Aepisaurus was a type of dinosaur that lived around 100.5 million years ago during the Early Cretaceous period. This dinosaur was part of a group called sauropods, which were known for their large size and long necks.
The name Aepisaurus comes from Greek words meaning “lofty lizard.” It was discovered in France, specifically in an area called Département du Vaucluse. The only known piece of Aepisaurus is a single bone called a humerus, which is part of the arm. This bone was first described by a French scientist named Paul Gervais in 1852.
The humerus is quite large, measuring about 90 centimeters long. Although we don’t have many bones or fossils from Aepisaurus, scientists believe it was a large, four-legged plant-eater. Its slender arm bone looks somewhat like those of other dinosaurs, but it is difficult to classify it precisely because there are not enough remains to make a clear decision.
Over the years, there have been various misspellings of Aepisaurus in scientific writings, such as Aepysaurus. This makes it somewhat confusing, but most experts agree on the name Aepisaurus.
Given the limited information about Aepisaurus, it has often been referred to as an uncertain or dubious sauropod, meaning scientists are not completely sure where it fits in the dinosaur family tree.
In summary, Aepisaurus was a fascinating, though poorly understood, dinosaur that roamed the Earth millions of years ago. It serves as a reminder of how much we still have to learn about these ancient creatures.