Ornithopsis
Encyclopedia
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. While Pelorosaurus is synonymous with several species of Ornithopsis, other genera are also considered synonyms, and the type species
is since the nineties often seen as valid.
The type species, Ornithopsis hulkei, was named and described by Harry Govier Seeley in 1870. The type consisted of two dorsal vertebrae: BMNH R2239 found in East Sussex
and BMNH R28632 found on Wight
in the Wessex Formation
dating from the Barremian
. The genus name is derived from Greek ὄρνις (ornis), "bird", en ὄψις (opsis), "face" or "likeness", a reference to the fact that Seeley considered the animal to be an intermediate form bridging the gap between pterosaurs, birds and dinosaurs. The specific name honours John Whitaker Hulke.
Seeley's creation of the genus was, however, not accepted by Richard Owen
, who rejected the evolutionary interpretation of the material. Disregarding priority, he therefore in 1875 split it, naming the one vertebra, BMNH R2239, that he had in 1841 described as the quadrate of Iguanodon
, Bothriospondylus
magnus, the other, BMNH R28632, Bothriospondylus elongatus.
As a result of the split both vertebrae now went their separate nomenclatural way. BMNH R2239 was in 1876 by Owen made the type of Chondrosteosaurus
magnus; was in 1889 by Richard Lydekker
included in Pelorosaurus
hulkei, in 1893 referred by him to Oplosaurus
(spelled as "Hoplosaurus") and was in 2005 referred by Sebastian Apesteguía to Eucamerotus
.
BMNH R28632 was in 1882 by Hulke referred to Ornithopsis eucamerotus. However, in 1995 William Blows made it the lectotype
of Ornithopis hulkei. This invalidated Pelorosaurus hulkei, apart from the fact that Blows considered any identity with Pelorosaurus impossible to prove as its holotype
consists of a humerus. Blows also excluded BMNH R2239 from Ornithopsis as being of a clearly different type.
In 1882 Hulke named a Ornithopsis eucamerotus based on BMNH R97, a set of pelvis bones found by William D. Fox. Blows in 1995 removed O. eucamerotus from Ornithopisis, classifying it as Brachiosauridae
incertae sedis
.
In 1887 a third species nova was created for Ornithopsis when Hulke named Ornithopsis leedsii based on BMNH R1984-1988, partial remains of a pelvis found by Alfred Nicholson Leeds near Petersborough. This species would be renamed Cetiosaurus
leedsi and later Cetiosauriscus
leedsii, both today seen as incorrect identifications.
It also happened that already existing species were renamed into species of Ornithopsis. In 1888 Lydekker renamed "Ischyrosaurus
" manseli Hulke 1874 (BMNH 41626) into a Ornithopsis manseli and Cetiosaurus humerocristatus Hulke 1874 (BMNH 44635) into a Ornithopsis humerocristatus. Friedrich von Huene
in 1922 renamed Bothriospondylus suffossus into a Ornithopsis suffossa and Cetiosaurus greppini into a Ornithopsis greppini. In 1929 he renamed Pelorosaurus conybearei into Ornithopsis conybeari, which however violates the priority of the earlier named Pelorosaurus. All these names are today considered nomina vana, failed new names, or incorrect identifications.
Other remains have been referred to Ornithopsis hulkei; today this is only the case for the badly eroded type specimen, of which basically only the centrum remains lacking the neural spine. The vertebra is heavily pneumatised, filled with large cavities, camellae. It is narrow, tall, has a ridge on the underside, is opisthocoelous and has a posteriorly placed deep subtriangular pleurocoel over two thirds of its length. These features are compatible with a placement within the Titanosauriformes, perhaps more precisely the Brachiosauridae
.
. This revision is after Upchurch et al. (2004). As a matter of reference, other species misassigned to Ornithopsis have been identified with their respective original or new genera.
Early Cretaceous
The Early Cretaceous or the Lower Cretaceous , is the earlier or lower of the two major divisions of the Cretaceous...
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 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...
. It has been considered a synonym of the wastebasket taxon 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...
, but recent research suggests that this is not as clear-cut as supposed. While Pelorosaurus is synonymous with several species of Ornithopsis, other genera are also considered synonyms, and 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...
is since the nineties often seen as valid.
