Beelemodon
Encyclopedia
"Beelemodon" is the informal name given to a genus
of undescribed dinosaur
from the Late Jurassic
. It was possibly a coelurosaur. The fossil
s of "Beelemodon" consist of one partial skeleton, which was found in the U.S. state of Colorado
. The name first appeared in print in 1997, when paleontologist Robert T. Bakker
mentioned it during a symposium for the Academy of Natural Sciences
. Until the animal is fully described in a formal scientific paper, "Beelemodon" remains a nomen nudum
.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of undescribed dinosaur
Dinosaur
Dinosaurs are a diverse group of animals of the clade and superorder Dinosauria. They were the dominant terrestrial vertebrates for over 160 million years, from the late Triassic period until the end of the Cretaceous , when the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event led to the extinction of...
from the Late Jurassic
Jurassic
The Jurassic is a geologic period and system that extends from about Mya to Mya, that is, from the end of the Triassic to the beginning of the Cretaceous. The Jurassic constitutes the middle period of the Mesozoic era, also known as the age of reptiles. The start of the period is marked by...
. It was possibly a coelurosaur. The fossil
Fossil
Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of animals , plants, and other organisms from the remote past...
s of "Beelemodon" consist of one partial skeleton, which was found in the U.S. state of Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
. The name first appeared in print in 1997, when paleontologist Robert T. Bakker
Robert T. Bakker
Robert T. Bakker is an American paleontologist who helped reshape modern theories about dinosaurs, particularly by adding support to the theory that some dinosaurs were endothermic...
mentioned it during a symposium for the Academy of Natural Sciences
Academy of Natural Sciences
The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, formerly Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, is the oldest natural science research institution and museum in the New World...
. Until the animal is fully described in a formal scientific paper, "Beelemodon" remains a nomen nudum
Nomen nudum
The phrase nomen nudum is a Latin term, meaning "naked name", used in taxonomy...
.