Жұқа сүйекті кесіртке - Аброзавр

Extinct genus of reptiles

Abrosaurus (,/æ//b//r//oʊ /'/s//ɔːr//ə//s/; 'delicate lizard' from the Greek αβρος meaning 'delicate' or 'dainty' and σαυρος meaning 'lizard') is a genus of macronarian sauropod dinosaur from the Middle Jurassic Period of what is now Asia, one of many dinosaurs found at the Dashanpu Quarry in the Sichuan Province of China. Like most sauropods, Abrosaurus was a quadrupedal herbivore but it was rather small for a sauropod, not much more than 30 feet (9 m) long. Its head was boxy and topped with a tall bony arch containing the nostrils. The generic name (meaning "delicate lizard") refers to the nature of the skull, with large openings separated by thin bony struts. The only named species is A. dongpoi, is named after eleventh century Chinese poet Su Shi, also known as Su Dongpo, who was born in Sichuan.

The naming of Abrosaurus has been a long and convoluted process. Abrosaurus was discovered in 1984 and was first described in the 1986 Ph. D. thesis of Chinese paleontologist Ouyang Hui, with the specific name "A. gigantorhinus." Ouyang formally described this species in 1989 under the specific epithet A. dongpoensis. However, in biological nomenclature, the Latin suffix ensis is used only to honor localities and the name has since been revised to include the more correct i suffix, used to honor male individuals. Abrosaurus dongpoi is now the accepted name for this taxon. The holotype, or original specimen, of Abrosaurus, ZDM 5038, is a fossil skull which is nearly complete and very well preserved. A fragmentary skull and a skeleton have also been referred to this taxon but published description is lacking.