Inosaurus
Encyclopedia
Inosaurus is the name given to a dubious genus
of dinosaur
from the Early Cretaceous
. Only partial fossils have ever been found.
The type
(and only known) species is Inosaurus tedreftensis, described by Albert-Félix de Lapparent
in 1960. The specific name is derived from the location of the site, In Tedreft. De Lapparent based the species on a set of remains found in a single location, a number of vertebrae and the top end of a left tibia. They were discovered in a stratum of the Irhazen Group, Berriasian
-Barremian
. He also indicated four other specimens, all vertebrae found in Niger in the Tegema Group, early Albian
, as paratype
s. All the specimens are part of the collection of the Muséum national d'histoire naturelle
in Paris
. Apart from these De Lapparent referred three vertebrae described by Ernst Stromer
from Egypt
to Inosaurus.
All vertebrae share the same morphology
. Despite being from a small animal they are robustly built and very high with enlarged chevron facets and a median groove on the underside.
Inosaurus is today considered a nomen dubium
because of the fragmentary nature of the fossils discovered, and because the fossils were recovered from three different locations, leading to worries that this dinosaur is a chimera, based on multiple, perhaps not even closely related, species.
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 Early 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...
. Only partial fossils have ever been found.
The type
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...
(and only known) species is Inosaurus tedreftensis, described by Albert-Félix de Lapparent
Albert-Félix de Lapparent
Albert-Félix de Lapparent was a French palaeontologist. He was also a Sulpician priest. He undertook a number of fossil-hunting explorations in the Sahara desert. He contributed greatly to our knowledge of dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures...
in 1960. The specific name is derived from the location of the site, In Tedreft. De Lapparent based the species on a set of remains found in a single location, a number of vertebrae and the top end of a left tibia. They were discovered in a stratum of the Irhazen Group, Berriasian
Berriasian
In the geological timescale, the Berriasian is an age or stage of the Early or Lower Creteceous. It is the oldest or lowest subdivision in the entire Cretaceous. It spanned between 145.5 ± 4.0 Ma and 140.2 ± 3.0 Ma...
-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...
. He also indicated four other specimens, all vertebrae found in Niger in the Tegema Group, early Albian
Albian
The Albian is both an age of the geologic timescale and a stage in the stratigraphic column. It is the youngest or uppermost subdivision of the Early/Lower Cretaceous epoch/series. Its approximate time range is 112.0 ± 1.0 Ma to 99.6 ± 0.9 Ma...
, as paratype
Paratype
Paratype is a technical term used in the scientific naming of species and other taxa of organisms. The exact meaning of the term paratype when it is used in zoology is not the same as the meaning when it is used in botany...
s. All the specimens are part of the collection of the Muséum national d'histoire naturelle
Muséum national d'histoire naturelle
The Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle is the National Museum of Natural History in Paris, France.- History :The museum was formally founded on 10 June 1793, during the French Revolution...
in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. Apart from these De Lapparent referred three vertebrae described by Ernst Stromer
Ernst Stromer
Ernst Freiherr Stromer von Reichenbach was a German paleontologist.He described the following Cretaceous dinosaurs from Egypt: Aegyptosaurus, Bahariasaurus, Carcharodontosaurus, and the largest known theropod, Spinosaurus aegyptiacus...
from Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
to Inosaurus.
All vertebrae share the same morphology
Morphology (biology)
In biology, morphology is a branch of bioscience dealing with the study of the form and structure of organisms and their specific structural features....
. Despite being from a small animal they are robustly built and very high with enlarged chevron facets and a median groove on the underside.
Inosaurus is today 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 the fragmentary nature of the fossils discovered, and because the fossils were recovered from three different locations, leading to worries that this dinosaur is a chimera, based on multiple, perhaps not even closely related, species.