Metriacanthosaurus
Encyclopedia
Metriacanthosaurus is a genus
of sinraptorid
dinosaur
from the upper Oxford Clay
of England
, dating to the mid-Jurassic Period, about 160 million years ago (lower Oxfordian).
In 1923 German paleontologist Friedrich von Huene
wrote a paper on Jurassic
and Cretaceous
European carnivorous dinosaurs. In this paper, he examined a specimen, OUM J.12144, including an incomplete hip, a leg bone, and part of a backbone, and believed it was a new species of Megalosaurus
: Megalosaurus parkeri. The specific name honours W. Parker who in the nineteenth century had collected the fossils near Jordan's Cliff at Weymouth.
In 1932 however, von Huene concluded it was species of Altispinax
, A. parkeri.
In 1964 though, scientist Alick Walker
decided these fossils were too different from Altispinax, as it lacked the long vertebral spines, and named a new genus, Metriacanthosaurus. The generic name is derived from Greek metrikos, "moderate", and akantha, "spine". Metriacanthosaurus thus gets its name from its vertebrae, which are taller than typical carnosaurs, like Allosaurus
, but lower than other high-spined dinosaurs like Acrocanthosaurus
.
Metriacanthosaurus was medium-sized theropod with a femur length of eighty centimetres. Gregory S. Paul
in 1988 estimated its weight at a tonne.
Originally assigned by Walker to the Megalosauridae, Metriacanthosaurus has since been found to form a family with Yangchuanosaurus
and other close relatives, named Metriacanthosauridae in 1988. Contrary to ICZN
rules for naming animal groups, this family has been referred to mainly by the junior synonym Sinraptoridae
.
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 sinraptorid
Sinraptoridae
Sinraptorids were a family of carnivorous theropod dinosaurs. They tended to be large predators, some growing to sizes of . Sinraptorids are carnosaurs, and many were initially classified within Megalosauridae or Allosauridae prior to recent analysis...
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 upper Oxford Clay
Oxford Clay
The Oxford Clay Formation is a Jurassic marine sedimentary rock formation underlying much of southeast England, from as far west as Dorset and as far north as Yorkshire. The Oxford Clay is of middle Callovian to lower Oxfordian age and comprises 2 main facies. The lower facies comprises the...
of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, dating to the mid-Jurassic Period, about 160 million years ago (lower Oxfordian).
In 1923 German paleontologist 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:...
wrote a paper on Jurassic
Jurassic
The Jurassic is a geologic period and system that extends from about Mya to Mya, that is, from the end of the Triassic to the beginning of the Cretaceous. The Jurassic constitutes the middle period of the Mesozoic era, also known as the age of reptiles. The start of the period is marked by...
and 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...
European carnivorous dinosaurs. In this paper, he examined a specimen, OUM J.12144, including an incomplete hip, a leg bone, and part of a backbone, and believed it was a new species of Megalosaurus
Megalosaurus
Megalosaurus is a genus of large meat-eating theropod dinosaurs of the Middle Jurassic period of Europe...
: Megalosaurus parkeri. The specific name honours W. Parker who in the nineteenth century had collected the fossils near Jordan's Cliff at Weymouth.
In 1932 however, von Huene concluded it was species of Altispinax
Altispinax
Altispinax is a genus of theropod dinosaur from the Early Cretaceous Obernkirchen Sandstein of Niedersachsen, Germany. Material has also been referred to it from the Hastings Beds , Purbeck Beds , and Lower Greensand of England, and the Weald Clay of England and Belgium, but this material...
, A. parkeri.
In 1964 though, scientist Alick Walker
Alick Walker
Alick Donald Walker was a British palaeontologist, after whom the Alwalkeria genus of dinosaur is named....
decided these fossils were too different from Altispinax, as it lacked the long vertebral spines, and named a new genus, Metriacanthosaurus. The generic name is derived from Greek metrikos, "moderate", and akantha, "spine". Metriacanthosaurus thus gets its name from its vertebrae, which are taller than typical carnosaurs, like Allosaurus
Allosaurus
Allosaurus is a genus of large theropod dinosaur that lived 155 to 150 million years ago during the late Jurassic period . The name Allosaurus means "different lizard". It is derived from the Greek /allos and /sauros...
, but lower than other high-spined dinosaurs like Acrocanthosaurus
Acrocanthosaurus
Acrocanthosaurus is a genus of theropod dinosaur that existed in what is now North America during the Aptian and early Albian stages of the Early Cretaceous. Like most dinosaur genera, Acrocanthosaurus contains only a single species, A. atokensis. Its fossil remains are found mainly in the U.S...
.
Metriacanthosaurus was medium-sized theropod with a femur length of eighty centimetres. Gregory S. Paul
Gregory S. Paul
Gregory Scott Paul is a freelance researcher, author and illustrator who works in paleontology, and more recently has examined sociology and theology. He is best known for his work and research on theropod dinosaurs and his detailed illustrations, both live and skeletal...
in 1988 estimated its weight at a tonne.
Originally assigned by Walker to the Megalosauridae, Metriacanthosaurus has since been found to form a family with Yangchuanosaurus
Yangchuanosaurus
Yangchuanosaurus was a theropod dinosaur that lived in China during the late Oxfordian stage of the Late Jurassic, and was similar in size and appearance to its North American contemporary, Allosaurus...
and other close relatives, named Metriacanthosauridae in 1988. Contrary to ICZN
International Code of Zoological Nomenclature
The International Code of Zoological Nomenclature is a widely accepted convention in zoology that rules the formal scientific naming of organisms treated as animals...
rules for naming animal groups, this family has been referred to mainly by the junior synonym Sinraptoridae
Sinraptoridae
Sinraptorids were a family of carnivorous theropod dinosaurs. They tended to be large predators, some growing to sizes of . Sinraptorids are carnosaurs, and many were initially classified within Megalosauridae or Allosauridae prior to recent analysis...
.
In popular culture
- In the film version of Jurassic ParkJurassic Park (film)Jurassic Park is a 1993 American science fiction adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg. The film is based on the novel of the same name by Michael Crichton. It stars Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Richard Attenborough, Martin Ferrero, and Bob Peck...
, one of the vials containing dinosaur DNA is labeled with the name Metriacanthosaurus, though the genus does not appear in the film. According to Thomas R. Holtz, this was probably meant to refer not to M. parkeri but rather the more famous Yangchuanosaurus shangyouensisYangchuanosaurusYangchuanosaurus was a theropod dinosaur that lived in China during the late Oxfordian stage of the Late Jurassic, and was similar in size and appearance to its North American contemporary, Allosaurus...
, which Gregory S. Paul then classified as a species of Metriacanthosaurus.