Aelurosaurus

Ay-lu-roe-sore-us.
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Benjamin Gutierrez

Vertebrate Paleontologist

Benjamin Gutierrez is a leading expert on dinosaurs, particularly the mighty theropods. His fieldwork in South America has uncovered new species and provided insights into dinosaur social structures.

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Name

Aelurosaurus ‭(‬cat lizard‭)‬.

Phonetic

Ay-lu-roe-sore-us.

Named By

Classification

Chordata,‭ ‬Therapsida,‭ ‬Theriodontia,‭ ‬Gorgonopsia.

Diet

Carnivore.

Species

A.‭ ‬felinus‭

Size

Total body length‭ ‬70‭ ‬centimetres long,‭ ‬skull‭ ‬13‭ ‬centimetres long.

Known locations

South Africa,‭ ‬Karoo Basin.

Time Period

Wuchiapingian of the Permian.

Fossil representation

Remains of several individuals.

In Depth

       Aelurosaurus was a fairly small gorgonopsid,‭ ‬and although a predator in its own right,‭ ‬Aelurosaurus‭ ‬probably had to be wary of its larger gorgonopsid cousins.

Further Reading

-‭ ‬On the Order Theriodontia,‭ ‬with a Description of a new genus and species‭ (‬Aelurosaurus felinus,‭ ‬Ow‭)‬,‭ ‬Richard Owen‭ ‬-‭ ‬1881. -‭ ‬Phylogeny and evolution of the Gorgonopsia with a special reference to the skull and skeleton of GPIT/RE/7113‭ (“‬Aelurognathus‭”? ‬parringtoni‭)‬,‭ ‬E.‭ ‬V.‭ ‬I.‭ ‬Gebauer‭ ‬-‭ ‬2007.

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