| Aetonyx | |
|---|---|
| |
| Holotype specimen | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Sauropsida |
| Order: | Saurischia |
| Suborder: | †Sauropodomorpha |
| Infraorder: | †Prosauropoda |
| Family: | †Massospondylidae |
| Genus: | †Aetonyx Broom, 1911 |
| Type species | |
| †Aetonyx palustris Broom, 1911 | |
Aetonyx (meaning “eagle claw”, referring to its claws, which were like those of an eagle (Greek αετος/aëtos = eagle + ονυξ/onyx = claw) was the name given to the fossilized remains of Early Jurassic dinosaur which lived around 198 million years ago during the Hettangian stage.
It used to be classified as a carnosaur, but has since been identified as a prosauropod. Aetonyx is now, therefore, a sauropodomorph. It is a Junior synonym of Massospondylus.
Life reconstruction
The type species, A. palustris, was named by Robert Broom (1856-1911). The fossil came from South Africa.
Gallery[]
