Dromomeron romeri

Although a partial articulated skeleton is known, Dromomeron was mainly described through a femur. Much attention came from the fact that remains of this little bipedal animal have been found among those of dinosaurs indicating that the latter did not immediately replace their archosaurian relatives as previously thought. A second species of Dromomeron, D. gregorii has been recently (2009) described based on femurs from the Otis Chalk Quarry 3, Texas and the Placerias Quarry is near St. Johns, Arizona.

Name

Dromomeron romeri

Authority

Irmis, Nesbitt, Padian, Smith, Turner, Woody and Downs, 2007

Meaning of generic name

Running Femur

Size

Length: 1 m

Remains

Partial articulated skeleton and many femurs

Age and Distribution

Rio Arriba County, New Mexico, USA, lower portion of the Petrified Forest Member of the Upper Triassic Chinle Formation (Norian)

Classification

Dinosauromorpha Lagerpetidae

Further Reading

Irmis, R. B., S. J. Nesbitt, K. Padian, N. D. Smith, A. H. Turner, D. Woody, and A. Downs. 2007. A Late Triassic dinosauromorph assemblage from New Mexico and the rise of dinosaurs. Science 317:358–361.

S. J. Nesbitt, R. B. Irmis, W. G. Parker, N. D. Smith, A. H. Turner and T. Rowe. 2009. Hindlimb osteology and distribution of basal dinosauromorphs from the Late Triassic of North America. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 29(2):498-516

Image by Nobu Tamura (click to enlarge)

Dromomeron romeri: