Galveosaurus
Encyclopedia
Galveosaurus is an extinct genus
of dinosaur
from the Late Jurassic
to Early Cretaceous
periods. Its fossils were found in Galve
, Spain
, hence its generic name, "Galve lizard". The specific name honours the discoverer, José María Herrero.
material.
The type species
, Galveosaurus herreroi, was first described by Bárbara Sánchez-Hernández in a paper published on August 11, 2005, based on a partial skeleton housed in the Spanish Paleontological Museum of Galve. At the same time, the team of Barco, Canudo, Cuenca-Bescós and Ruíz-Omeñaca had been studying the same specimen. Barco et al. published their own description of the sauropod, which they named Galvesaurus herreroi (note the lack of the letter "o"), in the journal Naturaleza Aragonesa on December 18, 2005, but the date they give in their paper is July 1, 2005. If that date had been correct, the valid name for this dinosaur would be Galvesaurus herreroi, and attributed to Barco et al. rather than to Sánchez-Hernández. However, the date the authors provide is contradicted by the date of publication listed for the journal as a whole (15 July–December, 2005). Sánchez-Hernández (2006) pointed to ICZN
articles 21 and 23, which she claimed the publication date of Barco et al. (2005) is technically considered to be December 31, 2005. Therefore, Galveosaurus herreroi (Sánchez-Hernández 2005) is the valid name for this species.
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 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
Late Jurassic
The Late Jurassic is the third epoch of the Jurassic Period, and it spans the geologic time from 161.2 ± 4.0 to 145.5 ± 4.0 million years ago , which is preserved in Upper Jurassic strata. In European lithostratigraphy, the name "Malm" indicates rocks of Late Jurassic age...
to Early Cretaceous
Early Cretaceous
The Early Cretaceous or the Lower Cretaceous , is the earlier or lower of the two major divisions of the Cretaceous...
periods. Its fossils were found in Galve
Galve, Teruel
Galve is a municipality located in the province of Teruel, Aragon, Spain. According to the 2006 census , the municipality has a population of 145 inhabitants. There is an important paleontological site.-Paleontological significance:...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, hence its generic name, "Galve lizard". The specific name honours the discoverer, José María Herrero.
Taxonomic history
The description of the sauropod from Galve was not as straightforward as is typical for most dinosaurs. Problems arose when the same specimen, housed at the Museo Paleontológico de Galve, was studied and published almost simultaneously by two groups of scientists, both of whom were unaware the other was studying exactly the same bones, the holotypeHolotype
A holotype is a single physical example of an organism, known to have been used when the species was formally described. It is either the single such physical example or one of several such, but explicitly designated as the holotype...
material.
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...
, Galveosaurus herreroi, was first described by Bárbara Sánchez-Hernández in a paper published on August 11, 2005, based on a partial skeleton housed in the Spanish Paleontological Museum of Galve. At the same time, the team of Barco, Canudo, Cuenca-Bescós and Ruíz-Omeñaca had been studying the same specimen. Barco et al. published their own description of the sauropod, which they named Galvesaurus herreroi (note the lack of the letter "o"), in the journal Naturaleza Aragonesa on December 18, 2005, but the date they give in their paper is July 1, 2005. If that date had been correct, the valid name for this dinosaur would be Galvesaurus herreroi, and attributed to Barco et al. rather than to Sánchez-Hernández. However, the date the authors provide is contradicted by the date of publication listed for the journal as a whole (15 July–December, 2005). Sánchez-Hernández (2006) pointed to ICZN
International Code of Zoological Nomenclature
The International Code of Zoological Nomenclature is a widely accepted convention in zoology that rules the formal scientific naming of organisms treated as animals...
articles 21 and 23, which she claimed the publication date of Barco et al. (2005) is technically considered to be December 31, 2005. Therefore, Galveosaurus herreroi (Sánchez-Hernández 2005) is the valid name for this species.