Pronunciation: pen-el-o-pog-nay-thus
Meaning: Wild duck jaw
Author/s: Godefroit, Li, and Shang (2005)
Synonyms: None known
First Discovery: Inner Mongolia, China
Discovery Chart Position: #565
Penelopognathus weishampeli
(Weishampel's Wild Duck Jaw)Etymology
Penelopognathus is derived from the Greek "Penelops" (wild duck), referring to hadrosauroids, known colloquially as duck-billed dinosaurs) and "gnathos" (jaw). The name also honours Penelope, the wife of Odysseus who was forced to fend off
suitors while her
husband was away fighting at Troy, but we're not sure of the relevance.
The species epithet, weishampeli, honours palaeontologist David Weishampel, for his important contribution to the knowledge of duck-billed dinosaurs.
Discovery
The remains of Penelopognathus were discovered in the Bayin-Gobi Formation at Qiriga Village, Urad Houqi Banner, Bayan Nor League, Nei Mongol (Inner Mongolia), China, in 2002. The holotype (IMM 2002-BYGB-1) is a right dentary (tooth-bearing bone of the lower jaw), 300 mm in length.
