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Gojirasaurus

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Gojirasaurus (meaning "Godzilla Lizard) is a dubious genus of dinosaur named after the giant monster movie character Gojira (the Japanese name for Godzilla). It was discovered in the Cooper Canyon Formation (Dockum Group near Revuelto Creek, Quay County, New Mexico. The type specimen is a partial skeleton, estimated to be about 5.5 m (18 ft) long, which can be extrapolated to a weight of approximately 150–200 kg (330–440 lb).[1] It lived during the middle Norian age of the late Triassic Period, about 210 million years ago.

Gojirasaurus was a member of the Coelophysoidea, which were small, early theropods. Gojirasaurus is one of the largest meat-eating dinosaurs known from the Triassic Period, and was enormous for its time.[2] The original remains attributed to this dinosaur included a serrated tooth, four ribs, and four vertebrae, hip bones and a tibia (lower leg bone). However, later study showed that the vertebrae actually belonged to rauisuchian Shuvosaurus. Today, only the tibia and hip bone can be attributed to a coelophysoid dinosaur. The leg and hip bones are indistinguishable from the contemporary Coelophysis, making its status as a valid genus dubious.[3]

In early, unpublished studies which included this specimen, the dinosaur was referred to by the name "Revueltoraptor lucasi", a nomen nudum.[3]

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