Beipiaognathus
Name:
Beipiaognathus
(Beipiao jaw).
Phonetic: Bey-peow-nay-fus.
Named By: Y. Hu, X. Wang & J.
Huang - 2016.
Classification: Chordata, Reptilia, Dinosauria,
Saurischia, Theropoda, Compsognathidae.
Species: B. jii (type).
Diet: Carnivore.
Size: Unavailable.
Known locations: China, Liaoning Province -
Yixian Formation.
Time period: Early Cretaceous.
Fossil representation: Almost complete specimen.
Described
as a compsognathid dinosaur in 2016, the holotype Beipiaognathus
has since been accused of being a fake. The theory is that the
holotype is actually parts of many different creatures that an
unscrupulous fossil dealer has stuck together in order to sell the
fossil for more money. Unfortunately this is an often occurring
practice fuelled by people who care more about money than science. At
the time of writing the ‘jury is still out’ about the future of
Beipiaognathus being genuine, though most people
are being very
cautious about it, hence it is usually referred to as a dubious genus.
Several
genera have had to have been salvaged from fossil fakers, one
example being the spinosaurid
dinosaur Irritator,
the holotype skull
of which had been artificially elongated before paleontologists set it
right. Most famous of all though was the Archaeoraptor
scandal that
highlighted the damage faked fossils can do.
Further reading
- A new species of
compsognathid from the Early Cretaceous Yixian Formation of Western
Liaoning, China. Journal of Geology. 40: 191–196. - Y.
Hu, X. Wang & J. Huang - 2016.
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