Palaeosauriscus is a name that has been given to several different genera

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 reptile

Reptile

Reptiles are members of a class of air-breathing, ectothermic vertebrates which are characterized by laying shelled eggs , and having skin covered in scales and/or scutes. They are tetrapods, either having four limbs or being descended from four-limbed ancestors...

s between 1843 and 1959.

Palaeosauriscus fraserianus, described by Edward Drinker Cope

Edward Drinker Cope

Edward Drinker Cope was an American paleontologist and comparative anatomist, as well as a noted herpetologist and ichthyologist. Born to a wealthy Quaker family, Cope distinguished himself as a child prodigy interested in science; he published his first scientific paper at the age of nineteen...

 in 1878, is a nomen dubium

Nomen dubium

In zoological nomenclature, a nomen dubium is a scientific name that is of unknown or doubtful application...

included with Anchisaurus

Anchisaurus

Anchisaurus is a genus of basal sauropodomorph, and was an early herbivorous dinosaur. Until recently it was classed as a member of Prosauropoda. The name comes from the Greek αγχι/agkhi...

 polyzelus. P. diagnosticus (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:...

, 1932/Kuhn, 1959) is a juvenile Sellosaurus. "P. sternbergii" (Fitzinger, 1843) is a nomen nudum

Nomen nudum

The phrase nomen nudum is a Latin term, meaning "naked name", used in taxonomy...

probably synonymous with Palaeosaurus

Palaeosaurus

Several very different genera of prehistoric animals have been named Palaeosaurus or Paleosaurus since the 1830s. Further confusing the matter, all of the species are poorly known or poorly preserved and both spellings have been used interchangeably, even by the same authors.The repeated recurrence...

 sternbergii. It is probably crocodilian

Crocodile

A crocodile is any species belonging to the family Crocodylidae . The term can also be used more loosely to include all extant members of the order Crocodilia: i.e...

.

None of these species are considered valid today, as all the material has been assigned to other genera, leaving Palaeosauriscus an invalid genus.

External links

• Palaeosauriscus in the Dinosaur Encyclopedia at DinoRuss's Site
• The Bristol Dinosaur Project