Megalosaurus

Credit: Mark Witton.

*Megalosaurus* is an extinct genus of theropod dinosaur that lived during the Middle Jurassic in southern England.

## Description

Only one species, *M. bucklandii*, is known. *Megalosaurus*' remains are fragmentary and sparse, leading scientists to not know much about the body plan of *Megalosaurus*. *Megalosaurus* is the first validly-named non-avian dinosaur.

## History

In 1824, the genus *Megalosaurus* was the first validly named non-avian dinosaur. Scientists had discovered fragments of dinosaur bones for many years, but when experts published a paper describing a fossil named *Scrotum humanum* (in relation to human anatomy) it was decided the fossils were something new. The fossil was, in fact, the lower femur of a dead animal unknown to science. Scientists thought it was from a war elephant, or even a massive human. A scientist by the name of William Buckland declared the genus a giant extinct 'lizard'. The genus was coined *Megalosaurus* and later given the classification of Dinosauria.

## Species

### Valid

* M. sp. (nomen nudum?)
* *M. conybeari*
* *M. bucklandii*
* *M. bucklandi*
* *M. phillipsi* (nomen non rite publicatum)

### Nomina nuda

* *M. tibetensis*
* *M. dapukaensis*

## Synonyms

### Nomina dubia

* *M. horridus*
* *M. cloacinus* (=*Plateosaurus cloacinus*, =*Gresslyosaurus cloacinus*)
* *M. insignis* (=*Streptospondylus insignis*, =*Erectopus insignus*)
* *M. meriani* (=*Labrosaurus meriani*, =*Antrodemus meriani*, =*Allosaurus meriani*)
* *M. schnaitheimi*
* *M. obtusus*
* *M. pannoniensis*
* *M. gracilis*
* *M. nasicornis*
* *M. aquilungius*
* *M. valens* (=*Poekilopleuron valens*, =*Antrodesmus valens*, =*Allosaurus valens*)
* *M. trihenodon*
* *M. hungaricus*
* *M. lonzeensis* (=*Ornithomimus lonzeensis*, =*Struthiomimus lonzeensis*)
* *M. cuvieri*
* *M. woodwardi* (=*M. lydekkerii*, =*M. (Magnosaurus) woodwardi*)
* *M. ingens*
* *M. poikilopleuron*
* *M. lydekkeri* (=*M. woodwardi*, =*Magnosaurus lydekkeri*)
* *M. terquemi*
* *M. (Magnosaurus) woodwardi* (=*Magnosaurus woodwardi*, =*Sarcosaurus andrewsi*)
* *M. andrewsi*
* *M. mersensis*
* *M. nicaeensis*
* *M. africanus*
* *M. pombali*
* *M. silesiacus*
* *M. inexpectatus*
* *M. destructor*
* *M. incognitus*
* *M. chubutensis*
* *M. rawesi*
* *M. tanneri*
* *M. schmidti* (chimera; =*Poekilopleuron schmidti*)
* *M. ornatus*
* *M. monasterii*
* ?*M. cambrensis* (=*Zanclodon cambrensis*, =*Gresslyosaurus cambrensis*)
* *M. dunkeri* (=*Streptospondylus dunkeri*, =*Prodeinodon dunkeri*)

### Reassigned

* *M. superbus*
* *M.bredai*
* *M. oweni* (=*Altispinax oweni*, =*Valdoraptor oweni*)
* *M. crenatissimus* (=*Dryptosaurus crenatissimus*, =*Majungasaurus crenatissimus*, =*Majungatholus atopus*)
* *M. bradleyi*
* *M. parkeri* (=*Altispinax parkeri*, =*Metriacanthosaurus parkeri*)
* *M. nethercombensis*
* *M. saharicus* (=*M. (Dryptosaurus) sahricus*, =*Carcharodontosaurus saharicus*, =*M. africanus* (lapsus))
* *M. wetherilli*
* *M. hesperis*

## Subgenera

* *Magnosaurus* (disproven)
* *Dryptosaurus* (disproven)

## References

* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megalosaurus
* https://twitter.com/DanPalaeon1/status/1505918538946596869