Open Paleo

Zapsalis

Cope, 1876 zap-SAL-is Nomen dubium

From Greek za meaning 'thorough' (an intensifying prefix) and psalis meaning 'pair of scissors'; translates as 'thorough scissors,' referring to the cutting teeth

83.6–72.2 million years ago Campanian, Late Cretaceous
Late Cretaceous stages

Zapsalis is a genus of dromaeosaurine theropod dinosaurs. It is a tooth taxon, often considered dubious because of the fragmentary nature of the fossils, which include teeth but no other remains.

Under dispute

Zapsalis abradens is a tooth-based taxon widely regarded as a nomen dubium. Currie and Evans (2019) showed that teeth referred to Zapsalis in the Dinosaur Park Formation are the second premaxillary teeth of Saurornitholestes langstoni, suggesting the two may be synonymous, but stopped short of formal synonymy because the Montana holotype differs. It is retained provisionally at Dromaeosauridae incertae sedis.

Species

Zapsalis abradens Cope, 1876 Nomen dubium

Type species

From Latin 'abradens' meaning 'abrading' or 'scraping', likely in reference to the teeth's cutting or scraping function.

Holotype
AMNH FARB 3953 , American Museum of Natural History
Material
Single theropod tooth.
Horizon
Judith River Formation, Campanian, Late Cretaceous , 83.6–72.2 million years ago
Locality
Montana, United States

References

  1. Cope, E. D. (1876). Descriptions of some vertebrate remains from the Fort Union Beds of Montana. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 28: 248-261. cope1876a
  2. Cope, E. D. (1876). On some extinct reptiles and Batrachia from the Judith River and Fox Hills beds of Montana. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 28: 340-359.

    Original description of the genus Zapsalis with type species Z. abradens. Gives neither a locality nor a horizon for the type teeth; the paper covers both the Judith River and the Fox Hills beds.

    cope1876b
  3. Larson, D. W.; Currie, P. J. (2013). Multivariate Analyses of Small Theropod Dinosaur Teeth and Implications for Paleoecological Turnover through Time. PLOS ONE 8(1): e54329. Public Library of Science (PLoS). doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0054329

    Multivariate analysis of small theropod teeth that recognizes Zapsalis as a valid taxon.

    larson2013a
  4. Currie, P. J.; Evans, D. C. (2019). Cranial Anatomy of New Specimens of Saurornitholestes langstoni (Dinosauria, Theropoda, Dromaeosauridae) from the Dinosaur Park Formation (Campanian) of Alberta. The Anatomical Record 303(4): 691-715. Wiley. doi:10.1002/ar.24241

    Showed Zapsalis teeth are the second premaxillary teeth of Saurornitholestes langstoni.

    currie2019a