Pronunciation: SKEL-i-do-SOR-us
Meaning: Shin lizard
Author/s: Owen (1868)
Synonyms: None known
First Discovery: Dorset, England
Discovery Chart Position: #19
Scelidosaurus harrisonii
Scelidosaurus was found in the Liassic cliffs of Charmouth, Dorset, by James Harrison in 1858, and became the first essentially complete dinosaur to be subjected to proper scientific scrutiny when Sir Richard Owen put the finishing touches to its description in 1863. Owen, however, didn't designate a holotype, and the lectotype knee joint chosen by Richard Lyddekker turned out to be from a carnosaur. Still, the ICZN later designated BMNH R1111 as a replacement type in 1994, which saved this particular thyreophoran, or "shield bearer", from certain obscurity.
Despite some features in common with Stegosaurus, Scelidosaurus may be more closely related to ankylosaurs than it is to stegosaurs, which is what Carpenter suspected in 2001 when he coined Ankylosauromorpha to group Scelidosaurus with Ankylosauria at the expense of Stegosauria and basal thyreophorans. Other palaeontologists think this placement is too precise and reckon that the primitive Scelidosaurus evolved before Thyreophora split into ankylosaurs and stegosaurs. Needless to say, other palaeontologists have their own opinions. But, whatever the case, we can't help thinking that Owen missed a trick.
Although bogged down with lectures, and collections to organise, a torrent of fossils from New Zealand, Australia and South Africa to review and plans for a dedicated museum of natural history to make, Owen still found the time for a heated Hippopotamus debate with Huxley and to "anonymously" chastise Darwin's theory of evolution. What he didn't have time to do, seemingly, was fire a broadside at Mantell and Leidy who were reconstructing dinosaurs as skinny lizards and kangaroo's respectively, which is suprising, because Scelidosaurus was built to support his long-held theory that some dinosaurs were actually heavy-limbed quadrupeds.
Wherever its affinities lie, Scelidosaurus — the shin lizard — had a remarkably small head and sported body armour. Given its robust build, it would have been very ponderous, more so than Bradycmene draculae whose shin was also ponderous, but Greek rather than Latin, and probably belonged to an alvarezsaurid... though it was originally thought to be a giant owl.
ZooBank registry: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:B468165F-6229-4E98-9601-096103F641EF.
Despite some features in common with Stegosaurus, Scelidosaurus may be more closely related to ankylosaurs than it is to stegosaurs, which is what Carpenter suspected in 2001 when he coined Ankylosauromorpha to group Scelidosaurus with Ankylosauria at the expense of Stegosauria and basal thyreophorans. Other palaeontologists think this placement is too precise and reckon that the primitive Scelidosaurus evolved before Thyreophora split into ankylosaurs and stegosaurs. Needless to say, other palaeontologists have their own opinions. But, whatever the case, we can't help thinking that Owen missed a trick.
Although bogged down with lectures, and collections to organise, a torrent of fossils from New Zealand, Australia and South Africa to review and plans for a dedicated museum of natural history to make, Owen still found the time for a heated Hippopotamus debate with Huxley and to "anonymously" chastise Darwin's theory of evolution. What he didn't have time to do, seemingly, was fire a broadside at Mantell and Leidy who were reconstructing dinosaurs as skinny lizards and kangaroo's respectively, which is suprising, because Scelidosaurus was built to support his long-held theory that some dinosaurs were actually heavy-limbed quadrupeds.
Wherever its affinities lie, Scelidosaurus — the shin lizard — had a remarkably small head and sported body armour. Given its robust build, it would have been very ponderous, more so than Bradycmene draculae whose shin was also ponderous, but Greek rather than Latin, and probably belonged to an alvarezsaurid... though it was originally thought to be a giant owl.
