Monolophosaurus jiangi
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Monolophosaurus Temporal range: Middle Jurassic, 165 Ma |
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| Mounted skeleton in Japan | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Clade: | Dinosauria |
| Order: | Saurischia |
| Suborder: | Theropoda |
| Genus: |
†Monolophosaurus Zhao & Currie 1993 |
| Species: | †M. jiangi |
| Binomial name | |
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Monolophosaurus jiangi Zhao & Currie 1993 |
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Monolophosaurus (/ˌmɒnoʊˌlɒfoʊˈsɔːrəs/ MON-o-LOF-ə-SAWR-əs; meaning "single-crested lizard") is a genus of tetanuran theropod dinosaur from the Middle Jurassic Shishugou Formation in what is now Xinjiang, China. It was named for the single crest on top of its skull. Monolophosaurus was a mid sized carnosaurian carnivore at about 5 metres long.
A nearly complete skeleton of a theropod new to science was discovered by a Canadian-Chinese expedition in 1981. The fossil was unearthed until 1984. In 1987, before description in the scientific literature, it was referred to in the press as Jiangjunmiaosaurus, an invalid nomen nudum. In 1992 it was mentioned by Dong Zhiming as Monolophosaurus jiangjunmiaoi, and in 1993 by Wayne Grady as Monolophosaurus dongi. These latter names also lacked a description and therefore were nomina nuda as well.
In 1993/1994, Zhao Xijin and Philip John Currie named and described the type species Monolophosaurus jiangi. The generic name is derived from Greek μόνος, monos, "single", and λόφος or λόφη, lophos/lophè, "crest", in reference to the single crest on the snout. The specific name refers to Jiangjunmiao, an abandoned desert inn, near which the fossil was found. Jiangjunmiao means "the temple (miao) of the general (jiangjun)"; local legend has it that a general was buried here.
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