| Blinkanasaurus Fossil range: Late Triassic | |
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| Scientific classification
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Blikanasaurus | |
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Blikanasaurus (meaning "Blikana lizard") was a genus of sauropodomorph dinosaur found in Lower Elliot Formation rocks from the Late Triassic in what is now South Africa's Cape Province. Known from a left lower limb only, it has been variously classified as a prosauropod or basal sauropod. The type species, Blikanasaurus cromptoni, was first described by Galton and van Heerden in 1985.
History of discovery[]
Blikanasaurus was first discovered by a partial hindlimb (epipodium and pes) found in the lower Elliot Formation (LEF) at the foot of Blikana mountain in Herschel, Eastern Cape of South Africa around 1965. In the early 2000s, a second specimen - consisting of only a right metatarsal - was recovered from lower Elliot Formation deposits on the farm, Damplaats, in Ladybrand of the eastern Free State. A possible ilium that has been attributed to Blikanasaurus was found recently, although this remains to be confirmed.
Description[]
As the two known Blikanasaurus specimens are extremely incomplete, very little is understood of this sauropodomorph taxon. The only information that has been deduced is from the bones of its hindlimb anatomy, which are heavily built. This suggests that Blikanasaurus was thickly set and robust.
Classification[]
Gallery[]
External links[]
- Blikanasaurus from the Dinosaur Encyclopedia, at DinoRuss' Lair
