Open Paleo

Wyleyia

Harrison & Walker, 1973 WY-lee-yuh Nomen dubium

Named in honor of J. F. Wyley, who discovered the specimen in Weald Clay deposits of Henfield, Sussex, England.

125.8–121.4 million years ago Barremian, Early Cretaceous
Early Cretaceous stages

Wyleyia is an extinct genus of indeterminate maniraptoran dinosaurs containing a single species, Wyleyia valdensis, known from the early Cretaceous period of Sussex, England. The genus is known from a single specimen, a damaged right humerus. It was named to honor J. F. Wyley, who found the specimen in Weald Clay deposits of Henfield in Sussex (England). The specific name valdensis means "from the Weald".

Under dispute

Wyleyia valdensis is based on a single partial humerus. Originally described as a bird of uncertain affinity (Harrison and Walker, 1973), it was reassessed by Naish and Martill (2007) as an indeterminate maniraptoran and a nomen dubium. It is placed conservatively at Maniraptora incertae sedis.

Species

Wyleyia valdensis Harrison & Walker, 1973 Nomen dubium

Type species

From Latin 'valdensis' meaning 'from the Weald', referring to the Weald Clay deposits of Sussex, England, where the holotype humerus was found.

Holotype
BMNH A3658 , Natural History Museum
Material
An imperfect right humerus from Henfield, Sussex.
Horizon
Weald Clay Group, Barremian, Early Cretaceous , 125.8–121.4 million years ago
Locality
Henfield, West Sussex, United Kingdom J. F. Wyley found the humerus in the Weald Clay at Henfield in July 1964. Harrison and Walker's (1973) placement of it some 500 to 600 feet below the top of the group rests on a regional ostracod correlation rather than on a record of the find point.

References

  1. Harrison, C. J. O.; Walker, C. A. (1973). Wyleyia: a new bird humerus from the Lower Cretaceous of England. Palaeontology 16(4): 721-728.

    Places the horizon "in the middle of the Reeves Group II, in the Barremian Substage", from the Henfield ostracods.

    harrison1973a
  2. Naish, D.; Martill, D. M. (2007). Dinosaurs of Great Britain and the role of the Geological Society of London in their discovery: basal Dinosauria and Saurischia. Journal of the Geological Society 164(3): 493-510. doi:10.1144/0016-76492006-032

    Reassessed Wyleyia as an indeterminate maniraptoran and nomen dubium.

    naish2007a