Ponerosteus

Taxobox
name = "Ponerosteus"
fossil_range = Upper Cretaceous
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Sauropsida
subclassis = Diapsida
infraclassis = Archosauromorpha
superordo = ?Dinosauria
genus = "Ponerosteus"
genus_authority = Olshevsky, 2000
subdivision_ranks = Species
subdivision =
*"P. exogyrarum" (Fritsch, 1878 [originally "Iguanodon exogirarum"] ) (type species)

"Ponerosteus" is a dubious genus of archosaur which was first identified as "Iguanodon exogirarum" by Antonin Fritsch in 1878 for a specimen from the Cenomanian (Late Cretaceous of the Czech Republic). He later (1905) renamed it "Procerosaurus", unaware that this name was already in use (von Huene, 1902). It was renamed "Ponerosteus exogyrarum" (species name amended) by George Olshevsky in 2000; however, the taxon is considered a "nomen dubium" by most, as the type material is extremely poor, being apparently an internal cast of a tibia from an animal that may or may not be a dinosaur. The name "Ponerosteus" can be translated as "bad", "worthless", or "useless bone", which accurately describes the nature of the material.

External links

* [http://dml.cmnh.org/2000May/msg00176.html George Olshevsky expands on the history of the taxon] , on the Dinosaur Mailing List
* [http://www.users.qwest.net/~jstweet1/dinosauromorpha.htm Dinosauromorpha]