Samrukia
Encyclopedia
"Samrukia" is an as-of-yet unpublished name (a nomen nudum
, hence not in italics) for a genus of large Cretaceous
archosaurs known only from a single lower jaw discovered in Kazakhstan
. The holotype
and only known specimen was collected from the Santonian
-Campanian
age Bostobynskaya Formation in Kyzylorda District. It is to be described by Darren Naish
, Gareth Dyke, Andrea Cau, François Escuillié and Pascal Godefroit, and the type species
is to be named "Samrukia nessovi". The species is named after Lev Nessov, a paleontologist, and the genus is named after Samruk, a magical bird of Kazakh folklore.
n theropod dinosaur. An initial cladistic analysis by Naish et al. found "Samrukia nessovi" instead to be a basal member of the bird lineage Ornithuromorpha. They interpreted "Samrukia" as a very large bird (the jawbone is twice as long as that of an ostrich
), but noted that it is not known whether "Samrukia" would have been able to fly (in which case they would have had wingspans of roughly 4 m (13.1 ft)) or not (in which case they would have been around 2 – tall).
A subsequent analysis published by Eric Buffetaut in 2011 challenged the interpretation of "Samrukia nessovi" as a bird. Buffetaut challenged the identification of certain "avian" characteristics identified by Naish et al., claiming that none were definitely avian and that many were in fact well-known among pterosaur
s. He noted that all purported autapomorphies of "Samrukia", the unique traits used to set it apart from other birds, are shared with pterosaurs. He also criticized the earlier cladistic analysis for not including pterosaurs, but only birds and other theropod dinosaurs. Buffetaut stated that the species is "clearly a large pterosaur, not a giant bird."
Nomen nudum
The phrase nomen nudum is a Latin term, meaning "naked name", used in taxonomy...
, hence not in italics) for a genus of large 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...
archosaurs known only from a single lower jaw discovered in Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan , officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country in Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Ranked as the ninth largest country in the world, it is also the world's largest landlocked country; its territory of is greater than Western Europe...
. The 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...
and only known specimen was collected from the Santonian
Santonian
The Santonian is an age in the geologic timescale or a chronostratigraphic stage. It is a subdivision of the Late Cretaceous epoch or Upper Cretaceous series. It spans the time between 85.8 ± 0.7 mya and 83.5 ± 0.7 mya...
-Campanian
Campanian
The Campanian is, in the ICS' geologic timescale, the fifth of six ages of the Late Cretaceous epoch . The Campanian spans the time from 83.5 ± 0.7 Ma to 70.6 ± 0.6 Ma ...
age Bostobynskaya Formation in Kyzylorda District. It is to be described by Darren Naish
Darren Naish
Darren Naish is a vertebrate palaeontologist and science writer. He obtained a geology degree at the University of Southampton and later studied vertebrate palaeontology under British palaeontologist David Martill at the University of Portsmouth, where he obtained both an M. Phil...
, Gareth Dyke, Andrea Cau, François Escuillié and Pascal Godefroit, 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 to be named "Samrukia nessovi". The species is named after Lev Nessov, a paleontologist, and the genus is named after Samruk, a magical bird of Kazakh folklore.
Classification
The type specimen of "Samrukia" was at first believed to belong to an oviraptorosauriaOviraptorosauria
Oviraptorosaurs are a group of feathered maniraptoran dinosaurs from the Cretaceous Period of what are now Asia and North America. They are distinct for their characteristically short, beaked, parrot - like skulls, with or without bony crests atop the head...
n theropod dinosaur. An initial cladistic analysis by Naish et al. found "Samrukia nessovi" instead to be a basal member of the bird lineage Ornithuromorpha. They interpreted "Samrukia" as a very large bird (the jawbone is twice as long as that of an ostrich
Ostrich
The Ostrich is one or two species of large flightless birds native to Africa, the only living member of the genus Struthio. Some analyses indicate that the Somali Ostrich may be better considered a full species apart from the Common Ostrich, but most taxonomists consider it to be a...
), but noted that it is not known whether "Samrukia" would have been able to fly (in which case they would have had wingspans of roughly 4 m (13.1 ft)) or not (in which case they would have been around 2 – tall).
A subsequent analysis published by Eric Buffetaut in 2011 challenged the interpretation of "Samrukia nessovi" as a bird. Buffetaut challenged the identification of certain "avian" characteristics identified by Naish et al., claiming that none were definitely avian and that many were in fact well-known among pterosaur
Pterosaur
Pterosaurs were flying reptiles of the clade or order Pterosauria. They existed from the late Triassic to the end of the Cretaceous Period . Pterosaurs are the earliest vertebrates known to have evolved powered flight...
s. He noted that all purported autapomorphies of "Samrukia", the unique traits used to set it apart from other birds, are shared with pterosaurs. He also criticized the earlier cladistic analysis for not including pterosaurs, but only birds and other theropod dinosaurs. Buffetaut stated that the species is "clearly a large pterosaur, not a giant bird."