Cathetosaurus
KATH-eh-toh-SORE-us /ˌkæθɪtoʊˈsɔːrəs/
Synonym of Camarasaurus
perpendicular lizard
- kathetos · Greek · perpendicular, vertical
- sauros · Greek · lizard
The name combines the Greek "kathetos" (perpendicular or vertical) with "sauros" (lizard). It was coined for a Late Jurassic sauropod that Jensen thought had a distinctive, more upright arrangement of its limb or body bones. The only species was Cathetosaurus lewisi.
- Named by
- Jensen
- Year named
- 1988
- Period
- Late Jurassic
- Found in
- Morrison Formation, Colorado Plateau region, western USA
Cathetosaurus lewisi is now generally regarded as a species of Camarasaurus (Camarasaurus lewisi), so the genus name is a junior synonym. Some details, including the exact reasoning behind the name, are given with moderate confidence.