Mifunesaurus
Encyclopedia
Mifunesaurus is the name given to an as yet undescribed genus
of dinosaur
from the Late Cretaceous
and is therefore a nomen nudum
. It was a carnivorous
theropod, probably a Tetanuran, which lived in what is now Japan
during the Cenomanian
stage of the early Late Cretaceous, around 95 million years ago (mya). The name was first mentioned by Hisa in 1985 and was discussed at greater length by Dong et al. in The Age of Dinosaurs in Japan
and China
(1990), where the animal was described as being large and like Megalosaurus
.
, metatarsal, and phalanx.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of dinosaur
Dinosaur
Dinosaurs are a diverse group of animals of the clade and superorder Dinosauria. They were the dominant terrestrial vertebrates for over 160 million years, from the late Triassic period until the end of the Cretaceous , when the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event led to the extinction of...
from the Late Cretaceous
Late Cretaceous
The Late Cretaceous is the younger of two epochs into which the Cretaceous period is divided in the geologic timescale. Rock strata from this epoch form the Upper Cretaceous series...
and is therefore a nomen nudum
Nomen nudum
The phrase nomen nudum is a Latin term, meaning "naked name", used in taxonomy...
. It was a carnivorous
Carnivore
A carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of animal tissue, whether through predation or scavenging...
theropod, probably a Tetanuran, which lived in what is now Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
during the Cenomanian
Cenomanian
The Cenomanian is, in the ICS' geological timescale the oldest or earliest age of the Late Cretaceous epoch or the lowest stage of the Upper Cretaceous series. An age is a unit of geochronology: it is a unit of time; the stage is a unit in the stratigraphic column deposited during the corresponding...
stage of the early Late Cretaceous, around 95 million years ago (mya). The name was first mentioned by Hisa in 1985 and was discussed at greater length by Dong et al. in The Age of Dinosaurs in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
(1990), where the animal was described as being large and like Megalosaurus
Megalosaurus
Megalosaurus is a genus of large meat-eating theropod dinosaurs of the Middle Jurassic period of Europe...
.
Fossils
The fossil material consisted of a single tooth, tibiaTibia
The tibia , shinbone, or shankbone is the larger and stronger of the two bones in the leg below the knee in vertebrates , and connects the knee with the ankle bones....
, metatarsal, and phalanx.
External links
- "Mifunesaurus" in the Dinosaur Encyclopaedia from Dino Russ' website.