Irisosaurus
Irisosaurus (meaning "iridescent lizard" after the iridescent clouds of Yunnan Province, China), is an extinct genus of sauropodiform sauropodomorph dinosaur, [1] from the Fengjiahe Formation of China. The type species, Irisosaurus yimenensis was formally described in 2020.[1][2] It was the sister taxon to Mussaurus.
| Irisosaurus | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Skeletal restoration | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Clade: | Dinosauria |
| Clade: | Saurischia |
| Suborder: | †Sauropodomorpha |
| Clade: | †Anchisauria |
| Genus: | †Irisosaurus Peyre de Fabrègues et al., 2020 |
| Type species | |
| †Irisosaurus yimenensis Peyre de Fabrègues et al., 2020 | |
Discovery and naming
The holotype, CVEB 21901, was found in the rocks of the Fengjiahe Formation in Yimen County, Yunnan, during the summer of 2018. In 2020, it was assigned to the new genus and species, Irisosaurus yimenensis, named after the county it was found and "the famous iridescent clouds of Yunnan Province" (Chinese: 彩云之南).[1][2]
Description
The holotype of Irisosaurus shows a unique combination of traits that in themselves are not unique. There is a large and deep neurovascular foramen on the perinarial fossa. The premaxillary ramus of the maxilla is higher than it is long prior to the nasal process. The proximal half of metacarpal V is strongly asymmetrical.[1]
References
- Claire Peyre de Fabrègues; Shundong Bi; Hongqing Li; Gang Li; Lei Yang; Xing Xu (2020). "A new species of early-diverging Sauropodiformes from the Lower Jurassic Fengjiahe Formation of Yunnan Province, China". Scientific Reports. 10 (1): Article number 10961. doi:10.1038/s41598-020-67754-4.
- Claire Peyre de Fabrègues; Shundong Bi; Hongqing Li; Gang Li; Lei Yang; Xing Xu (2020). "Author Correction: A new species of early-diverging Sauropodiformes from the Lower Jurassic Fengjiahe Formation of Yunnan Province, China". Scientific Reports. 10 (1): Article number 17086. doi:10.1038/s41598-020-74208-4. PMC 7542162. PMID 33028950.
