Re: Anatosaurus, Edmontosaurus or Trachodon?

[Dinogeorge@aol.com]

In a message dated 96-11-15 04:25:59 EST, Westmeie@pprz02.hrz.Uni-Marburg.DE
writes:

<< Hi all,
 I'm just working at a chapter of my examination-work about the
 Duckbill-dinosaur in the Senckenberg-Museum Frankfurt/Main and having
 a problem with it's name: I don't know which one is the valid one. I
 saw these three names: Anatosaurus annectens (which is not listed in
 _The Dinosauria_), Edmontosaurus or Trachodon. In _The Dinosauria_
 there are listed Edmontosaurus annectens and "Anatosaurus" copei. Can
 anyone help me out of that name-confusion? >>

The Senckenberg mummy is probably _Edmontosaurus annectens_, since it's been
referred to the species formerly named _Anatosaurus annectens_. _Trachodon_
is indeterminate, and _Anatosaurus_ is presently considered a junior synonym
of _Edmontosaurus_, so it's not in use.

Check the skull. If it's REAL long, REAL flat, and has a REALLY wide
duckbill, then you probably have _Anatotitan copei_ rather than _E.
annectens_. But it doubt this, since _E. annectens_ is much more common. The
name _Anatotitan_ was created for the species formerly named _Anatosaurus
copei_, which does not belong in the genus _Edmontosaurus_ and thus also
cannot remain in _Anatosaurus_, a junior synonym of _Edmontosaurus_.