Parasaniwa
extinct genus of lizards
Parasaniwa is an extinct genus of necrosaurid lizard from the Late Cretaceous of the western United States.
Description
It was named in 1928 by Charles W. Gilmore for jaw and skull bones found in the Lance Formation and Hell Creek Formation of Wyoming and Montana. Gilmore also named the species P. obtusa in 1928, but it is now considered a junior synonym, separated by features caused by erosion. Additional specimens were referred to Parasaniwa from the Lower Eocene Bridger Formation, but additional material from the Wasatch Formation instead suggests that this belongs to a separate genus Parasaniwa is considered closely related to Necrosaurus as a member of Necrosauridae, though it has at times been kept in a separate family Parasaniwidae.
The public source identifies “Parasaniwa” as extinct genus of lizards. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Parasaniwa, extinct and genus.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Parasaniwa”, the useful work is to connect “extinct genus of lizards” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
Datasets, specimens, observations and peer-reviewed methods provide the appropriate test for the technical claims summarized here. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jun 24, 2025. The linked authority identifier is Q132056238. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 1928.
A general summary may omit uncertainty, sample limits or methodological disagreement that is explicit in the technical record. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
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- Current terminology
- Classification context
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Primary datasets, specimen catalogues, standards bodies and the most recent peer-reviewed literature.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Parasaniwa”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Parasaniwa primary sources, Parasaniwa archive and Parasaniwa research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
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Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Parasaniwa” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.