Gigantosaurus
Encyclopedia
Gigantosaurus is a poorly known sauropod dinosaur
genus
from England
. The type species
, Gigantosaurus megalonyx, was named and described by Harry Govier Seeley in 1869. Its type, BMNH 32498-99, consists of several separately discovered sauropod bones found near Stretham
, among which two casts of the "large claw" the specific name, derived from Greek
megalos and onyx, refers to. Other remains included a cervical
vertebra, two caudal vertebrae, the distal end of a tibia, a fibula and a osteoderm
. It was synonymised to Ornithopsis
humerocristatus by Richard Lydekker
in 1888 and to Pelorosaurus
by Friedrich von Huene
in 1909. Today it is considered a nomen dubium
.
Because of these references Eberhard Fraas
, in 1908, incorrectly assumed the name was available for other species and he used it, despite it being preoccupied, for African material, totally unrelated to the British finds. As a result the name Gigantosaurus factored into the convoluted taxonomic history of the African dinosaurs Barosaurus
, Tornieria
, and Janenschia
. A discussion of this can be found in the main Tornieria
article.
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...
genus
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...
from England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. 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...
, Gigantosaurus megalonyx, was named and described by Harry Govier Seeley in 1869. Its type, BMNH 32498-99, consists of several separately discovered sauropod bones found near Stretham
Stretham
Stretham is a small village and civil parish south-south-west of Ely in Cambridgeshire, England, about by road from London. Its main attraction is Stretham Old Engine, a steam-powered pump used to drain the fens. The pump is still in use today although converted to electric power. It has open...
, among which two casts of the "large claw" the specific name, derived 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...
megalos and onyx, refers to. Other remains included a cervical
Cervical
In anatomy, cervical is an adjective that has two meanings:# of or pertaining to any neck.# of or pertaining to the female cervix: i.e., the neck of the uterus.*Commonly used medical phrases involving the neck are**cervical collar...
vertebra, two caudal vertebrae, the distal end of a tibia, a fibula and a osteoderm
Osteoderm
Osteoderms are bony deposits forming scales, plates or other structures in the dermal layers of the skin. Osteoderms are found in many groups of extant and extinct reptiles, including lizards, various groups of dinosaurs , crocodilians, phytosaurs, aetosaurs, placodonts, and hupehsuchians...
. It was synonymised to Ornithopsis
Ornithopsis
Ornithopsis was a medium-sized Early Cretaceous sauropod dinosaur, from England. It has been considered a synonym of the wastebasket taxon Pelorosaurus, but recent research suggests that this is not as clear-cut as supposed...
humerocristatus by Richard Lydekker
Richard Lydekker
Richard Lydekker was an English naturalist, geologist and writer of numerous books on natural history.-Biography:...
in 1888 and to Pelorosaurus
Pelorosaurus
Pelorosaurus was a huge plant-eating dinosaur. Pelorosaurus was one of the first sauropod dinosaurs ever discovered. Pelorosaurus lived during the Early Cretaceous period, about 138-112 million years ago. Fossils referred to Pelorosaurus have been found in England and Portugal...
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 1909. Today it is considered a nomen dubium
Nomen dubium
In zoological nomenclature, a nomen dubium is a scientific name that is of unknown or doubtful application...
.
Because of these references Eberhard Fraas
Eberhard Fraas
Eberhard Fraas was a German geologist and paleontologist. He worked as a curator at the Stuttgarter Naturaliensammlung and discovered the dinosaurs of the Tendaguru formation in then German East Africa ....
, in 1908, incorrectly assumed the name was available for other species and he used it, despite it being preoccupied, for African material, totally unrelated to the British finds. As a result the name Gigantosaurus factored into the convoluted taxonomic history of the African dinosaurs Barosaurus
Barosaurus
Barosaurus ; Greek barys/βαρυς meaning 'heavy' and saurus/σαυρος meaning 'lizard', 'heavy lizard') was a giant, long-tailed, long-necked, plant-eating dinosaur closely related to the more familiar Diplodocus...
, Tornieria
Tornieria
Tornieria is a genus of diplodocid sauropod dinosaur from Late Jurassic of Tanzania. It has a convoluted taxonomic history.-Discovery and naming:...
, and Janenschia
Janenschia
Janenschia was a large sauropod from Late Jurassic Africa , and therefore the earliest known titanosaur. Originally thought to be a species of the diplodocid Tornieria/Barosaurus , it was later found to be a distantly related titanosaur. So far, it is only known from Tanzania...
. A discussion of this can be found in the main Tornieria
Tornieria
Tornieria is a genus of diplodocid sauropod dinosaur from Late Jurassic of Tanzania. It has a convoluted taxonomic history.-Discovery and naming:...
article.