Stokesosaurus
Name:
Stokesosaurus
(Stoke's lizard).
Phonetic: Stokes-oh-sore-us.
Named By: Madsen - 1974.
Classification: Chordata, Reptilia, Dinosauria,
Saurischia, Theropoda, Tyrannosauroidea.
Species: S. clevelandi
(type).
Diet: Carnivore.
Size: Estimated 3 - 4 meters long.
Known locations: USA, Utah - Morrison
Formation.
Time period: Kimmeridgian of the Jurassic.
Fossil representation: Several specimens of partial
remains.
Dating
back around one-hundred and fifty-two million years ago,
Stokesosaurus is one of the earliest
representatives of the
tyrannosaur
lineage, being only slightly later than Guanlong.
At up
to four meters long, Stokesosaurus resembled the
juvenile forms of
later tyrannosarids, and was a fleet footed predator relying upon
speed to catch prey. Stokesosaurus probably
remained at these smaller
sizes because other larger predators such as Allosaurus
were dominant
at the time. By staying smaller and faster, Stokesosaurus
could
focus upon hunting prey that was too fast and nimble for Allosaurus
to
bother with.
The
description of Aviatyrannis
in 2003 was initially taken as
representing another early tyrannosaurid dinosaur that was similar to
Stokesosaurus. However some palaeontologists have
pointed out the
similarity between the scant partial remains of Aviatyrannis
and the
better known Stokesosaurus, as such the
possibility that Aviatyrannis
is a junior synonym to Stokesosaurus is recognised
by most. Another
potential synonym for Stokesosaurus is Tanycolagreus.
Again however,
the lack of matching fossil material (particularly the ilium)
makes it difficult to be certain.
One
former species of Stokesosaurus, S.
langhami from England has now been
described as a a new genus, Juratyrant.
Further reading
- A new theropod dinosaur from the Upper Jurassic of Utah. - Journal of
Paleontology 48(1):27-31. - J. H. Madsen Jr - 1974.
- An unusual braincase (?Stokesosaurus clevelandi)
from the
Cleveland-Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry, Utah (Morrison Formation; Late
Jurassic). - Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 18 (1): 115–125. - D.
Chure & J. Madsen - 1998.
- An ilium of a juvenile Stokesosaurus (Dinosauria,
Theropoda) from the
Morrison Formation (Upper Jurassic: Kimmeridgian), Meade County, South
Dakota. - Brigham Young University Geology Studies 45: 5–10. - J.
Foster & D. Chure - 2000.
- New small theropod from the Upper Jurassic Morrison Formation of
Wyoming. - In The Carnivorous Dinosaurs. Indiana University Press,
Bloomington pp. 23-48, by K. Carpenter - K. Carpenter, C.A. Miles
& K.C. Cloward - 2005.
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