Tatisaurus

Tati lizard

• Tati · Chinese place name · referring to the Dapuka (Tati) locality or formation in Yunnan, China
• saurus · Greek · lizard

Tatisaurus is named after the Tati (大地) locality in Yunnan Province, China, near where its fossils were discovered. The second element, '-saurus', comes from the Greek word 'sauros' meaning 'lizard', a standard suffix in dinosaur names. The name therefore means roughly 'Tati lizard', honoring the region of its discovery. It was one of the early ornithischian dinosaurs found in the Lower Lufeng Formation.

Named by

Simmons

Year named

1965

Period

Early Jurassic

Stages

Hettangian – Sinemurian

Found in

Lower Lufeng Formation, Yunnan Province, China

Tatisaurus is generally considered a nomen dubium because it is known only from a fragmentary lower jaw, making it very difficult to diagnose confidently. It is a basal ornithischian dinosaur, and has sometimes been tentatively compared to thyreophoran (armored) dinosaurs, though this placement is uncertain due to the poor material.