[D] Iguanodon bernissartensis [Su] [T]
Describer
Boulenger, 1881
Time
Cretaceous Early Valanginian Hauterivian Barremian Aptian Albian
Classification
Ornithischia Ornithopoda Iguanodontia Iguanodontidae
Diet
Herbivore
Fossilsite
Wealden Beds, Isle of Wight, West Sussex, England; Wealden Beds Province de la Hainaut, Belgium; Las Zabacheras Beds, Capas Rojas, Provincia de Teruel, castellon, unnamed unit, Cuenca, Spain; Wealden Beds, Nordrhein-Westphalen, Germany
Fall Under
Iguanodon
Length
11 meter
Info
Typespecies - Skull
Iguanodon (Mantell, 1825) = Iguanosaurus (Anonymus, 1824)
Iguanodon > Iguanodon anglicus (Holl, 1829) >> Cetiosaurus brevius (Owen, 1842) Streptospondylus major (Owen, 1842)
Iguanodon > Iguanodon bernissartensis (Boulenger, 1881) > Iguanodon seelyi (Hulke, 1882)
Holotype
(IRSNB 1535) At least 26 associated skeletons and skulls, additonal partial skeletal remains, teeth Even though facultative bipedality seems to have been the norm among iguanodontids, several anatomical features indicate quadrupedal posture, in at least Iguanodon bernissartensis.
In this animal, the forelimb girdle is robust, and the irregular intersternal ossification is developed between the sternals and coracoids. .... Juveniles of I. bernissartensis have forlimb proportions that differ from those of adults (cf. 60 percent of hindlimb length in juveniles vs 70 percent in adults)
Iguanodon anglicus represented by teeth (BMNH 2392), was considered the holotype until the ICZN paper of March 2000: ICZN (2000). Iguanodon Mantell, 1825 (Reptilia, Ornithischia): Iguanodon bernissartensis Boulenger in Beneden, 1881 designated as the type species, and a lectotype designated. Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature. March 31, 2000; 57 (1): 61-62.
Emended diagnosis (Paul, 2007)
Adults large at 8+ m and 3+ tonnes. Overall massively constructed. Premaxillary tip to anterior orbital rim/latter to paraoccipital process tip length ratio ~1.1; dentary pre-coronoid process length/minimum depth ratio under 4. Maxillary process of premaxilla shallow. Dorsal apex of maxilla set posteriorly. Antorbital fossa and fenestra moderate in size. Lacrimal short, does not contact nasal. Accessory palpebral present. Posterior border of occiput deeply indented. Lateral temporal fenestra large. Posterior portion of jugal short. Quadratojugal tall. Quadrate tall, transversely broad, shaft straight, lateral foramen set low, dorso-posterior buttress very large. Diastema absent. Maximum tooth positions 29 in maxilla, 25 in dentary. Dorsosacral/hindlimb length ratio ~1. Posterior dorsal centra antero-posteriorly compressed.
Neural spines of dorsals, sacrals and caudals short. 8 fused sacrals. Scapula blade consistently broad, base very broad, acromion process placed dorsally and directed anteriorly. Coracoid large. Forelimb ~70% length of hindlimb. Deltopectoral crest of humerus proximally located and modest in size. Olecranon process large. Manus massive, phalanx 1 of digit I present, pollex spike and other unguals large. Anterior process of ilium much shorter than main body, main body shallow, posterior acetabular body long. Prepubic process of pubis shallow. Femoral shaft straight. Metatarsal I present, II long.
Carpenter & Ishida (2010) Early and “Middle” Cretaceous Iguanodonts in Time and Space Journal of Iberian Geology 36 (2) 145-164
Iguanodon bernissartensis Boulenger 1881
Locality
Bernissart, Belgium; Brook, Isle of Wight, England
Horizon
Sainte-Barbe Clays; Wessex Formation.
Age
late Barremian-earliest Aptian (Yans et al., 2005; Dejax et al., 2006; Home, 1995).
Comments
This taxon was made the type species for the nominal genus Iguanodon Mantell 1825 by the International Commission of Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN 2000) after being petitioned by Charig and Chapman (1998). Originally one of us supported this proposal (Carpenter 1998), but now believes that this decision was in error because there is ample evidence that a type had been declared by Mantell’s contemporaries operating under the “Rules for Zoological Nomenclature” for 1878: “§ 5.
