Iuticosaurus

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Iuticosaurus
Temporal range: Early Cretaceous, 130–125  Ma
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Iuticosaurus.jpg
Lectotype caudal vertebra of I. valdensis
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Clade: Dinosauria
Clade: Saurischia
Clade: Sauropodomorpha
Clade: Sauropoda
Clade: Macronaria
Clade: Titanosauria
Genus: Iuticosaurus
le Loeuff e.a., 1993
Type species
Titanosaurus valdensis
(von Huene, 1929)
Species
  • I. lydekkeri(von Huene, 1929), nomen dubium
  • I. valdensis(von Huene, 1929)
Synonyms
  • Titanosaurus lydekkerivon Huene, 1929
  • Titanosaurus valdensisvon Huene, 1929

Iuticosaurus (meaning "Jute lizard") is a genus of titanosaur sauropod dinosaur from the Early Cretaceous of the Isle of Wight. [1] Two species have been named: I. valdensis and I. lydekkeri. [2] I. valdensis was found in the Wessex Formation and I. lydekkeri in the younger Upper Greensand.

Contents

History and taxonomy

In 1887 Richard Lydekker described two sauropod tail vertebrae found by William D. Fox near Brook Bay on Wight, BMNH R146a and BMNH 151, and referred them to the genus Ornithopsis , despite indicating their similarity to Titanosaurus (noting them once as Titanosaurus species A and Titanosaurus species B), [3] because the tail of Ornithopsis was unknown. [3] On reading the paper to the Geological Society of London, Lydekker was criticised by Harry Govier Seeley and John Hulke for his choice and in 1888 he referred to the fossils as Titanosaurus sp. a, Titanosaurus sp. b being a third vertebra, BMNH 32390. [4]

In 1929 Friedrich von Huene named both taxa as full species. The first became Titanosaurus Valdensis, the specific name referring to the Wealden, the second Titanosaurus Lydekkeri, its specific name honouring Lydekker. [5] By present convention both specific names would be spelled as T. valdensis and T. lydekkeri respectively.

In 1993 Jean le Loeuff redescribed the material and named a separate genus: Iuticosaurus, the generic name referring to the Jutes who settled the island in the fifth century and established a Jute dynasty in the sixth century. Le Loeuff made Iuticosaurus valdensis the type species, and chose BMNH 151 as the lectotype. Another vertebra, BMNH R 1886, was referred by him to this species. The second species, though formally named by him as Iuticosaurus lydekkeri, he considered a nomen dubium . [2]

Description

Iuticosaurus was probably similar to Titanosaurus . It measured 15 to 20 metres (49–65 feet) long. [2]

Classification

Most researchers have concluded that both species of Iuticosaurus cannot be distinguished from other titanosaurs and are therefore nomina dubia .[ citation needed ] It was, however, probably a titanosaur. [6]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Titanosauria</span> Extinct clade of dinosaurs

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The Isle of Wight is one of the richest dinosaur localities in Europe, with over 20 species of dinosaur having been recognised from the early Cretaceous Period, some of which were first identified on the island, as well as the contemporary non-dinosaurian species of crocodile, turtle and pterosaur.

<i>Titanosaurus</i> Extinct genus of dinosaurs

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<i>Oplosaurus</i> Extinct genus of dinosaurs

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<i>Ornithopsis</i> Extinct genus of dinosaurs

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<i>Macrurosaurus</i> Extinct genus of dinosaurs

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References

  1. Iuticosaurus on DinoWight
  2. 1 2 3 Le Loeuff, J. (1993). European titanosaurids. Revue de Paléobiologie, Volume Spéciale 7:105-117.
  3. 1 2 Lydekker, R., 1887, "On certain dinosaurian vertebrae from the Cretaceous of India and the Isle of Wight", Quarterly Journal of the Geological Society of London43: 157–160
  4. Lydekker, R., 1888, Catalogue of fossil reptilia and Amphibia in the British Museum. Pt. I. Containing the orders Ornithosauria, Crocodilia, Dinosauria, Squamata, Rhynchocephalia, and Proterosauria, British Museum of Natural History, London, 309 pp
  5. Huene, F. v. 1929, "Los saurisquios y ornitisquios del Cretáceo Argentino", Anales del Museo de La Plata (series 3)3: 1–196
  6. Poropat, S.F.; Frauenfelder, T.G.; Mannion, P.D.; Rigby, S.L.; Pentland, A.H.; Sloan, T.; Elliott, D.A. (2022). "Sauropod dinosaur teeth from the lower Upper Cretaceous Winton Formation of Queensland, Australia and the global record of early titanosauriforms". Royal Society Open Science. 9 (7): 220381. Bibcode:2022RSOS....920381P. doi: 10.1098/rsos.220381 . PMC   9277269 . PMID   35845848.