Pronunciation: PACK-ee-SOR-us
Meaning: Pakistan lizard
Author/s: Malkani (2006)
Synonyms: None known
First Discovery: Balochistan, Pakistan
Discovery Chart Position: #592
Pakisaurus balochistani
(Pakistan lizard of Balochistan)Etymology
Pakisaurus is derived from "Pakistan" (its country of origin) and the Greek "sauros" (lizard).
The species epithet (or specific name), balochistani, refers to the province in which it was discovered.
Discovery
The remains of Pakisaurus were discovered at the Kinwa Kali Kakor locality (DL-4) in the Vitakri member of the Pab Formation, Barkhan District, Balochistan Province, Pakistan, by a team of palaeontologists from the Geological Survey of Pakistan (GSP) in 2001.
The holotype (MSM-11-4 to MSM-14-4, housed in the Museum of the Geological Survey of Pakistan, Quetta.) is four fragmentary tail vertebrae. Three more fragmentary tail vertebrae (MSM-15-15, MSM-16-2 and MSM-17-16) from the Bor Kali Kakor locality (DL-2), the Mari Bohri locality (DL-15), and Top Kinwa Kali Kakor locality (DL-16) respectively were assigned to Pakisaurus in 2006, followed by a slender thigh (MSM-71-15) and a shin (MSM-72-2) in 2009. Some thin armour plates from the Sangiali Kali Kakor locality (PDL-1) may belong to Pakisaurus or Sulaimanisaurus.[1]