The type species, Ornithopsis hulkei, was named and described by Harry Govier Seeley in 1870. The type consisted of two dorsal vertebrae: BMNH R2239 found in East Sussex
East Sussex
East Sussex is a county in South East England. It is bordered by the counties of Kent, Surrey and West Sussex, and to the south by the English Channel.-History:...
and BMNH R28632 found on Wight
Wight
Wight is a Middle English word, from Old English wiht, and used to describe a creature or living sentient being. It is akin to Old High German wiht, meaning a creature or thing.In its original usage the word wight described a living human being...
in the Wessex Formation
Wessex Formation
The Wessex Formation is an English fossil site and geological formation that dates to the Barremian stage of the Early Cretaceous. It is part of the Wealden Group and underlies the younger Vectis Formation.-Invertebrates:...
dating from the Barremian
Barremian
The Barremian is an age in the geologic timescale between 130.0 ± 1.5 Ma and 125.0 ± 1.0 Ma). It is a subdivision of the Early Cretaceous epoch...
. The genus name is derived from Greek ὄρνις (ornis), "bird", en ὄψις (opsis), "face" or "likeness", a reference to the fact that Seeley considered the animal to be an intermediate form bridging the gap between pterosaurs, birds and dinosaurs. The specific name honours John Whitaker Hulke.
Seeley's creation of the genus was, however, not accepted by Richard Owen
Richard Owen
Sir Richard Owen, FRS KCB was an English biologist, comparative anatomist and palaeontologist.Owen is probably best remembered today for coining the word Dinosauria and for his outspoken opposition to Charles Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection...
, who rejected the evolutionary interpretation of the material. Disregarding priority, he therefore in 1875 split it, naming the one vertebra, BMNH R2239, that he had in 1841 described as the quadrate of Iguanodon
Iguanodon
Iguanodon is a genus of ornithopod dinosaur that lived roughly halfway between the first of the swift bipedal hypsilophodontids and the ornithopods' culmination in the duck-billed dinosaurs...
, Bothriospondylus
Bothriospondylus
Bothriospondylus is an dubious genus of sauropod dinosaur. It lived during the Late Jurassic.The type species, Bothriospondylus suffossus, was described by Richard Owen in 1875. The specific epithet suffossus means "undermined" in Latin, a reference to the fact that pleurocoels had hollowed out...
magnus, the other, BMNH R28632, Bothriospondylus elongatus.
As a result of the split both vertebrae now went their separate nomenclatural way. BMNH R2239 was in 1876 by Owen made the type of Chondrosteosaurus
Chondrosteosaurus
Chondrosteosaurus was a sauropod from Early Cretaceous England.The type species, Chondrosteosaurus gigas, was described and named by Richard Owen in 1876. The fossils of Chondrosteosaurus were discovered in the Wessex Formation on the Isle of Wight. C...
magnus; was in 1889 by Richard Lydekker
Richard Lydekker
Richard Lydekker was an English naturalist, geologist and writer of numerous books on natural history.-Biography:...
included in 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...
hulkei, in 1893 referred by him to Oplosaurus
Oplosaurus
Oplosaurus was a genus of sauropod dinosaur from the Barremian-age Lower Cretaceous Wessex Formation of the Isle of Wight, England...
(spelled as "Hoplosaurus") and was in 2005 referred by Sebastian Apesteguía to Eucamerotus
Eucamerotus
Eucamerotus was a genus of sauropod dinosaur from the Barremian-age Lower Cretaceous Wessex Formation of the Isle of Wight, England. It is known from vertebral remains, and a partial skeleton has been referred, although this has not been accepted...
.
BMNH R28632 was in 1882 by Hulke referred to Ornithopsis eucamerotus. However, in 1995 William Blows made it the lectotype
Lectotype
In botanical nomenclature and zoological nomenclature, a lectotype is a kind of name-bearing type. When a species was originally described on the basis of a name-bearing type consisting of multiple specimens, one of those may be designated as the lectotype...
of Ornithopis hulkei. This invalidated Pelorosaurus hulkei, apart from the fact that Blows considered any identity with Pelorosaurus impossible to prove as its holotype
Holotype
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...
consists of a humerus. Blows also excluded BMNH R2239 from Ornithopsis as being of a clearly different type.
