Name:
Crichtonsaurus (Greek for "Crichton's lizard"); pronounced CRY-ton-SORE-us
Habitat:
Woodlands of Asia
Historical Period:
Middle Cretaceous (95-90 million years ago)
Size and Weight:
About 10 feet long; weight unknown
Diet:
Plants
Distinguishing Characteristics:
Low-slung, armored body
About Crichtonsaurus:
Considering the impact Michael Crichton has had on paleontology--his novel, Jurassic Park, and the movies made from it rekindled interest in all things prehistoric from the 1970’s to the present day--it's surprising that no one thought to name a dinosaur after him until 2007. Even more strangely, the paleontologists who bestowed this honor were Chinese, not American.
As dinosaurs go, Crichtonsaurus was nothing special--a medium-sized nodosaur (armored dinosaur) that lived in Asia during the middle Cretaceous. Still, considering how few creatures are named after deceased (much less living) celebrities, Crichton has nothing to complain about!
