Atlasaurus

Atlas lizard

• Atlas · Greek · Atlas, the Titan of Greek myth said to hold up the sky, and also the name of the Atlas Mountains in Morocco
• sauros · Greek · lizard

The name combines Atlas with the Greek word for lizard. It refers both to the Atlas Mountains of Morocco, where the fossils were found, and to the Titan Atlas of Greek myth, who held up the heavens. The mythological link suits a large sauropod. The type species, A. imelakei, takes its species name from a Berber word for "giant".

Named by

Monbaron, Russell and Taquet

Year named

1999

Period

Middle Jurassic

Stage

Bathonian

Found in

Guettioua Formation, Azilal Province, High Atlas Mountains, Morocco

A sauropod dinosaur, known from a fairly complete skeleton. It is often considered a relatively basal macronarian, though its exact position within Sauropoda has been debated.