Zalmoxes
Encyclopedia
Zalmoxes is a genus
of herbivorous
dinosaur
from the Late Cretaceous
of what is now Romania
. It is classified as a rhabdodontid
iguanodont
.
In 1900 Franz Nopcsa named a new species of Mochlodon
, Mochlodon robustum, based on numerous fossils found in Transylvania
. The specific name refers to the robust build. In 1915 he renamed it as a species of Rhabdodon
, Rhabdodon robustum, emended in 1990 by George Olshevsky
to Rhabdodon robustus.
In 2003 David Weishampel, Coralia-Maria Jianu, Zoltan Csiki and David Bruce Norman
named a new genus for the finds: Zalmoxes, a spelling variant of Zalmoxis. The name of this deity was chosen because it retreated for three years in a crypt to be resurrected on the fourth year; likewise the animal Zalmoxes had by Nopcsa been liberated from its fossil grave to attain taxonomic immortality.
The type species
Mochlodon robustus is thus recombined into Zalmoxes robustus. The holotype
, BMNH R.3392, is a right dentary. Hundreds of other bones have been referred to the species, excavated from the Sânpetru Formation
, which dates to the late Maastrichtian
. Most of the skeleton is known with exception of the end of the tail, the hands and the feet.
The same authors in 2003 named and described a second species: Zalmoxes shqiperorum. The specific name is derived from Shqiperia, Albanian for Albania
, because Baron Nopcsa had a special relationship with this country, once attempting to become its king. The holotype is BMNH R.4900, a partial skeleton.
In 2005 Sven Sachs and Jahn J. Hornung provisionally transferred Austria
material of Mochlodon suessii to Zalmoxes sp., asserting a formal identity would imply that the name Mochlodon would replace Zalmoxes as it has priority.
Zalmoxes was a rather small bipedal herbivore, but stoutly built with a large triangular head featuring a pointed beak and a short neck. The species Z. robustus was smaller, 2 to 3 meters long (7 to 10 ft). Z. shqiperorum was 4 to 4.5 meters long (13 to 15 ft). The small size was explained by Nopcsa as an instance of insular dwarfism
.
Zalmoxes was assigned to a new clade
in 2003: the Rhabdodontidae
.
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 herbivorous
Herbivore
Herbivores are organisms that are anatomically and physiologically adapted to eat plant-based foods. Herbivory is a form of consumption in which an organism principally eats autotrophs such as plants, algae and photosynthesizing bacteria. More generally, organisms that feed on autotrophs in...
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 Late 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 what is now Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
. It is classified as a rhabdodontid
Rhabdodontidae
Rhabdodontids were herbivorous ornithopod dinosaurs from the Cretaceous Period. Rhabdodontids were similar to large, robust hypsilophodonts, with deep skulls and jaws. The family was first proposed by David B. Weishampel et al. in 2002...
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...
.
Mochlodon
Mochlodon is a genus of iguanodont dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous.In 1859 coal mine administrator Pawlowitsch notified the University of Vienna that some fossils had been found in the Gute Hoffnung mine at Muthmannsdorf in Austria...
, Mochlodon robustum, based on numerous fossils found in Transylvania
Transylvania
Transylvania is a historical region in the central part of Romania. Bounded on the east and south by the Carpathian mountain range, historical Transylvania extended in the west to the Apuseni Mountains; however, the term sometimes encompasses not only Transylvania proper, but also the historical...
. The specific name refers to the robust build. In 1915 he renamed it as a species of Rhabdodon
Rhabdodon
Rhabdodon is a genus of dinosaur that lived in Europe approximately 70 million years ago in the Late Cretaceous. It is unclear whether it was an iguanodont or a hypsilophodont, and may be a "missing link" between the two. Current evidence indicates it is an iguanodont similar to Tenontosaurus...
, Rhabdodon robustum, emended in 1990 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...
to Rhabdodon robustus.
In 2003 David Weishampel, Coralia-Maria Jianu, Zoltan Csiki and David Bruce 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...
named a new genus for the finds: Zalmoxes, a spelling variant of Zalmoxis. The name of this deity was chosen because it retreated for three years in a crypt to be resurrected on the fourth year; likewise the animal Zalmoxes had by Nopcsa been liberated from its fossil grave to attain taxonomic immortality.
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...
Mochlodon robustus is thus recombined into Zalmoxes robustus. The 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.3392, is a right dentary. Hundreds of other bones have been referred to the species, excavated from the Sânpetru Formation
Sânpetru Formation
The Sânpetru Formation is a Mesozoic geologic formation. Dinosaur remains are among the fossils that have been recovered from the formation. It is located near Sânpetru village, part of Sântămăria-Orlea commune.-Ornithischians:-Sauropods:-Theropods:...
, which dates to the late Maastrichtian
Maastrichtian
The Maastrichtian is, in the ICS' geologic timescale, the latest age or upper stage of the Late Cretaceous epoch or Upper Cretaceous series, the Cretaceous period or system, and of the Mesozoic era or erathem. It spanned from 70.6 ± 0.6 Ma to 65.5 ± 0.3 Ma...
. Most of the skeleton is known with exception of the end of the tail, the hands and the feet.
The same authors in 2003 named and described a second species: Zalmoxes shqiperorum. The specific name is derived from Shqiperia, Albanian for Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
, because Baron Nopcsa had a special relationship with this country, once attempting to become its king. The holotype is BMNH R.4900, a partial skeleton.
In 2005 Sven Sachs and Jahn J. Hornung provisionally transferred Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
material of Mochlodon suessii to Zalmoxes sp., asserting a formal identity would imply that the name Mochlodon would replace Zalmoxes as it has priority.
Zalmoxes was a rather small bipedal herbivore, but stoutly built with a large triangular head featuring a pointed beak and a short neck. The species Z. robustus was smaller, 2 to 3 meters long (7 to 10 ft). Z. shqiperorum was 4 to 4.5 meters long (13 to 15 ft). The small size was explained by Nopcsa as an instance of insular dwarfism
Insular dwarfism
Insular dwarfism, a form of phyletic dwarfism, is the process and condition of the reduction in size of large animals – typically mammals – when their population's range is limited to a small environment, primarily islands. This natural process is distinct from the intentional creation of dwarf...
.
Zalmoxes was assigned to a new clade
Clade
A clade is a group consisting of a species and all its descendants. In the terms of biological systematics, a clade is a single "branch" on the "tree of life". The idea that such a "natural group" of organisms should be grouped together and given a taxonomic name is central to biological...
in 2003: the Rhabdodontidae
Rhabdodontidae
Rhabdodontids were herbivorous ornithopod dinosaurs from the Cretaceous Period. Rhabdodontids were similar to large, robust hypsilophodonts, with deep skulls and jaws. The family was first proposed by David B. Weishampel et al. in 2002...
.