Effigia okeeffeae
Encyclopedia
Effigia was an archosaur
that lived in what is now New Mexico
. The 2 meter (6 ft) fossil
was collected by Edwin H. Colbert in blocks of rock from the Ghost Ranch Quarry
, which were excavated in 1947 and 1948. However, Colbert did not think any large vertebrates besides basal theropod dinosaurs were present in the quarry and as such did not even open the jackets of most of the blocks that were returned to the American Museum of Natural History
.
at the American Museum of Natural History. Nesbitt was opening jackets of blocks in order to find new specimens of Coelophysis
. Upon finding the remains of Effigia, he instantly recognized this was not a dinosaur and proceeded to track down the rest of the blocks from that area of the quarry. Nesbitt and Mark Norell, curator at the museum, named it Effigia okeeffeae in January 2006 after Georgia O'Keeffe
, who spent many years at Ghost Ranch (her ashes are scattered there).
s. Nesbitt, in 2007, showed that Effigia was very similar to Shuvosaurus
, and is definitely a member of the crurotarsan
group Suchia
(in the line leading towards modern crocodilia
ns), and that its similarity to ornithomimids represents a case of "extreme" convergent evolution
. Nesbitt also demonstrated that Shuvosaurus
was the same animal as Chatterjeea, and that it belonged to an exclusive clade
containing closely related suchians such as Shuvosaurus and Poposaurus
(Poposauridae
). Within this group, Effigia forms an even more exclusive clade with Shuvosaurus and the South American Sillosuchus
(Shuvosaurinae).
In 2007, Lucas and others suggested "Effigia" was synonymous with "Shuvosaurus" and used the new combination "Shuvosaurus okeeffeae" for the animal.
satirically touted the fossil as disproving the "Darwinlutionists" ("who try to claim that every kind of creature had evolved from monkeys"). Colbert also believes that the fossil should not have been named after Georgia O'Keeffe, whose paintings "scare the hell out of [him]", and instead should have been named after Edwin H. Colbert (see List of The Colbert Report episodes).
In the 2007 3-D IMAX film, Dinosaurs Alive!
, Nesbitt explains how he discovered Effigia. It is also featured in an animated sequence where it is chased by a small pack of Coelophysis
and later killed by a Redondasaurus
.
Archosaur
Archosaurs are a group of diapsid amniotes whose living representatives consist of modern birds and crocodilians. This group also includes all extinct non-avian dinosaurs, many extinct crocodilian relatives, and pterosaurs. Archosauria, the archosaur clade, is a crown group that includes the most...
that lived in what is now New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
. The 2 meter (6 ft) fossil
Fossil
Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of animals , plants, and other organisms from the remote past...
was collected by Edwin H. Colbert in blocks of rock from the Ghost Ranch Quarry
Ghost Ranch
Ghost Ranch is a retreat and education center located close to the village of Abiquiu in Rio Arriba County in north central New Mexico. The conference center and lodgings at Ghost Ranch are run by the Presbyterian Church but open to the general public.-History:Ghost Ranch is part of Piedra...
, which were excavated in 1947 and 1948. However, Colbert did not think any large vertebrates besides basal theropod dinosaurs were present in the quarry and as such did not even open the jackets of most of the blocks that were returned to the American Museum of Natural History
American Museum of Natural History
The American Museum of Natural History , located on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City, United States, is one of the largest and most celebrated museums in the world...
.
Discovery
The fossil was rediscovered in January 2006 by graduate student Sterling NesbittSterling Nesbitt
Sterling Nesbitt , is an American paleontologist.-Biography:Sterling Nesbitt received his B.A. in integrative biology with a minor in geology from University of California Berkeley in 2004. He received his Ph.D from Columbia University in 2009, completing the majority of his research at the...
at the American Museum of Natural History. Nesbitt was opening jackets of blocks in order to find new specimens of Coelophysis
Coelophysis
Coelophysis , meaning "hollow form" in reference to its hollow bones , is one of the earliest known genera of dinosaur...
. Upon finding the remains of Effigia, he instantly recognized this was not a dinosaur and proceeded to track down the rest of the blocks from that area of the quarry. Nesbitt and Mark Norell, curator at the museum, named it Effigia okeeffeae in January 2006 after Georgia O'Keeffe
Georgia O'Keeffe
Georgia Totto O'Keeffe was an American artist.Born near Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, O'Keeffe first came to the attention of the New York art community in 1916, several decades before women had gained access to art training in America’s colleges and universities, and before any of its women artists...
, who spent many years at Ghost Ranch (her ashes are scattered there).
