| Chindesaurus | |
|---|---|
| |
| An artist's illustration of Chindesaurus bryansmalli | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Sauropsida |
| clade: | Dinosauria |
| Order: | Saurischia |
| Suborder: | Theropoda |
| Family: | †Herrerasauridae |
| Genus: | †Chindesaurus Long & Murry, 1995 |
| Species: | †C. bryansmalli |
| Binomial name | |
| Chindesaurus bryansmalli Long & Murry, 1995 | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Chindesaurus (meaning "Lizard from Chinde Point) is a genus of herrerasaurid theropod from the late Trassic. The Petrified Forest formation dates to the early Norian stage of the late Triassic period, about 216 million years ago. It was formally described by Long and Murry in 1995. The type species, Chindesaurus bryansmalli, is named in honor of the discoverer.
Discovery and Naming[]
Chindesaurus was named after Chinde Point (Chinde meaning "ghost or evil spirit"), near where the holotype specimen (a partial skeleton) was discovered in the Chinle Formation of Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona, by Bryan Small in 1985.
Description[]
It was about 7 ft (2.25 meters) as estimated in 2012 by Benson & Brusette.