Dyslocosaurus

hard-to-place lizard

• dys · Greek · bad, difficult
• locus · Latin · place
• sauros · Greek · lizard

The name means "hard-to-place lizard". It was chosen because the fossils were reportedly found in the Lance Formation of Wyoming, a place where no sauropod was expected. The original describers called it "out of place" in that rock unit, since sauropods were thought to be rare or absent in North America that late in the Cretaceous.

Named by

McIntosh et al.

Year named

1992

Period

Late Cretaceous

Stage

Maastrichtian

Found in

Reported from the Lance Formation, Wyoming, USA (the locality is doubtful)

The type species is Dyslocosaurus polyonychius. It is a sauropod known from limited material. Its reported origin is disputed. Later researchers suspect the specimen was mislabelled and came from an older, non-North American deposit, so its age and locality are uncertain. Its validity and relationships are also questioned.