Elopteryx 4290387 221554091 2008-06-25T00:57:43Z J. Spencer 568400 /* History */ think it might make more sense with "other" {{Taxobox | name = ''Elopteryx'' | fossil_range = [[Late Cretaceous]] | regnum = [[Animal]]ia | phylum = [[Chordata]] | classis = [[Reptile|Sauropsida]] | superordo = [[Dinosaur]]ia | ordo = [[Saurischia]] | subordo = [[Theropoda]] | unranked_familia = [[Maniraptora]] | familia = '''Elopterygidae''' <small>(disputed)</small> | familia_authority = [[Kálmán Lambrecht|Lambrecht]], 1933 | genus = '''''Elopteryx''''' | genus_authority = Andrews, 1913 | subdivision_ranks = [[Species]] | subdivision = '''''E. nopcsai''''' <small>Andrews, 1913 ([[Type species|type]])</small> }} '''''Elopteryx''''' is a [[genus]] of [[maniraptora]]n [[theropod]] [[dinosaur]] based on fragmentary [[fossil]]s found in late [[Cretaceous]] [[Period (geology)|Period]] rocks of [[Romania]]. These fossils date from the early-mid [[Maastrichtian]] ([[Begudian]]) [[faunal stage]], c.71-68 [[million years ago]]. The single [[species]], '''''Elopteryx nopcsai''''', is known only from very incomplete material, and therefore is considered a ''[[nomen dubium]]'' ("dubious name") by most paleontologists. The genus name ''Elopteryx'' is from [[Ancient Greek]] ''elos'' (έλος) "marsh" + ''pteryx'' (πτερυξ) "wing". The [[specific name]] honors the famous [[Hungary|Hungarian]] [[paleontologist]] [[Franz Nopcsa von Felső-Szilvás]]. The now-[[monotypic]] [[family (biology)|family]] '''Elopterygidae''' was set up for this genus, but such a move is considered premature by most current authorities. ==History== Initially, ''Elopteryx'' was described from a [[proximal]] [[femur]] (specimen [[BMNH]] A1234). A [[distal]] [[tibiotarsus]] was also tentatively assigned to this [[taxon]]; it was initially classified with the same specimen number and was found in close proximity, but may not be from the same individual (see below). This has since been relabeled and is now specimen BMNH A4359. The animal was at first believed to be a [[pelecaniform]] [[seabird]].<ref name = h&w1975>Harrison & Walker (1975)</ref> The supposed family Elopterygidae was initially placed in the [[Pelecaniformes]] [[suborder]] [[Sulae]] by [[Pierce Brodkorb]] in his fossil bird catalogue, and the [[Cenozoic]] genera ''[[Argillornis]]'' and ''[[Eostega]]'' were moved to it.<ref>Brodkorb (1963): pp.248-249</ref> These two are unequivocal modern birds and the latter indeed seems to be an ancient [[Sulidae|sulid]] whereas the relationships of ''Argillornis'' are less well resolved. Reconstruction attempts like [http://www.dinosauri-bora.it/elopte.jpg this] are based on this presumed hypothesis. But more recent studies have indicated radically different results. Other material had been assigned to ''E. nopcsai'', including the proximal femur BMNH A1235 and the distal tibiotarsi BMNH A1528 and BMNH A1588. These two together with A4359 were eventually removed from ''Elopteryx'', redescribed as ''[[Bradycneme draculae]]'' and ''[[Heptasteornis andrewsi]]'', and used to establish a supposed family of gigantic [[owl]]s.<ref name = h&w1975 /> Today however, they are generally accepted as non-[[avian]] [[dinosaur]]s, at least one of which seems to be an [[alvarezsaurid]].<ref name = mortimer2004>Mortimer (2004)</ref> Brodkorb had changed his opinion after the supposed ''Elopteryx'' material was divided among three species in total, and was actually the first scholar in modern times to suggest that the [[Mesozoic]] bones were not of birds.<ref>Brodkorb (1978): pp.223-224</ref> Later, a supposed distal femur (FGGUB R.351) was for some years added to the proximal parts of that bone which remained assigned to ''Elopteryx'', but was eventually identified as a [[hadrosaurid]] distal [[metatarsal]]. Likewise a skull (FGGUB 1007) supposedly belonging to ''Elopteryx'' turned out to be from a [[sauropod]].<ref name = mortimer2004 /> In 1992, it was proposed that ''Bradycneme'' and ''Heptasteornis'' should be [[junior synonym|synonymized]] with ''E. nopcsai'' again, and a femur (MDE-D203), an [[anterior]] [[dorsal]] [[vertebra]] (MDE-D01), a [[posterior]] [[sacral vertebra]] (MDE collection, unnumbered) and some dorsal [[rib]] fragments from the [[Jurassic]] [[Grès à Reptiles Formation]] of [[France]] were described as indeterminate species of ''Elopteryx''; that study placed all this material in the [[Dromaeosauridae]] or a family or [[subfamily]] ('''Elopteryginae''') very close to these. The vertebrae were eventually separated again and assigned to a new dromaeosaurid, ''[[Variraptor mechinorum]]''.<ref>Le Loeuff ''et al.'' (1992), Le Loeuff and Buffetaut (1998)</ref> The new femur does not appear to belong to ''Elopteryx'' either; while similar in general appearance it differs in details. And neither the ribs nor the tibiotarsi can be compared to the [[type (biology)|type]] specimen. In recent years, yet another (distal) femur piece, FGGUB R.1957, has been placed with ''Elopteryx'', and although this cannot be compared directly either, it does not appear as if any other known animal had a femur that was proximally like A1234 and distally like FGGUB R.1957.