or is this potentially an _Altispinax_/_Vulcanodon_-type
situation where the name is based on a feature not demonstrable in
the actual type material?
Also _Amygdalodon_. The teeth (only one of which could be located) were
removed from the hypodigm by Rauhut.
Rauhut, O., (2003). Revision of _Amygdalodon patagonicus_ Cabrera, 1947
(Dinosauria, Sauropoda). Mitteilungen aus dem Museum fuer Naturkunde in
Berlin: Geowissenschaftliche Reihe 6: 173-181.
As for _Altispinax_, the situation may be more complicated. According to
Rauhut (2000), Huene explicitly attached the name _Altispinax _ to the
tall-spined dorsals. Under this interpretation, _Megalosaurus dunkeri_ and
_Altispinax_ have separate types, and _Becklespinax_ is a junior synonym of
_Altispinax_.
In Rauhut's own words...
<< However, Huene (1926a: pp. 482-483) stated: "There is another specimen
from the Wealden of Battle...consisting of three articulated middle dorsal
vertebrae, with extremely high neural spines. ...if it were certain that
such dorsal vertebrae belong to _Megalosaurus dunkeri_, it would be
necessary to put it into a distinct genus, for which the name _Altispinax_,
gen. nov., might be reserved.", and in 1932 (p. 235): "Three articulated
dorsal vertebrae with very elongated neural spines, figured by Owen (202,
Pl. 19), also seem to belong here; ...In 1926 ..., I based the genus
_Altispinax_ on these specimens." (my translation). From this it is clear
firstly that the generic name _Altispinax_ was proposed for the three
vertebrae, and secondly does not refer to the nomen dubium _Megalosaurus
dunkeri_. Since Huene (1926) did not propose a new specific name, the first
available species name given exclusively to the vertebrae is Paul's (1988a)
_Acrocanthosaurus altispinax_, the species thus becomes _Altispinax
altispinax_ (Paul, 1988a). _Becklespinax_ Olshevsky, 1991, is thus an
objective junior synonym of _Altispinax_ Huene, 1923. >>
I have to say that I kind of agree with Rauhut's 'take' on the entire
_Altispinax_ thing. If true, _Altispinax_ is not a nomen dubium but the
valid name of Wealden theropod represented by BMNH R1828 (three articulated
tall-spined dorsal vertebrae).