Euronychodon
Encyclopedia
Euronychodon is the name given to a genus
of coelurosaur
dinosaur
from the Late Cretaceous
, described by Miguel Telles Antunes
and Denise Sigogneau-Russell in 1991. It is similar to another coelurosaur, Paronychodon
.
, which may be a synonym. Paronychodon was originally described as similar to Zapsalis, another tooth taxon often considered synonymous with Richardoestesia (a possible dromaeosaurid
), it was later considered to be a coelurid, an ornithomimosaur, a dromaeosaurid, an archaeopterygid, a troodontid, though it could also be another kind of coelurosaurian theropod. While most researchers have therefore considered it simply indeterminate theropod teeth, a small consensus has found them to be deinonychosaurs. One study showed that the tooth enamel is identical to that found in Byronosaurus
, a troodontid.
The teeth indicate a carnivorous or insectivorous diet.
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 coelurosaur
Coelurosauria
Coelurosauria is the clade containing all theropod dinosaurs more closely related to birds than to carnosaurs. In the past, it was used to refer to all small theropods, although this classification has been abolished...
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...
, described by Miguel Telles Antunes
Miguel Telles Antunes
Miguel Telles Antunes is a Portuguese palaeontologist. He is specializes, among other things, in dinosaur palaeontology.Antunes is the director of the Museu Maynense da Academia das Ciências de Lisboa...
and Denise Sigogneau-Russell in 1991. It is similar to another coelurosaur, Paronychodon
Paronychodon
Paronychodon was a theropod dinosaur genus. It is a tooth taxon, considered dubious because of the fragmentary nature of the fossils, which include "buckets" of teeth but no other remains...
.
Species of Euronychodon
Two probable species of Euronychodon have been found to date.- E. portucalensis (named for PortugalPortugalPortugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
): the remains consist of three teeth, diagnostic enough for it to be considered a distinct genus and species. They were found at the locality of Taveiro, dated as MaastrichtianLate CretaceousThe Late Cretaceous is the younger of two epochs into which the Cretaceous period is divided in the geologic timescale. Rock strata from this epoch form the Upper Cretaceous series...
. As the type species of Euronychodon, it was described in 1991 by Antunes and Sigogneau-Russell.
- E. asiaticus (named for AsiaAsiaAsia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
): consists of one sole tooth, found in UzbekistanUzbekistanUzbekistan , officially the Republic of Uzbekistan is a doubly landlocked country in Central Asia and one of the six independent Turkic states. It shares borders with Kazakhstan to the west and to the north, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to the east, and Afghanistan and Turkmenistan to the south....
, and described by Nesov in 1995. It is usually considered a nomen dubiumNomen dubiumIn zoological nomenclature, a nomen dubium is a scientific name that is of unknown or doubtful application...
. It is much earlier than E. portucalensis, which means it could belong to a different animal.
Systematics
Being a tooth-taxon, the true affinities of Euronychodon are hard to determine. The teeth are similar to the better-known ParonychodonParonychodon
Paronychodon was a theropod dinosaur genus. It is a tooth taxon, considered dubious because of the fragmentary nature of the fossils, which include "buckets" of teeth but no other remains...
, which may be a synonym. Paronychodon was originally described as similar to Zapsalis, another tooth taxon often considered synonymous with Richardoestesia (a possible dromaeosaurid
Dromaeosauridae
Dromaeosauridae is a family of bird-like theropod dinosaurs. They were small- to medium-sized feathered carnivores that flourished in the Cretaceous Period. The name Dromaeosauridae means 'running lizards', from Greek dromeus meaning 'runner' and sauros meaning 'lizard'...
), it was later considered to be a coelurid, an ornithomimosaur, a dromaeosaurid, an archaeopterygid, a troodontid, though it could also be another kind of coelurosaurian theropod. While most researchers have therefore considered it simply indeterminate theropod teeth, a small consensus has found them to be deinonychosaurs. One study showed that the tooth enamel is identical to that found in Byronosaurus
Byronosaurus
Byronosaurus is a genus of troodontid dinosaur which lived during the Late Cretaceous Period. It was named for Byron Jaffe, "in recognition of his family's support for the Mongolian Academy of Sciences-American Museum of Natural History Paleontological Expeditions." The first example of...
, a troodontid.
Palaeobiology
The remains indicate a small animal, estimated at around 2 meters (6.6 feet).The teeth indicate a carnivorous or insectivorous diet.
External links
- Euronychodon asiaticus at DinoData
- Euronychodon portucalensis at DinoData
- Coelurosauria page at Thescelosaurus!