Chindesaurus

*Chindesaurus bryansmalli*

* Timothy Bradley Artwork
* Joe Tucciarone Artwork

***Chindesaurus*** (CHIN-dee-SAWR-us - Chinde (Navajo, chiindii) meaning "ghost or evil spirit" and Greek *sauros* meaning "lizard") is a genus of theropod dinosaur named after the Chinde Point, near where the genoholotype specimen (a partial skeleton) was discovered in Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona, by Bryan Small in 1984.

*Chindesaurus* was a basal theropod which lived around 225 million years ago during the Late Triassic. It was between 6 and 12 feet (3.7 m) long, and was formally described by Long and Murry in 1995. The type species, *Chindesaurus bryansmalli*, is named in honor of the discoverer.

## Etymology

The genus name *Chindesaurus* is derived from the Navajo word chindi meaning "ghost" or "evil spirit" and the Greek word "sauros" (σαυρος) meaning "lizard"; thus, "ghost lizard" or "Lizard from Chinde Point". The species name, bryansmalli honors the discoverer, Bryan Small. *Chindesaurus* was described and named by R.A. Long and P.A. Murry, in 2011 and the type species is *Chindesaurus bryansmalli*. When this specimen was first discovered it was nicknamed "Gertie" and received much publicity.

## Discovery and Naming

*Chindesaurus* was named after Chinde Point (Chinde meaning "ghost or evil spirit"), near where the holotype specimen (a partial skeleton) was discovered in the Chinle Formation of Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona, by Bryan Small in 1985.

## Description

*Chindesaurus* is known from five incomplete specimens (six if *Caseosaurus* is included). Of these, the type specimen PEFO 10395 is the most complete, consisting of a single tooth, a fragmentary neck vertebra, fragmentary back vertebrae, several rib fragments, two complete vertebrae from the hips, fragmentary tail vertebrae, a chevron, several fragmentary hip bones, a complete left femur and a fragmentary right femur, a fragmentary right tibia, and a right ankle bone. The other specimens are more incomplete, consisting of isolated hip bones, upper leg bones (femora), and more vertebrae. The type and paratype specimens were approximately 2 to 2.3 metres (6.6 to 7.5 ft) in length. Some estimates suggest that *Chindesaurus* weighed 50 kilograms (110.2 pounds) at most.

## Paleoecology

The Upper Petrified Forest National Park member of the Chinle Formation was an ancient floodplain where phytosaurs, rauisuchids, archosaurs, pseudosuchians, and other tetrapods lived and competed with the dinosaur Chindesaurus and its relative Coelophysis for resources. This paleoenvironment also had abundant lungfish and clams.

## JPInstitute.com Description

Chindesaurus may be the first dinosaur to live in North America. This small creature seemed to have lived throughout the Southwestern United States at about the time dinosaurs were beginning to show up in the world. It shared its environment with other prehistoric animals such as primitive reptiles and larger mammal-like reptiles. It is most likely related to Herrerasaurus and it seems to have been a meat-eater; the question is, which one of these dinosaurs came first?

Chindesaurus was discovered in 1984 and the subsequent discovery of other specimens has caused considerable interest in this very early dinosaur. Unfortunately, no skull material has been discovered. It is a primitive dinosaurian form, with a number of features that are close to reptilian. It also seems to have unusually long legs relative to its body length.

## Appearance in other media

### Jurassic Park Franchise

Chindesaurus appeared in the Smithsonian Jurassic World Dominion Prehistoric Projector Kit.

## Links

https://web.archive.org/web/20031006233004fw\_/http://www.jpinstitute.com/dinopedia/dinocards/dc\_chind.html

## References

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