Iuticosaurus is the name given to a genus 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...

 of the Isle of Wight

Isle of Wight

The Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent...

. Iuticosaurus was a sauropod, specifically a titanosaur

Titanosaur

Titanosaurs were a diverse group of sauropod dinosaurs, which included Saltasaurus and Isisaurus. It includes some of the heaviest creatures ever to walk the earth, such as Argentinosaurus and Paralititan — which some believe have weighed up to 100 tonnes...

.

In 1887 Richard Lydekker

Richard Lydekker

Richard Lydekker was an English naturalist, geologist and writer of numerous books on natural history.-Biography:...

 described two sauropod tail vertebrae found by William D. Fox near Brook

Brook, Isle of Wight

-Background:It is situated on the south west coast of the Island between Brighstone and Freshwater, and borders a section of rugged coastline , the Back of the Wight, facing into the English Channel and towards the famous Needles and west Wight cliffs....

 Bay on Wight, BMNH R146a en BMNH 151, and referred them to the genus Ornithopsis

Ornithopsis

Ornithopsis was a medium-sized Early Cretaceous sauropod dinosaur, from England. It has been considered a synonym of the wastebasket taxon Pelorosaurus, but recent research suggests that this is not as clear-cut as supposed...

, despite indicating their similarity to Titanosaurus

Titanosaurus

Titanosaurus is a genus of sauropod dinosaur, first described by Lydekker in 1877. It is known from the Maastrichtian Lameta Formation of India...

, because the tail of Ornithopsis was unknown. On reading the paper to the Geological Society of London

Geological Society of London

The Geological Society of London is a learned society based in the United Kingdom with the aim of "investigating the mineral structure of the Earth"...

, Lydekker was criticised by Harry Govier Seeley and John Hulke

John Hulke

John Whitaker Hulke FRCS FRS FGS was a British surgeon, geologist and fossil collector. He was the son of a physician in Deal, who became a Huxleyite despite being deeply religious....

 for his choice and in 1888 he referred to the fossils as Titanosaurus sp. a, Titanosaurus sp. b being a third vertebra, BMNH 32390.

In 1929 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:...

 named both taxa as full species. The first became Titanosaurus Valdensis, the specific name referring to the Wealden

Wealden

For the stone, see Wealden GroupWealden is a local government district in East Sussex, England: its name comes from the Weald, the area of high land which occupies the centre of its area.-History:...

, the second Titanosaurus Lydekkeri, its specific name honouring Lydekker. 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

Jutes

The Jutes, Iuti, or Iutæ were a Germanic people who, according to Bede, were one of the three most powerful Germanic peoples of their time, the other two being the Saxons and the Angles...

 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

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 chose BMNH 151 as the lectotype

Lectotype

In botanical nomenclature and zoological nomenclature, a lectotype is a kind of name-bearing type. When a species was originally described on the basis of a name-bearing type consisting of multiple specimens, one of those may be designated 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

Nomen dubium

In zoological nomenclature, a nomen dubium is a scientific name that is of unknown or doubtful application...

.

I. valdensis was found in the Wessex Formation

Wessex Formation

The Wessex Formation is an English fossil site and geological formation that dates to the Barremian stage of the Early Cretaceous. It is part of the Wealden Group and underlies the younger Vectis Formation.-Invertebrates:...

 and I. lydekkeri in the younger Upper Greensand.

Iuticosaurus was probably similar to Titanosaurus

Titanosaurus

Titanosaurus is a genus of sauropod dinosaur, first described by Lydekker in 1877. It is known from the Maastrichtian Lameta Formation of India...

. It measured 15 to 20 metres (49–65 feet) long.

Most researchers have concluded that I. valdensis cannot be distinguished from other titanosaurs and is therefore a nomen dubium also.