Geranosaurus
Geranosaurus (meaning "crane reptile") is a genus of ornithischian dinosaur from the Early Jurassic. It is known only from crushed fragments of the skull, a single jaw bone with nine tooth stubs and limb elements discovered in the Clarens Formation, South Africa in 1871. Because of the limited remains, it is considered a nomen dubium. It is classified as an ornithischian based on the jaw, probably a heterodontosaurid. It was around 0.6 metres (2.0 ft) tall and around 1.2 metres (3.9 ft) long when fully grown.
| Geranosaurus Temporal range: Early Jurassic, ~ | |
|---|---|
| Holotype jaw | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Clade: | Dinosauria |
| Clade: | †Ornithischia |
| Family: | †Heterodontosauridae |
| Genus: | †Geranosaurus Broom, 1911 |
| Type species | |
| †Geranosaurus atavus Broom, 1911 | |
The type species, G. atavus, was described by Robert Broom in 1911. The genus name is derived from Greek geranos, "crane", a reference to the crane-like hind-limb. The specific name means "ancestor" in Latin. The limb elements have inventory number SAM 1871.