Pronunciation: EE-o-DROHM-ee-us
Meaning: Dawn runner
Author/s: Martinez, Sereno, et al. (2011)
Synonyms: None known
First Discovery: San Juan, Argentina
Discovery Chart Position: #764
Eodromaeus murphi
Not to be confused with Eodromeus, a dubious insect from the Berriasian-aged Zaza Formation of the Russian Federation, Eodromaeus (with an "a") was discovered by Paul Sereno at the "Valley of the moon" in San Juan, Argentina, and spent many moon misidentified as the partial remains of another primitive critter: Eoraptor.
Murphy's Dawn RunnerEtymology
Eodromaeus is derived from the Greek "eos" (dawn) and "dromeus" (runner).
The species epithet, murphi, honors Jim Murphy, a long-standing American participant on field teams that worked in the area of its discovery.
Discovery
Eodromaeus was discovered in the Valle de la Luna ("Valley of the Moon") Member of the Ischigualasto Formation, San Juan, northwestern Argentina, in 1988. However, the first remains were merely fragments, initially considered the property of Eoraptor, and it wasn't until the excavation and examination of two skeletons discovered side by side in 1996 that Eodromaeus was coined.
The holotype (PVSJ 560, housed at Instituto y Museo de Ciencias Naturles, Universidad Nacional de San Juan, San Juan, Argentina) is a nearly complete skull and skeleton.