When the evidence as to the original type of a genus is not perfectly clear and indisputable, then the person who first subdivides the genus may affix the original name to any portion of it at his discretion, and no later author has a right to transfer that name to any other part of the original genus.”
This action was definitely formalized by Hulke (1882a: 144) in a footnote: “The Iguanodon [sic] indicated by the remains in the well-known slab figured in the Foss[il] Rept[tiles] of the Cretaceous formation, pl[ates] xxiii, xxiv, is taken as the type of Iguanodon mantelli” (the specimen referred to is the Maidstone specimen of Mantell, see Norman, 1993).
This fixation of the name to the Maidstone specimen was made because neither Mantell (1825) nor von Meyer (1832) had designated a type (or cotype) specimen. Furthermore, Owen’s (1851) detailed description of the Maidstone specimen was acknowledged as the defining specimen for Iguanodon anatomy prior to the discovery of the Bernissart specimens (e.g., Owen, 1853; Leidy, 1858; Hulke, 1873a).
This action by Hulke essentially formalized what had been widely accepted by the scientific community at the time (e.g., Dollo, 1882: 170) and accepted thereafter (e.g., Woodward 1885, Lydekker, 1888a: 219; Woodward and Sherborn, 1890: 241 footnote; Dollo, 1909: 101; Hooley, 1912: 444; Swinton, 1951). However, because of the ICZN (2000) ruling, nomenclature stability would be upset by altering the type species for Iguanodon.
We therefore reluctantly accept I. bernissartensis as the type species for the genus at this time, but belief the issue needs to be reexamined. The ilium is long and low, with a very long postacetabular process, and long, ventrally angled preacetabular process that expands distally before tapering to the tip. The process is almost parallel to the long, slender pubic peduncle resulting in a narrow preacetabular notch.
The lateral iliac crest is long, extending to the distal end of the postacetabular process and is a prominent overhang for most of its length (see Norman 1980, fig 64 for cross-sections). The dorsal and ventral edges of the postacetabular process are parallel, except distally.
A prominent brevis shelf is present along the ventral margin of the postacetabular process, but this is not visible in lateral view. The ischial peduncle is broad, but is not expanded onto the lateral surface of the ilium. There is a moderately develop postacetabular notch.
Boulenger, 1881
Time
Cretaceous Early Valanginian Hauterivian Barremian Aptian Albian
Classification
Ornithischia Ornithopoda Iguanodontia Iguanodontidae
Diet
Herbivore
Fossilsite
Wealden Beds, Isle of Wight, West Sussex, England; Wealden Beds Province de la Hainaut, Belgium; Las Zabacheras Beds, Capas Rojas, Provincia de Teruel, castellon, unnamed unit, Cuenca, Spain; Wealden Beds, Nordrhein-Westphalen, Germany
Fall Under
Iguanodon
Length
11 meter
Info
Typespecies - Skull
Iguanodon (Mantell, 1825) = Iguanosaurus (Anonymus, 1824)
Iguanodon > Iguanodon anglicus (Holl, 1829) >> Cetiosaurus brevius (Owen, 1842) Streptospondylus major (Owen, 1842)
Iguanodon > Iguanodon bernissartensis (Boulenger, 1881) > Iguanodon seelyi (Hulke, 1882)
Holotype
(IRSNB 1535) At least 26 associated skeletons and skulls, additonal partial skeletal remains, teeth Even though facultative bipedality seems to have been the norm among iguanodontids, several anatomical features indicate quadrupedal posture, in at least Iguanodon bernissartensis.
In this animal, the forelimb girdle is robust, and the irregular intersternal ossification is developed between the sternals and coracoids. .... Juveniles of I. bernissartensis have forlimb proportions that differ from those of adults (cf. 60 percent of hindlimb length in juveniles vs 70 percent in adults)
Iguanodon anglicus represented by teeth (BMNH 2392), was considered the holotype until the ICZN paper of March 2000: ICZN (2000). Iguanodon Mantell, 1825 (Reptilia, Ornithischia): Iguanodon bernissartensis Boulenger in Beneden, 1881 designated as the type species, and a lectotype designated. Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature. March 31, 2000; 57 (1): 61-62.
