Ferganasaurus

Fer-dan-ah-sore-us.
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Claire Morris

Marine Paleontologist

Claire Morris has dedicated her career to exploring the depths of prehistoric oceans. Her fascination with ancient marine life has led her to discover significant fossils that illuminate the evolution of early sea creatures.

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Name

Ferganasaurus‭ (‬Fergana valley lizard‭)‬.

Phonetic

Fer-dan-ah-sore-us.

Named By

Alifanov‭ & ‬Averianov‭ ‬-‭ ‬2003.

Classification

Chordata,‭ ‬Reptia,‭ ‬Dinosauria,‭ ‬Saurischia,‭ ‬Sauropodomorpha,‭ ‬Sauropoda.

Diet

Herbivore.

Species

F.‭ ‬verzilini

Size

Approximately‭ ‬9‭ ‬meters.

Known locations

Kyrgyzstan,‭ ‬Balabansai Formation.

Time Period

Callovian of the Jurassic.

Fossil representation

Partial skeleton.

In Depth

       Although the original fossil material for Ferganasaurus was discovered in‭ ‬1966,‭ ‬it was subsequently lost with only drawings of the original specimens remaining.‭ ‬A new expedition was launched at the original fossil site in‭ ‬2000,‭ ‬and this yielded further bones.‭ ‬Despite this new material,‭ ‬and the drawings of the originals,‭ ‬both the skull and feet are unknown. What is known is that Ferganasaurus was an Asian sauropod,‭ ‬though not as large as some of the more well-known sauropods like Apatosaurus.

Further Reading

– Ferganasaurus verzilini, gen. et sp. nov., a new neosauropod (Dinosauria, Saurischia, Sauropoda) from the Middle Jurassic of Fergana Valley, Kirghizia. – Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 23(2):358-372. – V. R. Alifanov & A. O. Averianov – 2003.

SPECIES SPOTLIGHT