Pronunciation: SAHR-ko-LES-teez
Meaning: Flesh robber
Author/s: Lydekker (1893)
Synonyms: None known
First Discovery: Cambridgeshire, England
Discovery Chart Position: #80
Sarcolestes leedsi
In a monumental mis-naming of Oviraptor proportions (the "egg plunderer" didn't plunder eggs, it simply mothered them), Sarcolestes was named "flesh robber" on the assumption that its fragmentary fossils, found in a Cambridgeshire brick pit, belonged to a carnivorous dinosaur.
Actually, "fragmentary fossils" may be a tad generous. Sarcolestes is known only from a partial left-side lower jaw bone, closer inspection of which revealed banks of replacement teeth typical of herbivorous dinosaurs, and its next stop was Stegosauria, courtesy of Franz Nopcsa in 1901.
In 1980 Peter Galton assigned it to Nodosauridae as the oldest known member no less, mainly because its jaw appears to be similar to that of Sauropelta, which was previously the oldest nodosaurid but is a good 50 million years younger than Sarcolestes. However, many experts believe Sarcolestes' fossils are too poor to be classified as anything so specific, and suggest it is a dubious critter at worst or an ankylosaur of uncertain affinities at best. Either way, it isn't good.
Actually, "fragmentary fossils" may be a tad generous. Sarcolestes is known only from a partial left-side lower jaw bone, closer inspection of which revealed banks of replacement teeth typical of herbivorous dinosaurs, and its next stop was Stegosauria, courtesy of Franz Nopcsa in 1901.
In 1980 Peter Galton assigned it to Nodosauridae as the oldest known member no less, mainly because its jaw appears to be similar to that of Sauropelta, which was previously the oldest nodosaurid but is a good 50 million years younger than Sarcolestes. However, many experts believe Sarcolestes' fossils are too poor to be classified as anything so specific, and suggest it is a dubious critter at worst or an ankylosaur of uncertain affinities at best. Either way, it isn't good.
Etymology
Sarcolestes is derived from the Greek "sarx" (flesh) and "lestes" (robber) - the same as "raptor" in Latin. This name was bestowed by Richard Lydekker who would surely be ashamed of himself if he hadn't been dead for ninety six years as of 2011. The species epithet, leedsi, is named in honor of Mr. A. N. Leeds of Eyebury, near Peterborough, who discovered the fossil.
Discovery
The remains of Sarcolestes were discovered in a brick-pit of the Oxford Clay Formation at Fletton, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, in 1893.The holotype (BMNH R2682) is a single left lower jaw bone.
