Vespersaurus

Name: Vespersaurus ‭(‬West lizard‭)‬.
Phonetic: Ves-per-sore-us.
Named By: M.‭ ‬C.‭ ‬Langer,‭ ‬N.‭ ‬Martins,‭ ‬P.‭ ‬C.‭ ‬Manzig,‭ ‬G.‭ ‬S.‭ ‬Ferreira,‭ ‬J.‭ ‬C.‭ ‬Marsola,‭ ‬E.‭ ‬Fortes,‭ ‬R.‭ ‬Lima,‭ ‬L.‭ ‬C.‭ ‬F.‭ ‬Sant’ana,‭ ‬L.‭ ‬S.‭ ‬Vidal,‭ ‬R.‭ ‬H.‭ ‬Loren�ato‭ & ‬M.‭ ‬D.‭ ‬Ezcurra‭ ‬-‭ ‬2019.
Classification: Chordata,‭ ‬Reptilia,‭ ‬Dinosauria,‭ ‬Saurischia,‭ ‬Theropoda,‭ ‬Noasauridae,‭ ‬Noasaurinae.
Species: V.‭ ‬paranaensis‭ (‬type‭)‬.
Diet: Carnivore.
Size: Holotype about‭ ‬1.5‭ ‬meters long.
Known locations: Brazil‭ ‬-‭ ‬Rio Paran� Formation.
Time period: Late Cretaceous.
Fossil representation: Partial remains.




       Vespersaurus is a genus of noasaurine theropod dinosaur that lived in South America during the Late Cretaceous.‭ ‬At the time of its description Vespersaurus is notable for two reasons.‭ ‬First is that the Vespersaurus holotype fossils were discovered in an area that back in the early Cretaceous was part of a huge desert,‭ ‬suggesting that Vespersaurus was more of a desert dwelling dinosaur.‭ ‬Second is that the third toe of the foot is enlarged and bore all of the body weight.‭ ‬This might reflect a specialist adaption to its environment and/or lifestyle.

Further reading
-‭ ‬A new desert-dwelling dinosaur‭ (‬Theropoda,‭ ‬Noasaurinae‭) ‬from the Cretaceous of south Brazil.‭ ‬-‭ ‬Scientific Reports‭ ‬9‭(‬9379‭)‬.‭ ‬-‭ ‬M.‭ ‬C.‭ ‬Langer,‭ ‬N.‭ ‬Martins,‭ ‬P.‭ ‬C.‭ ‬Manzig,‭ ‬G.‭ ‬S.‭ ‬Ferreira,‭ ‬J.‭ ‬C.‭ ‬Marsola,‭ ‬E.‭ ‬Fortes,‭ ‬R.‭ ‬Lima,‭ ‬L.‭ ‬C.‭ ‬F.‭ ‬Sant’ana,‭ ‬L.‭ ‬S.‭ ‬Vidal,‭ ‬R.‭ ‬H.‭ ‬Loren�ato‭ & ‬M.‭ ‬D.‭ ‬Ezcurra‭ ‬-‭ ‬2019.



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