Biology:Genusaurus

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Genusaurus (/ˌdʒɛnjʊˈsɔːrəs/ JEN-yuu-SOR-əs;[1] meaning "knee lizard") is a genus of abelisaurid theropod from the Early Cretaceous. Its fossils were found in France. Genusaurus is believed to have lived during the Albian stage, around 112-100 million years ago.[2][3]

Description

Genusaurus possesses several distinguishing traits. The dorsal vertebrae are elongated. The elements of the pelvis are strongly fused. The thighbone shows a low bone plateau below the major trochanter; to the front an accessory trochanter is present. The epicondyle of the inner femoral condyle is well-developed. The cnemial crest strongly extends to the front and is curved upwards. The fibula has a distinctive boss serving as an attachment for the Musculus iliofibularis. The upper inner side of the fibula is strongly hollowed out.[4]

Size

Genusaurus was originally estimated to have been 3.16 metres (10.4 ft) long. From the 38 centimetres (15 in) thighbone, a weight of 129.6 kilograms (286 lb) was extrapolated.[4] Later estimates, while confirming the length of 3 metres (9.8 ft),[2] have reduced the weight to 50 kilograms (110 lb),[5] or even 35 kilograms (77 lb).[6] In 2016, its length was estimated at 3.6 metres (12 ft), making it among the smallest known abelisaurids.[7]

Discovery and naming

The type species, Genusaurus sisteronis, is the only named species. It is based on a partial skeleton found in 1984-1986 in the Albian Bevons Beds, holotype MNHN Bev.1. The holotype contains seven partial dorsal vertebrae, a piece of a sacral, a piece of an ilium, the top of a pubic bone, a thighbone, the top of a shinbone, the top of a fibula and a metatarsal. It was named and described by Hugues Accarie, Bernard Beaudoin, Jean Dejax, Gérard Friès, Jean-Guy Michard and Philippe Taquet in 1995.[4] The genus name is derived from the Latin word genu (knee) and refers to the cnemial crest in front of the proximal end of the tibia.[4] The specific name refers to Sisteron, the town near which the specimen was found.[4]

Classification

Accarie et al. assigned Genusaurus to the ceratosaur group of theropods, more precisely to the Coelophysoidea.[4] A 2008 cladistic analysis by Carrano and Sampson placed Genusaurus in the Noasauridae along with Laevisuchus, Masiakasaurus, Noasaurus, and Velocisaurus; in turn, noasaurids are part of the Abelisauroidea group, which is part of the ceratosaur group.[3] Subsequent phylogenetic analyses found Genusaurus to be either a member of the Noasauridae or Abelisauridae.[8][9][10] In 2025, Eric Buffetaut reexamined the holotype and suggested that it should be placed into Furileusauria.[11]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Creisler, Ben (July 7, 2003). "Dinosauria Translation and Pronunciation Guide G". http://dinosauria.com/dml/names/dinog.htm. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Holtz, Thomas R. Jr. (2007). Dinosaurs: The Most Complete, Up-to-Date Encyclopedia for Dinosaur Lovers of All Ages. New York: Random House. Genus list "last updated August 1, 2008". ISBN 978-0-375-82419-7. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Carrano, Matthew T.; Sampson, Scott D. (2007). "The Phylogeny of Ceratosauria (Dinosauria: Theropoda)". Journal of Systematic Palaeontology 6 (2): 183–236. doi:10.1017/S1477201907002246. http://si-pddr.si.edu/dspace/bitstream/10088/7641/1/paleo_Carrano_Sampson_08a.pdf. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 Accarie, H., B. Beaudoin, J. Dejax, G. Fries, J.C. Michard, and P. Taquet (1995). "Découverte d'un Dinosaure théropode nouveau (Genusaurus sisteronis n. g., n. sp.) dans l'Albien marin de Sisteron (Alpes de Haute-Provence, France) et extension au Crétacé inférieur de la lignée cératosaurienne". Compte rendu hebdomadaire des scéances de l'Académie des Sciences à Paris. 320 (2): 327-334 Translation into English.
  5. ↑ Montague, J. R. (2006). "Estimates of body size and geological time of origin for 612 dinosaur genera (Saurischia, Ornithischia)". Florida Scientist 69 (4): 243–257. 
  6. ↑ Paul, G.S., 2010, The Princeton Field Guide to Dinosaurs, Princeton University Press p. 78
  7. ↑ Grillo, O. N.; Delcourt, R. (2016). "Allometry and body length of abelisauroid theropods: Pycnonemosaurus nevesi is the new king". Cretaceous Research 69: 71–89. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2016.09.001. Bibcode: 2017CrRes..69...71G. 
  8. ↑ Wang, S.; Stiegler, J.; Amiot, R.; Wang, X.; Du, G.-H.; Clark, J.M.; Xu, X. (2017). "Extreme Ontogenetic Changes in a Ceratosaurian Theropod". Current Biology 27 (1): 144–148. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2016.10.043. PMID 28017609. Bibcode: 2017CBio...27..144W. http://www.cell.com/current-biology/pdf/S0960-9822(16)31269-6.pdf. 
  9. ↑ Leonardo S. Filippi; Ariel H. Méndez; Rubén D. Juárez Valieri; Alberto C. Garrido (2016). "A new brachyrostran with hypertrophied axial structures reveals an unexpected radiation of latest Cretaceous abelisaurids". Cretaceous Research 61: 209–219. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2015.12.018. Bibcode: 2016CrRes..61..209F. 
  10. ↑ Baiano, M. A.; Coria, R.; Chiappe, L. M.; Zurriaguz, V.; Coria, L. (2023). "Osteology of the axial skeleton of Aucasaurus garridoi: phylogenetic and paleobiological inferences". PeerJ 11: e16236. doi:10.7717/peerj.16236. PMID 38025666. 
  11. ↑ Buffetaut, E. (2025). "Furileusaurian osteological characters in Genusaurus sisteronis Accarie et al., 1995, an abelisaurid dinosaur from the Albian (Lower Cretaceous) of south-eastern France". Carnets natures 12: 79–88. https://carnetsnatures.fr/volume12/Genusaurus%20sisteronis_Buffetaut-CN20025.pdf. 

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