Genus: Genusaurus Accarie, Beaudoin, Dejax, Fries, Michard and Taquet, 1995

Classification: Dinosauria - Saurischia - Theropoda - Ceratosauria - Ceratosauroidea

Etymology: The generic name comes from the Latin word geniculum diminutive of genu (knee) and alludes to the great development of the cnemial crest situated in front of the proximal end of the tibia.

Synonyms: none

Type species: Genusaurus sisteronis Accarie, Beaudoin, Dejax, Fries, Michard and Taquet, 1995

Other Species: none

Diagnosis: as for type species.

Species: Genusaurus sisteronis Accarie, Beaudoin, Dejax, Fries, Michard and Taquet, 1995

Etymology: The specific name refers to the nearest town of Sisteron.

Synonyms: none

Holotype: MNHN, Bev. 1., left ilium, proximal ends of the left tibia and left fibula, a tarsal, a sacral vertebral centrum, seven dorsal vertebral centra (Accarie, Beaudoin, Dejax, Fries, Michard and Taquet, 1995).

Referred Specimens: none

Time: Early Cretaceous (Middle Albian).

Horizon: "Bevons Beds"

Location: 4.250 km SW of Sisteron (Alps of Haute-Provence), France.

Total length: 3-3.5 m.

Mass: ?

Diagnosis: Ceratosaur in which the tibia has an extremely developed cnemial crest.

Comments: Elements of the pelvis and hindlimb of a carnivorous dinosaur were found in the marine Albian of Sisteron (Alps of haute-Provence, France). This theropod, Genusaurus sisteronis is a ceratosaur whose lineage had been known only from the Upper Triassic to the Upper Jurassic. These bones were associated with an abundant microflora indicating the presence on the nearby continent of a wooded countryside and the existence of a warm temperate and somewhat humid paleoenvironment (Accarie, Beaudoin, Dejax, Fries, Michard and Taquet, 1995).

This small dinosaur is incontestably a theropod as indicated by the length of the preacetabular process of its ilium, the presence of a pronounced "brevis fossa" with the form of an indentation situated behind the acetabulum and under the posterior wing of the ilium, the anterior curvature of the femur, the union between the tibia and fibula, and finally the possession of hollow long bones with thin walls (Accarie, Beaudoin, Dejax, Fries, Michard and Taquet, 1995).

Illustrations:
Genusaurus sisteronis, pelvis elements, lateral view. Scale 3 cm (modified from Accarie, Beaudoin, Dejax, Fries, Michard and Taquet, 1995).

References:
Accarie, H., B. Beaudoin, J. Dejax, G. Fries, J. Michard, & P. Taquet , 1995. Decouverte d'un Dinosaure Theropode nouveau ( Genusaurus sisteronis n.g., n.sp.) dans l'Albien marin de Sisteron ( Alpes de Haute-Provence , France ) et extension au Cretace inferieur de la lignee ceratosaurienne. Comptes Rendus des Seances de lAcademie des Sciences , Paris , 320: 327-334.

Buffetaut, Eric, & Jean Le Loeuff , 1995. Decouverte d'un Dinosaure Theropode nouveau ( Genusaurus sisteronis n.g., n.sp.) dans l'Albien marin de Sisteron ( Alpes de Haute-Provence , France ) et extension au Cretace inferieur de la lignee ceratosaurienne: Commentaire a la Note. Comptes Rendus des Seances de l'Academie des Sciences , Paris , 321, Serie IIa: 79-80

© Tetrapoda Database Roman Ulansky roman.ulansky@gmail.com or adios85@mail.ru