Noasaurus
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Noasaurus Temporal range: Late Cretaceous, 70 Ma |
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| Skeletal restoration showing known remains | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Clade: | Dinosauria |
| Order: | Saurischia |
| Suborder: | Theropoda |
| Family: | †Noasauridae |
| Subfamily: | †Noasaurinae |
| Genus: |
†Noasaurus Bonaparte & Powell, 1980 |
| Species: | †N. leali |
| Binomial name | |
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Noasaurus leali Bonaparte & Powell, 1980 |
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Noasaurus ("Northwestern Argentina lizard") is a genus of theropod dinosaur genus of the late Campanian-Maastrichtian (Late Cretaceous).
It was a small (less than eight feet long) theropod, specifically a ceratosaur, discovered by Jaime Powell and José Bonaparte from the Lecho Formation of Salta Province, Argentina, dating to the late Cretaceous period (early Maastrichtian stage, about 70 Ma ago). The type species, Noasaurus leali, was described by Bonaparte and Powell in 1980.
It was a close relative of the larger abelisaurids; they are both derived from the same basal abelisauroid ancestor. While originally reported to have a raptorial 'sickle claw' on the foot similar to the claws of the more advanced dromaeosaurids, subsequent studies showed that the claw actually came from the hand.
The following cladogram is based on the phylogenetic analysis conducted by Rauhut and Carrano in 2016, showing the relationships of Elaphrosaurs among the noasaurids:
CCG 20011
Noasaurus
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