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Appalachiosaurus

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Author: Moondawg

Keywords: extinct animals, dinosaurs

Release Date: Feb 8 2009

Current AppalachiosaurusMD_2009.ztd dated 7 February 2009

File Size: 12.92mb

Compatibility: DD and CC

Description: Appalachiosaurus (pronounced ap-a-LAYCH-ee-oh-SAWR-us; "Appalachian lizard") is a genus of tyrannosauroid theropod dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous Period of eastern North America
Like almost all theropods, it was a bipedal predator. Only a juvenile skeleton has been found, representing an animal over 7 meters (23 ft) long and weighing over 600 kilograms (1300 lb), which indicates an adult would have been even larger. This species is notable as the most completely known theropod from the eastern part of North America.

This dinosaur was named after the region of the central United States known as Appalachia, which also gave its name to the ancient island continent on which Appalachiosaurus lived. Both are named after the Appalachian Mountains. The generic name also includes the Greek word sauros ("lizard"), the most common suffix used in dinosaur names. There is one known species, A. montgomeriensis, which is named after Montgomery County in the U.S. state of Alabama. Both genus and species were named in 2005 by paleontologists Thomas Carr, Thomas Williamson, and David Schwimmer (who is not to be confused with the actor of the same name).

Fossils of Appalachiosaurus were found in central Alabama, from the Demopolis Chalk Formation. This formation dates to the middle of the Campanian stage of the Late Cretaceous, or around 77 million years ago (Carr et al., 2005).

Appalachiosaurus is so far known from only partial remains, including parts of the skull and mandible (lower jaw), as well as several vertebrae, parts of the pelvis, and most of both hindlimbs. These remains are housed at the McWane Science Center in Birmingham, Alabama. There are several open sutures between bones of the skull, indicating that the animal was not an adult. Several elements are crushed, but the specimen is still informative and shows many unique characteristics, or apomorphies. Several of these apomorphies have been identified in the skull, and the claws of the feet show an unusual protrusion on the end closest to the body. A row of six low crests lines the top of the snout, similar to the Asian Alioramus, although most tyrannosaur species exhibit ornamentation to varying degrees on top of the snout. Appalachiosaurus is significantly different and more derived than another early tyrannosaur from eastern North America, Dryptosaurus.

Appalachiosaurus is complete enough to be included in phylogenetic analyses using cladistics. The first was performed before the animal had had even been named, and found Appalachiosaurus to be a member of the albertosaurine subfamily of Tyrannosauridae, which also includes Albertosaurus and Gorgosaurus (Holtz, 2004). The original description also included a cladistic analysis, finding A. montgomeriensis to be a basal tyrannosauroid outside of Tyrannosauridae (Carr et al., 2005). However, Asian tyrannosaurs like Alioramus, and Alectrosaurus were excluded, as was Eotyrannus from England. Earlier tyrannosaurs such as Dilong and Guanlong had not been described at the time this analysis was performed. These exclusions may have a significant effect on the phylogeny. To date, no analysis has been published which includes all known tyrannosauroid taxa.

Additional info:

AppalachiosaurusMD_2009.ztd                          uca: E3A92057 dated 7 February 2009

Results From Configuration Checking:

E3A92057.uca date: Sat Feb 07 19:54:20 2009
No Errors or Warnings to show.
Animal Type: E3A92057

Appalachiosaurus

Like almost all theropods, it was a bipedal predator. Only a juvenile skeleton
has been found, representing an animal over 7 meters (23 ft) long and weighing
over 600 kilograms (1300 lb), which indicates an adult would have been even
larger. This species is notable as the most completely known theropod from the
eastern part of North America.
    (plus 4 other paragraphs)

Animal Characteristics:

Habitat: Grassland; Location: North America; Era: Cretaceous
Minimum happiness needed for chance of breeding: 99.
Animal can jump.
Animal can climb cliffs.
Cannot be used in original Zoo Tycoon: cKeeperFoodType (7) is not 0 to 5.

Exhibit Preferences:

Foliage:
Broadleaf Bush, Walchian Conifer Tree (DD), Monkey Puzzle Tree (DD)
Norfolk Island Pine Tree (DD)

Rocks:
Large Rock, Large Rock - 1, Large Rock - 2, Large Rock - 3, Large Rock - 4
Small Rock - Medium, Small Rock - Small, Small Rock - 7, Small Rock - 8
Small Rock - 9

Exhibit Construction:

Number of animals allowed per exhibit: 1-1 with 150 squares for each adult.

Exhibit size (for 1 adults): 150 grid squares

Terrain (for exhibit with 150 grid squares):
89 Grass, 38 Gray Stone, 8 Fresh Water, 15 Deciduous Floor

Foliage (for exhibit with 150 grid squares):
8 grid squares should contain foliage.
Foliage that would give the most happiness: Broadleaf Bush
Since this is a small plant, greatest happiness will occur
if each of the 8 grid squares contains 4 of this plant.

Rocks (for exhibit with 150 grid squares):
18 Small Rock - Small, which is its most liked rock.

Elevation: Of the 150 squares, 4 nonadjacent squares should be elevated.