Arkansaurus
Encyclopedia
"Arkansaurus fridayi" is the informal name
of a dinosaur
that was discovered in Lockesburg, Arkansas
. "Arkansaurus fridayi" was a bipedal coelurosauria
n dinosaur, a group of theropods that includes the Tyrannosauridae
, Ornithomimidae, and Maniraptora
. Its nearest relative was thought to be Ornithomimus
, a bird or ostrich-like dinosaur. It is named for the state and its discoverer J. B. Friday, who found the dinosaur's fossilized foot on his farm in 1972. They are the only dinosaur fossil remains ever found in Arkansas http://users.aristotle.net/~russjohn/monsters/ms6.html.
. Dr. James H. Quinn, then a member of the University's Geology Department, prepared the bones and took them to the annual meeting of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology in Lincoln, Nebraska
. Once there, the bones were examined by experts from both the US and Europe. They were declared to be the remains of an Ornithomimus
, although if true, the bones would be the oldest remains ever found of this species.
Upon returning from the meeting, Dr. Quinn and Benjamin Clardy of the Arkansas Geological Commission went to the area on the Friday farm where the remains had been discovered, hoping to find more remains. The site was a pit that had been dug for road construction and the fossils had been taken from an Early Cretaceous
deposit within. Unfortunately, all the scientists were able to find was a toe bone. They speculated that the bones had either been scattered when they were buried or during the road construction. In all there were three metatarsals, three phalanges, three claws and two vertebrae found of the "Arkansaurus".
Three casts of the bones were made. These casts were given to the University of Arkansas, the Arkansas Geological Commission, and the Arkansas Museum of Science and Natural History
. The University cast is hanging in a classroom in Ozark Hall
. The Museum of Science and Natural History actually had a large statue of the dinosaur constructed to go along with their cast, and it was on display for many years when the museum was located at the Tower Building. The original bones currently reside at the University of Arkansas Museum Collections, now housed at the Arkansas Archaeological Survey in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
The most detailed description of the material is in a 2003 publication by ReBecca Hunt.
While there has been speculation of a hoax outside the field, the "Arkansaurus" material is known to be legitimate dinosaur fossils to researchers. In addition to ReBecca Hunt, Dan Chure (Dinosaur National Monument), J. McFarland (Arkansas Geological commission), and J. Kirkland (Utah State Paleontologist) have all examined the specimen. Kirkland considered it possibly a representative of Nedcolbertia
.
Nomen nudum
The phrase nomen nudum is a Latin term, meaning "naked name", used in taxonomy...
of a 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...
that was discovered in Lockesburg, Arkansas
Lockesburg, Arkansas
Lockesburg is a town in Sevier County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 711 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Lockesburg is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , all land....
. "Arkansaurus fridayi" was a bipedal coelurosauria
Coelurosauria
Coelurosauria is the clade containing all theropod dinosaurs more closely related to birds than to carnosaurs. In the past, it was used to refer to all small theropods, although this classification has been abolished...
n dinosaur, a group of theropods that includes the Tyrannosauridae
Tyrannosauridae
Tyrannosauridae is a family of coelurosaurian theropod dinosaurs which comprises two subfamilies containing up to six genera, including the eponymous Tyrannosaurus. The exact number of genera is controversial, with some experts recognizing as few as three...
, Ornithomimidae, and Maniraptora
Maniraptora
Maniraptora is a clade of coelurosaurian dinosaurs which includes the birds and the dinosaurs that were more closely related to them than to Ornithomimus velox. It contains the major subgroups Avialae, Deinonychosauria, Oviraptorosauria and Therizinosauria. Ornitholestes and the Alvarezsauroidea...
. Its nearest relative was thought to be Ornithomimus
Ornithomimus
Ornithomimus is a genus of ornithomimid dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous Period of what is now North America.In 1890 Ornithomimus velox was named by Othniel Charles Marsh on the basis of a foot and partial hand from the Maastrichtian Denver Formation. Another seventeen species have been named since...
, a bird or ostrich-like dinosaur. It is named for the state and its discoverer J. B. Friday, who found the dinosaur's fossilized foot on his farm in 1972. They are the only dinosaur fossil remains ever found in Arkansas http://users.aristotle.net/~russjohn/monsters/ms6.html.
History
Friday found the bones while searching for a cow on his property. He donated the bones to the University of ArkansasUniversity of Arkansas
The University of Arkansas is a public, co-educational, land-grant, space-grant, research university. It is classified by the Carnegie Foundation as a research university with very high research activity. It is the flagship campus of the University of Arkansas System and is located in...
. Dr. James H. Quinn, then a member of the University's Geology Department, prepared the bones and took them to the annual meeting of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology in Lincoln, Nebraska
Lincoln, Nebraska
The City of Lincoln is the capital and the second-most populous city of the US state of Nebraska. Lincoln is also the county seat of Lancaster County and the home of the University of Nebraska. Lincoln's 2010 Census population was 258,379....
. Once there, the bones were examined by experts from both the US and Europe. They were declared to be the remains of an Ornithomimus
Ornithomimus
Ornithomimus is a genus of ornithomimid dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous Period of what is now North America.In 1890 Ornithomimus velox was named by Othniel Charles Marsh on the basis of a foot and partial hand from the Maastrichtian Denver Formation. Another seventeen species have been named since...
, although if true, the bones would be the oldest remains ever found of this species.
Upon returning from the meeting, Dr. Quinn and Benjamin Clardy of the Arkansas Geological Commission went to the area on the Friday farm where the remains had been discovered, hoping to find more remains. The site was a pit that had been dug for road construction and the fossils had been taken from an Early Cretaceous
Early Cretaceous
The Early Cretaceous or the Lower Cretaceous , is the earlier or lower of the two major divisions of the Cretaceous...
deposit within. Unfortunately, all the scientists were able to find was a toe bone. They speculated that the bones had either been scattered when they were buried or during the road construction. In all there were three metatarsals, three phalanges, three claws and two vertebrae found of the "Arkansaurus".
Three casts of the bones were made. These casts were given to the University of Arkansas, the Arkansas Geological Commission, and the Arkansas Museum of Science and Natural History
Arkansas Museum of Discovery
The Museum of Discovery: Arkansas' Museum of Science & History, is located in downtown Little Rock, Arkansas. The museum is housed in a historic building in the River Market District on the Arkansas River...
. The University cast is hanging in a classroom in Ozark Hall
Ozark Hall
Ozark Hall at the University of Arkansas is a building on the University's campus in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1992.-History:...
. The Museum of Science and Natural History actually had a large statue of the dinosaur constructed to go along with their cast, and it was on display for many years when the museum was located at the Tower Building. The original bones currently reside at the University of Arkansas Museum Collections, now housed at the Arkansas Archaeological Survey in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
The most detailed description of the material is in a 2003 publication by ReBecca Hunt.
While there has been speculation of a hoax outside the field, the "Arkansaurus" material is known to be legitimate dinosaur fossils to researchers. In addition to ReBecca Hunt, Dan Chure (Dinosaur National Monument), J. McFarland (Arkansas Geological commission), and J. Kirkland (Utah State Paleontologist) have all examined the specimen. Kirkland considered it possibly a representative of Nedcolbertia
Nedcolbertia
Nedcolbertia is a genus of dinosaur from the Early Cretaceous Period. It was a coelurosaur which lived in North America during the Barremian. Kirkland, Britt, Madsen and Burge in 1995 reported its discovery in the basal Cedar Mountain Formation in Utah. The type species, N...
.