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EMAUSAURUS
(em-oe-sor-us)
meaning: "Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-Universitat lizard"
Named By: H. Haubold in 1990
Time Period: Early Jurassic, Toarcian
Location: Germany
Size: Roughly estimated at about 2 meters long for the holotype, though this is of a juvenile. Adult size possible as much as 4 meters long
Diet: Herbivore
Fossil(s): Mostly from a skull and some osteoderms
Classification: | Chordata | Reptilia | Dinosauria | Ornithischia | Thyreophora |
About

Emausaurus is a genus of thyreophoran or armored dinosaur from the Early Jurassic. Its fossils have been found in Germany. It is known from a skull, lower jaws and partial postcranial remains, although only the skull is known well. Armor includes three conical scutes and one tall, spiny element.

The type species, Emausaurus ernsti, was formalized by Harmut Haubold in 1990. The generic name is composed of an acronym of Ernst Moritz Arndt University of Greifswald (Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-Universitat or EMAU) and Greek sauros/sauros (lizard). The specific name is derived from the name of geologist Werner Ernst, who found the fossil, holotype SGWG 85, in the summer of 1963 at a loampit near Grimmen, in strata dating from the Toarcian.

The body length of the holotype of Emausaurus has been estimated at around two metres. This represented a juvenile individual though; adult length has been estimated at four metres. It was, despite its small size, probably quadrupedal and ate low vegetation.

Cladistic analyses showed that Emausaurus was a basal member of the Thyreophora, more derived than Scutellosaurus, but less than Scelidosaurus.

Read more about Emausaurus at Wikipedia
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