Convergence
Effigia is remarkable for its extreme similarity to ornithomimid dinosaurDinosaur
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...
s. Nesbitt, in 2007, showed that Effigia was very similar to Shuvosaurus
Shuvosaurus
Shuvosaurus is a genus of beaked reptile from the Late Triassic of Texas. It was described by Sankar Chatterjee in 1993 after it was discovered by his son Shuvo. It was initially interpreted as a Triassic member of the Cretaceous dinosaur family Ornithomimidae...
, and is definitely a member of the crurotarsan
Crurotarsi
The Crurotarsi are a group of archosauriformes, represented today by the crocodiles,...
group Suchia
Suchia
Suchia is a clade of archosaurs that includes all pseudosuchians except ornithosuchids. It includes crocodilians and their extinct relatives. Paul Sereno defined Suchia as the least inclusive clade containing Aetosaurus ferratus, Rauisuchus tiradentes, Prestosuchus chiniquensis, Gracilisuchus...
(in the line leading towards modern crocodilia
Crocodilia
Crocodilia is an order of large reptiles that appeared about 84 million years ago in the late Cretaceous Period . They are the closest living relatives of birds, as the two groups are the only known survivors of the Archosauria...
ns), and that its similarity to ornithomimids represents a case of "extreme" convergent evolution
Convergent evolution
Convergent evolution describes the acquisition of the same biological trait in unrelated lineages.The wing is a classic example of convergent evolution in action. Although their last common ancestor did not have wings, both birds and bats do, and are capable of powered flight. The wings are...
. Nesbitt also demonstrated that Shuvosaurus
Shuvosaurus
Shuvosaurus is a genus of beaked reptile from the Late Triassic of Texas. It was described by Sankar Chatterjee in 1993 after it was discovered by his son Shuvo. It was initially interpreted as a Triassic member of the Cretaceous dinosaur family Ornithomimidae...
was the same animal as Chatterjeea, and that it belonged to an exclusive clade
Clade
A clade is a group consisting of a species and all its descendants. In the terms of biological systematics, a clade is a single "branch" on the "tree of life". The idea that such a "natural group" of organisms should be grouped together and given a taxonomic name is central to biological...
containing closely related suchians such as Shuvosaurus and Poposaurus
Poposaurus
Poposaurus is a genus of reptile from the Late Triassic of the southwestern United States. It was a crurotarsan archosaur which lived in what is now Wyoming, Utah, Arizona and Texas. The type species, Poposaurus gracilis, was described by M. G. Mehl in 1915. The second species, P...
(Poposauridae
Poposauridae
The Poposauridae are a family of large carnivorous archosaurs which lived alongside dinosaurs during the Late Triassic. They are known from fossil remains from North and South America...
). Within this group, Effigia forms an even more exclusive clade with Shuvosaurus and the South American Sillosuchus
Sillosuchus
Sillosuchus is a genus of poposaurid crurotarsans from the Late Triassic of Argentina.The generic name refers to Dr. William Sill, and "suchus", from Greek meaning crocodile. A reconstruction of the fossil was presented in 2008 by the National University of San Juan in Argentina, in an homage to Dr...
(Shuvosaurinae).
In 2007, Lucas and others suggested "Effigia" was synonymous with "Shuvosaurus" and used the new combination "Shuvosaurus okeeffeae" for the animal.
In popular culture
In a January 30, 2006 episode of The Colbert Report, Stephen ColbertStephen Colbert
Stephen Tyrone Colbert is an American political satirist, writer, comedian, television host, and actor. He is the host of Comedy Central's The Colbert Report, a satirical news show in which Colbert portrays a caricatured version of conservative political pundits.Colbert originally studied to be an...
satirically touted the fossil as disproving the "Darwinlutionists" ("who try to claim that every kind of creature had evolved from monkeys"). Colbert also believes that the fossil should not have been named after Georgia O'Keeffe, whose paintings "scare the hell out of [him]", and instead should have been named after Edwin H. Colbert (see List of The Colbert Report episodes).
In the 2007 3-D IMAX film, Dinosaurs Alive!
Dinosaurs Alive!
Dinosaurs Alive! is a 2007 IMAX documentary produced by Giant Screen Films about various dinosaurs that inhabited the Earth between 251 and 65 Ma...
, Nesbitt explains how he discovered Effigia. It is also featured in an animated sequence where it is chased by a small pack of Coelophysis
Coelophysis
Coelophysis , meaning "hollow form" in reference to its hollow bones , is one of the earliest known genera of dinosaur...
and later killed by a Redondasaurus
Redondasaurus
Redondasaurus is a genus of phytosaur from the Late Triassic of North America. Translated, the name Redondasaurus means "Redonda lizard," referring to the Redonda Formation of east-central New Mexico, USA. It was first named by Hunt & Lucas in 1993, and contains one species, R. gregorii...
.