''Calamospondylus'' (meaning "quill vertebrae") is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

of theropod

dinosaur Dinosaurs are a diverse group of reptiles of the clade Dinosauria. They first appeared during the Triassic period, between 243 and 233.23 million years ago (mya), although the exact origin and timing of the evolution of dinosaurs is t ...

. It lived during the

Early Cretaceous The Early Cretaceous ( geochronological name) or the Lower Cretaceous (chronostratigraphic name), is the earlier or lower of the two major divisions of the Cretaceous. It is usually considered to stretch from 145 Ma to 100.5 Ma. Geology Pro ...

and its fossils were found on the Isle of Wight in southern

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

. The type species is ''C. oweni''. The holotype was collected by William D. Fox in 1865 and ''Calamospondylus oweni'' was described anonymously by amateur

paleontologist Paleontology (), also spelled palaeontology or palæontology, is the scientific study of life that existed prior to, and sometimes including, the start of the Holocene epoch (roughly 11,700 years before present). It includes the study of fossi ...

William D. Fox in 1866 on the basis of a sacrum and associated pelvic elements found on the Isle of Wight in the layers of the Wessex Formation. Several authors (e.g. Woodward & Sherborn 1890; Swinton 1936; Steel 1970) regarded ''Calamospondylus'' as a ''nomen nudum'' for '' Aristosuchus'' and therefore based on the same specimen as the ''Aristosuchus'' holotype. However, as noted by Naish (2002), size discrepancies between the holotypes of ''Calamospondylus oweni'' and ''Aristosuchus pusillus'' as well as letters of correspondence between Richard Owen and Reverend William Fox demonstrate that ''C. oweni'' is based on a different specimen than ''Aristosuchus''.Naish, D. (2002). The historical taxonomy of the Lower Cretaceous theropods (Dinosauria) ''Calamospondylus'' and '' Aristosuchus'' from the Isle of Wight. ''Proceedings of the Geologists' Association'' 113: 153-163.Naish, D. (2011). Theropod dinosaurs. In Batten, D. J. (ed.) English Wealden Fossils. ''The Palaeontological Association'' (London), pp. 526–559. More remains have since been found, including fragmentary

vertebrae The spinal column, a defining synapomorphy shared by nearly all vertebrates,Hagfish are believed to have secondarily lost their spinal column is a moderately flexible series of vertebrae (singular vertebra), each constituting a characteristic i ...

collected by Kai Bailey in 2014 and a

tibia The tibia (; ), also known as the shinbone or shankbone, is the larger, stronger, and anterior (frontal) of the two bones in the leg below the knee in vertebrates (the other being the fibula, behind and to the outside of the tibia); it connects ...

also collected by Fox in 1865. Both specimens are on display at the Dinosaur Expeditions, Conservation and Palaeoart Centre near

Brighstone Brighstone is a village and civil parish on the Isle of Wight, 6 miles southwest of Newport on the B3399 road. Brighstone was previously known as "Brixton". The name derives from the Saxon name " Ecgbert's Tun". Brighstone is the largest vi ...

, Isle of Wight. As a possible

oviraptorosauria Oviraptorosaurs ("egg thief lizards") are a group of feathered maniraptoran dinosaurs from the Cretaceous Period of what are now Asia and North America. They are distinct for their characteristically short, beaked, parrot-like skulls, with or wit ...

n, ''Calamospondylus'' would have been a small,

agile Agile may refer to: * Agile, an entity that possesses agility Project management * Agile software development, a development method * Agile construction, iterative and incremental construction method * Agile learning, the application of incremen ...

, bipedal carnivore. Naish ''et al.'' (2001) estimate the living animal would have been around long.Naish, D., Hutt, S., and Martill, D.M. (2001). Saurischian dinosaurs 2: theropods. In: Martill, D.M., and Naish, D. (eds.). ''Dinosaurs of the Isle of Wight.'' The Palaeontological Association:London, 242-309.

References

Prehistoric coelurosaurs Barremian life Early Cretaceous dinosaurs of Europe Cretaceous England Fossils of England Fossil taxa described in 1866 {{theropod-stub

See also

References