Dinosauria Translation and Pronunciation Guide R

Ben Creisler

Rahona Forster, Sampson, Chiappe & Krause 1998 "menace from the clouds"

RAH-hoo-nah (Malagasy rahona "cloud, menace") (f) named to indicate a primitive bird from Madagascar with a large, hyperextensible "slashing" claw on the second digit of its feet as in dromaeosaurid dinosaurs. (Generic name preoccupied by an insect (Rahona Griveaud 1975); See Rahonavis]

Rahonavis Forster, Sampson, Chiappe & Krause 1998 "menace-from the-clouds bird"

rah-HOON-a-vis or rah-hoo-NAY-vis (Malagasy rahona "cloud, menace" + Lat. avis "bird") (f) named to indicate a primitive bird from Madagascar with a large, hyperextensible "slashing" claw on the second digit of its feet as in dromaeosaurid dinosaurs. (New name to replace preoccupied Rahona Forster, Sampson, Chiappe & Krause 1998). Skeletal material consists of a pelvis, femur, foot bones and digits, sacrum, dorsal vertebrae and part of the tail, associated with bones of a long forelimb bearing what appear to be quill knobs. The dorsal vertebrae have hyposphene-hypantra articulations, as in theropod dinosaurs. The pubis is vertical, not slanted back as in dromaeosaurids and birds, but has a hypopubic cup at the end, a feature associated with musculature that aids birds in ventilating their lungs. The metatarsal bones of the feet are not fused. These anatomical features, along with the large "slashing" claw on the foot, are very similar to dromaeosaurid dinosaurs. However, the apparent quill knobs on the long forelimbs indicate the animal had feathered wings and could fly. (Some researchers have questioned the association of the "wings" with the rest of the partial dinosaur-like skeleton. They suggest Rahonavis was a small, ground-living theropod dinosaur with a slashing claw, and that the wing bones may come instead from the partial remains of a more advanced type of bird (Vorona) found at the same fossil site, but with its wing bones missing.) Since the Madagascar site dates to the Late Cretaceous, Rahonavis as currently defined represents a very primitive "relict" bird with a long bony tail, similar to Archaeopteryx and dromaeosaurid dinosaurs. It was slightly larger than Archaeopteryx (about the size of a large modern crow). Type species: Rahonavis ostromi "for John Ostrom," the American vertebrate paleontologist who showed the similarities between Archaeopteryx and Deinonychus, and revived the theory that birds evolved from dinosaurs. Aves (?Theropoda) L. Cret. (?Campanian) Madagascar [dino-bird]

Rapator von Huene 1932 "plunderer"

ra-PAY-tor (from Lat. rapto "plunder" + Lat. suffix -ator "one who acts") (m) named to indicate a carnivorous theropod; for a metatarsal. Theropoda i.s. E. Cret. Aus. [nomen dubium]

Rapetosaurus Rogers & Forster 2001 "Rapeto lizard" ("mischievous giant lizard")

rah-PAY-too-SAWR-us (Rapeto, a giant in Malagasy folklore + Gr. sauros "lizard")* (m) named for Rapeto, a mischievous giant in Malagasy folklore, to indicate a large sauropod dinosaur from Madagascar. Rapetosaurus is a large titanosaurian (estimated up to 18 m (50 ft) long) known from a nearly complete adult skull (Holotype: UA 8698 (Universite d'Antananarivo)) plus additional specimens, including the nearly complete postcranial skeleton of a juvenile with associated skull parts; found in the Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) Maevarano Formation, Anembalemba Member, in the Mahajanga basin, northwestern Madagascar. The skull somewhat resembles a diplodocid's and has pencil-shaped teeth in the front of the jaws and nasal bones positioned high on the skull, though in life the fleshy nostril openings probably lay much lower on the face. The expanded antorbital fenestra is unique among sauropods, being very large and long, and extending over the toothrow. Features of the postcranial skeleton, however, confirm that titanosaurs were closely related to brachiosaurids rather than diplodocids. There are 16 cervical, 11 dorsal, 6 sacral vertebrae; cervical neural spines have bifurcation; dorsals and sacrals have deep pleurocoels; caudal centra are procoelous with chevrons under 80% of the length of the tail; unlike in other known titanosaurs, there are strongly developed spinoprezygapophyseal lamina on the caudal neural spines. Humerus about 80% the length of the femur.

