Dinosaurus

Dinosaurus
Temporal range: ~Middle Permian[1]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Clade: Synapsida
Clade: Therapsida
Genus: Dinosaurus
Fischer, 1847
Species:
D. murchisonii
Binomial name
Dinosaurus murchisonii
(Fischer, 1845)

Dinosaurus is an extinct genus of therapsid of controversial affinities. Its type and only species is Dinosaurus murchisonii. It is only known from a partial snout from the Permian of Russia. Its taxonomic history is intertwined with several other poorly-known Russian therapsids, particularly Rhopalodon, Brithopus, and Phthinosuchus.

Dinosaurus is not a dinosaur; the similarity in names is coincidental. Dinosaurs belong to the clade Dinosauria, a clade of reptiles, whereas Dinosaurus is a therapsid, and as such, more closely related to mammals. Dinosauria was named only five years prior to Dinosaurus, in 1842.

  1. ^ Kammerer 2011, p. 288.