Describer

Accarie, Beaudoin, Dejax, Fries, Michard, Taquet, 1995

Time

Cretaceous Early Albian

Classification

Saurischia Theropoda Ceratosauria

Diet

Carnivore

Fossilsite

Alpes-de-Haute-Provence near Sisteron, France

Fall Under

1,5 meter

Info

Genus - Typespecies

Found in 1986.Elements of the pelvis and of the posterior lomb of a new carnivorous dinosaur have been found in the marine Albian of Sisteron, France. This theropod, Genusaurs sisteronis n.g., n.sp., is a ceratosaur whose lineage was known only from Upper Triassic to Upper Jurassic.

The bones were associated with an abundant microflora which indicates the presence on the nearby continent of a wooded country and of a temparate to warm and rather humid palaeoenvironment. Ceratosauria are known from Upper Triassic to Upper Jurassic. Therefore. the discovery in middle Albian outcrops near Sisteron af a partial new ceratosaur skeleton is suprising and very interesting. The bones were lying in a detritic level associated whith oysters and silicified wood fragments.

The abundant microflora (pollen and spores) suggests the proximity of the sea-shore and a humid temparate- to- warm climate in a wooded environment mainly consisting of conifers and ferns. Genusaurs sisteronis n. g., n.sp., is a new ceratosaur known by parts of the left pelvic side and of the left hindlimb (femur, tibia and fibula).

According to some paleontologist Genusaurus is not just a ceratosaurian but a neoceratosaurian that may provisionally be referred to the family Abelisauridae. At least, this possibility cannot be eliminated based on the available material.