Aublysodon
Name:
Aublysodon
(Backward flowing tooth).
Phonetic: Ow-blih-so-don.
Named By: Joseph Leidy - 1868.
Classification: Chordata, Reptilia, Dinosauria,
Saurischia, Theropoda, Tyrannosauroidea, Tyrannosauridae,
Aublysodontinae.
Species: A. mirandus (type).
Also
the species A. lateralis, A. grandis, A. amplus
and A.
cristatus are sometimes mentioned but these are considered
to be
highly dubious.
Diet: Carnivore.
Size: Uncertain due to incomplete fossil material.
Known locations: USA, Montana - Judith River
Group.
Time period: Late Cretaceous.
Fossil representation: Teeth.
It
is quite surprising when you think about how Aublysodon
is
represented in so many dinosaur books and internet sources even though
back when it was described in 1868 it was only from teeth. Still
this was a sign of the times back then with other discoveries such as
Troodon,
which was also named by Joseph Leidy, also initially
only being described from their teeth.
Aside
from the type specimens, further teeth have been attributed to
Aublysodon and given separate species. However
further study of these
specimens has revealed that they probably belong to other tyrannosaur
genera, possibly juvenile individuals of Tyrannosaurus.
Partial
skulls and post cranial remains have also in the past been attributed
to Aublysodon, but upon more detailed study have
been found to
probably belong to Daspletosaurus.
The
future for Aublysodon as a distinct genus of
dinosaur is highly
uncertain because not only is it difficult to attribute remains to this
genus, the original holotype specimen is now lost to science. This
makes it impossible to re-examine the holotype to confirm if Aublysodon
should remain its own genus.
Further reading
- Remarks on a jaw fragment of Megalosaurus. Proceedings of the Academy
of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. - J. Leidy - 1868.
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