Aepisaurus
An obscure sauropod known from a single, partly lost humerus.
Aepisaurus—whose name combines the Greek words for "lofty" and "lizard"—is a poorly known genus of sauropod dinosaur. It lived about 100.5 million years ago during the Albian stage of the Early Cretaceous, in what is now the Vaucluse department of France, where its remains were found in the Grès vert formation. The genus is represented by a single humerus, now partly lost, and its family affiliation remains uncertain. Perhaps because of its obscurity, the name has been misspelled in various ways in scientific literature, and the year it was first described is also given inconsistently.
French paleontologist Paul Gervais named the genus in 1852, basing it on a humerus discovered in 1841 at Mont Ventoux, near Bédoin, by Prosper Renaux (1793–1852). The bone measured 90 cm in length, 33 cm wide at the proximal end, 15 cm wide in the middle, and 25 cm wide at the distal end. From the same site, Gervais also referred a conical tooth that he thought might belong to a larger second species, and from another locality he added a partial humerus and ulna to *Aepisaurus* sp. The proximal part of the humerus of *Aepisaurus elephantinus* is housed at the University of Montpellier (specimen BED01), and a plaster cast of the complete specimen is displayed at the Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle in Paris (MNHN 1868–242).
After the family Titanosauridae was established, *Aepisaurus* was often placed there because its slender humerus resembles that of *Laplatasaurus*. However, as John S. McIntosh noted in 1990, the bone is also similar to those of *Camarasaurus* and some brachiosaurids. In a 1993 review of European titanosaurs, Jean Le Loeuff could not locate the type specimen and concluded that its illustration did not allow assignment to any sauropod group; based on proportions, it could be either a camarasaurid or a titanosaurid. He removed the additional remains Gervais had referred, noting that the tooth likely belonged to a crocodilian. Although McIntosh considered the genus *Sauropoda incertae sedis*, an influential 2004 review agreed with Le Loeuff and listed it as a dubious sauropod. A 2022 review simply called it an indeterminate eusauropod or neosauropod, without further comment.
As a sauropod, *Aepisaurus* would have been a large, quadrupedal herbivore.
The year of description is sometimes given as 1853 (for example, by Glut in 1997 and in some online sourc
- field
- Paleontology
- known_for
- Obscure sauropod dinosaur from the Early Cretaceous of France
- time_period
- Albian-age Lower Cretaceous, ~100.5 million years ago
- location
- Grès vert, Département du Vaucluse, France
- type_specimen
- Single humerus, partly lost
Lore & Background
French paleontologist Paul Gervais described the new genus in 1852 based on a humerus found at Mont Ventoux, near Bédoin, by Prosper Renaux in 1841. The bone was 90 cm long, 33 cm wide at the proximal end, 15 cm wide in the middle, and 25 cm wide at the distal end. From the same locality, he referred a conical tooth he thought could belong to a larger second species, and from elsewhere added a partial humerus and ulna as Aepisaurus sp. The proximal part of the humerus of Aepisaurus elephantinus is housed in the University of Montpellier (specimen BED01), and a plaster cast is displayed in the Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle in Paris (MNHN 1868–242).
Since the appearance of Titanosauridae, Aepisaurus has typically been referred to that family because the slender humerus resembles that of Laplatasaurus. However, as John S. McIntosh noted in 1990, the bone is also similar to those of Camarasaurus and some brachiosaurids. In a 1993 review of European titanosaurs, Jean Le Loeuff could not locate the type specimen and concluded that its illustration did not allow assignment to any sauropod group; based on proportions, it could be either a camarasaurid or a titanosaurid. He removed the additional remains Gervais had referred, noting that the tooth likely belonged to a crocodilian. Although McIntosh considered the genus Sauropoda incertae sedis, an influential 2004 review agreed with Le Loeuff and listed it as a dubious sauropod. A 2022 review simply called it an indeterminate eusauropod or neosauropod, without further comment.
Reader's Guide
Aepisaurus holds a minor but persistent place in sauropod paleontology as a problematic taxon from the Early Cretaceous of Europe. Its significance lies not in its completeness—it is known only from a single humerus, now partly lost—but in the taxonomic confusion it has generated. The specimen has been variously assigned to Titanosauridae, compared to Laplatasaurus, Camarasaurus, and brachiosaurids, and ultimately deemed a dubious sauropod by a 2004 review. The inability to confidently place Aepisaurus within any sauropod group highlights the challenges of classifying fragmentary dinosaur remains. Its legacy is further complicated by persistent misspellings (Aepysaurus, Aepyosaurus) and conflicting dates of description (1852 vs. 1853). As a result, Aepisaurus serves as a cautionary example in dinosaur systematics, illustrating how a single, poorly preserved bone can generate decades of uncertainty and debate.
Did You Know?
- The genus name Aepisaurus means 'lofty lizard' from Greek αἰπεινός (aipeinós, 'lofty/high') and σαυρος (sauros, 'lizard').
- The type specimen is a single humerus 90 cm long, found at Mont Ventoux near Bédoin, France, in 1841 by Prosper Renaux.
- The date of description is given as 1853 by some sources, but the Paleobiology Database and both editions of The Dinosauria use 1852.
- The genus is commonly misspelled Aepysaurus in both editions of The Dinosauria and a major review.
More in Dinosaur genera 1-24
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