Coronosaurus

Coronosaurus
Temporal range: Late Cretaceous, 77 Ma
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Skull cast
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Clade: Dinosauria
Clade: †Ornithischia
Clade: †Neornithischia
Clade: †Ceratopsia
Family: †Ceratopsidae
Subfamily: †Centrosaurinae
Tribe: †Centrosaurini
Genus: †Coronosaurus
Ryan, Evans & Shepherd, 2012
Type species
†Centrosaurus brinkmani
(Ryan & Russell, 2005)
Synonyms

Centrosaurus brinkmani
Ryan & Russell, 2005

Coronosaurus is a genus of centrosaurine ceratopsian dinosaurs which lived in the Late Cretaceous, in the middle Campanian stage. Its remains, two bone beds, were discovered by Phillip J. Currie in the Oldman Formation of Alberta, Canada, and its type and only species, Coronosaurus brinkmani, was first described in 2005, as a new species within the genus Centrosaurus. Later studies questioned the presence of a direct relationship, and in 2012 it was named as a separate genus. Coronosaurus means "crowned lizard", coming from "corona", Latin for crown, and "sauros", Greek for lizard; this name refers to the unique, crown-like shape of the horns on the top of its frill.[1][2]

Like other ceratopsids, Coronosaurus had a large frill and horns on its head. These include a small pair of brow horns over its eyes, a large nasal horn on its snout, and, unique among ceratopsians, irregular, spiky bone masses on its frill.[1] Growing up to around 5 metres (16 ft) long and 2 tonnes (2.0 long tons; 2.2 short tons) in weight, it was mid-sized for its kind.[3] The genus is classified as a member of the Centrosaurini, a group of derived centrosaurines which has also been found include taxa such as Styracosaurus, Spinops, Rubeosaurus, and Centrosaurus, the genus it was originally placed within.[4]

  1. ^ a b Ryan, M. J.; Evans, D. C.; Shepherd, K. M.; Sues, H. (2012). "A new ceratopsid from the Foremost Formation (middle Campanian) of Alberta". Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences. 49 (10): 1251. Bibcode:2012CaJES..49.1251R. doi:10.1139/e2012-056.
  2. ^ Ryan, M. J.; Russell, A. P. (2005). "A new centrosaurine ceratopsid from the Oldman Formation of Alberta and its implications for centrosaurine taxonomy and systematics". Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences. 42 (7): 1369. Bibcode:2005CaJES..42.1369R. doi:10.1139/e05-029. hdl:1880/47001.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference Paul was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference ryan2016 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).