Anchaurosaurus
Anchaurosaurus (meaning "morning lizard" in Latin) is an extinct genus of iguanian lizard from the Late Cretaceous of Inner Mongolia, China. It belongs to an extinct clade of iguanians called Gobiguania that was endemic to the Gobi Desert during the Late Cretaceous.[1] The type species, Anchaurosaurus gilmorei, was named in 1995 on the basis of a well-preserved skull and incomplete skeleton from the Djadochta Formation. Compared to other iguanians, Anchaurosaurus has a relatively elongated skull, large eye sockets, and higher tooth crowns.[2] Phylogenetic analysis indicates that among gobiguanians, Anchaurosaurus is most closely related to Zapsosaurus from Mongolia. Below is a cladogram from Daza et al. (2012) showing the phylogenetic relationships of Anchaurosaurus:[3]
| Iguania |
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| Anchaurosaurus Temporal range: Late Cretaceous | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Iguania |
| Clade: | †Gobiguania |
| Genus: | †Anchaurosaurus Gao and Hou, 1995 |
| Type species | |
| †Anchaurosaurus gilmorei Gao and Hou, 1995 | |
References
- Conrad, J. L.; Norell, M. A. (2007). "A Complete Late Cretaceous Iguanian (Squamata, Reptilia) from the Gobi and Identification of a New Iguanian Clade". American Museum Novitates. 3584: 1. doi:10.1206/0003-0082(2007)3584[1:ACLCIS]2.0.CO;2. hdl:2246/5877.
- Keqin, Gao; Lianhai, Hou (1995). "Iguanians from the Upper Cretaceous Djadochta Formation, Gobi Desert, China". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 15: 57–78. doi:10.1080/02724634.1995.10011207.
- Daza, J. D.; Abdala, V.; Arias, J. S.; García-López, D.; Ortiz, P. (2012). "Cladistic Analysis of Iguania and a Fossil Lizard from the Late Pliocene of Northwestern Argentina". Journal of Herpetology. 46: 104–119. doi:10.1670/10-112. S2CID 85405843.