Type Species: Rapetosaurus krausei [KROW-sie] Rogers & Forster 2001: for David W. Krause, American paleontologist, "in recognition of his contributions to paleontology in Madagascar." Sauropoda Titanosauriformes Titanosauria Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) Madagascar [added 8- 2001]

Rayososaurus Bonaparte 1996 "Rayoso Formation lizard"

rie-YOH-soh-SAWR-us (Rayoso + Gr. sauros) (m) named for the Middle Cretaceous Rayoso Formation, where the specimen was found in Neuquen Province, Patagonia, Argentina; based on fragmentary remains with a scapula similar to that of Rebbachisaurus; other researchers (J. Calvo and L. Salgado) suggest the material may belong to Rebbachisaurus, now known from South America (R. tessonei). Sauropoda E. Cret. SA.

Rebbachisaurus Lavocat 1954 "Ait Rebbach lizard"

re-BASH-i-SAWR-us (Rebbach + Gr. sauros "lizard") (m) named for the Ait Rebbach, the Berber tribe on whose territory the fossil was found at Gara Sba, Ksar-es-Souk Province, Morocco (type species R. garasbae "of Gara Sba"); remains of another species (R. tessonei, "for Tessone") have recently been identified in Argentina, indicating a land bridge must have existed between Africa and South America during the early part (Albian-Cenomanian) of the Late Cretaceous. Sauropoda Dicraeosauridae L. Cret. NAfr. SA.

Regnosaurus Mantell 1848 "Sussex saurian"*

REG-no-SAWR-us (Regni, an ancient tribe in southern England (modern Sussex) + Gr. sauros "lizard")* (m) alluding to where the fossil was found: "the County of Sussex was anciently inhabited by the Regni." Now identified as a stegosaur. Stegosauria E. Cret. Eur. [nomen dubium]

Revueltosaurus Hunt 1989 "Revuelto Creek (New Mexico) lizard"

re-VWEL-to-SAWR-us (Revuelto (Span. revuelto "mixed up, complicated") + Gr. sauros "lizard") (m) named for Revuelto Creek, near where the fossil was found in New Mexico; for isolated teeth, possibly non-dinosaurian. ?Ornithopoda ?Heterodontosauridae L. Trias. NA. [nomen dubium]

Rhabdodon Matheron 1869 "fluted tooth"

RAB-do-don (from Gr. rhabdosis "fluting on a column" (from Gr. rhabdos "rod, striation") + Gr. odon "tooth") (m) Matheron explains: "because of its fluted teeth [dents cannelées] I propose to give it the generic name of Rhabdodon." The teeth "are...regularly fluted on the upper half of their lateral faces." (The genus name was conserved by ICZN Opinion # 1483, which suppressed the senior homonym Rhabdodon Fleischmann 1831 (Serpentes) both for purposes of priority and homonymy.) Ornithopoda E. Cret. Eur.

Rhadinosaurus Seeley 1881 "slender lizard"

RAD-in-o-SAWR-us (Gr. rhadinos "slender" + Gr. sauros "lizard") (m) named for the slender form of its femur and humerus. ?Ankylosauria ?Nodosauridae L. Cret. Eur. [nomen dubium]

Rhodanosaurus Nopcsa 1929 "Rhone River lizard"

ROD-an-o-SAWR-us (Rhodanos, Latin name for Rhone River + Gr. sauros "lizard") (m) named for the Rhone River region of southern France where the fossil was found. Ankylosauria ?Nodosauridae L. Cret. Eur. [nomen dubium]

Rhoetosaurus Longman 1925 "Rhoetan lizard"

REET-o-SAWR-us (Rhoetus, a giant + Gr. sauros "lizard") named for Rhoetus, one of the Giants in Greek and Roman mythology; to indicate its large size. Sauropoda Cetiosauridae M. Jura. Aus.

Richardoestesia Currie, Rigby & Sloan 1990 "for Richard Estes"

ri-KARD-o-es-TEE-zee-a (f) named to honor Richard Estes (1932--1990), American vertebrate paleontologist, whose 1964 paper on Lance Formation microvertebrate fossils demonstrated the use of theropod teeth in faunal studies; for isolated teeth. Theropoda i.s. L. Cret. NA.

