Dryptosauroides
Encyclopedia
Dryptosauroides is the name given to a genus
of dinosaur
from the Late Cretaceous
. It was a large theropod possibly belonging to the Abelisauridae
.
Its fossil
s, consisting of six caudal vertebrae, together forming type specimens GSI IM K20/334, 609, K27/549, 601, 602 and 626, were found in India
in the Lameta Formation
of the Maastrichtian
. The vertebrae, originally falsely identified as dorsals, are thirteen to fourteen centimetres long. These remains are today commonly considered to be indistinguishable from those of other theropods from the same formation. As a result, Dryptosauroides is seen as a nomen dubium
.
The type species
, Dryptosauroides grandis, was named by Friedrich von Huene
in 1932 and described by von Huene and Charles Alfred Matley
in 1933. The specific name means "large" in Latin
.
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 Cretaceous
Cretaceous
The Cretaceous , derived from the Latin "creta" , usually abbreviated K for its German translation Kreide , is a geologic period and system from circa to million years ago. In the geologic timescale, the Cretaceous follows the Jurassic period and is followed by the Paleogene period of the...
. It was a large theropod possibly belonging to the Abelisauridae
Abelisauridae
Abelisauridae is a family of ceratosaurian theropod dinosaurs. Abelisaurids thrived during the Cretaceous Period, on the ancient southern supercontinent of Gondwana, and today their fossil remains are found on the modern continents of Africa and South America, as well as on the Indian...
.
Its fossil
Fossil
Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of animals , plants, and other organisms from the remote past...
s, consisting of six caudal vertebrae, together forming type specimens GSI IM K20/334, 609, K27/549, 601, 602 and 626, were found in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
in the Lameta Formation
Lameta Formation
The Lameta Formation is a sedimentary rock formation found in Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, and Maharashtra, India. It is of Maastrichtian age , and is notable for its dinosaur fossils...
of the Maastrichtian
Maastrichtian
The Maastrichtian is, in the ICS' geologic timescale, the latest age or upper stage of the Late Cretaceous epoch or Upper Cretaceous series, the Cretaceous period or system, and of the Mesozoic era or erathem. It spanned from 70.6 ± 0.6 Ma to 65.5 ± 0.3 Ma...
. The vertebrae, originally falsely identified as dorsals, are thirteen to fourteen centimetres long. These remains are today commonly considered to be indistinguishable from those of other theropods from the same formation. As a result, Dryptosauroides is seen as a nomen dubium
Nomen dubium
In zoological nomenclature, a nomen dubium is a scientific name that is of unknown or doubtful application...
.
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...
, Dryptosauroides grandis, was named 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 1932 and described by von Huene and Charles Alfred Matley
Charles Alfred Matley
Charles Alfred Matley was a British paleontologist and geologist in India, the British West Indies and Wales.He married Sarah A. Loach in Birmingham in 1891....
in 1933. The specific name means "large" in Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
.