Stereosaurus
Encyclopedia
"Stereosaurus" is the name given to an as-yet undescribed
genus
of possible dinosaur
or plesiosaur
. Among the species
are: "Stereosaurus platyomus", "S. cratynotus" and "S. stenomus", all coined by British paleontologist
Harry Seeley
, who considered them to be plesiosaurian, in 1869. None have ever been formally described, and since so much time has passed, the original remains may have been lost or renamed something else by now.
Nomen nudum
The phrase nomen nudum is a Latin term, meaning "naked name", used in taxonomy...
genus
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 possible 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...
or plesiosaur
Plesiosaur
Plesiosauroidea is an extinct clade of carnivorous plesiosaur marine reptiles. Plesiosauroids, are known from the Jurassic and Cretaceous Periods...
. Among the species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
are: "Stereosaurus platyomus", "S. cratynotus" and "S. stenomus", all coined by British paleontologist
Paleontology
Paleontology "old, ancient", ὄν, ὀντ- "being, creature", and λόγος "speech, thought") is the study of prehistoric life. It includes the study of fossils to determine organisms' evolution and interactions with each other and their environments...
Harry Seeley
Harry Seeley
Harry Govier Seeley was a British paleontologist.-Career:Seeley was born in London, the son of Richard Hovill Seeley, goldsmith, and his second wife Mary Govier. He attended classes at the Royal School of Mines, Kensington before becoming an assistant to Adam Sedgwick at the Woodwardian Museum,...
, who considered them to be plesiosaurian, in 1869. None have ever been formally described, and since so much time has passed, the original remains may have been lost or renamed something else by now.