Sellacoxa
Encyclopedia
Sellacoxa is a genus
of iguanodont
which existed in what is now England
during the Early Cretaceous
period (lower Valanginian
stage, around 140 mya).
Identified from a nearly complete right ilium
, pubis
, ischium, and thirteen articulated posterior dorsals and sacrals (holotype
BMNH R 3788) found in May 1873 by John Hopkinson in the Old Roar Quarry, at Silverhill, near Hastings
, from the lower Wadhurst Clay of East Sussex
, England
, that David Norman
(2010) regarded as an individual of Barilium
. It was named by Kenneth Carpenter
and Yusuke Ishida in 2010
and the type species
is Sellacoxa pauli. The generic name means “saddle” (sella in Latin
) + “hips” (coxa) in reference to the saddle-shaped ilium, and the specific name honors Gregory S. Paul
for recognising that European iguanodont diversity is higher than previously assumed.
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 iguanodont
Iguanodont
Iguanodonts were herbivorous dinosaurs that lived from the mid-Jurassic to Late Cretaceous. Some members include Camptosaurus, Callovosaurus, Iguanodon, Ouranosaurus, and the hadrosaurids or "duck-billed dinosaurs". Iguanodonts were one of the first groups of dinosaurs to be found...
which existed in what is now 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...
during the Early Cretaceous
Early Cretaceous
The Early Cretaceous or the Lower Cretaceous , is the earlier or lower of the two major divisions of the Cretaceous...
period (lower Valanginian
Valanginian
In the geologic timescale, the Valanginian is an age or stage of the Early or Lower Cretaceous. It spans between 140.2 ± 3.0 Ma and 136.4 ± 2.0 Ma...
stage, around 140 mya).
Identified from a nearly complete right ilium
Ilium
-Places:* Ilion or, Latinized, Ilium, another name for the legendary city of Troy, hence the title of Homer's Iliad*Ilium , an ancient city in Epirus...
, pubis
Pubis
Pubis may refer to:* Pubis * Mons pubis, a padding of fat that protects the pubis bone...
, ischium, and thirteen articulated posterior dorsals and sacrals (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...
BMNH R 3788) found in May 1873 by John Hopkinson in the Old Roar Quarry, at Silverhill, near Hastings
Hastings
Hastings is a town and borough in the county of East Sussex on the south coast of England. The town is located east of the county town of Lewes and south east of London, and has an estimated population of 86,900....
, from the lower Wadhurst Clay of East Sussex
East Sussex
East Sussex is a county in South East England. It is bordered by the counties of Kent, Surrey and West Sussex, and to the south by the English Channel.-History:...
, 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...
, that David Norman
David B. Norman
David Bruce Norman is a British paleontologist, currently Director of the Sedgwick Museum, Cambridge University. He is a fellow at Christ's College, Cambridge where he teaches geology in the Natural Sciences tripos. He is a member of the Palaeontological Association. He has studied Iguanodon...
(2010) regarded as an individual of Barilium
Barilium
Barilium is a genus of iguanodontian dinosaur which was first described as a species of Iguanodon by Richard Lydekker in 1888, the specific epithet honouring the discoverer Charles Dawson....
. It was named by Kenneth Carpenter
Kenneth Carpenter
Kenneth Carpenter is a paleontologist. He is the museum director of the USU Eastern Prehistoric Museum and author or co-author of a number of books on dinosaurs and Mesozoic life...
and Yusuke Ishida in 2010
2010 in paleontology
-Anomalocaridids:-Newly named crustaceans:-Newly named insects:* A new family, Cascopleciidae, is published by Poinar Jr.* A new family of ceraphronoid Hymenopters, Radiophronidae, is published by Ortega-Blanco, Rasnitsyn, and Delclòs....
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 Sellacoxa pauli. The generic name means “saddle” (sella in Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
) + “hips” (coxa) in reference to the saddle-shaped ilium, and the specific name honors 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...
for recognising that European iguanodont diversity is higher than previously assumed.