Staurikosaurus

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Staurikosaurus

ZooTek Phoenix

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Author: Moondawg

Keywords: extinct animals, dinosaurs

Release Date: Jan 5 2009

Current StaurikosaurusMD_2008.ztd dated 3 January 2009

File Size: 1.93mb

Compatibility: DD, MM, or CC is needed because of its food type.

Description: Staurikosaurus ("Lizard of the Southern Cross") is a genus of early dinosaur from the Late Triassic of Brazil.
There exists only a single specimen of Staurikosaurus, recovered from the Paleontological Site Jazigo Cinco of the Santa Maria Formation in the geopark of paleorrota , Rio Grande do Sul, southern Brazil. The name refers to the star constellation "The Southern Cross", pictured in the coat of arms of Brazil and only visible in the southern hemisphere - when Staurikosaurus was described in 1970, it was unusual to find dinosaurs in the southern hemisphere. It was first described by Edwin Harris Colbert, working at the American Museum of Natural History. The rarity of Staurikosaurus remains may be a result of it being uncommon while alive, or because it lived in an environment like a forest, where fossils rarely form.

Staurikosaurus was a small theropod from the late Triassic Period, 225 million years ago - specifically the Carnian age. It is one of the earliest dinosaurs that is known. At just 2 metres in length (6.5 ft), 80 centimetres tall (31 in), and weighing just 30 kilograms (66 lb), Staurikosaurus was tiny in comparison to later theropods like Megalosaurus. Newer research seems to confirm that Staurikosaurus and the related Eoraptor and Herrerasaurus are definite theropods and evolved after the sauropod line had split from the Theropoda.

There exists very incomplete fossil record of Staurikosaurus, consisting most of the spine, the legs and the large lower jaw. However, dating from such an early period in the dinosaurs' history and being otherwise so primitive, most of Staurikosaurus' other features as being primitive also can be reconstructed. For example, Staurikosaurus is usually depicted with five toes and five fingers - very simple features of an unspecialised dinosaur. However, since the skeletal structure of the legs is known, it can be seen that Staurikosaurus was a quick runner for its size. It also had just two vertebrae joining the pelvis to the spine, a distinctly primitive arrangement. The tail would have been long and thin to balance the border - later sauropods had larger, shorter tails relative to their weight.

The recovered mandible suggests that sliding joint of the jaw allowed it to move backwards and forwards, as well as up and down. Thus smaller prey could be worked backwards towards Staurikosaurus' throat, along its small and backwards-curving teeth. This feature is common in theropods of the time, but disappears in later theropods who presumably had no need for efficiency in eating smaller prey.

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Additional info:

StaurikosaurusMD_2008.ztd                                   uca: D04C92FB dated 3 January 2009

Results From Configuration Checking:

d04c92fb.uca date: Sat Jan 03 14:21:16 2009
No Errors or Warnings to show.
Animal Type: D04C92FB

Staurikosaurus

There exists only a single specimen of Staurikosaurus, recovered from the
Paleontological Site Jazigo Cinco of the Santa Maria Formation in the geopark
of paleorrota , Rio Grande do Sul, southern Brazil. The name refers to the
star constellation "The Southern Cross", pictured in the coat of arms of
Brazil and only visible in the southern hemisphere - when Staurikosaurus was
described in 1970, it was unusual to find dinosaurs in the southern
hemisphere. It was first described by Edwin Harris Colbert, working at the
American Museum of Natural History. The rarity of Staurikosaurus remains may
be a result of it being uncommon while alive, or because it lived in an
environment like a forest, where fossils rarely form.
    (plus 2 other paragraphs)

Animal Characteristics:

Habitat: Rainforest; Location: South America; Era: Triassic
Minimum happiness needed for chance of breeding: 98.
Preferred shelter: Rock Cave.
Animal can jump.
Animal can climb cliffs.
Cannot be used in original Zoo Tycoon: cKeeperFoodType (7) is not 0 to 5.

Exhibit Preferences:

Foliage:
Ulmo Tree, Mangrove Tree, Elephant Ear Tree, Foxtail Palm Tree
Llala Palm Tree, Rainforest Bush, Rainforest Fern, Orchid Tree, Kapok Tree
Broadleaf Bush, Thouarsus Cycad Tree (DD), Fern Bush (DD)
Leptocycas Tree (DD), Magnolia Tree (DD), Monkey Puzzle Tree (DD)
Williamsonia Tree (DD), Fallen Rainforest Tree (ES), Rainforest Stump (ES)
Rafflesia (ES), Giant Ficus Tree (ES), Durian Tree (ES)

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, Stone Ruins, Rainforest Rock - Formation
Mossy Rainforest Rock (ES), Limestone Rock (ES)

Other specifically liked items:
Waterfall Rock - Formation, Jungle Rock - Formation

Exhibit Construction:

Number of animals allowed per exhibit: 1-5 with 60 squares for each adult.

Exhibit size (for 2 adults): 120 grid squares

Terrain (for exhibit with 120 grid squares):
90 Rainforest Floor, 12 Dirt, 12 Grass, 6 Fresh Water

Foliage (for exhibit with 120 grid squares):
7 grid squares should contain foliage.
Foliage that would give the most happiness: Rainforest Fern
Since this is a small plant, greatest happiness will occur
if each of the 7 grid squares contains 4 of this plant.

Rocks (for exhibit with 120 grid squares):
5 Small Rock - Small, which is its most liked rock.

Elevation: Of the 120 squares, 3 nonadjacent squares should be elevated.