Rileya von Huene 1902 "for H. Riley"

RIE-lee-ya (Riley + -a) (f) named to honor Henry Riley (1797-1848), English medical doctor and paleontologist, who first described the specimen as Palaeosaurus platyodon. (preoccupied by Rileya Howard 1888. See Rileyasuchus)

Rileyasuchus Kuhn 1961 "Riley's crocodile"

RIE-lee-ya-SOOK-us (Rileya + Gr. soukhos "crocodile") (m) to replace preoccupied Rileya von Huene; for Henry Riley (1797-1848), English medical doctor and paleontologist. L. Trias. Eur. Theropoda Herrerasauria i. s. [nomen dubium]

Rioarribasaurus Hunt & Lucas 1991 "Rio Arriba (County) lizard"

REE-o-a-REE-bah-SAWR-us (Rio Arriba (Span. "Upper River") + Gr. sauros "lizard") (m) for Rio Arriba County, New Mexico, where the specimens were found; new name proposed for the "Ghost Ranch theropod" (long referred to as Coelophysis) on the grounds that (1) Cope's problematic "Arroyo Seco" type material made the name Coelophysis a nomen dubium, whose taxonomic identity could not be determined, (2) a petition to the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature to assign a new type specimen (neotype) to conserve the established usage of the name Coelophysis for the "Ghost Ranch theropod" supposedly would not be successful because a type specimen already existed, and (3) Cope's material may have come from a location and stratigraphic horizon different from the "Ghost Ranch" material. E. H. Colbert and a number of other researchers opposed this nomenclatural action as unnecessary and confusing, given the long-established usage of Coelophysis, and filed a petition under ICZN (1985) Recommendation 75E and Art. 79 to ask the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature to assign a new type specimen collected at "Ghost Ranch" (the proposed holotype of Rioarribasaurus AMNH 7224) in order to conserve the name Coelophysis in its accustomed meaning. Hunt, Lucas, and a few others later proposed that Cope's specimens and the "Ghost Ranch" material were taxonomically distinct. However, the ICZN voted in favor of Colbert's petition in June, 1996, and the name Coelophysis was given a new diagnostic type specimen, and added to the Official List of Generic Names in Zoology. The name Rioarribasaurus was put on the Official Index of Rejected and Invalid Generic Names in Zoology, and cannot be used as a valid name in taxonomic literature. [= Coelophysis]

Riojasaurus Bonaparte 1969 "La Rioja (Argentina) lizard"

ree-OH-hah-SAWR-us (Rioja + Gr. sauros "lizard") (m) named for La Rioja Province in northwest Argentina, where the fossil was found in the Los Colorados Formation. Prosauropoda Melanorosauridae L. Trias. SA.

Rocasaurus Salgado & Azpilicueta 2000 "General Roca (Argentina) lizard"

ROH-kah-SAWR-us (Roca + Gr. sauros "lizard")named for the city of General Roca in Rio Negro Province, south-central Argentina. Rocasaurus is a saltasaurine titanosaur known from a partial skeleton (femur, pelvic bones, dorsal and caudal vertebrae) of a juvenile (Holotype: MPCA-Pv 46 (Coleccion de Paleovertebrados del Museo Provincial de Cipolletti)) from the Late Cretaceous (Early Maastrichtian or Campanian-Maastrichtian) lower Allen Formation at Salitral Moreno, near the city of General Roca, Rio Negro Province, Patagonia, Argentina. Notable for a distal expansion on the lateral margin of the pubis, and strongly procoelous caudal vertebrae with a deep ventral groove and a depressed posterior articulation. Rocasaurus shows a close relationship to Saltasaurus from northwest Argentina, and indicates saltasaurine titanosaurs may have evolved in the Argentine region of South America after the breakup of Gondwana.

Type Species: Rocasaurus muniozi [moo-NYOH-sie] Salgado & Azpilicueta 2000 for Juan Carlos Muñoz, director of the Paleontology Area of the "Carlos Ameghino" Museum in Cipolleti, for his long-term support for paleontological investigations in the region. Sauropoda Titanosauridae Saltsaurinae Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) SA [added 3-2001]