Saurophaganax maximus

[Dinogeorge@xxxxxxx]

Dan Chure describes a new, very large theropod genus from the Morrison
Formation in the following paper:

Chure, D., 1995. ``A reassessment of the gigantic theropod _Saurophagus
maximus_ from the Morrison Formation (Upper Jurassic) of Oklahoma, USA,''
_Sixth Symposium on Mesozoic Terrestrial Ecosystems and Biota, Short Papers_,
Beijing, China Ocean Press: 103-106.

_Saurophaganax_ represents a very large (14 meters long, body mass of about 3
tons) Morrison allosaurid characterized by horizontal laminae at the bases of
the dorsal neural spines above the transverse processes, and ``meat-chopper''
chevrons. Much material previously referred to _Saurophagus maximus_ is
actually referable to _Saurophaganax maximus_. The new genus is needed
because the original type specimen of _Saurophagus maximus_ is not
diagnostic, whereas the material described by Dan is. Note that the type
species _Saurophaganax maximus_ is not to be considered conspecific with
_Saurophagus maximus_ (which is a _nomen dubium_), so _Saurophaganax_ is
_not_ a renaming of _Saurophagus_.

George Olshevsky