In 1882 Hulke named a Ornithopsis eucamerotus based on BMNH R97, a set of pelvis bones found by William D. Fox. Blows in 1995 removed O. eucamerotus from Ornithopisis, classifying it as Brachiosauridae
Brachiosauridae
Brachiosauridae are a family of dinosaurs, whose members are known as brachiosaurids. They were herbivorous quadrupeds with longer forelegs than hind legs - the name derives from the Greek for arm lizard - and long necks...
incertae sedis
Incertae sedis
, is a term used to define a taxonomic group where its broader relationships are unknown or undefined. Uncertainty at specific taxonomic levels is attributed by , , and similar terms.-Examples:*The fossil plant Paradinandra suecica could not be assigned to any...
.
In 1887 a third species nova was created for Ornithopsis when Hulke named Ornithopsis leedsii based on BMNH R1984-1988, partial remains of a pelvis found by Alfred Nicholson Leeds near Petersborough. This species would be renamed Cetiosaurus
Cetiosaurus
Cetiosaurus meaning 'whale lizard', from the Greek cetus/κητος meaning 'sea monster' and saurus/σαυρος meaning 'lizard', was a sauropod dinosaur from the Mid to Late Jurassic Period in what are now Europe and Africa. It is estimated to have been about long and to have weighed roughly...
leedsi and later Cetiosauriscus
Cetiosauriscus
Cetiosauriscus is a genus of sauropod dinosaur. It was perhaps a diplodocid, a close relative of Diplodocus, and lived in the Callovian of England Cetiosauriscus (meaning "whale-lizard-like" i.e. "Cetiosaurus-like") is a genus of sauropod dinosaur. It was perhaps a diplodocid, a close relative of...
leedsii, both today seen as incorrect identifications.
It also happened that already existing species were renamed into species of Ornithopsis. In 1888 Lydekker renamed "Ischyrosaurus
Ischyrosaurus
"Ischyrosaurus" was a genus of sauropod dinosaur from the Kimmeridgian-age Upper Jurassic Kimmeridge Clay of Dorset, Cambridgeshire, England...
" manseli Hulke 1874 (BMNH 41626) into a Ornithopsis manseli and Cetiosaurus humerocristatus Hulke 1874 (BMNH 44635) into a Ornithopsis humerocristatus. 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 1922 renamed Bothriospondylus suffossus into a Ornithopsis suffossa and Cetiosaurus greppini into a Ornithopsis greppini. In 1929 he renamed Pelorosaurus conybearei into Ornithopsis conybeari, which however violates the priority of the earlier named Pelorosaurus. All these names are today considered nomina vana, failed new names, or incorrect identifications.
Other remains have been referred to Ornithopsis hulkei; today this is only the case for the badly eroded type specimen, of which basically only the centrum remains lacking the neural spine. The vertebra is heavily pneumatised, filled with large cavities, camellae. It is narrow, tall, has a ridge on the underside, is opisthocoelous and has a posteriorly placed deep subtriangular pleurocoel over two thirds of its length. These features are compatible with a placement within the Titanosauriformes, perhaps more precisely the Brachiosauridae
Brachiosauridae
Brachiosauridae are a family of dinosaurs, whose members are known as brachiosaurids. They were herbivorous quadrupeds with longer forelegs than hind legs - the name derives from the Greek for arm lizard - and long necks...
.
Species
Ornithopsis is currently restricted to the type species, O. hulkei and the possible second species, O. leedsi, being a nomen dubium and safely referable to Titanosauriformes incertae sedisIncertae sedis
, is a term used to define a taxonomic group where its broader relationships are unknown or undefined. Uncertainty at specific taxonomic levels is attributed by , , and similar terms.-Examples:*The fossil plant Paradinandra suecica could not be assigned to any...
. This revision is after Upchurch et al. (2004). As a matter of reference, other species misassigned to Ornithopsis have been identified with their respective original or new genera.
- O. hulkei Seeley 1870 (type) - nomen dubiumNomen dubiumIn zoological nomenclature, a nomen dubium is a scientific name that is of unknown or doubtful application...
