Anasazisaurus Temporal range: Late Cretaceous, 74 Ma |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Reptilia |
Clade: | Dinosauria |
Order: | †Ornithischia |
Suborder: | †Ornithopoda |
Family: | †Hadrosauridae |
Subfamily: | †Saurolophinae |
Tribe: | †Kritosaurini |
Genus: |
†Anasazisaurus Hunt & Lucas, 1993 |
Type species | |
†Anasazisaurus horneri Hunt & Lucas, 1993 |
Anasazisaurus (/ˌɑːnəsɑːziˈsɔːrəs/ AH-nə-sah-zee-SAWR-əs; "Anasazi lizard") is a genus of hadrosaurid ("duckbill") ornithopod dinosaur that lived about 74 million years ago, in the Late Cretaceous Period. It was found in the Farmington Member of the Kirtland Formation, in the San Juan Basin of New Mexico, United States. Only a partial skull has been found to date. It was first described as a specimen of Kritosaurus by Jack Horner, and has been intertwined with Kritosaurus since its description. It is known for its short nasal crest, which stuck out above and between its eyes for a short distance.
The anatomy of Anasazisaurus is poorly known. The skull is somewhat poorly preserved, lacks the lower jaw, beak, and quadrate, and was only recently fully prepared. It has a sort of tab or flange of bone, from the nasals, that rises between and above the eyes and folds back under itself. This unique crest allows it to be distinguished from similar hadrosaurs, like Gryposaurus. The top of the crest is roughened, and the maximum preserved length of the skull is ~90 centimeters (~35 in). According to Gregory S. Paul, it was about 7.5 meters long and weigh up to 2500 kg.