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Re: Allosaurus species



In a message dated 95-11-30 20:23:05 EST, GaryKerr@aol.com writes:

>I know that the classification of the various species of Allosaurus (A.
>fragilis, A. atrox, A. amplexus, "Epanterias", etc.) has been the subject of
>some debate over the years.  Would anybody out there like to expound on the
>latest thinking regarding the classification of allosaurs?  Which species
>names are valid and which aren't?  How do you distinguish the valid species
>from one another?  And just out of curiousity, what are the vital stats of
>the largest known specimen of Allosaurus?
>
>

Here's the current listing for Allosaurus and Antrodemus from Mesozoic
Meanderings #2:

Genus: Allosaurus Marsh, 1877
  = Allosaurs Holtz, 1994 [sic]
  = Altosaurus Cope, 1882 [sic]
  = Apatodon Marsh, 1877 [nomen dubium]
  = Creosaurus Marsh, 1878
  = Empaterias Norman, 1985 [sic]
  = Empaterius White, 1973 [sic]
  = Epanterias Cope, 1878 (provisionally)
  = Epantherias Romer, 1966 [sic]
  = Labradosaurus Bonaparte, 1978 [sic]
  = Labrasaurus Riggs, 1900 [sic]
  = Labrosaurus Marsh, 1879
  = Laerosaurus Glut, 1972 [sic]
  A. fragilis Marsh, 1877 (Type)
    = Antrodemus fragilis (Marsh, 1877) de Lapparent & Zbyszewski, 1957
    = Labrosaurus fragilis (Marsh, 1877) Nopcsa, 1901
    = Apatodon mirus Marsh, 1877 [nomen dubium] (Type)
    = Allosaurus lucaris Marsh, 1878
    = Antrodemus lucaris (Marsh, 1878) Hay, 1902
    = Labrosaurus lucaris (Marsh, 1878) Marsh, 1879
    = Creosaurus atrox Marsh, 1878 (Type)
    = Allosaurus atrox (Marsh, 1878) Paul, 1987
    = Antrodemus atrox (Marsh, 1878) Gilmore, 1920
    = Camptonotus amplus Marsh, 1879
    = Camptosaurus amplus (Marsh, 1879) Marsh, 1885
    = Allosaurus lucarius Sauvage, 1880 [sic]
    = Labrosaurus ferox Marsh, 1884 (provisionally)
    = Allosaurus agilis von Zittel, 188790 [sic]
    = Labrosaurus fragilis Marsh, 1896 [sic, for Labrosaurus ferox]
    = Allosaurus gracilis von Huene, 1929 [sic]
    = Antrodemus gracilis von Huene, 1929 [sic]
    = Labrosaurus lucarius McIntosh, 1965 [sic]
    = Allosaurus fragillis Kurzanov, 1989 [sic]
  ?A. amplexus (Cope, 1878) Paul, 1988
    = Epanterias amplexus Cope, 1878 (Type)
NOTE: Bakker (1990) considers Epanterias a separate (and larger) genus from
Allosaurus.
  ?A. ferox Marsh, 1896
    = Antrodemus ferox (Marsh, 1896) Ostrom & McIntosh, 1966
  ?A. tendagurensis Janensch, 1925 [nomen dubium]
    = Antrodemus tendagurensis (Janensch, 1925) von Huene, 1932 [nomen
dubium]
    = Allosaurus tandurensis D. A. Russell, 1994 (not 1993) [sic]
  [New small species to be described from the Morrison Formation by J. A.
Madsen and 
    S. P. Welles]
  [New species to be described from the Morrison Formation by R. T. Bakker]
  [Possible new species, or new genus of allosaurid, to be described from the
Early 
    Cretaceous of Australia; about 40% the size of Allosaurus fragilis; P.
V.-Rich & T. H. 
    Rich, 1993]

Genus: Antrodemus Leidy, 1870 [nomen dubium; = Allosaurus?]
  = Anthrodemus von Huene, 1926 [sic]
  = Antrodesmus Mook, 1916 [sic]
  A. valens (Leidy, 1870) Leidy, 1870 (Type)
    = Poekilopleuron valens Leidy, 1870 emend. Olshevsky, 1992 [nomen dubium]
    = Poicilopleuron valens Leidy, 1870 [nomen dubium]*
    = Allosaurus valens (Leidy, 1870) Gilmore, 1920 [nomen dubium]
    = Megalosaurus valens (Leidy, 1870) Nopcsa, 1901
    = Antrodesmus valens Mook, 1916 [sic]
NOTE: This genus is probably a senior synonym of Allosaurus, but it is best
left isolated as indeterminate until comparative work on all the Morrison
allosaurid specimens is completed.

I believe Madsen (1966) says the biggest Allosaurus on record would have had
a femur 33 inches long.