Owenodon

Owenodon
Temporal range:
Early Cretaceous, Berriasian
Holotype NHMUK PV R 2998 in lateral view
Holotype NHMUK PV R 2998 in medial view
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Clade: Dinosauria
Clade: Ornithischia
Clade: Neornithischia
Clade: Ornithopoda
Clade: Iguanodontia
Clade: Dryomorpha
Genus: Owenodon
Galton, 2009[1]
Species:
O. hoggii
Binomial name
Owenodon hoggii
Synonyms
  • Iguanodon hoggii
    Owen, 1874[2]
  • Camptosaurus hoggii
    (Owen, 1974) Norman & Barrett, 2002[3]

Owenodon is a genus of iguanodontian dinosaur known from a partial lower jaw discovered in Early Cretaceous-age rocks of Dorset, United Kingdom, and possibly also Romania and Spain. The first and only definitive specimen was found in the Lulworth Formation of the Purbeck Limestone Group, dating to the middle Berriasian stage. It was first described by Richard Owen as a species Iguanodon, I. hoggii, honouring naturalist A.J. Hogg who had originally collected the fossil. Owen described the mandible as it was, partially embedded in a limestone block, but it was given to the Natural History Museum, London where it was accessioned as NHMUK PV R 2998 and further prepared. Some damage occurred to a tooth crown and part of the bone while stored in the collections. Redescription of I. hoggii by David Norman and Paul Barrett subsequently transferred the species to Camptosaurus in 2002, as well as tentatively referring other camptosaur-like material from the Purbeck beds to the species. The identity of the species was questioned, with Kenneth Carpenter and Yvonne Wilson, and Greg Paul, separating "C." hoggi from Camptosaurus as an intermediate ornithopod, until Peter Galton named the new genus Owenodon for it in 2009. Galton removed the material assigned by Norman and Barrett from Owenodon, but referred isolated teeth from the Bauxite of Cornet, Romania, and the El Castellar Formation of Spain to O. hoggii. The taxon, believed by Galton to be intermediate between Camptosaurus and Iguanodon, is of uncertain relationships, with the limited material preventing clear understanding of its position within ornithopod evolution. Phylogenetic studies have found Owenodon to be more primitive, equivalent to, or more derived than Camptosaurus, but it is often excluded to improve results.

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference galton2009 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference owen1874 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference norman2002 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).