Aristosuchus

Taxobox
name = "Aristosuchus"
fossil_range = Early Cretaceous
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Sauropsida
superordo = Dinosauria
ordo = Saurischia
subordo = Theropoda
infraordo = Coelurosauria
familia = Compsognathidae
genus = "Aristosuchus"
binomial = "Aristosuchus pusillis"
binomial_authority = Seeley, 1876

"Aristosuchus" was a small coelurosaurian dinosaur, whose name was derived from the Greek "ąριστον" (bravest, best, noblest) and "σουχος", the Ancient Greek corruption of the name of the Egyptian crocodile-headed god). It shared many characteristics with birds.

"Aristosuchus" was a bipedal, meat-eating (carnivorous) theropod dinosaur. This predator is thought to have been about 2 meters in length (about 6.5 feet) and is estimated to have weighed about 30 kg (about 65 lbs).It was found in deposits from the Early Cretaceous of England, on the Isle of Wight, i.e. from about 125 million years ago.

It was similar to its close relative "Compsognathus" in appearance and size and some authors have argued that it is the same species. It has also been confused with "Calamospondylus" (e.g. Reverend William Darwin Fox (1805-1881), in 1866) but, on the basis of the pubis, it is considered to be a valid compsognathid. Since some species are only represented by a few skeletal fragments, this sort of discussion is not uncommon in dinosaur palaeontology. "Aristosuchus" is known from a sacrum, a pubis, a femur and a few vertebrae. The femur of "Aristosuchus" has a wing-like anterior trochanter and a markedly reduced fourth trochanter. Two ungual phalanges were found nearby, which may have been from the same animal and would suggest long claws.

The type species, "Aristosuchus pusillis", was described in 1876, by Richard Owen and named "Poekilopleuron pusillus". Harry Govier Seeley (1839-1909) gave it the name "Aristosuchus", in 1887.

References

* http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/pda/A664643?s_id=3