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Coeluroides

Huene & Matley, 1933 see-loo-ROY-deez Nomen dubium

From Coelurus (a related theropod genus, itself from Greek 'koilos' (hollow) and 'oura' (tail)) and Greek '-oides' (resembling); meaning 'Coelurus-like'.

72.2–66.0 million years ago Maastrichtian, Late Cretaceous
Late Cretaceous stages

Coeluroides is an extinct genus of theropod dinosaur that lived during the Late Cretaceous Period in what is now India. It is based solely on the holotype caudal vertebrae GSI K27/562, K27/574 and K27/595, discovered in a layer of the Lameta Formation. The type species, C. largus, was described by Friedrich von Huene and Charles Alfred Matley in 1933.

Under dispute

Coeluroides largus is based on a few vertebrae from the Lameta Formation and is widely regarded as a nomen dubium (Olshevsky, 1991; Tykoski and Rowe, 2004). Carrano and Sampson (2008) found the material too fragmentary for specific diagnosis and argued that the Lameta theropod assemblage is likely over-split, with Coeluroides and several other named taxa probably representing only one or two abelisaurids. Novas and colleagues (2004) left its validity open, noting only that it may represent a valid indeterminate abelisauroid — a weak and isolated case. It is retained as a nomen dubium.

Species

Coeluroides largus Huene & Matley, 1933 Nomen dubium

Type species

Likely from Latin 'largus' meaning 'abundant/copious'.

Syntypes
GSI K27/562, GSI K27/574, GSI K27/595 , Geological Survey of India
Material
Three caudal vertebrae; originally identified as dorsal vertebrae by Huene and Matley (1933) and reinterpreted as caudals by Welles (1984) and Molnar (1990). A fourth possibly conspecific vertebra (K 27/695) and a tentatively referred posterior caudal (K 27/587) were noted by the original authors but not included in the type series.
Horizon
Carnosaur Bed Bed, Lameta Formation, Maastrichtian, Late Cretaceous , 72.2–66.0 million years ago
Locality
Bara Simla, Madhya Pradesh, India

References

  1. Huene, F. V.; Matley, C. A. (1933). The Cretaceous Saurischia and Ornithischia of the Central Provinces of India. Palaeontologica Indica (New Series), Memoirs of the Geological Survey of India 21(1): 1-74.

    Original description of Coeluroides largus on three vertebrae from the Lameta Formation. The authors identified the elements as dorsal vertebrae; later workers recognized them as caudals.

    huene1933a
  2. Olshevsky, G. (1991). A revision of the parainfraclass Archosauria Cope, 1869, excluding the advanced Crocodylia. Mesozoic Meanderings 2: 1-196.

    Listed Coeluroides largus as a nomen dubium.

    olshevsky1991a
  3. Wilson, J. A.; Sereno, P. C.; Srivastava, S.; Bhatt, D. K.; Khosla, A.; Sahni, A. (2003). A new abelisaurid (Dinosauria, Theropoda) from the Lameta Formation (Cretaceous, Maastrichtian) of India. Contributions from the Museum of Paleontology, University of Michigan 31(1): 1-42.

    Grouped Coeluroides among Lameta theropods based on bones of dubious association or immature individuals.

    wilson2003a
  4. Novas, F. E.; Agnolín, F. L.; Bandyopadhyay, S. (2004). Cretaceous theropods from India: A review of specimens described by Huene and Matley (1933). Revista del Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales 6(1): 67-103. doi:10.22179/REVMACN.6.74

    Follows Welles (1984) and Molnar (1990) in treating the type vertebrae as caudals. Leaves the validity of C. largus open, noting it may be a valid indeterminate abelisauroid.

    novas2004b
  5. Tykoski, R. S.; Rowe, T. (2004). Ceratosauria. The Dinosauria, Second Edition (Weishampel, D. B.; Dodson, P.; Osmólska, H., eds.) 47-70. University of California Press, Berkeley.

    Listed Coeluroides largus among nomina dubia.

    tykoski2004a
  6. Carrano, M. T.; Sampson, S. D. (2008). The Phylogeny of Ceratosauria (Dinosauria: Theropoda). Journal of Systematic Palaeontology 6(2): 183-236. doi:10.1017/S1477201907002246

    Found the material too fragmentary for specific diagnosis and argued the Lameta theropod assemblage is likely over-split, with Coeluroides possibly among only one or two abelisaurids present.

    carrano2008a
  7. Welles, S. P. (1984). Dilophosaurus wetherilli (Dinosauria, Theropoda): osteology and comparisons. Palaeontographica Abteilung A 185: 85-180. welles1984a
  8. Molnar, R. E. (1990). Problematic Theropoda: "Carnosaurs". The Dinosauria (Weishampel, D. B.; Dodson, P.; Osmólska, H., eds.) 306-317. University of California Press, Berkeley. molnar1990b
  9. Wilson, J. A. (2012). Small theropod dinosaurs from the latest Cretaceous of India. Society of Vertebrate Paleontology, 72nd Annual Meeting, Program and Abstracts 194. Society of Vertebrate Paleontology, Raleigh.

    Proposes, in a conference abstract, that Coeluroides and Ornithomimoides share autapomorphies and be grouped under Coeluroides, the first-named.

    wilson2012a