Extinct genus of therizinosaurid dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous
Erlikosaurus
Temporal range: Late Cretaceous, ~96–89 Ma
PreꞒ
Ꞓ
O
S
D
C
P
T
J
K
Pg
N
Skeletal diagram of the holotype
Scientific classification
Domain:
Eukaryota
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Chordata
Clade:
Dinosauria
Clade:
Saurischia
Clade:
Theropoda
Superfamily:
†Therizinosauroidea
Family:
†Therizinosauridae
Genus:
†Erlikosaurus Barsbold & Perle, 1980
Type species
†Erlikosaurus andrewsi
Barsbold & Perle, 1980
Synonyms
Erlicosaurus andrewsi Perle, 1981 (lapsus calami)
Erlikosaurus (meaning "Erlik's lizard") is a genus of therizinosaurid that lived in Asia during the Late Cretaceous period. The fossils, a skull and some post-cranial fragments, were found in the Bayan Shireh Formation of Mongolia in 1972, dating to around 96 million and 89 million years ago. These remains were later described by Altangerel Perle and Rinchen Barsbold in 1980, naming the new genus and species Erlikosaurus andrewsi. It represents the second therizinosaur taxon from this formation (alongside Enigmosaurus and Segnosaurus) with the most complete skull among members of this peculiar family of dinosaurs.
In contrast to most therizinosaurids, Erlikosaurus was a small member reaching nearly 3.4 m (11 ft) in length and 150 to 250 kg (330 to 550 lb) in mass. It had a well-developed beak at the snout tip and toothed jaws that were used for its herbivorous diet. The feet ended in four toes with the first one articulated to the ankle—in contrast to the vestigial first toe of most theropods. Like other therizinosaurids, Erlikosaurus had a large gut for food processing, strong arms ending in elongated claws, and a backwards directed pelvis.
Erlikosaurus is classified as a therizinosaur within the Therizinosauridae. Therizinosaurs were long-enigmatic dinosaurs with unclear relationships during the early years of research. Subsequent studies proved their true nature as theropodan dinosaurs and systematic position among maniraptorans. The beak and jaws of Erlikosaurus indicate a leaf-stripping feeding method characterized by the active use of the beak aided by the neck. Several differences with the sympatric Segnosaurus shows that these related genera were niche partitioned.
therizinosaurids, Erlikosaurus had a large gut for food processing, strong arms ending in elongated claws, and a backwards directed pelvis. Erlikosaurus is classified...
of the pelvis of Erlikosaurus was unknown, Barsbold considered it unlikely the Enigmosaurus pelvis belonged to it, since Erlikosaurus and Segnosaurus were...
the ridge in Erlikosaurus. The Meckelian groove that ran along the inner side of the mandible, was placed further down than in Erlikosaurus and had a consistent...
named and briefly described Erlikosaurus, a new genus smaller than Segnosaurus. Confusingly, Perle redescribed Erlikosaurus treating the taxon as a new...
as Erlikosaurus, since both were found in the same geologic formation, Enigmosaurus is known from pelvic remains, whereas the pelvis of Erlikosaurus is...
new genus Erlikosaurus was named by Barsbold and Perle in 1980. They named a new infraorder called the Segnosauria, composed of Erlikosaurus and Segnosaurus...
back to the surface, they freeze to death as punishment. The dinosaur Erlikosaurus is named after him. Erlik has nine sons, named Karaoğlanlar ("dark boys")...
carnivorous ear configuration−previously suggested for Erlikosaurus. Finally, based on Erlikosaurus, N. mckinleyi may have had a relatively horizontal head...
musculature in Erlikosaurus and found the bite force of Edmontosaurus being greater than that for the former. The lesser bite force for Erlikosaurus better served...
Shireh Formation with other paleofauna such as the medium-sized theropods Erlikosaurus and Segnosaurus, Garudimimus, and possibly Alectrosaurus; the heavy-built...
Kingdom's Natural History Museum) and two other herbivorous dinosaurs; Erlikosaurus and Plateosaurus to determine if all three had similar bite forces and...
muscle force. When compared with Tyrannosaurus and the therizinosaurid Erlikosaurus in the same study, it was found that Allosaurus had a wider gape than...
species such as Goyocephale lattimorei, Achillobator giganticus and Erlikosaurus andrewsi. He has been honored by Polish palaeontologist Halszka Osmólska...
Global Information