<ref name = mortimer2004 /><!-- the original ref is actually a 2005 paper; Mortimer date is for website --> ''[[Bradycneme]]'' and ''[[Heptasteornis]]'' have meanwhile been synonymized and split from each other and ''Elopteryx'' many times, and various solutions were proposed for this dilemma.<ref>E.g. Le Loeuff ''et al.'' (1992), Csiki & Grigorescu (1998)</ref> Among more recent studies, ''Elopteryx'' was considered an [[eumaniraptora]]n ''[[incertae sedis]]'',<ref name = mortimer2004 /> possibly either a non-[[ornithura]]n "[[pygostylia]]n" bird<ref>Most of these - like [[Confuciusornis]]'' or [[Enantiornithes]] - are only known since the late 20th century.</ref> or a [[troodontid]].<ref>Paul (1988), Weishampel ''et al.'' (1991), Naish & Dyke (2004)</ref> Thus ''E. nopcsai'' seems to be some sort of birdlike eumaniraptoran, but not related to modern birds.<ref name = mortimer2004 /> While little can be said about BMNH A1588 - the ''Bradycneme'' specimen - ''Heptasteornis'' does indeed seem to belong to a more ancient lineage of theropods, which is interesting given that its [[holotype]] bone BMNH A4359 was believed to be from the very same individual as the ''Elopteryx'' holotype when they were dug up (see also ''[[Rahonavis]]'' and ''[[Vorona]]''). With the exception of ''Heptasteornis'', which seems quite robustly identified as an [[alvarezsaurid]] of [[subfamily]] [[Mononykinae]],<ref>Mortimer (2004), Naish & Dyke (2004)</ref> these taxa will be subject to continuing debate. ==Footnotes== {{Reflist}} ==References== * {{aut|Andrews, C.W.}} (1913): On some bird remains from the Upper Cretaceous of Transylvania. ''[[Geological Magazine]]'' '''5''': 193-196. * {{aut|[[Pierce Brodkorb|Brodkorb, Pierce]]}} (1963): Catalogue of fossil birds. Part 1 (Archaeopterygiformes through Ardeiformes). ''Bulletin of the Florida State Museum, Biological Sciences'' '''7'''(4): 179-293. [http://fulltext10.fcla.edu/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=feol&idno=UF00001514&format=pdf PDF fulltext] * {{aut|[[Pierce Brodkorb|Brodkorb, Pierce]]}} (1978): Catalogue of fossil birds, Part 5 (Passeriformes). ''Bulletin of the Florida State Museum, Biological Sciences'' '''23'''(3): 139-228. * {{aut|Csiki, G. & Grigorescu, D.}} (1998): Small theropods from the Late Cretaceous of the Hateg Basin (western Romania) - an unexpected diversity at the top of the food chain. ''Oryctos'' '''1''': 87-104. * {{aut|[[Colin Harrison (ornithologist)|Harrison, Colin James Oliver]] & Walker, Cyril Alexander}} (1975): The Bradycnemidae, a new family of owls from the Upper Cretaceous of Romania. ''[[Palaeontology (journal)|Palaeontology]]'' '''18'''(3): 563-570. [http://palaeontology.palass-pubs.org/pdf/Vol%2018/Pages%20563-570.pdf PDF fulltext] * {{aut|Le Loeuff, J. & Buffetaut, E.}} (1998): A new dromaeosaurid theropod from the Upper Cretaceous of Southern France. ''Oryctos'' '''1''': 105-112. * {{aut|Le Loeuff, J.; Buffetaut, E.; Méchin, P. & Méchin-Salessy, A.}} (1992): The first record of dromaeosaurid dinosaurs (Saurischia, Theropoda) in the Maastrichtian of southern Europe: palaeobiogeographical implications. ''Bulletin de la Société géologique de la France'' '''163'''(3): 337-343. * {{aut|Mortimer, Michael}} (2004): The Theropod Database: [http://web.archive.org/web/20070327081725/staff.washington.edu/eoraptor/Phylogeny%20of%20Taxa.html Phylogeny of taxa]. Retrieved 2007-NOV-04. * {{aut|[[Darren Naish|Naish, Darren]] & Dyke, Gareth J.}} (2004): ''Heptasteornis'' was no ornithomimid, troodontid, dromaeosaurid or owl: the first alvarezsaurid (Dinosauria: Theropoda) from Europe. ''Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie Monatshefte'' '''7''': 385-401. * {{aut|[[Gregory Paul|Paul, Gregory S.]]}} (1988): ''Predatory Dinosaurs of the World.'' New York, Simon & Schuster. <small>ISBN 0-671-61946-2</small> * {{aut|Weishampel, D.B.; Grigorescu, D. & Norman, D.B.}} (1991): The dinosaurs of Transylvania. ''National Geographic Research and Exploration'' '''7'''(2): 196-215. [http://bio.fsu.edu/~amarquez/Evolutionary%20Morphology%20fall%202004/Weishampel/1096-%20Weishampel%20et%20al%201991%20-%20Transylvania%20dinosaurs.pdf PDF fulltext] ==External links== * [http://www.users.qwest.net/~jstweet1/troodontidae.htm Troodontidae], from ''Thescelosaurus!''. {{portalpar|Dinosaurs}} [[Category:Coelurosaurs]] [[Category:Cretaceous dinosaurs]] [[Category:Dinosaurs of Europe]] [[Category:Nomina dubia]] [[Category:Basal Pygostylia]]<!-- still supported by cladistic analysis, or at least not ruled out --> [[es:Elopteryx]] [[pl:Elopteryks]] [[vo:Elopteryx]] [[zh:沼泽鸟龙]]