Ornithostoma
Encyclopedia
Ornithostoma is a genus
created in 1871 by H. Govier Seeley for a number of skeletal fragments, mostly of jaws, of toothless pterosaurs from the Upper Cretaceous Cambridge Greensand
of England, today often assigned to the Pteranodontidae
. One of these fragments had in 1859 been described by Richard Owen
. In 1871 Seeley as yet provided no specific name. He named the type species O. sedgwicki (Seeley 1891) in 1891, apart from the jaws also referring to a shoulder girdle, claiming it was identical to Pteranodon
and had priority. Samuel Wendell Williston
in 1893 independently also considered it a synonym
of Pteranodon ingens. He therefore renamed Pteranodon species: O. ingens (Williston 1893) = Pteranodon
ingens (= P. longiceps) and O. harpyia (Cope
1872) = P. longiceps. However, Richard Lydekker
denied the identity in 1904 and, unaware of Seeley's earlier species name, created a purported second type species O. seeleyi.
Today S. Christopher Bennett (1994) also considers it distinct from Pteranodon. Unfortunately Ornithostoma has been treated as a wastebasket taxon, that is, as a convenient label for remains with no distinguishing features, much in the same manner as the dinosaur
Megalosaurus
. Consequently much pterosaur material has been assigned to Ornithostoma which may belong to their own or already named genera.
In 1914 Nikolai Nikolaevich Bogolubov named a single large vertebra Ornithostoma orientalis (emended O. orientale by George Olshevsky
in 1991) which has been renamed Bogolubovia
orientalis (Nesov & Yarkov 1989) and been transferred from the Pteranodontidae
to the Azhdarchidae
.
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...
created in 1871 by H. Govier Seeley for a number of skeletal fragments, mostly of jaws, of toothless pterosaurs from the Upper Cretaceous Cambridge Greensand
Cambridge Greensand
The Cambridge Greensand is a geological formation in England whose strata date back to the Early Cretaceous. Dinosaur remains are among the fossils that have been recovered from the formation.-Vertebrate paleofauna:...
of England, today often assigned to the Pteranodontidae
Pteranodontidae
The Pteranodontidae are a family of large pterosaurs of the Cretaceous Period of North America.The family was named in 1876 by Othniel Charles Marsh....
. One of these fragments had in 1859 been described by Richard Owen
Richard Owen
Sir Richard Owen, FRS KCB was an English biologist, comparative anatomist and palaeontologist.Owen is probably best remembered today for coining the word Dinosauria and for his outspoken opposition to Charles Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection...
. In 1871 Seeley as yet provided no specific name. He named the type species O. sedgwicki (Seeley 1891) in 1891, apart from the jaws also referring to a shoulder girdle, claiming it was identical to Pteranodon
Pteranodon
Pteranodon , from the Late Cretaceous geological period of North America in present day Kansas, Alabama, Nebraska, Wyoming, and South Dakota, was one of the largest pterosaur genera and had a maximum wingspan of over...
and had priority. Samuel Wendell Williston
Samuel Wendell Williston
Samuel Wendell Williston was an American educator and paleontologist who was the first to propose that birds developed flight cursorially , rather than arboreally . He was also an entomologist, specialising in Diptera.-Early life:Williston was born in Boston, Massachusetts to Samuel Williston and...
in 1893 independently also considered it a synonym
Synonym
Synonyms are different words with almost identical or similar meanings. Words that are synonyms are said to be synonymous, and the state of being a synonym is called synonymy. The word comes from Ancient Greek syn and onoma . The words car and automobile are synonyms...
of Pteranodon ingens. He therefore renamed Pteranodon species: O. ingens (Williston 1893) = Pteranodon
Pteranodon
Pteranodon , from the Late Cretaceous geological period of North America in present day Kansas, Alabama, Nebraska, Wyoming, and South Dakota, was one of the largest pterosaur genera and had a maximum wingspan of over...
ingens (= P. longiceps) and O. harpyia (Cope
Cope
The cope is a liturgical vestment, a very long mantle or cloak, open in front and fastened at the breast with a band or clasp. It may be of any liturgical colour....
1872) = P. longiceps. However, Richard Lydekker
Richard Lydekker
Richard Lydekker was an English naturalist, geologist and writer of numerous books on natural history.-Biography:...
denied the identity in 1904 and, unaware of Seeley's earlier species name, created a purported second type species O. seeleyi.
Today S. Christopher Bennett (1994) also considers it distinct from Pteranodon. Unfortunately Ornithostoma has been treated as a wastebasket taxon, that is, as a convenient label for remains with no distinguishing features, much in the same manner as the 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...
Megalosaurus
Megalosaurus
Megalosaurus is a genus of large meat-eating theropod dinosaurs of the Middle Jurassic period of Europe...
. Consequently much pterosaur material has been assigned to Ornithostoma which may belong to their own or already named genera.
In 1914 Nikolai Nikolaevich Bogolubov named a single large vertebra Ornithostoma orientalis (emended O. orientale by George Olshevsky
George Olshevsky
George Olshevsky is a freelance editor, writer, publisher, amateur paleontologist, and mathematician living in San Diego, California.Olshevsky maintains the comprehensive online Dinosaur Genera List...
in 1991) which has been renamed Bogolubovia
Bogolubovia
Bogolubovia is a genus of pterosaur from the Upper Cretaceous Rybushka Formation of Petrovsk, Saratov Oblast, Russia. It is named for Nikolai Nikolaevich Bogolubov, the palaeontologist who discovered the remains in 1914. It has in 1991 been assigned to the Azhdarchidae. Wellnhofer however,...
orientalis (Nesov & Yarkov 1989) and been transferred from the Pteranodontidae
Pteranodontidae
The Pteranodontidae are a family of large pterosaurs of the Cretaceous Period of North America.The family was named in 1876 by Othniel Charles Marsh....
to the Azhdarchidae
Azhdarchidae
Azhdarchidae is a family of pterosaurs known primarily from the late Cretaceous Period, though an isolated vertebrae apparently from an azhdarchid is known from the early Cretaceous as well...
.