Pronunciation: gih-dee-on-man-tell-ee-uh
Meaning: for Gideon Mantell
Author/s: Ruiz-Omeñaca et al. (2012)
Synonyms: None known
First Discovery: Galve, Spain
Discovery Chart Position: #816
Gideonmantellia amosanjuanae
Gideonmantellia is an ornithopod dinosaur that was found in an Early Cretaceous-aged loam pit near the Spanish Village of Galve by amateur palaeontologist José María Herrero in 1982. With 104 known parts from its vertebral column, left hip and both hindlimbs, it's the most complete ornithopod (and one of the most complete dinosaurs of any stamp) known from Spain. But despite its relative completeness and expert scrutiny at various stages of exposure from its fossil-obscuring muck over three decades, it was only officially named in 2012, after one man's eighteen-year labour of love.
Concerned that most of its Museum-displayed remains were hidden from view by rock matrix, José Ignacio Ruiz-Omeñaca fully cleaned specimen MPG-PBCH himself in 1994-1995, which is when he realised that José Luis Sanz and colleagues had erred in assigning parts of it to Valdosaurus and Hypsilophodon foxi. His breakthrough was announced with Gloria Cuenca-Bescós in "Un nuevo dinosaurio hipsilofodóntido (Ornithischia) del Barremiense Inferior de Galve" later the same year. Then he embarked on a PhD thesis in 1996 with MPG-PBCH as his main subject, which resulted in a new name, Gideonmantellia amosanjuanae, being bestowed upon the specimen in his dissertation ten years later.
Unfortunately, for him, a dissertation is not a valid medium for officially naming new dinosaurs, and we rejoiced. Not that we have anything against the specimen personally, or question its value to science. But the name is a bit lame, bearing in mind the late great Gideon Mantell's sole association with this dinosaur is naming the critter that the two species it was erroneously assigned to were erroneously assigned to (Iguanodon). Unfortunately, for us, Ruiz-Omeñaca's first job as a professional palaeontologist was to officially add Gideonmantellia to the roll call of dinosaurs, so now we're stuck with it, warts and all.
On the ornithopod branch of the dinosaurian family tree, Gideonmantellia is more derived than the likes of Orodromeus, Haya and Hypsilophodon. It appears to be closest to Thescelosaurus.
Concerned that most of its Museum-displayed remains were hidden from view by rock matrix, José Ignacio Ruiz-Omeñaca fully cleaned specimen MPG-PBCH himself in 1994-1995, which is when he realised that José Luis Sanz and colleagues had erred in assigning parts of it to Valdosaurus and Hypsilophodon foxi. His breakthrough was announced with Gloria Cuenca-Bescós in "Un nuevo dinosaurio hipsilofodóntido (Ornithischia) del Barremiense Inferior de Galve" later the same year. Then he embarked on a PhD thesis in 1996 with MPG-PBCH as his main subject, which resulted in a new name, Gideonmantellia amosanjuanae, being bestowed upon the specimen in his dissertation ten years later.
Unfortunately, for him, a dissertation is not a valid medium for officially naming new dinosaurs, and we rejoiced. Not that we have anything against the specimen personally, or question its value to science. But the name is a bit lame, bearing in mind the late great Gideon Mantell's sole association with this dinosaur is naming the critter that the two species it was erroneously assigned to were erroneously assigned to (Iguanodon). Unfortunately, for us, Ruiz-Omeñaca's first job as a professional palaeontologist was to officially add Gideonmantellia to the roll call of dinosaurs, so now we're stuck with it, warts and all.
On the ornithopod branch of the dinosaurian family tree, Gideonmantellia is more derived than the likes of Orodromeus, Haya and Hypsilophodon. It appears to be closest to Thescelosaurus.
Etymology
Gideonmantellia is named for Gideon Mantell, the English geologist who named Iguanodon in 1825. The species epithet, amosanjuanae, honours the late María Olga Amo Sanjuán, a palaeontologist who studied the Cretaceous Galve fauna.
Discovery
The remains of Gideonmantellia were discovered at the Poyales Barranco Canales site in the Camarillas Formation, near Galve, Teruel province, Spain, in 1982 by José María Herrero Marzo and his son Jesús. Sadly, José passed away on May 20, 2012 while the manuscript was still in review.
The holotype (MPG-PBCH) is a partial, skulless, juvenile skeleton including thirty-three assorted vertebrae with some associated arches and chevrons, rib fragments, tendons, the left pelvis and both hindlimbs.
