Campylodoniscus
Encyclopedia
Campylodoniscus is a genus
of sauropod dinosaur
from the Late Cretaceous
Period of what is now Argentina
.
The type species
was first named and described by Friedrich von Huene
in 1929 as Campylodon ameghinoi, the genus name meaning 'bent tooth', from Greek
καμπυλος, 'bent' or 'curved' (as of a bow) and ὀδών meaning 'tooth'. The specific name honours Florentino Ameghino
. In 1961 Oskar Kuhn
noted that the name was pre-occupied by a fish
and renamed the genus into Campylodoniscus, the diminutive
.
The fossil remains of Campylodoniscus were found in the Sierra de San Bernardo and consist of a single jaw bone, the maxilla
, holding seven teeth.
The age of Campylodoniscus could be the Cenomanian
, about 95 million years ago, or the Campanian
-Maastrichtian
, seventy million years old. It is sometimes estimated as being around twenty meters in length.
Campylodoniscus is probably a member of the Titanosauria. Some researchers consider it a nomen dubium
.
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 sauropod 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 Cretaceous
Cretaceous
The Cretaceous , derived from the Latin "creta" , usually abbreviated K for its German translation Kreide , is a geologic period and system from circa to million years ago. In the geologic timescale, the Cretaceous follows the Jurassic period and is followed by the Paleogene period of the...
Period of what is now Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
.
The type species
Type species
In biological nomenclature, a type species is both a concept and a practical system which is used in the classification and nomenclature of animals and plants. The value of a "type species" lies in the fact that it makes clear what is meant by a particular genus name. A type species is the species...
was first named and described by Friedrich von Huene
Friedrich von Huene
Friedrich von Huene was a German paleontologist who named more dinosaurs in the early 20th century than anyone else in Europe.-Biography:...
in 1929 as Campylodon ameghinoi, the genus name meaning 'bent tooth', from Greek
Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek is the stage of the Greek language in the periods spanning the times c. 9th–6th centuries BC, , c. 5th–4th centuries BC , and the c. 3rd century BC – 6th century AD of ancient Greece and the ancient world; being predated in the 2nd millennium BC by Mycenaean Greek...
καμπυλος, 'bent' or 'curved' (as of a bow) and ὀδών meaning 'tooth'. The specific name honours Florentino Ameghino
Florentino Ameghino
Florentino Ameghino was an Argentine naturalist, paleontologist, anthropologist and zoologist.Born in Luján, son of Italian immigrants, Ameghino was a self-taught naturalist, and focused his study on the lands of the southern Pampas...
. In 1961 Oskar Kuhn
Oskar Kuhn
Oskar Kuhn was a German palaeontologist.-Life and career:Kuhn was educated in Dinkelsbühl and Bamberg and then studied natural science, specialising in geology and paleontology, at the University of Munich, from which he received his D. Phil...
noted that the name was pre-occupied by a fish
Fish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
and renamed the genus into Campylodoniscus, the diminutive
Diminutive
In language structure, a diminutive, or diminutive form , is a formation of a word used to convey a slight degree of the root meaning, smallness of the object or quality named, encapsulation, intimacy, or endearment...
.
The fossil remains of Campylodoniscus were found in the Sierra de San Bernardo and consist of a single jaw bone, the maxilla
Maxilla
The maxilla is a fusion of two bones along the palatal fissure that form the upper jaw. This is similar to the mandible , which is also a fusion of two halves at the mental symphysis. Sometimes The maxilla (plural: maxillae) is a fusion of two bones along the palatal fissure that form the upper...
, holding seven teeth.
The age of Campylodoniscus could be the Cenomanian
Cenomanian
The Cenomanian is, in the ICS' geological timescale the oldest or earliest age of the Late Cretaceous epoch or the lowest stage of the Upper Cretaceous series. An age is a unit of geochronology: it is a unit of time; the stage is a unit in the stratigraphic column deposited during the corresponding...
, about 95 million years ago, or the Campanian
Campanian
The Campanian is, in the ICS' geologic timescale, the fifth of six ages of the Late Cretaceous epoch . The Campanian spans the time from 83.5 ± 0.7 Ma to 70.6 ± 0.6 Ma ...
-Maastrichtian
Maastrichtian
The Maastrichtian is, in the ICS' geologic timescale, the latest age or upper stage of the Late Cretaceous epoch or Upper Cretaceous series, the Cretaceous period or system, and of the Mesozoic era or erathem. It spanned from 70.6 ± 0.6 Ma to 65.5 ± 0.3 Ma...
, seventy million years old. It is sometimes estimated as being around twenty meters in length.
Campylodoniscus is probably a member of the Titanosauria. Some researchers consider it a nomen dubium
Nomen dubium
In zoological nomenclature, a nomen dubium is a scientific name that is of unknown or doubtful application...
.