Pronunciation: hah-yah
Meaning: Horse Faced
Author/s: Makovicky et al. (2011)
Synonyms: None known
First Discovery: Dornogovi, Mongolia
Discovery Chart Position: #778
Haya griva
Until 2011 the Asian branch of Ornithopoda was represented by only two diagnostic members: Jeholosaurus and Changchunsaurus. Then along came Haya with a variety of growth stage specimens in tow and bolstered its ranks.
Known from several individuals discovered in the Javkhlant Formation of Mongolia, Haya Griva is named after the Horse-headed Hindu God Hayagriva, in reference to its long, horse-like head, and is only the second ornithopod to be discovered with plant-grinding gastroliths. It is also the second dinosaur from the informally tagged "Khugenetslavkant sandstone facies" to be named after a Hindu deity, the other being a small, horn-faced plant muncher called Yamaceratops: Yama horned face.
In the Indian mythology scheme of things, Hayagriva is the God of wisdom and an avatar of Vishnu, who is one of a triad of Hindu biggie Gods. However, Yama is a Vedic original (Vedicism was the precursor to Hinduism) who was doing the rounds long before holy scribblers invented "Super Gods" to keep Buddhism in check and trumps Hayagriva simply by being the God of death. Death trumps everything, eventually, as do science's laws of priority, unless Allosaurus or Tyrannosaurus are involved, of course.
Haya griva (the dinosaur) spent a while being referred to as a "Changchunsaur", one of a handful of small, primitive, beaked Asian critters that seemed to form a family at the foot of Ornithopoda. But this group was officially named "Jeholosauridae" by Han Feng-Lu and pals in 2012|1| because Jeholosaurus, with a holotype that lacks ribs and looks like a stick insect with an oversized head, was named before Changchunsaurus so takes precedence.
Known from several individuals discovered in the Javkhlant Formation of Mongolia, Haya Griva is named after the Horse-headed Hindu God Hayagriva, in reference to its long, horse-like head, and is only the second ornithopod to be discovered with plant-grinding gastroliths. It is also the second dinosaur from the informally tagged "Khugenetslavkant sandstone facies" to be named after a Hindu deity, the other being a small, horn-faced plant muncher called Yamaceratops: Yama horned face.
In the Indian mythology scheme of things, Hayagriva is the God of wisdom and an avatar of Vishnu, who is one of a triad of Hindu biggie Gods. However, Yama is a Vedic original (Vedicism was the precursor to Hinduism) who was doing the rounds long before holy scribblers invented "Super Gods" to keep Buddhism in check and trumps Hayagriva simply by being the God of death. Death trumps everything, eventually, as do science's laws of priority, unless Allosaurus or Tyrannosaurus are involved, of course.
Haya griva (the dinosaur) spent a while being referred to as a "Changchunsaur", one of a handful of small, primitive, beaked Asian critters that seemed to form a family at the foot of Ornithopoda. But this group was officially named "Jeholosauridae" by Han Feng-Lu and pals in 2012|1| because Jeholosaurus, with a holotype that lacks ribs and looks like a stick insect with an oversized head, was named before Changchunsaurus so takes precedence.
Etymology
The generic name and species epithet is a rather cunning split of Hayagriva: the horse-headed Hindu deity, in reference to its elongated horse-like skull.
Discovery
The remains of Haya were discovered in the Khugenetslavkant locality of the Javkhlant Formation, Dornogovi, Mongolia, by a joint Mongolian Academy of Sciences and American Museum of Natural History expedition in 2002. The holotype (IGM 100/2017) is a complete skull and some neck vertebrae. Much material has been assigned here, including IGM 100/2015 (a nearly complete skeleton, missing only the tip of the tail, the feet, and some fingers), IGM 100/2016 (a juvenile skull missing the snout), and IGM 100/2019 (a nearly complete skull and skeleton) which is still undergoing preparation.
Collectively, almost the entire skeletal anatomy of Haya is known, including partial growth series of skulls and thigh bones.
