Prehistoric animals that need a scientific name

[Sim]

It wasn't on the list.  Even if I'd known about it I wouldn't have added it as the list is only for specimens known from good remains.  Gavialimimus is a really great discovery though, thanks for sharing it!

[TethysaurusUK]

Prior to the re-assessment, 'Platecarpus' ptychodon was actually known from several good specimens including a specimen figured in Bardet et al. (2015) as well as teeth and osteological studies presented under the 'P.' ptychodon classification. But I understand the perspective of your list.

[Sim]

Oh, thanks for the correction!

[TethysaurusUK]

Oh, thanks for the correction!

I myself have a few teeth and the anterior of the right dentary. It's very cool to have a partial specimen of this rare mosasaur.

[Funk]

Not sure if you've seen this list on Wikipedia, but there are a lot of additional dinosaurs with informal names: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_informally_named_dinosaurs

[Sim]

Thanks, I have seen that list on Wikipedia, if there are any dinosaurs known from good remains (= we know what their appearance was like) that I've missed let me know!

[Funk]

I recently added "Julieraptor" to the list, among others (you can see more well-preserved skeletons in the list):

[Sim]

I consider the skull to be necessary to consider an animal's appearance to be known.  Julieraptor is missing most of the skull including parts that define its appearance...: https://www.deviantart.com/franz-josef73/art/Julieraptor-Saurornitholestes-Skeleton-343320413

[stargatedalek]

I consider the skull to be necessary to consider an animal's appearance to be known.  Julieraptor is missing most of the skull including parts that define its appearance...: https://www.deviantart.com/franz-josef73/art/Julieraptor-Saurornitholestes-Skeleton-343320413

It's still known a mostly complete skeleton, and it's part of a group with relatively low variation in skull shape.

More importantly though, there are key differences in the general skeletal structure that make it abundantly clear this is a distinct animal. Distinct genus? Not my call, but a distinct species to be sure.

This isn't like an animal being defined only from the teeth, trace fossils, or fragmented remains. We have the majority of the animal and enough to say decisively that it's distinct.

[Sim]

Dromaeosaurids have relatively high variation in skull shape.  Julieraptor is interesting.  It might be a specimen of Saurornitholestes.

[Sim]

I've removed species that have been classified in Steneosaurus as they have now received new genus names.  The paper for this is here: https://peerj.com/articles/9808/  The original entry can be seen below.

Species that have been classified in Steneosaurus
Image of "S." bollensis: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Macrospondylus_bollensis_Holzmaden.jpg
Image of "S." edwardsi: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Steneosaurus_durobrivensis_45.jpg
Image of "S." heberti: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Steneosaurus_heberti_skull.JPG
Comments: Steneosaurus may be an undiagnostic nomen dubium and species that had been classified within it may need new genus names.

[Sim]

I've added Triceratops sp. to the list.

[Smilodon P.]

As it is an article with a paywall, I am unable to enter. But, it seems that from the other sources I consulted, it still doesn't have a scientific name, just the nickname. So, I think it would fit in this thread:

The remains of UFSM 11130 were found 20 years ago in rocks of the upper Triassic of southern Brazil. Initially, considered as a large sauropodomorph, it was nicknamed "Saturnalião" (Big Saturnalia). However, after a reanalysis of the known fossil, it was found that it had greater affinity with the herresaurids.

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14772019.2021.1873433?journalCode=tjsp20

[Stegotyranno420]

For the recent Herrerasaur:Eovenator saturnalius?( The Dawn Hunter [of Saturnalia])
Falliturosteus brazilensis?([Brazillian] False Bones)

Others:
Dino-Park-form:Daspletosaurus robustus(it seems more bulkier than others based on what i know)([Robust] Frightful Reptile)
Trans-Microraptoran: Jiufotangopteryx avisauriens (Jiufotang Winged [Bird-reptile])
Nurosaurus:Dizhenlong magnus([Greater] Dizhen Dragon)
Ornithomimosaurus/ELaphrosaur: Elegasaurus gallius ([Gaulic/French] Elegant Reptile)
Triceratops sp.: Triceratops megaceras (Three [Giant] Horned Face)

Yeah i may not be the best in this field, so sorry if this makes you cringe or shake your head in disgust

[Stegotyranno420]

deleted

[austrosaurus]

Could the many, many species in Mamenchisaurus and Omeisaurus fall under the scope of this list? The two genera are in desperate need of revision, and I'm sure that if/when someone gets around to that, a fair few of those species will fall outside the scope of their respective genus.

[austrosaurus]

For the recent Herrerasaur:Eovenator saturnalius?
Falliturosteus brazilensis?

Others:
Dino-Park-form:Daspletosaurus robustus(it seems more bulkier than others based on what i know)
Trans-Microraptoran: Jiufotangopteryx avisauriens
Nurosaurus:Dizhenlong magnus
Ornithomimosaurus/ELaphrosaur: Elegasaurus gallius
Triceratops sp.: Triceratops megaceras

Yeah i may not be the best in this field, so sorry if this makes you cringe or shake your head in disgust

I'm a big fan of D. robustus for the Dinosaur Park Daspletosaurus! The other names are all pretty good as well, certainly not as bad as Dynamoterror!

[Halichoeres]

Could the many, many species in Mamenchisaurus and Omeisaurus fall under the scope of this list? The two genera are in desperate need of revision, and I'm sure that if/when someone gets around to that, a fair few of those species will fall outside the scope of their respective genus.

That's a whole can of worms, isn't it? I interpreted this list as things that have no name, but there are plenty of things that have names, but the names don't work for a variety of reasons, so they still need new ones. I'm hoping a Mamenchisaurus-adjacent revision happens sooner rather than later.

[Sim]

S @Smilodon P., there's not enough preserved of "Big Saturnalia" for me to add it to the list, but thanks for bringing it to my attention!

@Stegotyranno420, I don't know the meaning of some of the names you proposed, but the others look good!

Could the many, many species in Mamenchisaurus and Omeisaurus fall under the scope of this list? The two genera are in desperate need of revision, and I'm sure that if/when someone gets around to that, a fair few of those species will fall outside the scope of their respective genus.

Until it's known which species don't belong in Mamenchisaurus and Omeisaurus, they don't belong on the list.

[Stegotyranno420]

@Sim alright thanks for telling me i added name meanings in ( ) and the species name meaning are in [ ]
once again, sorry if they arent professional, I'm no paleontologist