Azendohsaurus madagaskarensis
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Azendohsaurus Temporal range: Late Triassic, 235–231 Ma |
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| A. laaroussi jaw with teeth | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Clade: | Crocopoda |
| Clade: | †Allokotosauria |
| Family: | †Azendohsauridae |
| Genus: |
†Azendohsaurus Dutuit, 1972 |
| Type species | |
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Azendohsaurus laarousi Dutuit, 1972 |
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| Species | |
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Azendohsaurus (meaning "Azendoh lizard") is a genus of extinct, herbivorous archosauromorph from the Late Triassic Period of Morocco. The type species (A. laaroussi) is known only from a partial jaw fragment (with some teeth) from Morocco. Azendohsaurus used to be regarded as a dinosaur, as either an ornithischian or a prosauropod. New research (including new material discovered in Madagascar) suggests that Azendohsaurus is not a dinosaur at all, but a non-archosauriform archosauromorph that independently evolved many craniodental characters similar to herbivorous dinosaurs.
The type specimen, A. laaroussi, was described by J. M. Dutuit in 1972. A second species, A. madagaskarensis, was described in 2010. A. laaroussi is known only from teeth and jaws, which have derived features of several dinosaur groups, such as a leaf-like shape and denticles. However, A. madagaskarensis is known from more complete skeletal material, some of which show more basal archosauromorph characteristics. An additional specimen of A. madagaskarensis was described in 2015, and showed that Azendohsaurus was closely related to Trilophosaurus.
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