Emended diagnosis (Paul, 2007)
Adults large at 8+ m and 3+ tonnes. Overall massively constructed. Premaxillary tip to anterior orbital rim/latter to paraoccipital process tip length ratio ~1.1; dentary pre-coronoid process length/minimum depth ratio under 4. Maxillary process of premaxilla shallow. Dorsal apex of maxilla set posteriorly. Antorbital fossa and fenestra moderate in size. Lacrimal short, does not contact nasal. Accessory palpebral present. Posterior border of occiput deeply indented. Lateral temporal fenestra large. Posterior portion of jugal short. Quadratojugal tall. Quadrate tall, transversely broad, shaft straight, lateral foramen set low, dorso-posterior buttress very large. Diastema absent. Maximum tooth positions 29 in maxilla, 25 in dentary. Dorsosacral/hindlimb length ratio ~1. Posterior dorsal centra antero-posteriorly compressed.
Neural spines of dorsals, sacrals and caudals short. 8 fused sacrals. Scapula blade consistently broad, base very broad, acromion process placed dorsally and directed anteriorly. Coracoid large. Forelimb ~70% length of hindlimb. Deltopectoral crest of humerus proximally located and modest in size. Olecranon process large. Manus massive, phalanx 1 of digit I present, pollex spike and other unguals large. Anterior process of ilium much shorter than main body, main body shallow, posterior acetabular body long. Prepubic process of pubis shallow. Femoral shaft straight. Metatarsal I present, II long.
Carpenter & Ishida (2010) Early and “Middle” Cretaceous Iguanodonts in Time and Space Journal of Iberian Geology 36 (2) 145-164
Iguanodon bernissartensis Boulenger 1881
Locality
Bernissart, Belgium; Brook, Isle of Wight, England
Horizon
Sainte-Barbe Clays; Wessex Formation.
Age
late Barremian-earliest Aptian (Yans et al., 2005; Dejax et al., 2006; Home, 1995).
Comments
This taxon was made the type species for the nominal genus Iguanodon Mantell 1825 by the International Commission of Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN 2000) after being petitioned by Charig and Chapman (1998). Originally one of us supported this proposal (Carpenter 1998), but now believes that this decision was in error because there is ample evidence that a type had been declared by Mantell’s contemporaries operating under the “Rules for Zoological Nomenclature” for 1878: “§ 5.
When the evidence as to the original type of a genus is not perfectly clear and indisputable, then the person who first subdivides the genus may affix the original name to any portion of it at his discretion, and no later author has a right to transfer that name to any other part of the original genus.”
This action was definitely formalized by Hulke (1882a: 144) in a footnote: “The Iguanodon [sic] indicated by the remains in the well-known slab figured in the Foss[il] Rept[tiles] of the Cretaceous formation, pl[ates] xxiii, xxiv, is taken as the type of Iguanodon mantelli” (the specimen referred to is the Maidstone specimen of Mantell, see Norman, 1993).
This fixation of the name to the Maidstone specimen was made because neither Mantell (1825) nor von Meyer (1832) had designated a type (or cotype) specimen. Furthermore, Owen’s (1851) detailed description of the Maidstone specimen was acknowledged as the defining specimen for Iguanodon anatomy prior to the discovery of the Bernissart specimens (e.g., Owen, 1853; Leidy, 1858; Hulke, 1873a).
This action by Hulke essentially formalized what had been widely accepted by the scientific community at the time (e.g., Dollo, 1882: 170) and accepted thereafter (e.g., Woodward 1885, Lydekker, 1888a: 219; Woodward and Sherborn, 1890: 241 footnote; Dollo, 1909: 101; Hooley, 1912: 444; Swinton, 1951). However, because of the ICZN (2000) ruling, nomenclature stability would be upset by altering the type species for Iguanodon.
We therefore reluctantly accept I. bernissartensis as the type species for the genus at this time, but belief the issue needs to be reexamined. The ilium is long and low, with a very long postacetabular process, and long, ventrally angled preacetabular process that expands distally before tapering to the tip. The process is almost parallel to the long, slender pubic peduncle resulting in a narrow preacetabular notch.
The lateral iliac crest is long, extending to the distal end of the postacetabular process and is a prominent overhang for most of its length (see Norman 1980, fig 64 for cross-sections). The dorsal and ventral edges of the postacetabular process are parallel, except distally.
A prominent brevis shelf is present along the ventral margin of the postacetabular process, but this is not visible in lateral view. The ischial peduncle is broad, but is not expanded onto the lateral surface of the ilium. There is a moderately develop postacetabular notch.