Jurassic.

Fossil representation

Partial back of the skull and three cervical‭ (‬neck‭) ‬vertebrae.

In Depth

       Fossils of Smitanosaurus have in the past been attributed to Morosaurus and subsequently Camarasaurus,‭ ‬but a study in‭ ‬2020‭ ‬found them to represent a distinct genus.‭ ‬Instead of being a macronarian sauropod dinosaur‭ ‬like Camarasaurus,‭ ‬Smitanosaurus is instead thought to have been a dicraeosaurid sauropod dinosaur.‭ ‬Smitanosaurus is‭ ‬named after J.‭ ‬August Smith,‭ ‬the person who originally excavated and sketched the holotype fossils.

Further Reading

-‭ ‬Notice of new American Dinosauria.‭ ‬-‭ ‬The American Journal of Science and Arts,‭ ‬series‭ ‬3‭ ‬38:331-336.‭ ‬-‭ ‬O.‭ ‬C.‭ ‬Marsh‭ ‬-‭ ‬1889. -‭ ‬The type of the Jurassic reptile Morosaurus agilis redescribed,‭ ‬with a note on Camptosaurus.‭ ‬-‭ ‬Proceedings of the United States National Museum‭ ‬32:‭ ‬151‭–‬165.‭ ‬-‭ ‬C.‭ ‬W.‭ ‬Gilmore‭ ‬-‭ ‬1907. -‭ ‬The Late Jurassic sauropod dinosaur‭ ‘‬Morosaurus‭’ ‬agilis Marsh,‭ ‬1889‭ ‬reexamined and reinterpreted as a dicraeosaurid.‭ ‬-‭ ‬Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.‭ ‬Online edition:‭ ‬e1780600.‭ ‬-‭ ‬John A.‭ ‬Whitlock‭ & ‬Jeffrey A.‭ ‬Wilson Mantilla‭ ‬-‭ ‬2020.

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