Berthasaura

Berthasaura Temporal range: Early Cretaceous (Aptian–Albian) PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Skeletal diagram
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Clade:	Dinosauria
Clade:	Saurischia
Clade:	Theropoda
Family:	†Noasauridae
Genus:	†Berthasaura de Souza et al., 2021
Type species
†Berthasaura leopoldinae de Souza et al., 2021

Berthasaura (meaning "Bertha's lizard") is a genus of

Between 2011 and 2015, paleontologists working at the Cemitério dos Pterossauros site near Cruzeiro do Oeste discovered the skeletons of the pterosaurs Caiuajara and Keresdrakon as well as remains of small theropods. One of these was in 2019 named and described as Vespersaurus but a second species proved to be present.^[1]

In 2021, the

The holotype, MN 7821-V, is a nearly complete disarticulated skeleton excavated between 2011 and 2014 and is one of the most complete dinosaurs known from the Cretaceous Brazil, preserving the most complete axial series of any noasaurid known to date. Its toothless, short beak suggests it was a herbivore or at least an omnivore, unlike most other ceratosaurs except for adult Limusaurus. Because the holotype represents an immature individual, it has been suggested that Berthasaura was herbivorous throughout its entire life, unlike Limusaurus. It was probably less than 1 metre (3.3 ft) long.^[1]

Classification

Berthasaura was placed by de Souza and colleagues as the basalmost noasaurid, distantly related to Limusaurus.^[1]

Paleoenvironment

Berthasaura lived in the Goio-Erê Formation, which was an ancient desert. Its dating is uncertain; de Souza and colleagues believe it was deposited during the Aptian-Albian, but other authors have discussed the controversial unresolved age.^[2] Other animals recovered from this formation include the pterosaurs Caiuajara and Keresdrakon, as well as the lizard Gueragama.^[3][2][4]

References