[D] Lurdusaurus arenatus [sG] [T]
Describer
Taquet & Russell, 1999
Time
Cretaceous Early Aptian
Classification
Ornithischia Ornithopoda Iguanodontia Iguanodontidae
Diet
Herbivore
Fossilsite
Echkar Formation -Upper Elrhaz Formation-, Gadoufaoua, Niger
Info
Genus - Typespecies
Lurdusaurus arenatus (Taquet & Russell, 1999) >> Gravisaurus tenerensis (Norman, 1989)
A ponderously constructed ornithischian dinosaur, Lurdusaurus arenatus, nov. g., nov. sp., from the Aptian of Niger resembles extinct giant ground sloths in general body form. Details of its skeletal anatomy indicate a close affinity to European iguanodontids of Early Cretaceous age.
Family Iguanodontidae Origin of name: lurdus, Latin for \\\"heavy, both in weight and significance\\\" arenatus, Latin for \\\"sandy\\\"
Type specimen
MNHN GDF 1700, nearly complete skeleton (but much of skull is missing) Formerly known as Gravisaurus tenerensis; contemporary of Ouranosaurus nigeriensis.
Emended diagnosis
(Paul, 2007) Adults large. Overall extremely massively constructed. Occipital condyle directed posteriorly. Quadrate very short, shaft straight, transversely road, dorso-posterior buttress large. Cervical series elongated, well developed hypapophyses on posterior cervical centra. Dorsal neural spines short, ossified vertebral ligaments probably absent. Ribcage rotund. Forelimb ~60% length of hindlimb. Coracoid large. Olecranon process large. Manus short and broad, pollex spike very large. Anterior ilia diverge widely. Prepubic process of pubis shallow, postpubic process very short.
Carpenter & Ishida (2010) Early and “Middle” Cretaceous Iguanodonts in Time and Space Journal of Iberian Geology 36 (2) 145-164
Lurdusaurus arenatus Taquet and Russell 1999
Locality
Near Elrhaz, Niger
Horizon
Elrhaz Formation
Age
Aptian (Rauhut and Lopez-Arbarello 2008).
Comments
The postcrania is fragmentary, and no ilium is known.