? = PelorosaurusPelorosaurusPelorosaurus 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...
hulkei (Seeley 1870) Lydekker 1889 partim - BothriospondylusBothriospondylusBothriospondylus is an dubious genus of sauropod dinosaur. It lived during the Late Jurassic.The type species, Bothriospondylus suffossus, was described by Richard Owen in 1875. The specific epithet suffossus means "undermined" in Latin, a reference to the fact that pleurocoels had hollowed out...
magnus Owen 1875 = Ornithopsis hulkei Seeley 1870 olim partim = ChondrosteosaurusChondrosteosaurusChondrosteosaurus was a sauropod from Early Cretaceous England.The type species, Chondrosteosaurus gigas, was described and named by Richard Owen in 1876. The fossils of Chondrosteosaurus were discovered in the Wessex Formation on the Isle of Wight. C...
magnus (Owen 1875) Owen 1876 = PelorosaurusPelorosaurusPelorosaurus 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...
hulkei (Seeley 1870) Lydekker 1889 partim - O. eucamerotus Hulke 1882 - nomen dubium - may require its own genus within the BrachiosauridaeBrachiosauridaeBrachiosauridae are a family of dinosaurs, whose members are known as brachiosaurids. They were herbivorous quadrupeds with longer forelegs than hind legs - the name derives from the Greek for arm lizard - and long necks...
- O. leedsii Hulke 1887 - may require its own genus within the BrachiosauridaeBrachiosauridaeBrachiosauridae are a family of dinosaurs, whose members are known as brachiosaurids. They were herbivorous quadrupeds with longer forelegs than hind legs - the name derives from the Greek for arm lizard - and long necks...
, = Cetiosaurus leedsi (Hulke 1887) Woodward 1905 = Cetiosauriscus leedsii (Hulke 1887) von Huene 1927 - O. humerocristatus (Hulke 1874) Lydekker 1888 - nomen dubium = PelorosaurusPelorosaurusPelorosaurus 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...
humerocristatus Hulke 1874 vide Lydekker 1888 - O. manseli (Hulke 1874) Lydekker 1888 - nomen dubium = IschyrosaurusIschyrosaurus"Ischyrosaurus" was a genus of sauropod dinosaur from the Kimmeridgian-age Upper Jurassic Kimmeridge Clay of Dorset, Cambridgeshire, England...
manseli Hulke 1874 vide Lydekker 1888 or PelorosaurusPelorosaurusPelorosaurus 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...
manseli - O. conybearei (Mantell 1850) von Huene 1929 - nomen dubium = PelorosaurusPelorosaurusPelorosaurus 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...
conybearei Mantell 1850 = "CetiosaurusCetiosaurusCetiosaurus meaning 'whale lizard', from the Greek cetus/κητος meaning 'sea monster' and saurus/σαυρος meaning 'lizard', was a sauropod dinosaur from the Mid to Late Jurassic Period in what are now Europe and Africa. It is estimated to have been about long and to have weighed roughly...
" conybeari Melville 1849 - O. suffossa (Owen 1875) von Huene 1922 = BothriospondylusBothriospondylusBothriospondylus is an dubious genus of sauropod dinosaur. It lived during the Late Jurassic.The type species, Bothriospondylus suffossus, was described by Richard Owen in 1875. The specific epithet suffossus means "undermined" in Latin, a reference to the fact that pleurocoels had hollowed out...
suffossus Owen 1875 - O. greppini von Huene 1922 = CetiosauriscusCetiosauriscusCetiosauriscus is a genus of sauropod dinosaur. It was perhaps a diplodocid, a close relative of Diplodocus, and lived in the Callovian of England Cetiosauriscus (meaning "whale-lizard-like" i.e. "Cetiosaurus-like") is a genus of sauropod dinosaur. It was perhaps a diplodocid, a close relative of...
greppini von Huene 1929 and IschyrosaurusIschyrosaurus"Ischyrosaurus" was a genus of sauropod dinosaur from the Kimmeridgian-age Upper Jurassic Kimmeridge Clay of Dorset, Cambridgeshire, England...
greppini